I Possess a Scroll of Demon-Subduing Records

"Five thousand gold pieces?!"

Goodness, that's a huge double charge right off the bat!

Lin Yi was certain that this was something He Dong was capable of doing.

Seeing Lin Yi's fuss over five thousand gold coins, Guan Buping explained to him, "Five thousand gold coins is a small matter. What I'm worried about is that the other party won't release the person after taking the money. Judging from the way they used to control the yin wind just now, the other party should be a heretical sorcerer. This is much more troublesome than demons and ghosts!"

"Can't ghosts also control the wind?"

Lin Yi tried to guide the other party toward the right path, since he and He Dong were only after money this time, and the things Guan Buping was worried about would not happen at all, so there was no need to outwit or outmaneuver him.

Guan Buping smiled and shook his head after hearing Lin Yi's words, saying, "You are still too young and inexperienced. Although ghosts can control the wind, a ghost that can appear in broad daylight must be at least a ghost king. And why would a ghost king go to such lengths for a mere five thousand gold pieces? Therefore, we can rule out that it is a ghost."

Lin Yi: "..."

Your analysis is correct, but completely wrong.

"Since he's a heretic and wicked person, what should we do?"

Niu Er cautiously moved closer to Lin Yi. Clearly, he knew there were here sorcerers and was a little nervous. Only by being close to Lin Yi could he feel a little safe.

It's quite an eyesore to see such a rough and tough guy acting like a little bird clinging to someone.

Guan Buping also knew the seriousness of the matter, and said in a low voice, "Let's get back to the city as soon as possible. Since they want money, let's give them the money."

"But we have no horses left."

Niu Er raised a practical question, and Guan Buping thought for a moment before loudly proclaiming to those around him, "Fellow villagers, if anyone has a horse, I am willing to pay a hefty sum to buy it."

The villagers remained silent for a while, and no one responded to Guan Buping's words.

Old village chief Zhao Shancai spoke up: "Sir, no one in the village raises horses, only a few donkeys, which were also eaten by that tiger. By the way, sir, did you manage to get rid of that tiger?"

It was only at this moment that Zhao Shan brought up the matter of the tiger. He had been discussing gossip about the Qin family and had forgotten about the main topic. Now that the donkey had been mentioned, he just asked about it casually.

When Guan Buping heard that there was no one in the village, no horses, and not even a donkey, he was extremely disappointed, but he still patiently said, "The tiger has been killed, and its body is over there. Go and take a look and you'll know."

He then turned to Lin Yi and Niu Er and said, "Without livestock, we'll have to run back. We must deliver the blood letter to the prefect's office as soon as possible."

Upon hearing that they had to run back, Niu Er felt a chill run down his spine. If a four-legged horse could travel a distance that took one or two hours, how long would it take them two legs to run?

"How about I stay in the village and wait for news? You can come back for me tomorrow once you've got the horse?"

"Okay, just be careful tonight, don't get captured by those heretical sorcerers."

Niu Er suddenly realized his mistake and quickly changed his mind, saying, "I don't think I'm of any use staying in the village. Let's go back together!"

The three of them agreed and set off together.

But their conversation just now was not kept in the dark from the villagers of Qinghe Village; they all heard about the heretical sorcerers and the prefectural governor's office.

The villagers weren't stupid; they knew immediately that there was still danger in the village. At this point, why would they let Guan Buping leave?

“Sir, it’s getting late. One person can handle this mission. Besides, you gentlemen have just killed the tiger and are probably tired. Why don’t you rest in the village for the night? It would be a way for us to show our hospitality and thank you for getting rid of the tiger for us.”

Zhao Shan's words were very skillful, and his attitude was so sincere that even though Guan Buping could tell that his gratitude was fake and that he really wanted to keep him to shield him from disaster, he was too embarrassed to refuse.

Moreover, the Jingye Division's job is to protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people. Now that they know there are heretics and evil people in the village, it would be inappropriate for them to just let it go.

After a slight hesitation, Guan Buping agreed.

"Niu Er, take the token and the blood letter back with you, and be careful on the way."

Guan Buping made this arrangement because he thought that having Lin Yi as a teammate would make him feel more at ease at night.

Since the heretical sorcerer wanted to demand a ransom, he naturally wouldn't harm the messenger, and Niu Er wouldn't be in any danger.

When Zhao Shan saw that Guan Buping had agreed, he was overjoyed and then instructed, "Fellow villagers, it is rare for an official to visit our village. Those of you who have wine and food at home, please go back and prepare to properly entertain our distinguished guest later."

The villagers naturally wanted Guan Buping to stay, but they were reluctant to part with the idea of ​​having their own families provide good wine and food.

It's just that it's not appropriate to say it outright in front of the guests.

A rather cunning woman came up with a brilliant idea and exclaimed, "Didn't the official kill the tiger? Why don't we carry the tiger over and share it? It would be a way to avenge the dead in the village!"

"Yes, yes!"

Many villagers agreed with the suggestion, saying it was a great idea because it meant they wouldn't have to contribute anything and could still get a free meal of meat.

Zhao Shan flew into a rage, slamming his cane on the ground and shouting, "What nonsense are you spouting? That tiger was killed by the officials, it's none of your business to make arrangements! Go back now, stop making a fool of yourselves here!"

Seeing that he was truly angry, the villagers dared not say anything more and dispersed. Zhao Shan then apologized to Guan Buping and Lin Yi, saying, "I am just a country bumpkin who doesn't know manners. I hope you two officials will forgive me."

"Village chief, you don't need to be so polite. My surname is Guan. You can call me Xiao Guan or Officer Guan. This is my colleague, Xiao Lin. It's nothing, village chief, please don't take it to heart."

Guan Buping was not one to bully others by virtue of his power. If Lin Yi hadn't intervened to save someone and needed his help to back him up, he wouldn't have acted arrogantly. Now that he saw the old village chief was being very polite, how could he allow an elder to keep calling him "official"?

Upon hearing Guan Buping's words, Zhao Shan went along with it and said, "Officer Guan, you must be tired from your journey. Why don't you move to my humble abode for a proper rest and a simple meal?"

"In that case, I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Guan Buping and Zhao Shan had a pleasant conversation and agreed to go to the village chief's house. Lin Yi naturally wanted to go with them.

At this moment, Qin, who had not left, finally spoke up: "Young man, please wait."

Lin Yi turned around and saw Qin Shi tightly clutching the wet clothes he had draped over her shoulders, her face delicate and her eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you so much for saving me, young man. I have no way to repay you. If you don't mind, please accept this little grass..."

Chapter 10 The suffering of the common people is worse than the calamities wrought by demons.

Lin Yi never expected that simply stopping the villagers' violence and handing Qin a wet piece of clothing would lead to Qin giving her her daughter.

Xiaocao's expression changed slightly. Clearly, she didn't want to leave her mother, but she was usually very obedient and didn't argue with her mother at this moment.

Lin Yi quickly waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, I don't deserve to be called your benefactor. Just call me Xiao Lin. Go home and change your clothes and let me dry them. I'll come back to get them myself later. Goodbye."

After refusing Qin's offer, Lin Yi acted as if he were fleeing a disaster, quickly patting Guan Buping's hand and urging him to leave.

Seeing this, Qin did not try to stop them any longer. She watched Lin Yi and the village chief leave, her eyes filled with resentment.

The village chief's house is not far from the land temple, only three or four hundred meters away, and it doesn't take long to walk there.

It was a rather elegant little house, surrounded by a bamboo fence. The house wasn't big, but it was very clean.

Guan Buping found a stool in the yard and sat down, casually asking, "Village Chief, do you live alone?"

"Yes, I originally had three sons. My eldest son died in the war eighteen years ago, my second son died in the north eight years ago, and I only have my youngest son. He was conscripted for labor three years ago and I haven't heard from him since. My wife fell ill from worry two years ago and passed away before me."

Zhao Shan calmly recounted what had happened to him, and Guan Buping couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, saying, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, joy and separation are all part of life's natural order. I've long since come to terms with it."

Zhao Shan appears very open-minded, but when he talks about his children and his deceased wife, the sadness and loneliness in his eyes are hard to hide.

It is said that the greatest suffering in the world is for the elderly to bury their children, and Zhao Shan suffered this three times. In the end, he even lost his wife. Just hearing about it makes one feel heavy-hearted.

Lin Yi, who came from a peaceful era, felt a tightness in his chest, but he was struggling to take care of himself, let alone help more people. His mood became even more depressed.

Guan Buping quickly changed the subject and said to Lin Yi, "Speaking of which, I think Qin's daughter is quite good-looking, and could be considered a beauty. Why did you refuse?"

Lin Yi: "..."

Xing, Brother Guan, I never thought you were this kind of person. Xiao Cao looks only eleven or twelve years old, still a child!

Lin Yi quickly said, "My wife is petty and can't tolerate others, so let's forget about it."

Guan Buping understood; he was afraid of his wife, so he stopped joking with Lin Yi. However, the old village chief Zhao Shan hesitated for a moment before interjecting, "The Qin family not only expressed their gratitude but also their intention to entrust their children to them. I didn't expect you to refuse, Brother Lin. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse for them."

"Entrusting an orphan to someone else!?"

Lin Yi was a little confused at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood.

This Qin family had already lost two children, and because of their own affairs, several hunters in the village had died. The hunters' families hated her and her daughter to the core. On top of that, she had been bullied today, and was called a slut in front of the whole village. There seemed to be evidence against them. She probably couldn't stay in the village any longer.

This era is different from the future. After society dies, people can move to another village and continue living. Qin Shi had nowhere to stand after leaving Qinghe Village. In addition, her husband had not been heard from for many years after joining the army, and was probably dead. Qin Shi had no hope for life.

"Speaking of which, her husband Zhao Ziming and my third son were in the same batch. At that time, the able-bodied men who were conscripted either became soldiers or did hard labor. Zhao Jing was also a man with high aspirations. He said he did not want to be a slave and wanted to go to the north to try to make a better life. At that time, some people laughed at him."

Looking back now, whether it was serving in the military or doing hard labor, there wasn't really much difference.

Zhao Shan's words revealed the helplessness of ordinary people at the bottom of society. Most of the time, they have no choice, and when they do have a choice, it is often just a matter of being worse off or worse off.

"Life is tough these days!"

Guan Buping, being an official, couldn't help but smile bitterly and mock himself: "My master named me Guan Buping because he wanted me to manage all the injustices in the world. But since I entered the world, I've realized that there are too many injustices in the world. How can I possibly manage them all?"

As he spoke, he pulled off the small gourd hanging from his waist, opened the mouth, and took a big gulp.

Drinking alcohol is prohibited during official business, but Zhao Shan's experience reminded Guan Buping of his own failure to repay his teacher's kindness and the wasted years of his life. Overwhelmed by emotion, he disregarded these rules.

Lin Yi suddenly stood up and said to Zhao Shan, "Village Chief, may I ask where the Qin family lives? I'd like to go and take a look."

"Pass the local earth god temple, go east for three hundred zhang, and there is a big willow tree at the entrance; that is her house."

Lin Yi said no more and hurriedly left.

Worried that something might have really happened to Qin, Lin Yi ran as fast as he could and soon saw the big willow tree that Zhao Shan had mentioned.

There's a saying that you shouldn't plant willows in front of your door or mulberry trees behind your house. It's already late autumn, but the willows in front of the Qin family's house are still crisp and clear, which makes them look a bit eerie.

Lin Yi stared at the willow tree for a long time, but the Demon-Slaying Manual didn't react. It seemed that although the willow tree was strange, it hadn't become a demon yet.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly at the pity, hurriedly went to the courtyard gate, knocked on the door, and soon, Qin Shi, dressed neatly, came over. Through the window, she saw Lin Yi outside and quickly opened the door.

"Brother Lin, why did you come so quickly? I haven't even hung up your clothes yet."

Lin Yi saw that Qin was unharmed and did not seem to be about to commit suicide. Looking further inside, he saw Xiao Cao standing timidly behind the door, only her head peeking out, carefully observing. When he saw her, she seemed like a frightened deer and hurriedly hid inside.

It's still normal.

Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's alright, just take it. I just suddenly thought that the villagers might come and cause trouble for you after we leave, so I came to check on you. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Wait, it's getting chilly now, it's not good for you to be running around outside shirtless. There are some of my husband's old clothes at home, if you don't mind, come inside and change."

"Of course I don't mind, but I can just wear it on the outside, no need to go inside."

There were already rumors about Qin Shi in the village. If Lin Yi went in shirtless, who knows what people would say if they saw him? It's better for him to stay outside.

Seeing the slight change in Qin's expression, Lin Yi knew what she was thinking and quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand, it's just that I have a mean wife at home. She gets angry if I talk to other women even a few words, so it's better to do it outside!"

Upon hearing Lin Yi's explanation, Qin couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. It was truly adorable that such a handsome and dignified young man like Lin Yi was afraid of his wife.

Madam Qin then went to the inner room and brought out a set of coarse linen clothes. The clothes were made of rough material, but they were washed very clean and had no musty smell, which showed that the mistress had taken good care of them.

You can tell her feelings for her husband just from a piece of clothing. Why then...?

Lin Yi recalled what the village women had said before, and it seemed to be true. Moreover, Wang Liang, who had a particular fondness for other men's wives, had indeed come to Qinghe Village.