"Are the demon corpses still here?"
Ji Yuan glanced at the people in front of him and, seeing they were unharmed, asked.
This was the first time his divine incarnation had fought an enemy, and after becoming a god, he wasn't entirely familiar with his own power. Thus, in his attack, he hadn't managed to preserve the corpses of the two demons, having reduced them directly to mist.
After seeing the group nod, he continued, "Dig out the inner cores later, and keep the high-value materials. As for the remaining intact demon corpses, send them to the county yamen tomorrow."
With the events of tonight, coupled with the demon corpses, he believed it would be enough of a surprise for the young county magistrate, making things easier for Li Buwei going forward.
Then, as if remembering something, he cautioned the group to be extremely careful on their way, guarding against ambushes.
Such a possibility was not out of the question. Since they could launch a surprise attack, others could certainly do the same.
After a pause, Ji Yuan took out several bottles of pills and bestowed them upon the people before him, some for healing and others for cultivating their power.
Mo Yiyan and the others repeatedly expressed their gratitude before slowly withdrawing from the main hall to return to their respective quarters to recuperate.
Although they hadn't suffered severe injuries in the night's battle, it was best to treat their wounds as soon as possible. Otherwise, over time, minor hidden ailments might develop.
Previously, as wild cultivators of mountains and marshes, they had no certainty of tomorrow, so they naturally didn't dwell on such matters.
However, things were different now. By following Ji Yuan, their lives had improved day by day. They no longer had to worry about daily cultivation resources and enjoyed spiritual meals every day.
Consequently, things they previously didn't have the energy to concern themselves with could now be pursued.
After the group departed, Ji Yuan stood on the divine platform. Amidst a surge of divine light, his golden body slowly merged into the statue.
He absorbed the power of incense and wishful thinking to calm the slight fluctuations in his golden body and restore his greatly depleted divine power. Simultaneously, he recalled the events of the night.
From the demeanor and words of the River God, it was not difficult to infer that there were others behind him, and that person's status likely surpassed that of a deity with a three-realm cultivation.
Even the River God, who had been a god for over three hundred years, showed extreme apprehension towards the person behind him, which was rather unusual.
Ji Yuan even suspected that the River God's transformation into an old man at the tea stall wasn't entirely due to a peculiar preference but a necessity.
It was as if something existed in the River God's own temple that he himself was unwilling to approach.
"Could the real mastermind behind the chaos be hidden within the River God's temple?"
He mused internally.
Furthermore, from their two encounters today, he felt that this River God was not an evil deity, which contradicted the intelligence he had received.
This feeling wasn't unfounded; it stemmed from a divine being's perception. If the other party were truly an evil deity causing harm, he would have no trace of sin on him.
Even if he could use his own merits and the power of incense and wishful thinking to dispel some of the sins imposed by heaven and earth, his golden body should have been decayed and unbearable, not as robust as tonight, capable of withstanding a divine artifact!
Various questions arose in Ji Yuan's mind. However, no matter how hard he pondered, he couldn't grasp the crucial point.
Yet, he could sense that all his questions were tightly strung together by an invisible thread.
The night passed without further incident.
The next morning, Mo Yiyan and the others set off for the county yamen of Linfu County. They remained extremely vigilant throughout the journey, but the anticipated ambush did not occur.
They safely arrived outside the county yamen and publicly presented the corpses of the three demons. The county yamen's constables confirmed that they were indeed the mountain spirits and monsters that had been plaguing the area.
However, a question arose among the townsfolk: why were the corpses of these demons, which were supposed to have been slain by the River God, now appearing outside the county yamen?
Some of these demons had appeared over ten years ago, some decades ago, with the oldest dating back about one hundred and sixty years.
At the same time, having encountered no trouble, Zhu Tao led his men and safely escorted the mortals rescued the previous night to the vicinity of the county yamen.
The crowd that had dispersed immediately reassembled. Before long, couples from all over the city who had received the news rushed to the county yamen, crying out and searching for their missing children in the throng.
It was as if a large stone had been dropped into a deep pool, sending ripples everywhere.
Quietly, a rumor began to spread. It was said that these demons had not been killed by the River God at all but had instead sworn allegiance to him, doing his dirty work in secret for over a hundred years.
In return for their service, the River God would abduct innocent mortals and offer them as food and enjoyment to these mountain spirits and monsters.
Instantly, many townsfolk began to discuss the matter, eventually leading to a confrontation. One side vehemently denounced the River God for disregarding human lives and causing harm to the populace, while the other side believed that ill-intentioned individuals were slandering a benevolent deity.
Following this, some began to spread the word that the instigator of all this was the newly built Water God Temple on Mount Xiaoyuan, which was attempting to smear the River God to seize incense offerings.
As the crowd argued heatedly, each convinced of their own righteousness, county yamen runners and constables began to move through the streets and alleys, posting newly issued government notices.
The content of these notices largely confirmed that the River God had not killed the demons but had instead enlisted them to do his wicked deeds, and that thirty-nine rescued individuals could testify to this.
The situation was precisely as the saying goes: "A single stone stirs a thousand waves."
The entire Linfu County was in an uproar, with discussions never ceasing. Any townsfolk with free time were talking about the matter.
Some individuals with ulterior motives mingled with the crowd, doing their utmost to direct all suspicion towards the Water God Temple on Mount Xiaoyuan.
Thanks to the River God's deeply ingrained image, the majority of the populace was more inclined to believe this possibility, and public outrage gradually mounted. Many eager and excitable individuals declared their intention to seek justice.
"It's about time we acted."
In the county yamen, the young county magistrate nodded gently after hearing the report from his subordinates.
He rose and walked to the door, gazing at the distant horizon. He then murmured to himself, "The chaos in Linfu County will be exposed by me, Zhang Qingyang, as all lies!"
In less than a quarter of an hour, over twenty constables gathered at the county yamen. Furthermore, eighty city guards were mobilized. Led by County Magistrate Zhang Qingyang, they proceeded directly towards the City God's Pavilion with a clear objective.
In less than half an hour, news of the City God and his subordinate spirit officials' disappearance, suspected to be due to an ambush by evil spirits, spread throughout the city.
The previously enraged populace was instantly doused with a bucket of cold water.
It was only at this moment that many people remembered that in addition to the River God, Linfu County also had the protection of the City God.
Yet now, the City God and his spirit officials had disappeared, and the finger of suspicion was pointing towards the River God's temple?