Luoshui County Yamen.
A grand hall in the western courtyard.
Zhang Huaide leaned lazily on a vermilion chair, his eyes slightly narrowed, appearing extremely amiable, completely devoid of the aggressive and overbearing demeanor he had just displayed.
"Tell me! What did you all encounter by the Nan River?"
He looked at Chief Constable Li Qinglian and the other three Constables, asking slowly.
In fact, he already knew the general situation there; his current inquiry was merely to confirm the information more precisely.
"Chief Constable, this subordinate encountered people from the Liu Family, as well as some individuals from the County castle, and besides that, there were also some notorious bandits..."
Constable Chen Si was the first to speak.
He stood tall and straight like a pine, his eyes stern, exuding an air of righteousness.
This man had already stepped into the Eighth Rank.
He was also the head of the Constables, and he usually assisted Chief Zhang in handling affairs.
He was known for his impartiality and incorruptibility.
The reports from the other two Constables were largely similar; they hadn't encountered anything particularly unusual.
Zhang Huaide, who was lightly tapping the armrest of his chair, fixed his gaze on Li Qinglian and smiled amiably.
"Congratulations, you've entered the Eighth Rank. It seems you had some fortuitous encounter tonight."
"Chief Constable, this subordinate encountered an extremely peculiar Martial Artist. That Martial Artist seemed to be able to absorb human blood and vital essence. Everyone he killed turned into mummified corpses."
"From his tone, it seemed to be something like 'demon blood entering the body'..."
Li Qinglian, half-truthfully, recounted Liu Banzhuang's matter, also hoping to clarify what was truly going on with that person.
Before he could finish speaking, with a 'crack,' Zhang Huaide's chair armrest was crushed into powder.
The other party suddenly stood up, staring intently at Li Qinglian and asking, "Are you sure it's 'demon blood entering the body'?"
"This subordinate cannot be certain, but that person indeed behaved strangely. When fighting with this subordinate, a bloody mist inexplicably surged from his body..."
Li Qinglian quickly replied.
"This is troublesome. Why would they appear by the Nan River?"
Zhang Huaide sat down, frowning and muttering.
He pondered for a moment, then his gaze, stern, fixed on the four of them.
"Keep this matter confidential. No one is allowed to leak it."
"Yes."
Li Qinglian and the other three Constables clasped their hands in a gesture of assent.
Seeing this, Zhang Huaide's expression softened, and he continued, "Tonight's events are quite complex. I'm not clear on the specifics, but it's definitely not normal."
"Although this Chief Constable has given the Sanhe Gang three days, during these three days, you also need to constantly monitor the situation there. If you find anything amiss, report it immediately. We absolutely cannot allow a major disturbance to occur."
"Additionally, patrols in other areas must not be neglected. We cannot let the chaos in the Nan River area spread to other places."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions also turned serious.
Everyone could tell that tonight's events were not simple.
Especially by the Nan River, where various forces had gathered; no one would believe there wasn't something fishy going on.
"Yes, Chief Constable."
Li Qinglian and the other three immediately clasped their hands.
"Alright, you all go back and rest well. Starting tomorrow, each of you will oversee your respective areas."
Zhang Huaide waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.
After watching Li Qinglian and the other three depart, Zhang Huaide's face became extremely solemn.
"What exactly happened? Why did they all gather in the Nan River area? Could there be some secret hidden there?"
"No secret, but there is one extremely wicked individual."
Just then, a clear voice drifted in from outside.
"Who?"
Zhang Huaide suddenly stood up from his chair, a surging force erupting from his body, making his black uniform billow as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings.
Whoosh—
Something like a hidden weapon, making a whistling sound, flew straight towards Zhang Huaide.
He sneered, raised his hand, and caught the object in his palm.
He looked down.
He saw it was a black token.
One side was carved with the character 'Constable,' and the other side was a pattern of a grand hall, looking extremely extraordinary.
Upon seeing the token, his expression changed drastically. He immediately held the black token with both hands, facing the direction of the hall entrance, and respectfully said, "This subordinate greets the Black Token Constable..."
A young man in black brocade robes embroidered with a Xiezhi pattern strode in, his large cloak, draped behind him, swished, and an invisible force emanated, closing all the wooden doors of the hall.
---
Leaving the hall, Li Qinglian briefly discussed the next day's patrol arrangements with Dong Renyi, then headed home.
By the time he arrived at his doorstep, it was already approaching Mao Shi (5-7 AM).
Li Qinglian looked at the wooden door, his heart feeling somewhat complex and a little uneasy.
After all, the wife he was about to face was the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect, a terrifying Third Rank Martial Artist.
"What's there to be afraid of? I've even slept with her, what else is there to worry about?"
"Besides, with the System, surpassing her is only a matter of time. Then I'll understand why she specifically chose to marry me."
Li Qinglian secretly encouraged himself.
Only then did he push open the wooden door and enter the courtyard.
The courtyard was quiet, with traces of the festive red decorations from the wedding night still scattered on the ground.
Inside the main room, candlelight flickered.
A faint silhouette could be seen sitting at a round table, dozing off with her head bobbing like a pestle.
In the western part of the courtyard, the crow of a rooster echoed from the chicken coop.
Such a peaceful and harmonious night scene brought an unprecedented calm to Li Qinglian's heart.
In the past, he was a lone wolf, only responsible for himself. Every time he returned from a mission, he faced darkness, an empty room, and coldness.
Now, it was completely different; he had a family, he had a wife.
A flickering candle flame was like a heartfelt connection.
He walked to the well, removed his black uniform, and quickly washed himself. His muscles twitched, and water droplets scattered and evaporated.
Only then did he quietly push open the door and enter.
It was Jin Ling, sitting at the round table, her snow-white arm propping up her head, nodding off, clearly very sleepy.
Even though his movements were light, he still couldn't escape Jin Ling's notice.
She jolted awake, suddenly stood up, and upon seeing Li Qinglian, she looked delighted and joyful.
She proactively walked over and said, "Young Master, let this servant take you to wash up first!"
"No need, I've already washed up. You should go back to your room and rest first."
Li Qinglian waved his hand.
With that, he lifted the curtain and walked into the inner chamber.
"Is Wei fu (husband) back?"
On the bed, Shen Yushu turned over, her eyes heavy with sleep, slowly sitting up.
Her scattered black hair was re-tied and fell naturally; her snow-white neck, delicate shoulders, and skin like mutton-fat jade were fully revealed.
Seeing this, flames ignited in Li Qinglian's heart.
"Don't get up, continue to rest."
He quickly removed his shirt and slipped under the covers.
Soft fragrance was in his arms.
Tender and smooth.
This made Li Qinglian stir with desire again.
"Today won't work. I still need to recover for a while."
Feeling Li Qinglian's reaction, Shen Yushu shook her head apologetically.
Suddenly, Li Qinglian understood; he realized it was his wife's first time, so he definitely couldn't be too excessive.
A hint of regret and disappointment appeared on his face.
He had planned to have a few more rounds to gain some experience points and fuse the Martial Arts he had acquired, but now it seemed he would have to wait a while longer.
"Wei fu (husband), do you really want more? Can your body handle it?"
Shen Yushu hesitated for a moment, biting her red lips as she asked.
"Are you doubting Wei fu (husband)'s capabilities?"
Li Qinglian patted her perky buttocks, asking the beauty in his arms.
Shen Yushu let out a soft moan, and two blushes appeared on her gentle, jade-like cheeks.
She softly called towards the side room, "Jin Ling, come in and keep Young Master company."
"Ah... this might not be appropriate!"
Li Qinglian said, quite insincerely.