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The guard at the gate was initially confused when he heard the loud shouting from below, rubbing his eyes as he thought he might have seen it wrong.

In Capital City, early spring meant short days and long nights.

Although it was nearly time for chen hour after mao time, there was still no hint of dawn.

Normally, it would be time to open the city gates, but as an experienced guard, he was well aware that few merchants would come to do business in Capital City at this time, so he usually slept comfortably next to the stove until daylight.

This had been the case for the past two months, but today was an exception.

"Just two people?"

The guard clearly did not want to leave his warm bed, reluctantly put on his cotton armor, and went down to open the large gate. After opening it, it wouldn’t be good to continue sleeping up there. The timing of their arrival was indeed impeccable.

However, upon opening the gate and seeing that the traders were just two old men, he was taken aback.

The times were not peaceful these days. Outside, there were demons everywhere that devoured people, especially in winter, when many demons attacked merchant caravans out of hunger and thirst. Nowadays, those who dared to go out and do business were mostly from large families that could afford to hire family soldiers with strong bloodlines and Sorcerer Masters to stand guard.

For a moment, the guard became nervous. There were many demons disguising themselves in human skin.

If he let one in by mistake, he would certainly lose his job.

With Capital City overcrowded and filled with refugees seeking shelter, the authorities were looking for ways to expel people.

The only reason his family could stay in the safe Capital City was because of his job.

If he lost it, he dreaded that he would be driven out the next day.

He had no desire to return to his hometown, where his relatives had sent a letter half a year ago expressing their wish to come to Capital City to stay with relatives. Yet, after half a year with no news, they were likely devoured on their way here.

"Oh hahaha, brother, don’t be nervous. We are merchants from Jiangnan, not the skin-wearing demons that you’re thinking of," one of the old men quickly said in a comforting tone, clear understanding of the guard’s uneasiness.

The soldier frowned, still somewhat hesitant. If the other party really was a demon, he would not be brave enough to stop them. His comrades had not yet arrived for the shift change, and at this close distance, with his meager fighting skills, he was likely to become their snack.

However, the man’s mood improved slightly when they mentioned they were merchants from Jiangnan.

In these times, if there were any small teams of merchants daring to conduct business, Jiangnan was the only answer.

The exorbitant profits there were alluring enough for many to risk it all in a world infested with demons.

After all, the greater the risk, the higher the value of the goods, especially since most of Jiangnan’s merchandise was in high demand.

There were indeed quite a few daredevils willing to take the risk, but.

.. two old men... seemed a bit of an exaggeration, right?

In the midst of his doubts, his pupils suddenly shrank as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.

"You... You... You are...?"

The soldier suddenly recognized someone, the elderly man in grey clothes, with a scar above his left eye – a flood of memories came rushing back.

"Mu DaRen?" the guard asked, his voice tentative and incredulous.

"Hmm?" One of the old men, called Mu DaRen, paused slightly before looking over. About two breaths later, he smiled, "Oh, it’s Brother Jiang, eh? How is your sister? Has she recovered?"

"It really is Mu DaRen!" The soldier dropped to his knees and kowtowed, "It is truly you!"

Mu Hongqing, well-known to many who engaged in maritime trade, was one of the most practical and action-oriented Educational Governors among the over thirty in Great Jin. Whenever there was some supernatural incident, the older generation of seafarers would seek him out.

Back in the days when he was just a cargo runner, fearing that his stepmother would harm his little sister, he quietly took her out to sea with him.

That year, everyone on board was possessed by Water Ghosts.

Seasoned merchants stated that once a woman was targeted by a Water Ghost at sea, and carried its spawn, there was hardly any chance for survival; an early death was a release from suffering.

But he was unwilling to give up. He managed to overpower a group of Peddler bodyguards and saved his own sister.

At that time, when the merchant saw his courage and his deep sense of loyalty, he showed him a clear path, saying that recently, there had been news that Educational Governor Mu Hongqing from the West Sea City had been lingering, and if he could be persuaded to take action, then there was still a glimmer of hope for the women on board!

The Educational Governor, a Third Rank official, was someone these mud-legged peasants had no qualifications to even look up to in the past, but for his own kin, he braced himself and knocked on the official’s door.

Unexpectedly, although that official was stern, he was very clear-cut in dealing with demons, and he managed to save more than twenty women on board who were pregnant with the offspring of Water Ghosts.

It was also after that incident that he lost the will to continue with his sea trading ventures. Having made some money, he took his sister to the Capital City, spent the money on bribes, and secured a job as a gate guard.

As for the Educational Governor, although they hadn’t seen each other for many years, he always kept the life-saving grace in his heart.

"Does the Lord still remember this lowly one?" The soldier immediately became excited and hurriedly said, "Thank you, my Lord, for your concern. My sister has recovered quite well over the past two years under your great blessing. I plan to arrange a marriage for her after the new year."

"Very good, very good, that’s great," Mu Hongqing’s serious face broke into a smile, appearing extraordinarily gentle, which made the young soldier feel even more warmth in his heart.

Observing this scene, the elder beside him let out a cold chuckle in his heart.

Everyone believes that Mu Hongqing is an upright person, but only those who truly understand him know that he is someone whose schemes are no less than those of Lumings.

His magic has the ability to bewitch people’s hearts, amplify certain emotions, and even plant karmic seeds on ordinary people.

Those who receive his grace would be extremely grateful to him, with the grace being greater and longer, leading them to tears of gratitude; some might even be brainwashed by him and turned into puppets.

The young man before them was one of them. Why had they arrived at the city gate at this exact time? Why was it that only he was there to open the gate at this moment?

Because Mu Hongqing’s sorcery could predict his karmic seeds, enabling him to know where those he had once helped would be when they could assist him in return.

No one in the Sorcerers’ Realm wants to be indebted to Mu Hongqing. It’s only those ignorant of his nature who end up owing him favors. It’s a fearsome magic, and this is precisely why the Emperor made great use of him in the past.

Perhaps Chen Qing doesn’t even know that he actually owes Mu Hongqing a great debt of gratitude, a debt that involves his prized disciple whom he’s raised since childhood: Chen Ying!

Amidst the soldier’s gratitude, the two of them smoothly entered through the city gate. Furthermore, at this hour, when every household stayed indoors, they didn’t attract much attention.

"No wonder you are willing to go around helping these insignificant people, so they do have such big uses sometimes?"

"Plant good seeds and reap good fruits, has Lord Duke of Song not heard of this before?" Mu Hongqing indifferently remarked, "The more good deeds one does, the more help from the way of heaven one naturally receives."

"Hahahaha..." Liu Yu immediately burst into great laughter, "What an axiom of receiving more help the more one is on the path. I just wonder if your disciple will still remember you with such fondness when she learns of your sorcery?"

"That’s not for Lord Duke of Song to worry about," Mu Hongqing retorted coldly. "Let’s focus on the matter at hand, shall we? Lord Duke of Song didn’t ask me here to dig up my past, did he?"

Mu Hongqing was quite surprised when Lord Duke of Song Liu Yu came to find him. According to Liu Yu, Lady Ziyue had sought him out to handle a matter of great importance, choosing him as the sole partner for the task.

In this world where the Transcendent abound, he, still lingering in the realm of a Super First Rank Sorcerer, was somehow deemed worthy by the Twilight Sorcerer, and he was curious indeed.