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With a population exceeding six hundred thousand, nearly three hundred thousand reside in the prefectural city alone, situated near three large rivers—the Hong River, the Sand River, and the Jinhu River—boasting a developed water transportation network. Additionally, with fewer Evil Sects in the vicinity, it stands as the water transport hub of Jade Liang Prefecture.

Had it been located in the central hinterlands of Da Qi, it’s quite possible that the prefectural city of Jade Liang Prefecture would have been established here in Sanhe County.

Unfortunately, this place lies on the northwest border of Da Qi, with Jade Liang Prefecture itself on the edge of this border. The Juelian Mountain Range, which forms the border between Da Qi and Northern Zhou, also marks the northern boundary of Jade Liang Prefecture.

Sanhe County sits at the foot of the Juelian Mountain Range, where the origins of the three great rivers—the Hong River, the Sand River, and the Jinhu River—are located; they source from Mount Guna of the Juelian Mountain Range, also known to the locals as River Source Peak.

It’s precisely because of this geographical location that the people of Sanhe County have developed a way of living that relies on the mountains and waters, with water transport merchants and mountain harvesters being the most numerous.

Local cuisine mainly features river delicacies and mountain treasures, with pine mushroom river delicacies soup and fresh fragrant clear broth noodles being considered local specialties.

Hence, when Zhou Heng arrived in Sanhe County by boat, he didn’t rush to investigate the area.

Instead, he planned to first visit a restaurant and taste the local soup and noodles.

Regrettably, perhaps due to the nightly wails and the loss of three Seventh Rank Warriors who had gone out to investigate, Sanhe County was fairly deserted, with many shops closed.

After looking around for a while, Zhou Heng finally found a restaurant that was still open.

Inside, there were quite a number of people.

There were twenty tables in total, and about fourteen or fifteen were occupied.

It was now noon, which was a mealtime rush.

It seemed that everyone came out to eat at the restaurant, but with few shops open, they had all gathered here.

However, most of the patrons were strong young men, as well as some young men and women carrying swords. Most of them appeared to have considerable confidence in their own strength.

One table particularly stood out.

It was occupied by a single person.

This was a young man in his twenties, handsome with sharp and defined features, dressed in brown martial attire with a traveler’s hat and a longsword by his side.

He seemed to be a wandering martial artist.

And a powerful one at that.

“Young Master Xu, your ordered pine mushroom river delicacies soup and fresh fragrant clear broth noodles have arrived!”

A clear voice sounded as the cheerful waiter arrived briskly at the table of the young man with a tray in hand, placing down a bowl of soup and noodles.

Zhou Heng sniffed the aroma of the soup and noodles and found it quite appealing. He chose a table, sat down with his Purple Thunder Sword beside him, and signaled the waiter to order the same dishes as the young man, Xu.

Young Master Xu glanced at Zhou Heng, his gaze landing on the Purple Thunder Sword. He raised his eyebrows slightly and, carrying his bowl of soup and noodles, came to sit across from Zhou Heng at his table.

“Clad in green with the Purple Sword, eradicating all evil; could you be ‘Evil-Slaying Sword’ Zhou Heng?” Young Master Xu asked with a smile, signaling to the waiter while calling out, “Waiter, another jar of wine, please!”

At this question, suddenly, all the diners in the restaurant burst into exclamations, and dozens of eyes turned to gaze at Zhou Heng.

“The Evil-Slaying Sword, so he’s the Evil-Slaying Sword Zhou Heng? He’s so young, I never expected him to be this young, and so formidable!”

“I heard along his journey, he has destroyed hundreds of Evil Sects and slain thousands of evil cultivators!”

“That’s amazing, simply fantastic! Has he come to our Sanhe County to deal with that unknown monster?”

“Certainly! This is wonderful, we’re saved! That creature has been wailing every night, scaring everyone.”

“With Xu Kong’s return, and Zhou Heng’s arrival, that monster is as good as dead!”

The crowd was overjoyed, as if the light at the end of a dark tunnel had finally arrived, and they were all extremely excited.

Zhou Heng, on the other hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, his face bearing a look of helplessness.

“What, Brother Zhou doesn’t wish to reveal his identity?” Young Master Xu appeared puzzled, not understanding why Zhou Heng would have such an expression.

“Young Master Xu misunderstands, I just think the nickname ‘Evil-Slaying Sword’ could be changed,” sighed Zhou Heng, then looked at the young man in front of him and said, “Listening to the discussions around, you must be the newly ranked tenth on the human list, ‘Sword Qi Soaring to the Sky’ Xu Kong, correct?”

“Indeed, I am Xu Kong, but I hardly deserve ‘Sword Qi Soaring to the Sky.’ It’s just exaggeration by the Divine Martial Office,” Xu Kong replied modestly, shaking his head. “Besides, my place on the human list was merely obtained through a duel. It’s nothing compared to Brother Zhou, who has traveled across two provinces eradicating countless fiends.”

“If we keep complimenting each other like this, I’m afraid it will be dark before we finish,” Zhou Heng chuckled. “Brother Xu did not come to me just to share a meal at the same table, right?”

“Brother Zhou is straightforward,” smiled Xu Kong, getting right to the point, “You must have also heard about the strange occurrences in our Sanhe County, where a despairing cry can be heard every night. It is so piercing that the entire city can hear it.

“Although it has not yet caused any real harm, such a lament has spelt great suffering for the people of Sanhe County. I returned this time in response to a letter from home, to investigate this matter.

“Brother Zhou has come here for the same purpose, I presume? Would you be willing to join me? It would be good for us to have each other’s support.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Zhou Heng shook his head, declining Xu Kong’s offer. “I’m sorry, but I prefer to work alone.”

For him at the current moment, if he were facing human martial artists, companions could be of some help. However, if dealing with evil creatures, companions would more likely be a hindrance.

After all, those who are not members of the Zhou Tian Boundary Officers can’t even manage to kill evil creatures, let alone cause them significant harm.

In that case, he would be better off acting alone.

Moreover, this was the third task assigned to him by the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer, and it was also the last assigned task.

After completing this task, he would be able to unlock all the privileges of the mask and receive information he had previously been unaware of.

Therefore, for Zhou Heng, this task was very important, and he did not wish for any mistakes to occur.

Xu Kong was initially startled upon hearing this, as he had not expected to be turned down.

Logically, as someone who ranked tenth on the hero list and a local from Sanhe County, extending an invitation should have guaranteed acceptance from Zhou Heng, regardless of the circumstances.

“Unless he thinks I’ll hold him back…” A speculation emerged in Xu Kong’s heart; he could think of no other reason for Zhou Heng to refuse him.

If that was indeed the reason, it upset him somewhat.

To be regarded as someone who could hold others back was a feeling he had not experienced in many years.

It seemed he was actually quite nostalgic for it.

However, since Zhou Heng had already refused, he would not insist on following him, so he simply smiled warmly and said, “In that case, let’s each do our own thing. Perhaps I might even solve the problem before you, Brother Zhou.”

After all, Xu Kong was a young man, and even though he wouldn’t fuss over Zhou Heng turning down his invitation, he couldn’t help feeling a bit displeased inside, which subconsciously reflected in his words.

Zhou Heng didn’t mind and smiled, “If that were the case, it would be for the best.”

If Xu Kong could solve the problem here, it would mean the root cause wasn’t ghosts or evil creatures, which in turn meant that this had nothing to do with the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer, and his task of gathering information would be considered complete.

“Dear guest, your pine mushroom river fish soup and fresh scented clear soup noodles are here! And here’s a pot of Sanhe old wine, a gift from our shopkeeper.”

The waiter came over with the tray, placed the soup and noodles down, and also set down a pot of old wine. Even though it was still sealed, the fragrance of the wine was intoxicating.

“Why give this to me?” Zhou Heng asked curiously.

“Because you are a great hero,” the waiter chuckled. “Although Sanhe County is not a big place, we’ve heard the water traders talk about your deeds.

“Crossing Fang and Sui states alone, you obliterated tens of thousands from the Evil Sect, killed countless evildoers, and brought peace and tranquility to the world. Fine wine should indeed be offered to a great hero like you.”

The patrons sitting at the tables around the hall clapped and cheered.

“You flatter me, I’ve only done some trivial things.”

Zhou Heng smiled and accepted the pot of old wine, saying to Xu Kong, who was still seated at his table, “Brother Xu, I’m not much of a drinker; I’ll give this pot of old wine to you.”

“Hahaha, Brother Zhou is certainly an interesting man,” Xu Kong laughed heartily, not minding the earlier refusal at all. He grabbed the pot of Sanhe old wine and chuckled, “With this in hand, I wouldn’t mind if, after resolving this issue, you asked me to leave Sanhe County immediately. As long as I can have this pot of old wine, that’s all I need.”

Hiss!

This guy turned out to be a booze hound!

Afterwards, Zhou Heng chatted with Xu Kong for a while, and quickly understood his general situation.

As it turned out, this guy had not come alone; he had brought along a junior brother and a junior sister.

He even planned to take his junior brother and sister with him when investigating the monster that cried at midnight.

This was no longer a question of being cautious.

It was simply a disregard for risks.

This made Zhou Heng feel that his earlier rejection of the invitation was indeed prescient.

Nevertheless, as a local, Xu Kong still had his uses.

In the subsequent conversation, Zhou Heng obtained quite a bit of useful information about the nocturnal wailing from him.

For example, the general direction from which the sound came, as well as when the wailing would start and stop.

“Ah! Ahhhhh! Ooooo… Ahhhhh!!!”

But at that moment, an incredibly piercing and sorrowful sound suddenly came from outside.

It was as if ten thousand shrill-voiced infants were crying all at once.

It was so chilling it made one’s scalp tingle.

Immediately, it added a bone-deep chill to this noontime, scaring the sturdy men in the inn to pale.

What’s happening?!

The cries that usually only appeared at night, why are they happening during the day now?

Boom!

Next, a loud noise came from the north, as if something had exploded, and the shockwave spread along the ground, shaking the whole restaurant.

Zhou Heng and Xu Kong exchanged looks, both clearly understanding the message in each other’s eyes.

Someone else had taken action against the source of the wailing!