Chapter 119: The Fox Demon Finally Meets Its End, Matters Settled, Returning to Tongzhou (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Following an order from Pei Shaoqing, several specially made fishing nets covered in blades were simultaneously cast toward the Fox Demon.

Yet the Fox Demon was agile, using the trees in the forest to leap and shift left and right, easily causing the fishing nets to miss.

"You bully the demon too much! I will fight you to the death!"

The Fox Demon let out a roar, its body, originally only the size of a village dog, instantly ballooned to the size of an ox. Demon Qi billowed from its body as it took the initiative to charge at the Jing'an Guard, attempting to rely on the brute strength of its demon form to tear open a gap and escape.

"Die, you monster!"

Gongsun Yi and his wife Liu Yuheng struck at the same time.

Wang Peng, Pei Shaoqing, Hundred-Household Zhou, and others also leaped forward one after another to launch a righteous group beating on the Fox Demon.

Meanwhile, the others stood guard on the perimeter, preventing the Fox Demon from successfully fleeing, forming a posture of closing the gate to beat the dog.

Over the past two years, the Fox Demon had eaten hundreds of human hearts.

Among them, there was no shortage of Martial Artists.

Its strength far exceeded that of its own kind like Li Jiangjun, who just drifted through life without ambition. Although it possessed no magical arts or divine abilities, its physical strength and agility were already no weaker than the Roaming Dragon Realm.

If it were one-on-one, even if it were not the opponent of a Roaming Dragon Realm Martial Artist, it could still luckily escape by relying on the demon's natural flexibility and talent for traversing mountains and ridges.

Unfortunately, the current situation was the few against the many, and cold arrows were shot from the perimeter from time to time, so the Fox Demon soon fell into a disadvantage, being beaten back step by step by the few.

"Ah!"

The Fox Demon, leaping in mid-air, was stabbed by a sword, and a patch of bright red instantly appeared on its snow-white fur. Its body slammed heavily onto the ground, and it hurriedly pleaded: "Spiritual Qi is withered, a small demon's cultivation is not easy, I beg the lord to show mercy; I am willing to be your mount to atone for my past sins."

Everyone stopped instantly and looked at Pei Shaoqing.

"Hmph! You have harmed countless people. If I, an official, were to tolerate you, how could I face those innocent dead? How could I face my own conscience?" Pei Shaoqing held his sword in one hand, pointed it at the Fox Demon, and said coldly: "Cut this monster down for me."

Having a Fox Demon as a mount was indeed imposing.

But that would be too high-profile and invite jealousy; for him at this stage, it was a hundred harms and no benefit.

Moreover, demon creatures are cunning and fickle; not all demons are as harmless as Li Jiangjun. What if this Fox Demon held a grudge and backstabbed him in the future?

Better to make it into a fox-fur coat.

Besides, you are what you eat; the fox whip is a great tonic!

So he wanted to give the Fox Demon a final blow.

Liu Yuheng's long sword left her hand and instantly pierced the Fox Demon's abdomen. It let out a miserable shriek, staring at Pei Shaoqing with venomous eyes, "You... what a cruel heart."

Subsequently, the blood-red color in its eyes dissipated, its massive body shrank back to the size of a village dog, and it breathed its last.

"Many thanks to the lord for eliminating the Fox Demon and avenging the innocent people of my Bazhou." The chubby Zhou Li threw his blade to a subordinate and walked up to Pei Shaoqing, cupping his hands.

Pei Shaoqing sheathed Mo Tan, cupped his hands with a smile, and said: "Hundred-Household Zhou, that is incorrect. Being able to slay this Fox Demon is all thanks to your flawless planning. I only assisted from the side; Hundred-Household Zhou is the one who deserves the primary credit."

His promotion had been too fast and needed time to settle; this kind of merit was useless to him in the short term. Just hanging his name on the merit list was enough; he would yield the primary credit to Zhou Li to build a good relationship.

After all, whether in the world of the Jiang Hu or the officialdom.

One cannot achieve a career by fighting alone; one must form cliques and huddle together for warmth.

Zhou Li was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

He had originally thought it would be good enough to just tag along behind Pei Shaoqing and earn some merit, but he had not expected Pei Shaoqing to be willing to yield the lion's share to him.

"No, no, no, the Baron of Pingyang overpraises me. Although I also contributed a meager effort, it would have been difficult to subdue this demon without your assistance." Hundred-Household Zhou was very grateful for Pei Shaoqing's generosity, but he was not greedy and decided on a fifty-fifty split.

Of course, he knew very well that a fifty-fifty split was him taking advantage, so he added: "I will trouble the Baron of Pingyang to help deal with the Fox Demon's corpse."

With this primary credit for demon-slaying, and having cracked the major disappearance case from last year, if he arranged things well for the Southern Suppressing Division inspectors coming this year, and operated properly, the penalty of not being promoted for three years might be eliminated early.

"Hahahaha, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; then we shall do as Hundred-Household Zhou says." Pei Shaoqing replied with a hearty laugh.

Zhou Li was filled with gratitude. In front of all his subordinates, he bowed solemnly to Pei Shaoqing and said with a stern expression: "Great kindness needs no thanks. If the Baron of Pingyang has any use for me in the future, just say the word."

"Why is Hundred-Household Zhou doing this?" Pei Shaoqing hurriedly went to support him and said: "Since we are both officials in the same court and serve as neighbors, we should help each other. Get up quickly. Since the matter here is settled, I am also preparing to return to Tongzhou. As for Tian Erni, deal with her according to the law."

"Why is the Baron of Pingyang leaving in such a hurry? Why not drink the victory wine together tonight before returning?" Upon hearing this, Zhou Li hurriedly grabbed Pei Shaoqing's hand and sincerely urged him to stay.

Pei Shaoqing shook his head with a smile, "Save the wine for next time; Tongzhou and Bazhou are not far apart anyway."

"The Baron of Pingyang is busy with a thousand tasks. Since that is the case, I will not keep you." Zhou Li finished speaking, raised his finger to point at Wang Peng, and said: "I see that the Baron of Pingyang appreciates the Mounted Scout Wang. I have already petitioned the Thousand-Household to promote him to Small Flag for his recent merits and requested his transfer to Tongzhou. The document should arrive in a few days; the Baron of Pingyang can take him with you first."

In an instant, everyone looked at Wang Peng with envy, jealousy, and hatred, knowing that his departure would be different from the past.

"My Lord!" Although Wang Peng had long known about this from Zhou Li, he still pretended to be moved and knelt down.

Zhou Li said with a chuckle: "A real man should not act in such a womanly manner. Once you go to the Tongzhou Hundred-Household Office, you must work with sincerity; don't lose face for my Bazhou."

"Yes, this subordinate obeys!"

"Many thanks to Hundred-Household Zhou for your generosity." Pei Shaoqing was also surprised and delighted. He had been wondering how to formally ask for Wang Peng, never expecting Zhou Li to have already arranged it.

Zhou Li said with a smile: "A talent like Mounted Scout Wang is buried by following me; only under the Baron of Pingyang can he exert his greatest value."

He had only ever gifted women to people before.

This was the first time he had gifted a man.

"Many thanks." Pei Shaoqing let out a breath and gave Zhou Li a look that said everything was understood.

Zhou Li cupped his hands to see him off, "Safe travels, Baron of Pingyang!"

Pei Shaoqing strode forward, took the Fox Demon's corpse into his Storage Ring, and then turned and left.

Liu Yuheng, Chen Zhongyi, and the others followed one after another.

"The Baron of Pingyang is truly a man of principle!" Zhou Li sighed as he watched his back, then turned around and gave an order, "Go search the Fox Demon's cave."

Pei Shaoqing took Wang Peng away, but shared the primary credit for the demon-slaying with him as compensation; he rewarded him with the fox corpse, and Pei Shaoqing left the things in the Fox Demon's cave to him.

All things considered, he still owed Pei Shaoqing a favor.

After all, who knew what was in the Fox Demon's cave?

It might just hide some rare treasure.

Yet Pei Shaoqing did not care; what a magnanimous heart!

In any case, Zhou Li was already convinced and impressed by him.

"My lord, a batch of medicinal pills and gold and silver treasures were found inside the cave." A subordinate soon came out to report.

On the other side, after descending the mountain, Gongsun Yi also led the Iron Sword Sect disciples to bid farewell to Pei Shaoqing and his wife.

"Take care, Senior Brother." The couple had only just reunited and were already about to part ways; Liu Yuheng was reluctant to let go.

Gongsun Yi nodded, "Junior Sister, you must protect the Young Master well. As long as the Young Master is safe, I can be at ease in the Iron Sword Sect. Also, you must take care of yourself."

"Senior Brother, we haven't had a proper chat this time. If you have time, come to Tongzhou to visit; I will treat you to wine." Zhao Zhilan truly believed Jiang Yebai had let go of his feelings for her and invited him with a beaming smile.

Jiang Yebai glanced at Pei Shaoqing and gave a feigned, hearty laugh, "Fine, I will certainly come when I have time."

"Young Master, I must trouble you to take care of my wife and Lan'er," Gongsun Yi said to Pei Shaoqing again.

Pei Shaoqing gave a refined and elegant smile, "Sect Leader Gongsun, rest assured. Do not forget my relationship with Lan'er."

"Farewell!"

"Take care!"

Gongsun Yi and Jiang Yebai stood side by side, both quietly watching the women they loved ride away into the distance.

"Alright Yebai, let us return to the mountain as well."

"Yes, Master."

"Giddyap!"

Li Jiangjun, who was fast asleep in the grass by the roadside, turned over in annoyance. A moment later, realizing something, it woke up with a start, jumped up, and ran out, but could only vaguely see a few figures galloping away on horseback.

It stood upright in a daze, spread its hands, and muttered to itself, "I haven't gotten on the horse yet."

"Wait! I haven't gotten on the horse yet, my Lord!"

Li Jiangjun straightened its helmet and chased after them at full speed.

"Young Master, did you forget the cat?" Not long after they had set off, Liu Yuheng remembered this, quickly spurred her horse to catch up to Pei Shaoqing, and reminded him in a soft voice.

"Whoa!" Pei Shaoqing pulled on the reins and stopped, having truly forgotten Li Jiangjun, "Go back and get it."

"My Lord! Look! Your cat has caught up on its own!" Suddenly, Chen Zhongyi exclaimed.

Everyone subconsciously looked back.

They saw a golden blob rapidly approaching from afar; Li Jiangjun was running with its head down, its feet moving so fast they were a blur.

"As expected of the cat raised by my lord, it actually knows how to catch up; it's almost as smart as a dog."

"Yes, yes, this fat cat is truly clever."

Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder as they watched this scene.

"Huff~ huff~ huff~"

Li Jiangjun stopped in front of Black General, tilted its head back, and panted with its tongue hanging out like a dog. With so many people around, it wasn't convenient to speak, so it only glared angrily at Pei Shaoqing.

At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Pei Shaoqing, who had neglected a loyal subject due to a moment of carelessness, coughed guiltily, "Li Jiangjun, mount the horse quickly."

Li Jiangjun kicked off with its hind legs and jumped onto the horse's back.

"Giddyap!" The group set off again.

"This subject left home to serve you, yet you abandoned this subject; my Lord, this subject is heartbroken," Li Jiangjun complained in a low voice, shielded by the noise.

Pei Shaoqing replied, "I truly forgot."

"Hmph! You forgot because you don't value me."

"Inner Core." Pei Shaoqing spat out the two words indifferently.

Li Jiangjun changed its tune instantly, "It is also possible that my Lord is busy with ten thousand tasks and has put all your energy into official business, so it is normal to have a momentary lapse and forget this subject."

What a tyrant! Using a reward that should have been bestowed upon a subject to coerce the subject into compromise—how infuriating! If it weren't for my loyalty, I would have rebelled against you, you tyrant!

…………………………

The return journey was much faster than the trip there.

By noon the next day, the group arrived in Tongzhou.

"Chen, you take the Wang cavalryman to find a place to stay," Pei Shaoqing instructed Chen Zhongyi, then looked at Wang Peng and said, "You should familiarize yourself with the environment in Tongzhou for these two days; there is no rush to take up your post."

Zhou Li had promoted Wang Peng to Small Flag, but the Tongzhou Hundred-Household Office was already at full capacity with no vacancies, so he had to handle this matter before Wang Peng could take office.

The two replied in unison, "Yes, my Lord."

After arriving home, Pei Shaoqing handed his horse to Xiao Douzi to be washed and groomed, then prepared to return to his room to bathe and change.

Li Jiangjun followed him like a shadow.

"Husband, you're back." Seeing Pei Shaoqing, Xie Qingwu stood up immediately to welcome him, then turned to instruct the maid, Qiuye, "Quickly have the kitchen send over some hot soup."

"Yes," Qiuye replied and left.

Only then did Li Jiangjun hurriedly say, "My Lord, what about the Inner Core you promised this subject? A ruler's word is final!"

"What Inner Core?" Xie Qingwu asked curiously.

"What's the rush? It hasn't been extracted yet; you won't be shorted," Pei Shaoqing kicked it aside and recounted the events in Bazhou to Xie Qingwu.

"Husband brought back the corpse of a Fox Demon?" Xie Qingwu's eyes lit up when she heard this.

Pei Shaoqing asked, "Are you interested too?"

"Of course, several parts of the Fox Demon can be used as medicine to refine pills," Xie Qingwu said with great interest.

Pei Shaoqing also became interested, blinked, and asked, "Can the fox whip be used to refine a Strengthening Pill?"

Although he didn't need it now, that didn't mean he wouldn't in the future, and no one wanted to be anything but stronger.

"Hmm," Xie Qingwu nodded with a mysterious smile.

Heh, men.

Pei Shaoqing was overjoyed and said, "The Inner Core is bestowed upon Li Jiangjun, the fox fur is for you to make a shawl, and you can handle the rest of the fox's body as you see fit."

"Yay!" Li Jiangjun jumped up in joy.

(End of chapter)