Why Put on an Act Before Me?

At that moment, Lin Yuan saw Lu Feng walk in.

"Lu Feng, do you know your crime?"

Lu Feng remained calm and unhurried, cupping his fists in greeting.

"Greetings, Vice Magistrate! May I ask what orders you have for me?"

"Orders?" Lin Yuan slammed his hand on the table, his anger flaring even higher.

"I'm asking you, were you the one who killed that pig demon and the two wolf demons?"

Lu Feng raised his eyes and answered with a perfectly solemn expression, "My lord, I was indeed the one who did it."

"Those demon beasts were outrageously arrogant. Not only did they want to eat me on the spot, they also spoke wildly, showing no regard for you whatsoever!"

"I was so furious that I accidentally killed them. Please forgive me, my lord."

He grumbled inwardly, If my cultivation weren't still weaker than yours, why would I need an excuse like this? I'd just flip the table!

"Even if they were disrespectful, you had no right to act on your own! Who gave you permission to kill demon beasts without authorization?"

Lu Feng immediately put on an appearance of remorse and said, following his lead:

"You're right, my lord. I know I was wrong."

"But now that I've fallen out with those demon beasts, going back to deal with them might get me killed. How about leaving Constable Lin in charge of communicating with them from now on?"

The moment he finished, Lin Shan snapped back, "No! How could I wallow in the mire with demon beasts and collude with them?"

Lu Feng thought contemptuously, Why are you putting on an act as a righteous gentleman in front of me? When the original owner of this body colluded with demon beasts before, I never heard you say a single word to stop him!

Yet his face remained troubled. "But I really have fallen out with the demon beasts now. I truly can't deal with them anymore..."

Lin Yuan knitted his brows, looking troubled.

He knew perfectly well that Lin Shan would never collude with demon beasts, and Chen Hu was An Shi's man, making it even less likely that he could take over.

Just as he hesitated, Lu Feng offered a pretense of persuasion:

"Constable Lin, demon beasts are actually quite easy to get along with. All it takes is a little food..."

"Shut up!" Lin Shan cut him off.

"A Demon-Slaying Envoy has been inspecting the counties lately. He might arrive in Lin'an County at any moment!"

"If he discovers that I've been colluding with demon beasts, I can forget about joining the Demon-Slaying Bureau for the rest of my life!"

"The Demon-Slaying Bureau?"

Lu Feng deliberately let a flicker of surprise cross his face, his tone puzzled.

"They're coming to Lin'an County?"

The Demon-Slaying Bureau stood apart from the imperial court and answered directly to the emperor. It held power over life and death and wielded immense authority, making it one of Great Qian's foremost institutions.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan hurriedly interrupted their conversation and waved impatiently at Lu Feng.

"Enough! Cut the nonsense. You'll still handle the demon beasts! Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir! I'll take my leave!"

Lu Feng remained outwardly respectful. After cupping his fists in salute, he turned and withdrew.

As soon as Lu Feng left, Lin Shan spoke up urgently. "Uncle! How can you still leave him in charge of the demon beasts?"

"Impudent!" Lin Yuan rebuked him sharply. "What should you call me during work?"

Lin Shan's expression stiffened, and he hastily corrected himself. "My lord."

Lin Yuan pointed at him, his tone displeased. "Why did you tell Lu Feng that a Demon-Slaying Envoy was coming?"

"If he decides he wants to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau too, who'll handle the demon beasts for me in the future? Who'll take the blame for me?"

Lin Shan's face was full of disdain. "With Lu Feng's amateurish skills, he wants to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau? He's dreaming!"

"What do you know?" Lin Yuan's expression turned grave. "He killed a pig demon and two wolf demons on his own. He's at least a first-rate martial artist!"

"He deliberately pretended to be a third-rate martial artist before. He may have been deceiving others. We can't afford to underestimate him!"

Hearing this, Lin Shan remained brimming with confidence. "Rest assured, my lord. I've now reached Early Ming Jin, far surpassing Lu Feng. I'll definitely make it into the Demon-Slaying Bureau!"

Lin Yuan nodded, his tone softening somewhat. "Cultivate diligently during this period. Don't slack off."

"When the Demon-Slaying Envoy arrives, make a good showing. With your strength, getting into the Demon-Slaying Bureau will be no trouble at all!"

Meanwhile, after leaving the vice magistrate's study, Lu Feng headed straight for the registrar's office. He exchanged the two hundred merit points he had earned for killing the two wolf demons for two techniques: the Gate-Severing Saber Art and the Grasping Hand.

After putting the techniques away, he looked at Registrar An and asked with feigned casualness:

"Lord An, I just heard that a Demon-Slaying Envoy is coming to Lin'an County?"

Registrar An looked up at him and smiled. "What? You want to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau too?"

"I'd advise you to give up on that. The Demon-Slaying Bureau has a strict minimum requirement: you must have reached Ming Jin!"

Lu Feng's heart stirred, and he quickly pressed on. "Besides Ming Jin cultivation, are there any other requirements?"

"As the Demon-Slaying Bureau's name suggests, the more demon beasts you kill, the greater your merit and the more likely you are to catch the envoy's eye!"

"Thank you for telling me, my lord! I'll take my leave!"

Lu Feng cupped his fists in salute, then turned and strode out.

Leaving the registrar's office, Lu Feng began to calculate. I've now acquired all three techniques from the county office. If I want to improve my strength further, I'll have to look for other techniques.

And if I join the Demon-Slaying Bureau, not only can I kill demon beasts openly and earn Demon Points, I can also obtain techniques and resources provided by the authorities to rapidly advance my cultivation!

This visit from the Demon-Slaying Envoy is my best chance to enter the Demon-Slaying Bureau. No matter what, I have to seize it!

With that thought, Lu Feng hesitated no longer. He changed direction and headed for the western side of the mountain behind the county.

That was where the ruined temple in which he had killed the pig demon lay, and also where the pig demons' lair was located.

Before, he had feared that killing too many demon beasts would bring retaliation from Lin Yuan, so he hadn't dared to kill them on a large scale.

But now, with the Demon-Slaying Envoy about to arrive, Lin Yuan's mind was occupied with concealing his crime of colluding with demon beasts. There was no way he would make a move against Lu Feng at such a critical moment.

"Demon Points, here I come!"

A short while later, he arrived at the pig demons' lair.

At the entrance, several pig demons lay lazily on the ground. Lu Feng glanced over them, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "One, two, three... nine of them. Not bad, not bad."

Of the nine pig demons, only one was a first-tier demon beast. The other eight were lesser demons who hadn't even reached the first tier, perfect for farming Demon Points!

"It's you?"

The first-tier pig demon noticed the disturbance and shot to its feet.

"My underling Gangzai is dead. Do you know who killed him?"

Lu Feng smiled faintly, his tone frank. "I do."

"Who was it?!"

The first-tier pig demon's expression changed drastically, and its viciousness surged as it demanded in a harsh voice:

"How dare anyone kill my underling? I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

"What? You want to avenge him? Don't worry, you'll be seeing him soon enough!"

"Courting death!" At that moment, the first-tier pig demon finally caught on. Beside itself with rage, it roared:

"Once I've killed you, I'll go find that Lin Yuan and get to the bottom of this!"

Before the words had even faded, the first-tier pig demon abruptly raised a hand as large as a palm-leaf fan and slammed it viciously at Lu Feng, trailing a howling gale!

Lu Feng was ready. His body reacted instinctively, and he drew the long saber at his waist in an instant, holding it across his body to block.

"Boom!"

A tremendous crash rang out as the enormous impact struck. Lu Feng staggered back several steps, leaving deep footprints in the earth beneath him. His Qi and blood churned, and his chest felt tight.

"I didn't expect a first-tier demon beast to be this strong!"

He gripped his long saber with both hands and circulated the force within his body. A keen saber intent instantly radiated from him as he unleashed the perfected Gale Saber Art!

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Saber light slashed out like lightning, striking the first-tier pig demon again and again, but producing only crisp metallic clangs and leaving a few faint bloody marks on its body.

He couldn't inflict serious injuries at all.

Instead, the attack thoroughly aroused the first-tier pig demon's beastly nature. It roared, its assault growing ever more violent, every punch and palm strike carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth.