Chapter Twenty-One: Undercurrents

News of the rat infestation in Fang City had been circulating for quite some time, yet if you were to ask any resident on the street whether such an outbreak had ever truly occurred, they would swear to you, with absolute certainty, that they had never witnessed such a thing.

It was not that the people of Fang City had been silenced, but rather that most locals simply had never seen the so-called rat plague with their own eyes.

And yet, inexplicably, the rumors of the infestation had spread far and wide.

Such an illogical situation naturally drew the attention of the Bureau of Demon Purification, who swiftly sent agents to investigate. It did not take them long to reach a conclusion.

“Fabricated rumors?” Shen Chang’an’s face twitched slightly as he heard the verdict.

“Yes, and it seems the person who started the rumor is actually a kinsman of Master Fang. They say he grew envious of Fang’s sudden fortune and so concocted the tale out of spite…”

Before Wang Yue could finish, Shen Chang’an cut him off, “Seriously, are all your Demon Purification Bureau people fools? If he wanted to spread a rumor, couldn’t he have made it more believable? Such absurd claims about giant rats—no sensible person would believe it, right?”

“Why did this rumor catch on and spread so widely? Didn’t any of you stop to wonder? If there was truly nothing to it, why would so many keep repeating it? Do you think he paid an army of shills?”

Wang Yue scratched his head, not understanding what “shills” meant, but grasping the general idea. “Daoist Shen, Fang City was just a small village before. Rumors like this aren’t that unusual, are they…”

Shen Chang’an’s lips twitched. He had indeed forgotten the nature of this era—ignorance prevailed. If rumors did arise, they could indeed spread quickly. Still, could it really be that simple?

Ignorant as they may be, the people weren’t fools. Fang City had been built up single-handedly by Master Fang, whose power here was unmatched. How could ordinary folk dare to spread rumors of a rat plague within his domain?

Even if there had been rats, most would have pretended not to notice out of respect for Master Fang. After all, no one would jeopardize their wealth, especially in these times.

Yet the rumors still spread, leaving only one possibility—

The rat plague endangered their very lives.

No matter how much wealth one amassed, one had to be alive to enjoy it. If their lives were threatened, of course they would not sit idly by.

“Does the Bureau have detailed records of when the rat plague supposedly occurred?”

Wang Yue thought for a moment. “Because it was considered a rumor, no one kept records. But it seems the story first spread just as Fang City was being established.”

“And what of the imperial court? Has Great Qian said nothing about Fang City? Building a city right under their noses…”

“Master Fang paid a hefty sum to smooth things over with those in power and received official approval for the city’s founding. As you know, Fang City never had so many people before; the current residents are all refugees resettled here during its construction.”

“Refugees?” Shen Chang’an was taken aback.

“Yes. There was a rebellion in Yong Province, and the court had no strength to suppress the rebels. Large numbers of refugees fled south and arrived here in You Province.”

Shen Chang’an knew little of such matters, but in this age of scant information, it was not surprising. Most people were illiterate; unless trouble landed at their own doorstep, they turned a blind eye. Refugees not only received no help but were often ostracized.

Given those circumstances, Master Fang’s offer to build a city and house the refugees—with a generous sum of money—raised suspicions, yet without concrete evidence, no one intervened.

“So is Fang City still under Great Qian’s jurisdiction?” Shen Chang’an recalled the city’s own guards and the travel permits issued by Fang City itself. He suspected the city was now beyond imperial control.

“Though the court granted Fang City considerable autonomy, officially this is still imperial territory. Our Bureau, for example, still makes the occasional inspection…”

Shen Chang’an let out a cold laugh. After more than a year, the Bureau hadn’t even managed to establish a presence in Fang City, yet claimed it was still under their control.

Most likely, the imperial court had long since washed its hands of the city in exchange for Fang’s generous tribute.

Even if the court knew of Fang City’s problems, they were unwilling to act—destroying the city would mean losing a lucrative source of revenue.

“If Fang City had any industry worth seizing, Great Qian would’ve acted long ago. But Fang’s wealth seems to spring from nowhere, and the court can’t determine its true source. If only he can produce it, taking action might ruin everything.”

Shen Chang’an reflected that Great Qian’s motives were transparent enough. The nation was tottering, plagued by demons; they would not let any means of survival slip through their fingers.

“If that’s the case, then what comes next…” Shen Chang’an calculated silently, finding his chances of success slim. Even now, he did not know what kind of demon lurked within Fang City, while the enemy had already devoured a whole city in silence.

“Thank you for your information, Lord Wang. Tell me, are you willing to be involved in what comes next?” Shen Chang’an asked directly.

Wang Yue replied without hesitation, “If it is for the good of the people, I shall not shirk my duty. However, I beg you to tell me plainly what this matter is.”

Shen Chang’an exhaled a heavy breath and spoke slowly, “If all this talk of a rat plague is true, would you not say that eradicating it serves the common good?”

“Of course. The world will know no peace while such a plague persists,” Wang Yue replied as if it were self-evident.

But Shen Chang’an smiled. “That may not be so, Lord Wang. From the information I gathered on the road, and what you’ve told me, I can surmise… Master Fang made his fortune with the help of these rat demons.”

Wang Yue considered this. “Even if Master Fang has committed crimes, he cannot escape imperial justice. If he is involved with the rat plague, he must be arrested and brought before the Bureau for judgment.”

Shen Chang’an waved his hand and spoke softly, “You still don’t understand, Lord Wang. Very well, let me explain it to you.”

“This rat plague was most likely orchestrated by Master Fang himself. He must have conspired with the rat demons, amassed a fortune, and established Fang City. If we join forces to eliminate the evil lurking here, Master Fang’s power will collapse, and the city’s vast wealth will vanish with him.”

“At that point, everyone in Fang City will lose their means of livelihood. They have grown too accustomed to Master Fang’s largesse and the life of luxury it afforded. To expect them to return to honest labor is likely impossible—they may well starve to death in this very city.”

Wang Yue was stunned, and after a long pause, he said, “But—the imperial court would not stand by and do nothing…”

“Heh…” Shen Chang’an sneered. “Do you really think that not a single official in Great Qian can see this flaw? All the tribute and treasures Fang City sends each year—did you think they were accepted for nothing?”

A cold sweat broke out on Wang Yue’s brow. “Daoist Shen, then—what should we…”

Shen Chang’an replied calmly, “I cannot ignore the rat plague in Fang City. This twisted way of sustaining a city will only come back to devour everyone in the end. Even if it means harming many, I cannot stand by while disaster grows unchecked here… Otherwise, if it grows stronger, the harm will not be confined to Fang City alone.”

A horde of demons, nestled in the heart of a city, sustaining the lives of countless people daily without expecting anything in return—are they internationalist heroes making selfless sacrifices?

Though Shen Chang’an could not yet fathom their true intentions, he was certain that allowing these monsters to grow unchecked would spell catastrophe.

Moreover, Fang City’s apparent lack of crime troubled Shen Chang’an deeply. Not a single disappearance had been reported, yet the ancient bestiary clearly stated, “Serpents, insects, rats, and ants—man-eaters all, beheaded on sight!”

These creatures were clearly killing and eating people, but not a single person seemed to be missing. Taken together, these facts revealed a grave problem. The rat demons had likely seized complete control of the city, preventing any news from escaping; even deaths were probably written off as natural causes.

“Daoist… I… I…” Wang Yue was thrown into utter confusion.

Though he held a banner-officer’s post in the Bureau, Wang Yue was not as ruthless as his colleagues. Born into nobility, he had lived a life of ease, joining the Bureau out of interest rather than necessity.

Had it been someone else, Shen Chang’an would never have revealed so much. But because Wang Yue possessed a shred of justice, he chose to confide in him.

“If you wish not to be involved, Lord Wang, you may leave. But please, keep these matters secret—do not tell anyone else.”

Wang Yue nodded, then drifted away, lost and dazed.