Chapter 141 Returning to Slay Demons and Exorcise Ghosts

The next morning, when Song Mu rose, everyone from the prefectural academy was already packing their belongings.

The demon-beast incident the previous day had ended on an unpleasant note. The people of Shaozhou Prefecture clearly held little affection for Song Mu and the others, and an official clerk had come early that morning to urge them to leave.

Officially, the reason was that they should not interfere with the group’s field expedition. But privately, everyone understood the real reason well enough.

After all, Tao Fengming had made the prefectural authorities lose face, and they certainly did not want the scholars lingering around and gossiping about the affairs of their prefecture.

They were merely licentiates and graduates—men with literary rank but no official positions. Under the circumstances, all they could do was accept the matter calmly, pack their things, and leave.

Yet after what had happened the night before, Song Mu had begun to entertain a few more suspicions. Could the other side’s haste in driving them away have something to do with Ke Jijin?

Once he had finished packing, Song Mu went to Tao Fengming’s room. Tao still looked as disheveled as ever. Even after washing himself the previous day, he had somehow managed to become unkempt again in no time.

At least he had changed his clothes. He now wore a pale-blue robe. When Song Mu entered to collect his things, Tao Fengming said to him,

“Jingzhao, we’ll leave through the western gate today.”

Song Mu was startled by this, not understanding what Tao meant, but he merely nodded.

Before long, the people from Jizhou Prefectural Academy had gathered their luggage and were ready to depart. Tao Fengming, however, made one trip to the prefectural office and simply handed in a note. Then he led everyone toward the western gate, and they slowly left the city.

Once outside the gates, however, the group’s pace became extremely slow. Tao Fengming seemed to be deliberately making them slow down, and one by one they ambled leisurely along the official road.

Xiao Xiong, sensing that something was amiss, went forward to ask about it. Tao Fengming’s only reply was a casual “Oh.”

Song Mu followed directly behind him. Seeing Tao’s behavior, he could hardly keep from laughing.

Tao Fengming was perhaps waiting for something—possibly for the Clear Sky Guard to set the fire he had mentioned the previous day.

Everyone else found the situation strange as well. When they had first left the academy, Tao Fengming had constantly urged them to hurry onward. His behavior today was truly abnormal.

Still, no one dared say much. They simply followed along behind him.

After they had traveled seven or eight miles and crossed a hill, they happened to encounter a large number of refugees coming from ahead. Tao Fengming immediately waved his hand and told everyone to rest by the roadside.

The order left the others utterly bewildered, but they nevertheless put down their packs and sat down where they were.

Song Mu sat on the ground as well, took out his gourd, and drank a couple of mouthfuls of water. He was just about to eat something when—

“Brother Jingzhao, what is Master planning today? He hasn’t even told us where we’re going. It’s nearly noon, and we’ve barely gone anywhere.”

Xue Kaiwen’s voice came from beside him as Song Mu took some provisions from his bundle.

Song Mu merely shook his head with a smile and replied,

“I don’t know either. Perhaps this is simply Master’s plan. We shouldn’t interfere.”

Xue Kaiwen’s expression faltered, but he had no idea what else to say. He could only accept the dried provisions Song Mu handed him and begin eating.

Though it was autumn, the weather in Yuezhou remained quite hot. The midday sun was harsh enough to scorch the skin, and everyone was beginning to grow drowsy.

Song Mu glanced at Tao Fengming, who was sitting on a stone some distance away, drinking tea. He turned around, intending to bring him some jerky. Just then, a voice sounded beside him.

“Is the flatbread good?”

The voice belonged to a young child. Song Mu turned his head and saw a filthy little girl standing by the official road. Her clothes were tattered, her face was smeared with dirt, and her hair was tied into two small braids. She was sucking on one finger while staring at him.

Song Mu paused and lowered his eyes to the half-eaten piece of flatbread in his hand.

“Is it good?” she asked again.

Song Mu exhaled softly. Without saying a word, he quickly broke the flatbread in two and held out a piece to her.

The child stared hungrily at the food. Then, as though swallowing back a great mouthful of saliva, she rushed toward him.

“Nuannuan!”

An anxious shout rang out. A similarly ragged man hurried over from the roadside. Seeing the child reaching for the food in Song Mu’s hand, he rushed forward.

The moment the girl’s fingers touched the flatbread, the man snatched her up and bowed repeatedly to Song Mu.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m so sorry.”

He was about to leave when the child in his arms continued gazing fixedly at the food in Song Mu’s hand. She raised her head, still sucking on her finger, and said to her father,

“Papa, the flatbread is delicious.”

Song Mu’s heart had already softened. He hurried forward and pressed the food into the child’s hands. Seeing how gaunt and emaciated father and daughter were, he turned around and took the remaining half-piece from Xue Kaiwen as well, handing it over.

“Brother Jingzhao, you…” Xue Kaiwen stared in astonishment, having just had his food taken from him. But when he stepped forward and saw the father and daughter’s condition, he only sighed and said nothing.

The two refugees left with endless gratitude. Soon, however, more starving people began looking over.

Song Mu could not bear the pleading gazes of the children. He emptied his bundle of provisions, leaving only the jerky his master had placed with him.

Even so, it was no more than a drop in the ocean. No one knew where these refugees had come from, but they were clearly ravenous. If Song Mu and the other scholars had not been there, and if the refugees had not been intimidated by their presence, they would already have swarmed forward and seized everything.

Looking at the countless small hands reaching out before him, Song Mu could only raise his head and look toward Tao Fengming.

Tao had finished the last of his tea. He took out a strip of jerky and chewed it as he said calmly to the others,

“Take out all your provisions and distribute them among the refugees.”

The scholars were somewhat taken aback, but they obediently did as instructed.

For a time, the entire stretch of official road was filled with people reaching toward Song Mu and the others. Only when the government runners arrived did the refugees gradually continue on their way.

By then, every scrap of food in Song Mu and the others’ possession had been given away. They stood there in a daze, staring in confusion at Tao Fengming some distance away.

“So… we’re out of provisions. What are we supposed to do now?” Xue Kaiwen asked.

The other licentiates did not voice their agreement, but their eyes held the same confusion.

Song Mu felt the most embarrassed. He was just about to clasp his hands and apologize when Tao Fengming’s voice reached him.

“That’s right. Without provisions, we certainly can’t go on.”

Song Mu turned his head. Tao Fengming had already risen from the stone and was brushing off his sleeves. Then he turned to face them.

Beneath his disorderly hair, his eyes seemed unusually clear.

“We’ll stop for today. We’ll return to Shaozhou Prefecture, replenish our provisions, and leave again tomorrow.”

“What?”

The others stared at him in disbelief, and a burst of discussion broke out among them.

They had spent all this time strolling slowly away from the city—

and now they were going back?

Song Mu was startled as well, but a trace of delight rose in his heart. As expected, Tao Fengming had not given up on the matter so easily.

He intended to return and settle it once and for all.

Even as the thought crossed Song Mu’s mind, Tao Fengming was already leading everyone back along the official road.

This time, Tao’s pace was considerably faster. The others hurried to keep up, while Song Mu walked beside him and asked,

“Master, what are we going back to do?”

“Slay demons and purge evil.”

Tao Fengming continued walking, then added,

“Pick up the pace. Shaozhou Prefecture is in danger even now.”

…