Inner Demons

Chapter 47: Murder

Li Yunxin entered the Prefectural Office for the first time. Fortunately, this Prefectural Office indeed looked like a Prefectural Office, with no surprising unexpected situations.

Stepping over the high threshold, inside was the front courtyard. The ground was paved with terrazzo tiles, not a speck of dust could be seen. Looking up, one could see the main hall with its wide-open doors – his eyesight was good, and he could already see Prefect Li sitting behind the platform.

In the main hall, two rows of Yamen Runners leaned on their Water-and-Fire Cudgels, eyes askance, looking out the door.

Old Daoist Liu... had arrived.

Perhaps it was because he was guilty and panicked, wanting to run when they sent someone to "invite" him, but his outer robe was torn, and he was now covering the tear with one hand, resembling the posture of "Xi Shi holding her heart." Only, his face was troubled and forlorn, and he was bowing his head, secretly glancing at the two people beside Prefect Li.

Beside Prefect Li were two Taoist priests.

One looked over forty – meaning he was probably around sixty, as cultivators naturally appeared younger than ordinary people. This man wore a moon-white satin Taoist robe and carried a horsetail whisk.

The other seemed to be in his early twenties, wearing only a coarse cloth Taoist robe, with empty hands. This Taoist robe... Li Yunxin found it familiar. It was the kind worn by Chisongzi, Kangcangzi, and Huainanzi – this person was a swordsman from the Lingxu Sword Sect.

Then the one holding the horsetail whisk must be a Taoist priest from the Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect.

Prefect Li... was truly terrified. Li Yunxin had heard A'Ze mention these two. The Taoist priest from the Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect had the Taoist name Cong Yunzi. The one from Lingxu Sword Sect had the Taoist name Pu Nanzi. Both of them guarded Li Yaosi for two hours every day, charging – a hundred taels.Earning a net profit of 100,000 per hour.

After a quick glance at these more important people, he then looked at the plaintiffs opposite Old Daoist Liu – oh, here they were called complainants. The elder and younger Miss Qiao stood by the door, and Qiao Jiaming also stood by the door. The three whispered to each other, not knowing what they were saying. Seeing Li Yunxin enter, Qiao Jiaming gave him a vicious look, meaningfully pointed at him, then drew his index finger across his own throat.

Crazy.

After he had carefully observed these details, Yin Pingzhi stepped forward, whispering beside him, "Once you enter the yamen, it's difficult to leave. Seeing this situation, think carefully about what you're going to say later. Don't be foolish."

Then he strode through the crowd to the hall entrance, bowed to Prefect Li, and announced loudly: "Reporting to the Lord, the suspects have been brought."

Li Yaosi frowned slightly, carefully looked at the people at the door, and sighed almost imperceptibly: "Bring them in. Open the court. Outside, guard the door well – they may listen and watch, but no shouting, or else each will be fined one tael of silver."

Li Yunxin was slightly startled, turning to look outside the main gate – indeed, just like in TV dramas, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered at some unknown time. His sharp eyes spotted Miss Yin among them, but he couldn't make out her expression.

The Prefectural Governor ordered, and everyone fell silent.

He didn't understand the rules, but knew to follow suit – the three Qiao family members stepped over the threshold and entered with relaxed expressions, so he also walked to Old Daoist Liu's side, tugged his sleeve, and gestured for him to follow inside.

Old Daoist Liu only then realized Li Yunxin had arrived, and quickly lowered his voice, with a tearful tone: "Brother Xin, what should we do? Look at that—"

He glanced at the two cultivators beside Prefect Li.

Li Yunxin knew what he wanted to say.

With two Xuanmen cultivators present... who would dare to commit murder? The old Taoist only knew that he had been "preparing" all these days, but he truly didn't know how well this "master," who seemed unfathomable in his mind, had prepared.

As far as he was concerned, and considering all the bizarre possibilities he could imagine...

Brother Xin probably had no way out this time either.

He should have escaped earlier.

Li Yunxin merely smiled at him.

Prefect Li watched them whispering to each other and didn't intervene. In fact, usually, when he saw such a situation, even if it was just "questioning," he would slam the gavel and order them to be quiet.

But today... it was truly meaningless.

Yes, it was meaningless. But this meaninglessness wasn't the kind that came from viewing everything with indifference. Rather, it was... an irritable meaninglessness.

Everything he saw irritated him, everything felt... heart-pounding.

He looked at the sunlight on the terrazzo floor outside the hall and found it glaring. The floor was blindingly bright, making him dizzy. So he quickly averted his gaze.

As he averted his gaze, his vision darkened – the hall was cool and dim. But seeing the dark corners of the hall, he suddenly felt a pang of fear, inexplicably scared – he truly didn't know what he was afraid of.

Seeing the silk padding under the official seal also irritated him. Still, he didn't know why he was irritated.

He always felt something was wrong... always felt there was a problem somewhere. He eagerly wanted to find the wrong place to fix it... but he just couldn't grasp it.

He couldn't grasp a single point, or a single line.

He thought it was the recent case that was bothering him, but now that all the people were brought in... he became even more irritable. That old man and young man were whispering, they should be reprimanded.

But looking at the young man, he somehow felt annoyed. His way of walking was annoying, his mouth opening and closing was annoying, his every gesture was like...

Good heavens, why was he like A'Ze?

He had been most annoyed by A'Ze these past few days!

But as soon as he thought of A'Ze, he felt... as if he had forgotten something. In these past few days, he had forgotten something very important.

Hey! So annoying!

Li Yaosi grabbed the gavel and slammed it fiercely on the table. The force was so great that it even made his fingers ache: "Silence! Silence!"

He didn't even notice that his buttocks had already left the chair – he had stood up.

Cong Yunzi and Pu Nanzi slightly frowned, exchanging a glance – Li Yaosi was acting strangely today. What was wrong with him? The old Taoist Cong Yunzi, then flicked his horsetail whisk, made a hand seal, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again.

Nothing unusual.

The Yin Spirit Array they had set up might not be able to trap great divine cultivators, but it certainly wouldn't fail to detect them. Currently, within this Prefectural Office, no one apart from the two of them was using spiritual energy.

So... no need to bother. Whatever other worries Li Yaosi had were not within their responsibility.

So these two, lightly scanned the people below the hall, their gaze lingering slightly on Old Daoist Liu, then closed their eyes again.

The Prefectural Governor's shout almost made everyone shiver.

After shouting, Li Yaosi felt his heart pounding rhythmically, and the frustration in his chest seemed to have finally been released a little. He then seized the opportunity to continue: "Those two downstairs – what are your names? Hm? You, the younger one, you speak first!"

He stretched out his hand, like a drunken man, pointing straight at Li Yunxin: "It's you! What... was your name again?"

Seeing the Prefectural Governor's imposing manner, Qiao Jiaming smiled viciously. The Lord Prefectural Governor was furious. No wonder, Old Man Meng'e had held out for days, stubbornly refusing to yield, forcing Lord Li to be utterly exasperated. Now, all his anger was directed at this brat.

He was close to Li Yunxin, and while sneering, he whispered, "Later, you'll get what's coming to you!"

Li Yunxin didn't look at him, cupped his hands, and said: "Reporting to the court. This humble citizen, Li Yunxin."

His voice was pleasant and clear. But his tone was a little strange, the character "Yun" drawn out slightly longer, like a theatrical accent – ​​and a touch of lazy languor.

Prefect Li's face twitched when he heard his name, as if he had swallowed a fly. The three Qiao family members felt even more satisfied – this was the epitome of disgust.

What happened next confirmed their suspicions. Li Yaosi furrowed his brow again, grabbed the cylinder full of divination sticks on the table, and threw it straight at Li Yunxin – "I'm calling you Li Yunxin!"

Unfortunately, his aim was off, and it missed. The sticks scattered everywhere, and the cylinder hit the main hall door frame, rolled, and stopped motionless at Qiao Jiaming's feet.

It was the first time Prefect Li had been so angry and undignified. Even Yin Pingzhi felt something was amiss and quickly interjected, "Lord, appease your anger, appease your anger!"

But he didn't know how to console him.

Old Daoist Liu was now trembling with fear, his knees buckling, believing that he wouldn't survive this ordeal today. The people watching outside also let out low gasps of astonishment – they had seen Prefect Li preside over cases. But how could such a portly and dignified man ever display such anger?

At most, he would slap the table and declare, "twenty blows with the rod," "thirty slaps to the mouth"—he always caused others to bleed, but never suffered a scratch himself.

But now, something was amiss.

Only Qiao Jiaming was the happiest, looking askance at Li Yunxin again, provoking him in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Heh heh, brat..."

Li Yunxin turned his face, looking at him: "You idiot, aren't you annoying?"

Qiao Jiaming was startled: "Huh?"

Then he scoffed: "Oh, you still have a temper? Haven't you seen Prefect Li..."

"What about Prefect Li?" Li Yunxin looked at him, and seeing his expression, a smile suddenly appeared on his face, "You think that official in the hall is the reliance of you scoundrels? How annoying are you, constantly buzzing in my ear?"

Qiao Jiaming realized that in terms of sharp wit, he never seemed to gain an advantage. But he knew there would be a time when his anger could be fully vented – once Lord Li, infuriated, threw both of them into prison, he could torment them as he pleased.

So he sneered: "You just wait, Lord Li, he—"

But he was interrupted once again.

"I'll kill him right now, do you believe me?" Li Yunxin stared into his eyes, seemingly impatient, as if his appetite had been spoiled. "It was a rare opportunity, and I wanted to observe more. Why did you have to stand by my side? Now I have no interest at all."

Qiao Jiaming felt as if he had misheard. He paused for a moment, thought about what Li Yunxin had said earlier, and then, in his extreme anger, laughed: "Are you scared senseless? Kill?"

He fiercely lowered his voice: "You kill him for me to see? Hmm? You little bastard?"

He spoke that last sentence a little too loudly. The two women behind him also heard it. The elder and younger Miss Qiao were women of the house, attending such a court for the first time, and had long been too intimidated to make a sound. Later, seeing Prefect Li's great fury, even as complainants, they felt uneasy and dared not speak.

But upon hearing these words, they knew the two men were arguing and provoking each other – yet it didn't stop them from casting a mocking and pitying glance at Li Yunxin.

So Li Yunxin sighed. It was as if he was annoyed by a child pestering him for candy.

And while the two were whispering, Prefect Li was furiously and impatiently questioning Old Daoist Liu's name and past.

He then closed his eyes for a moment, opened them again, grinned, and said in a soft, almost whispered voice, "Good. I'll kill him for you to see."

Before Qiao Jiaming could say anything more, Li Yunxin had already lifted his lower garment.

Revealing the grayish-green, slightly shimmering, scale-patterned undershirt underneath. As he lifted his lower garment, he already proclaimed loudly: "Lord, this humble citizen has been wronged!"

Then he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and half-knelt on the ground.

Li Yaosi's violent interrogation was interrupted by his cry, and he frowned, looking at him. But upon seeing Li Yunxin half-kneeling, he seemed to freeze. His expression solidified on his face, his mouth slightly agape, blinking rapidly, unable to speak.

The two closest cultivators again noticed his abnormality. This time, it was Pu Nanzi who slightly frowned and made a hand seal. But still, he found nothing.

Then it was still this person... his own problem. Pu Nanzi shook his head slightly inwardly – this fool. As a dignified fifth-rank official, he was reduced to this state because of a case. But, it was good that it wasn't a matter of evil magic. With the two of them sitting by, a healthy adult male couldn't possibly be at risk.

He had simply worried too much again.

So, he closed his eyes again.

He heard Li Yunxin, then say—

"...That night, this humble citizen and my master spent the night with the escort agency, and we got along perfectly. I still remember that Escort Chief Qiao roasted a pancake by the bonfire, and asked Miss Qiao..."

"Is this taste satisfactory?"

Then, Pu Nanzi heard a suppressed, pained groan.

It was Li Yaosi's groan.

He suddenly opened his eyes and found that Li Yaosi had slumped back into his official chair. Then he stared wide-eyed, fixedly at the ceiling, as if he had seen something terrifying and soul-shattering. His throat rattled, his face suddenly turned crimson, and his two hands extended straight out in front of him, flailing wildly – as if trying to ward something off!

Both cultivators' eyes simultaneously blazed with sharp light – had the demon arrived?!

With a low shout, they both simultaneously performed hand seals.

However... there was nothing.

Still nothing!

When the two looked back at Li Yaosi with astonishment and confusion – the latter was already wide-eyed, dead in his chair!

After a moment of deathly silence, which lasted for one breath. A frantic cry suddenly erupted in the hall. Yin Pingzhi drew the saber from his waist, standing in front of Li Yaosi's corpse, staring up at the ceiling in horror. The Yamen Runners on either side, the quick-witted ones, were already shouting and rushing to move Lord Li, checking for his breath. The slower ones held their Water-and-Fire Cudgels, looking around wildly, but had no idea what had happened –

What happened?!

Lord Li, a dignified fifth-rank official, had...

Died suddenly! Right here in this brightly lit room, surrounded by people, and with two cultivators present!!

The three Qiao family members were equally stunned. But their next reaction...

Was to look at Li Yunxin. They looked at Li Yunxin as if they had seen a ghost.

And then they saw the youth calmly stand up from the ground, turn his head, and smile at them, revealing a mouthful of pearly white and even teeth: "I showed you how to kill, didn't I?"

Then he reached out, pointed at the three of them in turn, and said merrily again: "None of you three will escape either."

Against such an atmosphere of dread, seeing the smile on his face – for some reason, the three felt that smile was so cruel and demonic – Madam Qiao Liu finally couldn't help but let out a piercing shriek, retreating a few steps, and pointing at Li Yunxin: "Ah! It's him! He used sorcery! He killed the Prefectural Governor!!"

The shrill female voice was deafening and showed no sign of abating. Pu Nanzi of the Sword Sect, annoyed, glanced at the youth she was pointing at, then violently waved his hand. Madam Qiao Liu's body, like a rag doll, slammed heavily against the wall, leaving a bloody mark, and then moved no more.

How could he not be annoyed?! How could he not be furious?!

A dignified cultivator of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect!

Two of them!

Stationed in the Prefectural Office!

They had set up the Grand Yin Spirit Formation!

Yet now, the demon had killed someone right under their noses!

And they knew nothing, completely helpless! And they had to listen to that foolish woman pointing at a mortal and saying that he had killed someone!

What a huge disgrace! In that foolish woman's mind, a cultivator like himself, a cultivator who had painstakingly practiced the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, couldn't even see through a child's "sorcery"? Huh?!

The cultivators knew that no one could cast a spell within this formation without being detected – just as mortals knew that the sky could not suddenly become the earth, or the earth the sky. But Yin Pingzhi, too, heard Madam Qiao Liu's words.

These words, like a thunderclap, struck his heart.

He looked at Li Yunxin in disbelief, recalling the youth's words to him half an hour earlier, under the willow tree—

"Perhaps it can be solved."

He took a sharp breath, staring intently at Li Yunxin's face.

And that youth, already supporting Old Daoist Liu, stood against the wall like many other panicked people in the hall. The youth... was also looking at him.

With a mischievous, almost mocking smile on his face, he looked at him, then slightly spread his hands.

As if saying...

"What can you do?"

Yin Pingzhi struggled to avert his gaze, then looked at Qiao Jiaming and Madam Qiao Wang, who were too scared to make a sound and huddled on the ground, and... the corpse of Madam Qiao Liu, from which more and more blood oozed...

He seemed to be electrocuted as he pulled his eyes away, forcing himself to turn his face, no longer daring to look in Li Yunxin's direction.

Can't... say...

If I want to live... I can't... say it...

Even those two so-called "masters"... didn't notice... Look at Madam Qiao Liu's fate!!

It was only then that Old Daoist Liu tightly grabbed Li Yunxin's arm, his lips trembling as he asked him, "Brother Xin... Wh-what on earth... happened?"