Chapter 49

Throughout the entire day, Chen Ping'an's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Chen Erya at home, leaving him somewhat distracted. Fortunately, his expression management was on point, and Houzi and Dashan, busy patrolling and bantering, didn't notice anything unusual about him.

Dressed in his constable uniform and carrying his sword, Chen Ping'an walked through the streets, listening to the two men's casual chatter.

"Did you see the squad leaders' faces today!? Their frowns were so deep they could crack!"

"Did something happen?"

"Have you heard of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect!?"

"The Ten Thousand Demons Sect!"

"Recently, there have been sightings of Ten Thousand Demons Sect remnants in the city. I heard there have already been several murders in other districts. In situations like this, not just our Nanquan Lane squad leaders, but even the higher-ups are under a lot of pressure!"

"Several murders? That serious!?"

"Yeah! You know how ruthless the Ten Thousand Demons Sect is. Every one of them is vicious."

"Houzi, how do you know all this? I haven't heard anything about it."

"Hehe, Houzi has his ways! It's pretty much common knowledge in the Town Guard now. It's just a matter of time before the squad leaders make an official announcement! Just watch, it won't be long now. Be careful these days."

"..."

Houzi didn't elaborate further, only briefly mentioning the Ten Thousand Demons Sect before changing the subject. At a time like this, bringing up the Ten Thousand Demons Sect wasn't a good idea.

The Ten Thousand Demons Sect!

Chen Ping'an listened quietly.

Back then, Old Chen's death was due to the siege of a Ten Thousand Demons Sect stronghold, where he was severely injured by one of their deacons.

He had an irreconcilable enmity with the Ten Thousand Demons Sect!

However...

The Ten Thousand Demons Sect wasn't just any ordinary sect. It was a massive organization that had swept across the entire Canglong Province. Even a single branch was enough to make the Weishui County Town Guard take it seriously.

Back then, Old Chen's siege was against one of the smallest Ten Thousand Demons Sect outposts. Yet, even so, the joint operation by the Town Guards from various districts in the southern city, with all the advantages of timing, terrain, and manpower, still ended with heavy casualties.

Over ten squad leaders died in that operation!

And that was just one outpost. If it were a larger branch, the entire outer city Town Guard would need to unite to deal with it. If it were a full-fledged branch...

Then the strength of Weishui County alone might not be enough.

The day's patrol passed quickly as the three of them wandered around.

After his shift, Chen Ping'an hurried home. He had been worried about Chen Erya all day.

As Chen Ping'an entered Pear Blossom Lane, he could sense a tense and nervous atmosphere. Normally, at this time, many neighbors would be out and about, chatting or visiting each other. But today, Chen Ping'an saw none of that.

As he approached his home, he saw someone hurrying by.

"Uncle Liang, what's going on? Why is the street so empty?"

Chen Ping'an quickened his pace and stopped the man.

Hearing someone call him, Uncle Liang was startled at first, but relaxed when he saw it was Chen Ping'an.

"It's you, Little Chen! You haven't heard? Something big has happened!"

"Uncle Liang, what happened?"

Although Chen Ping'an already had an idea that it was about Six, he still asked.

"Six from the Tiger Head Gang is dead!"

With that, Uncle Liang hurried off without waiting for Chen Ping'an's response. At a time like this, he didn't want to be seen loitering outside by the Tiger Head Gang and risk getting into trouble.

Ordinary folks couldn't afford to get involved in such messes.

"So it's about that."

Chen Ping'an watched Uncle Liang leave, his eyes flickering. He didn't linger and headed straight for his home.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, he saw a busy figure in the kitchen and felt a wave of relief.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

The worry that had been weighing on him all day finally eased a little.

"Erya, I'm back."

"Brother, you're back~ Dinner's ready!" Chen Erya smiled brightly.

The little girl was still young, and her smile struck Chen Ping'an as incredibly sweet and adorable.

"Brother is hungry." Chen Ping'an laughed and went into the kitchen to help Chen Erya bring out the food.

The weather wasn't great today, with rain threatening, so the siblings ate inside instead of in the courtyard.

The lighting inside was dim, not as bright as outside, but the smiles on their faces lit up each other's hearts.

After dinner, Chen Erya didn't immediately get up to clear the dishes as usual. Instead, she slightly toned down her smile and looked at Chen Ping'an with wide eyes.

"Brother, earlier today, people outside said that Six from the Tiger Head Gang died last night."

After speaking, Chen Erya fell silent. Clever as she was, she had already connected the bloodstains on Chen Ping'an last night to this and had her suspicions.

Looking into Chen Erya's eyes, Chen Ping'an remained silent, carefully choosing his words.

Just as he was about to explain, the little girl stood up.

"Alright, brother, I'll go wash the dishes."

"Wait." Chen Ping'an stopped Chen Erya. "Last night..."

"Shh!"

The little girl made a gesture, then pointed outside, signaling Chen Ping'an not to say anything.

"Brother, you don't need to tell me. I already know. And you don't need to explain. I understand!" The little girl turned and hugged Chen Ping'an. "No matter what you do, I believe in you!"

Chen Ping'an felt a warmth in his heart and was about to reach out to pat her head when the little girl suddenly ran off.

"Hehe... I'll go wash the dishes~"

"This girl..." Chen Ping'an was momentarily speechless.

She's only nine. If this were in his past life, who would believe it? She's way too mature for her age!

But seeing the genuine ease on the little girl's face, he gradually relaxed.

He had been worried that killing Six would weigh on Chen Erya's conscience. But it seemed the little girl had a strong ability to adapt!

Indeed, those who couldn't adapt well wouldn't survive long in this world.

After dinner, Chen Ping'an was about to start practicing the Locust Stone technique after digesting his meal. Standing in the courtyard, he noticed the nearly white patch on the wall and was suddenly struck with alarm.

"How could I forget this!? My brain!"

The marks on the wall didn't seem like much at a glance, but upon closer inspection, one could see the dense clusters of tiny dots.

These were all from the Locust Stones hitting the wall.

If the Tiger Head Gang really came to investigate, they might not connect this to Six's death, but it would undoubtedly complicate things, leaving an unnecessary clue.

Thinking this, Chen Ping'an immediately grabbed some stones and started scribbling on the wall to cover the marks.

Just as he was halfway through, there was a heavy knock on the courtyard gate.

"Open up! Tiger Head Gang!"