She Gave Far Too Much

That night was sleepless for many people.

Chief Qian braved the cold wind, waiting outside the County Magistrate's home for the sun to rise.

Prefect Hu examined Cao Yongjun's corpse, hoping to find even the slightest clue.

After flying away from the county town, the Bird Demon returned through a secret passage.

Inside Miaoyin Tower, Zijing was playing Go with someone.

Her slender, fair hand placed a black stone on the board as she asked softly, "Was that Bird Demon from earlier one of Black Wind Stronghold's great demons?"

"No!"

A white stone landed on the board. The man across from her spoke in a steady voice, continuing, "None of Black Wind Stronghold's eight chiefs is a Bird Demon."

Zijing held a Go stone between her fingers, looking thoughtful. "That's strange. Where did this Opening Meridians Realm Bird Demon come from, then?"

"More importantly..."

The man across from her looked up, his expression grave. "Miss, you need to keep a lower profile lately. I've heard that the great families have already made their preparations in secret. They're just waiting for you to walk into their trap."

His features were resolute. Even sitting cross-legged on the cushioned couch, he kept his back ramrod straight.

"Inspector Cheng!"

Zijing immediately recognized him. It was Cheng Yi, the Inspector of Qiulin County.

"You should know that my father died unjustly, and all fourteen members of my family were killed. I was the only one who survived. They're all watching me from below, waiting for me to avenge them. And to do that, I have to recover our family's cultivation manual!"

Crack!

Her slender, fair fingers crushed the stone Go piece with ease.

As she spoke, Zijing's face twisted, her eyes filled with boundless hatred.

Cheng Yi sighed and said softly, "I think Lord Yuan, if his spirit watches over us from heaven, would only wish for you to live in peace for the rest of your life..."

"Cheng Yi!!!"

Zijing suddenly snapped, "You were nothing but my father's stable hand back then. Don't act like you know him so well!"

Though she had insulted him so, Cheng Yi showed no anger. He fell silent for a long while before asking, "How do you want me to help?"

Hearing this, Zijing's expression softened a little. "The Thousand Pines Diagram, which hides my family's secret art, really was sold to someone in Qiulin County by a merchant back then. But I've already investigated every wealthy household in town, and I haven't found it."

"But a few days ago, the dimwitted son of the wealthy Wu Family in Baoshan Village was drinking at Miaoyin Tower. Someone heard him say his family had a Thousand Pines Diagram, a rare treasure from back then."

Cheng Yi frowned. "Baoshan Village? It's near the Qiulin Mountains, and most of the wealthy families there are on good terms with the demons of Black Wind Stronghold..."

Zijing seemed to know what worried him. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'm not asking you to put yourself in danger. All you have to do is impersonate me for a while and keep visiting the vaults of a few wealthy families."

Cheng Yi paused, then seemed to understand. His expression grew solemn. "They've started suspecting you?"

Zijing shrugged helplessly. "Last time, I accidentally crossed paths with that dimwitted son of the Li Family. I got through it safely, but the Li Family has been investigating me in secret ever since. I'm going to Baoshan Village this time to clear my name while I'm at it."

"You're going alone?" Cheng Yi immediately shook his head. "No! It's too dangerous. If you run into any of Black Wind Stronghold's chiefs, even with your strength, it'll be hard to escape."

"Don't worry!" Zijing wore an inscrutable smile as she murmured, "I recently met an interesting fellow. I think he'll be more than happy to help me."

Beneath Qiulin County's seemingly peaceful night, dark currents surged.

But none of this seemed to have anything to do with Shen Lin.

After a good night's sleep, he woke up the next morning to some good news.

"I contacted a lot of people, but only one demon agreed to meet with me."

Sun Zhi stood with his head lowered beside the table. When he saw Shen Lin finish breakfast, he hurriedly handed him a towel.

After wiping his hands, Shen Lin smiled. "Head Constable Sun, you haven't let me down."

Despite Shen Lin's praise, Sun Zhi showed no sign of delight.

He looked troubled as he said, "But the other side insists that I go alone."

He couldn't bring anyone—not even a human to serve as blood food.

However you looked at it, the condition seemed suspicious.

But Shen Lin didn't seem to care at all. He simply stood up and patted Sun Zhi on the shoulder. "Don't be afraid. I'm right behind you."

"I promise those guys won't lay a finger on you."

After receiving Shen Lin's assurance, Sun Zhi hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and nodded. "They want me to go to Baoshan Village tonight. I'll set out first. You can leave fifteen minutes later. Our trading partner this time is a Dog Demon, and its senses are extremely sharp. Be careful!"

After saying this, Sun Zhi hurried off to pack at home.

Once he'd seen Sun Zhi off, Shen Lin looked at the clear sky and stretched luxuriously.

What a lovely day to go to work.

In that case, I'll go back and take another nap.

Just as he was about to return to his bedroom, he heard a knock at the door.

"Another case?"

He assumed someone from the County Office had come for him.

But when he opened the door, he found Zijing standing there in a pink dress, smiling sweetly.

Bang!

Shen Lin promptly slammed the door shut.

Outside, the smile on Zijing's face froze.

After staring blankly for a moment, she looked around. Seeing that nobody was paying attention, she gathered her strength, leaped up, and vaulted straight over the courtyard wall.

She landed right in front of Shen Lin and sneered, "Master Shen! Why are you ignoring your little sweetheart now?"

"I'm sick of you."

Shen Lin rolled his eyes, not bothering to be polite.

He truly didn't want to get mixed up with her.

Sure, she had a pretty face, a curvy figure, and a lovely voice.

But she was also a rich woman who could casually hand out two Meridian Unblocking Pills. Her background had to be extraordinary.

Though Shen Lin was among the strongest in Qiulin County, who knew how many hidden aces were lurking in the shadows?

Take the Demon Cultivator he'd dealt with just yesterday. The man hadn't been much of a fighter, but between his ability to control zombies and all his underhanded tricks, Shen Lin would have paid a price if he hadn't mastered the Shadow Severing Step.

So aside from demons, he ought to avoid getting mixed up in trouble whenever he could.

With that in mind, he yawned. "Whatever you're here for, I'm not interested. You should go home."

But Zijing seemed to understand Shen Lin's temperament. She knew that without a sufficient price, it would be hard to get this old fox—who'd hidden his strength for so many years—to act. So she opened with her trump card.

"Five Meridian Unblocking Pills! Help me with something tonight!"

Shen Lin's eyes widened. His feet had been poised to head back inside, but he stopped dead.

Five Meridian Unblocking Pills!

Damn, this rich woman!!!

After hesitating for a long time, he still shook his head. "I can't help you!"

The Meridian Unblocking Pills were tempting, but he had important business to take care of tonight.

If he wasn't mistaken, Sun Zhi would draw out at least two Opening Meridians Realm demons this time. After all, Sun Zhi had previously slain an Opening Meridians Realm Wolf Demon. The other side would surely be prepared.

Two Opening Meridians Realm demons meant at least two hundred years of demonic lifespan.

And the danger was manageable. At worst, Shen Lin could abandon Sun Zhi as bait and leave. He could still guarantee his own safety.

But Zijing's matter was full of unknown risks. He'd better...

"It's not anything troublesome. You only need to accompany me to Baoshan Village to retrieve something."

Shen Lin whipped around. "Where did you say?"

"Baoshan Village!"

"Actually, it's not like I'm doing this for those Meridian Unblocking Pills. I just happen to enjoy helping people. How many Pills do I get upfront?"