186. Tong Wen
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the once lively town gradually fell into silence, with residents retreating to their homes.
Now, only the town guards and Demon Hunters remained, patrolling the streets under the dim glow of lanterns.
Among them, a group of guards moved through the commercial district, their armor clinking softly with each step.
One of the younger guards sighed in frustration. "I had planned to take my wife out for dinner tonight, but thanks to the Demon Hunters' curfew, now I'm stuck patrolling all night instead."
Another young guard groaned, rubbing his sore shoulders. "At least you got some rest during the day. I've been on duty since morning."
The first guard grumbled, "I finally took a full-day holiday after three months, but before I could even enjoy it, news of a Great Demon ruined everything."
A middle-aged guard, walking ahead, shot them a sharp glance.
"Enough talking. Stay alert. If the Demon Hunters catch you two gossiping instead of patrolling, you'll both be punished."
Silence fell over the group as they continued their patrol, boots echoing against the cobblestone streets.
Reaching the end of the street, they turned around, preparing to walk the route again.
The youngest guard in the team hesitated before asking, "How do we even tell if someone is a demon? I heard they can change their appearance to look just like us."
The middle-aged guard sighed and pulled out a small mirror.
"With this—Demon Viewing Glass. If you shine it on someone, it will reveal their true form."
---
From the window of his inn room, Li Wen silently watched the guards patrolling below.
He extended his hand, releasing a faint ripple of plague energy, allowing it to spread undetected throughout the town.
This wasn't meant to harm anyone—he merely wished to observe how the power of plague interacted with the environment, the people, and the energy of this realm.
Satisfied, he turned his head—only to see his door open as the proprietress of the inn stepped inside.
She didn't notice him at first, her eyes scanning the empty bed.
Frowning, she looked around—until her gaze landed on the window, where she finally spotted him, half-hidden in the shadows.
She raised an eyebrow. "Sir, what are you doing hiding in the shadows?"
Li Wen smirked. "Lady, shouldn't I be the one asking that? Why did you enter my room uninvited?"
The proprietress folded her arms. "Sir, you must not be aware of the… special services my inn provides."
Li Wen chuckled. "I thought a fox had entered my room to drain me dry."
The moment he said "fox", her eyes widened, and a faint ripple of demonic energy stirred around her.
Li Wen remained unfazed. "Do you want the Demon Hunters to come knocking?"
The demonic aura around her immediately subsided, though her gaze remained sharp with anger.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone low and guarded.
Li Wen's expression remained unreadable. "That's none of your concern."
Then, he continued, "But I do have a question for you. If you can answer it, I'll leave immediately. If not… well, let's just say things might get complicated."
The fox demon remained silent for a few moments before finally replying, "Ask."
Li Wen leaned slightly forward. "Do you know of a young man, early twenties, noble blood, but without any immediate family?"
She thought for a moment before answering. "There is one. A warrior from a noble family—Tong Wen."
Li Wen's lips curled slightly. "How convenient. Even our names match. Must be destiny."
"Where does he live?"
The fox demon hesitated before finally responding. "On Garden Road. His home has a large white birch tree in the courtyard."
Li Wen nodded, satisfied. Without another word, his body shifted, his form twisting into that of a black crow.
With a powerful flap of his wings, Li Wen soared out the window, vanishing into the night as he flew toward Tong Wen's house.
The fox demon watched him go, her expression unreadable.
She whispered under her breath, "Source Demon."
Only Source Demons and Demon Kings could transform at will without any fluctuation of demonic energy.
And he couldn't be a Demon King—the Seven Demon Kings did not need to hide their identity from someone like her. Besides, any demon below the Source Demon rank was bound by absolute obedience to a Demon King's orders.
---
Li Wen, in his crow form, glided above the city, his sharp eyes scanning the streets below.
He saw guards patrolling the roads and Demon Hunters moving from rooftop to rooftop, their figures darting across buildings like shadows.
His gaze flickered toward the plague energy he had released earlier.
It had already begun seeping into the bodies of unsuspecting people.
By dawn, he would finally understand the full effects of his plague power.
---
Arriving at Tong Wen's residence, Li Wen landed silently on the roof.
Then, in an instant, his body dissolved into demonic energy, dispersing into a thin mist.
Through a small gap between the roof tiles, he slipped inside—drawn by the sounds coming from within.
Inside the dimly lit chamber, he found Tong Wen enjoying himself with two women.
Li Wen watched in silence.
He didn't attack immediately.
Instead, he allowed Tong Wen to enjoy himself one last time—before claiming his new identity.
Once the three had fallen into deep sleep, Li Wen moved.
His body dissolved into demonic energy, seeping into Tong Wen's mouth like a dark mist.
Slowly, his magic energy spread, absorbing the young noble's body cell by cell. For each fragment of flesh consumed, his essence took its place, reshaping and replacing Tong Wen entirely.
When the process was complete, he devoured Tong Wen's soul, absorbing his memories, knowledge, and mannerisms.
Now, he was Tong Wen.
Lying between the two sleeping maids, he closed his eyes, shifting his focus inward.
Within him lay the Plague Source, a power he could already wield, yet did not fully understand.
For now, comprehension would take time.
---
The next morning, he opened his eyes just as one of the maids gently shook him awake.
For the rest of the day, he perfectly followed Tong Wen's routine.
With the Demon Hunters still in town, he had to ensure that nothing about him seemed unusual—not a single mannerism, not a single habit out of place.
He played his role flawlessly.
---
The next day, at dawn, he heard the distant sound of horses trampling the streets.
Without hesitation, his body shifted into mist, and in the next moment, he reappeared on the rooftop in his crow form.
From above, he saw Wan Cai and Zhen Li Si leading half of the Demon Hunter Troop out of the south gate, heading toward Moon River.
Beyond the river lay two towns, and past them, Moon City, resting on the riverbank.
Notably, the other half of the Demon Hunters remained in the city.
The reason was clear—his plague power had triggered a massive cold outbreak among the townspeople, with many suffering from difficulty breathing.
Satisfied, Li Wen returned to his human form, reappearing in his previous position on the bed as if he had never moved.
For the next two days, he followed Tong Wen's routine, while secretly comprehending the Plague Source within him.
Then, on the second night, he summoned his maids and declared,
"I will be entering a long retreat. Do not disturb me unless it is an emergency."
Once inside his secluded chamber, he locked the door—then dissolved into magic energy once more.
Slipping through the tiniest gaps, he exited the mansion unseen.
As he reached the open sky, he transformed into a crow and took flight, soaring toward Moon City.
From above the second day a few hours before dawn, he spotted Wan Cai and Zhen Li Si's forces camped on the city's outskirts because at night it is forbidden to open the city gate without any urgent reason.
Moving swiftly, Li Wen slipped into Moon City before they could arrive.
-----
Under the dim glow of lanterns, Wan Cai and Zhen Li Si stood at the center of the Demon Hunters' camp, issuing instructions to their troops.
Wan Cai's voice rang with authority. "Starting this morning, we will divide into two groups and patrol Moon River."
A Demon Hunter stepped forward. "Sir, will the Demon Hunters stationed in Moon City assist us, or are we handling this alone?"
Wan Cai's expression remained firm. "The Moon City Demon Hunters will not be assisting us. We will patrol Moon River on our own."
At this, a commotion erupted among the soldiers.
There were only thirty of them—how could such a small group cover the vast stretch of Moon River?
Zhen Li Si's sharp voice cut through the murmurs. "Silence."
The camp fell quiet.
She unfurled a map of Moon River, placing it on a table before them. "Listen to me. You do not need to patrol the entire Moon River."
She marked two points along the river. "From here to here—this is our focus. A stretch of approximately three kilometers."
A moment of relief passed through the troops, but it was short-lived.
Another Demon Hunter raised a concern. "What if Li Wen escapes beyond our patrol zone?"
At his words, the camp erupted into another round of murmurs and hushed discussions.
"There's no way to cover all of Moon River."
"We're stretched too thin—if he slips past, we won't even know."
"If the Moon City Demon Hunters agreed to patrol with us, this wouldn't be a problem."
Finally, a Demon Hunter spoke up. "Commander Wan, Lady Li Si, let's go to Commander Wu together and persuade him to assist us."
Another one quickly agreed. "Yes! What could possibly be more important than hunting down a Great Demon?"
A chorus of voices followed, the hunters rallying behind the idea.
But Wan Cai shook his head.
"It's not that Commander Wu is unwilling to help—he simply can't."
A heavy pause settled over the camp.
Zhen Li Si's voice carried the weight of the situation. "A cult has appeared in Moon City. If the Demon Hunters abandon their post, the entire city will fall under its control."
A deep silence followed.
One by one, the Demon Hunters' expressions darkened.
One crisis after another.
Trouble was spreading through the Wei Dynasty like an unstoppable tide.