The next day.
Dawn breaks, and the sun rises from the east.
The people of Tongling County who have survived another night remove the wooden boards that sealed their doors and windows and step out of their homes onto the streets.
Neighbors lock eyes with each other, their expressions a mix of relief for having survived yet another ordeal, and flickers of dread and fear.
Relieved because they and their families have safely made it through another night.
But it is only temporary. Who will die in three days?
The commotion from the previous night was louder than ever before.
Sounds of chopping, whistling sound arrows, and blood-curdling roars...
Collapsed houses and massive paw prints deeply embedded in the ground are visible everywhere...
It was like the end of the world!
With such a monster hidden in the city, is there any path to survival?
Flee?
But where to?
Ordinary folks, having lived in this small county town for generations, farming and toiling the land to provide for their families.
Leaving their homes and livelihood behind, severing their means of living, how are they to survive in the future?
Despite the bright sunshine overhead, a cold and hopeless air spreads among the crowd—
"Go!"
At that moment, a hurried rhythm of horse hooves resounds through the street.
A government official gallops swiftly, his loud voice echoing in the air:
"The county government announces, let all directions know, the murder case is solved, the culprit has been executed!"
"The serial murder case is completely closed, the demon has been beheaded by General Chen of the Sky Scale Guard!"
"The county government announces, let all directions know..."
Watching the government official riding away, the people stand with blank expressions.
The demon... is dead?
The dark cloud that loomed over the entire county is suddenly blown away; they stand disoriented, their minds a blank slate.
After a long time, it's as if they're waking from a dream.
The crowd's noise gradually rises, accompanied by suppressed sobs.
...
At the city gates.
The County Magistrate, Li Minghan, and the various government officers from the county government wait there.
They have been waiting since the break of dawn, for more than an hour, yet not a trace of displeasure on their faces.
Clip-clop-clip-clop—
The sound of hooves grows louder.
A line of riders exit the city.
The man at the fore rides leisurely, with a clear and noble presence, dashingly handsome, truly a remarkable gentleman in these troubled times.
Li Minghan steps forward briskly with his men and bows:
"Mr. Chen!"
The short three words carry an abundance of emotions.
He had never imagined that the killer who had taken twenty-nine lives within three months, causing utter panic in the county, would turn out to be the widow from Liu Mansion!
And the true identity of Lady Liu, once revealed, is even more chilling—
One of the Ten Great Demons, the Evil Ghost Qin Wuxiang!
Murderous and exceedingly brutal, with incredibly vicious methods!
Remembering that such a demon was hidden within the city, Li Minghan can't help feeling a chill run down his spine.
Had it not been for Chen Mo's intervention, the consequences... are unthinkable!
Constable Xing and the other government officials look on with reverence.
They had witnessed Chen Mo's bloody battle with the demon!
This young master, seemingly pampered and privileged, has an even fiercer and more ruthless bone than the demon itself!
"It's still early, Mr. Chen, why not stay and have lunch before leaving, so that I can show you some hospitality," Li Minghan offers enthusiastically.
"There's no need, my duties here are finished, I must return to the capital to report, Mr. Li should focus his energy on the aftermath here," Chen Mo replies indifferently.
The incident, once spread, would inevitably cause a commotion.
The small county town is likely to be bustling for a while.
"Since that's the case, I won't hold you back any longer."
"But please do not refuse this small token of appreciation."
Li Minghan gracefully presents five silver notes from his sleeve, each worth a hundred taels.
Chen Mo frowns, "What is this, Mr. Li?"
Seeing his displeased expression, Li Minghan hastily explains, "Please, don't misunderstand, Mr. Chen. After last night's battle with the demon, all the brothers worked hard, and you in particular, Mr. Chen, suffered serious injuries. This is a modest treatment fee put together by our county government as a token of our appreciation..."
Chen Mo remains silent.
Qin Shou, understanding the situation, reaches out to accept the silver notes and says with a smile:
"Then on behalf of the brothers, I thank Mr. Li."
Li Minghan breathes a sigh of relief and nods repeatedly, "It's the least we could do, the very least."
"Shall we go," says Chen Mo.
"Giddy up!"
The riders spurred their horses into a rapid trot, kicking up a great cloud of dust.
"Have a safe journey, Mr. Li."
Li Minghan watched them depart until they vanished from sight.
The advisor leaned in, whispering, "My lord, regardless of what has been said, isn't five hundred taels too much?"
Despite claiming it was funds pooled by the county government, in reality, it was all Li Minghan's hard-earned savings.
"You know nothing."
Li Minghan shook his head and said, "I was also confused. I didn't realize yesterday that he was the son of the Chen Family..."
Regardless of the Chen Family's esteemed status, there was even a Her Majesty the Consort backing them!
That consort was far more terrifying than any of the Ten Great Demons!
"The silver can be lost; I can squeeze it out of you lot, and we can save up slowly over time."
"But if life is lost, then everything is truly gone!"
The advisor: "???"
...
Li Yuan sat on the back of her horse, feeling somewhat dizzy.
Last night, everyone was exhausted in body and mind and had stayed directly at Liu Mansion. But as soon as she closed her eyes, all she could see was Chen Mo tossing and turning...
She couldn't fall asleep at all!
And her bottom was still swollen.
As the horse trotted, the burning pain intensified, bringing waves of aching, itching, and numbing sensations that nearly made her whimper.
"That scoundrel, to strike so hard, even using martial arts skills!"
"Ugh, I can't take it any longer..."
Just as Li Yuan was about to lose it, Chen Mo rode up beside her.
"General Li."
"What's wrong?"
Li Yuan forced herself to perk up.
"I'm curious about something."
"What exactly did you see last night in the Illusory World?"
Chen Mo asked with curiosity.
He had heard Li Yuan murmuring his name, something about 'squashing him to death'...
But that couldn't be the scene; given their hostile relationship, she would be at negative favorability by now if it weren't locked in place.
Could it have been a sword technique competition?
"I..."
Li Yuan found herself at a loss for words.
Remembering the scenes from the Illusory World, her ears began to feel hot.
Initially, she was indeed competing in sword techniques with Chen Mo.
But somehow, the fight had ended up on the bed...
And then, after a little more fighting, the clothes were gone too...
And after that...
She was smacked awake by a palm.
"I'm not telling you," Li Yuan turned her head away and said.
Chen Mo furrowed his brows.
Why does she seem so odd?
Suddenly, several lines of text flashed before his eyes:
["Li Yuan" Favorability Rating has increased.]
[Favorability threshold breached, progress lock removed.]
[Current progress: 48/100 (Too Few Encounters).]
Chen Mo:
(⊙ˍ⊙)
(´･ω･`)?
щ(ﾟДﾟщ)
What's going on?
It wasn't long before she was chasing him, shouting and fighting – how did it suddenly become "Too Few Encounters"?
Could it be that the heroines of this world have hidden attributes... the harder they're hit, the faster their favorability grows?
Chen Mo's expression grew serious.
With a methodical mindset, when they passed a fork in the road and no one was momentarily following behind, he raised his hand and slapped Li Yuan's sacral region.
Slap!
"Mm~"
Like the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Li Yuan shuddered violently, collapsed weakly onto the horse, her gaze unfocused, as if she had lost her soul.
["Li Yuan" Favorability Rating has increased.]
[Current progress: 49/100 (Too Few Encounters).]
Chen Mo: "?"
When I express a question mark, it's not because I have questions; it's because I think you have some...
This woman has some serious issues!