The architectural style of this area looked distinctly different from other parts of the county town.
The urban area was enclosed by a two-meter-high wall with only one entrance. Two security guards sat by the gate, their eyes blankly staring outwards.
This town-sized urban area seemed to exist independently within Lingyuan County, and the surrounding people didn't find anything unusual about it.
Tao Qingqing immediately became curious. If there was any excitement to be found in this town, it could only be within this urban area.
When she entered, the guards at the gate didn't obstruct her much. They simply asked her to register, leave her contact information, and then gave her a small badge. They cautioned her that outsiders were forbidden from staying overnight and that if she hadn't left before dark, the guards would escort her out.
Tao Qingqing casually tucked the badge into her pocket and boldly strode into the urban area.
Aside from the tall surrounding walls, this urban area seemed identical to other parts of Lingyuan County. It had supermarkets, shopping malls, internet cafes, and KTVs—everything needed for daily life could be purchased here.
Tao Qingqing deliberately observed the entrance for a while. Few people inside wanted to leave, and they considered the area being enclosed by walls to be perfectly normal.
After observing for a bit longer, Tao Qingqing realized that the people here rarely smiled, and even other expressions were infrequent. The entire urban area was filled with a stifling atmosphere.
They walked the streets like puppets controlled by Xu Hai, like walking dead without souls.
Of course, this "soullessness" was just a metaphor. The people here genuinely looked like ordinary individuals, not influenced by any sinister arts.
Sensing something was amiss, Tao Qingqing called the sole old demon hunter in Lingyuan County to inquire about the urban area within the walls.
Initially, the old demon hunter was reluctant to speak, but under Tao Qingqing's persuasion and inducements, he finally divulged the information.
This urban area was called Mian Yuan Community, but the residents of Lingyuan County now generally referred to it as the Quarantine Zone.
This was not only because of the tall walls but also because the people within the area were incompatible with those outside.
Decades ago, a sudden epidemic broke out in Lingyuan County. All families affected by the epidemic were forcibly relocated to this urban area. Even after the epidemic subsided, the people here were still not accepted by the outside world, and gradually, they themselves resisted leaving.
Over time, the entire Lingyuan County town came to regard Mian Yuan District as a normal community.
However, starting more than a decade ago, disappearances began to occur in Mian Yuan District. Travelers residing in the community had a certain probability of vanishing the next day.
"Traveler" here referred to anyone outside Mian Yuan District.
The Hunter Association dispatched several teams to investigate the situation, but some found nothing, while others simply disappeared.
Even the captain of a demon hunter team from Shala City vanished without a trace here.
Due to a severe lack of clues and personnel, Lingyuan County simply set up a checkpoint at the entrance, preventing outsiders from staying overnight. After that, disappearances decreased.
The reason the old demon hunter initially didn't tell Tao Qingqing the truth was his concern that Tao Qingqing might also disappear in this community.
If one didn't investigate this community, nothing would happen—this was something all demon hunters in the Shala City region knew. However, Tao Qingqing, being an outsider, was unaware of this. As an assistant to a nomad hunter, Tao Qingqing had the authority to investigate any suspicious location.
Every time someone came to investigate, regardless of whether that demon hunter eventually disappeared, it always ended up in a mess, causing unnecessary losses. That's why the old demon hunter had concealed the truth about Mian Yuan District.
Tao Qingqing hung up the phone without paying attention to what the old demon hunter said. She intended to stay here tonight!
If the old demon hunter had told her the truth from the beginning, Tao Qingqing certainly wouldn't have bothered. But the fact that he was evasive suggested that there might be something hidden here.
Such a thought process for Tao Qingqing was considered a grave mistake for demon hunters.
When facing uncertain anomalous areas, unless ordinary people are in immediate danger or leaving the situation unattended could lead to the spread of the anomaly, it is not recommended to proceed with an investigation unprepared.
"Knowing there are tigers in the mountains and heading towards them" is not bravery in the world of demon hunters; it is recklessness.
However, Tao Qingqing had never received any education from demon hunters, and in essence, she was still a monster. Therefore, she had no intention of adhering to the unspoken rules of demon hunters.
She arrived at the Mian Yuan District's market, the most densely populated area in the urban district.
Like everyone else in Mian Yuan District, the people here had a monotonous pattern of movement. They didn't chat or bargain; they simply entered, selected what they wanted, asked for the price, paid, and left.
If people in markets elsewhere bought produce so straightforwardly, the vendors would likely burst into laughter.
Tao Qingqing pretended to be looking for vegetables and scanned everyone in the market. Small bats stealthily emerged from her pant legs, establishing comprehensive surveillance of the market.
Then, she took out a phone that Wen Wen had applied for her. The advanced nature of this phone completely surpassed the current era, although it still lagged behind the nomad hunter terminals.
A year ago, this phone was a high-end communication tool accessible only to core-level demon hunters. Now, it was being popularized among all demon hunters. Anyone could obtain such a phone by applying.
It was estimated that it would take at least another ten years for such phones to appear in the civilian market, just as demon hunters had been using mobile phones a decade before their official release to the general public.
However, Tao Qingqing took out this phone not to make calls but to play music.
She needed to find a song that could break the oppressive atmosphere of the market, using it as an opportunity to observe everyone's reactions and thus identify the underlying issues.
After searching for a while, Tao Qingqing's eyes lit up. She turned the volume key to the maximum and pressed the play button.
"Jing Lei, this heavenly cultivation, Sky Collapsing Earth Shattering Golden Hammer, Purple Lightning this..."
Tao Qingqing had incidentally learned this song. When she first stayed with Wen Wen, they shared a hotel room.
Someone next door was playing this song, and the noise prevented Wen Wen from reading in peace. Wen Wen asked Tao Qingqing to politely communicate with them twice. As a result, not only did the other party not lower the volume, but they deliberately increased it and played it on repeat.
So, Wen Wen gave them some "loving education" and inserted the speaker into their bodies from behind. After that, everything became quiet.
Therefore, in such an oppressive place, playing this song was a stroke of genius.