The Thin Ascetic and Butcher Zhang

At the mention of this name, the Niu Brothers, who had just stepped out of the room, stiffened.

The two immediately lowered their heads, feigning deafness, and hurried away from the courtyard while supporting the thin, middle-aged man.

Liu Qi was a man of no small reputation; the group of runners had heard of him long ago.

Coming from Qing Prefecture, he was a martial artist with formal training. Among the high-level experts the Lin Mansion had spent a fortune to hire for protection, he was one of the most famous.

His pair of iron palms could shatter gold and crack stone; doing so was no harder for him than slicing through tofu.

It was rumored that the number of demons who had died under those palms was at least thirty, if not fifty.

"Are we going to take a look?"

Chen Ji looked back at the brothers' retreating figures. He didn't think they were cowardly; in fact, he understood them quite well.

Baiyun County was not a major city, nor did it have any proper martial sects. In the eyes of the locals, Liu Qi was a powerful dragon crossing the river. Even the runners had been counting on his reputation to deter demons.

If even he was dead, the thing that did it was almost certainly a Great Demon.

According to the instructions of Liu the Clerk, anything involving demons fell under Shen Yi's jurisdiction.

Whether to intervene or not was the question.

Logically, since no one had filed a report, there would be no issue with pretending to be ignorant. But this was a fact even the street peddlers could guess; such a self-deceiving act would only cause Shen Yi to lose all face on his very first day, and he might even be slapped with a charge of failing to suppress demons.

"The timing of this death is too coincidental."

Chen Ji felt a headache coming on as he withdrew his gaze. Why did he feel like a jinx? Every piece of news he brought seemed to be trouble.

"Let's go. We'll take a look."

Shen Yi rubbed his temples lightly, masking the flicker of irritation in his eyes, then stood up, grabbed his saber, and walked outside.

It wasn't about saving face as others might think.

Unlike the others, he knew exactly what kind of thing was hidden inside the Lin Mansion.

That fox had been delivered there by his predecessor's own hands.

It could be said that every blood-soaked crime it committed added another charge to Shen Yi's record. If it were ever captured, he would likely have to follow it into the Demon Suppression Division's prison.

Shen Yi led Chen Ji onto the main street.

The strange gazes from the street remained as they had been that morning, only fading as the buildings shifted from thatched walls to blue bricks and dark tiles.

In the relatively affluent East City, the deterrent power of the runners' uniforms dropped rapidly.

Soon, the grand and luxurious mansion came into view, featuring vermilion gates with copper handles and two stone lions that stood half a head taller than those at the yamen.

At that moment, the gate was open only wide enough for one person to pass. The Lin family's chubby steward, dressed in a silk jacket and a small cap, stood before the gate with a face full of misery, waving his hands to drive away the crowd. "Go on, go on! Is this a place for you to gawk?"

"What do you mean 'gawk'? If there's a demon, you should let us know so we can go to the yamen for help!"

A group of idlers retreated reluctantly.

"There is no demon! There is no demon!" The Lin family steward twisted his chubby face, dejected. "I've said it eight hundred times—there's no such thing."

"You coward, what are you afraid of! Did you not see the notice on the street? If Master Shen could behead the dog demon in the West Suburbs, can't he handle the evil spirit in your house?"

A few people of some standing stood in the crowd, showing no respect for the steward and shouting directly.

"Master Shen, indeed... you lot don't know a damn thing."

The Lin family steward glanced at them with disdain, his mind too heavy to bother with them.

As for that Shen Yi, he knew much more about him than these people did.

Back when Shen Yi had rescued the young miss from outside the city, the master had been grateful and treated him with great courtesy.

Who would have thought that this Shen fellow was a gambler? He would show up every few days to borrow silver, and the money lent out was like a meat bun thrown at a dog—never to return. He was hardly a good man.

It was only recently that he had been quiet for a while.

The master didn't trust such a person. After discovering what happened to Liu Qi, he had gone to the County Magistrate's residence overnight and invited the Thin Ascetic.

Don't let the man's thin frame fool you—he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over—but back in Qing Prefecture, he had been a constant companion to the County Magistrate's mentor and was deeply trusted. Even Liu Qi had addressed him as "Senior" and never dared to be disrespectful.

Such a person had come to the Lin Mansion to investigate.

The final conclusion was... no demon was at work, and Master Lin need not worry.

As for Liu Qi's death, the man refused to speak a word.

In short, there was no demon.

With the Thin Ascetic's status, once he had spoken, the matter was settled. Even if the rumors about Shen Yi were true, what could he possibly do?

The Lin family steward pulled his thoughts back and suddenly noticed the noisy crowd gradually clearing a path. "He's here! He's really here! The notice is real!"

A young man with a saber walked slowly toward them, followed by a runner.

"Oh, Constable Shen... my young miss is not in the mansion." The steward forced a smile, secretly surprised. Had this man never heard of Liu Qi's reputation? How dared he get involved in this?

Hearing this, Shen Yi frowned slightly.

Not in?

"She went out of the city for an outing and won't be back for a few days." The steward shook his head and added, "If you are looking for Miss Bai Wei, please return another time."

"I'm not looking for her. Trouble yourself to take me to see the body."

Shen Yi stepped onto the stone stairs.

The fox demon was gone, yet a martial arts expert had died. That was strange indeed.

Hearing this, the steward looked hesitant. If the man were just here to beg for favors, he should have turned around once he heard the young miss was away. But if he were truly here to investigate a demon... the Thin Ascetic was still inside the mansion.

Thinking of this, he deliberately raised his voice:

"Constable Shen, the gentleman from the County Magistrate's residence has already been here to look."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji was startled, then let out a sigh of relief.

Since an expert had already taken charge, the matter would naturally be resolved, and there was no need for them, the runners, to worry.

The idlers gathered in the distance also had a sudden realization. No wonder the Lin family was so calm. Sigh, what a pity; it seemed they wouldn't get to see Constable Shen in action today.

With that, the steward looked at the young man again, his meaning clear.

He had given him an out; no matter what, the responsibility couldn't be pinned on him. If he just turned around and left now, it wouldn't affect his reputation in the slightest.

Shen Yi lowered his eyes, taking in the anxiety and confusion the steward was trying so hard to hide.

He said calmly, "It wouldn't hurt to take a look."

Hearing this, the Lin family steward was finally surprised. He really did seem like a different person. In the past, he would have been desperate to cast off any trouble and focus entirely on grabbing silver. What had gotten into him today?

After struggling for a moment, he smiled bitterly and stepped aside. "If you really want to see, then follow me."

The steward turned to push the door open, but as he was about to step inside, his expression stiffened.

Accompanied by the master of the house, two strange figures were walking out.

The first was tall and thin, looking to be about fifty years old, with eyebrows like dragon whiskers hanging down. He wore a black long gown and looked like a bamboo pole.

The man behind him was as sturdy as a small mountain, with a coarse face covered in a beard like steel needles. He looked sullen, wore a greasy white short jacket, and had dark skin with a belly so bloated it looked terrifyingly like a ten-month pregnancy.

The Thin Ascetic wore a calm smile, about to bid farewell to Master Lin, when he looked up and saw the people at the door.

The moment the steward's heart leaped into his throat and he prepared to explain, the Ascetic's smile faded slightly, and he actually cupped his hands. "Is this Young Friend Shen? I have long heard of your name; it is a pleasure to meet you."

At these words, the dark, rough-looking man, who had been walking with his head down in low spirits, also cast a light glance in their direction.