After Shen Yi finished speaking, he calmly continued to stare at the man before him.
The skinny monk, Shou Toutuo, was momentarily stunned, almost believing that Shen Yi genuinely wanted an "answer."
A moment later, rage surged within him.
His eyes turned sinister, and his breathing became rapid.
Since arriving in Baiyun County, no one had dared to provoke him like this.
Shou Toutuo clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
He wished he could strike Shen Yi's head with all his might.
But for some reason, under Shen Yi's calm and unflinching gaze, he felt an inexplicable sense of panic.
His hand hesitated, unable to lift.
Had he grown too comfortable in his mansion, losing his fighting spirit? No, it wasn't that.
It was simply unwise to waste energy on a dead man.
After all, offending the North Cliff Fox Demon meant Shen Yi had no chance of survival.
There was no need for Shou Toutuo to dirty his own hands.
Thinking this, Shou Toutuo forced a cold smile, though it lacked its usual confidence.
"As expected of someone from the yamen. Magistrate Shen, you're even more imposing than the county magistrate himself. It seems I've overstepped."
Hearing this, Shen Yi nodded and turned to leave.
But then, as if remembering something, he turned back with a hint of concern.
"At your age, you shouldn't keep smiling like that. It might cause facial paralysis."
Shou Toutuo instinctively adjusted the corner of his mouth, but then his eyelids twitched violently.
Watching Shen Yi's leisurely retreating figure, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and a metallic taste filled his mouth.
Zhang the Butcher approached his senior brother, giving him a pitiful glance before following Shen Yi out of the Lin residence.
"To think there was such a fierce tiger demon hiding in my home!" Old Master Lin, who had arrived late, widened his eyes as he watched Chen Ji load the massive tiger corpse onto a cart and secure it.
He glanced at Shou Toutuo, who remained standing in place, and with a subservient smile, hurried after Shen Yi.
"Magistrate Shen, please wait!" Old Master Lin, with his frail body and elaborate robes, couldn't run fast, so he could only call out repeatedly.
Shen Yi stopped and turned, puzzled.
"I came to apologize for what happened earlier," Old Master Lin said, bowing slightly and leaning on his knees.
"You saved my daughter, yet I suspected you of colluding with demons to harm her, causing her to lose her memory. I even thought you brought her back just to swindle some silver for gambling..."
Shen Yi's expression stiffened slightly.
"It was my merchant's mindset that blinded me," Old Master Lin lamented, not noticing Shen Yi subtly turning his gaze elsewhere.
"You're a good man. Baiwei was deceived by the demons. If it weren't for you today, my Lin family would have been devoured by that tiger demon."
At the mention of that name, Shen Yi fell silent.
Among the many troubles left by his predecessor, this was the most dangerous.
Either he had to kill the fox demon to silence it, or eliminate the real Lin Baiwei and join forces with the North Cliff Fox Demon.
There was almost no third option.
The decisive slash earlier had not only severed the tiger demon's head but also cut off any retreat for Shen Yi.
He considered himself an ordinary man, prone to hesitation and fear.
But he decided to act according to his heart, rather than dithering like a child still clinging to its mother's milk.
"No need for such words. I receive a salary from the court, and it's my duty to do what I must," Shen Yi said, regaining his composure.
He watched as Chen Ji pulled the cart over and gave a slight nod to Old Master Lin before preparing to leave.
"Duty, you say..."
Old Master Lin echoed with a nod, though a bitter smile crept onto his lips.
If duty were truly so straightforward, why hadn't Shou Toutuo, whom he had bribed with so much silver, acted accordingly?
"Magistrate Shen, perhaps when Baiwei returns, I could invite you over for tea? She once studied martial arts and is quite skilled. You two are of similar age and might have much to discuss," Old Master Lin suggested cautiously.
Hearing this, Chen Ji instinctively frowned.
Everyone in Baiyun County knew that the Lin family's only daughter was as beautiful as a fairy, and countless young men coveted her.
Compared to her, his own sister, though delicate and lovely, was far inferior in both family background and experience.
Wait... why was he comparing his sister to the Lin family's young lady? Chen Ji patted his forehead.
Besides, with Shen Yi's current martial prowess, he probably wouldn't be interested in a woman who had mingled with demons.
"What do you think?" Old Master Lin asked carefully, looking at Shen Yi.
Shen Yi glanced down at the sword at his waist and replied slowly, "That would be fine."
Hearing this, Old Master Lin was overjoyed.
Though Shen Yi's expression was a bit odd, young people were like that.
With more interaction, who knew what might happen?
Chen Ji rolled his eyes.
It seemed that no matter how much Shen Yi had changed, his restless heart remained the same.
At that moment, the plump steward, now in clean clothes, struggled to carry a large silk bag and placed it on the cart with a grunt.
From the sound alone, Chen Ji knew what was inside.
Judging by the way the cart swayed, it had to be at least eight hundred taels of silver—enough to cover a constable's salary for thirty years.
"Please don't refuse. If you don't accept this, I won't be able to live with myself. Besides, even the court tacitly allows silver for slaying demons," Old Master Lin said, clasping his hands repeatedly.
"I know you enjoy leisure, so copper coins would be too cumbersome, and paper money too unimpressive. That's why I prepared solid silver," the steward added with a proud smile.
Shen Yi walked over to the cart, lifted the silk cloth, and looked at the gleaming silver inside.
A faint trace of envy flickered in his calm eyes.
Damn rich people! They deserved to be hung from a lamppost.
Two egg pancakes cost only ten copper coins, and this amount of silver could wrap the entire pancake vendor's family in pancakes.
"There is indeed such a custom," Chen Ji sighed.
The silver these people casually handed out was more than he could save in a lifetime for his sister's dowry.
Shen Yi casually flipped through the silver, picked out two ten-tael ingots, and tossed one to Chen Ji.
"This will do."
He couldn't raise the Lin family's daughter for free, after all.
They had to contribute something for her upkeep.
He pushed the rest of the silver off the cart and, without giving anyone else a chance to speak, strode out of the Lin residence, leaving Old Master Lin standing there in shock.
Chen Ji, holding the silver ingot in surprise, quickly pulled the cart and followed.
"Magistrate Shen," Chen Ji called out as they walked down the street.
He couldn't help but ask about what had just happened.
He truly hadn't expected Shen Yi to so easily turn against Shou Toutuo.
"Next time, think before you act. Your life isn't something you picked up off the ground," Shen Yi said, stretching as he headed toward a nearby tavern.
He glanced at the wooden plaques on the wall and ordered, "A pot of Huadiao wine, a roasted goose leg—the left one—and a steamed fish..."
Watching Shen Yi's back as he ordered, Chen Ji rubbed his stomach.
Shen Yi's words made it sound like his life was something he'd picked up off the ground...
Even if it were, why would he risk it for someone unrelated? And even treat them to a meal?
As Shen Yi left with a clay pot and a lotus leaf-wrapped package, Chen Ji opened his mouth slightly and asked, puzzled, "Aren't we eating here?"
"Who said 'we'?" Shen Yi turned back, his expression odd.
"If you want to eat, buy your own."
Didn't he understand the concept of separating public and private matters? With a monthly salary of only two taels and four maces of silver, how could he afford to treat others? He might as well offer them air.
"..."
Chen Ji took out the ten-tael silver ingot, looking at it and then at Shen Yi.
He sighed deeply.
"What a strange man."
(End of Chapter)