Shen Lin had previously thought Lin Youwei had called him over because of the case involving the Demonic Cultivator. After all, the dead man had been his nephew.
But now, after chatting for a while, Lin Youwei had not mentioned the case at all.
They had talked about everything from interesting anecdotes in Qiulin County to bits of gossip from the provincial capital.
Gradually, Shen Lin realized.
Was he... trying to recruit me?
Although Shen Lin had done his utmost to conceal his cultivation, a twenty-year-old in the Meridian Opening Realm was still exceedingly rare in Qiulin County.
Did people from families like Li Bailin's really lack the Meridian Opening Secret Art or fail to obtain Meridian-Opening Pills?
It was simply that even with those resources, whether one could successfully open one's meridians still depended on oneself.
The human body held endless mysteries. The positions of the meridians differed from person to person, and the slightest discrepancy could lead one a thousand li astray.
Even after obtaining the Meridian Opening Secret Art, one still had to comprehend it personally and search for the locations of one's own meridians.
That was why talent was so important.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Lin Youwei changed the subject and said, "I heard you killed three more demons this time? Excellent! As for the Demon Suppression Division, I'll communicate with them personally. I definitely won't let you suffer any losses."
Shen Lin put on an overwhelmed-by-favor look and immediately rose to thank him.
"Thank you, Magistrate Lin. This subordinate is terrified. As for that previous case involving the Demonic Cultivator, I still—"
"Ah!" Lin Youwei seemed to know what he was about to say. He waved his hand and interrupted him directly. "Speaking of that, it makes me furious. You captured that Demonic Cultivator alive and brought him back, yet that fellow Hu Dongxing still let someone silence him right under his nose. Hmph!"
He shook his head and continued, "You don't need to concern yourself with this anymore! Hu Dongxing and Qian Dazhi botched the matter, so they can deal with the mess afterward too!"
At this point, he paused, as if he had thought of something. Then he suddenly rose and said, "That's right. I never had the chance to thank you for this matter. Although solving murder cases is the County Yamen's duty, the one who died was ultimately my nephew. I must properly thank you..."
As he spoke, he began rummaging through the bookcase behind him.
Shen Lin was rendered speechless by his actions.
Good grief, I already steered the conversation away, yet you still managed to circle back.
Helpless, he could only rise and say, "You're too kind, sir. It was simply my duty. I remember the Demon Suppression Division set a bounty for the Demonic Cultivator, so there's no need to trouble yourself."
At those words, Lin Youwei's raised hand paused slightly, and he slowly turned around.
The smile had vanished from his face. He stared at him expressionlessly.
As the man who held power over an entire county, the aura he carried was in no way inferior to that of the Meridian Opening Realm experts Shen Lin had encountered before.
Yet Shen Lin did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, he calmly met Lin Youwei's gaze.
What the other man wanted was nothing more than to recruit him under his command.
Although, strictly speaking, Shen Lin could now be considered his subordinate, he ultimately recognized that official uniform—not Lin Youwei himself.
He probably wanted Shen Lin to become his private retainer, like that Golden Brush Guest.
Shen Lin had no intention of becoming his lackey and muddling through the rest of his life like that.
He still wanted to join the Demon Suppression Division and climb step by step to the very pinnacle of martial cultivation through Slaying Demons and Exterminating Devils.
"Heh heh, not bad, not bad! You're truly very good!"
After a period of silence, Lin Youwei suddenly laughed.
He took a book down from the bookcase beside him, blew the dust off it, and said, "With your martial talent, you have a very good chance of joining the Demon Suppression Division. I understand that you don't want to follow me and have your martial path cut short. However, I never intended to make you give up on joining the Demon Suppression Division."
He placed the book on the desk and pushed it forward slightly. With a light laugh, he said, "I merely want to form a good connection!"
Shen Lin lowered his head and glanced at the book, his pupils contracting slightly.
"Eagle Claw Technique."
Shen Lin had seen this martial art before in the exchange manual of the Demon Suppression Division.
It required a full thirty contribution points to exchange for. Its value could be imagined.
He had given away such a precious martial art merely to form a good connection?
"It seems you know the origins of this martial art."
Lin Youwei smiled, sat down behind the desk, and lifted his teacup. "Take it without worry. Your talent is worth my investment."
Shen Lin smiled. Without much hesitation, he reached out and picked up the Eagle Claw Technique.
"Thank you, sir. Once I achieve something in martial cultivation in the future, I certainly won't forget your kindness today."
Originally, Shen Lin had not understood Lin Youwei's intentions, so he had not wanted to accept any benefits from him.
But what the other man had brought out was precisely what Shen Lin lacked most at this stage: a martial art!
Shen Lin had now opened ten meridians within his body, but there were still two whose locations he had not figured out. He needed a martial art to use for deduction.
Forget it. At worst, if I get the chance in the future, I'll save his life once.
Having made up his mind, Shen Lin accepted the benefits without the slightest embarrassment.
"Good, good, good! That is how it should be on the martial path. How could acting coy and hesitant be a martial artist's bearing?"
Lin Youwei seemed delighted. He stroked his beard with great satisfaction and asked Advisor Li, "Advisor, have the arrangements at Yanbin Tower been made?"
Advisor Li beamed and immediately replied, "They were arranged long ago!"
"Dear Nephew Shen, it's getting late. I've arranged a feast at Yanbin Tower. Today, we'll drink until neither of us can leave!"
Shen Lin opened his mouth, but in the end, he could not bring himself to refuse.
Compared with drinking and socializing, he now wanted even more to return home and deduce the martial art immediately.
But one's mouth was short after eating another's food. Having just accepted the other man's benefits, turning around and flipping out on him would have been somewhat embarrassing.
Yanbin Tower was not far from the County Yamen, so Lin Youwei did not ride in a sedan. Instead, he led Shen Lin out of the County Yamen while chatting as they walked, with Advisor Li and Golden Brush Guest Du Yuanshan following behind.
They had not gone far when Shen Lin, who had been listening to Lin Youwei brag, suddenly stirred. He glanced back casually.
A young man dressed in blue had followed them cautiously ever since they left the County Yamen. His eyes had never left Magistrate Lin.
Du Yuanshan noticed the man as well. He stepped forward and whispered a few words into Lin Youwei's ear.
Lin Youwei frowned and stroked his beard. "Go and bring him here!"
Before you continue