Chapter 79: The Banquet

Chapter 79: The Banquet

"I'll come find you the day after tomorrow!" Nie Yanian patted Meng Yuan on the shoulder.

The two left the private room and saw Jiang Tang still talking to Nie Qingqing, while Tie Niu sat beside her, his eyes vacant.

After bidding farewell to Teacher Nie and his daughter, Meng Yuan and his two companions headed home.

By now, night had fallen, but the streets were still bustling with fine carriages, spirited horses, and peddlers carrying their goods back and forth.

For a moment, Meng Yuan felt as if the demon turmoil he had heard about earlier existed in a different world from this one.

But upon closer thought, he realized that they were indeed two separate worlds.

The reason he could walk here was not only due to his diligence and hard work but also a bit of good fortune.

Holding the lantern given by Nie Qingqing, Meng Yuan walked alongside Jiang Tang, noticing a slight blush on her face as she looked down, her thoughts unknown.

"Ouch!" After a few steps, Jiang Tang stumbled, and her hands instinctively grabbed onto Meng Yuan's.

Her age hadn't changed much, but her cunning had grown.

However, in the straightforward culture of Qing, it wasn't unusual for men and women to hold hands in public, especially at night, so Meng Yuan let her hold his hand.

"This road doesn't seem uneven to me!" Tie Niu bent over to examine the road's surface.

"What did you two talk about?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Nothing much. Sister Qingqing asked me about my work at the Prince's Mansion," Jiang Tang replied softly, moving closer to Meng Yuan and resting her head on his arm.

She had been so ladylike earlier, but now she had changed.

On their way home, Jiang Tang saw that Jiang Lao Bo had also returned, with a hint of alcohol on his breath.

After drinking the soup, Meng Yuan returned to his room to meditate.

After opening another energy point, he finally fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, at the training ground, Meng Yuan gathered and polished his bow and arrows, attracting Hu Qian's frequent inquiries.

It was clear that she was itching to go out as well.

"Sharpening the knife won't hinder chopping wood. When your abilities improve, you'll have the chance to serve the Queen Consort!" Meng Yuan spoke like an old master.

Hu Qian hummed twice and left.

After spending a day at the training ground, Meng Yuan returned home, opened another energy point, and it was already the day set by Teacher Nie.

That morning, after breakfast, Nie Yanian came to fetch Meng Yuan, and they set off together.

"Shouldn't we tell Xun Mei?" Meng Yuan was a cautious person.

"It's already arranged!" Nie Yanian smiled.

The two chatted idly, swords slung and bows on their backs, each leading their horses out of the gate.

Instead of going to the garrison to find Zhang Gui Nian, they headed straight out of the north gate and waited outside.

It wasn't until late morning that members of the Demon Quelling Commandery appeared, with six of them on horseback and another ten or so in donkey carts loaded with sacks of grain.

But that wasn't all; there were also a few hundred yamen runners and laborers from the yamen, some driving donkey carts and others pushing wheelbarrows.

This didn't include the officials from the yamen and the Demon Quelling Commandery, who were not under the same jurisdiction. One belonged to the civil service, while the other was part of the military.

However, when it came to demon extermination, which affected the people's livelihood, the two often collaborated to avoid unnecessary complications.

"Do we really need to bring our own food?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"The governor is kind-hearted and doesn't want to trouble the common folk, so he asked us to bring our own provisions. The food for the Commandery is also provided by him," said Nie Yanian, nodding towards the group of runners surrounding the Confucian scholar, "The governor's deputy is keeping an eye on us."

Meng Yuan nodded, thinking that the governor's actions were indeed commendable.

"Why aren't the imperial troops helping?" Meng Yuan asked again.

"Your mind is getting less sharp," Nie Yanian chuckled. "If the imperial troops were involved, the demons would multiply, and the food consumption would increase, while the number of people would decrease."

Meng Yuan nodded, deciding not to ask further.

After lingering outside the north gate for some time, the group finally set off.

Meng Yuan and Gong Zi Hua, having become close, walked side by side at the front, chatting leisurely.

The destination this time was Qingtian County, over two hundred miles away, a place nestled between mountains and rivers where demons often roamed.

During the recent calamity, as the people fled, the demons descended from the mountains, causing chaos and even claiming territory.

After the disaster ended, the displaced people returned, but then news of demons devouring humans emerged. However, the Qingtian County government was understaffed, and with a small population, they were ill-equipped to handle the demon menace.

The issue was reported to the prefectural city, but many other counties and towns faced similar situations, overwhelming the Demon Suppressing Bureau's capabilities. With the additional concerns of the Buddhist demons and the Luo Sect, they simply couldn't spare the resources.

Now, with resources finally available, the demons had already developed a taste for flesh, and several towns and villages under Qingtian County suffered from the demon plague.

Meng Yuan carefully gathered information and formulated a plan.

Most of the demons causing trouble for the people were spirit beasts, led by old demons of the eighth and ninth ranks.

As for the seventh-rank demons, they were fewer in number, and could be considered major demons.

After traveling for over ten miles, the sound of hurried hoofbeats suddenly echoed from behind. Meng Yuan turned to see over a dozen people surrounding a young master riding a horse.

The young master, adorned with a fine horse and sword, vigorously urged his mount forward, surpassing the others. The deputy governor and several patrolmen followed suit, appearing quite anxious.

The young master laughed recklessly, "I'm going to slay demons! I'll rid the people of this menace!"

"Who is this young master?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile.

"He's the second son of the prefect, named Xie Shen, I believe," Gong Zi Hua explained with a smile, "and he's quite a famous... hehe, aristocrat."

Meng Yuan understood; an aristocrat was a profligate.

He feared not the second generation's incompetence, but their desire to take action.

In comparison, Meng Yuan found Du Gukang to be truly handsome and talented in poetry.

They traveled along the official road, and by nightfall, they had only covered about fifty miles.

They rested for the night in an abandoned relay station, and at dawn, Zhang Guinian made arrangements, leaving the provisions to be guarded by the officials while he led a group ahead.

After another day's ride, they finally entered Qingtian County's territory as night fell.

The prefect's second son had long since disappeared into the unknown.

After another night's rest, at dawn, Zhang Guinian summoned Gong Zi Hua, saying, "You and Meng Yuan go ahead to scout the way. You know what to do if you encounter trouble."

Gong Zi Hua and Meng Yuan obediently mounted their horses and set off.

After traveling less than ten miles, they saw peasants running in the fields by the official road, with two dog demons in pursuit.

Each dog demon brandished a knife, looking rather cheerful, and one of them held a blood-soaked person in its hand.

Meng Yuan immediately spurred his horse forward and drew his bow.

When he was about a hundred steps away, the two dog demons heard the commotion and tried to flee, but it was too late.

An arrow pierced straight through one dog demon's eye, causing it to stagger a few steps before falling to the ground.

On the other side, Gong Zi Hua had also hit his mark, shooting the other dog demon in the stomach.

They dismounted to inspect the scene. Gong Zi Hua questioned the severely injured but still alive dog demon, while Meng Yuan approached the one he had killed.

With his back to Gong Zi Hua, Meng Yuan's fingertips ignited, and he slowly touched the freshly dead dog demon's body.

The flame quickly engulfed the demon's body.

Gong Zi Hua heard the commotion and saw that Meng Yuan had set the demon's corpse on fire, but he said nothing. However, when he slightly turned, he noticed a look of intoxication on Meng Yuan's face.

Gong Zi Hua was at a loss for words, feeling that Meng Yuan seemed like a man who, after idling for over a decade, had suddenly married a young bride, or was here for a feast rather than to slay demons and earn merit.

"Is he going to be another demon slayer? He seems so quiet, and Senior Nie mentioned he had read extensively in Confucian and Taoist classics, often reading history by lamplight..." Gong Zi Hua muttered.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end