The Game with Fairies

Under the cover of night, Sanhe City was shrouded in darkness, the night sky obscured by clouds, with no stars or moon in sight.

Shan Xiaolian brought Li Muyang back to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s office.

“This is the only entrance and exit to the mirror world.”

Shan Xiaolian glanced at the empty city behind her, her eyes complex: “All of my colleagues and subordinates have been corrupted.”

Shan Xiaolian looked at Li Muyang: “Wuming, you seem to know a lot about evil gods. Do you know if there’s a way to save Demon-Suppressing Masters after they’ve been corrupted?”

After a moment of thought, Li Muyang shook his head: “Perhaps there is, but I’m not sure.”

The Demon-Suppressing Masters of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau likely originated from the techniques developed by the demon cultivators led by the Temple Seal Lord in the back mountain of Black Cloud Village.

The existence of Demon-Suppressing Masters stemmed from the Ancient Evil Lineage of Black Cloud Village.

But Black Cloud Village had long been destroyed, and the demon cultivators like the Temple Seal Lord had long perished.

In the game “Deadly Weed,” Li Muyang had already left Black Cloud Village and had not had deep interactions with those demon cultivators.

Even if there was a way to save those corrupted Demon-Suppressing Masters, Li Muyang was unaware.

Hearing his response, Shan Xiaolian sighed in disappointment.

“I’m just grasping at straws…”

Looking at the dark and empty mirror world, Shan Xiaolian appeared melancholic: “A strange red-haired ghost hand suddenly appeared and contaminated everyone into evil spirits.”

“The influence of those evil beings on this world is getting stronger.”

Sighing, Shan Xiaolian led Li Muyang out of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s office gate.

This time, as the two walked out of the office, the noisy sounds of Sanhe City suddenly surged into Li Muyang’s perception.

In the distant streets of the city, the clamor was deafening.

Shan Xiaolian said, “My divine power is to open a mirror world, but now that the mirror world has trapped evil beings, I can no longer use my divine power.”

Shan Xiaolian looked at Li Muyang: “So the help I can offer you from now on is limited.”

But Li Muyang didn’t mind: “Please take me to the prefectural governor’s mansion, just to see Fairy Liuli.”

The two set off for the prefectural governor’s mansion.

Along the way, they passed through bustling markets and crowded streets.

The nobles of the Heavenly Origin Dynasty had oppressed and exploited the common people of this land in the past days.

Now that the rebels had entered the city, they began to settle scores with the former royal family, and nearly the entire city’s populace was caught up in a frenzy.

Everyone was denouncing and cursing those unkind and wealthy members of the royal family.

As a sorcerer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and part of the court, Shan Xiaolian walked among these frenzied crowds, indifferent to the sight of a hereditary prince being hanged and flayed alive on the main street.

She didn’t care about these court upheavals, but seeing the tumultuous crowd, she felt somewhat contemplative.

“…Sometimes it’s good to be an ignorant commoner. At least they can live carefree.”

Saying this, Shan Xiaolian looked at Li Muyang: “Wuming, the world we live in is gradually heading towards collapse.”

“Do you think we can stop the catastrophe from coming?”

Because of the corruption of her colleagues and subordinates, this first-grade sorcerer, who suddenly became a commander without an army, was clearly pessimistic.

But Li Muyang didn’t share her complex emotions.

He just shook his head: “The collapse of the world is not what we need to worry about now. Let’s go to the prefectural governor’s mansion first.”

Everyone was saying the world was collapsing.

The group in the chat from Purple Mansion said so, the Blood Lotus Sect claimed the same, and now the Heavenly Origin Dynasty side was also saying the world was collapsing.

But such a matter that involves the whole world is too far removed from little characters like Li Muyang.

He seldom worries about things beyond his control.

With his current level of cultivation and strength, worrying about the collapse of the world would be like a groundless fear.

Li Muyang ended the topic.

Seeing that Li Muyang didn’t want to continue the conversation, Shan Xiaolian didn’t press on.

She led Li Muyang through the bustling streets, and the two arrived outside the Governor’s Mansion of Sanhe City.

After Shan Xiaolian revealed her identity, the steward of the Governor’s Mansion didn’t dare to neglect them and hurriedly welcomed them in.

After a short wait in the side hall, the Governor of Sanhe hurried over.

“Lady Shan, what brings you here?”

The Governor of Sanhe was a middle-aged Confucian scholar with an elegant demeanor, dressed in splendid garments, with a jade ring around his waist and a long beard under his chin, exuding dignity and solemnity.

At first glance, he looked like the loyal and upright officials from storybooks.

But at this moment, the good-looking Governor appeared somewhat uneasy.

The Demon-Suppressing Master of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau didn’t concern themselves with mundane affairs.

Even with significant events like the rebellion and surrender of the Sanhe City army, the Bureau had no reaction.

The reason that could have alarmed a first-rank sorcerer to visit in person…

Indeed, Shan Xiaolian spoke calmly, “Governor Gu, there’s an evil spirit causing trouble in the city. All the Demon-Suppressing Masters in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau have perished and turned into evil beings. I’ve managed to suppress them, but some have escaped and hidden inside the Governor’s Mansion. I’ve come tonight hoping that Governor Gu will allow me to inspect the mansion. I need to find the hiding evil spirit and completely eradicate it!”

Upon hearing this, the Governor’s face turned pale.

“An evil spirit has escaped into the Governor’s Mansion?”

The methods of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s Demon-Suppressing Masters were notoriously harsh.

Once they discovered evil spirits causing trouble, to completely eliminate future problems, they might even kill all the living beings in the city.

If there really was an evil spirit that had escaped into the Governor’s Mansion…

Shan Xiaolian said calmly, “Governor Gu, there’s no need to panic. The escaped evil spirit is a Demon-Suppressing Master who has been corrupted by evil forces. It still retains some humanity and hasn’t fully transformed, so it doesn’t have the ability to corrupt other beings yet. If we eradicate it before it causes harm, we can settle this disaster without affecting your family.”

These words eased the Governor’s worries.

“I see…”

He said, “Then please, Lady Shan, find the evil spirit as quickly as possible.”

The Demon-Suppressing Masters of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau wielded terrifying power within the Heavenly Origin Dynasty.

Especially when a first-rank sorcerer personally claimed that there was an evil spirit in the mansion, almost no one dared to stop them.

This was both the pressure brought by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the fear of those sinister evil spirits.

After the Governor gave his permission, Shan Xiaolian immediately stood up.

Shan Xiaolian looked at Li Muyang; “Let’s go.”

The two left the side hall and headed into the mansion.

Shan Xiaolian took out a compass to detect evil spirits, seemingly in pursuit of the evil being.

The Governor followed from a distance, his expression filled with worry.

This Governor of Sanhe, who had just sided with the rebels, had never expected an evil spirit to suddenly appear and strike at his own home.

It was an unwarranted disaster.

Meanwhile, Li Muyang followed behind Shan Xiaolian, quietly observing the surroundings.

He could faintly feel that in the shadows, several pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

Those prying gazes might belong to the Blood Demon Sect’s demonic cultivators hidden among the rebels.

While Shan Xiaolian pretended to search, she led Li Muyang to the outside of a courtyard sealed off by soldiers.

Inside was where Fairy Liuli Chu Qingxue was trapped.