Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

"Then why, Master?"

Chen Zhuo asked in confusion, "Generally speaking, demon-slaying operations take between half a month and a month, but this time it's been so short."

"The master didn't say why, he just gave a hasty order and then disappeared."

Hearing this news, Chen Zhuo became somewhat worried about his elderly father.

After bidding farewell to his senior brothers and sisters, Chen Zhuo quickly arrived at the Chen family's residence.

Anyway, he didn't have much to pack and could leave at any time.

The camp where this aristocratic family was located was exactly the same as the one he had just seen, even more chaotic, with signs of a hasty departure everywhere.

The same applies to the Chenjiaying camp complex.

Only one servant remained here.

"Second Young Master, the Eldest Young Master specially sent me here to wait for you and convey a message that the Master has already returned home, so you don't need to worry."

Upon seeing Chen Zhuo, an old servant of the Chen family quickly stepped over.

Chen Zhuo nodded, indicating that he understood.

Seeing this, the old servant also bid farewell to Chen Zhuo and hurriedly followed another group of people away from the camp.

Looking around the camp, Chen Zhuo seemed to be deep in thought.

He felt that something must have gone wrong in the investigation on his master's side, which led to the need for a large-scale evacuation of the camp.

It's unclear whether it's a natural disaster or a man-made one.

……

Rewind a moment, to the cave in the green mountains where Chen Tiansheng had once been.

Song Zhiyuan, the dean of Qingshan Academy, and Zhou Wenyuan, the magistrate of Qingshan County, appeared here together.

Zhou Wenyuan touched the dust on the wall and said:

"Dean Song, this demon clan stronghold is no ordinary place. It's incredible that it's been able to exist right under our noses for so long. I wonder how you discovered such a hidden location, Dean Song?"

Song Zhiyuan waved his hand, "It was just a fleeting moment of inspiration while gazing at the green mountains, nothing to mention, nothing to mention."

Seeing Song Zhiyuan's perfunctory attitude, Zhou Wenyuan did not press the matter further.

If he could observe the green hills, he would have discovered it long ago, instead of waiting until today.

Although he followed the official school of thought, he also had some understanding of the principles of nature.

Unless Song Zhiyuan's strength improves further, but he's already at the perfect level of a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), further advancement would be impossible...

Impossible. To advance to the seventh rank of Jinshi, one needs not only to pass the imperial examination organized in the capital, but also to have at least one work that reaches the level of dissemination within the region.

Only in this way can one advance in rank during the cultural baptism of the capital city.

As the head of a county, he couldn't possibly be unaware that the other party had such a work.

Zhou Wenyuan then suppressed these thoughts; how Song Zhiyuan knew was of no importance to him at the moment.

The important thing is how to quell the fact that the demon race has established a stronghold right under their noses.

Before a major disaster erupts, perhaps handling this matter properly and reporting it to the imperial court will earn us merit without any blame.

Faced with the situation before him, Zhou Wenyuan quickly thought things through and soon figured out the priorities: to deal with the immediate matter first.

"Does the magistrate not employ a method to trace the source?" Song Zhiyuan's calm voice came.

Zhou Wenyuan glanced at him and no longer hesitated. Their purpose in coming here was to investigate the demon race.

As the air around him swirled with literary energy, Zhou Wenyuan uttered a deep shout, "Rise!"

A phantom image of an official seal appeared above his head; it was none other than the seal of a county magistrate.

"According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, anyone who digs up mountains without permission is a thief!"

"Searching for its shadow!"

The large seal above his head spun faster, and there was a subtle blessing from the surrounding spiritual energy.

This is the ability that only a scholar who passed the imperial examination could master: the borrowing of literary tradition!

As his literary energy rapidly depleted, the scene before Zhou Wenyuan's eyes also quickly rewound, all the way back to the time before the cave was opened.

Inside the scene, a pure white cat is looking around, seemingly searching for the best spot to dig a hole.

Suddenly, it looked up in Zhou Wenyuan's direction and muttered, "Interesting."

Then a beam of light seemed to shoot out from the phantom.

Zhou Wenyuan's pupils constricted sharply, and he exclaimed in surprise, "At least a Great Demon at the Core Formation Realm!"

However, the light was too fast to be blocked. Just as it was about to hit Zhou Wenyuan, the words "Defense" suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the attack.

It was Song Zhiyuan who made the move!

The cat in the phantom waved its paw, and the scene before them vanished instantly.

Only then did Zhou Wenyuan gasp for breath.

"Thank you very much for Dean Song's help. A demon at the Core Formation Realm is truly terrifying."

Then a doubt arose in his mind, "Why would a powerful demon at the Core Formation Realm disregard the peace treaty between humans and demons and come to this remote Qingshan County?"

……

Rewind a bit, to a village in Qingshan County.

Chen Tiansheng gradually opened his eyes from his coma.

"Where is this place?"

He struggled to his feet and looked around: earthen walls, flickering candlelight, and a body that ached terribly with the slightest movement.

Looking down at myself, I saw that my body was covered with many white bandages that no one knew who had wrapped around me.

His memory stopped at the moment he was discovered by a powerful demon at the Core Formation Realm.

At the time, he felt that the person opposite him was an illusion and that he could still put up a fight. However, he was knocked unconscious with just one move.

"So someone saved me?"

After carefully examining his body, he discovered a trace of his friend Song Zhiyuan's aura on him.

He knew this all too well; it was a method Song Zhiyuan specifically used to predict good or bad fortune.

"Looks like he saved me from the monster again. I owe him another huge favor!"

Suddenly, the door opened, and a woman carrying a little girl and a bundle walked in.

No one knew what kind of magic she possessed, but Chen Tiansheng was captivated the moment he entered.

At the same time, thoughts began to flood my mind uncontrollably.

"Speaking of which, Ah Mei has been gone for a long time, hasn't she? For some reason, I miss her a little. Should I...?"

Suddenly, as if realizing something, he asked seriously:

"May I ask, madam, where is this place? And why am I here?"

Xie Yaoyin glanced at him and said softly:

"This is a small village outside Qingshan County. When I was out and about, I happened to find my husband unconscious by the roadside, so I took him in."

As she spoke, a cat paw pattern flashed in Xie Yaoyin's eyes.

A glint of light flashed from the pattern, and a jade pendant on Chen Tiansheng's body shattered, but he himself felt nothing.

Then, with a look of sudden realization, he said, "I see. Thank you for your help, young lady."

Then Chen Tiansheng asked with a puzzled look, "Where are you all headed, dressed like this?"

"My husband died at the hands of the demons when I was young, and I have to raise Xiao Nian on my own."

"Recently, the county government issued a notice saying that a long night is coming and everyone is required to go into the city to seek safety. I am preparing to go to the county government to seek refuge."

Xie Yaoyin's description was so moving that it brought tears to Chen Tiansheng's eyes, and this emotion quickly touched him.

He thought of his own Ah Mei, who had also died in an attack by demons during the Long Night, and couldn't help but feel compassion for her.

"I wonder if you have anywhere to go within the county government office, madam?"

"There is no one I know."

Upon hearing this, Chen Tiansheng felt a surge of inexplicable joy.

"The Chen family still has room for maneuver. I wonder if you, madam, would be so kind as to go and allow me to repay your life-saving grace?"