Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 801 - 48: Something is off about the style here

Besides the incense burner monks, there are other forces dividing up the refugees.

Wang Yunxiao stood on the street, feeling troubled about how to get to that damned West Spring Mountain, when he heard the slow creaking of the Inner City gate opening.

A massive caravan emerged from the Inner City, moving slowly through the streets.

Unlike the scavenging nomads outside, this caravan was equipped with numerous horses, vehicles, and armed guards. The carts were filled to capacity, giving off the air of a legitimate big business venture.

The question is... what big business is there to even conduct here?

Wang Yunxiao stared in bafflement.

As he silently observed, he suddenly heard someone call out, "Lord Wang?"

Turning his head, he saw that it was Shi Hu.

Wang Yunxiao had almost forgotten who he was.

Shi Hu was the captain of Inner City guards and the one who had assigned them work when they arrived for their training. Back then, Wang Yunxiao had even bribed him generously, hoping to build a good relationship.

In the end, that connection never proved all that useful.

When he followed Veronica into the Inner City, he no longer needed Shi Hu as a contact.

He didn’t remember Shi Hu well, but Shi Hu clearly remembered him, enthusiastically coming over to greet him.

"Lord, are you heading out on official duty?"

"Official duty? No, just heading out for business."

Shi Hu jumped down from his horse, his face brimming with eagerness. His gaze swept subtly behind Wang Yunxiao: "Is the little Commandery Princess not accompanying Lord Wang this time?"

"She had other matters to attend to... Lord Shi, where are you headed for business this time?"

"To Little Western Heaven. Those bald monks are lavish spenders, never asking for prices before buying anything. Now that life in the city has become difficult, the national treasury is running dry, and all the lords must tighten their belts to get by."

Shi Hu sighed, "Life has grown increasingly hard these days. Even someone like me, an Inner Court guard captain, is forced by necessity to engage in menial work to make a living. It’s truly a disgrace to my ancestors..."

What now, monsters don’t drop gold coins anymore?

Wang Yunxiao still hadn’t figured out how the economic system in the Thousand-Year Dynasty World actually functioned.

Monsters attack cities, people kill monsters to collect gold coins, and the folks in the palace eat gold coins for meals?

Doesn’t make sense...

But this place itself is influenced by dual dimensions—Netherworld and Dreamland—an imagined Outer Dimension brought to life.

Does dreaming require logic?

So, stop asking too many questions.

Compared to the city’s dreaming overlords, the refugees outside actually seemed more normal.

The Dragon Worship Church established a settlement deep in the wilderness called Little Western Heaven. Just hearing the name is ominous—like it’s the kind of place that kidnaps innocent young girls passing by and turns them into weapons.

Wang Yunxiao inquired with Shi Hu about the location of West Spring Mountain, only to find out that it was in the same direction. The caravan would stop there as well.

The Sun family’s ancient town on West Spring Mountain reportedly had countless ties to the Dragon Worship Church.

On the mountain resided a Demon King with dragon bloodline, named Chu Jiang, known for his vast supernatural powers and limitless mana. He led ten thousand little demons, occupying eight hundred miles of West Spring Mountain, reigning supreme...

In this place, the concepts of time and space really didn’t hold much meaning.

Especially the "information" locals shared—equivalent to those self-declared superhuman kids from M78 Nebula with battle power of 530,000.

Just take it as delusional ramblings.

Truly valuable information needs to be gathered on your own.

Upon hearing Wang Yunxiao’s group planned to visit West Spring Mountain, Shi Hu sent a warm invitation, and Wang Yunxiao exchanged a few polite words before reluctantly agreeing.

Having someone guide the way saved considerable effort.

Departing from the dilapidated Imperial City, they headed west, passing villages and hamlets under construction every three to five miles.

Some nomads were even attempting to cultivate land, though no one knew what they were trying to plant.

Some village compounds clearly weren’t legitimate—heroes with menacing eyes stared at the massive caravan, considering their options carefully before deciding not to act recklessly.

One full day’s journey covered approximately thirty to forty kilometers, yet West Spring Mountain was still nowhere to be seen.

Wang Yunxiao’s breathing was steady, and he felt no discomfort.

Of course, his physical condition couldn’t be taken as a standard. Instead, he relied on Chen Yan and Little Gourd’s feedback.

Both women said they felt fine. Other than the oppressive atmosphere of the barren surrounding land, they didn’t detect any invasive influence from the Outer Dimension.

If they were fine, it meant ordinary people could likely survive here without trouble.

Long-term survival is unpredictable, but a day or two shouldn’t be an issue.

It seemed the Special Service Bureau’s plan wasn’t pure fantasy; it was indeed carefully considered.

Now, it all depended on whether West Spring Mountain’s Great Demon King would be willing to communicate—or even understand human speech.

The night passed peacefully without any incident.

On the second day, the caravan resumed its journey, reaching the foot of West Spring Mountain by midday on the third day.

The scene there differed from Wang Yunxiao’s expectations.

West Spring Mountain reportedly spanned eight hundred miles, seemingly endless. The mountain itself was barren and treeless, covered only in stone—which was normal.

What wasn’t normal was the massive town at the foot of the mountain. Stretching from the base to the mid-mountain, it was densely packed with buildings, housing a population of at least ten thousand.

Unlike the lifeless Imperial City, this town was vibrant. Smoke rose from cooking fires, and bustling sounds carried from afar, resembling the Mortal World in nearly every respect.

There were fields tilled with unknown crops and wells providing water.

There were inns, and the food served in the inns was edible to normal humans.

Wang Yunxiao stared in disbelief at the shop assistant carrying out a large bowl of noodles in broth.

Not to be dramatic... but is your entire aesthetic not completely out of place?

This is supposed to be the Netherworld, right? How did you manage to build it into a pastoral utopia?

Locals used joss paper banknotes for currency, printed with fine illustrations clearly originating from the Mortal World. The inns also facilitated currency exchanges, accepting gold bars and beads circulated in the Imperial City, colorful banknotes from the Mortal World, and even the Dragon Worship Church’s incense as currency.

Sometimes, being too normal is, in itself, abnormal.

Wang Yunxiao couldn’t fathom who or what could turn this place into what it was.

It was absurd.

Just as Wang Yunxiao was settling into an inn with Shi Hu, someone came knocking.

The visitor was a well-dressed young man whose demeanor radiated wealth and vitality, indistinguishable from a living person. With paper, pen, and an abacus ledger in hand, he politely cupped his hands in greeting before introducing himself.

"I am Li Yu, the town’s tax officer."