Suddenly, Li Cunyi thought of something. His eyes widened, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"That Ping'an..."
...
...
Gu Zheng wasn't just trying to comfort Li Cunyi.
Since the Celestial Change had occurred, the deadly poison that Li Cunyi had been tricked into taking half a year ago was no longer incurable.
Just because previous medicines couldn't cure the poison didn't mean a Treasure Medicine born from the Celestial Change couldn't purge it.
And the closest place to find such a Treasure Medicine was Great Dragon Mountain.
Although Gu Zheng was still unclear about the truth of the anomaly at Great Dragon Mountain, it wouldn't stop him from going there to hunt Demon Fiends and search for equipment. Looking for a Treasure Medicine along the way wouldn't take much extra effort.
Tong Yuanshan had told him to take ten men with him.
Gu Zheng thought for a moment and chose ten constables who weren't the primary breadwinners of their families.
They would likely encounter Demon Fiends, making it a perilous mission where death was all but certain.
The constables who went needed to have some level of strength and some family savings, or simply be bachelors who only had to fend for themselves.
Han Ming fit the criteria perfectly, as did others like Wang Meng and Zhou Lang.
Gu Zheng had the ten men put on Protective Clothing and carry the necessary gear. He himself brought a large pack of clothes, and the group headed straight out of the city to rendezvous with the hundred-man military unit dispatched by the City Defense Bureau.
The military unit was led by a Commander named Guan Ai.
Gu Zheng saw their Iron Armor, the carts pulling large crossbows, and the month's worth of provisions for a hundred men, and he nodded discreetly.
The provisions, of course, had been supplied by Tong Yuanshan.
They set off together for Qingniu Market. Gu Zheng had intended to chat with Guan Ai about the situation at Great Dragon Mountain, but Commander Guan couldn't be bothered with him, moving far away the moment Gu Zheng approached.
"He's looking down on us," Wang Meng sneered as he walked. "A Commander from the City Defense Bureau. What a high and mighty official."
"They're riding tall horses while we're on foot. Of course they look down on us," a constable next to him said with a shrug.
"As long as they can be useful when we get there, it's fine," Gu Zheng calmly interjected.
"Right. I'm just afraid they'll get there and be nothing but decoration," Wang Meng said, turning his head to look at Gu Zheng. "Mr. Gu, what's the situation at Great Dragon Mountain?"
"I don't know the specifics either." Gu Zheng frowned. "All we know for now is that there are Demon Fiends within a five-li radius of Great Dragon Mountain. All the surrounding villages have been annihilated, with no survivors."
A moment of silence fell over them.
Before, the term "Demon Fiend" meant nothing to them.
After participating in the encirclement of the Demon Rats, they finally understood just how terrifying these monsters—which had previously only existed in storybooks—truly were.
It was safe to say that among their group, only Gu Zheng was qualified to fight a Demon Fiend up close.
For anyone else, getting close meant death.
If not for their faith in Gu Zheng, they almost certainly wouldn't have come.
...
A straight-line distance of fifteen li, even with the actual road being ten li longer, meant the party quickly arrived at Qingniu Market.
The hundred-man unit led by Guan Ai found an open space on the northwest side of the market town and set up camp, minding their own business.
Meanwhile, Gu Zheng's ten-man constable squad settled into a courtyard on the main street of the town center, near the west side. This residence happened to be one of the Gu Family's properties.
Upon Gu Zheng's arrival, the staff stationed there immediately busied themselves.
After settling in briefly, Gu Zheng took his men to the streets, splitting them into two groups to gather information.
An hour later, both groups returned to the residence.
"Mr. Gu, you were right. A large group of outsiders has moved into the town's inns these past few days."
Han Ming said gravely, "I followed your orders and didn't interact with them. I only took a look from the periphery before leaving immediately. But even that single glance was unforgettable."
"Unforgettable? Han Ming, did you see a beauty that could topple nations?" Zhou Lang couldn't help but laugh.
Han Ming ignored him and continued, "Their auras are very distinct. They're like candles in the dark; no matter where they stand, they draw your attention."
"They are stronger," Gu Zheng said calmly. "Remember this: do not, under any circumstances, start a conflict with these people. Even if you can't stand it, you must endure."
"...Yes, sir!"
Han Ming, Wang Meng, and the others answered in unison.
"Mr. Gu, have you seen them fight—"
BOOM!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted from outside.
The ground shook, and a hysterical roar immediately followed, echoing throughout all of Qingniu Market.
"Yuan Family whelp, come here and die!"
BANG! BANG!
BOOM!!
A continuous series of collisions and dull thuds reached the ears of everyone in Qingniu Market.
Gu Zheng rushed out at top speed, with Han Ming, Wang Meng, and the others close behind.
When the group reached the main street, they saw two figures locked in a fierce clash in front of an eatery on the far end of the central road.
One of them, a man in his thirties, was cloaked in a faint golden light. His fists seemed to be wrapped in sheet metal, and his feet felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Every step he took left a deep footprint in the stone-paved ground, making it tremble. Every punch he threw tore through the air with a piercing shriek.
The other, a slender man in his twenties, was emanating a faint red glow, his eyes also filled with crimson light. His arms had swelled to a grotesque size, like the limbs of a beast, covered in thick, hard black fur. His hands had transformed into sharp, bestial claws that ripped through the air, clashing against his opponent's iron fists with dull, heavy bangs.
The two fought with savage, domineering power, exchanging blows so quickly that Han Ming and the others could only see afterimages.
But the shockwaves from their battle and the dust they kicked up were impossible to miss.
Terrifying shockwaves blasted into the houses on both sides of the street, destroying one building after another. The screams and cries of the people inside had no effect on the two fighters whatsoever.
Han Ming, Wang Meng, and the others were all dumbfounded as they watched this inhuman battle.
Gu Zheng, however, remained calm, though his sharp brows were tightly furrowed.
'These two are clearly from the Hidden Clans as well, and they have no regard for the lives of others.'
'At this rate, with the terrifying violence their fight is generating, they could reduce the whole of Qingniu Market to rubble in ten minutes at most. The casualties would be unimaginable.'
"...Enough!"
After hesitating for a few moments, Gu Zheng let out a low shout and shot forward, rushing toward them.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The Celestial Frost Blade flashed with slivers of light. His figure flickered as he tore straight through the battle, forcibly inserting himself between the two fighters and delivering a slash to each of them.
Each slash was imbued with his Divine Wondrous power. It wasn't much, just a sliver.
But the blade's edge, enhanced by the Divine Wondrous power, flared brightly, carrying a terrifying, murderous aura that forced the two dueling men to retreat.
THUD! THUD!
The man in his thirties, radiating a faint golden light, landed with bloodshot eyes, stamping two craters into the ground. He glared at Gu Zheng with hatred and growled, "Are you a running dog for the Yuan Family?"
"I am a constable of Qingshi County."
Gu Zheng scanned them both, his voice ringing like steel. "This is the territory of Qingshi County. If you want to fight for revenge, please take it outside of town."
"Hah~"
The man sneered. "And here I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's just some punk. A slightly larger ant dares to meddle in the affairs of I, Zhang Zanyuan!"
"I said you were a fool with more brawn than brains, and you didn't believe me."
Yuan Qianjun, who was emitting a faint red glow, sized up Gu Zheng for a moment before turning back to Zhang Zanyuan with a sneer. "This Chief Constable possesses Divine Wondrous power, just like you and I, yet you couldn't even tell. You mistook him for an ant. You really are stupid to the core, utterly hopeless. No wonder the Zhang Family is in decline and on the verge of extinction!"
"What did you say?"
Zhang Zanyuan glared furiously at Yuan Qianjun and roared, "All you animals with the surname Yuan must die! Go to hell!"
With a furious roar, he lunged at Yuan Qianjun again. His iron fist smashed through the air, leaving a visible trail of energy that exploded in one ripple after another.
BAM!
A heavy, muffled impact.
Before Zhang Zanyuan could even get close to Yuan Qianjun, he was sent flying by a kick. He soared diagonally across the street for more than twenty meters, flying clear past the end of the road and crashing through a wall before finally coming to a stop.
Under the gazes of countless people, Gu Zheng retracted his foot. His cold, yet resonant voice echoed down the entire street.
"I said, enough!"
"..."
A hush fell over the crowd.
From one end of the street to the other, in the shops on both sides, hundreds of people were either stunned, shocked, or in utter disbelief.
For a moment, the entire street was plunged into dead silence.