In the quiet confines of the duty room, Shen Yi awkwardly gripped the brush.
Though not skilled in calligraphy, he still tried his best to make each character as clear as possible.
In his previous life, when he was still a rogue, he had been a diligent learner in order to wear the official uniform.
He had dabbled in martial arts, social etiquette, and even reading and writing.
Thanks to muscle memory, his handwriting wasn’t beautiful, but it was passable.
The Blood Saber Technique had been derived from the system panel, and all its details had been imprinted in his mind, so copying it down wasn’t difficult.
By the time his shift ended, Shen Yi put down the brush, let the ink dry, and then reached for the meal Chen Ji had brought him.
It was a simple meal of yellow steamed buns from Huang’s shop on East Street and salted fish from a street vendor.
It wasn’t exactly delicious, but it was filling.
After wolfing down the food, he stood up, stretched, and pushed the door open.
In the courtyard, Zhang Dahu was drenched in sweat, miserably practicing a warm-up boxing routine.
The Niu brothers and Chen Ji were repeatedly swinging their sabers, while Zhang the Butcher frowned, kicking anyone whose posture was slightly off.
“The entire Baiyun County is relying on you lot of amateurs to slay demons and monsters?” Zhang the Butcher turned around upon hearing Shen Yi’s voice, puzzled. “This is just too pathetic. Aside from that Chen kid who’s somewhat decent, the rest of you are hopeless.”
Before anyone else could respond, Zhang Dahu shouted, “Who wants to fight demons? It’s that damned clerk targeting our boss, trying to drive us to our deaths!”
Hearing this, Zhang the Butcher paused, as if he had figured something out, and spat on the ground. “Those scoundrels.”
He had only learned about the demon troubles in Baiyun County after arriving here from his senior brother.
Hiding demon disasters wasn’t uncommon; just last year, over a dozen county magistrates had been beheaded for it.
But using demons to eliminate rivals? That was downright shameless.
“Here,” Shen Yi said without further explanation, handing over the copied saber technique.
He needed to kill demons to gain enough demon lifespan, which fundamentally clashed with the government’s plans.
Whether it was using rules to pressure him or resorting to underhanded tactics, it was all to be expected.
“So fast,” Zhang the Butcher said with pleasant surprise, taking the papers. “What I’ve figured out is essentially just body-refining martial arts. Among the many sects in Qingzhou, it’s the lowest tier. With enough time, there’s almost no bottleneck.”
He tucked the saber technique into his robe. “Don’t be impatient. If you don’t understand anything, come ask me.”
“Thank you,” Shen Yi nodded, bidding him farewell.
He left the duty room with the fresh meat and spices he had asked Chen Ji to buy.
“He can cook too?” Zhang the Butcher scratched his head.
“If you had seen Boss Shen half a month ago,” Chen Ji took a deep breath, standing steadily in his stance, “you’d realize that there’s nothing surprising about what he can do.”
“Is that so?” Zhang the Butcher didn’t argue, just smiled.
After all, this was just a small county town.
Having never been to Qingzhou, how could he know what true genius looked like? In his eyes, Shen Yi’s temperament and strength were commendable, better than his own, but that was all.
The sky was ablaze as if on fire.
Shen Yi knocked on the door and then pushed it open.
Inside, a woman lay on the desk, her black hair cascading like a waterfall.
Her fair, delicate face was serene and beautiful, though her slightly furrowed brows and trembling lashes betrayed a hint of unease.
Shen Yi walked over slowly, noticing the thick stack of yellow paper under her arm.
The edges were stained with ink, and some had even smudged the corner of her lips.
He sighed, pulling the brush out of Lin Baiwei’s mouth.
“Mine… don’t take it…” She clenched the brush between her teeth, mumbling as she opened her eyes. “Pah! Pah! Pah!”
Then, she looked at the stack of papers with distress, quickly tidying them up. “I’ve already copied half of it…”
Before she could finish, Lin Baiwei noticed what Shen Yi was holding, and her face lit up with joy.
“This is all yours now!” She took the fresh meat and dashed toward the backyard.
“…” Shen Yi looked at the scattered papers on the desk, carefully gathering and organizing them.
He walked into the backyard kitchen, where Lin Baiwei had tied up her hair and was effortlessly washing vegetables.
Without turning around, she waved her hand. “Out, out.”
Feeling out of place, Shen Yi simply sat in the yard, picking up an axe to chop firewood.
By the time the sky darkened, the ground was covered with neatly stacked firewood.
The aroma of rice and meat wafted into his nostrils.
Shen Yi turned around to see Lin Baiwei standing behind him, holding a pair of chopsticks with a piece of braised pork.
She blew on it gently, her delicate face brimming with confidence. “Hey, open up. Let’s see if it’s salty enough.”
Having lived two lives as a lone wolf, Shen Yi instinctively leaned back, about to say something, but she swiftly shoved the chopsticks into his mouth. “…”
“How is it?” Lin Baiwei asked, full of anticipation.
It wasn’t exactly gourmet, but it was surprisingly decent, reminiscent of the communal dishes from his past life.
A bit rough, but it would go well with rice.
“Not bad,” Shen Yi said, dropping the axe and getting up to fetch the meat soup.
“Of course,” Lin Baiwei snorted, hands behind her back like a proud chef.
Just then, a series of violent knocks echoed through the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Shen Yi, get out here!”
Shen Yi paused, frowning, and turned to head outside.
Lin Baiwei looked puzzled but didn’t ask questions, quickly retreating into the kitchen.
The next moment, five or six constables barged in.
Two figures stepped through the door.
The first was an old man with white hair and a beard, dressed in a blue robe, his face dark and gloomy.
It was Clerk Liu.
Behind him stood a skinny monk, hands clasped, looking like an amused bystander.
Outside, Chen Ji and the others were being held at sword point by constables, pressed against the wall.
Zhang the Butcher stood far off on the street, his face grim, fists clenched tightly.
“The government trusted you, giving you the responsibility of managing demon affairs,” Clerk Liu said, his voice trembling with anger. “In just two nights, over a dozen children from Baiyun County and its surrounding villages have been kidnapped. Yet here you are, comfortably lounging at home. Your entire duty room is a den of snakes and rats, hiding the truth… I treated you like my own nephew.”
The old man’s voice rose sharply. “You deserve to die!”
“Our duty room’s gates were wide open! We received no news!” Chen Ji gasped, loudly defending himself.
If someone’s child went missing, wouldn’t they be frantic? With Shen Yi’s rising reputation, why would they go to Clerk Liu instead of him?
The response was a sharp slap.
Clerk Liu retracted his hand. “Still trying to argue?”
As he spoke, over twenty strong men approached from the street, armed with crossbows.
Their uniforms were different from the constables’—they were city guards.
Clerk Liu turned to Shen Yi. “If the demons aren’t dealt with today, I’ll have your head!”
(End of Chapter)