Chapter 925: Demon Market Officer Hu Yin

The demon bailiff had just opened his mouth to speak.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"I've finally found you!"

"Have a taste of my pincers!"

A crab pincer swung fiercely at Chen Changsheng's head.

Chen Changsheng cast a mild sideways glance.

He saw a little girl hoisting a massive crab claw, bringing it down hard toward his skull.

Clang!

Chen Changsheng remained completely unharmed.

The little girl, however, suffered terribly.

"Waah!"

Crying out in pain, she collapsed halfway to the ground. Her twin pincers trembled as she wailed endlessly in agony.

"General Crab!" the two demon bailiffs cried, instantly drawing their long sabers.

Before Chen Changsheng could speak, the pair swarmed forward, bringing their blades down upon him.

Yet at that very moment, things took a sudden turn.

A commotion erupted from within the Magistrate's Office.

Boom!

"Stop! Stop it!"

The heavy gates burst open, and a figure bolted frantically out of the Magistrate's Office.

But the two demon bailiffs could no longer halt their momentum.

Chen Changsheng simply raised a hand, catching both long sabers barehanded. With a casual flick of his fingers, a blast of forceful wind sent the two bailiffs flying backward.

A fox-headed demon clad in plain clothes rushed out in an utter panic.

"We're doomed, we're doomed!"

The fox demon's expression was quite a sight. He dashed forward and instantly dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Demon Bureau Officer of the Qishan Demon Market, Hu Yin, pays his respects to Mister Chen!"

"Mister Chen, please forgive us!"

Chen Changsheng blinked, briefly taken aback. But when he recognized the figure kneeling before him, it suddenly clicked.

"Oh, it's you..."

He reached out and pulled Hu Yin to his feet. Even standing, the fox demon kept his hands respectfully lowered, pleading, "Mister Chen, the demon bailiffs of the Demon Market meant no offense. I beg for your forgiveness."

This fox demon was the very same one who had once guided Chen Changsheng through the Donglin Ward.

"This Chen has taken no offense," Chen Changsheng said. "The Demon Market maintains strict security. Such vigilance is exactly as it should be."

Hearing this, Hu Yin breathed a sigh of relief, overwhelmed with the profound sensation of surviving a catastrophe.

He glared at the two demon bailiffs behind him, then turned his gaze to the little girl.

He honestly had no idea where the three of them had found the nerve to pull such a stunt. If he had arrived even a moment later, there probably wouldn't have been any ashes left of them.

"Mister is merciful," Hu Yin said. He snapped at the two bailiffs, "Get lost, now!"

The two bailiffs froze for a second before scrambling to their feet. Supporting one another, they hurried away.

"Uncle Fox! Uncle Fox!"

The little girl stood up, her eyes rimmed with red. "It was him! I told him he couldn't come in, but he forced his way anyway. My pincers were almost shattered!"

Hu Yin's face was a picture of sheer misery. He pulled the little girl aside and coaxed, "How about this? You go play inside the Demon Bureau with those two for a bit. I'll come find you later."

The little girl nodded. "Beat him up for me."

Hu Yin drew a deep breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, but hurriedly agreed, "Of course, of course."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

The little girl headed into the Demon Bureau.

Even as she walked away, she didn't forget to brandish her massive pincers at Chen Changsheng.

This nearly gave Hu Yin a heart attack. My dear Grand Aunt, are you crazy? Are you tired of living?

He almost blurted the words out loud.

Thankfully, she finally left.

Once the little girl was safely inside the Demon Bureau, Hu Yin spoke again. "Mister Chen, this little lass was sent from the outside to help. She doesn't know any better and still has the temper of a child. I hope Mister, I hope..."

He seemed too embarrassed to even finish the sentence.

But he had no choice but to plead for her. She was one of the Goddess of the Celestial River's subordinates; there was no way he could just leave her to her fate.

Seeing him so terrified, Chen Changsheng offered a helpless smile. "Officer Hu, This Chen is not angry. Truly."

His heart still pounding with terror, Hu Yin hastily replied, "Yes, yes, yes. Mister is merciful. Mister is merciful."

"..."

Chen Changsheng fell silent for a moment. With a soft sigh, he said, "Let's find a tea house. We can sit down and talk."

"At your command, Mister Chen."

"..."

Hu Yin found the absolute best tea house the Demon Market had to offer.

They were seated in a private room once more.

Once they sat down, he ordered the waiter to serve their finest tea and best dishes.

When the tea arrived, he personally poured it. His etiquette was flawless; he didn't dare neglect a single detail.

He had every reason to be terrified.

This was a figure that even the lords had to treat with the utmost reverence.

After they had been sitting in the tea house for a while, Hu Yin's nerves finally settled a bit. At the very least, he was no longer stammering in fear when he spoke.

"This Chen remembers," Chen Changsheng began, "weren't you stationed at the Donglin Ward previously?"

"To answer Mister," Hu Yin replied respectfully, "once the Qishan Demon Market stabilized, Lord Huan dispatched me here to manage it. Since things ran smoothly, I was kept on permanently."

"I see." Chen Changsheng nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Only a year and a half. Not too long."

Hu Yin then asked, "May I ask when Mister arrived? Sigh, it's entirely my fault. The subordinates don't recognize Mister Chen and actually dared to raise their weapons against you. Please forgive us."

Chen Changsheng laughed. "I've lost count of how many times you've begged for forgiveness on the way here. This Chen truly isn't angry. You don't need to be so tense."

"Yes, yes, of course."

"Speaking of which, that little green crab from earlier—that little lass is one of the Goddess of the Celestial River's people, isn't she? Why is she guarding the gates at this Demon Market?"

"To answer Mister Chen, it stems from the difficulties we faced when first establishing the Demon Markets. We met with heavy resistance, and both Lord Huan and the Forest Deer Immortal Official were stretched too thin to handle it all. Left with no other choice, they went to the Tongtian River to borrow the authority of the Water God. The Goddess provided us with tremendous support, smoothing out many of the obstacles. The Goddess of the Celestial River's contributions to the spread of the Demon Markets cannot be overstated."

"As a result, all the Demon Markets today are jointly managed by Lord Huan and the Water God. As for Qingsuo from earlier—the little lass you mentioned—she was dispatched here by the Goddess of the Celestial River. Her role is twofold: to help guard this place, and to regularly relay news back to the Goddess."

"So that's how it is," Chen Changsheng said, realization dawning on him.

"Yes," Hu Yin nodded. "Qingsuo's Cultivation base is decent enough, but her temperament is far too playful. The Goddess of the Celestial River sent her here hoping the experience would help discipline her. We never expected her to offend Mister today. Please allow me to apologize on her behalf."

"No harm done. The little lass suffered plenty just now," Chen Changsheng chuckled.

Hu Yin offered a wry smile, perfectly understanding his meaning. Qingsuo's pincers were likely going to ache for quite a few days.

Chen Changsheng then asked, "How many Demon Markets are there now?"

"Five in total."

Hu Yin explained, "Within the lands of the Prince of Jin, there are six prefectures in total. The five Demon Markets are distributed across five of those prefectures. As for the sixth, it sits on the borderlands. Fearing unrest, we decided against opening a market there for now. As for the territories beyond Jindi, some fall under the jurisdiction of other celestial officials whose stances remain unclear, so we haven't dared to act rashly. Therefore, ever since completing the network across these five prefectures, we have focused entirely on development and consolidation."