Chapter 9: A Demoted Constable and a Demonic Proposition

“What are you doing!”

The scolding voice made Bai Jiujiu, who had just poked her head out, quickly retract it.

A nimble figure leaped down from the tree, holding a token pointed at the man.

‘Was that Tong Qiu?’

Bai Jiujiu pushed aside the leaves in front of her, realizing this was indeed Tong Qiu, the constable who had sought her capture just last night.

However, her attire had changed. Previously, she wore a black uniform, but now she was clad in blue, much like a common soldier, with only the white sash replaced by a brown one.

If not for Tong Qiu’s distinctive appearance, Bai Jiujiu might not have recognized her at all.

‘Has she been demoted?’ Bai Jiujiu recalled the conversation between Tong Qiu and the constable named Zhang Feng.

Tong Qiu had been punished because the Demon Suppression Bureau had laid blame for her escape.

“Constable… this humble one…”

The man hastily knelt, his eyes darting left and right, afraid to meet Tong Qiu’s gaze.

Clearly, this man harbored an unspeakable secret.

“Your name is Li Sibao, isn’t it? According to Niu Ba, you both clearly saw the demon harming people last night. Why do you refuse to speak?”

“Constable, this humble one… what I saw, Niu Ba has already told you everything. This humble one, this humble one truly knows nothing else.”

“By the way, Li Sibao, I heard from Niu Ba that your young child is gravely ill, correct? Why are you not at home caring for your child, but instead kneeling in this desolate wilderness?”

“Constable, you misunderstand. There’s no water at home, so I came to fetch water from this well and accidentally fell.”

Tong Qiu, of course, did not believe him. As she prepared to press further, she suddenly remembered that she had been demoted to a first-rank constable, no longer possessing the authority for forced searches or investigations.

If that scoundrel Zhang Feng were to find out, he would surely impeach her again, and she would undoubtedly lose even more of her salary.

She could not afford to lose another silver coin.

Since Zhang Feng was now solely responsible, any future rewards from above would largely go to him alone. As a mere first-rank constable, she would receive very little.

A first-rank constable, to put it nicely, was a student learning from a third-rank constable; to put it harshly, they were merely a lackey following others, and one who wouldn’t even earn much.

Tong Qiu had no intention of putting effort into work that yielded no reward.

With a wave of her hand, Tong Qiu dismissed Li Sibao, who, relieved of a great burden, knelt in thanks before quickly scurrying away.

The headquarters had issued her an ultimatum: if she couldn’t find clues regarding the fox demon Su Ling’er within a week, not only would she fail to be reinstated, but she might even be directly laid off.

Tong Qiu pouted, a grimace on her face, and dejectedly sat on the muddy ground, uncaring that the damp earth was staining her official uniform.

“Ahhh, I’m so mad!”

What kind of tribulations had she faced these past two days?

Yesterday, she had happily gone to the Cloudborne Inn to drink and listen to music, expecting to catch a big fish. Instead, not only did the demon escape, but she also lost her Demon-Binding Rope.

Her superiors, for some unknown reason, learned of it immediately. Demotion was a minor issue, but they deducted a full year’s salary and fined her five hundred gold ingots.

That was money she had painstakingly saved by living frugally for five years, from when she became a constable at sixteen until now, at twenty-one.

All gone… completely gone…

In those five years, she hadn’t dared to buy a single new piece of clothing! She had worn the same floral dress for five years! She hadn’t even touched the latest rouge! Her colleagues went out to play every holiday, but she hadn’t dared to leave, fearing an impulsive spending spree.

‘My money!

My money!!!

The money I saved to pay off my debts is all gone!!!’

Tong Qiu’s heart ached more with every thought, her sorrow deepening.

Tiny pearls of tears streamed from her eyes. Finally, hardening her resolve, she spread her arms and lay prone on the ground, throwing a tantrum like a child.

Eventually, Tong Qiu came to a realization. She stood up again, her eyes brimming with tears, and spoke through gritted teeth.

“No matter the cost, I *will* apprehend that snake demon!”

*Rustle… rustle…*

Tong Qiu immediately spun around, alerted, pointing her token at the bushes. She couldn’t let anyone see her in such a disheveled state. If word got out, the old masters of the Demon Suppression Bureau might just dismiss her for tarnishing their reputation.

However, she found herself staring directly at a veiled woman crouching in the grass.

“Um, hello?”

Bai Jiujiu’s smile froze on her face. She awkwardly extended a hand, waving it helplessly.

Tong Qiu blinked, then expressionlessly tucked the token back into her waist.

‘Eh, is this constable going to let me go?’

Bai Jiujiu was somewhat surprised. She had expected the other party to attack her without mercy, but instead, she withdrew. ‘She seems like a decent person after all.’

“Then I won’t bother you. I’ll be going now…”

A slight smile curved Tong Qiu’s lips. She gently caressed the storage ring on her finger, and a Tang saber abruptly appeared in her hand. Engraved with flame patterns, it sent shivers down one’s spine.

‘Ah haha…’

Bai Jiujiu immediately retracted her thought that Tong Qiu was a decent person.

Five minutes later…

“Mmph! Mmph!!! Mmph!”

Bai Jiujiu walked to a small stream and knelt to wash her hands. She then scooped up some water to help Tong Qiu wipe away the mud clinging to her.

She removed her veil, found a clean stone, and sat down, idly playing with the three small trinkets she had confiscated from Tong Qiu.

Meanwhile, our third-rank constable, Tong Qiu, was bound by her own Demon-Binding Rope, using the very method applied to Bai Jiujiu last night.

Her mouth was also gagged. At Bai Jiujiu’s command, the rope would unleash an electric spell, guaranteed to incapacitate its former owner.

“Alright, alright, be a bit kinder to your former owner. Loosen her gag.”

When Tong Qiu had pursued Bai Jiujiu with her sword, the Demon-Binding Rope had voluntarily offered its services and, unexpectedly, bound Tong Qiu instead.

This also gave Bai Jiujiu an idea of how to escape, though it would require Tong Qiu’s assistance, and she couldn’t let their relationship become too strained.

“Snake demon, do as you please, kill or flay me, but do not humiliate me so!”

Tong Qiu was unyielding, not begging for mercy. Instead, she adopted a righteous, defiant posture, ready to face death with honor.

“I don’t kill people. I came to find you because I want to discuss cooperation.”

“I, Tong Qiu, am a demon-catching constable of the Demon Suppression Bureau! How could I ever associate with a demon like you! I would never collude with you to bring harm upon the human world.”

“Let me clarify first: I had nothing to do with the incident at the inn. And I know nothing about the actions of that wicked disciple, Su Ling’er. I only met humans for the first time yesterday.”

Bai Jiujiu did not conceal her identity; instead, she openly declared it to Tong Qiu.

On one hand, she believed that if she didn’t find an insider to explain things clearly, she, Bai Jiujiu, would truly be mistaken for Su Ling’er by the world.

On the other hand, Bai Jiujiu sought Tong Qiu’s cooperation. Her innocence would make it easier to persuade Tong Qiu, and the world’s overestimation of her strength also served as a veiled deterrent.

Tong Qiu was about to retort that she couldn’t possibly believe her, but Bai Jiujiu’s eyes were bright and clear. She carried none of the turbidity associated with man-eating demons; instead, she possessed the inherent purity of a cultivator.

Tong Qiu had, after all, served as a constable for five years, capturing many demons who slaughtered common folk. Even if they disguised themselves perfectly as humans, they couldn’t hide the sour stench of evil. No matter how alluring their seductive gazes, they couldn’t conceal the deep-seated greed in their eyes.

There was no comparison to Bai Jiujiu, whose eyes were pure and calming to the soul, and whose subtle fragrance was delightful.

If not for her innate ability as a cultivator to perceive the demonic energy within Bai Jiujiu, Tong Qiu would have genuinely believed Bai Jiujiu was a living human.

Moreover, what demon would use human magical artifacts?

It defied logic.

Tong Qiu moved her arms up and down, attempting to break free from the Demon-Binding Rope. However, the opportunistic rope, which shifted with the wind, only tightened its hold.

‘You damn rope, once I break free, I’ll burn you for firewood!’

Seeing that Tong Qiu didn’t refute her, Bai Jiujiu understood that the other party largely believed her words.

“Don’t worry, I just want to leave; I won’t make you do anything bad.”