Chapter 34

"Today's harvest was quite good!"

Fang Er looked at the game he had hunted, a happy smile on his face.

He was a hunter in the mountains, making a living by hunting.

But not every day brought a harvest.

Today, he had hunted three pheasants and two deer, which could be sold in the nearby town for a few silver coins, enough to support his family for a while.

The journey from the mountains to the village was not short.

By the time Fang Er returned, it was already nightfall. The village was quiet, with no sounds of people.

"Strange, Zhang Er's dog usually barks, but not today?"

Passing by a fence, Fang Er's face showed a hint of confusion.

He glanced into the yard, but the darkness prevented him from seeing much.

Without much thought, Fang Er walked straight to his own home.

The village was unusually quiet tonight, making him eager to get back.

In the silent village, only one house still had some light.

Fang Er pushed the door open, put the game aside, and sat down at the table, smiling. "My dear, you wouldn't believe how lucky I was today. Three pheasants and two deer, at least three to five silver coins!"

As he spoke, he picked up a bowl of water from the table, drank it all, and then turned his head toward the kitchen, where a farmer's wife was busy.

"After a while, we should send the child to the nearby private school. It's not good to let him just play with the village children, don't you think?"

The woman continued her work, making a slight sound as if in agreement.

Fang Er didn't mind.

After a busy day in the mountains, he was very tired, but his hunger prevented him from falling asleep.

Seeing his wife still cooking, Fang Er felt a bit bored and got up to walk to a small room on the right.

Lifting the rag that served as a curtain, he saw a dim room.

Using the faint light from outside, he could see a slightly raised blanket on the bed, as if something was hidden inside.

"Brat, you always sleep like this, don't you worry about suffocating!"

Fang Er laughed and scolded, but he didn't go in to disturb, putting the curtain back down and sitting back in his original spot.

At this moment, the woman in the kitchen came out, holding a steaming bowl, the rich aroma wafting over.

Fang Er sniffed and immediately smiled.

"What soup did you cook today? It smells so good!"

After blowing on it a bit, he took a sip, and his originally cold body instantly felt warm.

At this moment, another large pot of soup was placed on the table.

In no time, Fang Er drank the soup in his bowl clean, licked his lips, and looked at the pot on the table, then served himself another bowl.

"Why aren't you drinking?"

While drinking the soup, he glanced at his wife, who seemed a bit strange today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The woman shook her head slightly. "You drink, I've already had some."

"What is this? I've never seen it before—"

Fang Er looked at a round object on his chopsticks, his face showing confusion. Because it had been cooked for a long time, he couldn't identify it.

Without much thought, he put it in his mouth and chewed.

While eating, he looked at the woman. "By the way, should we wake Bao'er to have some? I think today's soup is quite good!"

"No need!"

"Huh?"

Fang Er looked at his wife, suddenly feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

Suddenly, the woman's face twisted grotesquely, her voice becoming low and cold. "Isn't Bao'er in the soup?"

Fang Er's body trembled. Looking at the woman's grotesque expression, he then looked down at the soup in his bowl, and a wave of nausea rose in his throat.

Thump—

The violent vomiting caused the table to shake, and the pot on it fell to the ground.

Clang! The soup and broken pieces scattered everywhere.

There were bones, hair, and a completely uncooked child's finger, as well as a round object.

Seeing the round object, Fang Er instantly connected the dots, his stomach churning even more.

—

After returning from Yongfu Pawnshop, Shen Changqing fell back into a leisurely life.

Despite the responsibility of guarding Lin'an City being a troublesome task, the city was actually the most peaceful before the demon's essence truly emerged.

The people from the five factions.

Shen Changqing didn't bother with them much.

As for the other wandering martial artists, they weren't even worth his attention.

So these past few days, he stayed mostly indoors, either visiting Yongfu Pawnshop to check on the progress of information or staying at the inn, or exploring the local customs of Lin'an City.

After Zhao Fang's death, the new magistrate had not been appointed, leaving the government without a leader. Only the chief clerk and the secretary were barely managing to keep the office from falling into complete disarray.

Shen Changqing didn't interfere much. His task was only to ensure the safety of the people of Lin'an City; the chaos in the government had little to do with him.

At the Zhao family's residence.

At the front door.

"Sir Shen, these past few days, people from the Zhao family have been trying to escape, but we've driven them back. However, the manpower in the office is limited, and if this continues, there will inevitably be some mistakes."

Hong Cheng, the acting head of the constabulary, looked troubled.

Without orders, they couldn't kill or release the people of the Zhao family.

But if anyone from the Zhao family escaped, it would be a big problem.

Zhao Fang's collusion with demons was no secret, and the people of the Zhao family were well aware of it.

Such a crime.

Once sentenced, it could result in the extermination of nine generations.

Shen Changqing's face was calm as he looked at the Zhao family's courtyard wall. "I have already sent the message to the Demon Suppression Bureau. The verdict for the Zhao family will come soon. If anyone escapes during this period, they will be considered fugitives."

"What does Sir Shen mean?"

"Kill!"

Shen Changqing said the word coldly.

Hong Cheng was shocked. Kill, this meant they would start executing the Zhao family.

At that moment, the tightly locked courtyard gate suddenly opened, and a dozen servants rushed out. Several constables immediately drew their swords to intercept them.

"No one from the Zhao family is allowed to leave without orders from above!"

"Go back, all of you, or don't blame my sword for being merciless—"