My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 757 - 478: No Shortage of Heroes (Two in One)_3

Chen Yi lifted his gaze and scanned the room. Eleven children were hidden here, and with everyone working together, the story had been exaggerated to otherworldly proportions. Looking again, his eyes settled on Madam Yan, her white robe stained with blood, her loose black hair matted and scabbed into a disheveled mess. He couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.

"Little Seven didn't mean to scare people," Madam Yan said softly, her tone uneasy. She pulled a child close and instinctively ruffled his hair. "But the officials are far more terrifying than the ghosts!"

Chen Yi exhaled deeply but said nothing.

Yin Tingxue seemed to have already heard him and turned back to look at him.

Chen Yi's lips curved slightly, a faint smile appearing as he asked, "What if I were to kill an official?"

......

Shao Po didn't know how long he had been unconscious. When his eyes opened again, he found he was no longer in the alley but seated on a bench by the street.

He sprang upright, his eyes wide and cold sweat pouring down his face. It was as if he hadn't yet shaken off the terror from earlier. Just then, a voice reached his ears: "Constable Shao, are you alright?"

The indifferent tone startled him. He spun around sharply and saw the Taoist leisurely blowing on his wontons as he ate.

"This... this... this! This..." Shao Po stammered, trembling for a while before pointing to himself. "I'm not dead?"

"Of course you're fine, Constable Shao. As for the demon inside, it's already injured by my spell," Chen Yi said, taking another bite of his wontons, then casually added, "Why don't you go and see for yourself?"

Shao Po felt as though half his life had already been scared out of him. There was no chance he would dare go back. He hurriedly shook his head, stood up shakily, and took two trembling steps forward to steady himself against a pillar.

After a long pause, Shao Po turned his head and asked, "Tao... Taoist master, could you press your advantage and eradicate the demon today?"

Chen Yi continued eating his wontons at an unhurried pace and did not reply.

Shao Po gritted his teeth and said, "The county offers a reward."

Chen Yi immediately set his chopsticks down, clapped his hands together, and smiled, saying, "Fair enough! Take me to meet the County Magistrate."

Shao Po inwardly cursed this Taoist for being so greedy, no different from those trickster Jianghu mages. Yet, outwardly, he maintained a polite demeanor, bending slightly to make a gesture of invitation.

He pulled out seven coins from his pouch and placed them on the table. Chen Yi stood up and followed him.

The two men walked on, quickly turning through street alleys. Despite it being the New Year, the wide streets were unusually quiet, with families keeping their doors tightly shut.

Turning a corner, Chen Yi followed Shao Po to the crimson pillars of the county government. During the New Year, the county office was closed, with no one on duty. Shao Po took out a key, unlocked the side entrance, and walked ahead familiarly, leading Chen Yi toward the backyard.

"There's a smell."

A faintly unusual fishy odor drifted through the air with no wind.

Shao Po wrinkled his nose while Chen Yi looked slightly puzzled; this smell was all too familiar to him.

The scent was coming from the county government's main hall.

With his mind full of suspicion, Shao Po edged closer and pushed at the thick doors. The creaking sound echoed sharply.

The stench surged into their faces, a rancid reek flooding their nostrils. The county government hall remained as quiet and still as ever. Peering inside, Shao Po's eyes locked on a headless figure slumped lifelessly over the judgment desk, blood staining the entire area red!

Where was the head?

Before Shao Po could react, something rolled to his feet. Shaking, he lowered his gaze.

The familiar face of Magistrate Wei stared up at him, lifeless yet unyielding.

"Ahhh!"

Shao Po let out a screech like a frightened rooster, his voice sharp and trembling.

Amid the panic-stricken wails, Chen Yi looked on with great interest, slowly taking it all in.

On the broad wall adorned with the plaque reading "Justice and Integrity," dark red, pungent characters had been splattered:

"A true man, He Taixiong, killed an official here!"

Someone had beaten him to it. Chen Yi couldn't help but let out a soft sigh and said, "There's no shortage of heroes in this world."