Jingyang County is located north of Chang'an, acting like a key that guards the heartland of Guanzhong.
The terrain here is higher in the north and lower in the south; the Jing River water is turbid, surging down from the Loess Plateau in the northwest.
The terraces and plateaus on both banks undulate, the soil is thick, and the water is deep; since ancient times, this has been the granary of Qinchuan.
The saying, "A shi of Jing River water contains several dou of mud," perfectly describes this place.
The official road was extremely muddy after the autumn rain, and the horse hooves kicked up strings of yellowish-brown muck.
The Red-Eyed Colt's stamina was astonishing. After half a day of frantic galloping, they had now entered the boundary of Jingyang.
"Jingyang County administers five townships and over ten li. The area we are currently standing in is the boundary of Yunyang Township."
Gu Changge rode his horse closer, his expression grim.
"Further north, past that ridge, are Chongwen Township and Yongle Township."
Jiang Yuechu looked in the direction he was pointing.
She saw fields crisscrossing in the distance. It should have been the autumn harvest season, but few farmers were seen working in the fields.
Large swathes of crops were flattened in the mud, looking as if they had been crushed by something.
The distant villages were lifeless, without even a wisp of cooking smoke.
"Whoa—"
The black-cloaked elder at the very front abruptly pulled the reins.
The Demon Horse beneath him whinnied, raising its front hooves high.
The sound of hooves suddenly ceased.
The elder squinted his eyes, scanning the area ahead.
"The previous urgent report stated that the Gui Jin Demon King ultimately vanished in this area."
"We rushed here for half a day. Based on that beast's speed and habits... it has probably eaten its fill and is looking for a place to ruminate."
The elder turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the few people behind him.
"Leave that Old Ghost Gold Demon to me."
"If those Core Formation Realm brats under its command see things going poorly, they will definitely scatter and flee."
"Jingyang County is densely populated. If we let them escape and slip into the crowds of common folk, it will be like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, and the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Xu Feng."
"This subordinate is here!"
"You take two people and guard the eastern entrance. The rest of you guard the west, and don't let them slip into the river."
The elder finally looked at Jiang Yuechu.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the golden lion pattern decoration on her shoulder.
He paused, seemingly assessing Jiang Yuechu's strength.
Perfected Core Formation at seventeen or eighteen years old.
She was indeed a good prospect, a rarity even in the Great Tang.
But he had never seen her truly fight, so he didn't know her depth... "Gu Changge, you and this girl guard the north."
"If I make a move and that old Demon is defeated, it will surely run in the direction away from the capital. Its Lesser Demons might also flee that way."
"As long as you can block them at the mountain pass for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, when I free up my hands, I will naturally deal with them."
"If you can't hold them, send a signal. Don't throw away your lives."
Jiang Yuechu sat on her horse, tilting her head slightly.
Hold them back?
That won't do.
If you, an old man, deal with them, wouldn't I have wasted my long trip here, running through all that wind, for nothing?
She raised her head, her expression returning to its cold and indifferent state.
"Deputy Commander, rest assured."
"This subordinate..."
A red glow flashed and vanished in Jiang Yuechu's eyes.
"We will ensure they come, but never return."
The elder didn't notice anything unusual, merely attributing it to the high spirit of youth.
"Good!"
...North of Jingyang lies Mount Cuo'e.
This area is a barrier marking the transition from the Guanzhong Plain to the north. Rocks are exposed, strange trees grow everywhere, and several ancient paths wind through it like sheep intestines—it is the necessary route north.
Two Red-Eyed Colts snorted loudly, stopping before a mountain pass.
Jiang Yuechu pulled the reins, her gaze sweeping the surroundings.
The terrain here was narrow, with steep stone walls on both sides. If that group of Demon Brats truly fled north, this would be an excellent ambush point.
"We'll stop here."
Gu Changge dismounted, reached into his robe, and pulled out a palm-sized object, holding it in his palm.
The object was cast entirely from bronze, octagonal in shape, and in the center, a red pointer was suspended. It was currently trembling slightly but not pointing in any specific direction.
Jiang Yuechu was curious. She dismounted and moved closer.
"What is this object?"
Gu Changge was startled by the question, subconsciously glancing up at her. Then, as if remembering something, he laughed wryly.
"Right, you've been in the Region for so long, it's normal that you haven't seen this thing."
"This item is called the demon-seeking plate. It's a novelty The Department recently developed. Although it hasn't been widely distributed yet, my older sister has some connections, and I was lucky enough to get one."
Jiang Yuechu raised an eyebrow. "Seeking Demons?"
"Exactly."
Gu Changge looked quite pleased. "Although the Demons and Devils of this world are skilled at disguise, their Demonic Qi is extremely difficult to conceal completely."
"Within a radius of several dozen li, as long as a Demon appears—no matter how deeply it hides—this pointer will sense it and give a warning."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly.
Several dozen li... although it only gives a warning and not an exact location, it's still quite good.
"If it only served as a warning, it wouldn't be considered a rare treasure."
Gu Changge changed the subject, moving his finger across the plate's surface.
"Its greatest use lies in Soul Tracing."
"If you can capture a trace of the Demon's aura, even just a wisp of Demonic Qi, and inject it into this plate..."
"As long as that Demon is within a thousand li, this pointer can lock onto its location."
"No matter if it flees to the ends of the earth, it won't be able to escape the tracking."
Speaking of this, Gu Changge sighed, looking toward the distant, rolling mountains.
"Without this item, trying to use our small number of personnel, scattered across eight hundred li of the vast Qinchuan, to surround and eliminate those Demons intent on fleeing, would be nothing short of a fool's dream."
Jiang Yuechu's eyes lit up as she listened.
What a great item!
This was practically tailor-made for her.
Since entering the Demon Suppression Division, her biggest headache hasn't been killing Demons, but finding them.
As soon as a Demon hid in the mountains, there was basically nothing she could do.
If she had this demon-seeking plate... wouldn't she be able to go'stock up'?
Gu Changge felt a little uneasy under her gaze, subconsciously pulling his hand back slightly.
"Miss... Miss Jiang?"
Jiang Yuechu snapped back to reality, concealing the greed in her eyes and returning to her cold demeanor.
"Is this thing expensive?"
Gu Changge shook his head and gave a wry smile. "It's not a matter of whether it's expensive or not; aside from General Bureau issuing them, you can't buy one even with money."
"However..."
He glanced at Jiang Yuechu, saying meaningfully, "Although you are currently a person from the Region, after this mission is over, I can go plead with my older sister and help you apply for one. It wouldn't be too difficult."
"Is Lord Gu serious about this?"
"A gentleman's word."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, but secretly pondered in her heart.
Since this demon-seeking plate is issued by General Bureau, the application process must be complicated, perhaps even requiring significant personal connections.
This Gu Changge is somewhat overly enthusiastic.
But then she thought again.
Perhaps he was just repaying her for what happened last time in the Jiannan Circuit?
That made sense.
Having figured this out, Jiang Yuechu accepted the offer with a clear conscience.
As expected of a youth from the capital, he has standards.
Repaying kindness, he is a good person.