Where's the Reward?

"That monster was hiding inside the Nanzhou Prefectural Office?"

Looking at the glazed tiles, towering walls, and deep courtyards before him, Jiang Yun fell silent.

Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen followed the high wall to the main gate of the Prefectural Office, where two constables stood guard on either side.

"Let's go." Xu Suwen's face darkened as she turned and left directly. Jiang Yun hurried after her.

The two arrived at a teahouse in the city. After taking seats in a corner, Xu Suwen asked gravely, "Jiang Yun, are you certain that monster is inside the Prefectural Office?"

What did it mean for an Evil Haunt to hide within the Prefectural Office without being discovered?

Someone in the Prefectural Office had to be sheltering it, and that person's status could not be low.

Once this matter was thoroughly investigated, it would be no small affair.

Jiang Yun raised a brow and pondered for a moment before saying, "Nine times out of ten."

At that moment, the waiter came over to brew their tea, so they paused their discussion.

"Please enjoy, honored guests." The waiter poured tea for them with a beaming smile. Xu Suwen casually fished out several copper coins and tossed them onto the table. "A reward for you."

The waiter accepted the coins, thanked her repeatedly, and withdrew some distance away.

"Tea, tea." Jiang Yun lifted his cup, watching as the waiter earned several copper coins just for pouring them tea.

His younger sister, on the other hand, worked herself to the bone mending clothes all day and earned only a dozen or so copper coins.

"Miss Xu is certainly generous with her money," Jiang Yun said enviously. Who knew when he would be able to throw around a few copper coins so casually as a reward?

Xu Suwen smiled faintly. "The Imperial Guards are the Emperor's personal guard. When we travel outside, we represent not ourselves, but the Emperor. Naturally, we must be generous."

"If someone refills my tea, naturally they deserve a reward."

With that, Xu Suwen picked up her cup and took a sip.

"Reasonable." Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly. Seeing her set down her cup, he quickly rose to refill it, then held out his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Where's the reward?" Jiang Yun blinked. "Miss Xu, you wouldn't want the Emperor to learn that you made him lose face, would you?"

Xu Suwen rolled her eyes. "No."

Seeing that she truly would not pay, Jiang Yun inwardly cried that he had been cheated. He had refilled that tea for nothing.

Jiang Yun did not dare press the matter. She was an Imperial Guard—he could hardly rob her purse by force, could he?

Jiang Yun took a sip of tea and returned to the Important Matter. "Miss Xu, you're an Imperial Guard with the authority to supervise all officials. Logically speaking, even if this monster involves local officials, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Under ordinary circumstances, it would naturally be a good thing. Complete one assignment, earn credit twice over." Xu Suwen nodded, but the worry on her face did not lessen.

"But I came to Nanzhou Prefecture this time to handle another major matter. Capturing this monster was merely along the way."

Xu Suwen looked through the window toward the Prefectural Office, her voice turning several degrees colder. "If someone in the government truly is colluding with an Evil Spirit..."

After saying that, Xu Suwen's expression shifted between light and shadow as she seemed to ponder something. Then she slowly said, "Jiang Yun, this matter is rather complicated. If the Imperial Guards step in to uncover this Evil Spirit and the official behind it, it may disrupt my true mission here."

"I have an unreasonable request, though I don't know whether I should voice it."

"Since it's an unreasonable request, then Miss Xu needn't say it."

The moment Jiang Yun heard that familiar opening, he guessed what Xu Suwen meant to say next and hurriedly cut her off.

"Miss Xu, I've already helped you find the Evil Haunt."

"I'll take my leave first."

"My purse is empty. Miss, remember to pay for the tea."

Seeing Jiang Yun rise to leave, Xu Suwen sat in her chair with her arms folded and made no move to stop him. She merely said, "Jiang Yun, I heard about what happened to you last night."

"Peng San was released from prison first thing this morning."

"Peng San has considerable backing in Nanzhou Prefecture. He is the kind of man who repays every slight, so he will certainly come looking for trouble with you again."

"You know Daoist magic, so perhaps you aren't afraid of him. But you have a younger sister."

"You cannot be home at all times. If he takes advantage of your absence to suddenly abduct your sister, what will you do?"

Jiang Yun had already turned to leave, but his foot froze in midair.

He turned back, his brows slightly furrowed. "Miss Xu knows so much about what happened last night? You even learned about Peng San's backing?"

"Though the Eastern Garrison Command's primary duty is dealing with Evil Spirits, at the end of the day, we are still Imperial Guards. There are very few things Imperial Guards do not know." Xu Suwen smiled faintly, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she blinked. "Will you consider it? I'll help you resolve Peng San's trouble."

"You help me resolve my trouble."

Jiang Yun stood where he was, thinking carefully. As far as he was concerned, the monster in the Nanzhou Prefectural Office was actually easier to deal with.

For whoever was sheltering the monster in the Prefectural Office, he would be investigating in the shadows, so the danger was not great.

With Peng San, however, it was precisely the opposite. Peng San was the one lurking in the shadows.

Jiang Yun had no idea who Peng San's backers were.

Once he understood this, Jiang Yun sat back down and extended his hand with a smile. "Pleasure working with you."

"But I'll only help you find out who is sheltering the monster. I won't be responsible for eliminating it."

Xu Suwen looked doubtful. She lifted her teacup, took a sip, and asked curiously, "Jiang Yun, I've seen your Daoist magic. Its power is extraordinary. You should be able to eliminate that Evil Spirit with ease."

"Why are you unwilling to act?"

Though Xu Suwen was young, she had not been in the Eastern Garrison Command for a short time.

She had seen countless cases, great and small, and all kinds of people. The eyes of the Imperial Guards could see through the human heart; they rarely misjudged or mistook a person.

Yet Xu Suwen could not see through the Jiang Yun before her.

A smile appeared on Jiang Yun's face. "I'm kindhearted. I cannot commit slaughter."

After a moment of silence, Xu Suwen nodded. "Fine. You only need to find out who has a problem and hand them over to me."

"Then how do you intend to resolve Peng San's trouble?" Jiang Yun asked doubtfully.

Holding her teacup, Xu Suwen said thoughtfully, "It can be resolved tonight."

"Tonight?"

Xu Suwen pointed to her bright eyes. "I told you, the Imperial Guards are very accurate judges of people. Someone like Peng San settles his grudges the very same day."

"Otherwise, he won't be able to sleep."

"So he will definitely come looking for trouble with you again today."

"Then leave him to me."

In the back courtyard of a residence in Nanzhou Prefecture City, Peng San was tearfully complaining to an elderly man dressed in brocade and jade-like finery. "Master Xia."

"A few dozen taels of silver is a small matter."

"Being locked up for a night is also a small matter."

"But once this precedent is set, anyone who finds a backer can simply renege on the debts they owe. How are we supposed to continue doing business in the future?"

The old man stood in the courtyard, brush and ink in hand as he practiced painting and calligraphy. He said slowly, "Qian Bochou has taken quite a lot of our money. He would not fall out with us over some poor scholar without reason. What was that man's name again?"

"Jiang Yun."

"What is this Jiang Yun's background?"

Peng San answered respectfully, "Just a poor scholar, useless in every way. He only survives because his younger sister earns a few copper coins by sewing, mending, and washing clothes outside."

Xia Lingxian's hand paused over his painting before continuing. "What do you intend to do?"

"I want to kill someone in the city." A hint of ruthlessness shone in Peng San's eyes.

In their line of work, they sought wealth and did not kill lightly.

Even when they did kill, they would not act within the city.

But everything had exceptions.

He had gone to collect a debt, only to spend a night in prison without recovering the money.

What would others think? How was he supposed to collect debts in the future?

If he did not kill those siblings, there would be no point continuing this business.

Xia Lingxian closed his eyes. "What you wish to do has nothing to do with me. You were never here."

Peng San's eyes lit up slightly as he said happily, "Yes."

After Peng San left, Xia Lingxian finally began to admire his painting.