Chapter 101: Chapter 101: The Water Well
The events at Wanhua Building last night had already left Nie Xu deeply frazzled. Before things had calmed down there, other commoners met with trouble. If it were usual times, the deaths of a few people could have been suppressed in public discourse. But at this critical juncture, a few more deaths would undoubtedly lead to foreseeable disturbances. The main issue was that if Demon Evils were truly hiding in Jincheng, the consequences of not eliminating them swiftly were unimaginable. If they were to wait until their guard was down and more civilians died, Nie Xu felt he would have to step down.
Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing did not immediately agree. "The Black Tiger Army has always been strong and has slain many Demon Evils. Now that the Black Tiger Army has entered the city, if there are indeed other Demon Evils lurking in Jincheng, the Black Tiger Army alone should be sufficient to deal with them. It seems rather roundabout for Lord Nie to summon me!"
Although Shen Changqing had not witnessed the might of the Black Tiger Army personally, the aura of those soldiers was telling enough. Moreover, Wen Ce standing before him was by no means a weak master. For an ordinary Demon Evil, handling it with Wen Ce’s strength shouldn’t pose much of a problem.
Nie Xu hadn’t had a chance to respond when Wen Ce, standing to the side, spoke up first. "Lord Shen may not be aware, but although the Black Tiger Army is indeed capable of handling Demon Evils, these creatures possess cunning concealment techniques. For the ordinary ranks of the Black Tiger Army to accurately locate a Demon Evil is no easy task. In contrast, the agents of the Demon-Subduing Division are accustomed to dealing with Demon Evils, and I believe locating them will be much easier for your esteemed Division than for the Black Tiger Army. Hence, I hope Lord Shen can lend a hand, assisting the Black Tiger Army in rooting out the Demon Evils."
Saying this, Wen Ce suddenly bowed deeply. "On behalf of the citizens of Jincheng, I thank Lord Shen in advance."
Witnessing Wen Ce’s gesture, a faint, enigmatic smile appeared on Shen Changqing’s face. He hadn’t expected this. This military officer before him was even better than Nie Xu, the civil official, at invoking lofty principles to pressure someone. Ordinarily, no matter how eloquent Wen Ce was, Shen Changqing wouldn’t have bothered with him.
However, seeking out Demon Evils was Shen Changqing’s own goal. His Slaughter Value was currently low, and to quickly enhance his strength, he needed to hunt down a significant number of Demon Evils. Thus, even if Wen Ce and Nie Xu hadn’t mentioned it, knowing Demon Evils were present, he would have sought a way to investigate and, if possible, kill a few—an excellent opportunity. But since Nie Xu had brought it up, Shen Changqing decided to inquire in detail. If there were any hidden troubles, it was best to be prepared.
After a thoughtful look at Wen Ce, Shen Changqing said with a light smile, "Lord Wen jests. As a member of the Demon-Subduing Division, I prioritize the welfare of the common people above all else. Even if Lord Wen hadn’t said such words, I would not have refused."
The implication was clear: what Shen Changqing did was his own business and had nothing to do with Wen Ce.
Wen Ce’s expression remained calm, showing no significant change in response.
After a pause, Shen Changqing looked towards Nie Xu. "The matter of eliminating Demon Evils doesn’t require the Black Tiger Army’s involvement. The Demon-Subduing Division will handle it. Just have the Yamen assign someone to guide us, and leave the rest to me."
"Thank you, Lord Shen!" Nie Xu’s face broke into a smile, seemingly oblivious to the exchange between the two just now. He was the County Magistrate of Jincheng, with only one objective—to maintain the stability of Jincheng. As for other matters, what great concern were they of his?
Thinking of something, Shen Changqing remarked, "I also visited Wanhua Building earlier and saw that the Yamen had sealed off that street?"
"That’s correct." Nie Xu nodded, his smile fading somewhat. "Last night, all the commoners on that street died at the hands of a Demon Evil. The corpses took all night to be cremated, and now I can’t guarantee that no Demon Evils are still lurking there. If Demon Evils are indeed still hiding there, allowing other civilians to enter could lead to another massacre."
"So that’s what Lord Nie is concerned about." Shen Changqing feigned a sudden realization, then shook his head. "Lord Nie can rest assured on that account. When I went to Wanhua Building earlier, I verified that all the Demon Evils had retreated. Even the Yin Evil Aura has barely lingered. Continuing to blockade that area is a waste of the Yamen’s manpower. Moreover, having a street sealed off always has a certain impact on public sentiment; this matter should be considered carefully."
Upon hearing this, Nie Xu didn’t show much surprise; instead, he pondered Shen Changqing’s words seriously and finally nodded. "Since Lord Shen has confirmed there’s no presence of Demon Evils there, there’s no need to keep people stationed. After all, as Lord Shen said, having Yamen officials block the place could cause unnecessary trouble."
Sealing off a street, even if there truly were no Demon Evils left inside, would still make the other commoners suspect their presence. Otherwise, why would the Yamen dispatch men to guard it? Such is human nature; it cannot be soothed with mere words. As long as Yamen officials remained stationed there, it would continue to breed apprehension. Both Shen Changqing and Nie Xu understood this point.
Nie Xu then looked toward a person beside him and said gravely, "Principal Clerk Liu, go instruct Arrest Officer Liu and his men to return."
"Yes!" Principal Clerk Liu nodded and then left the Yamen.
Nie Xu turned to the other Government Officials, "Dispose of the bodies on the ground properly; don’t let them cause any trouble."
One of the Government Officials replied, "Understood, my lord!"
"Lord Shen, Lord Wen, please come to the inner hall. We can wait there and continue our discussion when Arrest Officer Liu returns." Nie Xu finished giving orders and then said to the two of them.
Seeing this, neither of them refused.
「Inner hall.」
It is worth mentioning that the inner hall of Jincheng’s Yamen was much larger than that of Lin’an City’s Yamen. Perhaps this was because Jincheng itself was a large city. Without delving into other aspects, just the population of Jincheng alone was incomparable to that of Lin’an City.
The three of them took their seats. Soon, a Government Official served tea.
Nie Xu picked up the teacup, took a small sip, then set it back down, his gaze landing on Shen Changqing. "Lord Shen, with such events occurring in Jincheng, has the Demon-Subduing Division provided any news?"
"Lord Nie jests. I am affiliated with the Demon-Subduing Division in the Capital City, and Great Wilderness Prefecture is far from the Capital. Even if there is news to be exchanged, it cannot be done in a mere couple of days. As for the Demon-Subduing Division within Great Wilderness Prefecture, I have no contact with them. Your question, I’m afraid, is misdirected." Shen Changqing shook his head with a wry smile.
Each prefecture has its Demon-Subduing Division, and although they are interconnected, the Demon Hunters under them do not have means of communication with all Demon-Subduing Divisions. Often, Demon Hunters only correspond with the Demon-Subduing Division from which they originate and rarely have contact with other Divisions. To be honest, if there was any movement from the Demon-Subduing Division within Great Wilderness Prefecture, he was truly unaware.
Upon hearing this, Nie Xu realized his slip of the tongue and gave an embarrassed smile to conceal it.
About an hour later, Arrest Officer Liu entered from outside and bowed to Nie Xu. "My lord, I have returned to report!"
"Mm," Nie Xu nodded, then asked, "Arrest Officer Liu, you must be well aware of the Demon Evils rampaging in other parts of the city last night, correct?"
"Indeed." Although Arrest Officer Liu was not sure what Nie Xu meant, he admitted it candidly. Speaking of which, it was he who had led his men to find those bodies.
Nie Xu said, "That makes things easy. Arrest Officer Liu, please take Lord Shen to the several crime scenes to see if any traces of Demon Evils remain."
"No problem." Arrest Officer Liu was taken aback but responded quickly.
Nie Xu nodded, then turned to Shen Changqing with a cupped fist gesture. "Lord Shen, Jincheng has not yet stabilized, and there are many affairs I must attend to, so I cannot accompany you. For now, Arrest Officer Liu shall stand in for me and accompany you to the crime scenes. What say you, Lord Shen?" Unlike with Arrest Officer Liu, when addressing Shen Changqing, he still had to seek his agreement.
Shen Changqing nodded. "That is acceptable."
Hearing his agreement, Nie Xu felt a sense of relief. "Then I must trouble Lord Shen!"
"No need for formalities." Shen Changqing stood up. "There’s no time to waste; we shouldn’t delay. Arrest Officer Liu, please lead the way. As for other matters, we can discuss them after the Demon Evils are dealt with."
"Lord Shen, please!" Arrest Officer Liu stepped to the side, making a guiding gesture, and followed Shen Changqing out of the inner hall.
Upon exiting the Yamen, Shen Changqing paused and turned to Arrest Officer Liu. "I am not very familiar with Jincheng. Since you know the crime scenes, you should lead the way."
"Certainly, Lord Shen, please." Arrest Officer Liu smiled and then pointed towards the right. "Lord Shen, please follow me this way."
"Mm." Shen Changqing hummed in acknowledgment and proceeded to walk shoulder to shoulder with Arrest Officer Liu.
Along the way, some of the townsfolk who saw Arrest Officer Liu with his saber would pause slightly or nod smilingly in greeting. In response, Arrest Officer Liu would nod back.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing couldn’t help but smile and say, "It seems Arrest Officer Liu is quite popular with the people of Jincheng!"
"Lord Shen is too kind," replied Arrest Officer Liu. "I’ve just served in Jincheng for some years, so I’m more familiar with the townspeople."
"Come to think of it, I don’t know your given name, Arrest Officer Liu."
"Reporting to Lord Shen, my name is Liu Jian."
"Liu Jian." Shen Changqing muttered the name to himself, committing it to memory.
While they talked, their pace remained steady and unbroken. Before long, they passed through the bustling streets and arrived at a secluded, open area where a solitary well stood. Liu Jian halted, pointing to the well. "Lord Shen, this is one of the places where a body was discovered. The local residents regularly used this well, but since the murder last night, no one dares to come near it anymore. The body was discovered just beside the well."
As Liu Jian spoke, Shen Changqing also sensed a faint Yin Evil Aura emanating from the well before them.