Xue Ling tiptoed, holding his breath as he approached. This was a common residential area, not as neat as an official residence. The alleys were narrow and the roads were bad, with a lot of debris piled up, making it cramped and crowded. Even scavenging dogs rarely came here.
The moonlight was pale. Inside a low wall, two or three men were dragging a girl, and vaguely, another person could be seen blocking the door.
The girl's face was filled with terror, tears streaming down like rain. It was none other than the Feng girl, Duo'er, who had just been mentioned!
Feng Duo'er bit hard on the hand covering her mouth: "You will all suffer retribution!"
"Slap!"
"You little hussy, how dare you bite me! Hold her down!"
Like a delicate flower, a huge palm print was left on her face! Her fair and tender cheek turned purple and swelled up high!
Poor her, too weak to resist, like a lamb in a downpour, her mouth was covered, and her hands and feet were tied, about to be violated.
There were clearly people in the nearby houses, but every door was tightly shut, and no one reached out to help.
It was all because of Scarface Feng Mang; his daily mischief had earned him no goodwill whatsoever.
In a blink of an eye, the fat man in front had already pulled down his clothes, his two pale buttocks an eyesore. They grinned lewdly, all reaching out to tear at Feng Duo'er's clothes!
"Feng Mang is as annoying as a bedbug, but his sister is very pretty and supple, so smooth and tender."
The one blocking the door was a bit more timid: "How about we just forget it? A brothel doesn't cost much, and if we anger Feng Mang, I'm afraid..."
The others, however, were unwilling to let go of the duck that was already in their mouths.
"What's there to be afraid of? I heard that Feng Mang and his gang committed a crime and Xue Gou caught them and threw them into prison to extort money. They won't be out for six or seven days!"
"By the time he gets out, we brothers will have already had our fill of fun! Hehe!"
"Besides, that prostitute is loose; how can she compare to this fresh young girl?"
Fresh? Yao Beasts eat humans for freshness, and humans oppress humans for freshness too!
You dogs!
Xue Ling picked up a stone and threw it hard at the man.
"Who's there?"
The person in the courtyard was hit on the head, stopped their movements, rushed out the door, and suspiciously looked around.
Xue Ling was hidden stealthily, so they couldn't find anyone and had to give up.
Once they entered the courtyard to act, Xue Ling would throw stones. After several repetitions, the four men were infuriated by the blows, their faces bleeding, and their bodies bruised.
Furious, they rushed out, rummaging through boxes and cabinets to find someone. These four dimwits had no martial arts skills.
Xue Ling silently leaped into the inner courtyard, knocked Feng Duo'er unconscious and hid her, then waited for them.
When the four men returned again, Xue Ling quietly locked the courtyard gate.
Only by closing the door can you beat the dogs to death.
The four men, varying in height, weight, and build, were not small. Relying on their numbers, they surrounded Xue Ling: "Who are you? How dare you ruin our good thing!"
Xue Ling was hidden in the shadows: "Me? I am your retribution!"
"Bang!" Xue Ling blocked a muffled blow and then delivered a series of punches!
"Ah!"
"Ouch!"
"Ow!"
The four small night thieves, tall, short, fat, and thin, lay neatly on the ground, already unconscious.
After the beating, Xue Ling's anger subsided. He then pulled out some hemp rope, tied their hands and feet, and dragged a string of 'dead dogs' back to the dungeon.
"Sir! What is this?" The Warden woke up from his dream, got up, and the silver in his pocket jingled.
The idlers in the cages stared expectantly at Xue Ling, not daring to utter another word.
"Open Feng Mang's cage."
His wound hurt terribly. After dropping the four scumbags, Xue Ling's face was as foul as it could be.
"Guess where these four men were caught?"
Feng Mang stared at Xue Ling. Although a bit bewildered, he dared not act rashly now and didn't want to bother with him much.
"In your courtyard."
Feng Mang suddenly looked at the four men on the ground, immediately ready to act.
Seeing Feng Mang come to his senses, Xue Ling's tone grew colder: "You have the brains to cause trouble, but not the ability to avoid disaster. Haven't you considered, if something bad were to happen to you, who would be the most pitiful?"
Feng Mang clenched his fists, "If you truly pity... then release me!"
Both of them understood each other implicitly, neither mentioning Feng Duo'er's name.
"I can give you time, but there's a condition: the County Magistrate cannot tolerate a single grain of sand in his eye. You must return before dawn. When the time comes, I will naturally release you."
"Good."
After some discussion, Feng Mang rushed home alone.
Xue Ling took the silver notes and travel pass, hid them, and quietly returned to the back office.
By this time, the roosters had crowed three times, and the sky was already faintly lit.
Uncle Fu nimbly presented the wound medicine, which consisted of powders and pills, all very convenient to carry.
"Sir, the County Magistrate sent someone to call you to the front hall for a meeting. The Old Mamas have already gone to the Feng family with food and loose silver."
"Understood, go and rest."
Xue Ling tidied his clothes and headed straight for the front office.
The usually relaxed front office was filled with a chilling atmosphere. The yamen runners were all in the guardroom, and people from the Demon Suppression Division stood guard on either side.
The hall was very solemn. A quick glance revealed three factions seated.
Behind the main seat at the table was a black-armored man, clearly dressed as a member of the Demon Suppression Division. By his hand lay a Horse Chopping Blade, over three feet long, radiating cold light.
On the right were people dressed in military attire. A young general in white armor sat boldly, presumably a soldier from the West City Barracks.
The County Magistrate sat on the left, in the lowest position.
The County Lieutenant, the aide, and Detective Zhang waited in the corridor. After observing, Xue Ling smoothly joined them, silently listening to the discussions in the hall.
"...Such divine bravery is rare even in the prefectural city. The Lord Magistrate has managed to keep it completely secret..."
The young general in white armor spoke with hidden barbs, clearly resentful.
Their West City Barracks had received orders and rushed to help, deploying troops and making a lot of effort. Upon arrival, they found that the Yao Beasts had already been killed.
Not to mention merit, they didn't even get any credit for their hard work.
This County Magistrate was treating them like pushovers, just leading them on a wild goose chase for fun!
The County Magistrate wiped away cold sweat, awkwardly forcing a smile: "General Song, you jest. When it comes to divine bravery, among the seven counties and towns of Nanxiu Prefecture, who can compare to the General?"
"Hehe..." The young general in white armor let out two cold laughs, not responding.
The atmosphere immediately became silent, very awkward.
"Old County Magistrate, has Xue Ling not arrived yet?"
The black-armored person spoke, and despite the steady and cold tone, it was a clear female voice!
Xue Ling suddenly looked up at the black-armored person in the hall. On closer inspection, he realized: what a beauty!
Her skin was fair and delicate, her face lovely, her large eyes dark and moist, her upturned nose rounded, and her delicate, crimson lips were exquisite, all encased in a cold, black armor.
The soft beauty of her features and the cold, hard Aura—two extreme qualities perfectly blended in one person, contradictory yet strange, like a flame in the night, captivating.
With just one glance, Xue Ling felt half his soul fly away, forgetting even to blink.
A wave of infatuation swept over him, and the wound on his abdomen even tingled slightly.
The County Magistrate immediately spotted the dazed Xue Ling: "He's here! He's here! He's at the end of the corridor!"
"Xue Ling! Commander Xin is calling for you, quickly step forward and respond."
Commander!
She, a delicate young lady, was actually a Commander!
She was actually a Commander!
Among the several officials present, her rank and status were the highest.
The Demon Suppression Division operated independently of the imperial court, holding a transcendent status, and everything was managed according to military rules.
Commander, Deputy Commander, and Leader are unique positions within the Demon Suppression Division.
A Commander oversees a prefecture, commanding five thousand soldiers. In the sixteen prefectures of Da Qian Country, there are only sixteen Commanders in total.
Above Commander are the Deputy Commanders, eight in total, overseeing eight prefectures, commanding ten thousand soldiers.
Further up are the Leaders, each commanding eighty thousand soldiers.
Although there are only two, they are the right-hand men of the Lord Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
The Demon Suppression Division, with its renowned reputation and immense power, handles tasks that are life-threatening, where one's head could roll at any moment.
Precisely because of this, the members of the Demon Suppression Division revere martial prowess, and each one is burly, fierce, and rugged.
Unexpectedly, the Commander overseeing Qingyang County would be a delicate young lady.
This Commander is exceedingly beautiful.
While Xue Ling was appraising Commander Xin, Commander Xin also looked Xue Ling up and down, "You are Xue Ling?"
The beauty spoke.
Xue Ling's eyes lit up, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips: "Responding to the beauty... Sir, I am Xue Ling."
Commander Xin frowned, already showing three parts of displeasure. As a woman, competing for merit in a male-dominated environment, she received many prying glances, but no one had ever dared to be so blatant.
And to even call her a beauty in public!
Hei Da, by her side, roared, "Presumptuous!"
Next to the cool and beautiful woman was a fierce dog. Xue Ling stared intently at the beauty, delaying...
Commander Xin and Hei Da worked together, one playing the good cop, the other the bad cop.
"I heard you are the body collector in the county yamen?"
"Yes."
Commander Xin's tone shifted, "I've never heard of such divine bravery in Qingyang County. How did you suddenly start killing Yao Beasts?"
Here it comes!
There were many contradictions between the original body's actions and Xue Ling's, and anyone observing with a cold eye would surely have questions.
Xue Ling was well-prepared. He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping.
"The Yao Beasts bring disaster to the villagers, and the old and young all suffer. I wish to kill them quickly! But alas, I started learning martial arts late, and even if I wanted to kill the demons for revenge, I am willing but powerless..."
Anger, unwillingness, inferiority, resentment, and helpless sighing—the emotions shifted smoothly, utterly natural.
He spoke with such sincerity that everyone present was moved.
Everyone in the hall was astonished. Was this still the lazy, cunning Xue Gou?
The County Magistrate's eyebrows were so furrowed with wrinkles that they almost flew into his temples. His mouth hung open, as if he were seeing Xue Ling for the first time.
"Who says it isn't so! If I could kill Yao Beasts, I would have wiped them all out long ago to prevent future troubles."
Someone else chimed in.
Unfortunately, Xue Ling's gaze was too blatant.
While others were still moved, Commander Xin's face had completely darkened.
He was audacious and lustful. Even if he could kill Yao Beasts and possessed some strength, he still needed a lesson.
Hei Da was furious, "How dare you! You..."
"Clang!" Commander Xin slammed her hand on the table and casually threw the Horse Chopping Blade by her side.
The sight of Xue Ling emerging alone from the Rabbit Demon's cave was truly too shocking.
Commander Xin naturally had thoughts of recruiting him, but she didn't need subordinates who were difficult to control, so she naturally had to discipline him.
She used all her strength! The Horse Chopping Blade cut through the Void Realm, coming both swiftly and fiercely!
Xue Ling's pupils instantly dilated. He clearly saw it, yet had no time to resist.
This woman's strength was above his!
The speed was too fast! And the distance too close!
Xue Ling couldn't dodge in time. The hilt of the blade struck him in the chest, like a thunderous heavy hammer to his heart and lungs. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and was sent flying a dozen zhang away!
He fainted on the spot.
"Xue Ling!" Detective Zhang rushed over in a panic, reaching out to check for a breath. His face instantly turned pale.
"He... he's not breathing! Quickly call a physician!"
"..." Commander Xin lowered her eyes and glanced at her hand. When had her Cultivation Technique improved so much?
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone in the hall.
Hei Da, by her side, also paused for a moment, "Sir, he seems to have stopped breathing..."
Commander Xin clenched her fist and personally came down to check.
How could someone who single-handedly broke into a Yao Beast's cave and slaughtered a den of Rabbit Demons not withstand her single blow?
What she didn't know was that Xue Ling only knew one Cultivation Technique, and it was their Demon Suppression Division's Vajra Fist.
Everyone gathered around Xue Ling.
The old master trembled as he reached out to check for a breath, "It's over! It's over! He really isn't breathing!"
"These Demon Suppression Division people hit too hard! Xue Ling is still one of our yamen's people..."