Chapter 264: What Do You Think?

The streets were desolate, with only a few hurried passersby clutching their bundles, heads lowered as they walked.

Upon seeing a group of Golden Guards charging toward them, the pedestrians first flinched in fear before quickly stepping aside, bowing their heads as if reluctant to be noticed.

After entering East Corner Village, Zhao Li and his group slowed their pace. When he finally spotted a few villagers, he noticed that they deliberately avoided them.

He reined in his horse and called toward a middle-aged man by the street, “You there, come over for a moment.”

The man, who had been shrinking back by the roadside, stood still and forced a smile at the Golden Guards. “Honorable officers, my legs aren’t too good. If you have any questions, just ask me from here.”

Zhao Li chuckled. “What’s that you’re holding? Open it and let me see.”

At these words, the man’s face instantly turned ashen, and he began trembling violently. With a thud, he dropped to his knees and hastily unwrapped the bulging bundle in his arms. “My lord, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have taken those gold and silver pieces lying by the street…”

Zhao Li glanced at the package, which contained gold, silver, and jewelry stained with black ash and dried blood. He said indifferently, “Keep the money.”

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you!” The man’s face lit up with joy. He quickly gathered the package and bolted toward the street corner.

Swoosh!

A faint sound of something piercing the air followed.

The man had barely taken a few steps before collapsing to the ground, a gaping, bowl-sized hole in his back.

Seeing Zhao Li’s ruthless action, even Yang Wei—who had been invited here—couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

He had no idea why Zhao Li had suddenly struck and dared not ask.

“All of you, except Yang Wei, disperse and investigate the four villages. I need the most up-to-date and truthful reports within the next two days. Be quick.”

As Zhao Li’s command fell, the four Golden Guards behind him responded in unison, “Yes!” before swiftly splitting up.

Realizing he had been left behind, Yang Wei forced a smile. “Lord Zhao, do you have any orders for me?”

Zhao Li glanced at him, then tugged at the reins, guiding his steed forward at a slow pace. “The situation in Four Corners Town is worse than I expected… Do you think I should have ignored that Temple Keeper Huang for now?”

“Your judgment is, of course, far better than mine, my lord.” Yang Wei paused before continuing, “But in my opinion, that demon might talk a good game, but the barrier he set up might not truly be aimed at dealing with the master behind the chang ghosts.”

“A demon is still a demon—how could it possibly have any genuine desire to help humans?”

“But even if that Temple Keeper Huang has ulterior motives, with you here, my lord, he won’t be able to stir up much trouble… If he dares act out of line, one arrow from you would be enough to take him down!”

Zhao Li said nothing. He merely steered his horse into a narrow alley. Upon spotting an old inn ahead, he dismounted and strode inside.

At that moment, inside the inn, a group of people was eating porridge. When they heard the sound of hooves and approaching footsteps outside, they instinctively looked toward the entrance.

The newcomer wore a brocade gray robe and carried a gleaming silver bow on his back. The five golden rhombus-shaped daggers on his chest shimmered under the sunlight.

In that instant, everyone except Gu Ning’an and Qiao Min stood up nervously, staring at the imposing figure.

Zhou Zhongtian immediately recognized the newcomer. Noticing that Gu Ning’an remained seated, he quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and announced, “External Agent Zhou Zhongtian greets Golden Guard Demon-Slaying Enforcer, Lord Zhao Li!”

Among them, Zhou Zhongtian was the most familiar with Golden Guard affairs. Feng Wei and the others had risen to their feet only because of the five golden daggers on Zhao Li’s chest, which marked his rank and strength.

But upon hearing the name, they hurriedly echoed Zhou Zhongtian’s words in a respectful tone, “Lord Zhao.”

Damn it, why is Mr. Gu still sitting?!

I even said his name out loud!

Zhou Zhongtian subtly tilted his head, desperately signaling to Gu Ning’an with his eyes.

However, even after nearly blinking his eyes raw, Gu Ning’an remained unfazed, calmly sipping his porridge at an unhurried pace.

With Zhao Li standing in front, Yang Wei—who held some status—was naturally ignored.

However, Yang Wei knew that their group had recently gained a temporary External Agent who specialized in summoning souls but had refused to help his younger brother do the same.

His sharp eyes quickly determined that the man in white sitting at the table was the External Agent Gu the Golden Guards had been talking about.

With old grudges, the fresh humiliation of being ignored, and now the perfect chance to exploit Gu Ning’an’s failure to show proper respect, Yang Wei naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

Taking two steps forward, he bellowed at Gu Ning’an, his voice full of authority, “You! Why haven’t you bowed upon seeing Lord Zhao?”

Gu Ning’an didn’t even lift his gaze, as if he hadn’t heard Yang Wei’s words at all.

This only made Yang Wei feel even more humiliated. Just as he was about to lash out, Zhao Li, standing beside him, chuckled and waved a hand dismissively, signaling him to keep quiet.

“Step aside.”

Zhao Li walked past the people blocking his way and sat down at the table. Casually, he picked up a small bowl of salted vegetables and scooped himself a bowl of porridge from the large bowl in the center of the table. He took a loud sip.

“Ah~” Zhao Li nodded in satisfaction before looking at Gu Ning’an with a smile. “A bowl of plain porridge in the morning is quite comforting, don’t you think?”

Gu Ning’an smiled slightly. “Indeed.”

Zhao Li took another sip, swallowed, and then continued, “You must be External Agent Gu, the one who can summon souls, correct?”

Gu Ning’an gave a slight nod in response.

Zhao Li went on, “It’s been several days now. Can you summon back Yang Wang’s soul?”

Gu Ning’an replied indifferently, “No.”

“Oh?” Zhao Li narrowed his eyes. “Is it because you can’t, or because you won’t?”

The atmosphere instantly tensed. Zhou Zhongtian and the others could feel an invisible pressure radiating from Zhao Li, so oppressive that they instinctively controlled their breathing, afraid to make a sound.

Gu Ning’an simply smiled. “What do you think?”

Even Zhao Li himself hadn’t expected this External Agent to dare throw the question back at him.

Was it because he was newly appointed and had no idea what five golden daggers and the title Demon-Slaying Enforcer truly meant?

Or did this man believe that if a fight broke out, he wouldn’t need to fear him?

Smack!

Setting down his bowl, Zhao Li casually reached behind him and unstrapped his gleaming silver bow. He pulled the bowstring lightly and smiled.

“I think…”