8: Chapter 8 The Chicken Thief, Huang Fugui

Ever since Lin Feng slapped Zhao Hu into an abstract painting with a single palm strike, the atmosphere of the entire Qingyang County office changed.

The county office used to be a retirement Holy Land where old-timers drank tea, read newspapers, and cracked melon seeds while chatting.

Now, the county office was as quiet as a grave, with fewer people even daring to breathe loudly.

Every constable who saw Lin Feng was like a mouse seeing a cat.

Wherever Lin Feng went, within a three-foot radius, it was deserted, and the air pressure dropped sharply.

Lin Feng himself didn't care about this at all.

He wished these people would stay further away to avoid wasting his time figuring out how to earn critical hit points.

However, trouble is like a stone in a latrine—stinky and hard; even if you don't look for it, it will insist on stubbing your toe.

Early one morning, Magistrate Zhao Dehai's personal Advisor—a thin old man with a flowing goatee who looked like he could be blown over by the wind at any moment—found Lin Feng while holding his nose.

"Constable... Constable Lin."

The Advisor's form of address had unconsciously become honorific.

"Philanthropist Wang from the west of the city came to report a case, saying that... a strange case has occurred at his home."

"A strange case?"

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow; for the Magistrate's Advisor to personally deliver the message, it surely wasn't a small matter.

A strange expression, a mix of constipation and conflict, appeared on the Advisor's face as he lowered his voice.

"Philanthropist Wang's family raised nine Silkie Phoenix Chickens imported from the Western Regions. It's said the eggs they lay can prolong life, and a single one is worth ten taels of silver. But starting three days ago, every morning at the exact same time, one chicken... disappears."

Lin Feng: "..."

The Advisor coughed twice in embarrassment.

"Furthermore, the scene has been inspected; the coop is intact, doors and windows are tightly shut, and not even a feather was left behind, as if it... vanished into thin air. Philanthropist Wang is terrified, saying it must be the work of some evil spirit, and specifically asked for you, the 'Number One Demon Slayer,' to take the case."

The corner of Lin Feng's mouth twitched.

Good grief, I am a grand martial arts expert of the sixth stage of Body Tempering.

I've slain zombies and split water ghosts.

And now I've actually stooped to investigating a 'missing hen case'?

If this gets out, where would the prestige of 'The Fierce' Lin Feng be?

"Where is Chief Constable Li Gang?"

Lin Feng asked calmly.

The Advisor sighed.

"Chief Constable Li Gang... he said he recently caught a cold and it's not suitable for him to move around, so he's taken three days off."

Lin Feng sneered inwardly.

Taking leave was a lie; not daring to step out was the truth.

Ever since Zhao Hu was crippled by him, Chief Constable Li Gang had become a turtle hiding in its shell.

"Fine, I'll take this case."

Lin Feng nodded.

Even a mosquito's leg is meat. An evil spirit at work?

Hopefully so.

It would be good to get some critical hit points for himself.

Arriving at Philanthropist Wang's mansion in the west of the city, it was indeed extraordinarily grand.

But at this moment, the vast courtyard was filled with an atmosphere of gloom and misery.

Philanthropist Wang was a fat man with a greasy face. As soon as he saw Lin Feng, it was as if he had seen his own father, and he began to wail with snot and tears.

"Lord Lin! You must seek justice for me! My nine precious darlings are down to six! If this continues, within three days, my family will be eaten out of house and home by that monster!"

Lin Feng's head throbbed from the noise; he waved his hand and asked directly, "Take me to the scene."

The chicken coop was built in a remote corner of the backyard and was kept quite clean.

Lin Feng walked around the coop once. Just as the Advisor said, the doors and windows were intact, and there wasn't even a dog hole.

He crouched down and carefully inspected the ground.

How sharp was the vision of the sixth stage of Body Tempering? Soon, he found something unusual in an inconspicuous corner under the coop.

It was a tiny, almost invisible tuft of yellow fur, still clinging to a bit of soil.

Lin Feng rolled the tuft of fur between his fingertips and sniffed it; a faint, musky stench wafted over.

"A Yellow Weasel Demon?"

A thought stirred in Lin Feng's mind.

Yellow Weasel Demons, scientifically known as weasels, were highly sentient animals in the folklore of his past life, capable of deluding people's minds.

Some who had successfully completed their Cultivate could even speak human language and manipulate illusions.

In this world, they were considered low-level, first-tier minor demons.

It seemed there really was a demon at work.

However, this Yellow Weasel Demon was far too bold.

To think it would steal chickens from the home of a famous philanthropist in Qingyang County.

Lin Feng had a plan and said to Squire Wang, "Squire Wang, prepare a roast chicken and a jar of good wine tonight and place them at the entrance of the coop. Leave the rest to me."

Philanthropist Wang left with a thousand thanks.

As night fell, Lin Feng didn't hide on the roof like he did when dealing with the water ghost. Instead, he brought a small stool and sat boldly at the coop's entrance, with the fragrant roast chicken and fine wine beside him.

He wanted to see which blind yellow-furred monster dared to play tricks in front of him.

Just after the hour of the Rat, a rustling sound came from the corner of the wall.

Soon after, a sneaky yellow figure poked its head out from the darkness.

The creature was about two feet long, with a sharp chin and thin face, and a pair of tiny green-bean eyes darting around; it was indeed the Yellow Weasel Demon.

It first looked around warily, but when it saw a living person sitting at the coop's entrance...

It let out a terrified 'squeak,' nearly having its Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and turned to flee.

But immediately after, the rich aroma of roast chicken aggressively wafted into its nose.

The Yellow Weasel Demon's fleeing steps froze, and saliva uncontrollably dripped from the corner of its mouth.

Its small eyes stared fixedly at the glistening roast chicken, locked in an internal struggle.

Life on one side, food on the other.

This was a question worth pondering.

Lin Feng was in no hurry. He leisurely tore off a chicken leg and began to gnaw on it, deliberately making appreciative 'tsk-tsk' sounds.

"Hmm... the Wang family's cook has good skills. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, the meat is delicious. A pity I'm eating alone; it's a bit of a waste."

Hearing this, the Yellow Weasel Demon made a 'gurgle' sound in its throat, its front paws scratching the ground incessantly in frustration.

Finally, appetite triumphed over reason.

The Yellow Weasel Demon stood up like a human and gave Lin Feng a respectful bow, its movements clumsy and comical.

"This... this Lord..."

A shrill, flattering voice abruptly rang in Lin Feng's mind.

It wasn't speaking human words but a Spell similar to Mental Transmission.

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, amused.

This Yellow Weasel Demon had actually Cultivate a bit of Dao.

"Oh? You can talk?"

Lin Feng asked, already knowing the answer.

The Yellow Weasel Demon bowed and scraped.

"This... this minor demon Huang Fugui greets the Lord! This minor demon only knows a few trivial Mind-deluding tricks, nothing impressive, nothing impressive at all!"

As it spoke, it stole glances at the roast chicken from the corner of its eye, its drool almost forming a river.

Lin Feng found it funny and pointed at the roast chicken. "Want some?"

Huang Fugui's head nodded like a pestle pounding garlic. "Yes!"

"The Wang family's chickens—you stole them, didn't you?"

Lin Feng's tone suddenly turned cold.

Huang Fugui shuddered, its yellow fur standing on end. It flopped to the ground, clutching its head with its front paws, and began to wail and kowtow for mercy.

"Lord, please be wise! This minor demon is wrongly accused! Even if I had the courage of a hundred men, I wouldn't dare steal from Philanthropist Wang's home! Those are Silkie Phoenix Chickens, very precious! I was just passing by, smelled the scent, and came to look. I definitely didn't steal any chickens!"

Its acting was so exaggerated and its expression so sorrowful that Lin Feng was amazed.

Even the Oscars owed this fellow a golden statuette.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lin Feng casually tossed away the gnawed chicken bone and slowly unsheathed half of his saber.

The blade gleamed with a chilling light under the moon, and a tangible Killing Intent instantly locked onto Huang Fugui.

Huang Fugui felt a chill rush from the base of its tail to the top of its head, its blood nearly freezing.

It had no doubt that if the man before it so much as had a thought, it would be sliced in two instantly.

This Killing Intent!

It was too terrifying!

More terrifying than any demon it had ever seen!

"I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Huang Fugui's mental defenses instantly collapsed. It scrambled to Lin Feng's feet, clutching his boot, and began to wail with snot and tears.

"Lord, I'm telling the truth! The chickens really weren't stolen by me! But I know who did it!"

"Who?"

"It's that pack of Dog Demons from the Mass Grave North of the City! Those godforsaken curs, relying on their brute strength, not only stole this minor demon's home but also forced me to steal food for them every day! These chickens from the Wang family—they forced me to steal them! Lord, look at my small frame, how could I dare refuse? Wuwuwu... I, Huang Fugui, live such a bitter life!"

As it cried, it rubbed its furry head against Lin Feng's pant leg.

Its posture was so humble and its tone so flattering that it reached a brand new Realm.

Looking at this brown-nosing Yellow Weasel Demon, an interesting idea suddenly occurred to Lin Feng.

He was a stranger in Qingyang County.

Although he had the System, it was ultimately inconvenient for him to handle many things personally.

This Yellow Weasel Demon was proficient in illusions, fast, and seemed smart enough.

If he could take it for his own use as an informant, it seemed like a good choice.

At this thought, Lin Feng withdrew his Killing Intent and put on a kind smile.

"Get up. I believe you."

Huang Fugui was stunned. It raised its teary little eyes and looked at Lin Feng in disbelief.

Lin Feng pushed the remaining half of the roast chicken over and smiled. "Eat. Consider it a treat to calm your nerves."

Huang Fugui was overwhelmed by the favor. It first took a small, tentative bite.

Seeing that Lin Feng really didn't intend to strike, it finally relaxed and began to gorge itself on the roast chicken, its mouth covered in grease.

"Huang Fugui."

"Yes! Lord, please give your orders!"

Huang Fugui replied unclearly, its mouth stuffed with meat.

Lin Feng looked at it with a smile. "I see you're quite clever. Are you interested in working for me?"

Huang Fugui stopped gnawing on the chicken and looked up, its tiny green-bean eyes full of confusion.

"Follow you... to do what?"

"It's very simple."

Lin Feng's smile became profound. "From now on, you're my subordinate. Help me gather information and keep an eye on certain people. In return, I'll ensure you have roast chicken and duck for every meal in this city. Moreover, if anyone dares to bully you, I'll stand up for you."

Lin Feng paused, his tone turning grim.

"Of course, if you dare to have second thoughts or try to be clever..."

He extended a finger and lightly flicked his saber.

*Clang!*

A clear ring from the blade scared Huang San'er so much his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

"I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!"

Huang Fugui shook its head like a rattle. "To be able to serve the Lord is the blessing of eight lifetimes for this minor demon! I'll go through fire and water without hesitation! From now on, you are my, Huang Fugui's, only master! My true master!"

With that, it dropped the roast chicken and began to kowtow to Lin Feng with a thud-thud-thud. Its flattery was simply peak level.

Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well. Now, go do the first thing for me."

"Take me to meet those 'Dog Demons'."

"Alright! Just watch me, Master!"

Huang Fugui wiped the grease from its mouth and stood up energetically. In an instant, it transformed from a bullied little wretch into a sycophantic henchman, leading the way with its head held high.

Its comical back view made Lin Feng chuckle.