As soon as the name was mentioned, the Niu brothers, who had just stepped out of the room, froze for a moment.
They quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to hear, and hurriedly escorted the thin middle-aged man out of the courtyard.
Who was Liu Qi? The group of constables had long heard of him.
He had come from Qingzhou, a martial artist with a master, and among the many experts the Lin family had hired with a hefty sum to guard their estate, he was one of the most famous.
His iron palms could shatter gold and stone as easily as cutting tofu.
Rumors had it that the number of demons and monsters that had died under his hands was no less than thirty, if not fifty.
"Should we go take a look?" Chen Ji glanced back at the brothers' retreating figures.
He didn't think they were cowardly; in fact, he could understand them.
Baiyun County wasn't a big city, and it didn't even have a proper martial sect.
In the eyes of the locals, Liu Qi was already a powerful figure, a dragon crossing the river.
Even the constables were relying on his reputation to intimidate demons and monsters.
If even he had died, the thing that killed him was almost certainly a powerful demon.
According to the rules set by the magistrate, demons and monsters fell under Shen Yi's jurisdiction.
Whether to handle it or not was the question.
Logically, since no one had filed a report, pretending not to know and brushing it off wouldn't be a problem.
But even the street vendors could guess the truth.
Trying to cover it up would only make Shen Yi lose face on his very first day, and he might even be accused of failing to manage the demons properly.
"This death is too coincidental," Chen Ji muttered, feeling a headache coming on.
He felt like a jinx, always bringing bad news.
"Let's go take a look," Shen Yi said, lightly rubbing his temples to hide the flicker of irritation in his eyes.
He then stood up, grabbed his sword, and walked out.
It wasn't about saving face, as others might think.
Compared to the others, Shen Yi knew what was hidden in the Lin residence.
That fox demon had been personally delivered there by his former self.
Every time it committed a bloody crime, it would add another charge to Shen Yi's name.
If it were accidentally captured, Shen Yi would likely end up in the Demon-Suppressing Prison.
"..."
Shen Yi led Chen Ji onto the street.
The strange looks from the morning were still there, but as the thatched walls gradually gave way to brick and tile buildings, the stares began to fade.
In the relatively wealthy eastern part of the city, the intimidation of the constables' uniforms quickly diminished.
When the grand and luxurious mansion came into view, with its vermilion gates and bronze handles, and the stone lions at the entrance half a head taller than those at the government office, Shen Yi's expression remained calm.
The gates were only open a crack, and the Lin family's plump steward, dressed in a silk robe and a small hat, stood at the entrance with a worried expression, waving people away.
"Go on, this isn't a place for you to gawk!"
"Who's gawking? If there's a demon, you should let us know so we can go to the government for help," a group of onlookers grumbled as they reluctantly backed away.
"There's no demon, no demon!" the steward said, his chubby face twisted in frustration.
"I've said it eight hundred times, there's no such thing!"
"You coward, what are you afraid of? Haven't you seen the notice on the street? Officer Shen can slay the dog demon in the western suburbs, can't he slay the evil in your house?" A few people in the crowd, who seemed to have some status, didn't give the steward any face and shouted directly.
"Officer Shen... you don't know anything," the steward sneered, too preoccupied to bother with them.
If anyone knew about Shen Yi, it was him.
Back when Shen Yi had rescued the young lady from outside the city, the master had been grateful and treated him with great respect.
But who would have thought that Shen Yi was a gambler, constantly coming to borrow money? The money he borrowed was like meat buns thrown to a dog—gone forever.
He didn't seem like a good person at all.
It was only recently that he had quieted down.
The master didn't trust someone like him.
After discovering Liu Qi's death, he had gone to the magistrate's residence in the middle of the night and invited that skinny monk.
Don't let his frail appearance fool you.
That skinny monk had once been a trusted companion of the magistrate's mentor in Qingzhou.
Even Liu Qi had addressed him as "senior" with great respect.
Such a person had come to the Lin residence to investigate and concluded that there was no demonic activity, so the master need not worry.
As for Liu Qi's death, the monk had remained silent.
In short, there was no demon.
With the skinny monk's status, his word was final.
Even if Shen Yi had some real ability, what could he do?
The steward snapped out of his thoughts and noticed the crowd parting.
"He's here, he's really here! The notice is true!"
A young man with a sword slowly approached, followed by a constable.
"Ah, Officer Shen... our young lady isn't at home," the steward forced a smile, though he was a bit surprised.
Hadn't Shen Yi heard of Liu Qi's reputation? How dare he get involved in this?
Shen Yi frowned slightly.
Not at home?
"She's gone out of the city for a spring outing. It'll be a few days before she returns," the steward shook his head.
"If you're looking for Miss Baiwei, you might as well turn back."
"I'm not here for her. Please take me to see the body," Shen Yi said as he stepped onto the stone steps.
The fox demon wasn't here, but a martial arts expert had died.
That was strange.
Hearing this, the steward hesitated.
If Shen Yi was here to freeload, he should have turned around upon hearing that the young lady wasn't home.
But if he was really here to investigate the demon... the skinny monk was still in the residence.
Thinking of this, the steward deliberately raised his voice, "Officer Shen, the person from the magistrate's residence has already come to take a look."
Hearing this, Chen Ji was first startled, then relieved.
Since an expert had already stepped in, the matter would naturally be resolved, and there was no need for the constables to worry.
The onlookers in the distance also understood.
No wonder the Lin family was so calm.
What a pity, they wouldn't get to see Officer Shen in action today.
With that, the steward turned back to the young man, his expression making it clear.
The way out had been given, and the responsibility wouldn't fall on you.
Just turn around and leave, and your reputation wouldn't be affected in the slightest.
"..."
Shen Yi glanced down, taking in the steward's poorly concealed anxiety and unease.
He said calmly, "It wouldn't hurt to take another look."
Hearing this, the steward was finally surprised.
It really did seem like Shen Yi had changed.
In the past, he would have thrown the trouble as far away as possible, focusing only on making money.
What was going on today?
After a moment of hesitation, the steward reluctantly stepped aside.
"If you really want to take a look, then follow me."
The steward turned to push open the door, but just as he was about to step inside, his expression stiffened.
Accompanied by the master, two peculiar figures walked out one after the other.
The first was tall and thin, looking to be in his fifties, with long eyebrows like dragon whiskers, dressed in a black robe, resembling a bamboo pole.
The second was a burly middle-aged man, his rough face covered in a beard like steel needles, his expression sullen.
He wore a greasy white short jacket, his skin dark, and his bulging belly looked as if he were ten months pregnant.
The skinny monk wore a calm smile and was about to bid farewell to the master when he looked up and saw the people at the door.
Just as the steward's heart was pounding, about to explain, the monk's smile faded slightly, and he cupped his hands in greeting.
"This must be Young Friend Shen. I've long heard of your reputation. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Hearing this, the dark, rough-looking man, who had been sullenly looking down, also glanced over lightly.
(End of Chapter)