Chapter 43 The human heart is full of ghosts

"Coming for you? But what could he possibly want?"

Liu Ziming also crossed his arms in thought, then raised a question.

"At that time, you had just joined the Demon Suppression Division. You had no power, no influence, and no background. If he could erase memories at will, he must be an expert. Why go to such great lengths to approach you? And even gift you a treasure?"

Chen Mu was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know."

He truly did not know. If Zhao Xiong were an enemy, he could have just attacked directly. Given his strength, the version of Chen Mu back then would have had absolutely no power to fight back.

If he had some ulterior motive, he should have waited for Chen Mu to return after gifting the treasure, taking the opportunity to get close and build a connection. Why, instead, did he vanish without a trace?

Furthermore, he had erased the guards' memories. Although this left Chen Mu with no leads, it also exposed his identity. If they were to meet again in the future, Chen Mu would surely be cautious. How could he talk of any ulterior motive then?

As for erasing memories... being able to do that meant Zhao Xiong's strength had long since surpassed the Dao Entry Realm and reached the Heart-Awakening Realm, which allowed one to manipulate the Soul.

In martial cultivation, after entering the Realm, one reaches the Dao Entry Realm.

In the Dao Entry Realm, one practices Body Refining and projects Protective Aura, already making one an expert in the eyes of ordinary people. But above the Dao Entry Realm, there are even more profound Realms.

The Heart-Awakening Realm.

The so-called Heart-Awakening is a Realm where a Martial Artist clarifies their heart, sees their true nature, and recognizes their authentic self.

Some realize that "with me, there is no defeat," becoming decisive in slaughter; others realize that "the highest good is like water," nourishing all things without a sound.

But no matter which path is taken, once one steps into this Realm, they can touch the level of the Soul; their thoughts can influence the minds of others, and even alter memories.

What exactly did he have on him that attracted the attention and investment of such a figure?

Facing this tangled web, Chen Mu could not sort it out or think it through, and could only let out a long sigh.

An opponent like this, hiding in the shadows with unclear motives and unknown strength, was actually more terrifying than an enemy on the surface like the Cat-Faced Old Woman.

"At least... he currently harbors no malice. These bear paw gloves were a huge help in Sangye Village. If not for them, we might not have been able to resolve the cat demon infestation so quickly."

Chen Mu touched the bear paw gloves in his bosom, lost in thought. Liu Ziming thought about it, nodded, and decided not to dwell on it any further.

If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, it cannot be avoided. One must do their best and leave the rest to fate.

"Then what do we do now? Return to the Demon Suppression Division to report?"

"Yes. Zhao Xiong's matter can be discussed later. For now, there is still a hard battle to fight against Xu Changze and Head Constable Wang."

Chen Mu took a deep breath, pushing down his chaotic thoughts.

Liu Ziming paused, nodded with a bitter smile, and looked at his right leg, which had not yet fully healed.

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that. Our great lord has always been one to punish without cause and withhold rewards for merit..."

Although the words sounded defeatist, his state of mind was subtly different from when they arrived.

The two no longer hesitated and strode toward the Demon Suppression Division.

Although the trip to Sangye Village was a life-and-death struggle, wasn't this Yunmeng County magistrate's office also another kind of battlefield?

Officialdom is filled with infighting, and human hearts are like ghost domains.

But they could not stop; they could only keep walking. The road ahead was still long.

...In the back hall of the county office, everything was peaceful and serene.

Xu Changze leaned lazily in his grand armchair, his fingertips twisting the lid of a white porcelain teacup, scraping away the foam again and again.

Head Constable Wang stood bowed in the position below, slowly grinding ink, a fawning yet sinister smile on his face.

"Brother-in-law."

Head Constable Wang lowered his voice and leaned in closer.

"That Sangye Village... Chen Mu and that rotten monkey brat have been gone for several days now, and there's no news at all. Neither alive nor dead. I reckon they are likely..."

He gave a cold, dry laugh and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Xu Changze gave a soft sneer but couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids.

"Hmm, good riddance."

"That place, Sangye Village, is extremely sinister. Of the five previously sent, which one wasn't a veteran of the Demon Suppression Division? And yet, not even a scrap of bone was left."

"Although that brat Chen Mu has astonishing talent, he is ultimately young and impetuous, lacking experience. As a Martial Artist who has just entered the Dao Entry Realm, what kind of waves could he possibly make? It's just a pity that such an uncut jade cannot be used by me..."

Speaking of this, Xu Changze picked up his teacup, shook his head in a performative manner, blew on it, and took a light sip.

"Brother-in-law is right. But that Sangye Village... what should be done now? According to previous reports, there aren't many people left in the village. Cleaning up this mess will be a troublesome affair."

As Head Constable Wang spoke, a hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

In fact, they had long known about the situation in Sangye Village. The demonized villagers had been closing their doors during the day and wandering at night for months, and even the several waves of yamen runners previously sent had all perished there.

It was precisely because of this that they dared to confidently push the two greenhorns, Chen Mu and Liu Ziming, into it.

That place was simply a death trap—a true case of borrowing a knife to kill someone, without dirtying one's own hands. Why not do it?

But... if this demon infestation could not be eliminated for a long time, they would inevitably be held accountable by their superiors and charged with incompetence. He wondered what methods his brother-in-law had to deceive the world.

"A mess?"

Xu Changze finally lifted his eyes, snapped open a blank folding fan that had not yet been inscribed, and fanned himself slowly, his eyes gleaming with sharp light.

"This is not a mess at all, but a ready-made merit, and also ready-made silver."

"You, you still have much to learn."

Head Constable Wang smiled slightly, turned to listen, his attitude very sincere.

"Please teach me, brother-in-law."

Xu Changze glanced at him, a half-smile curling the corners of his lips.

"The village is plagued by demon disasters, the villagers are all dead or injured, and it has become a wasteland."

"All we need to do is quickly write a report and submit it, claiming the demon is vicious and the yamen has suffered consecutive losses of troops and generals. We must request funds for demon suppression, stating that only by inviting experts can it be eradicated."

"Then we can find people ourselves, or, simply don't need to find anyone at all."

His mouth curled into a cold arc, and even Head Constable Wang couldn't help but shudder.

"Burn that village down with a fire, burning people and demons alike to nothing. Even if we can't kill that demon, it will be enough to drive them out of Sangye Village."

"When we report it later, we'll say the demon infestation has been pacified, but unfortunately, all the villagers have perished."

"In this way, not only can we clear the previous accounts, but we can also pocket an extra sum. It's truly satisfying!"

Head Constable Wang was suddenly enlightened and nodded repeatedly.

"Brilliant! Brother-in-law, high, this move is truly high! Also, our Demon Suppression Division has lost a total of seven men; we can ask for a pension fund from above, and the books will look much better!"

Xu Changze fanned himself even more leisurely, looking at his brother-in-law with satisfaction.

"You certainly know how to work an abacus."

"It's thanks to brother-in-law's teaching. If this is done right, we can get at least three thousand taels!"

Head Constable Wang held up three fingers.

"The Prefecture has always been generous with demon suppression pensions, plus reconstruction funds, resettlement fees... Even if we report aggressively, they won't check closely. Since Sangye Village is to be destroyed, we might as well make it more valuable..."

Xu Changze waved his long sleeve, took the brush, and pondered for a moment.

"As for that pension fund, distribute three or four tenths to the families of the dead so they don't cause trouble."

Having said that, his brush moved like a dragon or snake, and in an instant, it was done.

Four large characters with rugged, sinewy strokes were displayed.

They were: "Upright and Honest."