"Has that Flying Thief struck again?"
Chief Qian abruptly looked up, set down the dossier in his hands, and turned to Kong Yu across from him.
Kong Yu wore a miserable expression and spoke quietly. "This time... it was the storeroom at my father-in-law's house..."
Thanks to the reputation he'd earned from slaying demons alongside Shen Lin, he'd finally gained some say in his own home. Both his father-in-law and his wife had begun to see him in a new light.
But after this happened, his father-in-law's expression, which had only recently begun to soften, instantly turned livid.
He pointed at Kong Yu and berated him for a long time.
A County Office constable who'd slain a demon had actually let a Flying Thief into the family vault without noticing.
Chief Qian's expression darkened. He stroked his beard and sighed.
They had to find a way to resolve this.
The Zhang family Kong Yu had married into was one of Qiulin County's three great lineages, a powerful family that had been established locally for several hundred years.
"Did your family's Attendant... not notice anything unusual?"
Chief Qian asked curiously.
The Zhang family was different from those other victims of theft. Others might not know, but Chief Qian knew full well that the Zhang family had an Opening Meridians Realm martial artist serving as their Attendant.
Bloodhand Monk Wang Yuantong.
He'd once been a disciple of the Golden Temple in the provincial capital. After leaving the monastic life, the Zhang family had hired him to protect their home.
They said that years ago, while escorting the Zhang family patriarch on a visit to relatives, he'd encountered a horde of demons on the road. With his bare hands, he'd charged into their ranks alone and fought his way through them seven times in and seven times out, until his hands were stained with demon blood. That was how he'd earned the name Bloodhand Monk.
His body-tempering martial arts had reached perfection, without the slightest flaw. Even County Deputy Hu Dongxing had praised him highly.
With such a formidable figure guarding the Zhang family, they'd still been robbed?
Kong Yu gave a bitter smile. "Attendant Wang has had some business lately, so he went to the provincial capital and wasn't home. That's how the thief got away with it."
Chief Qian let out a breath of relief.
If the Zhang family had been robbed while Wang Yuantong was there, it would mean the Flying Thief's strength had likely reached the Opening Meridians Realm.
If so, this case would be a real headache.
The Zhang family was powerful, and they definitely couldn't let this case go unresolved.
But just as he was thinking about how to handle it, a burst of commotion suddenly came from outside.
He frowned, gave a cold snort, and rose to his feet.
A bunch of useless fools. They'd been on this case for so long and hadn't managed to uncover a single clue.
And now they dared to make a racket inside the County Office.
But just as he was about to go out, a constable rushed in and shouted, "Chief Qian, Head Constable Sun and Shen Lin have slain demons again!"
Chief Qian froze for a moment, then said unhappily, "Even so, you..."
"Master Shen said there were six demons in all! One of them was even at the Opening Meridians Realm..."
"Quick! Take me to see them at once."
By the time Chief Qian hurried over, Shen Lin had already taken the teapot a colleague brought him and was gulping down water.
Six demons, plus that fellow Sun Zhi, had all been piled onto the donkey cart. The donkey couldn't take the strain and gave up halfway.
With no other choice, Shen Lin had to haul the cart back himself, and it had nearly worn him out.
"Brother Shen... what is all this...?"
Busy drinking, Shen Lin didn't have time to answer Chief Qian's question. He just waved a hand, telling him to take a look for himself.
Chief Qian ignored the bloody scene and jumped straight onto the donkey cart.
"This is... a wolf demon at the Opening Meridians Realm!!!"
"And this enormous White Fox Demon! These demons are on par with ordinary martial artists. Brother Shen, you've rendered an enormous service this time."
"Hm? What kind of demon is this? It's still in human form! And it looks strangely familiar..."
"That's Head Constable Sun!"
After finishing his water, Shen Lin explained, "Head Constable Sun broke through in the middle of the battle and became an Opening Meridians Realm martial artist. He killed the wolf demon."
"Not only that, he had eyes as sharp as a hawk's. When we passed through Bai Family Village, he saw through the disguise of Old Master Bai's family and wiped out that fox-demon lineage, which had been doing evil for years."
The constables around them all cried out in astonishment when they heard Shen Lin say this.
Yet some of them looked dazed when he mentioned the Bai family, as if they were lost in thought.
After hearing Shen Lin's account, Chief Qian felt his throat go dry. He swallowed and asked, "And Head Constable Sun is...?"
"Ah, that wolf demon was tough to deal with. Head Constable Sun killed it, but he was still wounded. Then he fought the Bai family's fox demons, and his injuries worsened until he passed out. I suggest we get him treatment right away."
"Right, right! We have to treat him as soon as possible."
Chief Qian snapped out of it and arranged for a few people to carry Sun Zhi away. Then, looking puzzled, he turned to Shen Lin. "Head Constable Sun is gravely injured, but you, Brother Shen, seem..."
At that, Shen Lin's expression turned solemn. He clasped his fist toward the empty air and sighed with emotion. "Head Constable Sun was so righteous. He knew my cultivation wasn't stable, so he looked after me throughout the battle. Even the wounds on him were from saving me..."
As he spoke, Shen Lin seemed overcome with emotion. He wiped his nose with his sleeve, his eyes reddening. "Head Constable Sun's great kindness—I, Shen Lin, will remember it for the rest of my life!"
After saying that, he lowered his head, as if he didn't want anyone to see him in such a wretched state.
But Chief Qian across from him only opened his mouth, then fell silent, not saying a word.
Brother Shen!
Could you at least put some effort into your act?
There's chili powder all over your nose!
Though Chief Qian knew the truth couldn't possibly be as Shen Lin had described, he assumed there must be some hidden circumstances. It never occurred to him to credit Shen Lin with slaying those demons.
Come on, how long had Shen Lin been a martial artist?
If he could slay an Opening Meridians Realm wolf demon after only three days, forget Qiulin County—even the Imperial Capital would send people to recruit such a prodigy.
"Ah, forget it. Brother Shen, go back and rest. I'll arrange for these demon corpses to be dealt with."
Shen Lin sniffed, nodded silently, and left.
His steps quickened as he went.
Achoo!!!
Once he was some distance from the County Office, he finally couldn't hold back a sneeze.
Damn, he'd just picked up a random packet of chili powder off the street, and somehow he'd bought the good stuff. It was so pungent!
Later that evening, Sun Zhi drowsily opened his eyes.
The County Office's renowned physician had treated him. His ribs had been set, his body had been wiped down with strong liquor, and his fever had broken.
His body was strong enough that he'd woken up that very day.
"You're awake?"
Sun Zhi stared blankly at the rugged face filling his field of vision. He could even make out every individual whisker.
"County... Deputy Hu... What happened to me...?"
He tried to sit up, but his head spun, and he had no choice but to lie back down.
Hu Dongxing hurriedly said, "Head Constable Sun, don't move. Your injuries aren't too serious, but you still need to rest for a few days."
He stroked his beard and looked at Sun Zhi with a fond smile. "I'd always thought Lin Haiping would be the first among you head constables to become an Opening Meridians Realm martial artist. I never expected you to overtake him. Good, very good."
Sun Zhi's eyes widened. Slowly, he said:
"Huh?"
Before you continue