Chapter Forty-Three: The Mysterious Treasure of the Fu Family, Awakening of Demons

The people of Fairness Town had reached a tacit understanding: they quietly siphoned the lifeblood of the Fu family. Over the years, the number of wealthy folk in Fairness Town grew ever larger, all of them having struck it rich atop the corpse of the Fus.

At that moment, Fu Junying lay inside an opium den, his head resting on Ruyan’s lap while he inhaled the “Fortune Paste,” savoring the last pleasures of his life. The poison had seeped deep into his bones—scion of the Fu family, now beyond all hope of cure. But none of that mattered anymore. Tomorrow, the constables would collect his corpse. Someone would arrange his funeral. Everything was already in order.

The ancestral Fu residence, however, had fallen into the hands of Qian Youduo. But Qian Youduo would not live to see the dawn. He understood that before the various powers in Fairness Town could react, spiriting away the precious treasure was the only thing that mattered. If not for the fact that Qian Youduo’s grandfather had once served as the Fu family’s steward, how could he have known such an ironclad secret? Old Master Fu had hidden it well indeed.

“Beneath the Fu ancestral shrine lies a secret chamber, and within that chamber is enshrined the wondrous treasure,” his grandfather had whispered. “Few now know of this secret room. All who once knew are dead. I was not involved, but overheard Old Master Fu mutter it in his sleep; that’s how I learned the secret.”

Qian Youduo remembered well his grandfather’s deathbed confession. Had the Fu family still been in its prime, he would never have dared covet their hidden treasure. But Old Master Fu was dead, and the Fus had fallen into ruin. Quietly, Qian Youduo acquired the ancestral house, planning to take the treasure for himself—who would ever know what he had gained?

The Fu residence, remote and nestled on the fringes of Fairness Town, stood by mountains and water—a site of excellent feng shui. In later years, Old Master Fu had renovated and expanded the estate, turning it into a famed local landmark. Qian Youduo had to part with a fifth of his ill-gotten fortune to secure the property from Fu Junying.

Now, the deserted house stood silent, its surroundings serene. By lantern light, Qian Youduo scaled the wall and entered the ancestral grounds. The servants had either fled or scattered; no one remained to tend the manor. Its scenery was unique and beautiful, but Qian Youduo had no heart to appreciate it. He made straight for the ancestral shrine. He was already intimately familiar with the layout, having scouted it for some time.

He quickly crossed the main hall, entered the rear courtyard, and from there followed a secluded path to the shrine. The ancestral shrine was old and dilapidated; Old Master Fu had never permitted major renovations, overseeing even minor repairs with utmost caution.

Creak. He pushed open the shrine doors—a musty odor rushed out to greet him. Qian Youduo sighed inwardly: if Old Master Fu’s spirit knew what had become of his family, to have fathered such a wastrel, he would never rest in peace. Yet, without such a prodigal son, Qian Youduo would never have dared covet the Fu family’s treasure.

The Fu family’s former might ran deep in people’s hearts; no small number of martial artists had once scraped a living at their feet. Old Master Fu himself had been a formidable Bone-Refining stage master. But in the end, life was finite—illness toppled mountains, the blood and breath faded with age, and when Death came calling, none could resist.

The shrine was lined with the memorial tablets of Fu ancestors, now covered in thick cobwebs, many fallen to the ground, none bothering to set them aright. Fu Junying, truly, was not worth pity. Qian Youduo, in his quest for the treasure, had played a significant role in bringing Fu Junying to this ruin. Had Fu Junying possessed an ounce of resolve, no scheme would have toppled the Fu family.

Following his grandfather’s instructions, Qian Youduo found the mechanism that opened the secret chamber. With a gentle twist, the floor parted, revealing a passage. A rush of air flowed in, flooding the chamber with light. The inextinguishable oil lining the walls ignited on contact with air, illuminating the entire room.

Glancing back, Qian Youduo saw nothing but moonlight streaming into the shrine, casting his long shadow before him. Lantern in hand, he stepped into the Fu family’s secret chamber.

...

“The demonic aura grows thicker by the moment,” muttered Bai Li Feihong, his expression grave. He could sense a terrifying fiendish presence awakening—one stronger even than the bat-demon slain by Magistrate Gongyang Yan. And the bat-demon was dreadfully powerful; even Zheng Yishan, on the cusp of the Spirit-Refining stage, had failed to capture it. Yet the demonic aura Bai Li Feihong sensed now came in relentless waves, battering his senses like a storm. Cold sweat trickled down his brow. He hesitated.

Yes, the strength of this demon far surpassed the Spirit-Refining stage. Should it fully awaken, it would be a grave threat to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Originally intending to deal with the matter quietly, Bai Li Feihong did not delay further. He removed the Demon Suppression token from his belt, fed it a drop of blood, and aimed it at the sky.

A beam of strange energy shot skyward, blossoming like fireworks and illuminating the heavens.

Within Fairness Town, many young scions were at that moment reclining with beauties, drinking fine wine, composing poetry, and admiring the moon. The dazzling light burst across the sky, bright as the most exquisite firework—immediately drawing their attention.

“Who set off fireworks to celebrate a lucky night at the gambling house?” someone laughed.

“Ha! Fireworks fade quickly, but look—Master Tang, the image in the sky lingers, forming a vivid, radiant symbol. That’s no firework,” another young man chortled.

A hush fell. “No, that’s the Demon Suppression Bureau’s signal!”

“It’s an emergency call—they’ve detected a demon!”

Those with broader horizons, patrons of the brothels, turned pale. They immediately rose to leave, intent on fleeing Fairness Town. The incident at Dalizhen was still fresh; they had heard that the Demon Suppression Bureau wiped out the entire town. Dalizhen, they were told, was a den of monsters—though few truly believed it. Now, seeing the signal in the sky, they knew something momentous was afoot in Fairness Town, and that it involved a powerful demon. Otherwise, the Demon Suppression Envoy would never deploy such a signal.

Inside the Demon Suppression headquarters, the Demon Compass spun wildly, its needle pointing directly at Fairness Town.

“Inform the magistrate and all Demon Suppression Envoys—a demon is on the loose!” The duty officer’s face was ashen.

Gongyang Yan appeared in the headquarters, gazing at the sky outside the city; the Demon Suppression Bureau’s emblem blazed above Fairness Town, lingering long.

“Fairness Town?” Gongyang Yan took a step and vanished into the air.

Meanwhile, in Dongbin City, the silent streets echoed with the pounding of hooves—an Envoy, clad in dark robes and embroidered python, rode swiftly toward Fairness Town. The emergency signal had been sent, and the Demon Compass spun as madly as when the bat-demon first entered Dongbin City and was locked on by the Compass.

Boom—

Demonic energy surged to the heavens, its baleful aura blotting out the moon and staining it blood-red. A terrifying fiendish presence spread across the land.

Tens of thousands crowded into Fairness Town—not only locals, but wanderers from across the realm, drawn to this place where wealth and rank mingled. Many brought their own bodyguards and servants; the town was teeming with the elite.

In an instant, the crimson, sinister aura enveloped Fairness Town.

Clad in white robes embroidered with a python, Gongyang Yan appeared silently beside Bai Li Feihong.

“Magistrate, my respects.”

“No need for ceremony. What’s the situation here?”

“Forgive my incompetence. I located this place using the Demon Compass and, upon sensing the dreadful demonic aura, immediately sent the signal to summon the Bureau. As for other details, I do not yet know.”

“You did well. When the other Bureau members arrive, relay my orders: lock down Fairness Town. No one leaves without my permission.”