Lu Xuenning and Chen Fan had said that all of Ping'an County was rotten to the core.
Demonic creatures colluded with officials, hiding in the county town as they preyed on people for wealth and blood, running rampant without restraint.
At first, Chen Fan hadn't believed it. But now he had slain the Great White Ape Demon at Spring View Pavilion and joined Lu Xuenning in killing four of its underlings. He could no longer deny it.
The Great White Ape Demon had established Spring View Pavilion, the largest brothel in Ping'an County, while posing as its hidden owner. That would have been impossible without support from the Government Office.
It was clear that someone in the Government Office was in league with demonic creatures.
The Jinyiwei had been patrolling Ping'an County all along, yet they had never found any demonic creatures harming people. That was clearly implausible, too.
It followed that someone among the Jinyiwei had to be colluding with demonic creatures as well.
Lu Xuenning suspected that person was Cao De, the Baihu of the Ping'an County Jinyiwei. Now Chen Fan thought it was quite possible, too.
If even the highest-ranking person in the Ping'an County Baihu Office was in league with demonic creatures, could the Zongqi Officers, Xiaoqi Officers, and even those who had served in the Jinyiwei for years really know nothing about it?
Or was everyone pretending to be clueless, keeping their noses clean and looking the other way?
"Could Brother Zhao Jia have found evidence that someone in the Jinyiwei was colluding with demonic creatures, and been silenced for it?"
"But before he was sent on that mission, Brother Zhao Jia and I always patrolled together and went on assignments together."
Standing off to one side, Chen Fan's mind raced. Then a thought struck him.
The night before they'd been sent out on an urgent patrol, something had happened to him and Zhao Jia.
He had spotted a shadow darting past and suspected demonic creatures were at work. So they'd followed it all the way to a luxurious Separate Courtyard in North City.
The situation had been urgent. Without waiting for the owner's permission, he'd vaulted the wall and entered the Separate Courtyard to search for demonic creatures, while Zhao Jia had circled around to block the rear gate.
But the moment he entered the courtyard, he heard waves of wanton moaning. The owner was also a formidable expert, and as soon as he sensed Chen Fan's arrival, he'd shouted at him to get lost.
Chen Fan looked around the courtyard but saw no sign of demonic creatures. He told the owner that demonic creatures might have infiltrated his residence, urged him to stay alert, and advised him to seek help from the Jinyiwei immediately if anything happened.
The owner merely snorted and ignored him. Chen Fan had taken the hint and left.
"I should find time to investigate that Separate Courtyard in North City."
"It's not far from the County Magistrate's residence. The owner must be rich or powerful, so it shouldn't be hard to find out who he is."
Chen Fan thought to himself.
"Where are the demonic creatures?"
Just then, Liu Xuan, the County Lieutenant of Ping'an County, arrived with his men. When he saw the Great White Ape Demon lying there with its head severed, he shuddered. Then he glanced at Lu Xuenning and asked:
"Head Constable Lu, did you kill this Great White Ape Demon?"
"I did."
Feeling a little guilty, Lu Xuenning claimed all the credit without hesitation.
"We're in trouble!"
"We're in trouble!"
"Do you know the origins of this Great White Ape Demon?"
"Our Ping'an County sits in the shadow of Black Mountain. Three notorious Great Demons dwell there: Tiger Demon Mountain Lord, Wolf Demon Howling Moon, and Ape Demon Three Eyes."
"The White Ape you killed today was Three Eyes' brother. If Three Eyes learns that his brother died at your hands, he won't let you get away with it."
County Lieutenant Liu Xuan said, his face crumpling with worry.
"Why are you so afraid, County Lieutenant? If that Ape Demon dares to come, just kill it. You're Ping'an County's County Lieutenant, responsible for keeping the peace. If you fear demonic creatures this much, how can you protect the people of Ping'an County?"
Seeing County Lieutenant Liu Xuan's sniveling, Lu Xuenning couldn't help feeling disgusted. If all the officials in Ping'an County were like this, then the county was beyond saving.
"Afraid of demonic creatures?"
"If Ape Demon Three Eyes really comes to demand an explanation, Head Constable Lu, would you dare shoulder the responsibility alone?"
"If those demonic creatures go on a rampage, who knows how many innocent people will die in the chaos? Is that what you want to see, Head Constable Lu?"
"Can you guarantee that the people of Ping'an County won't be killed in retaliation for this?"
County Lieutenant Liu Xuan looked at Lu Xuenning with a mocking smile as he asked.
"So we should just let demonic creatures run rampant?"
"Everyone, why not go up to the top floor of Spring View Pavilion and see for yourselves? The Great White Ape Demon made a wine pool of human blood and a meat forest of women's bodies. Who knows how many people died at its hands?"
"Now I've killed it, and you, County Lieutenant Liu, are still cowering in fear. What kind of County Lieutenant are you?"
Lu Xuenning was so incensed by County Lieutenant Liu Xuan's words that she laughed.
"How dare you!"
"Don't think you can act with impunity just because you're a Head Constable sent down from Longyuan Prefecture."
"This is Ping'an County, and you're nothing but a minor Head Constable!"
County Lieutenant Liu Xuan said in a low voice.
"Isn't slaying demonic creatures your Jinyiwei's duty?"
"Zongqi Officer Li, do you think what I did was right or wrong?"
Lu Xuenning turned her gaze to Li Mo, the Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer standing to one side and watching the show.
"I think Head Constable Lu did nothing wrong."
"But County Lieutenant Liu has his own difficulties, too."
"Our Jinyiwei and Government Office in Ping'an County are weak, while all three Great Demons on Black Mountain are immensely powerful. It wouldn't be wise to provoke them."
"Demonic creatures are brutal and hold grudges. Kill one, and the others will retaliate savagely. Martial Artists like us are strong enough to withstand their revenge, but the people of Ping'an County would suffer."
Li Mo's words sounded impartial, but in truth, he agreed more with County Lieutenant Liu Xuan.
"So we're just supposed to let demonic creatures run wild and prey on the people?"
Lu Xuenning really couldn't understand what was going through these two men's minds.
"We have no choice!"
"We can only sacrifice the interests of a few to secure peace and stability for all of Ping'an County, then build up our strength and await a shift in the times. Only then can we wipe out every last demonic creature!"
Li Mo sighed as he spoke.
But Chen Fan, standing not far behind him, saw the corner of his mouth curl upward. Li Mo clearly hadn't taken Lu Xuenning's words to heart.
In fact, he probably thought Lu Xuenning was foolish and ridiculous.
"Peace like this is like piling firewood under a burning house. The more fuel you add, the fiercer the flames."
"You keep yielding to demonic creatures. First they prey on the people; next, they'll come for you. Before long, all of Ping'an County will become a playground for demonic creatures."
"Everyone here will become their rations!"
Lu Xuenning shook her head. She had completely lost faith in the Ping'an County Government Office and the Jinyiwei.
Perhaps County Lieutenant Liu Xuan and Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer Li Mo weren't truly colluding with demonic creatures. But by turning a blind eye to the ones infiltrating Ping'an County, they were delivering the people straight into their jaws!
Chen Fan watched it all unfold, feeling deeply frustrated.
"Head Constable Lu, you're being alarmist."
"We Jinyiwei make it our duty to slay demonic creatures. Whenever we see them harming the people, we'll cut them down without mercy. There's no such thing as compromise or retreat."
Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer Li Mo offered a strained reply.
"Let's hope so!"
Lu Xuenning snorted and left Spring View Pavilion. Her subordinates looked from her to County Lieutenant Liu Xuan. A few wanted to leave with Lu Xuenning.
County Lieutenant Liu Xuan swept them with a cold glance, as if to say, "I can't deal with her, but I can deal with you."
The constables and yamen runners who had wanted to follow Lu Xuenning all stopped.
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