Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 79 A Seat Full of Demons
The change was sudden. Neither Mu Feng nor Hao Jingchuan had expected that in such an official setting, where the prefect himself was hosting a banquet and all the officials of the prefecture were present, these two young people would suddenly attack and injure someone.

Before Mu Feng could even react, Sheng Yuanyao's knife had already cleaved his neck. Meanwhile, Lu Xingzhou slammed a bone nail into his left hand, dropped the wine pot with his right, and punched him in the dantian.

Before Mu Feng could do anything, he roared, his clothes torn to shreds, his muscles bulged, and he grew much larger, his body covered in monstrous hair. His eyes turned red, and his fangs bared.

"A demon!" Many people at the table were horrified and fled from their seats, keeping a great distance.

This was a transformation of his true form caused by the unleashing of all his demonic power, leaving no room for concealment. However, it didn't actually help much with the current situation; while demons are physically strong, they are not invulnerable. Sheng Yuanyao's blade had already pierced his neck, and Lu Xingzhou's fist, a spiral of ice and fire, slammed heavily into his demon core.

Mu Feng's neck had been severed in half, and his nascent demon core was completely destroyed. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and slumped down, stammering, "You...you all..."

Sheng Yuanyao knocked it unconscious and grabbed it, and the Demon Suppression Division subordinates outside immediately formed a protective circle around it. Sheng Yuanyao sighed and sneered, "My lord, am I wrong to say that the demons originated from within the county?"

Hao Jingchuan seemed about to make a move, but forcibly held back, and sighed, "Since City Lord Sheng suspects Prefect Mu... Mu Feng, he should have informed me privately. Why did he have to suddenly attack me at the banquet? Do you not trust me?"

"You flatter me, sir." Sheng Yuanyao said calmly, "I couldn't be sure who it was at first, but I tested it out. It just so happened that this person couldn't hold back and gave himself away... I was afraid that it would escape afterward, so I thought it would be better to take advantage of the moment when it was off guard and launch a surprise attack. It's not that I don't trust you, sir, nor did I intend to cause trouble at your banquet. Please forgive me if I offend you."

His words were perfectly worded, and Hao Jingchuan seemed to have nothing more to say, only sighing, "Very well, since that's the case, this demon will be handed over to the prefecture for disposal. Lord Sheng has rendered meritorious service in eliminating the demon, and I will report the truthfully."

Sheng Yuanyao raised an eyebrow: "The county magistrate shall handle this?"

Hao Jingchuan said, "Since the demon was discovered on my official seat, it is my responsibility to deal with it."

In normal circumstances, handing it over to a superior wouldn't be a problem; it would avert responsibility and avoid clashing with the official. But Sheng Yuanyao didn't care. She didn't want to be this so-called city lord, and the Demon Suppression Division was directly under the court's jurisdiction, so even the most powerful prefect couldn't interfere. She could tolerate official formalities, but when it came to merit, she didn't care about any prefect.

Especially since she felt a vague unease... Mu Feng's mindset wasn't very good; he revealed his demonic aura after being tricked by her words, but that didn't mean Mu Feng was the only demon here. Capturing Mu Feng and interrogating him might yield other results, but handing him over directly to Hao Jingchuan would undoubtedly be covered up and there wouldn't be any further developments.

After all, it was his position as the prefectural magistrate that caused the incident, and Hao Jingchuan bore a great responsibility. How could he allow the matter to escalate further? What about his own position? Moreover, this wasn't just about his official career; it was about putting all the officials in Dongjiang Prefecture in a state of fear.

“First of all, this is the responsibility of the Demon Suppression Division, and it has little to do with the city lord and the prefect,” Sheng Yuanyao retorted directly. “Secondly, from investigating clues to the on-site battle and apprehending the culprit, this case was handled entirely by the Demon Suppression Division of Xia Prefecture. Why must it be handed over to the prefect? ​​How can I explain this to my colleagues in the Demon Suppression Division of Xia Prefecture!”

Hao Jingchuan sighed with a worried expression, and his chief secretary came out to advise him, "Lord Sheng, what you're doing breaks the rules..."

"What rule?" Sheng Yuanyao asked knowingly. "Which law of the imperial court stipulates that demons captured by the Demon Suppression Division must be handed over to the prefect for processing?"

Of course, it's an unwritten rule in officialdom. Are you really going to expose everyone's official positions? Hao Jingchuan looked very uncomfortable. How could he say this in public?
When faced with a young lady whose father is a high-ranking official, these tacit understandings of the system no longer apply. Hao Jingchuan really didn't know how to bring this up with Sheng Yuanyao, and just kept sighing helplessly.

The chief clerk spoke: "When guests are guests, they should follow the host's lead. Since the demon was captured here, the prefect's decision is the rule!"

"Oh, so it's just a personal rule. I wonder if this 'prefecture' refers to Prefect Hao or you, Chief Secretary Xie?" Sheng Yuanyao scoffed. "When I'm being polite to you, I call you Chief Secretary. But when I don't want to be polite, who do you think you are? What kind of rules do you have?"

Chief Secretary Xie trembled with rage: "You!"

"Let's go!" Sheng Yuanyao led the group in retreat.

Despite her boastful words, she was a little apprehensive. After all, this was someone else's territory, and if the county officials insisted on keeping them here regardless, things would get really difficult.

However, judging from Hao Jingchuan's worried and sighing appearance, this matter does seem to have little to do with him.

"Lord Sheng, please wait a moment." Hao Jingchuan finally spoke: "Could we speak in private for a moment?"

Sheng Yuanyao glanced at Lu Xingzhou subconsciously, and Lu Xingzhou nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that she could listen to what he had to say.

Sheng Yuanyao inexplicably trusted Lu Xingzhou's judgment, so she entrusted the demons to her subordinates for protection, and followed Hao Jingchuan a few steps to the side corridor.

Hao Jingchuan said in a low voice, "Miss Sheng, although Chief Secretary Xie's words were unpleasant, this matter... sigh, it has indeed made our entire Dongjiang County look very bad. How about we each compromise? This matter will be handled by Dongjiang County. We can say that Dongjiang County discovered that Prefect Mu is a demon, so our county won't be implicated. As for Xia Prefecture, we can say that the clues were provided by the people of Xia Prefecture, and that the capture of the demon was ultimately achieved by the people of Xia Prefecture through their desperate struggle. What do you think?"

She spoke with utmost sincerity. The use of "Miss" instead of "Lord of the City" further implied a request made out of personal friendship.

To be honest, Sheng Yuanyao had a pretty good impression of this boss. At least he didn't act like a boss and seemed like a nice guy. Moreover, this kind of conciliatory approach was a common practice for this kind of old official and wasn't surprising.

But this matter really can't be handled this way... Sheng Yuanyao also put away her previous attitude of criticizing Chief Secretary Xie and said very sincerely, "Lord Hao, this matter is not about how to weaken responsibility and divide credit, but rather it means that there may be other demons hiding in Dongjiang County. Your method may seem to be a win-win situation, but it does not solve the fundamental problem."

At this point, a slight stirring in my heart.

Was his father's instruction to visit the prefect more often a sign that he knew something was amiss and wanted him to learn how to compromise and back down? Was it even knowing that there were still demons involved?

How could this be… Hao Jingchuan was asking, “Then, in Miss Sheng’s opinion, is there any other way to resolve this?”

Sheng Yuanyao said, "If Prefect Hao is willing to preside over a major investigation in Dongjiang County and find all the demons, then this matter can be entrusted to Prefect Hao in full charge, and I will only assist him. As for the so-called merits... they are not that important."

Hao Jingchuan remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, sighing, "Miss Sheng is truly selfless. How could I not be moved? Let's do as Miss Sheng says."

Sheng Yuanyao sighed and turned back to the hall. If the prefect was truly willing to conduct a thorough investigation, that would be ideal; it would be far more effective than anything a mere city lord of Xia Prefecture like herself could accomplish.

It seems the prefect is just a seasoned shrew; his true nature is questionable...

Just as she was thinking this, the demon-detecting stone she had been holding in her hand began to vibrate violently. Sheng Yuanyao was horrified, and an incredulous thought flashed through her mind—

Is the seemingly kind-hearted prefect behind him actually a demon?

Moreover, it's a third-grade great demon!
He is the true source of all the demons in Dongjiang County; he's been hiding it for a long time...

"Bang!" A pair of palms silently struck Sheng Yuanyao's back. Sheng Yuanyao knew she couldn't dodge and was just waiting to die when a sword light silently shot out from the shadows behind the corridor, piercing towards Hao Jingchuan's nape!

At the same time, a mirror-like light appeared behind her. It turned out that Lu Xingzhou had prepared in advance and had used a high-grade mirror light talisman on Sheng Yuanyao's back.

Hao Jingchuan was suddenly attacked without warning, which naturally weakened his attack on Sheng Yuanyao. The mirror shattered with a bang, and Sheng Yuanyao had time to react, quickly dodging away unharmed.

Sheng Yuanyao looked at the sword light that had saved her, and it turned out to be a familiar face.

I had seen Yang Dechang, the retainer of the Huo family, in the capital. He was currently locked in battle with Hao Jingchuan... and the two were evenly matched.

How could the Huo family have been lurking here and managed to save me in time?

Yes, Lu Xingzhou's ambiguous identity... Sheng Yuanyao glanced at Lu Xingzhou, and without thinking further, rushed back to the hall and shouted sternly, "Quickly take the demons and leave!"

In an instant, the officials in the hall and the guards outside surrounded them. Xie Changshi laughed sternly, "Now that things have come to this, do you think you can still leave?"

Sheng Yuanyao felt a chill run down her spine, and the members of the Demon Suppression Division in Xia Prefecture were equally incredulous. So far, including Hao Jingchuan, no one had revealed their true demonic forms; they all appeared to be a group of human officials. Yet, their demonic aura was overflowing, and the jade stones in their hands were almost numb from the vibrations…

This mere Dongjiang River is teeming with demons! We've lived under their rule for so long, yet we knew nothing of it!
No wonder even Lu Xingzhou had subtly warned me beforehand that it was best not to investigate this matter further... Did he anticipate this situation from the beginning?
Dozens of demons rushed towards the Demon Suppression Division's team in unison, and Lu Xingzhou rolled up a stack of talismans like he was shuffling cards.

Several demon-suppressing talismans, slowing talismans, and force-dissipating talismans landed precisely on the demons in front.

At the same time, a flash of sword light suddenly appeared outside the prefectural governor's mansion.

Zhang Shaoyou and other newly surrendered members of the Tianxing Sword Sect appeared to be the Demon Suppression Division arranging support. They chopped down the guards outside the door with a few sword strikes and broke in.

Zhang Shaoyou immediately approached Hao Jingchuan, and together with Yang Dechang, they attacked from both sides.

The two exchanged a strange glance... Just a day ago, they were on the same side, having chatted briefly at the Incense Burning Pavilion; a day later, they were on the same side again, only their allies had changed. How unpredictable life truly is.

The two of them were so fond of each other that Hao Jingchuan was practically going crazy.

He deliberately led Sheng Yuanyao to a corner outside, intending to secretly capture her and have his demons impersonate her, thus resolving everything. But then, out of nowhere, two troublesome third-rank sword cultivators appeared, and both so powerful!

How did so many powerful figures suddenly appear in the Demon Suppression Division of Xia Prefecture...? Isn't Zhang Shaoyou from the Incense Burning Pavilion? Why is the Incense Burning Pavilion attacking me instead of the Heavenly Sword Sect?
"Bang!" In the hall, Sheng Yuanyao and the demonized Xie Changshi clashed, and Sheng Yuanyao, unable to withstand the force, staggered back a few steps. Just then, Lu Xingzhou was also knocked back, and the two bumped into each other back to back.

Sheng Yuanyao took a few breaths and said in a low voice, "Thanks... When it comes to working with you, you are surprisingly reliable."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Even if you feel that I tricked you a few times, you didn't actually suffer any losses."

Sheng Yuanyao scoffed, "So you're saying you're pretty good to me?"

“Someone like you… shouldn’t suffer losses.” Lu Xingzhou suddenly pulled Sheng Yuanyao away, just in time to avoid Xie Changshi’s vicious attack.

Sheng Yuanyao slashed at Xie Changshi's throat with her sword: "Dongjiang has an army, and who knows how many of them are demons. If a battle breaks out in a place like this, we will ultimately suffer losses. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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