My Core is the Boss

Anger flared in Yang Guang's eyes. "We have to wipe out these demons!"

At this moment, the magistrate hurriedly asked, "Honored envoys, is there any news from the imperial court? When will the imperial army reclaim the northern lands?"

The county lieutenant also gazed expectantly at Yang Guang.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Yang Guang scratched his head. "I don't know about that..."

To be honest, he was barely a member of the Demon-Slaying Bureau. Naturally, he had no idea when Fengyuan would reclaim the northern lands.

The magistrate hunched over again, his spirit seeming to collapse instantly. As the emperor's personal guard, the Demon-Slaying Bureau was the best-informed body at court. If even these men said they didn't know, it meant that the court had not mentioned reclaiming the north at all.

There went the magistrate's last hope. As things stood, the southward migration would continue and any northern campaign would be a distant dream.

The magistrate smiled wryly. "Have the court officials issued any orders?"

Yang Guang kept picking up pieces of radish. "No."

He really didn't recognize the other wild vegetables and was afraid of getting sick from eating them.

The magistrate was momentarily at a loss for words. The court had simply forgotten about Zhenyang City.

Unwilling to give up, he asked again, "Honored envoys, how long are you all planning to stay in Zhenyang this time?"

Yang Guang answered honestly, "We'll leave once we find Tong Tianyou."

The magistrate's expression changed slightly.

The county lieutenant slammed his chopsticks heavily onto the table. "The court seems to only have eyes for the Tong family’s descendant!”

Were they blind to the common people in the city, to the point they were never even mentioned?

The magistrate quickly stood up and forced a smile. "We've disturbed the honored envoys. Please forgive us."

Yang Guang replied in a low voice, "It's fine."

Having completed many missions, he naturally knew that the people in the Mission Worlds were real. They were not mere data like in a game. Seeing the people of Fengyuan suffering did not sit well with him.

The magistrate then requested, "When you leave, could you perhaps take some children with you?"

Zhenyang City had no hope now. Breaking out was impossible. Only a small, elite force like the Demon-Slaying Bureau could safely leave. What the magistrate hoped was to rely on these nearly twenty demon slayers to take some sparks out. Even if they could only take a dozen or so. If even one survived, wasn't that still a life saved?

The casualties among the young men of Zhenyang City were severe. Among those defending the city walls, only one-third were young and able-bodied. Of the remaining two-thirds, half were gray-haired veterans, and half were child soldiers.

Yang Guang seemed ashamed. "We cannot do it. Sorry."

After all, once their mission was completed, they would leave this world.

The magistrate tensed up, and the signature smile on his face disappeared.

The county lieutenant picked up his chopsticks again, slowly eating. "The honored envoys have important military duties. How could we possibly delay them?"

His tone carried a trace of sarcasm, reflecting his deep dissatisfaction toward the court.

Yang Guang felt even more awkward and could not find words to respond. The atmosphere at the table became strained. Everyone continued eating, but the earlier warmth and familiarity were gone.

The magistrate hunched over and said nothing more, as if whoever spoke would only worsen things.

After about a hundred breaths, Qi Yuan put down his chopsticks. He clapped his hands and stood up. "Alright, the meal's done. Time for us to kill some demons!"

Otherwise, wouldn't that make the meal undeserved?

The magistrate was slightly stunned. "Do you intend to kill demons, honored envoy?”

Weren’t they here to rescue Tong Tianyou?

"Mm. I've long taken a liking to the demons of Shuyao Mountain. I'm planning to go hunt them." Qi Yuan casually asked, "By the way, do you have a map of Shuyao Mountain? Oh, any information on their troop distribution and strength would be useful."

The magistrate's eyes lit up. "Could it be that the bureau intends to take action against Shuyao Mountain?"

Qi Yuan said lightly, "No. I am."

Yang Guang added from the side, "Brother Qi plans to hunt some demons and extract their essence blood to strengthen himself."

The hope that had just risen in the magistrate's heart was extinguished once more. If that was Qi Yuan’s goal, then it meant he wouldn’t be hunting many demons.

Extracting demon essence blood to enhance strength meant he wouldn't be hunting many demons. It seemed the court had truly forgotten about Zhenyang City. Regardless, killing even one more demon would benefit the city.

The magistrate was willing to help. "Someone, bring the map of Shuyao Mountain!"

Before long, an overly young constable delivered the map into Qi Yuan's hands.

Qi Yuan took the map. "Thanks. As payment, we'll give you their corpses as food. Do you want to send some people with me to carry them back?"

The county lieutenant said, his voice booming, "Yes. Huo Mushi, haven't you always wanted to take a look at Shuyao Mountain? Now's your chance. Bring a few people and follow these honored envoys."

Huo Mushi's eyes lit up as he clasped his fists. "Many thanks, honored envoys."

This Huo Mushi was the same constable they had encountered earlier at the Tong residence. Judging by his age, he was only twelve or thirteen years old. In other words, a child soldier.

Qi Yuan asked in surprise, a strange look appearing in his eyes, "Your name is Huo Mushi?"

Huo Mushi was momentarily stunned. "My lord, have you heard of me?"

Qi Yuan recalled a history lesson he had attended while pretending to be a student with Canary. "I've heard of someone with the same name, but he was a great general."

In history, there had indeed been a famous general named Huo Mushi. His life had been quite extraordinary. When he was young, he was taught military strategy and martial arts by a divine being in a dream. He later became a leader of refugees, and at the height of his power, commanded over a hundred thousand elite troops.

Huo Mushi had brought an end to a chaotic era. In terms of achievements, he was comparable to Guo Ziyi of the Tang dynasty on Blue Planet.

Nevertheless, Qi Yuan didn't dwell too much on it. After all, it wasn’t unusual for games to base their lore on reality.

Qi Yuan declared, "Call the others. Let's go hunt demons!"

Full of excitement, Huo Mushi immediately straightened his back. "Alright!"

Qi Yuan then asked the magistrate, "Do you know where the Flower Demon Manluo is?"

The magistrate replied, "I've heard a little about that demon. Apparently, she was behind the chaos at the Tong Residence. Though I do not know her exact location, she should be on Shuyao Mountain.

"If you are in a hurry to find her, you can go to Wangshan Temple and see its abbot. Before she took human form, that demon lived at Wangshan Temple and had a close relationship with the abbot. He might know something."

Qi Yuan opened the map and quickly spotted it. "Oh, Wangshan Temple?"

Soon after, he felt puzzled. "Wangshan Temple is within Shuyao Mountain. Why do the demons still keep that temple?"

The county lieutenant replied in an unfriendly tone, "Hmph, because the strategist of Shuyao Mountain is the abbot's disciple!"

Qi Yuan said casually, "Now that makes for a complicated setup. Looks like the abbot is also a key character."

From his years of gaming experience, he could tell the abbot definitely had issues.

Yang Guang nodded, agreeing with Qi Yuan.

On the other hand, the magistrate and the county lieutenant appeared confused, unable to fully understand what Qi Yuan meant.

Qi Yuan stood up. "Let's go. First, we head for the Wangshan Temple to get rid of some demons!"

Yang Guang, acting as a temporary bodyguard, quickly followed. An Qiao did as well.

Soon, only the magistrate and the county lieutenant remained in the room.

With a trace of longing, the magistrate looked at the still-warm dishes. "Quick, tidy this up. Send these delicacies to the soldiers on the walls as a reward. They probably haven't tasted meat in quite some time."

Even his own meals hadn't been this good in a while. It was only because the Demon-Slaying Bureau was visiting that he had prepared something more lavish.

The county lieutenant stroked his beard with an unreadable expression. "Those demon slayers... They’re probably here to take the Tong family away. As for the Tong family's grain and livestock, could we keep them?"

Once the Tong family was taken away, the city's strength would weaken further. Zhenyang City was doomed.

"Haa..." the magistrate lamented. "The aristocratic clans really do have it good."

After the city fell into crisis, the magistrate often went to the Tong estate seeking help. Unfortunately, Old Master Tong had no concern for defending the city, providing neither troops nor grain. As a magistrate, there was nothing he could do about it.

With over a thousand private soldiers and a fortified estate, Old Master Tong’s strength rivaled that of Zhenyang City itself. Moreover, he also held official status and belonged to a family renowned for filial piety. Fengyuan governed the realm through filial virtue, and such a family held immense honor. Essentially, it was a kind of immunity.

As if that wasn’t enough, Old Master Tong also had connections at court. The magistrate could lose his position if he pushed too hard.

The magistrate cared not for status or connections, but he greatly coveted the private troops. If they would help defend the city, life in Zhenyang would be far more bearable.