Under the gaze of the Thin Monk, Chen Ji felt his throat go dry.
After all, he was a young man with unquenched passion, working in the yamen just to make a living, but his heart still yearned for the jianghu.
Now, seeing such a renowned figure from the martial world, even the hand gripping his sword hilt trembled with excitement.
Amidst his excitement, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.
Though they were both yamen constables, even a senior like the Thin Monk respectfully addressed Shen Yi as "young friend."
It seemed that fame in the jianghu truly came from one’s fists.
Chen Ji shook his head, recalling the scene of Shen Yi sitting lazily in the countryside, his body stained with blood, the corpses before him still warm.
He felt that everything was as it should be.
"You flatter me, senior," Shen Yi clasped his hands in response and continued walking forward, not interested in further exchanging pleasantries.
However, the Thin Monk stepped forward with his companion, blocking the way.
"This is my junior brother from the Diamond Sect, known as Butcher Zhang. He’s come from Qingzhou to find me and is also looking for work under the county magistrate."
Shen Yi nodded in acknowledgment, and Butcher Zhang did the same.
"I have official duties to attend to, so I won’t disturb you two any further," Shen Yi said politely, then stepped forward again.
But the Thin Monk shifted slightly, still blocking his path.
Shen Yi calmly looked at him.
People have their own ambitions, and Shen Yi didn’t think there was anything wrong with the Thin Monk taking money to do a job.
If he hadn’t been reborn into this world already wearing the uniform of a constable, cutting off his path to joining a martial sect, he might have wanted to join a sect like the Thin Monk, learn some martial arts, and live off the patronage of wealthy families.
But if the Thin Monk had taken money to specifically cause trouble for him, that was a different matter.
"The three of us are all devoted to martial arts. Why don’t we find a place to have a drink?" the Thin Monk chuckled, placing a hand on Shen Yi’s shoulder.
"I’m much older than you, so I’ll shamelessly call myself your elder. You’re still young, with too much vigor. Talking with an old man like me won’t do you any harm."
Even Chen Ji, standing behind them, could sense the subtle tension in the air.
The Lin family master and the steward remained silent, their eyes dim.
They didn’t fully believe in Shen Yi’s abilities.
But compared to that, they trusted the Thin Monk’s judgment even less.
However, as businessmen, they didn’t dare question such a master in front of him.
If the yamen could step in and handle things, it would be a good thing.
But they hadn’t expected the Thin Monk to block even that.
Shen Yi was just a small constable—how could he dare to defy the county magistrate’s favorite?
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Shen Yi remained silent for a moment, then slowly removed the Thin Monk’s hand from his shoulder and lightly patted his own shoulder.
"Thank you for your kind offer, senior. But I have official duties to attend to today. My apologies."
His actions instantly froze the atmosphere.
Embarrassment flashed in the Thin Monk’s eyes, and a trace of anger appeared on his aged face.
Butcher Zhang turned his head, a mocking smile hidden beneath his thick beard.
"If I recall correctly, Constable Shen has recently been promoted to oversee all demon-related disturbances in Baiyun County. I’ve already said there are no demons here—this is just an ordinary murder case. What official duties could you possibly have at the Lin family? Or do you not trust me?" The Thin Monk’s voice carried a cold edge.
Shen Yi glanced at the steward and said calmly, "Lead the way."
"Ah... yes..."
The steward, not daring to get involved in such a dispute, was only shocked that a former gambling addict could now remain so composed in front of the Thin Monk.
What was even more absurd was that the Thin Monk seemed to have no way to deal with him.
If they had known this earlier, the master should have gone straight to the yamen instead of the county magistrate’s residence... it was utterly useless.
The steward’s thoughts wandered as he hurried toward the side courtyard.
As the three of them disappeared from view, the Lin family master repeatedly clasped his hands in apology.
"Seniors, I apologize for the offense. Constable Shen is just concerned with his duties. Please don’t take it to heart."
The Thin Monk’s face darkened as he flicked his sleeve and followed.
Butcher Zhang trailed behind, casually asking, "Are you familiar with him, senior brother?"
"I’ve never met him before. I just thought he had potential, and since we’ll both be working under the county magistrate, it would be good to have some mutual support. I didn’t expect him to be such a fool."
"I see. I thought you were worried he’d find out we were scared off by a demon and lose face."
Hearing the implied jab in his words, the Thin Monk suddenly turned back, his face dark.
It took him a long time to calm down.
"You’ve just arrived from Qingzhou. You think this is a small place, and I don’t blame you for your arrogance. But remember, the waters here are deeper than you think."
With that, he continued walking.
"Do you think he’s any different? In a moment, he’ll be just like us, making up some excuse to leave."
Butcher Zhang closed his mouth, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
As the two conversed, Shen Yi and Chen Ji followed the steward to a side room.
The steward slowly lifted the white cloth, revealing the corpse beneath.
With just one glance, Chen Ji’s admiration for the Thin Monk grew.
What a skill it was to lie so blatantly.
On the bed lay the sturdy body of a man.
His left arm was missing below the elbow, and his abdomen had a large hole, completely hollowed out.
His eye sockets were empty, his nose gone, and the right side of his face had been licked clean, leaving only bone with not a shred of flesh remaining.
"He was fine yesterday. It all happened in one night," the Lin family steward said, closing his eyes and rubbing his face, trying to dispel the chill.
He remembered how impressive Liu Qi had been when he first arrived at the Lin family, full of vigor and confidence.
Now, he was reduced to this.
"Does no one know how he died?" Chen Ji frowned deeply.
How could a martial arts expert die so silently, even if he had encountered a demon?
"The person who found him wasn’t from our family," the steward sighed, wanting to say more but not daring to.
He glanced back at Shen Yi.
"When you brought Miss Baiwei back, after she recovered from her injuries, her personality hadn’t changed, but she had lost many memories and couldn’t remember many relatives."
At this point, the steward pursed his lips.
"Half a month ago, she said a friend she met outside was coming to visit. It turned out to be a young man. This shouldn’t be said aloud—Miss Baiwei is still an unmarried maiden. Please keep this to yourselves and don’t ruin her reputation..."
Chen Ji nodded.
The steward continued, "The master, out of love for his daughter and thinking that having a familiar companion might help her recover her memories, allowed this person to stay. Miss Baiwei was very close to him, and we treated him as an honored guest."
"Liu Qi’s body was found in his room... and Miss Baiwei happened to be away from home these past few days..."
"The Thin Monk spoke with him and said he had nothing to do with it..."
Hearing this, Shen Yi finally understood the Lin family’s intentions.
They had already suspected someone.
The reason they sought out the Thin Monk wasn’t to find a demon—it was to kill one.
"Where is he?" Chen Ji instinctively asked.
"I’m right here."
A lazy voice came from the doorway.
A young man in black robes leaned against the doorframe, yawning.
His lips were red, his teeth white, and his face bore a smile.
When he grinned, his two canine teeth added a hint of provocation to his expression.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You’re Shen Yi? Why did you only come now?"
His tone was filled with condescension, and the way he looked at Shen Yi was as if he were looking at a servant.
(End of Chapter)