Molten-Gold Yama? That Nickname Didn't Sound Like It Belonged to a Good Guy Either...

The group headed into town along the bluestone road.

Liu Houde led the way in front, speaking of the recent situation in his jurisdiction, while his heart kept pounding uneasily.

He had received the official notice earlier saying that the new patrol inspector came from the trainee ranks, so he had not held out much hope to begin with.

But when he saw with his own eyes that Xu Jin was only eighteen or nineteen, with a refined build and clean, youthful features—looking even more boyish than the scholarly students in town—his heart sank straight to the bottom.

Was this someone who had come to suppress evil and eliminate fiends?

He was clearly some aristocratic young master sent to the grassroots to gild his résumé and pad his credentials!

Even Zhou Zheng, a full-fledged demon exterminator, had been swallowed up by the mess at Green-Mud Ferry. What use could a green trainee possibly be?

Had the higher-ups treated Green-Mud Ferry like a mere ornament?

At that thought, the respect on Liu Houde's face faded somewhat. His manners remained impeccable, but his tone held less sincerity and more perfunctory politeness.

He even glossed over several major unsolved cases he had intended to mention, saying only that he would report them in detail once they had settled in.

Wang Lei followed beside them, and after hearing a few sentences, he immediately sensed that something was off.

He had partnered with Xu Jin for so long that he could not stand seeing anyone look down on his biggest backer. At once, he spoke with some indignation. "If Mayor Liu thinks a trainee's status isn't enough to hold the fort, then rest assured. Wang Defa of the Profound Yin Hall in the western suburbs was personally cut down beneath Brother Xu's sword. A few ripples at Green-Mud Ferry won't trouble him."

Liu Houde's steps abruptly halted.

"W-what did Lord Wang say?" He spun around, the perfunctory look on his face instantly frozen. "Wang Defa? That Profound Yin Hall elder Wang Defa who ran rampant through the western suburbs for years?"

That was an evil cultivator at the Grandmaster level!!!

The Demon Suppression Bureau had organized several encirclement campaigns, yet had not even brushed the corner of his robes. And now, he had died at the hands of a trainee?

"Why would I lie to you?" Wang Lei deliberately kept his tone calm; this was exactly the effect he wanted. "During the ambush on the official road, Brother Xu charged into their formation alone and slew Wang Defa with a single sword strike. The cultivation circles in the provincial capital gave him the nickname 'Molten-Gold Yama.' That's him."

Molten-Gold Yama?

That nickname didn't sound like it belonged to a good guy either...

Liu Houde's mind buzzed, and he cursed himself bloody from head to toe.

He hurriedly cupped his hands toward Xu Jin again and again, bowing so low his waist nearly folded in two. "This subordinate failed to recognize Mount Tai! My utmost apologies, truly! This subordinate was muddleheaded, listening to mere scraps of street gossip and slighting Lord Patrol Inspector. Please be magnanimous..."

He felt both fear and relief.

He feared that he had actually dared slight this god of slaughter just now, and rejoiced that he had not truly offended him beyond repair.

Someone capable of slaying a Grandmaster—not only could he suppress Green-Mud Ferry, it would not be surprising if he plowed through every fiend in the whole place!

This was no gilded young master. He was clearly a Yama sent down by the higher-ups!

When Liu Houde spoke again, not a trace of perfunctoriness remained in his voice. His pace quickened as well, and he hurriedly led the two of them toward their station, endlessly recounting the details of the recent cases.

They walked on until they reached the stone road beside the ferry crossing.

After rounding a patch of reeds, several figures stood brazenly blocking the middle of the road.

At their head were He Hu and Xie Kun. Behind them stood four Canal Gang disciples with sabers at their waists, each wearing an unfriendly expression. They had clearly been waiting here specifically for them.

He Hu stood at the front with his arms folded, sizing Xu Jin up from head to toe. The last trace of concern in his heart vanished.

Hah.

Just some green trainee.

He spoke in a mocking tone. "So he really is just a green trainee. Has the Demon Suppression Bureau run out of people? They sent a child to handle Green-Mud Ferry's affairs?"

"I'm telling you, the sunken tomb beneath the river was discovered by the Canal Gang first. It's merely an ordinary ancient site, with no fiends to speak of, so we won't trouble you to worry about it. Go back where you came from. Don't stand here getting in the way."

His voice was not quiet. He clearly intended to give this newcomer a show of force and make him retreat in the face of difficulty.

In his eyes, he was only a trainee. A few threats ought to send him crying back to the provincial capital.

Liu Houde's expression changed, and he was just about to step forward to smooth things over when Xu Jin moved first.

No one saw how he struck. They only saw a pale-golden afterimage flicker before their eyes.

The next second, Xu Jin was already standing before He Hu.

The surrounding air seemed to have been sucked away as a crushing pressure came crashing down.

He Hu's legs immediately went weak, and he dropped straight to his knees.

His face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain, and with his mouth hanging open, he could not draw a single breath for a long while. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Xu Jin.

What kind of cultivation was this? He could make me kneel through sheer pressure alone?

Xu Jin's voice was not loud, yet it crashed down like a hammer. "You have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to disappear from my sight. You only get one such chance."

Xie Kun supported the limp He Hu. His mind boomed as he suddenly recalled the name that had been spreading like wildfire through the provincial capital lately—Molten-Gold Yama!

Yang-fire sword qi, the bane of yin filth. Absurdly young, yet capable of slaying a Grandmaster...

As every clue linked together, Xie Kun's face went pale in an instant.

He cursed He Hu bloody in his heart. Damn it, the rumors were true. After all that scheming, we missed this one detail!

He hurriedly cupped his hands, his voice trembling. "Y-yes, we had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai. We have offended Lord Patrol Inspector! We'll leave at once, at once!"

With that, he half-supported and half-dragged He Hu away, leading the disciples as they turned and fled in a sorry state.

Liu Houde stood behind them, watching with his heart pounding wildly. The corners of his mouth could not be pressed down no matter how hard he tried.

He knew Xu Jin was strong, but he had not expected him to be this strong! A Canal Gang retainer at the third level of the Comprehension Realm had not even received a single move. He had knelt from pressure alone?

Good thing I changed my tune quickly...

He wiped the sweat from his brow and hurried forward with an ingratiating smile. "Please calm your anger, my lord. Those crude men know no rules. This subordinate will give them a proper warning later!"

Xu Jin did not reply. He withdrew his pressure and continued onward as if nothing had happened.

Elsewhere, Riverside Villa.

He Hu had been dragged back by Xie Kun. The moment he entered, he collapsed into a chair, clutching his chest as he struggled to recover for a long while.

"Wicked... it's fucking wicked..." Fear still lingered in his heart. "That kid is terrifying. This time, we really kicked an iron plate."

Xie Kun's expression was no better. He sat at the table and pondered for a long time before speaking. "We definitely can't win by confronting him head-on. The two of us together aren't worth a single stroke of his sword. But we can't open that rune-carved stone gate ourselves. Are we supposed to just give up on the alchemy cauldron inheritance?"

He Hu froze. "Then what can we do? This man can kill Grandmasters. Going up against him would be serving ourselves on a platter."

"If hard won't work, we go soft." A calculating glint flashed through Xie Kun's eyes.

"We'll have Manager Li from the Canal Transport Office make the introduction. We'll pretend to cooperate with his investigation and tell him about the sunken tomb. Say we're willing to explore it with him and join forces to eliminate the evil within. Once he opens the stone gate, we'll act when the chance arises. We may not be without a chance at the alchemy cauldron inheritance."

He Hu's eyes lit up, but he soon hesitated again. "Can he trust us?"

"Whether he trusts us doesn't matter. He wants to investigate the case and eliminate the water Baleful Intent, so he can't avoid the sunken tomb. With us leading the way, it'll save him a great deal of trouble," Xie Kun said with certainty.

"He's with the Demon Suppression Bureau. He cares about rules. As long as we pretend to cooperate, he can't just kill us for no reason."

Once the two had settled on their plan, they did not dare remain at the ferry villa for even another moment, afraid Xu Jin might come seeking payback. They immediately packed their belongings and temporarily moved to a freight depot downstream, leaving only two disciples at the ferry to watch for movement.

Bluestone Alley, the patrol inspector's station.

Xu Jin declined Liu Houde's proposal for a welcoming banquet. He merely told him to send over all the recent case files, then dismissed him.

The moment Wang Lei entered, he got to work with practiced ease.

He knew his role well: errands, not fighting. If someone else even took over the errands, what use would he have left?

Just as they had settled in, an announcement came from outside: Manager Li from the Canal Transport Office had come to visit.

After entering, Manager Li smiled and offered flattering words for a long while, nothing more than apologizing on behalf of the Canal Gang's two retainers. He said they had failed to recognize Mount Tai and had already realized their mistakes.

Only then did he get to the real matter. "The two retainers said that the sunken tomb is indeed sinister. The water Baleful Intent harms people, and the missing merchant vessels are all connected to that tomb."

"They are willing to cooperate with your investigation, my lord. They know the tomb's layout and the condition of the stone gate inside like the backs of their hands. They also said that deep in the tomb, there may be an ancient cultivator's alchemy cauldron and inheritance. They would like to meet you at the ferry tomorrow to discuss exploring the tomb together."

Xu Jin had already intended to uncover the source of the yin baleful energy in the sunken tomb, as well as the truth behind the disappearance of Zhou Zheng, the previous chief patrol inspector.

As for what the other side was plotting, he could not be bothered to guess.

If they dared entertain crooked thoughts, he would simply cut them down.

"Fine." Xu Jin raised his eyes to Manager Li. "We meet at the ferry tomorrow."