After leaving the down-and-out Scholar's house, Shen Bai hurried toward the location the Scholar had described.
He was filled with excitement the entire way.
He was especially thrilled at the thought of finding the source of the Evil Qi.
Before long, Shen Bai arrived at the academy.
...
The academy in Shengyun County wasn't large, but there were plenty of scholars there.
In such an impoverished place, studying was the only real option for those in this remote little county who wanted to change their fate.
It provided at least a sliver of fairness in an unfair world.
The clear sound of reading aloud drifted from within the academy. Shen Bai watched from the outside for a few moments, then, uninterested, he left and continued back along the route the Scholar had mentioned.
There was nothing unusual as he walked down the first street.
Then, Shen Bai came to the second street.
The second street was a bit livelier than the first, but there was still no sign of anything.
After a moment of thought, Shen Bai arrived at the third street.
This was a bustling market, considered one of the liveliest places in Shengyun County.
Shen Bai stood in the middle of the street, listening to the vendors' cries on both sides as he fell into deep thought.
'The Scholar said it was somewhere around here.'
'But I haven't found anything since I arrived.'
After pondering for a moment, Shen Bai began to search the street patiently.
Shen Bai figured that something bizarre was unlikely to happen in broad daylight.
After all, if it had happened during the day, news of it would have already spread throughout all of Shengyun County.
As a pawnshop owner, Shen Bai would have surely heard about it.
After searching the entire street three times without finding anything, Shen Bai decided to wait.
'When night falls and there are fewer people, I'll see if I can wait for that strange person the Scholar mentioned.'
Since it was already noon, waiting around idly was pointless. Shen Bai found a random food stall, ordered a bowl of beef noodles, and sat down to eat slowly.
Although Shengyun County was a small county, it had everything one might need.
Setting aside the taste, Shen Bai felt the portion size of the beef noodles alone was more than enough.
Shen Bai observed his surroundings as he ate.
The people around him all seemed normal, contributing to the lively atmosphere.
After finishing the bowl of noodles and paying, Shen Bai found a teahouse and took a seat by a window on the second floor, where he could closely observe any changes on the street below.
As he was drinking his tea, a waiter approached his table, carrying a plate of melon seeds.
"Sir, please take your time. I'll be downstairs. Just give a shout if you need anything," the waiter said with a bow.
Shen Bai put down his teacup. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "Has anything unusual happened on this street recently?"
The waiter, who had been about to leave, quickly turned back when he heard Shen Bai's question. After a moment of thought, he shook his head.
"This street's always been like this. Nothing strange or bizarre has happened. Sir, you don't sound like you're from out of town. How could you not know?"
When it came to gathering information in the Jianghu, you either looked for the well-informed local beggars or the waiters in these shops.
Regardless of whether the information from these two sources was true or false, they would at least have something to tell you.
Although Shen Bai was from Shengyun County, he hadn't been here long since transmigrating. He wasn't familiar with many places, as he spent his days in his pawnshop, so it was normal for him to be uninformed.
Hearing the waiter's words, Shen Bai smiled faintly. He then took two copper coins from the money pouch at his waist and placed them on the table.
The waiter glanced left and right, then immediately flashed a sycophantic smile and slipped the two copper coins into his sleeve. "Sir, what would you like to know? As long as I know it, I'll be sure to tell you."
Shen Bai tapped his fingers on the table. "Same question as before. Has anything unusual happened on this street recently?"
The waiter thought carefully, draping his rag over his shoulder. "Nothing unusual, really. But a few days ago, a huge Locust Tree was brought to our street. A lot of people found that pretty novel."
'A huge Locust Tree?'
Shen Bai looked out the window.
He had a clear view of the entire street, but he didn't see a Locust Tree standing anywhere, let alone a so-called huge one.
Seeing Shen Bai's expression, the waiter gave a mysterious smile. "Sir, you're overthinking it. If the Locust Tree were really standing here, you'd be able to see it from a mile away. You see, a rich merchant from our street took it."
"Sigh, it's quite a story. The County Magistrate himself had it brought to our street. But that rich merchant heard a rumor from some Daoist that using the trunk of a Locust Tree to make a coffin would bless his descendants with fortune and prosperity."
"So he went to great lengths to buy the Locust Tree, and it's already been made into a coffin."
'Made into a coffin...'
Hearing this, Shen Bai now had a rough understanding of what had happened.
If that was the case, then of course he wouldn't be able to see the Locust Tree.
He thought of the Scholar he met earlier and felt that this matter was related to the Locust Tree.
So, he asked the waiter a question.
"Where does the rich merchant who bought the Locust Tree live?"
"Leave this teahouse and walk east for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn. You'll arrive at the Sun Family's residence," the waiter replied.
Without a moment's delay, Shen Bai headed straight in the direction the waiter had indicated.
...
The Sun Family was a well-known and respected clan on this street. Their family business extended throughout many parts of Shengyun County. In a remote little county town like this, they were considered a wealthy household.
At this moment, however, the Sun Family residence was shrouded in a silent, gloomy cloud.
The Main House.
Master Sun sat on a chair, his face devoid of expression.
"Master, let's just move away," Lady Sun said, her face pale and her eyes filled with terror as she tightly clutched a handkerchief.
"Move? How can we move?"
Master Sun slammed his hand on the table. "My Sun Family's entire fortune is here in Shengyun County! Do you want me to sell it all off for cheap?"
Lady Sun gave a bitter smile. "But that coffin is just too malevolent. If this goes on, I'm afraid our daughter's life will be in danger."
At the mention of this, the anger on Master Sun's face deepened.
"Have you still not found that Daoist? What am I paying you people for?"
The nearby servants quickly lowered their heads, not daring to meet Master Sun's gaze.
Seeing this, Lady Sun immediately began to cry. "I told you from the beginning! How could a Locust Tree be used for a coffin? But you wouldn't listen to me. You listened to that old Daoist, and now our daughter is acting as if she's possessed."
"What does a woman know?" Master Sun stood up. "Wasn't I doing it for the prosperity of the Sun Family line? You've only given me a daughter. Who is supposed to inherit the Sun Family's fortune?"
Hearing this, Lady Sun didn't dare say another word and only cried harder.
Just then, a servant came rushing in from outside, shouting as he ran.
"Master, it's terrible! Miss is sleeping in the coffin again!"