In the afternoon, outside Weishan Prefecture.
Pedestrians still hurried to and fro, some entering the city, some leaving, yet there was not a single guard at the city gate.
It wasn't that there were no guards, but rather that they dared not guard.
No matter which city gate, east, west, north, or south, the guards had all retreated to the city walls, not daring to leave a single person at the gate to maintain order and skim some oil.
All of this was because of the great upheaval at the He mansion last night and the events at noon today!
He Laichao, the legitimate son of He Zhixuan, the prefect of Weishan Prefecture, was beheaded by a young immortal. It was said that this young immortal was the same one seen in the lake a few days ago.
At noon today, another young man, with a young girl, stormed the prefectural yamen, taking the heads of ten constables. Afterward, he demanded two more constables' records, and went to the homes of those two constables to retrieve the heads!
It was rumored that this young man was the same immortal who had beheaded He Laichao last night!
No one knew how the He family had provoked such a being. All that was heard was that the young immortal hated evil intensely and harbored deep resentment towards the He family and the Weishan Prefecture yamen!
If that venerable elder saw them skimming oil and water, who knew if their heads would remain attached to their necks!
This was also why there were no guards at any of the four city gates.
However...
Yun Ze had not thought of these things.
He walked slowly towards the city gate, carrying a large wooden chest in one hand and leading two horses with the other.
Not seeing any guards, he simply assumed these fellows were being lazy.
"Hey, did you guys hear? The He family's young master died last night!"
Ever since a vortex had formed in his lower abdomen, Yun Ze found his ears and eyes to be much sharper than before.
As he queued up to leave the city, his ears were filled with discussions about yesterday's events.
"What's there not to hear? It's said the Immortal of the Lake couldn't stand it any longer and finally took action to kill that wicked beast!"
"What Immortal of the Lake? It was clearly a young immortal!"
"Isn't a young immortal the same as the Immortal of the Lake?"
"Hey! Why argue about this? No matter what kind of immortal it is, as long as they killed He Laichao, they're a good immortal!"
"Right! As long as they rid Weishan Prefecture of this scourge, they are a good immortal!"
A slight smile curled the corner of Yun Ze's lips.
Since his revenge, a great weight had finally been lifted from his heart, but he had not felt any pride or joy. Instead, there was a sense of loneliness, a detachment from the mundane world.
Only now.
When he heard the heartfelt praise and joy of the common people, did he feel a sense of elation!
It was a feeling of being recognized.
He and Bubu walked together towards Hanshan Village. Wherever they encountered people, they heard similar remarks.
The events of last night, less than half a day later, had spread throughout the entire Weishan Prefecture and its surroundings. Even in the small mountain villages they passed, people were discussing the matter.
However... He Laichao was dead, but the He family had not been wiped out.
He wondered what emotions the prefect of Weishan Prefecture, He Zhixuan, would experience upon learning of his only son's death.
Would he continue to be a local emperor, have another son, and raise him well, or would he admit his mistakes, serve the people diligently, and become a true official?
Yun Ze believed that a man who could become the prefect of Weishan Prefecture was likely not a fool.
If he could change his ways, it would be a blessing for Weishan Prefecture. But if he did not... Yun Ze wouldn't mind making another trip to Weishan Prefecture on his way to the capital!
But overall, with He Laichao gone, Weishan Prefecture was undoubtedly better off!
Except for... the fact that he had exposed his identity as an immortal!
Yun Ze just didn't know how serious this matter was at the moment.
When he re-entered Weishan Prefecture, he would realize how foolish it was to have so ostentatiously revealed his immortal identity!
...
...
At the same time, in an immortal temple a hundred miles away from Weishan Prefecture.
A few traveling merchants were discussing the recent strange occurrences in Weishan Prefecture when an old man, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, overheard them.
The old man's eyes snapped open, a golden light flashing within them, and then he vanished from the immortal temple.
The traveling merchants prostrated themselves in reverence, while the old man arrived on a mountaintop. He glanced at the mountain below for a moment, and then... shattered it with a single stomp!
The entire mountain split open from the top, countless trees tilted, rocks tumbled, and a person sleeping in the center of the mountain was revealed!
Seeing this, the old man rolled his eyes, then raised his hand and beckoned. The person floated towards him.
He patted the person's shoulder: "Yu Xian."
"Hoo..."
"Yu Xian!"
"Hoo~"
"Wretch!"
The old man could no longer contain his anger. He slapped the man across the face, roaring, "If you sleep any longer, I'll send you to guard the border!"
"Ah!"
The man called Yu Xian finally woke up. Looking at the old man, he gave a sheepish grin, scratching his head awkwardly, "Ah, Master, why have you come?"
"If I didn't come, you'd sleep until the end of time!"
The old man was furious, wishing he could knock his disobedient disciple's head off. "Tell me, how is the preparation for the Ascension Assembly coming along?"
"The four immortal sects that are preparing to take disciples have already been notified."
Yu Xian quickly became alert and reported to the old man, "The mortal realm is also ready. We will not interfere with mortal affairs, and the assembly can definitely be held on time!"
"Good, that's good."
The old man's anger subsided somewhat.
If this disobedient disciple had delayed important matters due to his laziness and sleep, he would have taken action to purge him from the sect!
"Then, Master, if you have nothing else, I'll go back to sleep."
As Yu Xian spoke, he lay down in mid-air again, yawning as if about to close his eyes. "La..."
"You can sleep for a hammer!"
The old man flicked the back of his head with his hand, his anger flaring. "It's suspected that an immortal has killed mortals in Weishan Prefecture. Go and investigate."
"Hiss..."
Yu Xian rubbed the back of his head, clearly in pain from the blow. "No way, Master, shouldn't this kind of thing be handled by someone at the Foundation Establishment stage? Why bother me..."
"It's suspected to be a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator who manipulated the five elements and used lake water to flood the yamen."
"This... Alright, I understand."
Hearing the old man say this, Yu Xian knew he couldn't escape and had to go. He could only sigh.
"I truly have a laborious fate."
"You have a laborious hammer!"
The old man cursed in his local dialect again, drew the whisk from his waist, and raised it as if to strike. "If you don't hurry up and leave, be careful I..."
"Master, please calm down! Take care of yourself! Your disciple will leave now!"
Yu Xian disappeared, leaving only these thirteen words echoing in the air.
"You brat!"
The old man could only curse with a smile, then waved his hand, restoring the mountain he had just shattered.
His disciple was intelligent and had an excellent temperament, truly good in every aspect, except for one thing!
Laziness!
While others spent a hundred years in seclusion cultivating, he spent a hundred years sleeping!
The most infuriating thing was that the cultivation he gained from sleeping for a hundred years was even less than what others gained from cultivating for a hundred years!
If it weren't for this, he would have long since expelled this disobedient disciple from the immortal mansion!