Are there demons in Dunan City?

Qin Liuxi looked at him with eyes full of surprise and fear, then smiled and said, "Wu Zhubu is diligent and has accumulated quite a bit of merit, appearing quite trusted and embraced by the local people."

Wu Zhubu said with nervous humility, "The immortal overpraises, it’s all due to the favor of the officials, advocating for the people."

"As long as you, Wu Zhubu, do not change your original intention and continue to seek welfare for the people, accumulating much merit will naturally bring profound blessings, and the descendants of the Wu Family will be more protected, allowing you to enjoy your old age in peace." Qin Liuxi said, "However, although a child may be cherished, one must not spoil them, knowing that spoiling a child is akin to harming them."

Wu Zhubu was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a joyous smile, he hurriedly tore off the wallet from his waist and handed it to Qin Liuxi with both hands, "Thank you for your guidance, immortal."

Qin Liuxi accepted the wallet, took out only one copper coin from it, handed the wallet back, and said, "Donating it to the disaster-stricken people is also a small merit."

Wu Zhubu sighed and thought he’d add some more when he returned.

After a guidance session, the conversation became more relaxed, Qin Liuxi smoothly asked about the major families in Ducheng County and whose tombs had grave guardian beasts.

Wu Zhubu, who manages the household registration, is also well-versed about the significant figures of Ducheng County. When asked, he spoke freely. But regarding grave guardian beasts, he knew very little.

"I roughly know the locations, but what is there, I am not particularly aware of. Firstly, we don’t quite understand these Feng Shui theories, and secondly, the owners mostly keep it confidential." Wu Zhubu thought for a moment and said, "I only know within the last ten years, a gentleman named Zhu from the capital had a grave guardian stone beast, which was buried due to a mudslide. In addition, the Jiang Family, whose ancestors had a fourth-rank official, also had a grave guardian beast at the official’s tomb."

"Do you know what it is?"

"I heard it was a Sifangxiang (Four Not Alike)."

Sifangxiang, then that would be a Baite auspicious beast, the mount of the Emperor Wen Chang. Officials using this as a grave guardian beast, perhaps want to enhance their Wen Chang luck?

Yet Fan Kong saw it was a Xie.

After arriving at the county government, Wu Zhubu asked an old government official, who kept records of the county documents, to fetch the county records for examination. Qin Liuxi glanced at the old official and casually asked, "Are you from around here and do you know whose family has a grave guardian stone beast, particularly a Xie."

The old official shook his head honestly.

Qin Liuxi could only search through the records, and Wu Zhubu said, "If it’s a stone beast, it must have been carved into a beast, our capital has generations of craftsmen who specialize in carving. Asking them, might be more enlightening?"

"Then I trouble the Zhubu to summon them for inquiry." Qin Liuxi said.

Wu Zhubu immediately went to arrange it.

Qin Liuxi rapidly flipped through the county records, even inspected the topography of Nanshan, but found nothing significant. Instead, the records listed several major disasters, since Ducheng County’s mountainous regions encountered numerous mountain floods and mudslides, which also flooded many tombs.

Especially in the western part of Nanshan, within the past thirty years, encountered more than four mountain floods and mudslides, resulting in those grave sites being scattered all over, causing descendants to struggle finding spots for worship through these events. Some wisely relocated graves, those who didn’t could only offer tribute to ancestors from afar at the mountain base.

Wu Zhubu soon brought three craftsmen over, who were renowned locally for their carving skills, and who have been in this profession for generations, carving jade and wood among other things.

Qin Liuxi did not beat around the bush, directly asked if they had ever carved grave guardian stone beasts, particularly unicorns Xie.

One elderly craftsman with a sorrowful face and a coincidentally fitting surname of Stone said, "Does the carving of our ancestors count?"

"Naturally."

"My father carved for the Zuo Family of Yao Hua Village in Nanshan Town, it was said to guard General Zuo’s Tomb." Stone Master said.

Wu Zhubu’s expression slightly changed, this Zuo Family he knew too, originally bandits from the mountains, later recruited and granted the title of general by the court. However, the Zuo Family’s offspring were sparse and unproductive, and after General Zuo’s Tomb was submerged by the mountain flood located in the west of Nanshan and deserted due to descendants squandering the estate, it remained unsupervised for years, unsure of its current existence, due to enduring several disasters.

Having listened to this, Qin Liuxi thought about the natural disaster scenarios he observed earlier in Nanshan, thinking what a coincidence.

However, since Fan Kong saw the grave guardian stone beast, the tomb should still be there.

With this clue, Qin Liuxi did not linger, after having the location clarified, declined Wu Zhubu’s offer to accompany, and went on their own to the location.

Before leaving, she took out a peace charm and handed it to that Stone Master, saying, "Have your little granddaughter wear it on her body, the little girl will gradually recover."

Stone Master was stunned, Wu Zhubu promptly urged him to accept, saying, "Thank the immortal, this is the temple master of Ningzhou Licheng Qingping Temple, skilled in magic, even capable of driving off Dunan Town’s flood disaster."