The villainous bosses from their past lives have all been reborn.

A waning moon hangs over the ancient temple, while thick fog blankets the area outside its walls.

Yuan Xiu sat cross-legged in front of the reclining Buddha, his eyes closed.

Before my eyes, the bonfire was burning brightly.

After leaving the mountain, Yuan Xiu hurried on his way without stopping for a moment, all to hide his tracks and avoid being spotted by the demonic sect members again and revealing his whereabouts.

However, the effect was a little too good.

At this moment, Yuan Xiu left one mountain and entered another.

As the night deepened and the fog thickened, Yuan Xiu could not quite discern the roads, so he decided to set off again at dawn.

"Brother, are you also heading to the capital for the imperial examinations?"

There were other people inside the temple.

Like Yuan Xiu, he was dressed as a scholar in a blue robe.

It seems he wanted to come and huddle by the fire.

Yuan Xiu remained silent, and the scholar, having made a fool of himself, simply pursed his lips and stayed to the side.

Not long after, another noise arose outside the temple.

"Why is there such a thick fog in this godforsaken place all of a sudden?"

As the sound echoed and footsteps approached, three or five burly men, hand in hand, carrying goods, entered the temple. Judging from their appearance, the packages they carried were clearly of dubious origin, still bearing traces of blood.

"There are others, two scholars."

At that moment, these burly men were filled with a sense of mockery.

"You scholar, get out of my way!"

At that moment, the leader shouted at Yuan Xiu.

"A few bandits dare to tell me to get out of the way!"

Yuan Xiu scoffed, and the leader was about to get angry, but was pulled back by the others.

"Boss, this kid seems to have some background."

The leader, heeding the advice, dared not step forward to test the waters again and turned his attention to the scholar who had tried to provoke him earlier.

The scholar, however, stood up with a smile on his face and said:

"Gentlemen, please have a seat here!"

"You little rascal, you do know some manners. How should I address you?"

"My surname is Hu!"

These men sat down next to the scholar, and soon after, someone shouted:

Why is it so cold here?

These burly men were ostensibly cursing the scholar, but secretly their eyes were fixed on the firewood in front of Yuan Xiu.

Hu Shusheng was kicked by someone, but he wasn't angry. He stood up and said:

"Don't worry, gentlemen, I'll think of a solution."

Hu Shusheng, no longer displaying his previous cowardly demeanor, and relying on the support of several burly men, approached Yuan Xiu and said:

"Excuse me, sir, could you lend me some firewood?"

Seeing that Yuan Xiu remained silent, the scholar Hu tentatively took a few sticks, and then took more and more, carrying back most of them.

Amidst the mocking gazes of the group of burly men, a fire was soon lit in the temple.

Several burly men sat around the fire, enjoying the warmth and drinking the wine they had brought with them, saying:

"These six northern states are really lively these days. Tianquan Manor and the Demonic Sect have officially started their war. Taking advantage of this, our brothers' business is getting better and better."

"The business may be good, but it's still just a wild operation and doesn't amount to much. In my opinion, since Tianquan Manor is recruiting soldiers now, we might as well go and serve the Fu family."

Just then, someone laughed:

"The Fu family is nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn."

"Why do you say that?"

"The Demonic Sect has gathered a group of experts, including more than a dozen ninth-rank masters, and I heard there are even grandmasters among them. They are preparing to wipe out the Fu family in one fell swoop and seize Tianquan Mountain. Even if the Fu family relies on the natural defenses of Tianquan Mountain, I'm afraid they will eventually be no match for them."

When he said he wanted to join the Demonic Cult, the others fell silent. After all, the Demonic Cult had a terrible reputation in the six northern states, to the point that even bandits looked down on it.

Seeing that the others remained silent, the one who spoke up said:

"When the Northern army marches south and conquers the six northern prefectures, there will naturally be plenty of benefits. I wish to gamble for wealth and power; what do you brothers think?"

Driven by self-interest, the others eventually agreed.

"Alright, we'll do as you say, brother!"

As the conversation became more animated, the leader of the group looked at the scholar Hu beside him and said:

"You're heading to the capital for the imperial examinations, aren't you?"

"Exactly!"

"Don't go. Everyone knows the Great Zhou Dynasty is rotten to the core. Someone like you, without any background, is no match for others. Even if you go to the capital, it will be of no use. You'd be better off coming with us to the Northern Kingdom. The Demonic Sect doesn't discriminate based on social status when it comes to recruiting people. If you go, you might just be able to secure a position for your wife and children!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Shusheng dared not disobey. If he did not agree, the knife would be at him in the next moment.

"To be honest, gentlemen, I have repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and am long weary of them. I am only considering applying to serve in the Northern Kingdom; I wonder what the prospects are?"

"The Demonic Cult is powerful and well-equipped, and its Grand Elder appoints people based solely on merit. If you truly possess talent, you will undoubtedly reap the rewards!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Shusheng said:

"If what you say is true, I am willing to go!"

"Alright, I've made an appointment with Protector Quan Tu of the Demonic Sect. We'll set off when the fog clears at dawn."

"I'm afraid that won't work!"

Why?

"Once this fog starts to rise, it's unlikely to dissipate for several days."

"How many days?"

Hu Shusheng nodded and said:

"I'm from Hujiaji around here, and I'm very familiar with the terrain in the mountains."

After hearing this, everyone became anxious and looked at the eldest brother, only to hear him say:

"Leaving aside the fact that we'll be staying for a few more days, the brothers won't have enough food. Protector Quan Tu has a big temper; if we miss the deadline, my plan to join his cause will probably fall through."

As he spoke, the elder brother looked at Hu Shusheng and asked:

"You didn't bring any food either, aren't you afraid of starving to death?"

"Brother, I didn't expect such a thick fog in the mountains, so I wasn't prepared. However, I'm familiar with the terrain and have land surveying techniques, so even with the thick fog, I can still manage to get out."

"In that case, let's not delay any longer and set off now!"

Hu Shusheng reluctantly agreed, then looked at Yuan Xiu and cautiously reminded him:

"Brother, this fog hasn't lifted for days. Why don't you come with us?"

Yuan Xiu remained silent. The burly men, having gathered their scattered belongings, said impatiently:

"Whatever, it's better to die here!"

Soon, several burly men accompanied the scholar surnamed Hu away.

The temple returned to tranquility, and Yuan Xiu circulated his internal energy for three cycles, three hours passing quietly.

He opened his eyes and stepped out of the temple, only to find that the fog outside the temple was still thick, and he could not even see the sunlight in the sky.

Daylight was as dark as night, and the firewood in the temple had already burned out.

"Something's not right about this fog."

As Yuan Xiu murmured, she heard a hurried voice in her ear.

"Oh no! Oh no!"

Last night, the scholar Hu returned again, looking flustered.

"Those gang leaders went out with me last night, but before we even left the mountain, we ran into people seeking revenge."

Upon seeing this, Yuan Xiu casually waved his hand, unleashing a burst of sword energy that severed the head of the scholar Hu.

The scholar's body was severed from its head, and a wisp of a ghost emerged from the corpse, glared at Yuan Xiu with resentment, and then fled into the distance.

"What kind of demon are you, pretending to be a god or a ghost!"

Yuan Xiu shouted, and his spiritual energy swept across a three-mile radius as if he could hold it in his palm.

Deep in the mountains, a tiger's roar arose, seemingly filled with anger, and all the beasts trembled.

……