Chapter 31: The Majestic Old Man Lin
Chapter 31: The Majestic Old Man Lin
After Shen Yi finished speaking, he continued to gaze at the monk calmly.
For a moment, the skinny monk didn't react, almost believing that the other party truly wanted an "answer."
A moment later, rage surged within him.
His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his breath quickened. Since the day he arrived in Boyun County, no one had dared to provoke him like this.
The skinny monk clenched his fingers, his fingernails digging into his palms.
He wanted nothing more than to smash the other's skull with all his might.
But for some reason, under the calm and unfathomable gaze of the other party, he inexplicably felt a sense of panic, and his hand hesitated to rise. Could it be that he had become too comfortable living in the mansion and had lost his fighting spirit?
No, it was just unwise to quarrel with a dead man.
Having offended the Northern Cliff Fox Demon, where could the monk find a way to survive? There was no need for him to take action personally.
With this thought, the skinny monk forced out a cold smile again, but with less conviction: "As expected of someone from the government office. Official Shen is even more formidable than the county magistrate. It was my mistake for not realizing this sooner."
At these words, Shen Yi nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned back with a concerned expression: "At your age, don't always smile with a lopsided mouth like that. It's not good for your health, and you might end up with Bell's palsy."
"Huh..."
The skinny monk instinctively adjusted the corners of his mouth, but then his eyelids began to twitch violently.
As he watched Shen Yi's slow-moving figure walk away, he suddenly felt a dullness in his chest, and a sweet and bloody taste appeared in his mouth.
Zhang the Butcher walked up to his senior brother's side, glanced at him pitifully, and then took a step forward to leave the Lin family home.
"To think that such a ferocious tiger demon was hiding in their home!"
The tardy Old Man Lin stared wide-eyed as Chen Ji loaded the huge tiger corpse onto a cart and secured it.
He then glanced at the skinny monk who remained on the spot and forced a smile, hurrying after Shen Yi with a couple of small steps.
"Official Shen, wait!"
With his frail body and extravagant, ornate clothing, he couldn't run, so he could only call out repeatedly.
Shen Yi stopped in confusion.
"I came to apologize for what happened earlier."
Old Man Lin bowed with shame, leaning on his knees: "You saved my daughter, but I suspected that you were colluding with demons to harm her and make her lose her memory. The reason I brought her back home was to extort some silver taels to spend at the gambling den..."
At these words, Shen Yi's expression turned slightly stiff.
"It was my fault for being short-sighted and judgmental because of my profession." Old Man Lin sighed with regret, but he didn't notice Shen Yi quietly turning his head away.
"You are a good person. Bai Wei was deceived by the demon, and if it weren't for Official Shen today, my Lin family would have been devoured by that tiger demon."
"..."
Hearing that name again, Shen Yi fell silent.
Among the many troubles left over from his previous life, this was the most deadly.
Either he would have to kill the fox demon and silence it forever, or he would have to get rid of the real Lin Baiwei and henceforth be complicit with the Northern Cliff Fox Demon.
There was almost no third option.
The decisive and neat slash of his sword not only beheaded the tiger demon but also cut off his own retreat.
Shen Yi considered himself an ordinary person, and like anyone else, he would hesitate and be indecisive.
It would be better to just be straightforward and act according to his heart. Why bother being wishy-washy like a child who hasn't been weaned, unable to let go of this or that?
"There's no need for that. I'm just doing my duty as an official of the court." Shen Yi collected his thoughts and watched as Chen Ji dragged the cart over. He then bid farewell to Old Man Lin with a slight nod.
"It's my duty..." Old Man Lin echoed, nodding slowly, but a bitter smile tugged at his lips. If it were truly a matter of duty, then why hadn't the skinny monk fulfilled his duty and taken action after receiving so much silver from him?
"Official Shen, why don't you wait for Bai Wei to return, and then come to our home for a cup of tea?"
Wait... why am I comparing my sister to Miss Lin?
Chen Ji slapped his forehead. Moreover, with Shen Yi's current martial arts skills, he might not even fancy that type of woman, who had associated with demons.
"What do you think?" Lin Lao Ye cautiously glanced at him.
Shen Yi looked down at the sword at his waist and replied in a calm voice, "Sure."
With this affirmative response, Lin Lao Ye was overjoyed. Although Shen Yi's expression was a bit odd, they were both young, and who knew what could happen with more interaction?
Chen Ji rolled his eyes. As expected, even if everything else changed, Shen Yi's restless heart remained the same.
Just then, the plump steward, now changed into clean clothes, struggled to lift a large silk bag and placed it onto the cart with great effort.
Just from the sound, Chen Ji could tell what was inside.
Judging by the extent of the cart's swaying, there had to be at least eight hundred taels. In terms of a constable's salary, that would amount to about thirty years' worth.
"Please don't refuse. If you don't accept it, I won't be able to rest easy. Besides, this demon-slaying reward is tacitly approved by the imperial court."
Lin Lao Ye repeatedly bowed his hands in gratitude.
"I know you like to have fun, so instead of copper coins or silver notes, we've prepared silver ingots for convenience and style." The plump steward beamed, seeking praise for his thoughtful gesture.
Shen Yi walked up to the cart, lifted the silk cloth covering, and gazed at the gleaming silver within. A hint of barely perceptible envy flashed in his otherwise calm eyes.
What a fat cat! They should be strung up on a lamppost.
A double-egg pancake only cost ten copper coins, and this amount of silver could wrap the vendor's entire family in pancakes.
"That's true." Chen Ji also sighed. With a casual stroke of the pen, they earned more than he could save for his sister's entire dowry.
Shen Yi casually rummaged through the bag, picked out two ten-tael silver ingots, and tossed one to Chen Ji. "This should be enough."
It wouldn't do to help the Lin family raise their daughter for free. They should at least contribute to the food expenses.
He pushed the rest off the cart.
Without giving the others a chance to say more, Shen Yi left Lin Manor, leaving Lin Lao Ye standing there in bewilderment.
Chen Ji stood there, clutching the silver ingot in amazement, before hurrying after Shen Yi, pulling the cart along.
"Sir Shen."
As they stepped onto the street, Chen Ji finally plucked up the courage to ask about what had happened earlier.
He never expected that Shen Yi would turn against the skinny monk so easily.
"Think before you act in the future. Your life isn't something you picked up off the street."
Shen Yi stretched lazily and strolled towards a tavern on the street, eyeing the wooden plaques on the wall. "Bring a pot of Huadiao wine, roast goose leg, the left one, and steam a fish..."
Watching Shen Yi's back as he ordered the food, Chen Ji rubbed his belly.
Shen Yi made it sound like the monk's life was disposable... Even if it was, why would he stick his neck out for someone else?
And even offer to pay for a meal.
As Shen Yi turned to leave with the clay pot and lotus leaf package, Chen Ji opened his mouth in bewilderment. "Aren't we eating here?"
"Who's we?" Shen Yi turned back with a strange expression. "If you want to eat, buy your own."
Didn't he understand the concept of keeping personal and work expenses separate?
With a monthly salary of only two taels and four qian, he was still treating people to meals. He might as well treat them to a fart.
"..."
Chen Ji took out the ten-tael silver ingot, looking at the silver and then at Shen Yi, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"What a strange man."
(End of Chapter)
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