Zheng Fengyun: Constable Li Truly Deserved to Die!

Seeing that Constable Li did not rise to object, Cui Lang felt that Constable Li was willing to help him.

After waiting a while, the lid of the little pot in his mind fell shut. Only then did Cui Lang rise to his feet and search Constable Li again, leaving him deeply disappointed.

"A dignified ninth-rank Copper Badge Constable, and it's one thing not to carry any cultivation manuals or martial skill manuals, but you don't even bring silver when you go out?"

He was certain that Constable Li had pocketed plenty of silver besides the Blood Pills. After all, it was Constable Li who had led men to confiscate the home of that fellow who had duped the commoners into donating money to build a River God Temple.

Cui Lang had never heard of the money the commoners had been swindled out of being returned after the confiscation. Even if Constable Li had needed to offer some up as tribute, he must have stuffed a huge sum of silver into his own pockets.

But it did not matter. Before long, perhaps he would get to experience the pleasure of confiscating Constable Li's home.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Cui Lang recovered some of his true essence. He saw faint firelight outside; other villagers had heard the commotion and come running over.

"D-demons!"

A shrill scream tore through the night sky.

Cui Lang strode over. One person had collapsed onto the ground, his eyes squeezed shut as he scrambled backward with both hands and feet. A torch lay on the ground beside him.

"D-don't kill me! Please, don't kill me! I'll leave right away, and I absolutely won't tell anyone what I saw."

Cui Lang grabbed him by the collar. "Look carefully. I'm not a demon. I'm a constable from the yamen. The demons are all dead."

Hearing this and realizing that he apparently had not died, the man finally opened his eyes. He cautiously glanced at Cui Lang and at last clearly saw the constable's uniform he wore.

"You're an officer from the yamen? You killed all the demons?"

Even though the demons were dead, the rank stench constantly flooding into his nose still made his whole body go limp, leaving him unable to muster any strength.

"Hurry and wake everyone in the village. Leave half the people here, and have the other half head for the city at once to notify all the officials and ask them to send people to handle this."

"Also warn everyone not to approach. Demon blood is poisonous. If it gets on you, you'll fall gravely ill at best and die outright at worst."

Only then did the man on the ground scramble up and run outside to tell the others who had rushed over about the situation within. In less than a quarter of an hour, some people hurried toward the county seat in ox carts, horse carriages, or on donkeys.

Watching the departing crowd, Cui Lang knew that dozens of people going to report this together would make an enormous stir. Moreover, the villagers all knew that many demons had died here.

With such a huge commotion, could the county still keep it covered up?

Cui Lang turned and entered the house, searching again. He found some silver, wrapped it in a piece of clothing, and placed it in the corner by the wall.

Unfortunately, other than that silver, he found nothing else that interested him.

After waiting nearly two hours, Cui Lang finally heard hoofbeats. He immediately rose from the ground, circulated his true essence, and his face swiftly turned incomparably pale.

Zheng Fengyun vaulted over the wall. Seeing the pile of corpses before him, the corner of his eye twitched wildly.

"Cui Lang, what happened here?!"

Why were there six demons here? Today was not the day to collect Blood Pills. What was Constable Li doing here, and why had he not told him?

And all six demons were dead. Even Constable Li was dead. The coachman Constable Li had cultivated for several years was dead. Yet Cui Lang alone had survived.

Half an hour earlier, so many commoners had gone to the city to report the matter. Those fools had even split up to pound on the four city gates, and every gate guard had learned that demons had appeared here and had already been slain. There had been no time at all to conceal it.

He had thought that after collecting this month's Blood Pills, he could attempt a breakthrough into the Core Embracing Realm. Now his entire plan had been ruined!

Looking utterly weak, Cui Lang propped himself up with his sheathed waist saber, his body still trembling faintly. "Magistrate Zheng, Constable Li came to find this subordinate today and told me to accompany him outside the city to intimidate the demons."

"After we arrived, six demons attacked us. Constable Li took the lead, leading this subordinate and his coachman in a fierce battle against the demons."

"Yet the demons were cunning and vicious. Constable Li also had to divide his attention to protect this subordinate. In the end, he severely wounded all six demons but was himself harmed by the demons and died a heroic death."

"However, this subordinate also slew all the demons and avenged Constable Li."

Zheng Fengyun lowered his head to inspect the wounds on the demons. They were indeed all saber wounds, and they looked like they had been inflicted by the Eight Desolations Slash.

Such deep wounds—several demons had even been beheaded. How could Cui Lang possibly have done that?

Constable Li must have killed them all. Cui Lang was trying to claim credit now that Constable Li was dead?

Just as Constable Li had said, this brat Cui Lang was greedy and wanted to climb higher.

Zheng Fengyun stared into Cui Lang's eyes. "Cui Lang, you still refuse to tell the truth at a time like this? Do you really think I know nothing?"

"I have long known every detail about the matter between you and Constable Li. Could he possibly have concealed something this big by himself?"

Cui Lang looked at Zheng Fengyun with a face full of shock, and Zheng Fengyun was very satisfied with that expression.

"The reason I had you investigate before was merely to test you. You passed the test. I had even planned to have Constable Li bring you to see me these next few days, but I never expected him to already be dead."

"Constable Li killed the demons, didn't he? Why did they gather here? Was it because of the Blood Pills?"

"If you still refuse to tell the truth, I'll cut you down right now!"

Then he could simply say that Cui Lang had been grievously wounded by the demons and died beyond treatment. Who could expose him?

By mentioning the Blood Pills, he was also telling Cui Lang that they were on the same side.

Only then did Cui Lang lower his head. "Magistrate Zheng, forgive this subordinate for failing to recognize your greatness. I did not know that you were the true man in charge. Constable Li never mentioned it to this subordinate."

"Constable Li suddenly summoned this subordinate here today, saying it was time to collect the Blood Pills."

"At the time, this subordinate was guarding the door and truly did not know what was discussed inside. I only heard Constable Li say that the numbers were wrong, and then they suddenly began fighting."

"This subordinate rushed in with Brother Coachman to help. Constable Li said the demons had broken the rules, while the demons said Constable Li had broken the rules instead, constantly increasing the amount."

"Later, Constable Li slew several demons, but the dog demon bit through his throat. This subordinate truly killed the dog demon, Magistrate Zheng. Please see clearly."

Zheng Fengyun narrowed his eyes. Constable Li had actually come to collect the Blood Pills in advance behind his back?

And from the sound of it, the amount he demanded had been quite large?

He searched Constable Li's clothes and saw the shattered bottle, along with Blood Pills that had turned to powder. His heart bled.

Judging by the amount of powder, at least a dozen Blood Pills had been destroyed. They could have helped him break through.

Most likely, that greedy bastard Constable Li had wanted to embezzle some Blood Pills for himself. He had pressed the demons too hard, causing them to turn against him. To keep the secret, he had fought desperately, only for both sides to perish together.

To have killed so many demons, Constable Li's strength had to be at least at the peak of the Essence Gathering Realm. Yet he had previously claimed to be only at the late stage of the Essence Gathering Realm. It seemed he had already embezzled quite a few Blood Pills before this, or he could never have improved so quickly.

For his own selfish desires, he had not only destroyed Zheng Fengyun's means of gathering Blood Pills, but also poked such a huge hole in the sky. If Constable Li had not died, Zheng Fengyun would have wanted to cut him down with his own hands and grind his bones to ash!

Zheng Fengyun looked into Cui Lang's eyes. "Cui Lang, do you want to become a constable?"