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Chapter 252 Visions of Heaven and Earth
The existence of evil species in Qingyun Tianxia is a minor matter. Two years ago, before the incident in Qiling, there were corpses of these remnants of the race that had died but did not decay in various mountains and forests.

Some woodcutters and scholars who accidentally wandered into the mountains and forests often perished without a trace.

However, for cultivators, such bloodthirsty bodies are not a threat if there are only a few of them, so they can be ignored.

However, the Sixianjian (Immortal Supervisor) was worried that, like before the incident at Qiling, evil species would emerge in droves, causing chaos throughout the world.

When the inspection team arrived in Sanli County, the county magistrate was already waiting with his officials.

"Sir, an evil species has indeed been discovered in the county."

"?"

According to the county magistrate, the livestock in Shitang Village had been restless for some time, but the government initially thought it was due to wild animals in the mountains and did not take it seriously.

Upon hearing that the son of a high-ranking official in the capital had encountered trouble in this area, they immediately ordered a search of the mountains and forests.

As expected, a group of evil beings was discovered in the mountain stream between Hengshan.

As ordinary people, they naturally didn't know what to do, so they could only send someone to guard the area until the supervisory department sent someone to come.

When the inspectors arrived at the place where the evil seed was discovered, they saw the evil seed wandering in the mountains and forests, roaming back and forth in the dense jungle.

The inspector of the supervisory office was named Mu Jing, a newly promoted official in recent years. He had worked with Kuang Cheng to handle the matter of refugees fleeing to Shengjing after Qiling.

After discovering such a large number of evil creatures, Mu Jing did not dare to act rashly. Instead, she devised a plan to capture one and send it to Shengjing, and then sent people to seal off the area.

How many evil species are there in Sanli County?

"Just in the past few days, there have been at least a hundred of them that I have seen with the naked eye."

Upon hearing this, Supervisor He Jingyuan frowned: "Are there any missing persons in Sanli County?"

Mu Jing shook her head: "No missing persons have been found."

"So, these evil creatures didn't harm anyone? The only unlucky one is Minister Dou's son, Dou Yuankong?"

"If these ghostly things don't smell human scent, they're basically in a dazed state and won't reveal too much of their bloodthirsty nature. Sanli County is sparsely populated with many mountains, and the forests where evil species are found are basically uninhabited places. Perhaps that's why they've been able to live in peace. It's just that Dou Yuankong was really unlucky to have been tormented like this."

Deputy Supervisor Peng Dongyang raised his eyes: "Another evil species causing trouble. Could it be that some relics emerged after the Qiling incident, but were overlooked?"

After thinking for a moment, Mu Jing shook her head: "I can't be sure."

"Have you checked all the official documents filed in Sanli County after the Qiling incident?"

"We have checked. When our Celestial Observatory investigated the location of the evil species, Sanli County did not report it."

He Jingyuan placed the teacup on the table: "These officials usually collude with the local swindlers and do things as simply as possible. They don't even report such a disaster."

Mu Jing pursed her lips: "But there's a problem."

"what is the problem?"

"We did not find any new relics near Sanli County."

He Jingyuan glanced at Peng Dongyang: "The most urgent task is to notify the Zhenbei Army to send people to wipe out this group of evil people so that they can prevent them from harming the people. Then we can investigate slowly."

Mu Jing nodded: "Yes!"

After the barbarians abandoned their large-scale invasion, half of the Zhenbei Army was transferred back to Shengjing and stationed outside the capital, while the other half remained in Fengzhou.

Upon receiving the message from the Imperial Observatory, the nearest camp dispatched hundreds of skilled fighters deep into Sanli County to begin an operation to exterminate the evil species, beheading all of them and dumping their bodies in the wilderness.

Kuang Cheng was the Director of the Reception Office, which was not part of the same system as the Supervision Office, but he paid special attention to this matter.

Because when the evil species plagued the land, too many people were eaten alive, and he did not want to see such a thing happen again.

Mu Jing and Kuang Cheng were quite close, and the two had discussed for a long time during this period, focusing on the origin of this batch of evil seeds.

Such a large number of evil creatures appearing is rare in Qingyun Tianxia, ​​unless a large ruin is opened by someone. However, after the Qiling incident, large ruins that can accommodate so many creatures are basically under guard.

After the Dou Yuankong incident, Kuang Cheng reviewed all the case files related to the evil species over the past year and found that there was no unusual activity at any of the large ruins.

To confirm the news, Kuang Cheng even sent letters to the local authorities and officials, and received the same answer: everything was fine.

Of course, it is also possible that the evil species from some small ruins gathered here by chance.

The problem is that if they came from all directions, they couldn't have done it so quietly.

However, Mu Jing quickly dispelled Kuang Cheng's guess, because after the evil seed was eradicated, the Supervision Department went there again and searched the surrounding area for dozens of miles, but found no unrecorded relics.

In Kuang Cheng's view, the only clue might lie in the words of the unconscious Dou Yuankong.

It wasn't until early spring, in March, that Dou Yuankong, who had been rescued, finally awoke.

He was a cultivator, and although his cultivation level was not high, he was protected by spiritual energy, which made him different from ordinary people. Simple injuries or hunger were not fatal.

Dou Yuankong's efforts to befriend cultivators over the years were not in vain. People would come to the Dou residence from time to time to circulate their spiritual energy to protect his life, which finally allowed him to open his eyes one evening in March.

Upon learning the news, Kuang Cheng arrived in the imperial carriage, along with Wei Rui and Princess Chang Le.

Kyushu has been experiencing continuous rain recently, to the point that the city is flooded, with water reaching above ankle level.

The three of them got off the car with oil-paper umbrellas. Wei Rui was not very strong, and the umbrella was immediately tilted by the large raindrops. Kuang Cheng helped her up.

Princess Chang Le glanced at it, said nothing, and took the lead in entering the Dou residence. The two followed her in and passed through the connecting corridor to the east courtyard. Before they could even enter the courtyard, a scream suddenly rang out.

They entered the side room of the east courtyard with umbrellas and saw Dou Yuankong huddled in a corner, trembling and screaming, waving his left hand back and forth in front of him.

Minister Dou and his family were all in front of him, but because of his fierce resistance, no one dared to step forward and could only stare in astonishment at Dou Yuankong.

Upon seeing this scene, Princess Chang Le remained silent for a long time, while Wei Rui's eyes instantly began to redden.

Although Wei Rui didn't like Dou Yuankong, they had grown up together after all, and she wasn't heartless. Seeing him looking like a ghost, with one sleeve hanging empty as he swung around, it was inevitable that she would feel sad.

Seeing this, Kuang Cheng took out a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve, hesitated for a long time, then rolled it up and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

However, he was not sad.

Dou Yuankong plotted to harm Brother Ji, intending to send him abroad to die. Although he ultimately failed, Brother Ji nearly lost both of his arms, highlighting the perilous situation he faced.

Kuang Cheng always believed that good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished; it's just a matter of time before retribution comes.

Seeing Dou Yuankong like this now, I can only feel that he deserves his fate.

Just thinking about this made Kuang Cheng's brow furrow involuntarily.

Dou Yuankong has gone mad, so there are some things that can no longer be asked.

A mentally unstable person, let alone being unable to speak normally, even if they could speak, would probably not provide many valuable clues.

However, seeing Dou Yuankong again served as a reminder to Kuang Cheng.

He had been preoccupied with where the evil seed came from, but forgot to consider why Dou Yuankong had appeared in Sanli County.

Dou Yuankong was a nobleman's son, used to a life of luxury. Even though he was scared away from the capital by his brother Ji, he should still go to some bustling places to drink and make merry.

This Sanli County is extremely poor, and there are no bustling cities around it. Dou Yuankong has no hunting habits. Why did he come to this remote mountain forest?

Unless they were taken there by someone or kidnapped.

But what was the purpose of throwing him into that kind of place?
If Dou Yuankong really didn't go there voluntarily, could he be related to the appearance of these evil species? Kuang Cheng pondered for a long time, but still felt that something was missing, so that these things seemed impossible to connect.

Kuang Cheng's only hope right now is that those evil creatures in the mountains were truly just oversights from the initial investigation, and not reappearances.

Because if they were just missed, they would all be killed by the Zhenbei Army, and nothing major should happen afterward.

Kuang Cheng then left the Dou residence and returned along the same route with Wei Rui.

Because he had something on his mind, Kuang Cheng wasn't in the mood to cook. Wei Rui happened to be with him, so the two of them went into a restaurant.

Because it was a rainy day, there weren't many customers in the restaurant. All the waiters were gathered at the entrance to the kitchen, gesturing excitedly and looking extremely busy.

"Where did all these cockroaches come from?!"

"It must be Chef Zhang. Every time he finishes cooking, he doesn't put the oil ladle away properly. Luckily there are only a few. Quickly stomp them to death!"

"Shopkeeper, buy some medicinal powder. Just stepping on it won't do any good."

"Buying the medicine powder costs money!"

"Shopkeeper, please don't take offense at my bluntness..."

"Won't you blame me for being too heavy-handed?" "I really can't do without buying the pesticide. There's a saying in my hometown that when you see one cockroach, you already have a whole nest of them at home."

"?"

Looking at Kuang Cheng, Wei Rui couldn't help but whisper, "How about we go to another place?"

Kuang Cheng looked up at the sound and saw that Wei Rui's gaze was fixed on a cockroach: "A restaurant that has hired a cockroach? This is one of Brother Ji's favorite restaurants."

"The kitchen is probably not clean."

"Then let's go to another one."

The news of the discovery of the evil seed in Sanli County spread quickly, and because of the Qiling incident, all the major immortal sects and aristocratic families also paid attention.

However, since the Bureau of Immortals submitted its investigation report and no further incidents involving evil spirits occurred, it did not cause much of a stir.

Kuang Cheng felt somewhat relieved and temporarily put aside his doubts, returning to Fengzhou under Cao Jingsong's escort.

Spring plowing in Fengzhou has been underway for quite some time. Because a large number of laborers were hired during the winter, the people of Fengzhou still need to cultivate a large amount of farmland to expand the scale of planting.

In addition, when Ji You left, he told Kuang Cheng that he wanted to get involved in animal husbandry as grain production increased.

So the farm business also needed to be taken care of. Amidst all this busyness, Kuang Cheng was escorted back to Fengzhou by Cao Jingsong and his group.

While inspecting farmland reclamation and farm construction, Kuang Cheng and his group also took the opportunity to attend a marriage ceremony.

The groom was a cultivator from Tianyuan Manor named Zhang Pingyang. He was a member of the Zhang family in Yunzhou, a cultivator at the Ninghua Realm, and one of the earliest members to join the joint harvesting team.

However, the woman he married was not from a celestial sect, but a peasant woman named Lanlan.

Zhang Pingyang is now the squad leader of the fifth brigade of the combine harvester, in charge of agricultural affairs in Lanlan's village. Lanlan often goes to the fields to deliver tea, and the two have known each other for a long time.

Even among scions of prominent families, even those from lesser-known collateral branches, it is rare for them to marry ordinary women.

Many people don't know what he was thinking, but they saw that he was very happy on his wedding day.

Kuang Cheng felt that this was perhaps what Brother Ji wanted to see.

As Brother Ji once said, whether one is a cultivator or a mortal, they are all human beings. But I don't know why cultivators have become less and less like human beings in the past.

Now that Fengzhou is in such a state, it will surely get better and better, just as Brother Ji has imagined.

What Kuang Cheng didn't expect was that in the following months, torrential rains fell across Kyushu.

Such weather was rare in the history of Qingyun Tianxia. The dark, low sky seemed about to collapse, making the people of Kyushu uneasy.

Subsequently, floods occurred frequently in many places, and the official duties of the Sixianjian (Imperial Observatory) became increasingly numerous.

Lingzhou is the estuary of hundreds of rivers, and breaches of the dikes occur frequently, especially on the Nu River where the waves surge and flood the surrounding areas.

After spring planting, before large tracts of farmland have sprouted any seedlings, a flood can wipe out the entire year's harvest.

Fortunately, Lingjian Mountain sent an elder over.

They used sword energy to split mountains, moved earth and stones to build dikes, and bound the river water amidst continuous torrential rains. Furthermore, powerful experts from the upper five realms used their great magic to guide the water into the sea.

"The weather has suddenly become unpredictable for some reason."

"The weather has changed drastically; perhaps the ways of Heaven are unpredictable."

Where did this claim come from?

"This is what people say: that God is angry."

“What do mortals know? I think there must be a great master who has achieved great success in cultivating the Four Symbols method.”

Lingzhou is the location of Lingjian Mountain's Taoist temple, so the floods naturally affected Lingjian Mountain as well.

Yan Shuyi ordered his disciples to descend from the mountain to assist the Sixianjian in controlling the floods. While building dams and dikes, they also saved many people.

However, the duration of this torrential rain was truly beyond imagination, and no one could be sure when it would stop. If it continued like this, Lingzhou would likely be submerged by one-third of its area.

Especially the area near the Xuanhai Sea, which is a low-lying area.

Fortunately, the downpour did not continue. Instead, it gradually turned into a light drizzle one afternoon in mid-June and subsided by evening.

The morning after the rain was still gloomy, but at least it was much brighter than before.

However, there was still surging water on and around the mountain, and even the waterfalls in the mountains became turbulent.

However, after experiencing a violent storm, many cultivators who longed for sunny days couldn't help but step out of their rooms. They intended to wait for the clouds to clear and the sun to shine, but as soon as they went out, they were drawn to the direction of the coastline, and once their eyes widened, they couldn't look away.

After Yan Shuyi learned that the rainstorm had stopped, he relaxed a little and entered a meditative state until noon. After opening his eyes, he remained silent for a long time before starting to read the secret manual under his pillow.

As he was reading, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside the hall, so he hurriedly stuffed the book under his pillow and put on a cold and aloof expression.

"Master, Blood Mist."

"What blood mist?"

Ding Yao stood in the hall, catching her breath slightly: "This morning, many fishermen saw a thick red fog appear above the Xuanhai Sea, so they reported it to the government. The government then reported it to us, saying that our disciples on the mountain also saw it; it was everywhere."

Yan Shuyi frowned, then rose gracefully from the hall.

The Boundless Realm allows one to ignore distance within a certain range. Ding Yao knew that the Master had gone to the Profound Sea, so she turned around to follow him.

However, in the next instant, with a fluctuation of spiritual energy in the air, Yan Shuyi returned to the hall.

Ding Yao: "?"

Yan Shuyi looked at his diligent maid: "Cui'er, you are not allowed to tidy up my bed."

Cui'er, who was about to fold the quilt, froze, a hint of confusion appearing in her eyes, but she still obediently let go of her hand and softly said yes.

Amidst flashes of mysterious light, the young master of Lingjian Mountain appeared on the shore of Xuanhai, her skirt fluttering as she landed, gazing at the sea.

The Xuanhai Sea is vast and boundless. After the storm suddenly stopped, the tide gradually calmed down, but there were still houses and fishing boats that had been washed away on both sides, looking dilapidated.

Countless fishermen gathered on the shore, gazing into the boundless distance.

Yan Shuyi also turned his head to look, and a faint golden light seemed to gather in his eyes.

In the distance, the sky to the far south was a deep crimson, which was the thick fog that the fishermen had been talking about, but it had now receded.

According to fishermen on the shores of Xuanhai, the red fog had actually spread to the coastline by morning.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were also looking in the direction everyone was looking, then turned to Yan Shuyi and asked, "Master, what's going on?"

"First came the torrential rain, then the blood mist. Such strange natural phenomena, if not caused by human intervention, must be an anomaly of the natural order, and it can't be a good thing."

After pondering for a moment, Yan Shuyi said, "Ding Yao, go and check the historical records of my Spirit Sword Mountain to see if there are any records about the red mist at sea."

Ding Yao nodded: "Yes, Master Appraiser."

Yan Shuyi then turned to Zhuo Wanqiu and said, "Inquire with the people outside the mountains in various places to see if anything strange has happened recently."

Zhuo Wanqiu immediately cupped her hands in greeting: "Yes, Master."

Yan Shuyi stood by the sea for a long time before waving his sleeves and leaving. He landed on Xuanjian Peak, gazing at the land of Kyushu from south to north, his handsome brows slightly furrowed.

Ding Yao returned in the evening, holding a book in her hands, and came to Yan Shuyi: "Master, I couldn't find any records about the red fog at sea. I only found records about red tides."

"So, this is the first time blood mist has appeared above the Xuanhai Sea?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, according to the books I have consulted, this should be the case."

Yan Shuyi frowned slightly, his eyes flickering with light and shadow.

Heavy rain, strong winds, ocean tides, and dense fog all belong to the Four Symbols Law, which is the most intuitive law in the Way of Heaven.

The appearance of such an anomaly signifies a disorder in the four elements and an unrest in the natural order. In the customs of Qingyun Tianxia, ​​this is considered an omen of disaster, not auspiciousness.

The key point is that this phenomenon has not been recorded before, so people don't know what it represents, which makes it even more intriguing.

While he was pondering, Zhuo Wanqiu rushed over: "Master, the government down the mountain has reported that an evil species has appeared in western Lingzhou."

"With ruins in various locations under surveillance, why are evil creatures still appearing?"

(End of this chapter)