Fang Yuan was the first to float above Qin Hai's sleeping tent, and easily passed through the tent to enter inside.
This is the benefit of the Yin Soul, as it has no physical form, so physical barriers or attacks do not affect it in any way.
Inside the tent, Qin Hai was sleeping soundly. Above Qin Daya, there was a swirling mass of smoke, which represented Qin Daya's dream.
Fang Yuan thought for a moment and then entered the dream.
The scene around him changed instantly. He had gone from the camp to the Henglin Mountains.
"So this is the ability to enter dreams? It's quite interesting..."
Fang Yuan looked down and saw Qin Daya, wearing a crimson cloak, engaged in battle with the Crocodile Demon.
At a critical moment, a Tailed Beast Cannon hit Qin Hai head-on.
In the cloud of smoke, Qin Hai remained standing upright, not even a tear in his clothes.
"Impossible!" The Crocodile Demon shouted in shock, and then crawled toward Qin Hai.
"Master Qin, you are truly powerful, I kneel before you!"
"Clap, clap, clap!"
A crowd of people had appeared around them, clapping frantically.
Among them were Yin Fifteen, Yan Nan, Lord Chongwu, and even Fang Yuan himself, all looking at Qin Daya with admiration.
"This old man Qin is showing off even in his dreams... And why does this scene feel so familiar?"
Fang Yuan complained, and the next moment, the scene around him changed again, taking him from the Henglin Mountains to a bustling street.
That's how dreams are, there's no logic to them.
He saw Qin Daya standing in front of a three-story red building. The plaque above the building read "Cuiyu Lou" in large, striking characters.
Then Qin Daya walked inside with a righteous look on his face and yelled at the group of scantily clad beauties inside:
"I'll fight ten of you!"
What is this...
Fang Yuan couldn't bear to watch. He quickly appeared in front of Qin Hai.
"Lord Fang, why are you here?"
Qin Hai was first surprised by Fang Yuan's appearance, then quickly extended an invitation: "Why don't we team up?"
In the dream, Qin Daya was much more casual, unlike how he would normally speak to Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan waved his hand: "No need. I just came to remind you that your spring dream is over. Time to move on."
With that, he pointed at him.
Qin Hai suddenly opened his eyes.
"This dream was really strange..." He mumbled, looking regretful. "Sigh, why did I wake up so soon?"
He turned over, trying to get back to his dream. Just then, he felt a vibration on his waist.
Fang Yuan's voice came through the communication talisman: "We're leaving."
Qin Hai immediately lost all sleepiness, quickly got dressed, and walked out of the tent to salute Fang Yuan at the entrance: "Lord Fang."
He had to admire Lord Fang's efficiency; after killing for a whole day and night, he only rested for a short while and was already on the move again.
If all officials were like Lord Fang, how could the Yan Kingdom not be peaceful?
"Let's go," said Fang Yuan.
Qin Hai obediently bent his body, and Fang Yuan grabbed him, tapping his toes, and they flew into the air once again.
"Lord Fang, I dreamed of you just now!"
In the air, Qin Hai, with nothing else to do, chatted with Fang Yuan.
"What dream?" Fang Yuan asked.
Qin Hai hesitated:
"Uh... battle! I dreamed of fighting side by side with you, Lord. You were really fierce. In my dream, you could take on ten by yourself!"
Fang Yuan smiled: "Was it a battle in Cuiyu Lou?"
Qin Hai's old face turned pale with fear: "Lord Fang, how did you know about that?"
"I'll give you a break after I finish inspecting the entire state," Fang Yuan replied without answering the question directly. "You're of an age, you should find a good lady and settle down."
Qin Hai's face instantly turned red: "Lord Fang, actually, I'm still young..."
"So you don't want to get married?"
"So, I want to find someone younger..."
Fang Yuan rolled his eyes, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Where's our next target?"
Qin Hai immediately took out a small booklet, checked it, and said, "Mingshan County. But there shouldn't be any problems there."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because, there, the Chongwu Guard is protected by a mountain god!"
"A mountain god?"
"Well, it's called a mountain god, but it's actually a demon. However, this demon is the friendly type. It blesses Mingshan County with bountiful crops and protects it from other demons."
"It's been rooted in Mingshan County for over four hundred years, longer than Lord Chongwu's rule over Guanghan State."
"In the eyes of the local people, when encountering a demon, worshipping the mountain god might be more effective than going to the government."
"And the price?" Fang Yuan asked.
It can't be like him, a natural good person, right?
"The price is naturally the sacrifice," Qin Hai laughed. "Every month, Mingshan County holds a mountain god sacrifice, usually involving cattle and sheep. For a county, it's not a big deal."
"I see..."
Fang Yuan responded, but his steps didn't slow down.
What's really going on? In the end, he would have to see it for himself.
...
After slaying a few small demons on the way, Fang Yuan finally arrived at Mingshan County around noon.
Upon arrival, he could faintly hear the sounds of noise and bustle below.
Fang Yuan brought Qin Hai down to a roof eave, and the sounds grew louder.
Looking down, they saw a long procession moving along the street.
At the front was a young man dressed in a luxurious ceremonial robe, his face solemn and respectful, holding a statue.
The statue depicted a graceful, kindly, holy fairy.
On either side of the fairy, there were two children, one holding a carp, the other holding a flower basket, smiling adorably.
Behind the young man, a dozen burly men were carrying a heavy crimson sacrificial table, with slaughtered pigs, cows, and sheep neatly arranged on it.
The sounds of the crowd and the beating of gongs and drums blended together. Among the spectators, most were excited, but a small portion had blank expressions, almost like walking corpses.
Fang Yuan even saw a pair of crying parents trying to push their way into the crowd, only to be dragged back into an alley by others.
"It looks like we came at the right time..." Qin Hai, oblivious to all the details, stared at the lively street scene and smiled.
"Yes, we really came at the right time," Fang Yuan repeated. Qin Hai immediately noticed something was wrong because Fang Yuan's voice was... unusually cold.
This was the voice Fang Yuan used before killing someone.
Qin Hai quickly turned around but found that Fang Yuan was no longer in his original spot.
A light footstep sounded, barely noticeable compared to the noise of the street.
Suddenly, a white-clad youth appeared on the sacrificial table being carried by the burly men.
As this figure appeared, the men felt an immense weight added to their shoulders, as though they were carrying Mount Tai. Their foreheads bulged with veins, muscles trembling, and they were forced to kneel.
The onlookers were stunned by this sudden appearance, and the leading young priest turned around to shout angrily at Fang Yuan:
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Where did this little brat come from, standing on the mountain god's altar? Get off...!"
Before he could finish, the young man's head rolled off his neck, his body still standing upright.
[Kill Evil Cult Priest, Good Deed Value +300]
At that moment, Fang Yuan glanced at the young man.
He saw the headless body with the label: [Son of the County Magistrate of Mingshan]
The head that had rolled away was labeled: [Ma Qingyu]
As expected, the son of the county magistrate is the most annoying.
The noise of the crowd immediately turned into screams of terror. Fang Yuan withdrew his gaze and didn't care about the panicking people scattering in fear.
He quickly walked to a dead pig on the sacrificial table, reached into its opened belly, and moments later, pulled out a child only one or two years old.