Chapter 384: Conscience? Who Needs This When Becoming an Official!

"Conscience?"

Wei Yuan smiled, not taking Wang Lin's sarcasm to heart.

Not only because Wang Lin is the father of this year's top scholar, but also because these words are merely his short‑sighted remarks.

For an official, the thing that should be most absent is the word "conscience"; he doesn't know how many conscientious officials he has heard of, yet because of that word they wasted half their lives.

Actions like Wang Ruhai's are what an official's conduct should be.

Not long after.

Tang Anzhi hung his head and came over; Wei Yuan impatiently asked, "Imperial Attendant Tang, have you found the extremely ferocious person lurking nearby with ill intent?"

Tang Anzhi shook his head.

He was especially diligent in his search, not only because he knew Wei Yuan's peculiarity, but also because he feared death; despite his age and the difficulty in breaking his cultivation bottleneck, his end was near.

Yet he still does not want to die!

He had once seen a pinnacle stance, how could he not yearn for it, and having heard countless tales of ordinary cultivators making a comeback, how could he not hope for his own reversal?

He did not know whether the extremely ferocious person Wei Yuan mentioned was merely passing by or came intentionally, whether it was benevolent or malicious; he dared not gamble, so he could only assume the worst.

There are good people in the world, but there are more bad ones.

While searching the surroundings, he was not only meticulous but also extra cautious, fearing that he might inadvertently fall into the trap of the extremely ferocious person Wei Yuan spoke of.

Unfortunately.

What disappointed him was that he had searched the area over and over, even turning the soil three feet, yet he could not find the extremely ferocious person Wei Yuan mentioned.

He seriously doubted whether Wei Yuan's talent had failed, causing a hallucination.

"How could it be that nothing was found…"

Wei Yuan's brow twitched slightly; he had clearly felt the gaze of a primeval beast, his whole body turning cold as if falling into an ice cellar, and before he could finish his words, his peripheral vision saw Yu Die returning, and he instinctively said:

"Yu Die, have you found the extremely ferocious person lurking nearby?"

"County Magistrate Wei, I haven't seen the extremely ferocious person you mentioned, but I did see this thing!"

Yu Die casually tossed the fox she was holding onto the ground.

"It's just a fox…"

Before Wei Yuan could finish, a fox's wailing was heard, "Lord County Magistrate, help me! I am Hu Jiushisan of the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, I haven't done any wrongdoing; please, don't kill me!"

"A Fox Demon?"

Wei Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

"Fox Demon?" Zhang Family members of Zhang Family Village, upon hearing Hu Jiushisan's plea, all turned pale, their faces and eyes full of panic, and they instinctively turned away, trying to flee.

"Monster."

They had never seen one with their own eyes, but from many circulating stories they knew clearly the cruelty of monsters, such as the monster occupying Shizi Ling; although it had never broken into Zhang Family Village, they all knew that any hunter who encountered that monster in Shizi Ling became its prey.

Who knows whether the Fox Demon Yu Die tossed here will eat people!

Yu Die smiled and said, "County Magistrate Wei, do you know this Fox Demon?"

"This, this, this…"

Wei Yuan's face was full of embarrassment; he glanced secretly at Hu Jiushisan, wanting to deny, but Yu Die was no fool—since the Fox Demon had spoken, if he still denied it would surely anger Yu Die, so he defended:

"Yu Die, not to hide anything from you, within Qingyang County there is a Jiu tou shan ji shi, where a group of foxes lives; they had settled on Jiu tou shan ji shi before I took office, have never harmed humans, and are said to be a branch of the Qingqiu foxes, so our county office has had some contact with these harmless demons!"

He could not deceive Yu Die, but also could not tell her the whole truth; he knew the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, and not only the county office and the clan had contact, he also had an in‑depth encounter with a certain beautiful one from Nine-headed Mountain.

Countless wonderful nights still linger in his memory.

Every month he sneaks off to Nine-headed Mountain!

"Is that so?"

Yu Die's face was full of sarcasm.

This novel you to

Wei Yuan gave an awkward smile, guessing that Yu Die might have guessed something; after all, the fox clan's reputation is out there, and he is a fine man, if Yu Die hadn't guessed a thing it would be an accident, he altered his words:

"Hu Jiushisan, right? Let me ask you, is your purpose here aimed at the monster of Shizi Ling?"

"Monster? The monster of Shizi Ling?"

Hu Jiushisan was stunned for a moment, then recovered and denied, "County Magistrate Wei, you know that our Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan—*cough cough* you may not know, although we are demons, we differ from most demons; we are benevolent toward humans, so we have little contact with many demons."

"Take the monster of Shizi Ling, which is audacious enough to devour the Mountain God of Shizi Ling and even attempts to refine the Mountain God Token to become the Mountain God of Shizi Ling; it's obvious this is not a good thing— even if it became the Mountain God, it would be a wholly evil deity, and our Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan would not have much contact with them!"

He knows the monster that occupies Shizi Ling; our Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, after all, are local big shots—no wind or rustle around Qingyang County escapes them; even if they have never dealt with Hu Hui, they can still learn from elsewhere what Hu Hui has done.

And they can even deduce what Hu Hui is planning to do!

"I see!"

Wei Yuan muttered under his breath that Hu Jiushisan was brainless; if he hadn't glared at the beast just now, the beast might have sold him out; having completely forgotten what to say and what not to say, he said expressionlessly:

"I recall you seem to be the guard of the North Gate of Jiu tou shan ji shi—*cough cough* since your Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan has no ties with the monster of Shizi Ling, why are you not staying in Nine-headed Mountain, running to Shizi Ling, spying near Zhang Family, what ill deed are you planning?"

Before he could finish, Wei Yuan couldn't help muttering at himself, clearly muddled by Hu Jiushisan's provocation; Hu Jiushisan's identity was revealed, letting Yu Die know that he knows Hu Jiushisan and has a close relationship with the Nine-headed Mountain Fox Clan, but Yu Die did not dwell on it.

He did let out a sigh of relief!

"This, this, this…"

For a moment, Hu Jiushisan stammered, seemingly not knowing how to answer.

"Hu Jiushisan, if you don't wish to speak, you may keep silent!"

Wei Yuan finished speaking, and Hu Jiushisan looked relieved, expressionless, and said, "But if Yu Die misunderstands, thinking you came to Zhang Family Village to do evil, I don't know whether Yu Die would spare your life!"

(End of Chapter)