A Shui

The farther upstream they went, the more pungent the river's fishy stench became.

The vegetation on both banks had long since withered, bare branches swaying in the wind.

Not even an insect could be seen along the riverbank.

Zhao Hu finally could not hold it in any longer and cursed at the top of his lungs, "Damn it, this cursed place doesn't even have a living thing!"

"Shut up."

Liu Chen, at the very front of the group, barked in a low voice.

Zhao Hu sullenly shut his mouth, though the irritation on his face only deepened.

Old Wang reined in his horse, leaned close to Liu Chen, and lowered his voice. "Boss, something's wrong."

"What is it?"

"Those Yellow Division men are best at leaving markers, but all along the way, we haven't found the slightest trace."

Liu Chen's expression darkened as well.

That was right.

The Demon Suppression Office had its own secret contact signals.

If the Yellow Division had investigated this area, they would surely have left clues behind.

Yet along this whole route, there was nothing.

Could it be... that old man had been lying?

The group continued onward for about half an hour, and the river channel ahead gradually narrowed.

After another few miles, everyone's eyes suddenly brightened.

The fishy stench abruptly stopped here.

Not far ahead stood a cliff. Clear spring water gurgled from cracks in its face, gathering into a pool before flowing down into the foul-smelling Black River.

The water at its source was clean.

"..."

The group looked at one another, seeing the same shock and suspicion in each other's eyes.

There was nothing wrong with the source.

Then where had all the filth filling the river come from?

"Split up and search!"

Liu Chen swung down from his horse and took the lead toward the cliff.

The others dismounted as well and began carefully searching the surrounding area.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, they gathered again, all shaking their heads.

"Boss, there's nothing."

"Same here. I didn't even see a single hair."

Liu Chen's brows knotted into a tight lump.

"Over there."

A cool voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone followed the sound and saw Jiang Yuechu standing before a patch of dead woods nearby, pointing deep into the forest.

Liu Chen's heart stirred, and he immediately led the others after her.

Past the dead woods, a small temple appeared before them.

It was not large—indeed, it could even be called crude.

Yet the open space before it had been swept spotless, without even a fallen leaf in sight.

Liu Chen stepped forward and pushed open the half-closed wooden door.

Creak.

The inside was just as clean.

Only, the offering table was completely empty, without the slightest trace of incense or offerings.

In the shrine directly opposite the doorway, the statue had been smashed to pieces, leaving behind only a bare pedestal.

"Be careful." Liu Chen drew half his saber, his gaze vigilantly sweeping the room.

The others filed inside and spread out, carefully searching the tiny temple.

But after searching for a long while, they found nothing.

"Boss, there's nothing."

"We even turned over every rat hole. Clean as a whistle."

Liu Chen's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

For it to be this clean, someone must have cleaned it regularly.

But why were there no incense or offerings? Why had even the statue been smashed?

Just then.

A small, thin figure appeared at the temple entrance.

It was a little girl, no more than seven or eight years old. She wore a tattered hempen garment, her face streaked with grime and ash.

The girl seemingly had not expected anyone to be inside the temple. Her steps halted, and her whole body froze in place.

She was still holding a broken bowl, containing half a bowl of water.

Her gaze met those of the group.

The next instant, all color drained from the girl's face. As though she had seen a ghost, she dropped the broken bowl, turned, and ran.

Crash—

The bowl struck the ground and shattered into several pieces.

"Don't run!"

Before anyone else could react.

Without a second thought, Zhao Hu sprinted after her.

"You little brat, what are you running for?! Stop right there!"

How could a malnourished child outrun an expert from the Demon Suppression Office?

In merely a moment.

Zhao Hu returned, the desperately struggling girl tucked under his arm.

"This little girl's got quite some strength."

"Oi, oi, oi—she even fucking bit me."

He walked to the front of the temple and casually tossed the girl onto the ground. He covered his arm, baring his teeth as he inspected the bite marks.

The girl hit the ground with a muffled groan of pain, curled into a ball, and trembled all over.

"Zhao Hu!"

Liu Chen shot him a glare.

He strode forward, crouched before the girl, and softened his voice.

"Don't be afraid. We aren't bad people."

The girl raised her head. Her large eyes were filled with terror, and she bit her lip hard, refusing to let herself cry aloud.

Liu Chen sighed and took out a piece of dry, tough jerky from his robes, offering it to her.

The girl stared at the jerky and swallowed, but did not reach out to take it.

"We're from the Demon Suppression Office."

"We came here to find out why the Black River became like this. Do you know anything?"

The girl's body suddenly stiffened.

The group exchanged looks, understanding dawning in their hearts.

This child clearly knew something.

Liu Chen sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

His gaze swept around the area. When he saw Jiang Yuechu standing to one side, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He hurried over to Jiang Yuechu, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Jiang... Miss Jiang, how about... you go ask her?"

Jiang Yuechu raised a brow, a strange look in her eyes.

She had only just joined the office. This was her first mission; no matter how one looked at it, it should not have fallen to her to question the girl.

Seeing her confusion, Liu Chen's old face reddened, and he hurriedly explained.

"We lot... are all rough men. We fight and kill all day long, and we carry this sort of smell on us. Let alone children—even rats would take a detour upon seeing us."

Jiang Yuechu's gaze passed over the faces of those rough men one by one.

Each was either covered in fierce flesh or wore a hard, cold expression, while the sabers at their waists constantly radiated a baleful aura.

In terms of appearance, they truly could not compare with her ability to put people at ease.

Yet Jiang Yuechu only felt her headache worsen.

She might be a woman in this life, but in her bones, she was still that man from her previous life who had lived for more than twenty years.

Ask her to trade blades with demons and monsters, and she would not even blink.

But ask her to comfort a little girl scared out of her wits...

How was she supposed to know how to comfort her?

Looking at the girl curled on the ground, then at the rough men beside her gazing expectantly, Jiang Yuechu felt a wave of irritation.

But things had already come to this. They could not remain deadlocked forever.

Fine.

She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, walked over to the girl, and slowly crouched down. She tried her best to make her voice sound gentler, even tugging at the corners of her mouth to force what she believed was a kindly smile.

"Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you."

"What's your name?"

Whether it was because this face truly possessed some beauty, or because being a woman made the girl less guarded, she genuinely did not seem quite so afraid anymore. She secretly raised her eyes and cautiously studied Jiang Yuechu.

"My name... is A Shui."

"A Shui..."

Jiang Yuechu repeated the name and tentatively stretched out her hand, intending to pat the girl's head. But halfway through, she felt awkward and withdrew it.

"A Shui, don't be afraid. We won't hurt you."

"You... are also from the Demon Suppression Office?"

A Shui asked timidly.

She found it strange. How could such a pretty older sister also belong to the Demon Suppression Office?

Shouldn't the people of the Demon Suppression Office all be like those fearsome men beside her?