Chapter 5 Side Story (Part 5): The Demon Hunter's IF Route (Part 2)...
Upon hearing this, Ying Jianhua's first reaction was to retort: "You think I ran away?"
Knowing he was in the wrong, Du Zhijin quickly shook his head and denied it: "No, no, I was just being petty and judging the Demon Lord by my own standards. Oh dear, carrying so many medicine packets must be tiring, right? Let me take them."
He avoided her outstretched hand, his brows furrowed, his lips pressed down, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm and a hint of indignation: "How could Lord Enforcer be wrong? It was all my meddling. I took it upon myself to apply medicine for you. I should apologize to you."
After saying that, he made a gesture as if to bow to her. Du Zhijin immediately jumped away. After hearing his words, the first thought that popped into her mind was: when he said at the dinner table that she could switch to selling pickled vegetables, was he implying that she was meddling in other people's business?
Sigh, I'm really not good at dealing with people.
She was depressed for a while, but when Ying Jianhua saw that she didn't pursue the matter of her being gone for too long, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The suspicion was indeed valid; he did want to run, but not now. On the way back, he realized that with Du Zhijin's abilities, he could run for a while, but not forever. This matter needed further consideration. The reason he returned late was that he had explored all the nearby alleys to familiarize himself with the terrain.
Seven days is neither a long nor a short time. Just because Du Zhijin is easy to fool doesn't mean Gu Zhang and the other human law enforcers are easy to fool. No one knows what he will face after the supervision ends. The best way is to gain her trust during these few days. With her help, the rest of the Zhenxie Division will not be a threat.
The first step to gaining trust is to make her feel guilty and seize the moral high ground.
Thinking of this, Ying Jianhua raised her eyes and glanced at the helpless person beside her.
So far, the first step has been very successful.
Very good, now let's deepen this feeling of guilt.
"Hmph. Do you have a medicine stove at home?" He didn't hand over the heavy medicine bag, but instead chose to carry it himself, "inadvertently" revealing the deep marks on his wrists. Du Zhijin didn't disappoint him, and after seeing the red marks, he seemed very remorseful: "Yes, do you need to brew medicine? I'll go get it."
The medicine stove was both new and old; new because it had barely been used, and old because it had been gathering dust for a long time. Ying Jianhua couldn't help but ask, "Do you have other treatment methods?"
Do Taoist practitioners not need to take medicine when they are sick?
While wiping the dusty medicine stove, Du Zhijin replied, "Oh, I do eat it too. But there are few doctors in the department, and since I recover quickly, I usually don't bother them."
The implication is that he has to shoulder all the burdens himself.
Ying Jianhua frowned deeply after hearing this. In just half a day, this was already the umpteenth time he had frowned. Some of Du Zhijin's words and actions were really hard for him to understand.
Despite their differing stances, his medical instincts stirred his compassion. He gestured for her to roll up her sleeve, placed his fingers on her pulse, and listened intently.
Unable to wipe the stove with one hand, she could only remain in a half-squatting position, her gaze naturally falling on his face.
Monsters can freely transform into different forms, so their appearances are all pleasing to the eye. But the moment she saw Yingjianhua, her intuition told her that his appearance was not something he had acquired later in life.
It's hard to describe that feeling. If she had to describe it, other demons would probably be like pruned flowers and plants, while he was naturally born with it.
So, between the two identical demons, she chose him.
Looking at his long, thick eyelashes, she suddenly asked, "Doctor Ying, is your true form a cat?" Otherwise, how could you subdue Ah Hu?
Ying Jianhua raised her index finger and glanced at her indifferently: "Can't you tell, Lord Law Enforcement?"
He knew he had to be humble and subservient to gain her sympathy, but he couldn't help being sarcastic and sarcastic towards her.
Perhaps demons and law enforcers are inherently incompatible.
He kept calling him "Lord Law Enforcer," intending to mock him, but Du Zhijin's thoughts wandered to the East China Sea, and his ears inexplicably turned red.
See the picture: ?
What is this guy thinking about all day long?
"This is the first time I've been called 'Lord Law Enforcer' by a human, uh, demon." She stammered as she explained.
Ying Jianhua found it increasingly unbelievable: "Aren't you one of only two Xuan-level cultivators? If you don't call yourself this, what do other people and demons usually call you?"
Du Zhijin thought for a moment and replied, "My colleagues usually call me Senior Sister, and some of my neighbors call me Miss Mu or Sister Mu. As for demons... they generally don't live long enough to speak."
And at the end, he didn't forget to add: "You're the first one."
The first suspected demon to survive and speak under her command.
Ying Jianhua crossed his arms and said coldly, "Thank you for your leniency, Lord Zhilu."
"Of course, of course." She chuckled, hesitated for a moment, and then confessed, "I don't think you're a phantom demon."
His fingers, which were taking his pulse, paused, and he asked, "Why do you say that? We've only been together for less than a day."
Du Zhijin: "I can't really explain it... In short, the scent of you makes me feel very comfortable."
"Smell?" He raised his arm and sniffed suspiciously, but didn't smell anything special. She leaned forward as well, her nose twitching slightly, and concluded, "Yes, a fresh scent like grass and trees."
Ying Jianhua remained unmoved: "You're overthinking it. I'm a doctor, so of course I'll have some medicinal herb scent on me."
The phantom demon also noticed this, as they couldn't distinguish them by smell alone.
Du Zhijin shook his head and said decisively, "It's different. Your radiance comes from within, not from incense."
At this point, she veered back to her earlier assumption, saying, "You're definitely not a cat demon."
From the inside out?
He was taken aback, and slowly the wariness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a more complicated expression.
His true form is the Soul-Flowing Grass, and a trace of herbal scent does indeed linger deep within his soul. However, he also possesses half-human blood, and through deliberate concealment, neither humans nor demons have ever discerned his true form.
Although Du Zhijin did not directly reveal his identity, he was the first person in many years to get close to the truth.
But unfortunately, she is a law enforcement officer in the Exorcism Division.
Ying Jianhua felt a mix of emotions and forced herself to shift her attention to the pulse. Indeed, as she had said, her pulse was steady and she was in good health, with no abnormalities.
“But this doesn’t rule out the risk of rabies. You still need to take both oral and topical medications, just in case.” He paused, seemingly realizing the ambiguity in his words, and explained, “If you develop rabies, the Evil Suppression Division will definitely not forgive me.”
Du Zhijin smiled upon hearing this, unable to tell whether she believed him or not. She leaned on the table watching him brew the medicine, her gaze slowly creeping up to his eyes, where there were faint dark circles.
Indeed, anyone locked in a dungeon would suffer from insomnia.
She suddenly felt a little guilty: "Dr. Ying, remember to get some rest early tonight."
Ying Jianhua's thoughts were stirred by her words. He remembered that he had gone to the kitchen to ask where he would be sleeping that night, but instead, a spatula was inexplicably shoved into his hand... Thinking of this, he glared at her with displeasure and asked irritably, "May I ask whether Lord Zhilu intends for me to sleep in the woodshed or the courtyard?"
Du Zhijin was surprised: "Why would you think that? Of course, you should sleep in the house."
Sleeping in the room? He went to check; there was only one bed. Did she want to... want to share a bed with him?
In an instant, countless stories flashed through his mind: how a young, ignorant demon was subjected to all sorts of things by a sanctimonious Taoist priest... His face flushed red, and he cursed her with a mixture of shame and anger: "Despicable! Shameless! Vulgar!"
He had thought she was different from others, but it turned out she had such a plan. He didn't know whether to cover his upper or lower body, feeling as if he were naked in her eyes.
Law enforcement is definitely no good thing!
Du Zhijin was bewildered by the unwarranted scolding, but he wasn't angry. He simply said, "So, you monsters don't need to sleep like humans and can just meditate?"
"Then we can meditate together."
Anyway, she has many futons for you to choose from.
Meditation?
Ying Jianhua froze, and a blush belatedly crept onto her cheeks.
So... he misunderstood? She didn't intend to share a bed with him, she was just meditating... What was he thinking about just now!
"Thump!"
Du Zhijin was startled by the sound of the impact and thought he had fallen unconscious. He asked worriedly, "Dr. Ying, Dr. Ying, what's wrong? Are you alright?!"
At night, the moon is bright and the stars are few. Tranquility spreads quietly with the evening breeze, inducing countless sleepiness.
Ying Jianhua, lying in bed, couldn't fall asleep.
However, he kept his eyes closed and maintained regular breathing, not wanting Du Zhijin, who was meditating on the ground, to realize that he was not actually asleep.
It wasn't because I was unfamiliar with the bed, nor because someone was around, but because... once I calmed down, the scene from the daytime would reappear in my mind.
"Despicable! Shameless! Vulgar!"
“We can meditate together.”
Meditate. Meditate. Meditate.
Enough! Stop thinking about it! He mentally covered "Du Zhijin's" mouth, his breath ragged from shame and anger.
Du Zhijin opened his eyes and asked, "Still can't sleep?"
He stiffened, and forced himself to admit, "...Yes."
"Let's go." She handed him the neatly folded clothes on the table, then left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving him alone.
He looked at the clothes beside him and thought, "I didn't realize she was so thoughtful."
After changing his clothes and opening the door, Du Zhijin was already standing in the courtyard, neatly dressed, wiping the blade of his sword in the moonlight.
Its cold light shines on the snow, like ice and jade.
But strangely, despite being a demon, he never felt afraid.
Seeing him come out, she sheathed her sword and briefly summarized what she was going to do next: "There is a strange creature roaming the city. I sensed its presence and need to go there as soon as possible."
The reason for bringing him along is self-evident: he is currently a "prisoner" and cannot leave her sight.
Ying Jianhua nodded in understanding. Du Zhijin looked relieved, and transformed Xingyue into the size of a straw boat, saying to him, "Flying on a sword will be much faster."
He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively stepped on it, but couldn't feel anything solid. Seeing this, she smiled slightly and considerately extended her hand: "If you're afraid it'll be unstable, you can hold onto me."
After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, then slowly placed two fingers on her wrist, just as he had done during the day when he took her pulse.
The wind rose, soaring through the air, and countless doors and houses were reduced to tiny dots, left behind by them. Before they knew it, the two fingers that had been touching became three, then four, and finally their entire hand tightly gripped hers.
Du Zhijin noticed this and unconsciously smiled.
“Yijiao was born with disabilities, either blind or deaf, so they often went out in pairs and relied on each other.”
Ying Jianhua said, "In that case, only one Yijiao remains. Wouldn't that be a piece of cake for you?"
She shook her head: "The more alone they are, the more cautious they become, and they rarely show themselves."
She followed the trail to Suzaku Street, but the clues ended there. Yi Jiao seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
In the mountains and plains, a rain of swords would surely kill even the most cunning and treacherous. But this was the bustling capital, where "hundreds and thousands of houses resembled a chessboard, and twelve streets were like vegetable plots," where a single misstep could endanger the innocent.
In the darkness of night, Du Zhijin looked down at the streets and alleys scattered like stars, lost in thought and silent.
Ying Jianhua stood with her on the eaves, quietly enjoying the evening breeze of Liulijing.
After a long pause, he hesitated and said, "Perhaps... I have a way."
"Hmm? Why don't you tell me about it?" she asked curiously.
He lowered his head, untied a sachet from his waist, and explained, “When one sense is lost, the others are amplified. I think that since the Yijiao are blind and deaf, their sense of smell should be more sensitive than that of ordinary fairies. Here is a packet of Miyan Nan, which will emit a special stench after being mixed with spiritual energy.”
Du Zhijin took the sachet and smiled, "It is indeed a good idea, thank you. But if I may ask, was this Bewitching Rock Nanmu originally intended to be used against me?"
She remembered that when he first came out of the dungeon, he wasn't wearing a single unnecessary ornament. This unassuming sachet and its contents were probably something he obtained during the half hour he spent at the pharmacy.
When her little scheme was exposed, Ying Jianhua's face flashed with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, but she quickly calmed down: "You don't have to give it back to me."
Now it's her turn to ask him for a favor.
"Of course I want it." Du Zhijin quickly put away the sachet, examined him for a moment, and then drew a circle around him with the Awakening Moon Sword.
He frowned, puzzled: "What are you doing? Are you watching me so I won't run away?"
"Ah, actually I was worried that we might accidentally hurt you if we fought." She placed the Mi Yan Nan in her palm, and several streams of pure white spiritual energy broke it down into powder, which then scattered in all directions with the night breeze.
These powders, imbued with spiritual energy, drifted and floated like fireflies, adding a touch of beauty to the night.
She turned back and smiled at him: "After all, I'm looking forward to working with you, so of course I have to protect you."
"Colleague, me?" Ying Jianhua asked doubtfully, clearly disbelieving. Du Zhijin looked at him and nodded: "Law enforcers are not only human, but also demons. We desperately need someone like you."
Have you considered joining?
Upon hearing this, Ying Jianhua's first reaction was denial. How could that be? How could the Demon Suppression Division recruit demons? Especially a demon like him with a "criminal record"? Du Zhijin would be showing mercy by not exterminating them all...
He felt it was all fake, but he couldn't help wondering, what reason would Du Zhijin have to lie to him? What if what she said was true?
He was deeply conflicted, and she naturally noticed it, saying, "Seeing is believing. It's understandable that you don't believe me, there's no need to rush to conclusions. Tomorrow I'll take you to meet my demon colleagues, and we can consider it after we've seen their true forms, how about that?"
This is certainly one approach.
He nodded, but seeing her smile, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He had never said he wanted to join the Evil Suppression Division! How did it become "considering"?
Before he could refute, Du Zhijin raised his hand to signal him not to move and instructed, "Yijiao has appeared. Stay here." With that, his figure flickered and transformed into a wisp of wind under the moonlight, silently merging into the night.
The sword flashed fiercely, and the blood-drinking sword returned. Ying Jianhua witnessed the entire process of Yi Jiao being beaten one-sidedly. It didn't even have time to make a move before being defeated by Xing Yue.
He suddenly realized that Du Zhijin was actually very lenient with him; otherwise, given her strength, he would have been dead long ago if he had even dared to think of escaping.
The fact that the Zhenxie Division has only two Xuan-level experts is no exaggeration.
On the way back, Du Zhijin noticed that he was much more silent than when they arrived. Thinking he was frightened, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hurt your kind in front of you. If you don't like it, I'll blindfold you next time."
He shook his head: "There is no such thing as a kind among monsters. The strange and cunning are to me, just as you are to me."
He simply couldn't accept that his schemes were actually useless. Neither he nor the Illusion Demon knew anything about her true strength.
Perhaps only Elder Jun could discern that it was a lie; they had seen through it long ago and were merely going with the flow.
Du Zhijin's thoughts drifted to a strange point.
She exclaimed in shock, "No way! In your heart, I'm actually on the same level as Yi Jiao?" She thought she had been friendly enough, but it turned out she had just been presumptuous.
Ying Jianhua was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to be so dejected. Faced with this situation for the first time, he was somewhat at a loss, and after a long pause, he managed to utter a heartfelt sentence: "I didn't think that way. You... are a good person."
"A good person? Fine then." In a good mood, she shook Xingyue, causing the half-dead Yijiao hanging on the sword tip to tremble and almost fall off the roof.
Her soft laughter echoed through the night sky of Rurikyo: "Then it's settled."
“…Hmm.” He turned his head and quietly touched his burning ear tips.
Fortunately, the night was deep enough to conceal this incongruous touch of crimson.
The next day, she kept her promise and took him to meet her fairy friend who worked in the Bureau of Exorcism.
"I have already reported the truth to the commander, and after verifying with Gu Zhang, you will be released."
Ying Jianhua was stunned upon hearing this. He knew she would report it, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
I have to admit, she cares a lot about his affairs.
"We've arrived," she said, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly looked up and saw a theatrical troupe in front of him. Many people, heavily made up, were moving things around the stage; at a glance, he really couldn't tell who was a demon and who was a human.
Du Zhijin had clearly been here many times before. As soon as he entered, he called out familiarly, "Xiao Hong, I've brought a friend to see you!"
Upon hearing her voice, the woman who was sitting in front of the dressing table disassembling her hairpins paused, hurriedly lifted her skirt and ran over, but then stopped three feet away from her: "My benefactor, what brings you here?"
male voice.
He couldn't help but glance at it again. The demon noticed his gaze and asked, "Benefactor, who is this...?" "This is Doctor Ying, a demon like you."
After saying that, Du Zhijin continued to introduce Xiao Hong: "Jiangwei, alias Xiao Hong. She is a white-level law enforcement officer in the Zhenxie Division, responsible for gathering intelligence."
It's hard to believe that the person in front of me is actually a white-level expert.
Ying Jianhua nodded slightly as a greeting. Jiangwei gave him a shy smile, then turned to Du Zhijin and said, "Please wait a moment, benefactor. I'll be right back." After speaking, he turned and said something to the others. Everyone turned to look at them, and one of them patted Jiangwei on the shoulder, seemingly to encourage him.
Jiangwei returned shortly afterward, her face flushed. Du Zhijin noticed and asked, "Didn't you remove your makeup properly? Your face is so red."
"Is that so? Then I'll wash it again later." He hurriedly lowered his head, changing the subject, "I'll take you upstairs to find a quiet place first. My benefactor and Doctor Ying came to see me, is there a new task at the department?"
She shook her head: "I already said, I just brought a new friend to visit you, is it inconvenient?"
He immediately denied it: "No, I mean, there's no inconvenience!" After a pause, he mustered his courage, raised his head, looked into her eyes, and whispered, "As long as she's your benefactor... you can come to me anytime."
"OK."
Ying Jianhua, having witnessed everything from half a step behind, glanced between the human and the demon, and understood what was going on.
If he wasn't mistaken, this fox demon named Jiangwei was in love with Du Zhijin, but Du Zhijin was clearly unaware of this; she always seemed to lack a certain understanding when it came to interacting with people.
Sure enough, Jiangwei's eyes dimmed for a moment after hearing her words, but only for a fleeting instant, before quickly regaining their initial brightness. Ying Jianhua was puzzled. Something like that must have happened more than once, and even after experiencing so many disappointments, did he still not give up?
A fairy fell in love with a demon hunter.
Jiangwei led them to a room that resembled a reception room, its style completely out of place with the rest of the opera troupe. One glance at the painting revealed that it was imitating Du Zhijin's house.
Looking at the person in question, he found him sitting down and starting to peel walnuts, completely oblivious to what was happening. He raised an eyebrow but didn't point it out, thinking to himself that it was true that those involved were often blinded while bystanders saw clearly. As he pondered this, he suddenly wondered if someone like Du Zhijin would ever fall for a human or a demon in their entire life.
He immediately banished the thought from his mind.
What does it matter to him whether Du Zhijin is tempted or not?
Ying Jianhua frowned, secretly annoyed. He thought to himself that he had only spent a few days with her, and now he was becoming a busybody. Just as he was about to urge Du Zhijin to get down to business, he noticed a small bowl of peeled walnuts in front of him. Looking at Jiang Wei, he saw that there was indeed a dish of walnuts in front of him as well, but judging from his touched expression, he probably wouldn't eat them and would keep them as a keepsake.
Du Zhijin noticed him looking over and explained, "The walnuts sent from Wanze City are quite delicious."
Ying Jianhua didn't speak, but picked up a nut and put it to his mouth, but couldn't taste it. He was a little irritated, feeling that the atmosphere between the three of them was strange, as if he was the one who was superfluous... After thinking it over, he attributed it all to this meeting that shouldn't have happened, and vented his anger by eating the whole plate of walnuts.
Seeing that the plate in front of him was empty, Du Zhijin opened his mouth slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then handed over the plate he had peeled again: "Here you go."
Eat more if you like it.
Ying Jianhua: "...No need." If he really accepted it, Jiangwei would be in a terrible situation. He was reluctant to eat the things he was preparing to collect, but he could get them without lifting a finger... It wasn't fair, but subtly, the irritation in his heart inexplicably dissipated a little.
Seeing the interaction between the two, Jiangwei pushed her plate of walnuts in front of him and whispered, "Doctor Ying, please eat this." Although her actions were generous, her voice trembled slightly, as if she would find a corner to hide in and cry secretly after giving it to him.
Ying Jianhua: "Tsk, I already said I don't need it."
Perhaps startled by his soft scoff, Jiangwei quickly withdrew his hand and looked timidly at Du Zhijin. Du Zhijin comforted him, "Don't worry, it's not that I dislike you. He was like that when I first met him too. You'll find out he's actually a good person once you get to know him."
Who are you calling a good person?
He was indignant and about to retort when he suddenly remembered that he had also said to her last night, "You are a good person."
So annoying.
"Oh right, I almost forgot the important matter." Du Zhijin slapped his forehead and said, "I intend to recruit Doctor Ying to join our Evil Suppression Division. As a fellow demon, I hope you can tell him about your experiences over the years, Xiao Hong."
After saying that, she winked at Jiangwei dramatically, signaling him to say something nice.
Ying Jianhua gave a light snort. Making such small gestures right under his nose, did they think he was blind? But he didn't stop Jiangwei from speaking. Du Zhijin glanced at him, somewhat puzzled by his attitude.
According to Jiangwei's account, he had lived a good life all these years thanks to Du Zhijin's protection, and the people in the Zhenxie Division had never made things difficult for him. Ying Jianhua listened in for a while and keenly sensed that the Zhenxie Division was not actually harmonious. The hidden dangers between humans and demons had always existed, but they had become particularly acute recently.
Against this backdrop, what was Du Zhijin's purpose in asking him to join?
"What's wrong?" she asked, catching his gaze. "Is there anything you don't understand?"
He paused for a moment, then said, "I..." "Wait a moment," she interrupted, a white carrier pigeon perched on her arm. Jiangwei stepped forward and removed the note tied to the pigeon's leg. Du Zhijin glanced at it and said, "Xiao Hong, may I borrow your pen and ink?" Jiangwei readily agreed, then said to Ying Jianhua, "There's been new progress in the matter of the Illusion Demon; you'll soon be cleared of suspicion."
He paused for a moment, then nodded with mixed feelings: "Go ahead."
Du Zhijin took the pigeon to the study next door. Jiangwei saw that he seemed absent-minded, so she made him a cup of tea and handed it to him, asking, "You're about to be exonerated. Isn't Doctor Ying happy?"
His thoughts returned, and he said coldly, "Even at this point, you still want to trick me into revealing information?"
Jiangwei was stunned and hurriedly explained, "No...you, you must not misunderstand, this is not what my benefactor asked me to do! I...I was just curious why my benefactor wanted you, Doctor Ying, to join the Zhenxie Division. She rarely values someone so much."
Ying Jianhua told a lame joke: "I'm not human."
After saying that, perhaps feeling that his statement was too abrupt, and to avoid an awkward situation, he added, "I've always been curious, why do you call Du Zhijin your benefactor? Did she save you?"
When talking about Du Zhijin, Jiangwei became noticeably more talkative and lost her previous nervousness and restraint: "Well... when I first learned to transform, I misjudged people and was tricked into being locked in a small dark room where I was forced to bleed day and night. I thought I was going to die, but then my benefactor happened to pass by and saved me."
Upon hearing this, Ying Jianhua frowned and then relaxed. Being tricked into bloodletting... that was something he was capable of, but "having witnessed the cruelty of human nature, why did you join the Evil Suppression Division?"
Jiangwei answered without hesitation, "Because even a benefactor is a human being."
Almost instantly, Ying Jianhua understood the meaning of his words. It was true that the suffering he had endured came from people; but it was also people who brought him new life.
Humans and demons are alike, possessing both good and evil; they are a state of chaos.
He was speechless.
When Du Zhijin returned after writing the letter, she found Doctor Ying deep in thought. She glanced at Jiangwei, asking with her eyes, only to receive a shake of his head, "He doesn't know either."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.
No way, Dr. Ying wouldn't want to refuse, would she?
With a feeling of unease, she unusually remained quiet on the way back, not mentioning joining the group.
Ying Jianhua didn't say anything either, and the two returned to their residence in the east of the city in silence.
Du Zhijin carefully sheathed her sword, intending to talk to him another time and calm him down first. But as if on cue, her thoughts came true; just as she finished thinking this, she heard him ask, "What does enforcing the law... require?"
"Huh?"
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