The night was still, the moonlight clear as water.
Chen Chun's voice was slightly breathless.
Qin An frowned and walked to the door, Sharp Knife in hand. "What happened to you?"
He had heard something wrong in Chen Chun's voice.
Caught in the eye of the storm, having killed a man from the River Blade Sect not long ago, he had to treat anything unusual with caution.
"I was injured while investigating," Chen Chun said urgently. "I need to tell you something."
Qin An thought for a moment, then lifted Sharp Knife and flicked the door bolt open with its tip. "Just push."
As soon as he spoke, Qin An retreated six meters from the door.
Creeeak...
The wooden door sounded like a crow calling.
Chen Chun stepped inside, his face white as paper. He shut the door behind him, the hand holding his blade trembling slightly.
In the light of the Oil Lamp, the blood on Short Blade gleamed dark red.
Seeing Qin An so far away, Chen Chun's thin mustache twitched as he forced an ugly smile. "You really are cautious."
He knew why Qin An was acting this way and did not hold it against him.
"What happened?" Qin An asked.
Chen Chun smiled bitterly. "The Pig Demons went berserk and slaughtered all of Golden Rooster Village. They demanded that the Yamen hand over whoever killed their kin."
"I went to investigate and found several constables who'd gone to negotiate dead. Then the Pig Demons caught my scent. I killed two and escaped, but I nearly lost my life."
At the memory, Chen Chun wiped the cold sweat from his brow, still visibly shaken.
"Negotiate?" Qin An mused. "After the killing had already begun?"
The Yamen had killed a Pig Demon with its own hands, and now that the Pig Demons had retaliated, it was talking about negotiation.
Chen Chun wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The Yamen probably never expected an entire litter of them, let alone a leader at the Peak Qi Concealment Realm. Hah. They've kicked an iron plate this time."
"Never mind how it turns out. I did learn something."
"Could I... have some water?"
Injured and rushing through the night, he was parched.
Qin An picked up the teapot, poured a cup of water, and set it on the table. "Help yourself."
Chen Chun gripped the cup with a trembling hand and drained it in one gulp. "Old Qin, aren't you taking caution a bit too far?"
"You only get one life," Qin An said, shaking his head.
"Don't you want to know what I learned?" Chen Chun asked.
Qin An watched him calmly. "You'll tell me."
Chen Chun had come all this way in the middle of the night and said so much already. There was bound to be more.
Ask about some things and people might not tell you. If they wanted to tell you, there was no need to ask.
You could wear yourself out asking, but someone who did not want to speak would not give you a word.
It was only a waste of breath.
Chen Chun scratched his head. "The Pig Demon leader said the Yamen has hitched itself to Flying Cloud Gorge. It slaughtered that Pig Demon for them. The Pig Demons couldn't vent their anger on Flying Cloud Gorge, so they took it out on the Yamen."
"What is Flying Cloud Gorge?" Qin An asked.
Chen Chun gave a cold laugh. "Ding County has three demon factions: Monkey Demons that love eating human heads, Snake Demons that lust after human chastity, and Eagle Demons that feast on human organs. Flying Cloud Gorge belongs to the Eagle Demons."
Qin An poured himself a cup of water and took a small sip.
Seeing him like that, Chen Chun's mouth twitched. "Why do I feel like you're listening to a story?"
Qin An raised an eyebrow. "What else would I be doing?"
For now, all he could do was listen to it like a story.
He had never even heard of these factions, much less seen them. The names were just sounds to him.
After a moment's thought, Qin An asked, "Did you collect evidence?"
Chen Chun was an Undercover Agent for the Evil Extermination Division, and now he had uncovered something this important.
Qin An figured he must have found plenty.
Chen Chun nodded. "Enough to count as evidence. I divided it in two. This copy is for you."
Qin An looked at Chen Chun without saying a word.
He made a point of ignoring the piece of cloth in Chen Chun's hand.
Chen Chun's thin mustache twitched. "My identity's been exposed. The Pig Demons may be demons, but every demon in the world hates the Evil Extermination Division. They're bound to be plotting how to stop me from leaving alive. I'm setting out tonight. If I die, this evidence will still be with you."
"Think of it as doing me a favor. It'll benefit you too."
Qin An still did not move.
Taking that cloth meant wading into muddy waters.
He would not touch it lightly. Staying alive was his first priority.
"Qin An," Chen Chun said helplessly, "do you think you're safe right now?"
"That Pig Demon is dead, and there's no wall in the world that doesn't leak a little wind. If they do trace it back to you, what will you do?"
"The Yamen's collusion with demons is already an established fact. They won't tolerate someone like you. They have a hundred ways to harm you. Can you take your knife and kill the people at the Yamen?"
"Help me, and the Evil Extermination Division can cut out this tumor. Then you'll be safe too."
Qin An listened to Chen Chun's words and sank into thought.
After a long while, he took the cloth.
He had considered it carefully and understood what Chen Chun meant.
The Yamen in Ding County had already become birds of a feather with the demons. The situation had settled into place.
Someone like him in Ding County would be an unstable element.
Whatever his strength, the Yamen's first move would be to remove him.
And it had plenty of ways to do that.
Could he simply take his knife and chop off the county magistrate's head?
No. If he did, he would truly have nowhere left to go.
Chen Chun now offered a way to solve the problem.
If the Evil Extermination Division intervened and shut down the Yamen, Qin An's worries would be gone for good.
Chen Chun let out a breath when he saw Qin An put the cloth away.
He had been willing to give it to Qin An because he had seen that Qin An was no ordinary man.
Of all the people he could trust now, Qin An was the only one.
Chen Chun stood and limped toward the door.
"Leaving now?" Qin An asked.
Chen Chun nodded. "No time to rest. I'm afraid the demons will come looking."
Watching Chen Chun reach the door, Qin An asked calmly, "Does the Evil Extermination Division pay well?"
He felt Chen Chun was pushing himself too hard.
His injuries had not fully healed. Heading to Ling Prefecture now, he was more likely to meet disaster than survive.
Chen Chun paused. Understanding what Qin An meant, his gaze gradually cleared. "In another year, I can give up my identity as an Undercover Agent and join the Evil Extermination Division."
"The world is in turmoil, and Cultivation Methods are hard to find. Sects guard them like treasures, and even after joining one, it takes a great deal of work to obtain them. I'm getting old. I can't wait."
"The Evil Extermination Division is good enough. Risk your life, and you can get what you want. Keep risking it afterward, and you might live a little longer."
Qin An considered his words.
Chen Chun smiled. "Old Qin, want to join the Evil Extermination Division? They have Mind Methods and Cultivation Methods."
"Not for now," Qin An said, shaking his head.
The Evil Extermination Division was too distant a prospect. He wanted to deal with the danger in front of him first.
Chen Chun said nothing more. Then, as if remembering something, he rummaged in his robes and held out a book. "Here."
Qin An took it and saw a line of words on the cover.
"Mountain-Lifting Fist"
Before you continue