Inner Demons

Chapter 51: Inner Demon

After saying this, Li Yunxin poured himself another glass of wine and took a small sip.

It was Munan Spring wine, which the old Taoist priest usually cherished and rarely drank. Even someone like Li Yunxin, who wasn't adept at wine tasting, could discern the fresh, fruity, and herbal aromas.

The dishes were mostly cold by now. Fortunately, both of them had ordered mostly cold plates: the essential crispy fried peanuts, braised beef, and stir-fried meat with egg whites. He picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly, leaving the old Taoist priest lost in thought.

Li Yunxin had opened a new world to him.

The old Taoist priest wasn't a highly skilled cultivator. In fact, before meeting Li Yunxin, he wasn't even considered a proper cultivator, but would have been categorized as a "secular person" by Taoists and swordsmen. Yet, he still knew a few things, enough to catch a glimpse.

That's why he could understand why… the two cultivators in the hall hadn't suspected them at all.

Because the techniques Li Yunxin employed were something people in this world had never deeply studied. It was like in Li Yunxin's time, if someone suddenly died, and another person went to the police and said it was a demon, no one would listen. They would just frown, push that person aside, and continue to ponder... what method did the criminal use?

And precisely because cultivators had mastered almost all the "inconceivable" methods that astonished secular people in this world, they wouldn't believe that even more mysterious methods existed beyond their comprehension.

It wasn't even "arrogance" or "stubbornness"; it simply transcended their understanding.

The old Taoist priest stared intently at Li Yunxin. The young man was very handsome, with red lips, white teeth, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes—a true beautiful man. The gentle spring sunlight made the fine down on his face and neck clearly visible. Being young, his skin was taut, un-sagging, and without wrinkles.His expression was always gentle. Even when he was about to kill, he was gentle and smiling.

But as this young man sat in the sunlight, the old Taoist priest felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at him.

Because he remembered what he had said earlier—

"...It doesn't have to be this troublesome... I just wanted to do an experiment."

Brother Xin… just for an "experiment," he killed someone. He killed a fifth-rank official of the current dynasty, with two cultivators nearby.

There was a thought the old Taoist priest only dared to voice in his heart at this moment. It was a sudden thought that surprised even himself—he is... a human demon…

A human demon who manipulates people's hearts…

As if he knew the old Taoist priest's thoughts, Li Yunxin met his gaze. The old Taoist priest, as if struck by electricity, slightly turned his face away to stroke his beard.

"Old Liu, don't be afraid." Li Yunxin looked at him, then out the window, and said, "I'm actually quite easygoing. If people don't offend me, I don't offend them. And you're genuinely a good person. I quite like good people. You're also a smart person, and I like smart people too."

He put down his chopsticks, stood up, walked to the window, looked out, and murmured to himself, "But I hate idiots the most. Stupidity is a cardinal sin. They all deserve to die."

These three sentences carried a hint of coldness and hatred.

The old Taoist priest had never heard such intense hatred in anyone's words. He couldn't fathom where Li Yunxin, a boy who seemed only fourteen or fifteen, got such rich emotions, seasoned methods, and mature wisdom.

He couldn't help but think of that word again.

Manipulating people's hearts… a human demon.

An inner demon.

Just then, Li Yunxin turned around and looked at him. "Alright. Looks like you don't have the heart to eat anymore—tell the waiter to pack it up. And send it to our... hmm, residence. Hahaha. Don't worry about the bill; someone downstairs is waiting to pay it. Let's go, let's buy a string of firecrackers. I want two hundred rounds."

As the two went downstairs, the old Taoist priest realized who Li Yunxin was referring to.

Yin Pingzhi was sitting downstairs, a cup of tea in front of him. The shopkeeper was also sitting beside him, chatting.

The old Taoist priest felt a little uneasy. He didn't know the intent of this Chief Constable Yin—did he feel something was off, found it hard to believe, and came looking for them?

But his worries vanished when he saw the expression on Yin Pingzhi's face.

Chief Constable Yin had originally been trying to maintain his composure, chatting desultorily with the shopkeeper. The moment he saw the two descending the wooden stairs, he quickly stood up. He looked as if... he had been waiting for a long time for a superior to finally arrive.

Seeing his demeanor, the shopkeeper thought some extraordinary dignitary was in disguise upstairs, and quickly rose with a surprised look to turn and see. He only saw a young man and an old Taoist priest. His surprise grew.

He knew what kind of person Yin Pingzhi was. The prominent figures in Weicheng, on the surface, were countable—the four prefects.

The Prefect of Weicheng, a fourth-rank official, had overall jurisdiction. Below him were the four prefects, fifth-rank officials, who governed the four prefectures of Weicheng. But currently, Weicheng had no Prefect—the previous Prefect had returned home to mourn, which by custom would take a year. Therefore, at this time, the only officials with actual rank in Weicheng were the three remaining prefects.

Among the clerks without official rank, the most powerful and respected, besides the Chief Constable of the Prefect's mansion's four gates, were the constables of each prefecture. In Li Yaosi's former jurisdiction, Liuhu Prefecture, Yin Pingzhi held the most sway.

With over 100,000 residents in the prefecture, any person of standing knew that Chief Constable Yin had influence in both the official and unofficial spheres. Even Lord Li himself had to be polite to Chief Constable Yin in some matters. When new shops opened or businesses operated, anyone who didn't show Chief Constable Yin respect simply couldn't make it work.

Therefore, the shopkeeper was extremely surprised to see such a figure rise to greet this old man and young man.

Then he looked at Li Yunxin, who merely smiled as he descended the stairs, casually cupping his hand. "Oh. So soon. Something happened?"

Yin Pingzhi took a deep breath, forced a smile at the shopkeeper, "Old Wang, you go about your business. I have something to discuss."

The shopkeeper, full of astonishment, quickly said, "You discuss, you discuss. I won't delay your important matters."

He then turned to them and said, "I didn't know you two were Chief Constable Yin's friends. Unknowing, therefore innocent, let's consider today's meal a complimentary taste. You two sirs don't need to settle the bill!"

Li Yunxin smiled, "Then thank you very much. Please pack up the upstairs meal for me and send it to the Dragon King Temple—that's behind the Hongfu Escort Agency. Hmm? Haha, yes, you're a chain enterprise, so you might not know that small escort agency—it's on Taoxi Road."

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, then loudly instructed his staff to "prepare another full meal exactly as before" and send it over, before returning to the counter. He sat sprawl-legged, but his ears were perked up. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear anything, only see Chief Constable Yin's expression…

Like a grandson.

Heh… Yin Pingzhi, you have your day too.

But who exactly are these two?

After the shopkeeper left, Yin Pingzhi carefully observed Li Yunxin's expression and slowly uttered a few words—

"Just now, that Qiao Wangshi was killed by the yamen runner guarding her in the backyard. Was that... also your doing?"