At the edge of the fishing village, there was a dilapidated bamboo courtyard.
A man in a gray short jacket, with his arms bare, sneered as he spread his arms like an eagle pouncing on a chick, blocking the path of a young woman in a blue floral dress.
"A widow can still bear children? What a disgrace to my brother Yang."
"Go to hell! Who's your brother Yang? You and your village chief father are cut from the same cloth, damn beasts! Get your filthy hands off me!"
The young widow clutched a child less than two years old, gritting her teeth like a lioness.
"Hey!" The man, named Meng Xian, wasn't angered by the insults but instead grew more excited.
"What? Others can have you, but I, Meng Xian, can't touch you? Let me tell you, even if you stripped naked, I wouldn't care. You're just a dirty whore. Hand over the child!"
As he spoke, Meng Xian reached out to snatch the child from the widow's arms.
The widow's face twisted in fury, and without hesitation, she bit down on his arm.
As the two struggled, outside the bamboo courtyard, a mud-covered young man sat on the ground.
His clothes were patched with holes, and his straw sandals were worn to the point of falling apart.
His nails were caked with dirt, and even his calves were covered in a disgusting layer of filth.
"Hehe... fight..."
His expression was vacant as he watched the two tussle, slapping the muddy ground and laughing with his mouth wide open, clearly not in his right mind.
"Ouch!"
Meng Xian's face twitched as he pulled his arm back, seeing the deep bite mark on his wrist, oozing blood.
Enraged, he lost all interest in toying with the widow and slapped her hard, sending her staggering back a few steps before she fell to the ground, her vision blurring.
"Good! Hit her!"
The filthy young man clapped his hands in delight.
"Shut up, you idiot."
Meng Xian glared at him, then strode forward and grabbed the crying child, sneering, "You unlucky whore. Once your bastard son is thrown into the river, he'll come back on the waves to take you to paradise."
"Your mother should be the one thrown into the river..."
The disheveled widow lunged at him with her head, but before Meng Xian could kick her, someone grabbed his arm.
He turned around angrily, only to be surprised.
"Dad?"
The village chief, his face dark, didn't say a word but instead slapped Meng Xian hard, snatched the child, and handed him back to the widow.
"Come home with me now."
Meng Xian, covering his face in shame and anger, wanted to say something but froze when he looked over his shoulder.
He immediately bolted out of sight.
"Damn it, those dog-skinned bastards are here."
From around the corner, a figure in black approached, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
His handsome face bore a pair of clear eyes that held a faint, chilling aura.
Shen Yi walked past several fishing huts, following the sound of the commotion.
He soon arrived at the bamboo courtyard and stood at the entrance, looking ahead into the emptiness.
He closed his eyes, listening for any movement, then took a step forward.
The widow, calming her son, walked out of the courtyard, smoothing her hair.
Her face was bruised, and her lips were split as she spoke.
"No wonder that old dog suddenly backed off. It's because the Captain is here. Please, come in."
As she spoke, she subtly blocked Shen Yi's path.
"..."
Shen Yi silently watched her, then said calmly, "Doesn't it hurt?"
If it hurt, if she was angry, why was she stopping him? Was the river god more important than her own child?
The widow was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a question.
She lowered her gaze, and after a long pause, forced a smile.
"You must be new to the Demon-Slaying Division, right?"
"What do you mean?" Shen Yi glanced at her.
"Please, come in and sit."
The widow carried her son into the courtyard and dragged over a bamboo stool with one hand.
"Because everyone in Linjiang County knows that the Demon-Slaying Division slays demons and protects the people. They're the best of the best."
Shen Yi hesitated for a moment before sitting down at her invitation.
The widow looked up, her eyes glimmering.
"But the majority of them are the common folk."
She gave a self-deprecating smile.
"My late husband and I... we're the bad ones."
At the mention of her "late husband," Shen Yi instinctively glanced at the child in her arms, then quickly looked away, feeling it was inappropriate.
But the widow didn't seem to mind.
She spat, "I had him with a dog."
She set the child down, went to the well, and wrung out a rag.
Then she walked outside and kicked the madman, who was covered in mud.
Seeing the bloody wounds on his arms and legs, she crouched down and began to clean them.
As she wiped, she cursed.
"You damn fool, when we need you, you disappear for seven or eight days. Why didn't you starve to death out there? What good are you, just sitting around like an idiot?"
"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."
Hearing this, Shen Yi looked over thoughtfully.
The widow casually explained, "He used to be a commoner too. He married a wife when he was fifteen or sixteen. When it was his family's turn to offer a child to the river, he forced his wife to have one. But she was too young, and the child died during childbirth. His wife was lucky to survive, but she was left half-dead."
"The village chief took her away. Since she wasn't a virgin anymore, they decided to throw her into the Yangchun River as a sacrifice. That's when he went mad."
The widow kicked him again in disgust.
Then, with a hint of sadness, she continued, "No one wants to offer their child, but if others do, you can't just take the benefits without giving anything. This has been passed down for generations. It's less about worshipping the river god and more about taking revenge on those who drowned their own children."
"Like my late husband, who refused to have children. He was swept away by the waves, and his body was never found. That's what you call karma."
"Why doesn't the Demon-Slaying Division intervene? Because these are pitiful people doing terrible things. This feud has lasted over four hundred years. Even if the river god is gone, they still insist on holding the grand sacrifice."
"Grand sacrifice! Kill! Kill! Kill!" The madman grinned, his eyes bloodshot, laughing maniacally.
"Kill me first! Kill me first!"
He crawled on the ground, reaching for the sword at Shen Yi's waist.
Shen Yi didn't move, watching as the madman's filthy hands gripped the black scabbard, leaving smudges on its shiny surface.
He reached out, his slender fingers threading through the madman's messy hair, then gently grasped his head.
The widow, about to go inside to fetch some fish soup, saw this and her face paled, fear flickering in her eyes.
"Sir, he... he's already mad... He's no longer a commoner, nor a villain... Please spare his life, let him be a mad dog..."
"Kill!" The madman's eyes bulged, his voice hoarse as he screamed, saliva dripping from his lips, looking like a true madman.
Shen Yi calmly watched his face, the strength in his fingers gradually softening as he gently stroked the madman's head, as if soothing a rabid dog.
The madman trembled, then slowly calmed down.
Then, he heard a calm voice, and his entire body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
"Thank you for the reminder."
Shen Yi's lips curved slightly, his fair face showing a hint of menace, though his eyes remained clear.
His voice was as steady as ever.
"I won't fail you."
The madman had disappeared for seven or eight days.
A blood-stained badge had mysteriously appeared in Linjiang County.
From start to finish, he had only wanted to deliver one message to Qingzhou.
There's a demon here, a powerful one!
Right in this village!!
(End of Chapter)