"Was this your arrangement?"
Luo Junfeng spread his hands and was just about to speak.
But Chen Bin had already made his move!
Chen Bin suddenly swept out with his palm, striking the constable squarely across the face.
The tremendous force sent the constable flying a full zhang.
If someone on the road hadn't happened to catch him, he would have hit the ground hard.
"You filthy dog! You really think you're somebody?"
Chen Bin had never liked these Red Name bastards, so he held nothing back.
That slap left one side of the constable's face swollen high. He spat out a mouthful of teeth, his face covered in blood.
The sight left countless onlookers trembling with fear.
He really had dared to strike.
Chen Bin walked over to the Breakfast Stall, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "Boss, twenty Meat Buns and a bowl of plain congee."
The boss had never seen a scene like this before.
He had been so frightened that he'd almost abandoned his stall and run.
He hadn't expected this baleful star to walk right up to his stall.
"Y-yes, of course." The boss hurriedly nodded, his hands suddenly moving three times faster.
Soon, the boss brought over the Meat Buns and congee. Trembling, he said, "Please enjoy your meal, sir."
Then he quickly retreated to one side, watching from a distance.
Chen Bin sat there, brazenly facing the Demon Suppression Division constables, and chewed his food slowly, one mouthful at a time.
When he got tired of eating, he took a sip of congee to soothe his throat.
As he ate, the corner of his eye caught some of the constables swallowing hard. They clearly looked ravenous too.
Seeing their haggard faces and empty stomachs, Chen Bin knew they hadn't slept well last night. Then, first thing this morning, they'd been summoned to come fetch him to the county office.
At this moment, watching him eat, they must have been both angry and anxious.
But what did that have to do with him?
Chen Bin took a full quarter of an hour to finish eating.
Now that he was in the Qi Gathering Realm, his appetite had grown quite a bit.
After eating, he paid forty-one copper coins, then got up to leave.
The stall owner hurried over, refusing to take the money no matter what.
Chen Bin looked at the troubled expression on the owner's face and said, "If you don't take it, I'll have them smash your stall!"
He knew that people who'd been ground down to the bone like this wouldn't dare accept money unless you threatened them.
The owner pursed his lips, his hands trembling as he held the money. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
By the time he came to his senses, Chen Bin had already been surrounded once more by a crowd of Demon Suppression Division constables.
"That was a satisfying meal!" Chen Bin rested his hands behind his head and looked at Luo Junfeng. "Luo Junfeng, Captain Luo."
Since Chen Bin had once grabbed him by the throat, Luo Junfeng felt awkward not answering him. "What is it?"
Chen Bin asked, "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Those of us in official service must naturally put the imperial court first. We haven't finished the assignment handed down from above.
How could we feel right about eating?"
"Very admirable. You've got the right attitude!"
Chen Bin nodded and clicked his tongue. "So being your brother really means going three days with nine meals missed."
Chen Bin's words were like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into the constables' hearts.
But all they could do was complain silently to themselves. They didn't dare show even the slightest discontent on their faces.
The crowd streamed toward the Demon Suppression Division, reaching their destination before long.
Eighteen thick pillars stood in the plaza before the Demon Suppression Division.
The heads of eighteen monsters hung from the tops of the pillars.
Now and then, civilians passed through the plaza and stopped to point at the monsters' heads. Their expressions were hard to read; it was impossible to tell whether they felt joy or sorrow.
Chen Bin merely glanced at them, then strode straight toward the Demon Suppression Division's entrance.
The Training Ground was tense.
Someone, looking displeased, strode forward and challenged Luo Junfeng. "What took you so long?"
Luo Junfeng instinctively glanced back, his gaze lingering on Chen Bin for a moment before he answered, "Captain Chen Bin got up late. There was nothing we could do!"
Hearing this, the man followed Luo Junfeng's gaze and looked at Chen Bin.
He saw Chen Bin gripping his saber, his sharp eyes fixed on him with a fierce glint.
Chen Bin had now successfully gathered qi. Why would he fear anyone?
The man seemed to remember what had happened last night. In an instant, he froze as if under a binding spell, not daring to move.
Chen Bin was the first to break the stalemate. "I heard a Flag Officer was looking for me. Where is he?"
"You're late. The Flag Officer went to see the General Banner!"
The man had already been stewing in frustration. Now, as if possessed, he blurted out the truth.
Chen Bin's gaze swept like lightning across the people around him. Then he strode out of the crowd, found a quiet spot beside the Training Ground, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.
Remembering the terrifying Tiger Corpse from last night and everything that had happened that morning, no one dared step forward to stop him.
Inside the General Banner's office.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Something major had happened at the Wanbao County Demon Suppression Division last night. Wang Sheng, its top leader, and a group of lower-ranking leaders were gathered here for a meeting.
Wang Sheng took a small sip of tea, slowly set down his cup, and swept his hawklike gaze across the several Little Banner Captains present.
The clerk Ye Ming, Liu Wei, Wang Yun, and Wu Jingchuan were all trusted men he had brought with him from Dongyang Prefecture.
Liu Wei and Wu Jingchuan were usually responsible for taking turns guarding the Demon Suppression Division's offices, while Wang Yun oversaw Shili Town.
At this moment, those two looked the calmest and most composed.
The others were Kang Ronghao, who was responsible for South Ward; He Yang, responsible for East Ward; Ding Jun, responsible for North Ward; and Wei Feng, responsible for West Ward.
Their expressions varied. Some looked so grim they could have dripped water, while others seemed relatively relaxed.
Wang Sheng took in everyone's changing expressions, then looked at Liu Wei and slowly spoke:
"Ah Wei, you were in charge of the cleanup last night. Tell us exactly what happened."
"Yes!" Liu Wei immediately stood, saluted, then spoke loudly:
"Last night, Captain Chen Bin, under Kang Ronghao's command, joined forces with us to kill eighteen Tiger Demons and one Wolf Demon.
The monsters' corpses are hanging outside right now. I'm sure everyone has already seen them."
"That was too conspicuous!" Kang Ronghao couldn't help speaking up.
"What do you mean by that, Little Banner Kang?" Liu Wei retorted.
"The Mountain Lord of South Mountain is coming out of his lair!"
After saying this, Kang Ronghao picked up the teacup on the table and drank from it as if nothing were amiss.
Was this some kind of veiled threat?
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