Chapter One Hundred and One: Sheltered by Righteousness

Magistrate Wang was so alarmed by the dangerous thought that flashed through his own mind that he hurriedly forced it away.

Then, stealthily, he glanced at the expressions of the others around him. Only after confirming that no one had noticed did he finally let out a breath of relief.

“Do not worry. She is already at the end of her rope. Right now, she can barely even make a sound.” Yan Chixia understood the crowd’s reaction and knew at once that the effect he had wanted had been achieved.

And, unexpectedly well at that.

“Good, good. In that case, please hurry and subdue this demon, Daoist Master.” Magistrate Wang said with a smile, though his heart still quailed with lingering fear.

It seemed that this Daoist before him was truly a man of immense supernatural power.

At that thought, Magistrate Wang immediately made up his mind: he must latch onto this formidable support no matter what.

Yan Chixia gave a slight nod and replied with a smile, “What use is there for demon and devil kind?”

“Behead!”

The instant the word left his mouth, in the space of a single breath, all they saw was his hand rise and his sword fall. A fierce streak of sword light, bearing boundless killing intent, flashed forth in an instant.

Every constable present drew a sharp breath, staring at the scene before them with faces full of shock.

That one strike was truly terrifying beyond measure.

The only words that could describe it were three.

Fast. Accurate. Ruthless.

And as for that evil thing that had terrified everyone just moments before, after that single sword strike, it vanished without a trace.

Not even residue could be found.

It had completely and utterly dissipated from the human world.

“Your skill is truly astounding, Daoist Master!” After a long while, Magistrate Wang finally recovered himself and said with eager admiration.

But just as his excitement was at its height, Yan Chixia’s next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly chilling half his heart.

Yan Chixia said sternly, “Do not rejoice too soon. That demon I just slew was only a minor underling beneath the hand of the true mastermind.”

“And the real force behind it is at least several times stronger than she was.”

At Yan Chixia’s words, Magistrate Wang’s face went pale. His eyes trembled slightly as he asked, “Daoist Master, I have never borne them any grudge. Why should they come after me?”

Yan Chixia shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “I do not know the exact reason either.”

“When I first captured that demon, I did try to investigate these matters.”

“However, as I said before, she was only a small pawn and knew very little.”

“It is said she had been ordered by her master to go and harm your son.”

“And this was only the beginning, merely a small warning to you.”

“Their next step, I fear, will be to deal with you, Magistrate.”

“As for exactly when, I cannot say.”

“But what is certain is that once the demons make their next move, we will be put at a severe disadvantage.”

“After all, by capturing that demon just now, I have already exposed myself.”

“If the person behind her becomes alert, matters will only grow far more difficult.”

“So our only choice is to strike first, seize the initiative, and catch the enemy completely off guard.”

“Only after we have secured the three conditions of favorable timing, favorable ground, and human support can we begin to speak of any real chance of victory.”

As Yan Chixia explained, the constables standing nearby had already begun to waver in their resolve, and their eyes were filled with an unprecedented fear.

Even Yan Chixia, whom they regarded almost as an immortal descended to earth, did not dare claim confidence in facing the enemy.

So what use could ordinary men like them possibly be?

In the end, they would only add a few more souls to the dead.

Besides, they only served for wages. They were paid to do a job, and the meager salary they received each month was hardly worth gambling their lives for.

Still, none of them showed it right away. After all, Magistrate Wang had not yet fallen, had he?

As long as they kept their wits about them, then when the demons came, heaven and earth could each go their own way. They would sever all ties with Magistrate Wang without the slightest mercy.

To expect them to risk their lives for him would be nothing but a fool’s dream.

Magistrate Wang, unaware that the others were harboring such thoughts, had no mind to pay attention to them. Especially after hearing that the demons would soon come for him, he was completely stunned. His gaze scattered, vacant and unfocused.

He would need time before he could even begin to digest such a blow.

After a long silence, he finally asked in a weak, breathless voice, “Then, Daoist Master, what exactly do you mean by favorable timing, favorable ground, and human support?”

At this point, all his hope rested on Yan Chixia.

Though a sliver of hope remained, his heart was still steeped in despair.

Yan Chixia pondered for a moment and said, “Favorable timing refers to destiny. Favorable ground refers to opportunity. As for human support, that refers to the necessary conditions.”

“Destiny is the mandate of heaven, the shifting of fortune. The nature of all things is set by heaven and cannot be changed by mere intention; yet if one can bring their nature to full completion, then the nature of all things is fulfilled, and heaven’s mandate arrives. There are those who do not know the reason behind it, yet nothing remains beyond their understanding.”

“Opportunity is what I mentioned earlier: we take the initiative first and strike the enemy before they can react. That is to do what man can do.”

“As for the necessary conditions, they are the key to victory. This is the most important part. Whether we can win or not depends entirely on it.”

Magistrate Wang nodded in confusion, hearing as though he were listening to clouds and mist. He did not fully understand, though he had grasped the general meaning of it, and hurriedly asked, “Daoist Master, what exactly are these conditions? And what will you need me to do next?”

Yan Chixia agreed. “You have said it correctly. From here on, everything will depend on you. As for whether it can be done, that will depend on how much you are willing to give.”

“Explain yourself,” Magistrate Wang said.

Yan Chixia patiently continued, “From the very beginning, I already said that if I faced that demon alone, I would have no chance of victory at all.”

“So now, it is time to bring forth the condition I just mentioned.”

“But before that, I must tell you a story.”

“An official who is upright and incorruptible, one beloved by the people and charged with righteousness, possesses a presence so pure that even ghosts and gods from the underworld dare not offend him.”

“As for mountain spirits and wild beasts, when they run into someone protected by uprightness, the greater part of their crooked sorcery will disperse at once.”

“Thus, when those demons encounter such a person, they would sooner avoid him from afar. Why would they come courting disaster?”

Those words were not false.

Only, in the present Yanbei Dynasty, corrupt officials and venal magistrates were rampant, preying upon the common people. Day after day, they were either extorting wealth from the folk or on their way to do so.

Such vile and treacherous men did not deserve the protection of righteousness.

Hearing this, Magistrate Wang’s expression became rather odd. From Yan Chixia’s tone, it was plain enough that he was implying Wang was one of those corrupt officials, scarcely different from saying it outright.

Thinking again of the matter of the demons, Magistrate Wang could not help but break into a cold sweat.

During all his years in office, though he had not committed any outrage so monstrous as to defy heaven and earth, he had neither been especially clean nor especially upright.