第37章 你该死

In the silent office, Shen Yi gripped the brush with stiff fingers. Though he was no master of calligraphy, he did his best to ensure every character remained legible.

When his predecessor was still a mere ruffian, he had been a diligent student in his own way to earn a spot in the yamen. He had dabbled in martial arts, social maneuvering, and even reading and writing.

With muscle memory to guide him, the handwriting was not exactly elegant, but it was passable.

The Blood Baleful Blade Technique had been deduced via the system panel, which poured every detail directly into his mind, so transcribing it was not difficult.

By the time the workday ended, Shen Yi set down his brush and let the ink dry before reaching for the meal Chen Ji had brought.

Yellow-flour buns from the Huang Shop on East Street, paired with salted fish hawked by a street vendor—it was hardly a feast, but it was filling.

After swallowing the food in a few bites, he stood up to stretch his limbs and pushed the door open.

In the courtyard, Zhang Dahu was drenched in sweat, performing a set of warm-up punches with a miserable expression. The Niu Brothers and Chen Ji were repeating their blade drills, while Butcher Zhang stood by with a furrowed brow, kicking anyone whose posture faltered.

"With a county as large as Baiyun, are you lot really the only ones left to slay demons?"

Hearing the noise, Butcher Zhang turned back, looking puzzled. "This is too pathetic. Aside from that lad surnamed Chen who is barely passable, what even are the rest of you?"

Before the others could speak, Zhang Dahu cried out, "Who wants to hunt demons? It's just that old Clerk Liu targeting our master, trying to force us to our deaths!"

Hearing this, Butcher Zhang paused, as if realizing something, and spat on the ground. "Those bastards."

He had only learned about the demon infestation in Baiyun County from his senior brother after arriving here.

Concealing news of demon disasters happened everywhere; it was hardly a strange tale. Last year alone, over a dozen county magistrates had been beheaded for it.

But to use demons as a tool to purge political rivals—that was truly shameless.

"Here."

Shen Yi did not say much, handing over the transcribed blade technique.

He had to kill demons to gain enough demonic longevity, which put him at odds with the yamen's agenda from the very start.

Never mind using regulations to pressure him; even if they resorted to underhanded tactics, it was only to be expected.

"So fast."

Butcher Zhang was pleasantly surprised as he took the pages. "The stuff I've developed is, frankly, just body-tempering martial arts. Among the many sects in Qing Prefecture, it's the lowest threshold. As long as you have enough time, there are almost no bottlenecks."

He tucked the technique into his robes. "Just remember not to be impatient. If you don't understand something, come ask me."

"Many thanks."

Shen Yi nodded and bid him farewell.

He picked up the fresh meat and spices he had asked Chen Ji to buy and left the office.

"He knows how to cook?" Butcher Zhang scratched his head.

"If you had seen Master Shen half a month ago," Chen Ji took a deep breath, continuing to stand firmly in his horse stance, and sighed, "you would realize that for a man like him, nothing he does is surprising."

"Is that so?" Butcher Zhang didn't argue, merely smiling.

After all, this was just a small county town. Having never been to Qing Prefecture, how could he know the true brilliance of a genius?

In his eyes, Shen Yi's temperament and strength were quite good—better than his own—but that was all.

The horizon burned like fire.

Shen Yi knocked on the door and pushed it open.

The woman was slumped over the table, her dark hair like a waterfall. Her fair, delicate face looked serene, though her finely arched brows were slightly furrowed and her thick lashes trembled, betraying a hint of unease.

Shen Yi walked over slowly, looking at the thick stack of yellow paper pressed under her forearm. Ink stains had smudged the corners and even left a mark on the corner of her lips.

He pulled the brush from Lin Baiwei's mouth with a speechless expression.

"Mine... don't grab it..."

She bit down on the brush handle with her pearly teeth, mumbling as she opened her eyes. "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

She then looked at the stack of paper with a pained expression and hurriedly reached out to tidy it up. "I had already copied half of it..."

Before she could finish, Lin Baiwei noticed what Shen Yi was holding, and joy instantly lit up her face.

"I'll leave this to you!"

She took the fresh meat and turned to dash into the backyard.

"..."

Shen Yi looked at the scattered pages on the table and carefully gathered them together.

He walked into the kitchen in the backyard.

Lin Baiwei had tied up her hair and was washing vegetables with practiced ease. She waved a hand without looking back. "Out, out."

Feeling he couldn't help, Shen Yi simply sat in the courtyard and picked up an axe to chop firewood.

By the time the sky grew dim, the ground was piled high with neatly cut wood.

The scent of rice and meat drifted into his nostrils.

Shen Yi turned around to see the woman standing behind him. She was carefully holding a piece of half-fat, half-lean stewed meat with chopsticks, blowing on the steam, a look of confidence on her exquisite face. "Hey, open up. Taste if it's salty enough."

As a lone wolf for two lifetimes, he instinctively leaned back, just about to say something, when she deftly shoved the chopsticks into his mouth. "..."

"How is it?" Lin Baiwei asked, full of anticipation.

It wasn't exactly a delicacy, but it was surprisingly good. It reminded him of the hearty stews from his past life—a bit rough, but it would go well with rice.

"Not bad."

Shen Yi dropped the axe and stood up to fetch the meat broth.

"That's right." Lin Baiwei hummed, hands behind her back like a master chef.

Just then, a violent kicking sound erupted at the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"You surnamed Shen, get out here!"

Shen Yi's steps faltered. He furrowed his brows and turned to head outside.

Lin Baiwei looked confused but didn't ask, quickly retreating into the kitchen.

The next moment, five or six bailiffs burst through the door.

Two figures stepped into the room, one after the other.

The first was an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a green robe with a gloomy expression—it was Liu the Clerk.

Behind him, the Thin Ascetic stood with his hands hanging at his sides, looking like an outsider watching a show.

Outside the door, Chen Ji and the others were being held down by bailiffs with blades pressed against their shoulders, struggling as they were forced against the wall. Butcher Zhang stood far off on the street, his face dark, his bowl-sized fists clenched tight.

"The yamen trusted you, which is why we entrusted you with the heavy responsibility of managing demonic affairs."

Liu the Clerk was trembling with rage. "In two nights, over a dozen children have been abducted from my Baiyun County, including the three villages and six suburbs. Yet you lie comfortably at home, your entire office a den of snakes and rats, failing to report what you know... and I treated you like my own nephew."

The old man shouted, his voice sharp. "You deserve to die!"

"Our office doors were wide open, and we didn't receive any news!" Chen Ji panted, arguing loudly.

Which family wouldn't be anxious if they lost a child? With Master Shen's current reputation, how could they not come to him, instead going to Liu the Clerk?

A crisp slap was his only answer.

Liu the Clerk pulled back his hand. "Still daring to quibble."

As he spoke, over twenty able-bodied men walked over from the end of the street. They were all holding bows and crossbows, their uniforms different from the bailiffs—they were city guards.

Liu the Clerk turned to look at Shen Yi. "If you can't slay the demon today, I'll take your head!"