The Eternal Way

The merchants breathed a sigh of relief and praised Li Qi one after another.

"Exactly, I was ready to draw my knife, but Brother Li Qi was even more impressive. He actually managed to fool her!"

"I think that demon was probably not fully aware of her surroundings, maybe like a Xiong Gabo, acting with some sort of pattern."

"Indeed, I've heard that some demons, if you don't open the door when they knock at night, they won't come in. But if you do open it, they'll eat you. These demons and monsters often have peculiar habits. This one might be similar. If we had drawn our weapons, we might not have escaped. Li Qi is truly clever!"

It turns out that after Li Qi and Ba Kui noticed something was off about the woman, they immediately realized she was a demon.

What do you do when faced with a demon?

Everyone else immediately prepared for a fight to the death.

But Li Qi saw through the demon's odd behavior and remained calm, even trying to communicate using logic. Who would have thought they could actually escape!

They were incredibly lucky! The demon also followed a certain logic!

This wasn't uncommon. For example, stories about Xiong Gabo, monkey shows, hungry ghosts, Huang Daxian, and guardian snakes all involved demons that acted according to some rules. As long as you didn't provoke them, there was usually a chance of survival.

Li Qi knew this and stayed calm while talking to the demon.

After all, this was a shape-shifting demon! If they had attacked recklessly, Li Qi had no doubt that none of them would have survived.

As for carrying the demon back, the group wasn't particularly concerned about that.

Who knew if leaving her behind might have resulted in being chased down and killed?

If they had ignored her plight, perhaps the demon would have sought revenge.

Instead, now, they could say they had made a good impression on the demon, making everyone happy. So they wouldn't blame Li Qi.

As mentioned before, although these merchants weren't particular about right or wrong, they did have a sense of small-scale righteousness. Having gone through life-and-death situations together, they wouldn't turn their backs on each other over minor issues.

Amidst the joy, they finally reached the city outskirts.

Feng County was here, and surely, they would be safe now.

Cities typically had Demon Extermination Bureaus and Garrison Commanders. Even in rural areas, there were witch doctors and shamans who could handle exorcisms and demon slaying.

So, the city outskirts should be safe. If they weren't...

Then it would be time to prepare for death. What level of demon could break through a county town?

After everyone relaxed, Li Qi decided to part ways with the group.

They were just acquaintances who had traveled together for a night. Each had their own affairs to attend to and couldn't stay together forever.

"Brother Li, I must go now. My destination is far, and the task is heavy. Farewell." A Du bid farewell first.

This was normal; he had chosen to travel alone during the harsh winter, likely carrying an important mission. No one tried to stop him, and after bidding farewell, he left.

The merchants, with their baskets full of goods, needed to sell or deliver their wares. They too went their separate ways.

Ba Kui said to Li Qi, "We'll set off for Lianxia tomorrow noon. We promised to treat you to drinks, but tonight isn't possible. Tomorrow morning, let's meet here again. We'll make sure you drink your fill!"

Lianxia was a section of the Lǐshuǐ River where many boats gathered. It made sense for merchants to go there.

Li Qi naturally had no objections. Free food and making friends were both good things, so he agreed and parted ways with the merchants.

Just as they were getting familiar with each other, it was already time to say goodbye.

Apart from Ba Kui, no one mentioned what exactly they were going to do. Everyone had their own business, and there was no need to reveal all secrets.

Such is life; those passing by are more numerous than those gathering.

After parting ways, Li Qi walked alone toward the city gate, temporarily not entering.

Mainly because he saw a notice board near the gate where someone was posting a new notice. Many people were gathered around, so he decided to take a look.

Approaching the board, he saw a newly posted notice.

The notice stated that a group of twelve merchants had encountered a demon on the road and were all killed. Now, the notice was up to inform relatives to come and claim the bodies.

Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine.

Could it be... that the group including Ba Kui had encountered ghosts?

Before he could scare himself further, his doubts were dispelled because portraits were attached below.

Upon closer inspection, none of the portraits matched anyone in Ba Kui's group. They were simply another unfortunate bunch.

Relieved, he continued reading.

However, the more he looked at the portraits, the more familiar the faces seemed.

Thinking carefully, he finally remembered that these were people from one of the two merchant groups he had met at a roadside tea stall earlier!

Ba Kui's group had made it safely, but this group had been killed on the road and discovered by passersby who reported it to the authorities!

After understanding the situation, Li Qi shook his head.

He once again realized the dangers of traveling alone.

No wonder people were reluctant to travel far, especially alone, fearing it like tigers.

But as Li Qi continued reading, he saw a wanted poster.

It read:

"Wanted Notice, by order of the Governor of Lǐzhou!"

"Now, Luo Fu Niangniang, a rebel of the Tang Kingdom, as a demon deity, received the emperor's favor to govern a region. However, lacking virtue and morality, she has caused chaos among the people, employing sycophants leading to great disorder."

"The Governor of Jiannan Dao ordered her to self-examine, but she defied imperial orders, acting arrogantly and rebelliously. Although the emperor showed leniency, ordering her to reflect and correct her mistakes, she openly insulted the emperor, refusing to comply, intending to flee to Tianzhu."

"For such grave crimes, she should be executed, but Luo Fu Niangniang possesses profound magical powers and extraordinary abilities, killing envoys and fleeing the country. She has now fled into Baiyue, whereabouts unknown. Our Great Deer Kingdom, one of the Baiyue states, has maintained friendly relations with the Tang Kingdom for generations. Her rebellion against her elder brother's kingdom makes her a traitor to our Great Deer Kingdom. Any information leading to Luo Fu Niangniang will be rewarded with a hundred gold pieces. Whoever kills her will be granted a second-level title and ten thousand households. Whoever captures her alive will be granted control over a state and titled king."

This wanted notice stood out, written on yellow cloth and hung prominently at the city gate, indicating its importance.

"A wanted notice for treason... indeed," Li Qi glanced over it and skipped it.

What did it have to do with him? Such a formidable person, oh, correction, such a formidable figure, how could they possibly kill her?

The purpose of this notice was mostly to warn the public about this rebel.

That was all. How could ordinary citizens possibly kill her?

Skipping that, Li Qi continued reading.

And then he saw something that made him pause.