Song Ciwan pointed to the scholar ahead, who was flourishing his fountain pen, and said, "Brother Ye, please look."

What was there to see?

Song Ciwan didn’t say more. Her hand was already pointing forward, and what she left unsaid needed no explanation.

Everything in the world holds a different meaning depending on who is looking.

Take the moonlight, for example. A poet looks up and sees longing and distant lands. A merchant looks up and sees copper coins and gold ingots. A beggar looks up and says the sky is clear, a good night to go to a kind family on the east side of the city and beg for half a mooncake...

What would Ye Sheng see?

Ye Sheng looked ahead and saw the Scholar chanting, "Magnificent gray-horned eagle, your killing intent pierces the autumn sky!"

Golden characters flew out one by one, transforming into eagles with gray-crested heads and outstretched iron wings.

Boundless killing intent burst from their unfurled wings as the eagles’ cries rang out—SCREE! SCREE!

Then, the long-tailed Demon Fiends that had been running rampant all over the area curled up, clutched their heads, and rolled on the ground, screaming in pain, "Aah! Ooh... Xi Wu! Xi Wu!"

Ye Sheng was startled. He turned to Song Ciwan and asked in surprise, "Brother Lu, did the cries of those Demon Fiends sound familiar to you?"

Song Ciwan felt a jolt of alarm as well. She frowned slightly and said, "It’s the sound the Wooden Men in Illusory Nether City often make."

The Wooden Men scattered throughout Illusory Nether City were strange, yet not entirely so. They often stood as if gazing into the distance. Though their wooden bodies lacked the agility of living people, they possessed an indescribable, ethereal grace.

If you got close to them, a chaotic stream of whispers would fill your ears. Among those whispers, the most memorable and frequently repeated syllable was, without a doubt, "Xi Wu."

’What on earth does "Xi Wu" mean?’

’Is it an ancient word? Or some kind of distress signal?’

’Or is it just the pained wail of the Wooden Men? A meaningless repetition?’

Song Ciwan had often speculated about it, but knowing so little, her musings could never be more than just that—musings.

Ye Sheng sighed. "Illusory Nether City... Could it be invading the Mortal World?"

Before his sigh faded, he saw the Scholar tap the tip of his fountain pen. In midair, the eagles suddenly flapped their wings, tearing through the night sky.

In the blink of an eye, their outstretched wings pierced through the long-tailed Demon Fiends like sharp blades. SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!

With the sound of blades tearing through flesh, the long-tailed Demon Fiends collapsed, all of them dead.

The "Xi Wu" cries stopped completely. The Scholar standing in the ruins let out a long laugh. "You paltry Little Demons are nothing special. How dare you go on a killing spree in Pinglan City? It’s just your bad luck that this scholar happened to be passing by. It took but a moment of my time to exterminate you."

"If any of the other masters in this city had been here, wouldn’t they have destroyed you with a mere flick of a finger?"

As the Scholar’s voice faded, Ye Sheng’s expression was stunned.

He was mulling over the Scholar’s last words: "If any of the other masters in this city had been here, wouldn’t they have destroyed you with a mere flick of a finger?"

After a moment of thought, Ye Sheng smiled. "When all is said and done, it seems I’m just not broad-minded enough. You were right, Brother Lu. The world is full of masters. It’s me... I’ve been taking myself far too seriously. Heh."

He smiled, but Song Ciwan, standing beside him, found herself in a strange predicament, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

It was because she heard the Scholar continue, "Brother Wang, come on out. Help me clean up the battlefield."

Wang Yi appeared.

Every time he showed up, he was inevitably accompanied by some unexpected, bizarre situation. He was like a strange-faced clown, ugly but blissfully unaware, trying his best to provide absurd comic relief for everyone in the know.

Seeing him couldn’t help but give one a sense of moral and emotional superiority.

But what was more interesting was that this absurd and comical Wang Yi somehow always managed to climb higher and live better with each reappearance.

This time, for instance, Wang Yi scrambled out from a pile of rubble to the side.

He was cradling a weak, pitiful little kitten. With one hand holding the kitten and the other carefully shielding its adorable little head, he rushed over to the Scholar who had been flourishing his fountain pen and announced earnestly, "Brother Zhou, I’ve successfully completed my task. I’ve kept your little Raccoon Dog Slave safe."

As he spoke, he held up the kitten and carefully presented it to the Scholar named Zhou Bo.

Ye Sheng said, "Zhou Bo... so this is Jieyuan Gong Zhou Bo, who took first place in this autumn’s provincial examinations! Wasn’t he Traveling in Jingzhou Prefecture? When did he return to Cangling!"

Jieyuan Gong Zhou Bo!

To be honest, Song Ciwan had never heard his name before.

Although she had been in Pinglan City for some time, Pinglan was vast, Cangling was vaster, and Jingzhou was vaster still. In these places, there were countless brilliant figures and dazzling names.

Even with Xie Yunxiang, a born-and-bred local, constantly filling her in on the local news, Song Ciwan’s knowledge of Pinglan City and Cangling County was still quite limited.

But Song Ciwan at least understood the significance of the title "Jieyuan Gong."

’I never would have thought... Last time, I just heard that Wang Yi had gotten into the official academy and made friends with many of his classmates. This time, he’s actually managed to befriend Jieyuan Gong Zhou Bo. And it looks like they’re on pretty good terms!’ 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

’Wang Yi truly was a marvel. Song Ciwan didn’t even know what to make of him anymore.’

Zhou Bo took the kitten from Wang Yi. It was clearly not some incredible Demon Beast or Spirit Beast, but just a weak, ordinary kitten.

But Zhou Bo treated the kitten with extreme gentleness. He cradled it in the crook of his arm, his face a mixture of adoration and heartache that only a true cat lover could understand. He extended his fountain pen and traced a single character in the air before the kitten: Heal.

The shimmering white character for "Heal" flew into the kitten’s tiny body. The once-weak creature suddenly lifted its head and let out a small cry at Zhou Bo, "Meow!"

Zhou Bo immediately responded, "There now!"

The kitten obediently rubbed against his palm, and Zhou Bo burst out laughing. "Excellent! My Raccoon Dog Slave is all better!"

With a flick of his wrist, the fountain pen vanished. He held the cat in one arm, stroking its back with his other hand, and said gratefully to Wang Yi, "Brother Wang, you helped me today. I will be sure to repay you generously in the future."

Wang Yi quickly replied, "Brother Zhou, you’re too kind. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I’m afraid I would have lost my life here. You’re my savior, Brother Zhou. Besides, that was all for the sake of slaying Demon Fiends... How could I dare take credit for my meager contribution?"

Zhou Bo’s gaze swept over the surroundings as he continued stroking the cat, petting it until its eyes blissfully narrowed.

He asked casually, "Brother Wang, you said this was the old Yao Fang Courtyard? And after Princess Chunshui destroyed it, she just vanished?"