The County Office's cases had nothing to do with demons. So how was he supposed to find any?
With his thinking stuck in a rut, Shen Lin couldn't be bothered to think too hard. He simply chose to toss the problem to Sun Zhi.
He didn't believe for a second that the only demons Sun Zhi knew were the Mantis Demon and the White Fox family.
Sun Zhi wore a bitter expression. "Master Shen, you pinned the White family incident on me last time. Now all those demons have heard about it. How could any of them possibly work with me?"
But Shen Lin was unmoved by his complaints. He said softly, "There's always some thickheaded demon out there. Give it a try!"
What kind of thickheaded demon would approach me at a time like this?
First the Mantis Demon, then the White family's fox demon. Any demon with half a brain could tell something was wrong.
No matter how miserable Sun Zhi felt, the moment he saw Shen Lin's icy gaze, he swallowed his words and agreed to give it a try.
After Sun Zhi left, Shen Lin put away the rewards he'd exchanged for. He was just about to head home and begin his next simulation when a constable rushed in.
"Master Shen! Chief Qian needs you urgently."
Shen Lin was a little puzzled. He'd just returned from Chief Qian's office. What had happened now?
He tucked the Meridian Unblocking Pill and the manual for Shadow Severing Step close to his body, then went out.
"Chief Qian, what did you need me for?"
At the sound of Shen Lin's voice, Chief Qian—who had been pacing back and forth anxiously—seemed to have found his anchor. His expression calmed at once.
"Brother Shen, I just had you run a case. In principle, I shouldn't trouble you again. But this matter is urgent, and the other squad leaders are all occupied. I can't find anyone else on short notice..."
Watching Chief Qian ramble on, Shen Lin felt no resentment.
On the contrary, as if he'd thought of something, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He asked tentatively, "Could it be... a demon's behind the case?"
If it were an ordinary case, Chief Qian wouldn't need to seek out a squad leader at the Martial Artist level. He could just send a few constables.
Sure enough, Chief Qian sighed. "Most likely. Four of our men went out on a case yesterday, and none of them have returned yet..."
He slowly explained what had happened.
Yesterday, a hunter had come to the County Office to report a case. He said he'd found a mangled corpse beside a mountain road on Xiangyang Mountain.
The body had been gnawed beyond recognition, but judging by its clothes, the hunter could tell the dead man wasn't from any of the nearby villages.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary murder.
But to be safe, Chief Qian had sent four constables to investigate.
By now, a full day had passed, and not one of them had returned.
What had Chief Qian most on edge was something he'd heard by chance that morning while chatting with Prefect Hu.
The County Magistrate's distant nephew was coming to stay with him.
Judging by the timing, he should have arrived yesterday.
But the County Magistrate had waited all day, hosting a banquet at home, and the man still hadn't shown up.
What if the nameless mangled corpse was the County Magistrate's nephew?
Whether it was bandits killing for money or a demon causing trouble, the moment the County Magistrate's kin were involved, the case became something else entirely.
On top of that, the constables sent to investigate had vanished without a trace. That made Chief Qian even more certain that a demon was behind it.
After all, four constables who had trained in the Blood Battle Saber Technique and carried sharp weapons wouldn't be easy prey for ordinary bandits.
If a demon had killed the County Magistrate's kin, all the years of effort Prefect Hu and Chief Qian had put in could go to waste.
The County Magistrate could decide with a single word whether Prefect Hu kept his post—or whether Chief Qian kept his.
If they mishandled this...
Chief Qian finished recounting the case, his face clouded with worry.
But as Shen Lin listened, his eyes gradually brightened. Before Chief Qian could even finish, he stood up and said, "Chief Qian, if it's urgent, I'll go take a look."
"Good. I trust you to handle it."
Seeing Shen Lin accept the assignment, Chief Qian let out a breath of relief. "The hunter's still in town. I've already sent for him, and he'll show you the way. Do you want to bring a few more people?"
"No need."
Shen Lin shook his head and said, "If your guess is right and a demon is behind this, it'll be easier for me to go alone."
"True."
Chief Qian nodded.
Unlike the Patrol Office, their constables had no heavy crossbows or iron armor. Ordinary constables would have little chance of fighting back if they ran into a powerful demon. They might even hold Shen Lin back.
"Be careful out there. If things look too serious for you to handle, come back at once."
"Understood."
After taking his leave of Chief Qian, Shen Lin went straight to the hunter. He didn't even return home before heading out of the city.
After all, he couldn't rely solely on Sun Zhi to hunt demons. Now that he'd found an opportunity, he naturally had to seize it.
With nothing else to do along the way, he took out the manual for Shadow Severing Step and began reading.
After a long while, the hunter—who had reached halfway up the mountain—suddenly stopped.
"Master Shen! We're here!"
But he received no response.
He turned around and saw Shen Lin standing motionless, book held up in front of him.
After waiting a while, the hunter called again in a small voice, "Master Shen! Master Shen, we're here!"
This time, Shen Lin finally came to his senses.
He slowly lowered the book, revealing his face.
When the hunter saw Shen Lin's deep-set gaze, he couldn't help but freeze.
For an instant, the world-weary look in Shen Lin's eyes seemed even heavier than that of the elderly in his village.
The hunter's instincts hadn't been wrong.
Because just moments ago, after mastering Shadow Severing Step, Shen Lin had begun a simulation.
In the blink of an eye, he had already spent a hundred years inside the system.
[Year One: You begin cultivating Shadow Severing Step. Though you have no foundation in footwork, your strong physique allows you to reach the entry level.] [Year Ten: You cultivate day and night, and your steps become ever more elusive. Shadow Severing Step reaches the minor mastery stage.] [Year Twenty-One: The principles of Shadow Severing Step have become instinctive. You can perform its exquisite footwork at any time. Shadow Severing Step reaches the major mastery stage!] [Year Forty-Five: After twenty-four years of effort, you have practiced Shadow Severing Step without pause and finally grasped its essence. From now on, your movements are formless, like a specter dancing through the shadows. Shadow Severing Step reaches perfection!] [Year Fifty-Three: You continue studying Shadow Severing Step and finally sense the five meridians connected to it. Perhaps because you have never cultivated a movement technique before, three of those meridians are ones you have never cultivated.] [Year Fifty-Four: You take the Meridian Unblocking Pill and begin opening your eighth meridian. After taking two Meridian Unblocking Pills in succession, you open your eighth meridian, and your abundant Qi and Blood Force surges into the ninth. But even with the help of the medicine's lingering potency, progress in opening the ninth meridian is exceptionally slow.] [Year One Hundred: After fifty years of effort, you have opened nearly one-third of the ninth meridian.]
Shadow Severing Step, perfected!
Eighth meridian, opened!
Before you continue