The County Magistrate's Courtship

Shen Lin had initially thought Lin Youwei had called him over because of the Demon Cultivator case. After all, the victim had been his nephew.

But after chatting for a while, Lin Youwei never mentioned the case.

They talked about everything, from interesting anecdotes in Qiulin County to rumors from the provincial capital.

Gradually, Shen Lin caught on.

Was he... trying to win him over?

Although Shen Lin had done his best to conceal his cultivation, a twenty-year-old in the Opening Meridians Realm was still a rare sight in Qiulin County.

Did he think that someone from a family like Li Bailin's couldn't get their hands on an Opening Meridians cultivation manual or a Meridian Unblocking Pill?

It was just that even with those resources, whether one could successfully open their meridians still depended on oneself.

The human body was full of mysteries. The meridians lay in different places in each person's body; the slightest discrepancy could lead to a thousand-mile difference.

Even if someone obtained an Opening Meridians cultivation manual, they still had to comprehend it for themselves and find the locations of their own meridians.

That was why talent mattered so much.

Sure enough, Lin Youwei changed the subject the next moment. "I hear you killed three more demons this time? Excellent! I'll personally speak with the Demon Suppression Bureau. I'll make sure you get your due."

Shen Lin put on an overwhelmed expression and immediately rose to thank him.

"Thank you, County Magistrate Lin. I'm humbled. As for that Demon Cultivator case from before, I still..."

"Ah!" Lin Youwei seemed to know what he was about to say. He waved a hand and cut him off. "Just thinking about that makes my blood boil. You captured that Demon Cultivator alive, and Hu Dongxing still let someone silence him right under his nose. Hmph!"

He shook his head and continued, "You don't need to worry about it anymore! Hu Dongxing and Qian Dazhi botched the job, so they can clean up the mess!"

At that, he paused, as if remembering something, then suddenly stood up. "That's right. I never got the chance to thank you for what you did. Solving a murder case is part of the County Office's duty, but the victim was still my nephew. I ought to thank you properly..."

As he spoke, he began searching through the bookcase behind him.

Shen Lin was utterly speechless at his actions.

Good grief, I already changed the subject, and you still managed to circle back to it.

Helpless, he could only rise and say, "You're too kind, sir. It was my duty. I remember the Demon Suppression Bureau offers a bounty for Demon Cultivators, so there's no need to trouble yourself."

At those words, Lin Youwei's raised hand paused slightly. He slowly turned around.

The smile had vanished from his face. He stared at Shen Lin expressionlessly.

The man who held power over an entire county had an imposing presence no weaker than any of the Opening Meridians Realm experts Shen Lin had met before.

But Shen Lin didn't back down at all. He simply met Lin Youwei's gaze.

Lin Youwei's intention was obvious: he wanted to bring Shen Lin under his wing.

Strictly speaking, Shen Lin was already his subordinate, but in the end, he served the uniform, not Lin Youwei himself.

He probably wanted Shen Lin to become his personal retainer, like that Golden Pen Guest.

Shen Lin didn't want to spend his life as Lin Youwei's lackey, letting the years slip by.

He still wanted to join the Demon Suppression Bureau and climb step by step to the very peak of martial cultivation by slaying demons and vanquishing evil.

"Heh, not bad, not bad! You really are something!"

After a moment of silence, Lin Youwei suddenly laughed.

He took a book from a nearby shelf and blew the dust off it. "With your martial talent, you have a very good chance of joining the Demon Suppression Bureau. I understand that you don't want to follow me and give up your path in martial arts. But I never meant to make you abandon the idea of joining the Bureau."

He set the book on the desk and pushed it toward Shen Lin, smiling faintly. "I only wanted to make a friend!"

Shen Lin lowered his eyes to the book, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Eagle Claw Technique

He had seen this martial art in the Demon Suppression Bureau's exchange catalog before.

It took a full thirty contribution points to exchange for. Its value was obvious.

He was giving away such a precious martial art just to make a friend?

"Looks like you know where this martial art comes from."

Lin Youwei smiled, sat down behind the desk, and lifted his teacup. "Take it without worry. Your talent is worth investing in."

Shen Lin smiled. Without much hesitation, he reached out and picked up the Eagle Claw Technique.

"Thank you, sir. If I achieve something in martial arts one day, I'll never forget your kindness today."

Shen Lin hadn't wanted to accept anything from Lin Youwei when he couldn't figure out what the man was after.

But what Lin Youwei had offered was exactly what he needed most right now: a martial art!

Shen Lin had opened ten meridians in his body, but there were still two whose locations he hadn't figured out. He needed martial arts to help him work them out.

Fine. If the chance came, he could always save Lin Youwei's life someday.

Having made up his mind, Shen Lin accepted the gift without a hint of awkwardness.

"Good, good! That's how it should be in the pursuit of martial arts. What kind of martial artist would be so fussy and hesitant?"

Lin Youwei seemed delighted. Stroking his beard with satisfaction, he turned to Li's Secretary and asked, "Secretary Li, have things been arranged at Yanbin Restaurant?"

Li's Secretary smiled broadly and replied at once, "Everything's been taken care of!"

"Dear nephew Shen, it's getting late. I've arranged a banquet at Yanbin Restaurant. Today, we'll drink until we're both drunk!"

Shen Lin opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

More than a banquet, he wanted to go straight home and start working out the martial art.

But having just accepted the man's gift, it would have felt a little embarrassing to turn around and walk away.

Yanbin Restaurant wasn't far from the County Office, so Lin Youwei didn't bother with a sedan chair. He walked out of the County Office alongside Shen Lin, chatting as they went, with the secretary and Du Yuanshan, the Golden Pen Guest, following behind.

They hadn't been walking long when Shen Lin, who had been listening to Lin Youwei brag, suddenly stirred. He glanced casually behind them.

A young man dressed in green had been following them cautiously ever since they left the County Office. His eyes hadn't left County Magistrate Lin for a moment.

Du Yuanshan noticed him too. He stepped forward and whispered a few words in Lin Youwei's ear.

Lin Youwei frowned and stroked his beard. "Go bring him over!"