Volume One: Servants of Changshui County Chapter Forty-Four: The Boorish Man

What is the name of the mountain behind the village?
The farmers have long since forgotten; they simply continue to call it by that name.
The mountain rises straight into the clouds, like a sword thrust upright into the earth.
The path upward is perilous and steep.
Zhou Cheng still led the way, with everyone following closely behind.
They did not stop until they reached a hollow midway up the mountain.
From there, the village at the foot of the mountain appeared orderly and densely packed, as if carefully arranged.
“There’s something odd about this village,” Zhou Cheng remarked.
“Master Zhou, there’s a cave ahead!”
Before anyone could take a closer look, the scout who had gone ahead returned to report.
“Let’s go, we’ll check out the cave first,” Zhou Cheng declared, waving his hand. The group advanced toward the cave.
Before entering, ten men were left outside to keep watch. The others chopped down a few dead trees nearby, fashioned torches, and stepped into the cave.
At first, the passage was so narrow that only one person could squeeze through.
Further in, the cave widened gradually.
It seemed to be a natural formation, showing no signs of being carved by human hands.
Yet inside, scattered remnants of extinguished campfires could be seen.
Perhaps those who collected herbs on the mountain had spent the night here, leaving behind traces.
The group pressed onward.
...
Monster-Slaying Bureau.
After poring over many case files, Chen Xuanfeng sensed something was amiss.
He had discovered a clue: roughly every ten years, monsters appeared in Sanyi Village.
It had only been a few years since the last incident, and there was still some time before another decade passed.
Though the reason remained unclear, the monster’s appearance this time was indeed peculiar.
Chen Xuanfeng paced to the home of another deputy director, Yuan Wufeng.
Despite Yuan Wufeng’s sharp tongue and sluggish, almost feminine habits, his residence was spacious and grand.
After the housekeeper had announced his arrival, Yuan Wufeng pushed open the gate after a cup of tea’s time, making no gesture to invite Chen Xuanfeng inside.
“Director Chen, has the sun risen in the west today?”
“You actually have time to visit me? But my home doesn’t welcome you. Don’t you prefer staying at the Monster-Slaying Bureau? You’d best return there,” Yuan Wufeng said irritably.
He still remembered the previous conflicts with Chen Xuanfeng vividly.
Standing with hands on his hips, Yuan Wufeng was fully prepared; should Chen Xuanfeng say anything offensive, he was ready to quarrel.

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He knew he couldn’t best Chen Xuanfeng in a fight, but when it came to arguing, Yuan Wufeng refused to concede.
“There’s been an incident. I plan to go to Sanyi Village myself, and you will remain at the bureau in my stead,” Chen Xuanfeng ordered.
“Oh? The sun really has risen in the west. When Chief Zhong left, didn’t he say that you and I would alternate holding the fort at the Monster-Slaying Bureau? But then you, after Zhong left, hogged the place, never giving me a chance to take my turn.”
“And now you want me to go? I won’t!” Yuan Wufeng sneered.
“That’s an order!”
Chen Xuanfeng’s patience wore thin.
Why did he dislike Yuan Wufeng?
It was precisely Yuan Wufeng’s character—petty, meddlesome, and prone to hindering progress.
How someone like him managed to reach the rank of Martial Eighth Grade was a mystery!
“Giving me orders—who do you think you are? Chen Xuanfeng, you’re a deputy director, so am I! Don’t think you can throw your authority around!”
Yuan Wufeng stood in front of the gate, unmoved and stubborn.
“Husband, what’s the matter?”
From the courtyard, a woman swayed out, glamorous and flirtatious, leaning against Yuan Wufeng’s side, making coquettish gestures.
“Oh, sister, you shouldn’t come out. There’s a brute outside; if he sees your beauty and gets ideas, what then?”
Yuan Wufeng wrapped his arm around her, speaking with more offense than affection.
“A brute?” Chen Xuanfeng sneered. “A brute, tall and thick, is better than one who’s short and skinny like you.”
Warriors spoke their mind, heedless of propriety.
Did they really think Chen Xuanfeng would let himself be bested in a verbal sparring match?
“Vulgar! Vulgar!”
Yuan Wufeng stamped his feet in anger. “Chen Xuanfeng, for shame! Deputy Director of the Monster-Slaying Bureau, yet your mouth is full of vulgarities!”
“Hahaha, I’m heading to Sanyi Village right now. You’ll hold the bureau. If you neglect your duties, when I return, it will be the day I take your life!”
With this threat, Chen Xuanfeng refused to waste further words and turned to leave.
“Wait! You’re leaving before you finish what you have to say?”
Yuan Wufeng actually chased after him.
He was so incensed, it almost looked as if he wanted to fight Chen Xuanfeng.
“Among those sent to Sanyi Village, isn’t Lu Jiuzhang one of them?”
Yuan Wufeng pressed, “Are you going because you’re worried the monster will be too much for Lu Jiuzhang, and you want to eliminate him for good?”
“Nonsense!”
Chen Xuanfeng drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at Yuan Wufeng. “Say another word, and I’ll suppress you right here in front of your mansion!”
Chen Xuanfeng was extremely sensitive about this matter.
“Heh. We’ll see if I’m talking nonsense when the chief returns!”
Yuan Wufeng retorted coldly.
“Hmph!”

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Chen Xuanfeng snorted, sword in hand, and strode away.
Yuan Wufeng returned to his doorstep.
“Husband, both of you are deputy directors, yet Chen Xuanfeng dares to oppress you like this? Where is justice?”
Yuan Wufeng’s concubine grumbled indignantly.
“He’s just a vulgar man, abusing his authority to suppress a subordinate. If word gets out, he’d be a laughingstock,” Yuan Wufeng mocked.
Chen Xuanfeng hadn’t gone far, so his words naturally reached Chen’s ears.
But Chen Xuanfeng didn’t care.
He had already walked so far; turning back to quarrel with Yuan Wufeng would be improper.
Let him talk. There were more important matters at hand.
“So, husband, will you go to the Monster-Slaying Bureau?”
His concubine asked, worry clouding her face.
“I’ll go. Rules must be respected,”
Yuan Wufeng straightened his clothes, lifted her chin with one hand, and said, “When I return, we’ll arrange your hair and adorn you with flowers.”
...
Sanyi Village, back mountain.
Lu Jiuzhang, Zhou Cheng, and the others had already ventured deep into the cave.
It was pitch black, the air thin, even the torches flickered weakly.
“We can’t go any farther. It’s dangerous with so little oxygen,”
Lu Jiuzhang cautioned.
“Let’s explore a bit more. If it gets worse, we’ll turn back. If we can’t go deeper, it’s likely there’s nothing inside,” Zhou Cheng reasoned.
“Ah...”
Suddenly, a scream came from ahead.
Zhou Cheng and Lu Jiuzhang rushed forward, and after a dozen meters, they found another animal corpse lying on the ground.
“Stay alert!”
Zhou Cheng, suspecting the monster was up to something, warned everyone.
The group quickly assumed a defensive posture.
“Gugu gugu...”
Just as Zhou Cheng was about to squat down and inspect the corpse, a strange sound issued from the animal’s body.
“Retreat!”
Zhou Cheng quickly stepped back.
Lu Jiuzhang’s back bristled as if a blade pressed against it.
Damn it!
Lu Jiuzhang couldn’t help but curse, feeling that this monster was coming for him again!