County Magistrate Qian felt incredibly bitter.
Damn it, I finally managed to appease these plague gods from the Demon Suppression Division, and they were about to leave, so why are you monks joining the fun?
Still think the situation isn't chaotic enough, do you?!
But while he cursed inwardly, he dared not show the slightest disrespect on his Face.
The leading monk ignored the county magistrate's embarrassment, merely fixing his gaze on Jiang Yuechu, clasping his hands together, and bowing slightly.
"this poor monk, Hui Ming of Baosha Temple, greets Lord Jiang."
He pointed to the Young Monk behind him, who also had his hands clasped but wore a look of defiance.
"This is my Junior Brother, Hui Yuan."
Logically, since the other party was a highly esteemed monk from Baosha Temple and had taken the initiative to bow, she should have risen to return the greeting, both in terms of courtesy and reason.
But she remained seated, steady as a mountain.
Such a posture was not merely impolite; it showed she didn't regard the other party at all.
Hui Yuan's expression immediately darkened, a flash of anger in his brows, and he was about to speak out in reprimand.
"You..."
"Junior Brother."
The anger on Hui Yuan's Face froze, and he ultimately suppressed it, merely letting out a cold snort and turning his head away.
Hui Ming shook his head, his Face still bearing that calm, indifferent smile, and turned to County Magistrate Qian.
"Lord Qian, this poor monk would like to speak with this female benefactor alone for a few words. Might you be able to facilitate this?"
"This..." County Magistrate Qian looked at Jiang Yuechu with a troubled expression.
On one side was the Demon Suppression Division, on the other was Baosha Temple; he couldn't afford to offend either.
Jiang Yuechu finally raised her eyes, looking calmly at Hui Ming for a long while.
After a long time.
She said, "Everyone, leave."
At these words, Liu Ke and the others were all stunned.
"Squad Leader..."
"Go, go, go. When the Lord speaks, what does it look like for us to stand around?"
Monk No Abstinence, quick-witted, grabbed Liu Ke, who was still trying to say something, and then pushed Chen Tong and the others who were frozen in place, dragging them out.
Though doubts lingered in everyone's hearts, seeing Jiang Yuechu's composure, they could only follow Monk No Abstinence, along with the County Magistrate and Monk Hui Yuan, out of the hall.
With a creak.
The hall door slowly closed.
In the courtyard, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Compared to the silence of the others, Liu Ke's Face was ashen, his gaze unfriendly as he stared at Hui Yuan, who also looked displeased.
"Baosha Temple certainly has great prestige."
"You harbor Demons, bringing disaster to the Region, and now that your misdeeds are exposed, you intend to use the name of Buddhism to sweep this under the rug?"
"What kind of Buddhism are you cultivating?"
Hui Yuan was already seething with anger. He sized up Liu Ke, and then, as if remembering something, a look of sudden realization appeared on his Face.
"I wondered who it was, turns out it's that illegitimate child from Luoyan Mountain Villa who can't see the light of day."
"What? You're angry at the Villa and have nowhere to vent, so you came here to cause trouble?"
At these words, Liu Ke was furious, immediately drawing his sword, "You're courting death!"
"Oh dear! Gentlemen! Gentlemen!"
Seeing that the two were about to fight, County Magistrate Qian was scared Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and quickly spread his arms to block them.
"You mustn't, you mustn't! This is the county yamen! Harmony brings wealth, peace is paramount!"
...Compared to the tense and noisy atmosphere outside, the inside of the room was excessively quiet.
Hui Ming walked over to Jiang Yuechu and sat down beside her, making himself at home.
He didn't mind, picking up the teacup in front of him, which someone had already drunk from, and took a sip.
"Good tea."
He set down the teacup, letting out a satisfied sigh.
It was as if he wasn't tasting coarse tea dregs, but some divine nectar.
"I've made Lord Jiang laugh."
"This incident is indeed due to the lax discipline of my Baosha Temple, allowing that beast to descend the mountain without permission, disturbing the locality, and troubling the Lords of the Demon Suppression Division. this poor monk truly feels terribly sorry."
"this poor monk has come this time, firstly, by order of my School, to bring that evil creature back and keep it under strict supervision. Secondly, it is to apologize to Lord Jiang."
From the wide sleeve of his monk's robe, he pulled out a silver note and gently pushed it towards Jiang Yuechu.
"This is five hundred taels of silver."
"Knowing that Lord Jiang and her subordinates have traveled a long way from Liangzhou Prefecture, enduring hardships, this small amount of money is a token of this poor monk's sincerity, to welcome and honor all the Lords."
"Additionally..."
Hui Ming paused, the smile on his Face deepening slightly.
"My Baosha Temple owes Lord Jiang a favor."
A favor.
These two words weighed thousands of times more than five hundred taels of silver.
In the Longyou Circuit Jianghu, various Schools stood in great numbers, with all sorts of people, their connections deeply intertwined.
Baosha Temple, as one of the three major leaders, had stood for hundreds of years without falling.
Its profound heritage and extensive network of contacts had long exceeded the scope of ordinary Jianghu Schools.
This favor meant that in the territory of Longyou Circuit, no matter how much trouble one caused.
As long as it wasn't rebellion, Baosha Temple could resolve it for you.
Hui Ming looked at the calm Face of the young woman before him, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
He believed that no one could refuse such conditions.
After all, she was just a small Squad Leader; to receive a favor from Baosha Temple was an immense Opportunity.
However.
Jiang Yuechu did not look at the silver note, but instead calmly asked, "Has that beast from your School harmed anyone here?"
The smile on Hui Ming's Face faltered slightly.
He clearly hadn't expected the other party to ask such an untimely question.
Then, he shook his head and chuckled.
"It's a beast, after all, wild and untamed. After descending the mountain, it was hungry, so it's inevitable that it would indulge in some meat."
"But Lord Jiang, rest assured, they were just some country bumpkins. Not many people died, and it definitely won't alarm the higher-ups, nor will it make things difficult for you."
Jiang Yuechu finally raised her eyes, staring directly at him.
"How many died?"
"…"
The smile on Hui Ming's Face faded a bit.
After a long while.
"Every year, countless common people die from natural disasters and misfortunes. Why must Lord Jiang cling to these mere few individuals?"
He sighed, then pulled out another silver note from his sleeve, placed it on top of the previous one, and pushed them over.
"Alas, it was this poor monk's oversight."
"this poor monk will add another five hundred taels to make it a round thousand taels of silver, plus a favor from my Baosha Temple. This trip for Lord Jiang will not only allow you to report to the Dusi but also gain unexpected wealth and forge good karma. Why not?"
"…"
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath.
One thousand taels of silver.
Plus a favor from Baosha Temple.
The conditions offered were indeed very tempting.
She never thought of herself as a good person.
In front of the tiger Demon, she personally killed the half-dead Pei Changqing, only to gain a slim chance of activating her Golden Finger.
She didn't regret it.
If it happened again, she would still do the same.
But that was without a choice.
If she hadn't done that, she would have long been buried in the tiger Demon's belly, and by now, she would probably have turned into a pile of shit.
But now, the choice was entirely up to her.
To swallow her pride and agree to the other party's terms.
Or... Jiang Yuechu suddenly smiled.
In life, one shouldn't talk too much about righteousness, but there should always be a little.
Otherwise, living like that would be utterly meaningless.
She extended two fingers and slowly pushed the two silver notes back across the table.
Hui Ming's smile froze slightly.
"What does Lord Jiang mean by this?"
"Nothing in particular."
Jiang Yuechu stood up, looking down at him, "I just think your favor isn't worth much."
Hui Ming's Face finally darkened.
"Lord Jiang should think this through carefully."
"Is it worth it to become enemies with my Baosha Temple for a few irrelevant peasants?"
...Outside the hall.
County Magistrate Qian, caught between Liu Ke and Hui Yuan, had a tearful, chubby Face, wishing he could just run away.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, let's talk this over, let's talk this over!"
Liu Ke paid no heed to the advice. Though his longsword remained sheathed, his Sword Intent was already formidable. He glared at Hui Yuan, enunciating each word: "When did it become the place of an outsider like you to point fingers while the Demon Suppression Division handles a case?!"
Hearing this, Hui Yuan let out a sinister laugh, his eyes filled with mockery.
"What? Trying to pressure me with the name of the Demon Suppression Division?"
"My Baosha Temple has been established in Longyou for hundreds of years. Even your former Commander of the Demon Suppression Division had to give my Buddha some Face. What are you?"
"Today, my Senior Brother is inside, courteously discussing with your Lord Jiang, which is already a tremendous Face. If you know what's good for you, you should tuck your tails between your legs and roll back to Liangzhou Prefecture. Don't talk about merely allowing Demons to eat a few people; even if I killed them with my own hands, what can your Demon Suppression Division do to my Baosha Temple?"
At these words, not only did Liu Ke tremble with rage, but Chen Tong and the others beside him also felt their anger surge, their eyes glaring furiously.
A Jianghu School dared to utter such arrogant words in front of their Demon Suppression Division!
This was no longer a provocation, but naked humiliation!
"You're courting death!" Chen Tong roared, about to draw his saber.
"Don't be impulsive!"
Monk No Abstinence's corpulent body swayed, yet he moved faster than Chen Tong, firmly grasping Chen Tong's wrist and shaking his head at everyone.
"Don't cause trouble for Lord Jiang."
Chen Tong's movements stiffened, his eyes burning with fury, but in the end, he slowly loosened his grip on the saber hilt, deflating instantly.
They were angry, not because Hui Yuan belittled the Demon Suppression Division.
But because what Hui Yuan said was the truth.
Baosha Temple was not someone they could afford to offend.
This matter would most likely end up as the other party said, unresolved.
Hui Yuan looked at the expressions of suppressed anger on everyone's Faces, and the mockery at the corner of his mouth grew stronger.
Liu Ke looked at Hui Yuan's arrogant Face, then at his own black uniform with red patterns of the Demon Suppression Division, and suddenly found it incredibly glaring.
"What's the difference, ultimately, between roaming the Jianghu and joining the Demon Suppression Division...?"
Monk No Abstinence sighed and leaned into his ear, "There's still a difference."
"One is a house cat, the other is just a wild cat."
County Magistrate Qian, listening nearby, felt his heart pounding and his legs trembling, almost unable to stand steady.
Damn it, this Baosha Temple was actually this overbearing!
It seemed he needed to quickly go to the temple and burn more incense sticks.
No, he had to set up a special memorial tablet for the Buddhas of Baosha Temple in the backyard and offer sacrifices daily!
Just as everyone in the courtyard had their own thoughts.
Suddenly, a shattering sound echoed through the courtyard!
Crack!
The thick door of the hall instantly shattered into pieces!
Amidst the flying wood splinters, a white figure flew backward, spitting out a crimson trail of blood in mid-air.
That figure, carried by an immense force, slammed into the bluestone floor of the courtyard with a thud, cracking it, and tumbled several times before the terrifying force was completely dissipated.
A white-robed monk was now sprawled on the ground in disarray, one side of his Face swollen high, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, completely devoid of his previous solemn and dignified appearance.
Liu Ke stood frozen, Chen Tong's grip on his saber hilt loosened.
Monk No Abstinence's wine gourd fell to the ground, and County Magistrate Qian rolled his eyes, almost fainting outright.
Everyone in the courtyard, including the once arrogant Hui Yuan.
All were now utterly horrified, turning their gazes towards the shattered doorway.
Behind the scattered wood splinters and dust.
Jiang Yuechu adjusted her slightly disheveled sleeves, her expression indifferent, and slowly stepped out.