The Skin-Painting Case Is Closed

Yang Xiao sheathed his blade and furrowed his brow slightly.

Just like the Straw-Cloak Ghost, this fellow had also claimed before dying that someone stood behind him.

Encountering consecutive fiendish entities with forces backing them was definitely no coincidence.

Heishui County might be the subject of some kind of plan of theirs, and since he had pierced through their scheme, would they come back later to settle accounts with him?

Xu Qingshan walked over to his side, and seeing the terrifying condition of Yang Xiao's lacerated skin, his expression turned somewhat pale.

"Brother Yang, are you alright?"

"No harm done." Not forgetting official business, Yang Xiao looked toward the direction of the county magistrate's wife's room. "Let's go take a look."

The two pushed open the door and entered.

A heavy, sickeningly sweet stench permeated the room, mixed with the cloying scent of cosmetic powder, making one want to vomit.

Chen Bonian slumped on the floor, his face as pale as paper and his lips trembling so much he could not speak.

Ignoring him, Yang Xiao walked straight toward the inner alcove deep within the room.

Pushing open the alcove door, an even more intense smell of blood rushed toward them.

Xu Qingshan drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

On the walls of the alcove, a neat row of human skins hung suspended.

Those human skins had been meticulously processed, hanging on wooden racks like airing clothes. Every single one was completely intact, from the top of the head down to the heels, with even the skin of the fingers and toes remaining in flawless condition.

Yang Xiao walked closer to inspect them.

The first human skin belonged to a young woman with a delicate face, who should have been the first missing victim.

The second, the third... all were young women.

Among the skins further down, a few clearly belonged to men; judging by their clothing and build, they should have been yamen runners and guards of the County Yamen.

Yang Xiao continued walking inward, arriving at the deepest part of the alcove.

Two human skins hung there. Unlike the others, they wore the standard-issue martial attire of the Demon Suppression Division.

Yang Xiao recognized them as the two Demon Suppression Guards who had gone missing previously.

Xu Qingshan walked to his side, and upon seeing those two human skins clearly, his expression instantly turned unsightly to the extreme.

"This is... the skin of Zhou An and another captain."

He paused, carefully gathering up the two of them so they could be brought back to the Demon Suppression Division.

Yang Xiao walked back to the outer room and looked at Chen Bonian, who remained slumped on the floor.

"Lord Chen, living together with a fiendish entity every day, you certainly have a bold heart."

Chen Bonian shuddered all over, raised his head, and his face filled with bitterness mingled with boundless guilt. "Y-You..."

"The Painted Skin Demon is already dead." Xu Qingshan squatted beside Chen Bonian to comfort him. "The fiendish entities in the County Yamen have all been cleaned out, too."

Chen Bonian's lips trembled as tears burst forth and streamed down.

"I... I didn't know she was a fiendish entity... I truly didn't know..."

A middle-aged man in his fifties wept like a child.

Xu Qingshan did not speak any comforting words, merely stating, "The county still relies on you to hold it together. First, gather the people still alive in the County Yamen and take a headcount."

Chen Bonian wiped away his tears, staggered to his feet, and stumbled as he walked out.

Watching his back, Yang Xiao felt no great excess of pity.

As the magistrate of a county, letting the Painted Skin Demon lurk in the County Yamen for months and causing the deaths of so many commoners and runners meant he could not shirk responsibility no matter what.

As for how to punish him, that was not his matter to worry over.

An hour later.

In the courtyard of the County Yamen, everyone who remained alive had been gathered together.

Aside from Chen Bonian, a dozen-odd runners and servants were left.

Previously, the County Yamen had possessed thirty or forty people, the vast majority of guards having been cultivated by the Painted Skin Demon into avatars, leaving fewer than half now.

Toward evening.

The corpses covering the ground were carried out for burial, and the bloodstains in the main hall were washed clean.

Chen Bonian sat within the main hall, looking as though he had aged ten years all at once.

"Lord Chen, the Painted Skin case of Heishui County is now closed," Xu Qingshan said. "However, the mess left in the County Yamen still requires you to sort it out."

Chen Bonian gave a bitter smile. "I will submit a petition of self-accusation to the imperial court."

Early the following morning.

As for those encountering advertisements such as "Are you a True Person", no need to mind them; just close them and absolutely do not scan codes or send text messages!

Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan left Heishui County and returned to Qingzhou.

Before leaving, Xu Qingshan had the runners burn all the corpses of the Painted Skin Demon within the County Yamen to prevent anyone from scavenging them to practice evil arts.

On the road, Xu Qingshan remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking, "Brother Yang, this time we owe it all to you."

Yang Xiao glanced at him.

Xu Qingshan gave a bitter smile. "If not for you, this mission could never have been completed at all. A tiny Heishui County actually contained two Baleful-Condensation demons."

"You agreed that the combat would be left to me; you've already done quite well." Yang Xiao shook his head lightly.

Xu Qingshan was slightly startled, then burst into laughter. "Should that count as praise?"

"Consider it so."

The two exchanged a smile and continued on their journey.

Toward evening, the two hurried back to the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division.

Qingshan handed the written dossier on the Heishui County Painted Skin case and the retrieved evidence to Manager Zhou behind the counter.

Manager Zhou was a middle-aged man with a kindly visage, dressed in a long grey robe.

Seeing the two return in a mere three days, he could not help asking, "You two have returned so quickly, has the mission been completed?"

Xu Qingshan chuckled. "Old Zhou, why don't you open it and take a look for yourself?"

Hearing this, Manager Zhou lowered his head and flipped through the dossier, his brows gradually furrowing. "Liquid Condensation Realm Straw-Cloak Ghost... and he also slew a Liquid Condensation Realm Painted Skin Demon..."

Manager Zhou raised his head to sweep a glance at Xu Qingshan, then looked extra closely at Yang Xiao, his eyes holding a trace of surprise.

"Just the two of you?"

"Yes."

"It seems Captain Xu's martial prowess has grown somewhat over these past few days... Wait?" Manager Zhou uttered a light sigh, and upon seeing the names listed further down, his gaze immediately turned startled and suspicious. "First merit, Yang Xiao?"

With only the two of them standing before him, Yang Xiao's name naturally could only correspond to that newcomer who had just entered the division.

Yet how could the first merit for a Liquid Condensation Realm demon fall upon a newcomer's head?

Having seen plenty of the methods used by aristocratic clans, Manager Zhou could only turn sideways to cast an exploratory look toward Xu Qingshan.

Could it be that this fellow felt his seniority prevented him from advancing and was yielding the path to a junior of his own household? But the surnames didn't match either, did they?

Yet the latter merely spoke with calm composure.

"During this mission, Captain Yang took full charge of the fighting; I was merely a helper."

Manager Zhou said nothing further. "In that case, Captain Yang receives the first merit, totaling 600 points of Merit."

He looked toward Xu Qingshan. "Captain Xu assisted in Demon-Slaying, totaling 400 points of Merit."

Xu Qingshan felt somewhat stirred; in the past, a single mission amounted to around 100 points, so 400 points of Merit was already not a small amount for him.

"Captain Yang, your Merit has been recorded in the ledger." Manager Zhou handed the Merit ledger to Yang Xiao, scrutinized the aura on the latter's person, and suddenly spoke:

"I observe that you are at Qi Gathering Perfection. Now that you have established this first merit, do not forget to apply for a Liquid Condensation Realm internal cultivation manual."

Yang Xiao nodded slightly. "Many thanks for Manager Zhou's reminder. Might I ask where one collects it?"

"The Cultivation Manual Archive next door; just hand your Merit ledger to the counter for registration."

"Many thanks."

Yang Xiao cupped his fists in farewell to Manager Zhou and parted ways with Xu Qingshan at the entrance.

"If there are missions next time, we can continue cooperating."

"Really?" Xu Qingshan's eyes lit up.

"Naturally." Yang Xiao remained noncommittal. "You are familiar with Qingzhou geography and the rules of the Demon Suppression Division; I need a partner like that."

Before leaving, Xu Qingshan emotionally grasped Yang Xiao's hand.

"Brother Yang, whenever there are missions in the future, just call upon me!"

Hardly had he walked far when Yang Xiao turned his head to see a commotion behind him, where several captains had blocked Xu Qingshan by the roadside.

Those men wore brocade and ornate robes, their auras not weak; at the very least, they possessed the cultivation of the Liquid Condensation Realm.

The leader was a young man around twenty-five or twenty-six, with handsome features, yet carrying a trace of haughtiness in his gaze.

He looked at Xu Qingshan, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold sneer.

"Xu Qingshan, I heard you completed your mission quite well this time?"

"Surely you didn't just spend the whole time acting as dead weight and sucking someone else's blood again?"

Xu Qingshan's expression instantly turned unsightly.

Yang Xiao halted his steps, his gaze sweeping over those men.

It seemed Xu Qingshan's situation among the collateral branch of the Xu Family was even worse than he had claimed.

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