83: Chapter 83 Reward

Qingyang County Government Office.

The setting sun was like blood, spreading over the two stone lions at the entrance of the government office, as if a layer of red oil had been smeared on them.

"Creak— Creak—"

The borrowed handcart for transporting corpses lacked oil in its bearings, letting out a miserable screech all the way through the main gate. The large mass on the cart, wrapped in yellow cloth, emitted a strange stench of aged salted fish mixed with the smell of wet earth, making the bailiffs on guard at the entrance frown. They wanted to stop it but didn't dare.

After all, the person leading the horse in front was Lord Jiang from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, who had arrived not long ago and had a fiery temper.

Following behind was Chen Mo, who had returned in one piece, and a fat monk with a fleshy face who was looking around curiously.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was somewhat cold.

This coldness wasn't because of the weather, but because of the woman sitting behind the magistrate's desk.

Ye Zhiqiu.

She looked to be in her early twenties and wasn't wearing official robes, but rather a neatly tailored set of black martial attire with the cuffs tightly bound. Her hair was tied up high, revealing a face that was excessively pale. Her features were extremely beautiful, but that beauty was like something carved from ice, exuding a vibe of "don't come near me, and if you know me, don't bother me either."

At this moment, she was holding a pair of nail clippers, unhurriedly trimming her nails without even lifting her eyelids.

Jiang Hongli strode in, her boots clicking against the floor tiles, carrying a lingering aura of slaughter.

"Ye Zhiqiu."

Jiang Hongli slapped her long saber onto the table, causing the brush rack to tremble. "The matter at Ren Family Village is settled."

Ye Zhiqiu blew away the nail clippings, not even looking up. "Oh."

That single word was as light as a feather, yet it felt like a ball of cotton stuck in Jiang Hongli's throat.

Jiang Hongli took a deep breath and pointed at the handcart outside, her voice rising several notches. "That is a Bronze Armored Corpse! A malevolent creature rarely seen in a hundred years! I exhausted all my strength to Seal it. Don't you want to go take a look?"

Ye Zhiqiu finally lifted her eyelids. Those eyes were as dark as a deep pool, devoid of emotion.

She glanced outside, then looked at Jiang Hongli, and said flatly, "Stinky."

Jiang Hongli was choked up.

She had prepared a bellyful of words about the thrilling process, the exquisite Daoist techniques, and how she had turned the tide, but all of it was stifled by that one word.

"This is evidence! And an achievement!" Jiang Hongli gritted her teeth. "According to the rules, you need to inspect it and then report it to the Imperial Court."

"That's your achievement, what does it have to do with me?"

Ye Zhiqiu switched hands to trim her nails, her tone as flat as if she were talking about what to eat for dinner. "Throw the thing into the death row cells and put a report on my desk. Write neatly; your last report looked like it was scratched out by chicken claws, it gave me a headache just looking at it."

"You—!"

Jiang Hongli's chest heaved with anger, her pretty face turning flushed. She was the pride of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau; where didn't she go and get pampered? Yet in front of this Ye Zhiqiu, it always felt like punching an iron plate wrapped in cotton.

"Enough."

Ye Zhiqiu put away her nail clippers, her gaze passing over Jiang Hongli and landing on Chen Mo behind her.

Her originally icy gaze seemed to gain a hint of scrutiny when it touched Chen Mo.

"Not dead?" she asked.

Chen Mo's mouth twitched as he cupped his hands. "Thanks to your blessings, I narrowly survived."

"Hmm, having a tough life is a good thing," Ye Zhiqiu nodded. "Better than certain people who only know how to make a fuss."

Beside them, Jiang Hongli made a cracking sound as she squeezed her knuckles.

Ye Zhiqiu acted as if she hadn't seen it, pulling a few silver ingots from a drawer and tossing them onto the table with a crisp clatter.

"Reward money. Twenty taels for Chen Mo, five taels for the others. That lame Daoist..." She glanced at Daoist Master Qian shrinking in the corner, "Ten taels."

Daoist Master Qian originally thought there was nothing for him, but hearing there were ten taels, he immediately threw the grievance of being ignored to the back of his mind and hopped out on his lame leg. "Thank you, My Lady! You are wise and martial! As beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal!"

"Shut up," Ye Zhiqiu said coldly. "Noisy."

Daoist Master Qian immediately covered his mouth, not daring to make another sound.

Finally, Ye Zhiqiu's gaze landed on the monk, Monks Name.

Monks Name puffed out his large belly and held one hand vertically before his chest, putting on the appearance of an enlightened monk. "Amitabha, female benefactor..."

"The government office doesn't provide meals."

With one sentence, Ye Zhiqiu cut off the word "alms" that Monks Name was about to say.

The fat on Monks Name's face trembled as he gave a dry laugh. "This Poor Monk didn't come for alms, I'm just passing through, passing through..."

"That's good then." Ye Zhiqiu picked up an official document again, signaling the end of the meeting. "Chen Mo stays, the rest of you are dismissed."

Jiang Hongli gave a cold snort, grabbed her long saber from the table, glared fiercely at Ye Zhiqiu, and turned to leave. As she passed by Chen Mo, she whispered, "Come find me later, I have things to ask you."

With that, she strode away, carrying her fiery temper with her.

The hall fell silent.

Chen Mo stood in place, looking at this young female superior. To be honest, compared to someone like Jiang Hongli who wore her emotions on her sleeve, someone like Ye Zhiqiu, who was impossible to read, was even more terrifying.

"How did the mission feel?" Ye Zhiqiu suddenly spoke, her voice still devoid of any fluctuation.

"Dangerous," Chen Mo told the truth.

"Hmm." Ye Zhiqiu put down the document, her cool eyes staring at Chen Mo. "Although Jiang Hongli has a foul temper, she does have skill. To be able to make her owe you a favor, you did well."

Chen Mo's heart stirred. So she had seen everything.

"This subordinate only did his best."

"Don't be humble, it's too fake." Ye Zhiqiu leaned back, appearing somewhat languid. "Lately, the city hasn't been peaceful. The Axe Gang has been keeping an eye on you. Be careful yourself; if you die, I'll be too lazy to collect your body."

Although the words were harsh, Chen Mo heard a hint of protective intent in them.

"This subordinate understands."

"Alright, get lost." Ye Zhiqiu waved her hand as if shooing away a fly. "It's annoying to look at you."

Chen Mo felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, grabbed the silver on the table, and slipped away.

It wasn't until he stepped out of the hall that he breathed a sigh of relief. This woman's aura was too strong; talking to her was more mentally exhausting than fighting a zombie.

...

South of the city, the back courtyard of the gambling den.

This was the Axe Gang's territory, and the air was forever thick with the smell of sweat, alcohol, and cheap rouge.

Tiger Wang sat on a large tiger-skin chair, playing with two Iron Balls in his hand. He was shirtless, with a tiger descending the mountain tattooed on his chest. As he breathed, the tiger seemed ready to devour someone.

"You're saying Chen Mo is back?"

Tiger Wang's voice was deep, with a smoky rasp.

The scout kneeling on the ground didn't dare lift his head. "Yes, Boss. Not only is he back, but he came back with that female star of death from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. I heard... they even brought back a big 'zongzi'."

"Clack."

Tiger Wang's hands stopped moving, and the two Iron Balls collided.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sinister.

The people he sent to intercept and kill him before had failed, which was already beyond his expectations. He didn't expect this kid's life to be so tough; after going to a death trap like Ren Family Village, not only did he not die, but he also gained merit.

"Boss, about the contract from that side..." a confidant nearby asked cautiously.

"Put it aside for now."

Tiger Wang threw the Iron Balls onto the table, smashing a dent into it. "Moving against him now would be slapping the faces of Ye Zhiqiu and Jiang Hongli. Those two women, one is crazy and the other is cold; neither of them is easy to deal with."