Chapter 64: Measuring with a Short Ruler
Chapter 64: Measuring with a Short Ruler
The golden sun shone upon the Yangchun River, its surface shimmering with ripples, while three or four black-tipped boats were anchored.
Within the bamboo mat yard.
Shen Yi sat on a stool, holding a cloth and meticulously wiping his sword sheath.
He wasn't skilled in tending to the wounded, but fortunately, Madman often got injured, and he had gained some experience treating him.
At the very least, he had managed to stop the bleeding for Matao and Li Xinhan and rebandaged them to look more presentable.
After Li Mujin regained consciousness, he quickly fed them a few elixirs to temporarily stabilize their lives.
She slowly walked out of the room.
Her hair was loose, and her slightly disheveled strands covered her pale cheeks. Her breath was shallow, indicating that she had pushed herself to the limit during last night's fight, suffering a significant loss.
Li Mujin's expression lacked her usual charm, and her once moist red lips were now slightly chapped.
Staring at Shen Yi's back, she gradually matched his figure with the one in her mind from last night.
She tugged at the corners of her lips, her voice hoarse, "Where are the others?"
"They're just exhausted and not injured. They woke up earlier and went to the yamen to get the horses."
Shen Yi put down the cloth and reattached his saber to his waist.
Li Mujin dragged a stool and sat down beside him, propping her chin on her palm. She had wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start, so she just stared blankly at his profile.
Finally unable to bear her gaze, Shen Yi frowned and shot her a glare.
Li Mujin snorted, her eyes brimming with emotion, "So, you're really good at killing demons."
She was so skilled that even a girl who grew up in Qingzhou like her couldn't imagine it.
Although the villagers kneeling on the ground blocked her view, the river god's pitiful screams still echoed in her ears. If not for the fear of death, how could the self-proclaimed river god have lost his composure so completely?
"I thought you were dead."
As the other party chased after Black Wind and entered the forest, she didn't know what kind of demonic being it was, but she saw the river god's face filled with anticipation.
It was a look of complete trust, mixed with longing, and full of confidence.
She never expected that it would be Shen Yi who returned.
"Fortunately, you didn't think that way."
Li Mujin stood up, her smile fading, and she bowed respectfully to the young man without restraint.
If the other party had the same thought, the safest way to leave would have been to rush back to the Demon Suppression Bureau to report the news.
Facing a demonic being with a realm far beyond her own, anyone would have felt hopeless. Leaving under the pretext of delivering a message would have been understandable, and even the Demon Suppression Bureau wouldn't have blamed her.
"..."
Shen Yi was slightly surprised, never expecting the other party to suddenly become serious.
He waved his hand, and before he could speak, his arm was tightly embraced by a vast softness.
"Haha."
Li Mujin reverted to her previous playful demeanor, hugging his arm and saying, "You almost scared me to death! I couldn't even move my fingers, and I had to put on a calm and composed act. Even that performance couldn't scare the river god. You're so infuriating!"
After speaking, she twirled her fingers and said pitifully, "When you walked over, I was just about to cry. Luckily, you're so handsome. I wanted to maintain my image, so I held back."
The familiar touch was even more surprising than Song Family Sister-in-Law's.
Shen Yi was speechless and pulled his arm away, "That's enough."
When the fishing spear pierced the other party, there wasn't even a hint of fear in their expression, only a hint of regret and tears. What a joke!
Li Mujin placed her hand on her waist, laughing heartily, "It's good enough to be alive. What a strong life force."
The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau seemed to take things in stride.
Infected by her smile, Shen Yi turned his head, and the barely noticeable killing intent in his eyes faded slightly.
Perhaps it started from the moment he woke up at the Liu Family in Baiyun County.
He was still in a playful mindset, not noticing anything amiss.
As he completely shed the traces of his past life, he gradually integrated into this world.
Shen Yi inexplicably discovered that he had grown accustomed to bloodstained days, even to the point where the absence of bloodshed made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
Violence was the tool that helped him survive in this chaotic world.
However, he couldn't allow himself to become its puppet.
Shen Yi took a deep breath, his mind clearing up considerably, and only then did he look towards the courtyard gate.
The young widow, holding a few borrowed old clothes, approached with reverence, "Sir, do you want to change into some clothes? I couldn't find any new ones, but they're all clean."
The madman followed behind her, head bowed, completely devoid of the foolishness he had shown the day before.
His eyes, carefully glancing at Shen Yi, were filled with gratitude and fear.
Those clear, piercing eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything, and when they were sharp, they could easily intimidate demons and evil spirits.
"Try to endure and not change clothes."
Li Mujin shook her head. For a captain, returning with this kind of achievement in this state would help Shen Yi establish himself in the Demon Suppressing Bureau more quickly.
"Er, that's good too."
The widow took out a piece of wooden rod and a short ruler, and said awkwardly, "Can I measure your shoulder width for you?"
Li Mujin seemed to understand something, and this time, she didn't refuse. She took the ruler, and pulling Shen Yi to his feet, began to measure him carefully, even including the saber at his waist.
She reported the measurements to the widow and waved her hand, "Go."
"Thank you, sir."
The widow, who had been bold and fearless yesterday, couldn't even dare to look directly at Shen Yi today.
But it wasn't a pure fear.
This expression made Shen Yi feel slightly familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before.
The widow, with the madman in tow, left the courtyard and collided with a man outside. The man dropped a piece of fish meat tied with a grass rope and turned to run towards the next house.
"He... He's almost run through every household in the village."
The widow picked up the fish meat with a hint of helplessness.
The man who had been forced by Shen Yi to swallow the River God's meat yesterday was eager to have everyone taste this delicacy. It seemed that only by doing so could he wash away the guilt in his heart.
Only by swallowing this fish meat could they tear apart the lies they had used to deceive him.
Since it was a demonic being, it was naturally impossible for it to be raising three hundred children in the river.
The truth was that the river had drowned the children, and they would never come splashing again, nor would they be taken to the River God's abode to enjoy blessings.
Once this truth was exposed without any excuses to cover it up, it would inevitably make people feel ashamed and want to cover their faces.
"In times of great famine, parents would even eat their own children."
"It's a desperate measure."
"Now that we can support ourselves, we should cut off the evil. Those who eat people are demons. If they are useful, keep them as offerings, and if they are useless, they should be consumed."
"This is the way of survival for ordinary people."
"The captains of the Demon Suppressing Bureau don't need to fish or farm to feed themselves. They are the ones who prey on the common people. Not only can they not provide food for them, but they also take away a portion of what little they have. Standing on such a high pedestal, if they were to be overly harsh, it would seem a bit heartless."
Li Mujin placed her hand on Shen Yi's shoulder, her bright eyes sparkling as she said with a smile, "Sir Shen, please be merciful and spare them this once, okay?"
There were those who wanted to maintain their status and deliberately engraved the Great Sacrifice ritual into the minds of the fishermen, as if it were the wisdom of their ancestors, never to be defied.
Yesterday, more than ten people, including the village elder, had their lives taken in an instant.
To be honest, such ruthless methods did indeed shock Li Mujin, but it also made her feel a sense of relief. They had done what this group of Qingzhou youths dared not do, and they had done it decisively.
But if more killings were added, the flavor would change.
"They didn't want to spare you yesterday," Shen Yi raised his eyebrows.
"Is this outfit for nothing?" Li Mujin pouted, tugging at the cloud pattern on her sleeve. "Those who take action should die, but the others, without their day and night labor, how would we have our salaries and food... Hey, stop tugging at my hand. You're like a little girl, you can't even touch me."
"Go and stand over there."
Shen Yi patted his shoulder casually.
From the moment he woke up, he had never committed any evil deeds, only seeking to preserve himself.
But in this woman's mouth, he seemed like a ruthless killer.
(End of Chapter)
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