The Case of Disappearing Villages

Fu Yating looked at the exchange between Yixiao and the Marshall skeptically. For a longtime after, even when they reached their little abode behind the mountain, they held silence.

Many things were to be done now. Fu Yating informed Marshall of his future travels, thus official work would shift to him for the meantime. Luo Ming was very upset thinking of all the paperwork he would have to do, but couldn't go against the Emperor's request. Fu Yating sat cleaning his sword, and contemplating the strange case in front of him. The official order for investigation pointed out strange disappearances of whole villages.

Such an endeavor was cruel.

For souls killed in the area wouldn't return to afterlife, and are kept hidden somewhere. They wouldn't even develop any resentment since they were wiped out shockingly in the middle of the night, without getting to think of what their unfulfilled wishes could be. And the villages affected so far hadn't shown any common pattern. Sure, they were close enough to mark the whole area as a 'danger zone' but it didn't look like the conscious job of a ghost.

Most ghosts kill in agony and suffering. They feel helpless to have their life ended and thus practice unjustified rage and revenge. For such ghosts, they must target the closest village every night.

But the wiping out didn't happen every day, and the order was wacky. If done with proper planning, there was something in the villages that needed to be destroyed by someone. Who could be strong enough to plan such a thing?

Fu Yating's eyes moved up to Zhou Yixiao.

"My Prince takes such good care of his sword." Fu Yating noticed he had been wiping the same spot over and over. "You haven't told me it's name?"

"Spiritual sword - Zhongyong." Fu Yating replied looking at his unused sword. He took care of it all the time, and carried it to any official gathering, but he doesn't remember having to seriously use it ever.

"Lifelong loyalty... it suits you very much." Of course it did, after all, the sword was bestowed by the late Heaven Emperor himself.

"It is also a play of words. You could call it, 'The mean way is the right way'; It was a very creative name indeed." He remembered when the late Emperor had smiled at him, and congratulated him for his ascension. He was very young back then, and the Emperor would treat him like a child. It was a fond memory, of being praised and liked by all.

"Whatever way you spell it, the name suits my Prince very much."

Fu Yating sheathed his sword. "It is almost brand new. Someday I may give it to you."

"What would I do with your sword? That's such a Godly thing to carry a sword." He laughed as if Fu Yating had said something ridiculous.

"You are my head disciple now, it is only fair you carry a sword. Even if you are a ghost, you need to learn sword forms that I have learned from my master and continue the legacy." That was a lie. Fu Yating was a self-taught man, he never had the privileges of having such guidance.

Zhou Yixiao didn't argue further about that. The topic could be picked up another day.

"I have sent for some things to be brought. When we leave tomorrow, you won't have any issue with your form I hope. Will you keep switching between a child and an adult whenever you feel like?" Fu Yating couldn't help but ask. Because Yixiao remained in his child form throughout the conference. But then he showed his older form to Luo Ming.

"Ah, you don't have to prepare robes for me." Fu Yating nodded. "My Prince should sleep well. I will hover by the persimmon tree should you need me."

Fu Yating knew that in theory, Yixiao was a ghost. But to lurk by a tree was still very... cliche.

Lying back on his bed, he glanced at his sword one last time before closing his eyes. 'Zhongyong has been with me for a very long time.' He thought, 'And yet a Spiritual weapon of such level is lying around gathering dust. Perhaps if I convince Yixiao to wield it, he could do justice to it?'

Fu Yating's cultivation was mostly on mana circulation, rather than physical fighting. So he didn't really need a sword; but he couldn't really say no to the gift. Back in the day, Zhongyong represented his lifelong loyalty to the Heavens. He carried it with pride.

Regardless, with new worries presenting ahead, Fu Yating knew better than to spend the entire night in cluttered thinking. A fresh start in the morning would be better.

Fu Yating slowly let his consciousness slip away with sleep.

ㅤ

Next time he opened his eyes, sunlight was starting to enter the room. Zhou Yixiao leaned on the doorframe, staring at him. He immediately smiles when he notices Fu Yating to be awake. "You've woken up early. Will you wait a little before eating?"

Fu Yating rubbed his eyelids. Zhou Yixiao would spoil him with his habits. "Good Morning. We will head out in some time, take anything you think we may need."

"I'm very excited actually, I haven't gone to the mortal realm in a long time." Yixiao laughed. But he's only recently started staying at the Department of Afterlife. If not lurking in the mortal realm, where else could he have been?

Fu Yating didn't speak out his thoughts, some subjects could be sensitive and didn't need casual discussion. "That's great." was all he said before getting out of bed.

He looked at his sword once again. It would be better to leave it behind for this journey.

He slid behind the privacy screen and changed into different robes. Simpler colours and to dull out his presence. Another set of robes, some essentials and the Emperor's investigation permit went into his sleeves.

Cultivators could store things in their sleeves, and the compartment was built in such a way, that if a mortal were to put their hand inside, they'd find it empty. To see and take out the items from his sleeve, one would have to be an immortal, or well... dead.

Fu Yating faced more difficulty as the commoners robes had very small sleeves.

When he finally did come out, Zhou Yixiao started rolling in laughter. "My Prince looks so odd with commoners robes! It looks very out of place, with your face and manners and the dull clothes don't go together at all!"

Fu Yating didn't think it looked as strange as Yixiao thought, but just to be safe, he decided to use a veil. He noticed Yixiao's completely black robes, with his adult form, he looked like a fitting Young Man. "We wouldn't look normal together... I don't want to catch any attention." Fu Yating worried.

"How about we pretend you're some Merchant's son, and I'll be a servant?" Fu Yating thought it was ridiculous. They could call themselves cultivators and no one would bat an eye.

Fu Yating drew the teleporting array on a fresh talisman paper. The seal sent them to the entrance of the shrine closest to the area they were headed to.

All mortals who believed Shrines to be the pathways to heaven, were technically correct. Except the pathways were used by deities and officers traveling mortal realm, instead.

"My Lord, we're here." Zhou Yixiao whispered gleefully.

Fu Yating was more used to being addressed as a 'Young Lord' than his new title, the Senior Spirit. That was what everyone called him for some three hundred years.

"Let us first find out about a wiped out village."

As they walked through the morning market, many vendors called out their best deals. Fresh fish, sweet fruits and vibrant fabrics decorated mortal realm as usual.

They spotted a caravan driver giving water to his horse. Fu Yating asked, "Sir, we are travelers from a far away district. Could you tell us how to reach Shaori village?" Shaori was the closest village that had been destroyed, and the man's reaction proved so.

"Shaori-!!" He shouted, but then closed his own mouth, wide eyes and lowering his volume to a whisper. "Good sirs, haven't you known about Shaori's erasure? The Shrine is keeping the matter into silence to not make the public panic, I only know much because I transport materials. If you want a comfortable stay here, then don't mention Shaori."

"Erasure?" Zhou Yixiao spoke with a fake-worried tone. "Have all people left the village?"

"No one escaped! They... the entire village was just wiped clean! My good friend is also in the same business, and he was the one who reported to the Shrine monks. When he reached the village entrance, all he saw were crushed up houses and the stench of rot!"

Fu Yating thought it didn't seem right. "How come the bodies had started rotting? How long did it take for some outsider to reach the village premise?"

"Shaori was very self-dependent. They had their own fields and fisheries; they were mostly lead by a scholar who taught children and made the villagers understand trade. The only transport they used, was for essential like salt, rare medicines, etc."

'A scholar?' Fu Yating met Yixiao's knowing eyes, as it sounded suspicious. What would a scholar be doing in a remote village on the outskirts of the Northern kingdom?

"Thank you for telling us all this, sir." Fu Yating bowed, followed by Zhou Yixiao.

The driver felt embarrassed at such a display. "Aiyo, don't bow to this driver! You two look like fine gentlemen. Come to think of it... you two have some radiant glow around you." Fu Yating tensed up. "Maybe it is only a scholarly thing to look so divine! I had only met Shaori's scholar once, but I remember he had a similar radiance to him."

"Would you happen to know his name?" Fu Yating asked unexpectedly.

The driver scratched his forehead for some time, but with every second it become more evident that the man didn't know the answer. Fu Yating was about to thank him and move forward, when a heavy voice answered from behind them.

"Sa Keling." They turned around to look at the taller man. He had a striking presence and a thick beard, marking him odd amongst the short villagers behind. Fu Yating felt no spiritual energy surrounding the man, though. "I was the one who found the village gone, I knew Sa Keling for quite some time." He paused eyeing the two other out of place members in the group. "What he hated the most, were cultivators."

Fu Yating looked at the man in contemplation. Sa Keling... he didn't remember the name to be standing out in any manner, but something about this supposed man seemed odd.

"We are only here to investigate the case, and perform some rituals for calming of the soul." Fu Yating reassured, the previous driver believed it but the taller man didn't. He went on anyways. "Only one question remains in our minds... this Sa Keling, did he appear strangely young for his knowledge and experience?"

"Yes, of course! He looked like a twenty year old." The driver spoke enthusiastically and the taller man glared at him for it.

Now one thing seemed evident, Sa Keling was an immortal.