"Understood, go ahead with your tasks."
After listening to the other party, Shen Yi simply nodded slightly.
From the moment he was kept in the dark about the incident on Willow Leaf Street yesterday, he had anticipated this scene.
The way Liu Dianli handled the situation was methodical, truly befitting someone who had been around for so many years.
If Shen Yi had stayed behind closed doors, he would have become the laughingstock of the entire county, forced to bow his head and accept their terms.
But if he had opened his doors wide... well, that would have been pure foolishness.
Who in the world would willingly make enemies with demons and monsters for no reason? As the saying goes, "the bird that sticks its head out gets shot," and there's no silver to be earned here, so why risk one's life?
The only thing Liu Dianli hadn't considered was...
Shen Yi truly could gain benefits from killing demons.
Not only could he gain benefits, but they far surpassed mere gold and silver—what he gained was real, tangible longevity.
Thus, Shen Yi's heart remained utterly calm.
If he had any thoughts at all, it would only be a faint sense of joy.
"You..."
Chen Ji always felt as though the other party hadn't been listening to him at all.
This was a matter of life and death!
A moment later, he helplessly lowered his hand, resting it on the scabbard at his waist.
What was happening to the world? Just a few days ago, he had been vehemently criticizing Shen Yi's reckless behavior, but in such a short time, he had become the one trying to persuade him.
Recalling the image of Shen Yi standing alone in front of the village, this was not someone who just talked the talk.
Chen Ji laughed at himself, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword...
Damn it, he needed to hurry up and save up for a dowry.
"How much dowry does your family need to marry off a daughter?"
"What?" Shen Yi turned back, puzzled.
"Nothing, just asking casually."
Chen Ji took a deep breath, quickly shaking off the strange thought that had popped into his mind.
One thing at a time—Shen Yi might barely qualify as a decent constable, but that messy personal life of his... tsk, he couldn't push his sister into that fire pit.
Luckily, the other party hadn't heard him clearly...
"Actually, I prefer more mature women."
Shen Yi shook his head, reminiscing slightly about the generous bosom of Sister Song.
Before Chen Ji could react, he leisurely strolled into the duty room.
"Wait, is this matter settled just like that?"
Zhang Dahu stomped his feet in frustration, shouting at the two burly men squatting by the door, "Are you two mute? Say something!"
The Niu brothers had been dissatisfied with Constable Shen for a long time, but now they were as silent as gourds.
"My wife didn't even let me into the house last night."
Niu Da scratched the back of his head, his expression foolish.
The news that he had followed Shen had spread, nearly causing a fire in his own backyard, as if he had truly taken advantage of some girl.
"This morning, while I was still asleep, she suddenly... heh heh... heh heh..."
As he spoke, Niu Da suddenly started chuckling foolishly, vigorously rubbing his crotch.
"..."
Zhang Dahu.
"..."
Chen Ji.
Shen Yi glanced over helplessly, saying lightly, "Open the courtyard gate."
Under normal circumstances, ordinary people would never easily come to the yamen, let alone the duty room under the notorious Constable Shen.
But Shen Yi wasn't in a hurry.
He had seen the despair of the Liu father and daughter.
When it came to demons and monsters, they would never let go of any lifeline.
This world had left them no other choice.
Once the courtyard gate was opened and the notice posted, this courtyard became Baiyun County's only "Demon-Subduing Yamen."
He then sent Chen Ji and Zhang Dahu out to gather information, with the Niu brothers taking shifts every three hours.
Shen Yi, meanwhile, closed his eyes to rest, conserving his energy.
Surprisingly, within just half a day, someone came knocking.
The visitor was a thin, middle-aged man with dark skin, clearly someone who did rough work.
He cautiously poked his head in.
The expressions of the Niu brothers in the courtyard instantly changed, and they stood up straight.
Even Niu Da, who had been chuckling foolishly earlier, now had a hint of unease in his eyes.
Killing demons and monsters—it was easy to say with just a few words, but the problem was that in all their years serving in Baiyun County, they had never actually done such a thing.
"Constable Shen, I have news about an evil spirit."
The thin middle-aged man nervously swallowed, his eyes darting around.
Under the guidance of the Niu brothers, he cautiously stepped into the room.
"What kind of demon? Speak quickly."
Niu Er glared at him, tense.
"No, no... not a demon, an evil spirit."
The thin man quickly waved his hands.
Hearing this, Shen Yi slowly sat up straight.
Having been here for several days, including memories from his past life, this was the first time he had received news about an evil spirit.
"Don't rush, take your time."
Seeing Shen Yi's calm gaze, the middle-aged man felt a bit more at ease.
Yesterday, he had heard the oil seller spouting nonsense and thought the man was drunk.
How could Constable Shen be so gentle with him? But seeing him today, he began to believe it a little.
"I didn't encounter the evil spirit myself, but my wife did."
He struggled to organize his words: "About a month ago, every night when it got dark, I would take a bath in the courtyard, and my wife would light a candle in the room, combing her hair in front of the mirror."
"She would laugh while combing her hair, as if she were possessed."
"That's not all."
The man's expression grew increasingly grim: "One night, I woke up needing to relieve myself and reached out to find her gone. When I went out to look, guess what? She was standing at the door in a flowery dress, her hair wet, and her neck covered in sweat. I mustered the courage to pat her, and when she saw it was me, she screamed as if she had seen a ghost."
"She said she didn't know how she had gotten up, with no memory of it at all."
"And from that day on, my own health started to decline. No matter how early I went to bed, I would sleep until dawn. This must be the evil spirit possessing her, sucking away my yang energy, Constable Shen! My wife brewed me some medicinal soup, but it didn't help—it only made me sleepier."
As the middle-aged man vividly described the situation, Shen Yi's expression gradually turned strange.
"And she no longer shares the bed with me, just laughs foolishly all day, becoming more and more eerie."
"The most terrifying thing is, yesterday my business was slow, so I came home early. I heard her in the room, her voice hoarse, screaming for mercy... Have you ever heard the sound of a pig being slaughtered? It was just like that..."
Just as the man was about to start imitating the sound, Shen Yi slightly furrowed his brows, glanced at the Niu brothers, and said helplessly, "You two take the night shift and handle this evil spirit for him."
"Understood, sir."
The Niu brothers gave the man a sympathetic look and led him out.
Shen Yi leaned back in his rattan chair, gently pressing his temples.
It seemed that finding easy pickings in the city wasn't going to be so simple.
Originally, when demons entered Baiyun County, it was always with his past self accompanying them.
Now that he had killed those dog demons, word must have spread among the demonic community, making it harder to lure them out.
At that moment, a figure hurriedly rushed in.
Chen Ji stood there, out of breath, his expression grave.
Even though he deliberately lowered his voice, he couldn't hide the shock in his heart.
"Constable Shen, Liu Qi is dead."
Hearing this, Shen Yi looked up.
If he remembered correctly, the other party had mentioned this name once before.
Liu Qi, the "Splitting Stone Hand."
He was a retainer the Lin family had invited from Qingzhou.
The same Lin family where Lin Baiwei belonged.
(End of Chapter)