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

The moonlight poured down, and the thick fog in the mountains and fields, now devoid of the giant tiger, slowly dissipated.

The once bloody and dark tiger's den was now completely devoid of any sinister atmosphere. Occasionally, even a bold deer would peek out from the forest after the terrifying aura had dissipated, looking at the seemingly harmless young humans in their field of vision.

Yuan Xiu sat on the giant tiger's body, while the Grand Elder of the Demonic Sect stood to the side. Having been subjected to some kind of spell, the Grand Elder was now filled with nothing but respect, utmost respect, and extraordinary respect.

At this moment, Hu Shusheng's lingering soul remains in this world, like a candle that is about to burn out, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.

Yuan Xiu looked at the scholar Hu and asked:

"What other wish do you have to linger in this world?"

"I am from Hujiaji, thirty miles outside the mountains. I have been studying since childhood and passed the county-level imperial examination in my youth. I originally wanted to go further and pass the provincial-level imperial examination, but I did not expect to encounter this vicious tiger on my way to Xiazhou City. I was subdued by it and became its accomplice, committing countless evils. Now I have only one thing in my heart, and I hope you will grant it."

"What is it?"

"I beg that the remains be returned to the Hu family's ancestral tomb. If you, sir, can accomplish this, I am willing to tell you the secrets of this vicious tiger."

"Okay, I agree!"

The Grand Elder of the Demonic Sect glanced at Yuan Xiu sitting in front of him, not expecting him to agree so readily.

"After this evil tiger gained intelligence, it also learned to befriend other creatures, just like humans. It had two close friends, one was an iron-armed ape, and the other was a human-faced python. Both of them were born with intelligence and could read human language. The three of them found a spiritual root in a place called Thousand Ravines Cave. They said that once the spiritual root bore fruit, they could eat it and then they could advance to the next level."

"Thousand Ravines Cave!"

Yuan Xiu nodded upon hearing the name.

"Don't worry, I will bring your ashes back!"

Thank you!

After expressing his wish, Hu Shusheng's wisp of soul transformed into fireflies and gradually dissipated.

The Grand Elder of the Demonic Sect spoke:

"Alliance Leader, what should we do now?"

"You go back to your demonic sect, I'll go to my Hujiaji. We'll do what we did before, and we'll do it again."

"Your subordinate understands! However, this place in Xia Prefecture is teeming with evil spirits, and the Demonic Sect has always intended to win them over. Alliance Leader, you must be careful."

"You want me to stop getting in your way, right?"

"Your subordinate dares not. Your subordinate will certainly assist the Alliance Leader in breaking through to the eleventh realm as soon as possible."

……

After descending the mountain, carrying Hu Shusheng's ashes, they walked along the official road for half a day and arrived at a market town as he had described.

Hujiaji!

Of the six northern states, Jin and Xia are both located on the border, with few cities. Most of them are manors and fortresses of powerful Jianghu families, or towns like Hujiaji that have gathered together because of markets.

In such towns, the larger ones were garrisoned by troops from various prefectures, while the smaller ones were garrisoned by self-organized local militia.

Hujiaji was a large market town, and caravans from Xia Prefecture and other places often stayed there. Therefore, there were many inns in the town.

When Yuan Xiu arrived, he found the town, which should have been bustling with commerce, deserted. Business was dismal in the inns.

After Yuan Xiu entered the town, he was met with strange looks from passersby. When he asked people where Hu Shusheng's house was, most of the townspeople seemed unwilling to pay him any attention.

After much effort, Scholar Yuan finally found out the truth. Upon arriving, he discovered that Scholar Hu's house was dilapidated. He hadn't returned for many years, and there had been no news of him. After his mother's death, the family's fields and property had been divided among his brothers and uncles.

They are practically extinct!

After hearing this, Yuan Xiu revealed his purpose. Of course, he omitted the story of the vicious tiger, only saying that Hu Shusheng had died far from home and he was bringing his ashes back here for burial.

At that moment, Hu Shusheng's uncles and brothers all breathed a sigh of relief. As for the burial, Hu Shusheng's uncles and brothers all agreed and planned to pool their money to buy a tombstone and bury him there.

The discussion had gone smoothly, but as the sun was about to set, before the matter was fully resolved, everyone took their leave.

His anxious expression left Yuan Xiu somewhat confused about what had happened.

Only Hu Shusheng's uncle, who lived next door to Hu Shusheng's house and used Hu Shusheng's house as a warehouse, reaped many benefits. Seeing Yuan Xiu's bewildered appearance, he invited him into his home and gave him some instructions.

"Scholar, things aren't what they used to be in Hujiaji. Don't go out at night! You'll have to spend the night here!"

Why?

"Evil spirits haunt the town at night, and shameful things often happen. As a result, no merchants dare to come here anymore. And no one in our town dares to go out at night."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiu asked:

"Don't they care about the Liu family in Xiazhou City?"

After hearing this, Hu Shusheng's uncle cursed:

"You shouldn't have said it, because it makes me so angry. That so-called governor, I don't know what he's thinking, all he does is seek pleasure. What's even more infuriating is that the harvests have been bad these past two years, yet taxes have increased by 30% compared to the past. And that commander of the Liu family, after marrying a woman, he's changed completely."

"What kind of woman could make the commander of the Liu family act like this?"

Hu Shusheng's uncle leaned closer, opened his mouth, and revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"I heard that woman is a demon."

Why do you say that?

"I heard it from someone else. Ever since the commander of the Liu family married that woman, Xiazhou City has started to lose face. Rumor has it that this woman is the cause of their downfall. The commander of the Liu family is so bewitched by her that he has neglected everything else."

Amidst the sighs and lamentations of Hu Shusheng's uncle, Yuan Xiu silently finished her dinner.

There's practically no entertainment in this town at night. In the past, when there were caravans, the inns could afford to hire dancers to keep the guests company while they drank and made merry. But now, those with wives sleep with their wives in their arms, and those without wives can only sleep with their blankets in their arms.

Hu Shusheng's uncle was a widower who had long since developed the good habit of going to bed early and getting up early. As soon as night fell, Yuan Xiu was surrounded by deafening noise, which kept him awake.

Helpless, Yuan Xiu could only get up and go outside.

The night was quiet, and the night breeze carried a refreshing scent.

Yuan Xiu was about to go out for a stroll when he heard a strange sound coming from afar.

A grandmaster's six senses are extraordinary and extremely sharp. Moreover, Yuan Xiu has been enhanced by two profound techniques: [Danhuo Master] and [Spiritual Pressure].

Yuan Xiu followed the sound and saw that several soldiers were furtively carrying two large boxes into the garrison of Hujiaji.

Yuan Xiu did not alert the enemy. He leaped onto the roof, lifted the tiles, and saw that the soldiers had opened chests containing valuables, which appeared to have just been looted.

"Sell it, and we'll be rich."

At this moment, one of the soldiers opened another box and asked:

"What should we do with this woman?"

"Brothers, we've had our fun. We can make a good profit selling them in the North."

Upon seeing this, Yuan Xiu sneered inwardly.

What evil spirits are causing trouble? It turns out to be a den of thieves!

……