Lin Ke's heart sank the moment he saw the choice.
Another choice...
And this time, he wasn't allowed to choose everything. There were only two options.
Justice or cowardice!
Danger or safety!
Lin Ke looked at Butcher Zhang, lost in thought.
The system means... if I stand by and do nothing, Butcher Zhang will definitely be convicted.
But why would Butcher Zhang be convicted? That makes no sense!
At that thought, Lin Ke immediately scanned the people around him.
Bai Zhantang stood beside him, trembling all over as though he had yet to recover from the fright, but his eyes remained fixed on Shopkeeper Tong.
Although the two usually bickered and squabbled like sworn enemies, when something truly happened, Bai Zhantang clearly still had "feelings" for Shopkeeper Tong.
Perhaps Bai Zhantang was worried that Shopkeeper Tong's "pardon" would be dragged into the case and turned into a conviction!
Lin Ke shifted his gaze elsewhere, searching for the key figures.
At the entrance to the Tongfu Grand Restaurant stood Butcher Zhang, the father-and-son storytellers from the teahouse, Wang Lin from the Painting Studio, and the matchmaker from the Song-Listening Entertainment House, all craning their necks to watch.
Meanwhile, Li Hanlin glanced at Constable Xing and nodded, then turned to look behind him without saying anything. As he naturally lowered himself to sit, someone swiftly brought a stool and placed it beneath him.
Once seated, he said nothing more.
Constable Xing's face lit up with delight at this. He looked at Shopkeeper Tong, then swept his gaze over Bai Zhantang, Lin Ke, and the others in turn before looking back and asking Shopkeeper Tong, "You fat bastard, tell me what happened."
Shopkeeper Tong stepped forward and raised his hands in a clasped salute. "Your lordship, Constable Xing, three people came here an hour ago. I sent my waiter, Lin Ke, to fetch meat from Butcher Zhang, and then this young gentleman came in..."
Constable Xing waved a hand to interrupt him and rapidly fired off questions. "You said four people came? Then why are there only three bodies? Where's the other person? What's the story with that black bear?"
Shopkeeper Tong looked equally bewildered. "There really were four people. Three middle-aged men arrived first: one fat, one short and thin, and one tall and burly. Then this rosy-faced young gentleman came right after them..."
He paused for breath and gave an awkward smile. "We don't know exactly what happened, either. They sat at two tables. The first three sat together, and the young gentleman sat alone.
"At first, everything was peaceful. After we fetched the meat from Butcher Zhang and served both tables, the three of us stayed in the kitchen, planning to rest a little before going back out..."
"That's all?" Head Constable Xing first smiled obsequiously at Li Hanlin, then put on a stern face and continued questioning Shopkeeper Tong. "Do you remember what the missing person looked like? Also... does that make Butcher Zhang a suspect too?"
"I remember..."
Standing nearby and listening to the conversation between Shopkeeper Tong and Constable Xing, Lin Ke suddenly had a thought!
Butcher Zhang!
"Enough, stop talking for now!" Constable Xing waved at the others and ordered with his nose in the air, "You two, go to the butcher's shop and bring Butcher Zhang here."
"No need. I'm right here!" a voice answered from the entrance.
Butcher Zhang strode over.
He marched up to Head Constable Xing and stopped beside Shopkeeper Tong. "Your lordship, Old Xing, I'm here!"
Lin Ke saw Constable Xing roll his eyes dramatically, while even the worried Shopkeeper Tong's expression relaxed a little.
Constable Xing smiled, putting away his eye roll, and asked, "Shopkeeper Tong said he sent his waiter, Lin... Lin something, to fetch meat from you. Is that true?"
Butcher Zhang glanced at Lin Ke and nodded firmly. "Lin Ke did get meat from me. I weighed out a beef hind leg for him: seven jin of meat and six liang of bone!"
After a moment's thought, Constable Xing hurried into the kitchen and found the remaining meat on the chopping board.
He picked it up, examined it, and ran his palm over it!
Suddenly, he jerked his hand back as though he had been electrocuted.
Constable Xing rushed out of the kitchen and shouted, "Men, arrest him at once!"
Hearing Constable Xing's voice, Lin Ke looked over and saw him already running up to Li Hanlin with the meat in hand. Lin Ke hurriedly called out, "Wait, your lordship!"
Everyone turned toward Lin Ke, frowning.
Under everyone's gaze, Lin Ke walked up to Constable Xing.
He stopped before Constable Xing and clasped his hands in salute to the man in official robes behind him. "This commoner, Lin Ke, greets your lordship!"
"You're Lin Ke?" Constable Xing asked. Once Lin Ke nodded, he ordered, "Men! Arrest him too!"
Lin Ke waved a hand. "Wait, your lordship. I won't run. If I wanted to flee, I would have done so long before you arrived. Why would I come right up to you and offer myself for arrest?"
Li Hanlin narrowed his eyes at Lin Ke, then waved a hand to stop the arrests of both him and Butcher Zhang.
He looked intrigued. "Oh? Interesting. What do you have to say?"
Lin Ke smiled. "Your lordship, I'm a waiter here, and I fetched tonight's meat. I can prove Butcher Zhang is innocent."
Constable Xing spoke up. "Your lordship, don't listen to his nonsense. Please look!"
Holding that half "beef hind leg" in both hands, he stepped forward for Li Hanlin to inspect it.
Li Hanlin glanced over indifferently, only to spring abruptly to his feet!
The chair beneath him shattered into pieces of wood as he rose.
He turned straight toward Butcher Zhang. "Arrest him!"
Two men immediately stepped forward and pinned Butcher Zhang's arms.
"Wait!" Lin Ke stepped forward. "Your lordship, although this is Demon Beast Meat, I have a question. Can this Demon Beast Meat kill someone who eats it?"
"As far as I know, Demon Beast Meat doesn't harm humans who eat it. It can even strengthen their bodies. Isn't that right, your lordship?"
Butcher Zhang had told him all of this in the cellar, after they cleared up the misunderstanding that had given him such a fright!
Butcher Zhang had said... his true identity was a Demon Slayer!
He would never have known without asking, and the answer had given him quite a shock.
On tiny Chaoyang Street, aside from such crouching dragons and phoenix fledglings as Wang Lin and Shopkeeper Tong, oddballs like the matchmaker and Li Chungang, and that decidedly improper minister Qi Dayan, there was actually a Demon Slayer too?
Was this what they called crouching tigers and hidden dragons?
As for why Lin Ke had felt cold back then?
Wasn't it obvious? The meat of the Demon Beast Butcher Zhang had been slaughtering was associated with yin energy.
His meat was cheap because slaying demons cost him nothing, so he sold Demon Beast Meat for even less than pork.
And Lin Ke could tell that Butcher Zhang had little guile. Whatever he had to say, he said it directly.
They had only met that very day, yet he had already told Lin Ke all about his background.
That alone spoke volumes about Butcher Zhang's character.
If he wanted to kill someone, there were countless ways to do it. There was no need to use poison.
Now, Lin Ke saw that Li Hanlin said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.
He breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "Your lordship, Brother Zhang is actually a Demon Slayer!"
He didn't know why Butcher Zhang hadn't mentioned this, nor did he know whether Butcher Zhang truly was innocent.
But the system had said saving Butcher Zhang was definitely the just choice, and that was enough!
Then he turned to Butcher Zhang, who was being held by two constables. "Brother Zhang, if you don't admit your identity now, you'll end up branded the murderer."
Li Hanlin, too, stared at Butcher Zhang in astonishment.
There's actually someone from the Demon Bureau here...
The Demon Bureau!
It belonged to the Demon Department, one of the Sacred Dynasty's twelve departments.
Under the Demon Bureau was the Demon-Slaying Squad, which was divided into six teams.
Each team had ten members, every one of them outstanding enough to serve as the lord of any city.
And each team member was known as a "Demon Slayer"!
When Demon Slayers of the Demon-Slaying Squad encountered demons, they had the authority to execute them first and report afterward.
Of course, although they held the same Principal Sixth Rank as he did, this was the Imperial Capital, within his jurisdiction. His authority was slightly greater than a Demon Slayer's.
At that thought, Li Hanlin beckoned a constable over and whispered a few words in his ear.
Only after the constable left did he turn to Butcher Zhang.
He asked directly, "Butcher Zhang? You're a Demon Slayer? I've long admired your reputation. Then, Lord Zhang, were these people on the floor accidentally killed while you were slaying a demon?"
Butcher Zhang had already shaken off the two men's restraining hands and unleashed his fierce aura. He addressed the man before him:
"Lord Li Hanlin, Eastern Capital Deputy Prefect! I am a Demon Slayer, but I only sell Demon Beast Meat here. I wasn't slaying any demons, and I don't know what happened. I only came out after hearing the commotion!"
"Hmm, in that case..." Li Hanlin nodded and turned toward Lin Ke. "You were the second person to handle the Demon Beast Meat. You, your shopkeeper, and Bai Zhantang are the prime suspects."
Butcher Zhang spoke again. "Deputy Prefect Li, it shouldn't be Shopkeeper Tong. He's been buying my Demon Beast Meat for twenty years, and there's never been a problem. Bai Zhantang has been with him for over ten years too, and nothing has ever gone wrong!"
But as he spoke, Butcher Zhang scratched his head.
Why does it feel like the more I say, the more I'm hurting Lin Ke?
"Oh?" At that, Li Hanlin looked at Lin Ke. "You stopped us from arresting Lord Zhang. What do you have to say for yourself, then?"
"No matter." Lin Ke's gaze was exceptionally composed as he smiled. "Your lordship, the fact that I dared step forward means I'm not afraid of being framed. However... I need time to find the murderer!"
Inwardly, Lin Ke was cursing up a storm. Butcher Zhang was too damned blunt!
I saved him, so why does he seem to suspect me too?
He really did speak whatever was on his mind!
Li Hanlin stared calmly at Lin Ke for a while, then surveyed the people around them before speaking:
"Very well! For the courage you showed in stepping forward to speak for Lord Zhang, I can give you this chance to prove your innocence..."
"Five days!"
Li Hanlin's expression turned stern. "Human lives are at stake. You get only five days. If you haven't found the murderer by then, report to the government office yourself. You'll be just in time for execution on the seventh day. That will save us some trouble!"
Lin Ke nodded solemnly at those words.
Just as I thought!
The man in black gave Li Hanlin five days to catch the murderer, and Li Hanlin gave me five days.
If I can't find the murderer, I really will become the scapegoat.
"Ding!" "Choice completed!" "Reward issued!" "Additional reward triggered-[High-Rank Recognition]!" [High-Rank Recognition: Your justice and fearlessness in the face of danger have earned the appreciation and attention of a higher-ranking existence.]
Higher-ranking?
Lin Ke's mind jolted, and he couldn't help raising his eyebrows.
Doing good... really does bring good rewards?
Before you continue