Chapter 28: Lord Li, Your Thinking Has Gone Astray!

The next day.

The first light of dawn broke, the rising sun climbed the eastern sky.

Having endured yet another night, the common folk of Tongling County pried off the wooden boards sealing their doors and windows and streamed out of their homes into the streets.

Neighbors exchanged glances, their eyes holding both the relief of having survived a calamity and a flickering, uneasy dread.

What they were grateful for was that they and their families had made it safely through another night.

But this was only temporary — in three more days, whose death would it be?

The commotion raised last night had been greater than any time before.

The clash of blades, the whistle of signal arrows, the bone-chilling roars…

The collapsed houses visible everywhere before their eyes, the enormous palm-print gouged deep into the ground…

It was just like the end of the world!

Such a monster had actually been hiding right here in the city — did they still have any way to live?

Flee?

Flee to where?

A commoner, born generation after generation in this little county town, tilling the fields, making a living to feed the family.

To abandon home and livelihood and leave this place, cut off from their means — how were they to get by afterward?

Though the sunlight above their heads was bright and warm, a cold, desperate air spread through the crowd—

"Hyah!"

At that moment, a burst of urgent hoofbeats rang out along the street.

A constable urged his horse forward at full gallop, his ringing voice echoing through the air:

"By order of the county office — hear ye, all quarters — the murder case is solved, the true culprit executed!"

"The serial killings are completely resolved — the demon has been beheaded by General Banner Chen of the Celestial Qilin Guard!"

"By order of the county office — hear ye, all quarters…"

Staring at the constable's retreating figure, the common folk wore blank, bewildered expressions.

The demon… was dead?

The dark clouds shrouding the entire county town were suddenly blown away; the people stood dazed, at a loss, their minds a complete blank.

A long while passed before they woke as from a dream.

The clamor of the crowd gradually rose, accompanied by wave upon wave of suppressed sobbing.

……

At the city gate.

County Magistrate Li Minghan and the full retinue of constables from the county office were waiting respectfully here.

It was barely light when they had already arrived; they had waited well over an hour, yet not a trace of displeasure showed on their faces.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

The sound of hoofbeats gradually rose.

A party of riders urged their horses out of the city.

The man at the head rode at an unhurried pace, his bearing clear and his features refined, incomparably handsome — every inch a fine young gentleman amid this troubled world.

Li Minghan led his men forward at a brisk pace to greet him, bowing with hands clasped:

"Lord Chen!"

Just three words, yet they contained a world of feeling.

He had never imagined that the killer who, over the course of three months, had taken twenty-nine lives in succession and thrown the entire county town into panic — was none other than the widow of the Liu household!

And the true identity of Lady Liu, once spoken aloud, was enough to make one's blood run cold—

One of the Ten Great Heavenly Demons — the Wicked Ghost, Qin Wuxiang!

A killer of countless lives, fiendish to the extreme, his methods appallingly brutal!

Thinking that such a demon had been hiding right here in the city, Li Minghan could not help a shudder of belated fear.

Had Lord Chen not stepped in, the consequences… were unthinkable!

Constable Xing and the other constables regarded him with awe in their eyes.

They had witnessed with their own eyes the scene of Chen Mo wading through blood to slay the demon!

This fine young gentleman who looked as though he had been raised in the lap of luxury — at his core he was a ruthless man even fiercer than that demon!

"It is still early, my lord. Perhaps you might stay and take a midday meal before you go, and allow this humble official the chance to show some small hospitality as your host."

Li Minghan said warmly, urging him to remain.

"There's no need. With matters here concluded, this official must return to the capital to report. Lord Li had best keep your energy for the follow-up work."

Chen Mo said lightly.

Once this affair was spread abroad, it was bound to cause no small stir.

This little county town was likely in for a lively stretch.

"If that is so, this humble official will not press you to stay."

"But please, my lord, do not refuse this small token of our regard."

Li Minghan produced, with an air of studied casualness, five banknotes from his sleeve — each with a face value of one hundred taels.

Chen Mo frowned. "What is the meaning of this, Lord Li?"

Seeing displeasure on his face, Li Minghan hurriedly explained: "Please do not misunderstand, my lord. Last night, fighting that demon, every one of our brothers spent heart and strength, and you, my lord, were gravely wounded besides. This is a small sum scraped together by the county office as healing expenses — a mere token of our gratitude and regards…"

Chen Mo was silent.

Beside him, Qin Shou took the hint, reached out to accept the banknotes, and said with a smile:

"Then I'll thank Lord Li on behalf of the brothers."

Li Minghan let out a breath of relief and nodded repeatedly. "It's only right, only right."

"Let's go."

Chen Mo said.

"Giddyup!"

The group urged their horses into a gallop, kicking up great clouds of dust.

"Safe travels, my lord."

Li Minghan watched them leave until they vanished from sight.

The private secretary leaned over and whispered, "Master, no matter how you look at it, five hundred taels is far too much, isn't it?"

Although Li Minghan had said with his own mouth that the county office had scraped it together, in reality, this was every last bit of his personal nest egg.

"You don't know squat."

Li Minghan shook his head. "I must have been out of my mind — yesterday I didn't even realize he was a young master of the Chen family…"

Setting aside how noble the Chen family was, behind them stood a Noble Consort!

That consort was far more terrifying than any of the Ten Great Heavenly Demons!

"If the silver's gone, I can still squeeze it out of you lot. Bit by bit, I can scrape it back together."

"But once your life's gone, then there's nothing left at all!"

Private secretary: "???"

……

Li Yuan sat astride her horse, her head a little dizzy.

Last night, the group had been utterly spent in body and mind, so they had stayed directly at the Liu residence. And the moment she closed her eyes, the image of Chen Mo swinging her around flashed before her…

She simply couldn't fall asleep!

On top of that, her buttocks hadn't even finished swelling down.

Bounced about on the horse's back, the burning pain grew even more intense, and along with waves of soreness, itch, and tingling, it nearly made her let slip a soft moan.

"That lecher — so ruthless, he even brought a martial technique to bear!"

"Mm, no good, I can barely hold on…"

Just as Li Yuan was swaying unsteadily, Chen Mo rode up alongside her.

"Captain Li."

"What is it?"

Li Yuan forced herself to rally her spirits.

"There's something I'm very curious about."

"What exactly did you see in the Illusion Realm last night?"

Chen Mo asked curiously.

He had heard Li Yuan muttering his own name, and saying things like "I'll crush you" and the like…

But it probably wasn't that kind of scene — after all, the two of them were on such terrible terms that, if not for the affection lock, it would definitely already be in the negatives.

Could it have been a saber-skill sparring match?

"I…"

Li Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Recalling the scenes from the Illusion Realm, the tips of her ears couldn't help but grow hot.

At first, she really had been sparring with Chen Mo in saber arts.

But as they fought and fought, they ended up on the bed…

After fighting a while longer, their clothes were fought off too…

And then after that…

She was woken up by a slap.

"I-I'm not telling you." Li Yuan turned her head away and said.

Chen Mo frowned.

Why does this person feel a little… odd?

Suddenly, several lines of text flashed before his eyes:

【Affection with "Li Yuan" has increased.】

【Affection has broken through the threshold, unlocking progress lock.】

【Current progress: 48/100 (Too Late to Have Met).】

Chen Mo:

(⊙ˍ⊙)

(´･ω･`)?

щ(ﾟДﾟщ)

What's going on?

Clearly not long ago she was chasing after him screaming for blood — how did she suddenly become "Too Late to Have Met"?

Could it be that the heroines of this world all have a hidden trait… the harder you hit them, the faster their affection rises?

Chen Mo's expression turned Solemn.

Taking a rigorous attitude, when passing a fork in the road, and seeing that no one behind had caught up for the moment, he raised his hand and delivered a slap to Li Yuan's sacral region.

Smack!

"Mm~"

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Li Yuan's body gave a sudden shudder, and she slumped weakly across the horse's back, her eyes losing focus as if her soul had left her.

【Affection toward "Li Yuan" has increased.】

【Current progress: 49/100 (Regret Not Meeting Sooner).】

Chen Mo: "?"

When I type out a question mark, it doesn't mean I have a problem — it means I think YOU have a problem…

This woman has a serious problem!