After Shen Yi asked, he still watched him calmly.
So much so that the thin monk was caught off guard for a moment and almost thought the other party really wanted an "answer."
Moments later, rage surged from the depths of his heart.
His gaze was sinister, his breathing rapid; since the day he arrived in Baiyun County, no one had ever dared to provoke him .
The thin monk clenched his fist, his fingernails digging painfully into his palm.
He wished he could split the other's head open with full force.
But for some reason, under the other's placid gaze, he felt inexplicably flustered, and his hand hesitated to rise. Had he become too comfortable in the Lin Residence, losing his fighting spirit?
No, it simply wasn't worth it to quibble with a dead man—far from wise.
Offending the Fox Demon of North Cliff, where did the other have any chance of survival? There was no need for him to take action himself.
With this thought, the thin monk forced a sneer again, though less confidently, "Indeed, an official from the government, Officer Shen is more imposing than the county magistrate himself. My apologies for the indiscretion."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi nodded and turned to leave but then, as if remembering something, looked back with a hint of concern, "At your age, you shouldn't always smirk crookedly—it's easy to develop facial paralysis."
The thin monk subconsciously adjusted the corners of his mouth, then his eyelids began to twitch violently.
Watching the other's leisurely departing figure, his chest suddenly felt stuffy, and a metallic sweetness filled his mouth.
Zhang the Butcher approached his senior brother, gave him a pitying glance, and then strode away from the Lin Residence.
"To think that such a ferocious Tiger Demon was hiding in our house!"
The belatedly arriving Master Lin's eyes widened as he watched Chen Ji securing the massive tiger corpse onto the cart.
He glanced at the stationary thin monk, then with obsequious smiles, quickly followed after Shen Yi.
"Officer Shen, please wait!"
His insubstantial figure, embellished by his ornate attire, couldn't manage to run and was left calling out repeatedly.
Shen Yi paused in confusion.
"I've come to apologize for the previous incident."
Master Lin bowed, resting on his knees, and stammered shamefully, "You saved my daughter, yet I suspected you colluded with the Demon to harm her, causing her to lose her memory. I thought you returned her to our home just to swindle some silver for gambling and merrymaking…"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi's expression turned slightly stiff.
"It was my mistake to look down on others with my merchant's narrow view," Master Lin lamented regretfully but failed to notice that Shen Yi had quietly turned his head away.
"You are a good man. Bai Wei was blinded by the Demon. If it weren't for Officer Shen today, our Lin Family could have been devoured entirely by that Tiger Demon."
Upon hearing this name again, Shen Yi fell into silence.
Of all the troubles left by his predecessor, only this one was the most fatal.
He had to either slay the Fox Demon and silence it forever.
Or he had to eliminate the real Lin Baiwei and from then on align himself with the Fox Demon of North Cliff.
There was hardly any third option.
The resolute strike he had delivered earlier not only beheaded the Tiger Demon but also cut off his own retreat.
Shen Yi considered himself an ordinary person, equally prone to gains and losses.
Why not make it simple and follow his heart? Why dither like a child not weaned, unable to let go of this and unable to relinquish that.
"There's no need for that. It is only right to fulfill my duties while receiving Imperial Court stipends."
Shen Yi gathered his thoughts, nodded at Chen Ji dragging the cart over, and said his farewells to Master Lin.
"Only right…" Master Lin echoed, nodding, but his mouth revealed a bitter taste. How "only right" indeed, when he had provided the county magistrate with so much silver, yet the thin monk didn't think it "only right" to take the money and do the job.
"Officer Shen, when Bai Wei returns, may I invite you over for tea? She has apprenticed and learned some martial arts; both of you are of similar age and should have much to discuss," Master Lin suggested.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ji unconsciously furrowed his brows.
Who in Baiyun County didn't know that the Lin Family's only daughter was as beautiful as a celestial maiden? Countless fine young men drooled over her. Compared to her, although his own sister was also a beauty of modest background, both her family status and experience fell far too short.
Wait… Why compare his sister to Miss Lin?
Chen Ji slapped his forehead; besides, with Officer Shen's current martial skills, he might not even fancy a woman who had associated with Demons.
"What do you think?" Master Lin asked cautiously, looking over.
Shen Yi looked down at the saber on his waist and spoke slowly, "Alright."
Receiving the affirmative response, Master Lin was overjoyed, although the other party looked a bit strange. They were both young people, after all—more contact with each other, and who knows, it might just work out!
Chen Ji rolled his eyes. Sure enough, even if everything else changed, Officer Shen's restless heart remained the same.
Just then, the chubby steward, having changed into clean clothes, struggled to carry a large silk bag and, panting, placed it on the cart.
Chen Ji knew what was inside just by the sound of it.
Considering how the cart swayed, there were at least 800 taels of silver, which was roughly equivalent to thirty years of pay for a constable.
"Please don't refuse it. If you don't accept it, I really won't be able to get over this hurdle. Moreover, the Imperial Court has given tacit approval for the reward for slaying Demons."
Master Lin repeatedly bowed with his hands folded in front of him.
"I know you like to have fun. Coins are not convenient, and banknotes lack prestige, so I've prepared all silver," the chubby steward said, laughing and taking credit.
Shen Yi walked over to the cart, lifted the silk cloth covering, and looked at the glimmering silver inside, a barely perceptible streak of envy flashing across his calm eyes.
The rich dogs! They really deserve to be hung up on the lampposts.
Two pancakes with extra eggs cost only ten wen, yet this silver could wrap the whole family of a street vendor inside the pancakes.
"Indeed, that's what they say," Chen Ji also sighed. Just a casual offering of silver from them, and he couldn't save up enough dowry for his sister in his whole lifetime.
Shen Yi casually flipped through the silver ingots, picked out two weighing ten taels each, threw one ingot to Chen Ji: "This will do."
He couldn't help the Lin Family raise their daughter for nothing. They had to pay for the meals at least.
He brushed the rest off the cart.
Without giving anyone else a chance to say more, leaving Master Lin standing there dumbfounded, Shen Yi stepped out of the Lin Residence.
Chen Ji, holding the silver ingot in surprise, then quickly followed Shen Yi, pulling the cart in a hurry.
Walking onto the street, Chen Ji finally wanted to ask about what had just happened.
He really hadn't expected the other party to fall out with the skinny monk so easily.
"Use your brain before you do something next time. Your life isn't something you picked up."
Shen Yi stretched, heading towards the tavern on the street corner, and eyed the wooden plaques on the wall: "Bring a pot of Huadiao wine, roast goose leg—I'll take the left one, and steam a fish…"
Watching his back as he ordered, Chen Ji rubbed his belly.
Officer Shen spoke as if his life were something he had picked up... Even if it were picked up, what reason did he have to stand up for someone unrelated to him?
And even treat them to a meal.
Not until Shen Yi left, carrying a clay pot and a lotus-leaf-wrapped package, did Chen Ji open his mouth wide in puzzlement: "Aren't we going to eat here?"
Shen Yi turned back, with an odd expression, "Go buy your own if you want to eat."
Don't you understand the concept of separating public duties from private affairs?
A salary of just two taels and four maces of silver a month, and still treat you to a meal? I might as well be treating you to nothing.
Chen Ji took out the ten-tael silver ingot and looked at the silver, then back at the other person, his heart filled with myriad emotions:
"What a strange man."