No Morals, No Moral Blackmail

"Do you dare defy the City Lord's summons? Are you asking to be stripped of your post and investigated?"

The messenger flew into a rage at Wei Fan's words.

This was an urgent matter. One Constable Chief had already died, and the others did not dare take over. They had unanimously recommended Wei Fan.

If he failed to bring Wei Fan to the City Lord's Residence, he would be the one stripped of his post.

Quite a few people had already died in the City Lord's Residence. If more kept dying, who knew whether it would be the City Lord's turn next? A mere junior constable actually dared disobey the City Lord's summons—this was utter rebellion.

Wei Fan remained expressionless. "Then the City Lord had better move quickly. Our Clerk wants me to wipe out Black Wind Stronghold within seven days, or I'll also be stripped of my post and investigated. Let the City Lord and our Clerk compete and see who dismisses me first."

"What is Wei Qingyuan playing at?"

The messenger froze upon hearing this.

Wiping out Black Wind Stronghold was nearly impossible. The man was already facing dismissal—why would he fear threats of dismissal?

"Constable Wei, wait here. Wei Qingyuan is using public office to avenge a private grudge. I'll report this to the City Lord immediately."

The messenger clearly knew about the conflict between Wei Fan and Wei Qingyuan. He hurried away at once.

"You're even going to offend the City Lord now!"

Luo Wen sighed. From Wei Fan's attitude, it was clear that even if the City Lord resolved Wei Qingyuan's demand for them to wipe out Black Wind Stronghold, Wei Fan still did not intend to go help at the City Lord's Residence.

Wei Fan nodded. "When I earned merit, he turned a blind eye and fobbed me off with five taels of silver. Now that something has happened, he remembers me? He can keep dreaming.

At worst, I'll shed this uniform. What can he do to me?"

Wei Fan had absolutely no interest in saving the City Lord and his family.

After a while, the messenger returned.

This time, he was not alone. Wei Qingyuan came with him as well.

"Constable Wei, good news, good news!"

Before even stepping into the duty room, the messenger shouted, "Oh, no, I should be calling you Constable Chief Wei now.

Constable Wei Fan, receive your orders:

Constable Wei Fan has recently slain demons in succession and rendered outstanding service. By the City Lord's decision, Wei Fan is promoted to Constable Chief of the Inner City, effective immediately.

Constable Chief Wei, hurry and come take up your post with me."

Luo Wen was filled with uncertainty.

Wei Fan's earlier refusal had clearly offended the City Lord to the bitter end. Yet not only had the City Lord not dared dismiss him, he had promoted him two ranks in one stroke, from a constable to a Constable Chief.

And it was the best post of all—Constable Chief of the Inner City, equal in rank to Wei Qingyuan.

If it had been him, he would have immediately dropped to his knees and thanked the City Lord. But when he looked at Wei Fan, he found that Wei Fan showed no reaction at all.

Wei Fan still replied in the same flat tone, "No time. I'm busy studying how to attack Black Wind Stronghold. Everything else can wait until after I've wiped out Black Wind Stronghold."

The messenger's face darkened, and he dearly wanted to lose his temper.

But before coming, the City Lord had instructed him not to anger Wei Fan and to curry favor with him as much as possible.

An unknown demon had appeared, and Wei Fan was their only hope of slaying it. He could not be offended.

Although the City Lord had already sent a request for aid to Su City, simply delivering the message would take more than a day or two.

He hurriedly signaled to Wei Qingyuan, who had come with him.

"The matter of Black Wind Stronghold was my poor consideration. Constable Chief Wei, please be the bigger man and overlook the faults of a lesser one. Take up your post in the Inner City first."

Though Wei Qingyuan looked thoroughly unwilling, he still forced a smile and stepped forward.

Wei Fan gave a half-smile. "Take up a post in the Inner City? You mean go risk my life for you? Do you really think I don't know that one Constable Chief has already died?"

The messenger and Wei Qingyuan's expressions changed at once.

Because it had happened in the City Lord's Residence, not many people knew about it.

Wei Fan had kept refusing to go, and they had thought he did not know what was happening in the Inner City, that he was simply angry the City Lord had not valued him before.

After a moment of silence, Wei Qingyuan said, "Since you already know, you have even less reason to stand by and do nothing. Aren't you, Wei Fan, upright and impartial, unable to bear seeing demons harm people? At a time like this, you should step forward and slay demons and eradicate evil."

Wei Fan had always given everyone the impression of being upright and impartial, of hating demons. When everyone else feared the Fierce Tiger Gang, he, a mere yamen runner, had dared to stand toe-to-toe with them. Even Great Immortal Huang had been slain by him today.

As long as they raised the banner of righteousness at a time like this, Wei Qingyuan did not believe Wei Fan would not fall for it.

"You're trying to blackmail me?"

Wei Fan revealed a mocking expression. "I can't stand seeing demons harm people, but that depends on what kind of people they harm.

If the demons are harming things no better than beasts, I'm happy to see it.

For years, the people of Cloud City have suffered at the hands of demons who knows how many times, but what about you? You turned a blind eye to all of it and did nothing.

Now you've merely endured for a few days the terror ordinary people of Cloud City have endured for decades, and you can't take it anymore?"

Wei Qingyuan and the messenger both turned livid. Wei Fan's words were all but saying that it would be best if the City Lord died.

Even worse, he was calling them beasts between the lines.

Wei Qingyuan became somewhat hysterical. "Wei Fan, how dare you! Are you in league with demons?"

"If you want to dismiss me, hurry up and do it. If not, I'm going on patrol. Hahaha... To be honest, I really want to go to the Inner City and watch that demon eat you beasts one by one.

You'd best ask the City Lord whether he's done too many wicked things. Why else would the demon ignore everyone else and single out his family to eat?"

After saying this, Wei Fan strode away. The entire duty room fell silent.

He had openly taken delight in what was happening at the City Lord's Residence.

This matter was strange indeed. After that demon appeared in the City Lord's Residence, it went nowhere else and only targeted people from the City Lord's Residence.

"Serves them right. I was wondering why they were suddenly kind enough to promote Wei Fan to Constable Chief. So there's a demon eating people in the City Lord's Residence every day."

Watching Wei Qingyuan and the messenger leave, Luo Wen also felt a burst of satisfaction.

In Cloud City, there were certainly quite a few people who, like Wei Fan, hoped the City Lord would be eaten by demons. It was just that few had Wei Fan's nerve to voice what they truly thought—and leave the City Lord unable to do anything to him.

The day quickly passed. The City Lord did not send anyone to seek Wei Fan again. Once work was over, Wei Fan headed straight home.

"Brother Wei!"

When he reached his doorstep, Old Man Zhang's granddaughter and a middle-aged woman were standing there, as though they had been waiting for a long time.

Wei Fan stopped without approaching. "Little girl, who is she?"

The woman wore fitted martial attire and carried a longsword. At a glance, she was clearly a martial artist.

The other woman's aura was restrained, and Wei Fan could not sense her exact cultivation. But she was likely very strong; even his saber intent seemed to resist him approaching her.

"She is my master. Brother Wei, I'm going with Master to learn martial arts. For the kindness you've shown Grandpa and me, once I return after mastering my craft, I'll definitely repay you."

Zhang Caiwei looked at Wei Fan, her face full of determination.

She had a proper name, Zhang Caiwei, but because her grandfather had always called her "girl," everyone else called her that as well.

Her face was somewhat sallow from long-term malnutrition, but her features were delicate. Otherwise, that beast Yang Jun would not have tried to violate her.

Wei Fan smiled. He had not expected the little girl to encounter such an opportunity. "Then you must learn properly from your master. I'll wait for you to repay me—but if your skills are too poor, you won't be able to repay me."

He said nothing more, because when he looked at the middle-aged woman, his panel showed no changes.

This proved that she had no dealings with demons and had not done anything evil.

After all, whenever someone had done evil, the panel would prompt him that killing them could yield cultivation.

Of course, he had never truly expected the little girl to repay him. He had only said it to encourage her to train diligently under her master.

The little girl had merely come specifically to bid Wei Fan farewell. After speaking, she followed the middle-aged woman away.

The woman did not speak with Wei Fan, nor did he ask about her background. As long as she was not a bad person, that was enough.

For Old Man Zhang's granddaughter to go learn martial arts was hundreds of times better than staying in Cloud City.

Today's two updates are complete!