Chapter 26: The Thin-Headed Tuo and Zhang Butcher
Chapter 26: The Thin-Headed Tuo and Zhang Butcher
As soon as the name was mentioned, the Niu family brothers, who had just stepped out of the room, froze in their tracks.
The two immediately bowed their heads, ignoring everything else, and hurried away with the middle-aged skinny man.
Liu Qi was no ordinary law enforcement officer, and these patrol officers had heard of his reputation.
He was a renowned martial artist from Qingzhou with a master, and among the highly skilled experts invited by the Lin family at great expense, he was one of the most famous.
His iron palms could shatter gold and split rocks, making it no more difficult than cutting tofu.
Rumor had it that there were at least thirty demonic beings slain by his palms, if not fifty.
"Should we go and take a look?"
Chen Ji turned to glance at the backs of his brothers, not thinking them cowardly, but rather understanding their hesitation.
Baiyun County was no major city, lacking even a proper martial sect. In the eyes of the locals, Liu Qi was already considered a formidable dragon from another river. Even these patrol officers hoped to rely on his reputation to deter demons.
Now that he was dead, the culprit was most likely a powerful demon.
According to Liu Dianli's intention, if it was a demon, it would be under Shen Yi's jurisdiction.
The question was whether to take action or not.
Technically, no one had reported the incident, so there was no issue with pretending it didn't happen and brushing it off. However, even the street vendors could guess the truth, and trying to cover it up would only cause Shen Yi to lose face on his first day and might even lead to charges of incompetence in demon suppression.
"This death is too coincidental."
Chen Ji felt a slight headache and withdrew his gaze, wondering why he always seemed to bring trouble like a jinx.
"Let's go and take a look."
Shen Yi rubbed his temples, concealing a fleeting trace of anxiety in his eyes, then stood up, grabbed his saber, and headed out.
It wasn't that he was concerned about losing face, as others might think.
Compared to others, he knew what kind of creature was hidden within the Lin Mansion.
That fox demon was personally sent there by his predecessor.
Every time it committed a bloody crime, it added to Shen Yi's list of charges. If it were captured, he might have to accompany it to the Demon Suppressing Bureau's prison.
"..."
Shen Yi, accompanied by Chen Ji, walked onto the main street.
The strange gazes from the street remained as they had in the morning, gradually fading away as the street buildings transitioned from thatched walls to blue brick and black tile.
In the relatively affluent part of the city, the intimidating effect of the patrol officers' uniforms diminished rapidly.
It wasn't until they reached the magnificent mansion with its grand entrance that the tension eased. The vermillion gate, with its copper handles and stone lions taller than those at the government office, stood before them.
At this moment, the large gate was only open enough for one person to pass through. The plump manager of the Lin family, dressed in silk robes and a small hat, stood at the entrance with a worried expression, waving away the crowd: "Move along, this isn't a spectacle for you to gawk at."
"Who said we're here to watch a spectacle? If there's a demon, you should inform us so we can seek help from the government office."
The idle onlookers reluctantly stepped back.
"There's no demon, no demon at all!" The Lin family manager twisted his plump face and sighed, "I've said it eight hundred times, there's no such thing here."
"You coward, what are you afraid of? Haven't you seen the notice? Sir Shen can slay the dog demon in the western suburbs, so why can't he deal with your evil spirit?"
Among the crowd were a few individuals of some status, who didn't give the manager any face and shouted directly at him.
"Sir Shen... You lot don't know anything."
The Lin family manager shot them a disdainful glance, his mind heavy with thoughts, too lazy to bother with them.
Speaking of Sir Shen, he knew more about him than these people.
Initially, Shen had rescued the young lady from outside the city, and the Lin patriarch was grateful, treating him with great respect.
But unexpectedly, Shen turned out to be a gambler, frequently visiting to borrow money. The borrowed silver was like meat thrown to a dog, never to be seen again, hardly the behavior of a decent person.
Only recently had things calmed down a bit.
The patriarch didn't trust such a person, and after learning about Liu Qi's incident, he immediately went to the County Magistrate's residence in the middle of the night to invite the thin-headed Tuo.
Despite the other party's frail physique, almost as if a gust of wind could knock them over, they had once been a close companion to the County Magistrate's Master in Qingzhou, earning deep trust. Liu Qi, when alive, would address them with utmost respect, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.
Such a figure had come to investigate the Lin Family.
The final conclusion was... there was no demonic being causing trouble, so Lin Patriarch need not worry.
As for Liu Qi's death, the other party remained tight-lipped.
In summary, it was just one sentence: no demonic beings.
With the status of Thin Headed Tuo, once he spoke, the matter was considered settled. Even if Shen didn't possess any real skills, and assuming the demon-slaying was true, what could be done?
The Lin Family Steward withdrew his thoughts and suddenly noticed the noisy crowd gradually making way: "He's here, he's really here! The notice is true!"
The sword-wielding youth approached slowly, with a patrol officer following behind.
"Oh, Captain Shen... Our young miss is not in the mansion." The Lin Steward forced a reluctant smile, also feeling surprised. Could it be that the other party hadn't heard of Liu Qi's reputation and still dared to get involved in such matters?
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi slightly furrowed his brows.
Not here?
"She's gone out of the city for a spring outing and won't be back for a few days." The steward shook his head and continued, "If you're looking for Miss Bai Wei, then please leave."
"I'm not looking for her. Please take me to see the body."
Shen Yi stepped onto the stone stairs.
The fox demon wasn't there, but a martial arts expert had died. This was strange.
At these words, the Lin Steward's face showed hesitation. If the other party was here to cause trouble, upon hearing that the young miss wasn't home, they should have left. But if they were here to investigate the demonic beings... Thin Headed Tuo was still in the mansion.
Thinking of this, he deliberately raised his voice: "Captain Shen, the one from the County Magistrate's Office has already come to see it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ji was initially startled but then breathed a sigh of relief.
With a high-level expert taking action, the matter was naturally resolved without any need for the patrol officers to worry.
The onlookers gathered at a distance also realized the situation. No wonder the Lin Family was so calm. Alas, it seemed they wouldn't get to witness Captain Shen's skills today.
After speaking, the steward turned back to the youth, his facial expression clear.
The stairs were offered, and this responsibility could no longer be shifted onto him. He turned and left, his reputation unaffected.
"..."
Shen Yi lowered his gaze, observing the steward's barely concealed anxiety and unease.
He said calmly, "It won't hurt to take a look."
Hearing this, the Lin Steward finally showed surprise. Indeed, it was as if he had become a different person. In the past, he would have wanted to get rid of any trouble and focus solely on making money. What was going on today? After a moment of hesitation, he gave a bitter smile and moved aside: "If you really want to take a look, then follow me."
The steward turned and opened the door, about to step out, but his expression became stiff.
Two strange figures emerged, one after the other, accompanied by the patriarch.
The first was tall and thin, appearing to be around fifty years old, with eyebrows like dragon whiskers hanging down, and wearing a black robe, resembling a bamboo pole.
The middle-aged man behind him was stout like a small mountain, with coarse cheeks sporting needle-like thick beards. He wore a greasy white short robe, had dark skin, and a swollen belly that looked as if he was in his tenth month of pregnancy.
Thin Headed Tuo, with a calm smile, was about to speak to the patriarch when he raised his head and saw the group at the door.
As the steward's heart raced, wanting to explain, he saw the tuo's smile fade, and he cupped his hands, "This must be Young Friend Shen, I've heard much about you, and I'm fortunate to meet you."
Hearing this, the dark-skinned, burly man, who had been sullenly looking down, now glanced lightly in their direction.
(End of Chapter)
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