Madam, please respect my profession.

Chapter 112: Painting the skin and bones is difficult to painting the heart, the road of cultivation is long and difficult

Qinhuai originally belonged to Jinling, so the distance was not too far, so the two men took a horse and a donkey.

It rained heavily a few days ago, and the air in the forest was very fresh. Walking on the damp rotten leaves and soft grass, facing the morning glow and feeling the fresh breeze, I felt particularly refreshed.

The two arrived at the door of Xu's house at noon and happened to see Miss Xu and her husband returning to her parents' home to visit her relatives.

Miss Xu was wearing a plain shirt and had her hair combed into a bun. Her face was still pretty and she looked much better than the last time we met. Next to her was a man wearing a blue Confucian shirt and his hair was combed meticulously. He nodded slightly at this moment and looked very polite and elegant.

"Lord Lu?" Miss Xu's smile froze when she saw Lu Zhan.

It's not that she has any grudge against Lu Zhan. She was grateful to Lu Zhan for saving her life. But when she saw Lu Zhan, she couldn't help but think of what happened in the past, and her heart was immediately filled with sorrow.

Lu Zhan handed the donkey to the doorman and brought a gift: "When Miss Xu got married, I was too busy with official duties to come and congratulate her. Today I have some free time to come and congratulate her."

Captain Xie smiled and said, "Me too."

The scholar named Qin Xiuru looked at the two of them with a happy smile: "We are very grateful to you two adults for making this special trip. Please come in and have a drink."

Lu Zhan nodded and followed the two of them in. Qin Xiuru behaved properly and politely, not like a demon at all. Instead, he looked like a learned and talented scholar.

Captain Xie tilted his head and whispered, "I can't see anything fishy."

Lu Zhan smiled slightly and patted Captain Xie's arm, signaling him not to act rashly. Some monsters are good at disguise and imitation, and if they don't reveal their demonic aura, it is very difficult to identify their true form.

After passing through the outer courtyard and the long corridor, and then walking through the garden surrounded by flowers and plants, he finally saw County Magistrate Xu, who was in high spirits, in the main hall of the second courtyard.

County Magistrate Xu is fat. Miss Xu's problem has been solved, and Qinhuai is peaceful and healthy. If there is nothing to worry about, it is a good time in the world. As a result, County Magistrate Xu has gained a lot of weight and looks energetic compared to last time.

But when he saw Lu Zhan and Captain Xie, the smile on County Magistrate Xu's fat face froze in an instant, and the corners of his mouth twitched violently.

Qin Xiuru bowed and smiled: "Father-in-law, these two gentlemen claim to be old friends of yours, so please come in."

"Ah... yes, yes." Magistrate Xu's eyelids twitched, and he said with a wry smile, "This is Lord Lu Zhan, formerly the demon-suppressing master of the Jiangning Demon-Suppressing Division. We often cooperate with demon-suppressing masters, and we have a close relationship with Lord Lu. As for this..."

When mentioning Captain Xie, Magistrate Xu paused for a moment before saying, "This is Captain Xie of the Jinling Prefecture. I received his kindness in my early years, so I should have gone to visit him. I never thought that I would have to go to his house. I am really ashamed."

Having said that, Magistrate Xu's expression was clearly not right. Fortunately, he had been an official for many years and had some shrewdness, so he did not let his son-in-law and daughter notice the problem.

Captain Xie exchanged a few pleasantries before sitting down. He whispered in Lu Zhan's ear, "In his early years, he went to Hua Man Lou to drink and visit prostitutes. He was detained because he was short of money and could not pay the money. I lent him a few taels of silver when I passed by, but after he became the county magistrate, we rarely interacted with each other."

Lu Zhan suddenly realized that it was no wonder that County Magistrate Xu had such a strange expression on his face.

Magistrate Xu knew him because they became acquainted with each other while performing exorcism for Miss Xu, and he knew Captain Xie because he was detained for drinking and visiting prostitutes and had no money. Although there were favors between them, neither of them was glorious, and they must be past events that Magistrate Xu did not want to mention.

Now that he and Captain Xie had come to the door together, in the eyes of County Magistrate Xu they were like two plague gods, which was really unlucky, but he couldn't dare to send them out, and even had to put on a smiling face, which was really annoying.

Qin Xiuru was very surprised: "You are the Master Lu Guanqi who defeated the students of Luyun Academy in Wangyue Teahouse?"

Lu Zhan smiled and said, "Yes, it is me. I heard from Magistrate Xu that you passed the imperial examination when you were fourteen or fifteen years old. Are you still studying for the imperial examination now?"

"Of course I will." Qin Xiuru's attitude became more polite and kind: "My father-in-law favors me and betrothed his beloved daughter to me. I will work hard to make myself better. If I can make it to the list one day, it will not be in vain for my father-in-law's cultivation."

Miss Xu next to him smiled, but the smile seemed a bit forced. Her eyes looked at Lu Zhan from time to time with confusion.

Captain Xie suddenly asked, "Has Master Qin ever lived in Jinling City? I remember that it was widely rumored in the city that a scholar had emerged from Hongyuan Street. Could it be you, my Lord?"

"I did live in Jinling for a period of time, but later I returned to Qinhuai. My parents lived in that house for a while, and then they moved to Qinhuai, so it became abandoned. I heard that it has just found a tenant recently." Qin Xiuru said, standing up to pour tea for the two of them, very respectful.

After expressing his gratitude, Captain Xie’s gaze drifted towards Lu Zhan, the meaning of which was self-evident.

This guy behaves steadily and has an elegant temperament. There is no sign of cruelty at all. Captain Xie is a little unsure. Whether he is a murderer or a monster, it seems that he has nothing to do with this Master Qin.

County Magistrate Xu, on the other hand, was getting very restless. He didn't believe that these two people came to congratulate him. His intuition told him that a crime was about to happen.

The demon-suppressing master and the chief constable from Jinling headquarters have all arrived, so this case is no small matter.

Thinking of this, County Magistrate Xu hurriedly said, "The banquet is ready, let's eat first."

……

The meal was very sumptuous. Magistrate Xu sat in the main seat, forcing a smile on his face the whole time. In his heart he was frightened and afraid, fearing that something might happen to his family again.

Perhaps because of the incident at Wangyue Teahouse, Qin Xiuru had great respect for Lu Zhan and kept toasting him during the meal.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Zhan poured the burnt talisman ashes into the wine pot. The talisman ashes are harmless to ordinary people, but if a monster drinks it, it will silently corrode the blood and make the monster weak. Even if it does not reveal its true form, it will be restricted by the talisman.

However, after eating and drinking, Qin Xiuru still showed no clues. Lu Zhan didn't know much about talismans. In the current situation, either the talisman ashes had not taken effect yet, or the opponent was not a monster.

"You two should go see your mother first." Magistrate Xu sent the couple away, and then his eyes fell on Lu Zhan. His expression suddenly became anxious: "Why did Lord Lu come this time? Is there another monster in my house?"

When one needs help, one naturally hopes for the presence of a demon-suppressing master. But if the demon-suppressing master comes uninvited in broad daylight, the master will inevitably panic.

Magistrate Xu had experienced ghosts before, and his beloved daughter almost died because of them. Now he was so terrified of ghosts that he could not continue to communicate with Lu Zhan as if nothing had happened.

Lu Zhan seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "It is still under investigation and cannot be confirmed yet."

"Who is the most suspicious?" Magistrate Xu had handled many cases and was quite sharp-minded. He immediately understood the deep meaning behind the words and asked anxiously, "Master Lu, please tell me. I can handle it. Instead of guessing, you might as well give me a quick answer."

Regardless of whether Qin Xiuru is a monster or a human, this matter must be explained clearly to County Magistrate Xu. After all, the corpse was found in Qin Xiuru's home, and he cannot escape responsibility. Lu Zhan said frankly: "The current suspect is your son-in-law."

Magistrate Xu, who had just said he could bear it, slid down from his chair. He did not bother to tidy up his appearance and said blankly, "What?"

Lu Zhan explained, "Whether he is a demon or not is still unknown, but his involvement in the case is certain. By chance, I rented his house in Jinling and found a rotten skeleton in his dry well. But don't worry, Lord Xu. We haven't made this public. Miss Xu has a hard time, so it would be best if we can solve it privately."

County Magistrate Xu looked dazed: "That is to say, even if he is not a monster, he is involved in an old case..."

Lu Zhan and Captain Xie picked up their teacups in tacit understanding, and silence was better than words at this moment.

Magistrate Xu was silent for a long while, then he raised his hands to cover his face. His shoulders shook for a while before he smiled bitterly and said, "My daughter has been weak and sickly since she was young, and she has suffered many disasters since she grew up. I asked a master to calculate her horoscope, and he said that her horoscope is yin and prone to attracting demons, and she is born with little luck. I don't believe in evil, but now I have to believe it."

At this point, County Magistrate Xu stood up and bowed to the two men: "Thank you both for not making this public, otherwise I would have been in trouble."

Although Miss Xu is a victim, in this world, rumors can kill people.

The last time Miss Xu had a sneaky experience, if it got out, even if she could survive, she would probably be depressed. The same thing happened this time. If she really married a monster, even if she was a victim, it would be a topic of gossip after dinner. This was also the reason why Lu Zhan chose to make a secret visit.

If the Demon Suppression Master is dispatched, there will naturally be no need for so much nonsense. He can just test the opponent with force when they meet. However, we don't know the opponent's true face at present. If he is very powerful, he is afraid of angering the monster and causing a big commotion. By then, all the neighbors will know about it, and even the Demon Suppression Division will not be able to stop the rumors.

Although secret visits are troublesome, the other party will become weak after drinking the magic water. Even if he wants to go crazy, his body will not allow it. At most, he will be caught by the maids and servants of the Xu family, and his own servants will keep their mouths shut.

Miss Xu's fate was indeed unfortunate. Some things are painful to experience once, but to experience them twice is like an abyss that cannot be crossed. Lu Zhan felt sympathy for her. If the problem could be resolved quietly, that would naturally be the best.

At this time, there were chaotic footsteps coming from outside. Miss Xu stumbled into the study. Her pretty face was pale. She pointed in the direction of the backyard and said hesitantly, "Dad...husband...husband..."

……

It was a sunny afternoon, and the flowers in the Xu family's backyard were in full bloom, but it seemed to be shrouded in a layer of dark clouds.

Lu Zhan walked in front. The distraught Miss Xu had already become numb and allowed Magistrate Xu to drag her to the backyard.

Miss Xu liked quietness, so she had sent away the maids and old women in the yard early. She wanted to take a short rest with her husband, but she didn't expect such a thing to happen.

When Lu Zhan arrived in front of Miss Xu's boudoir, he saw Qin Xiuru rolling on the bed, making a continuous "ho ho" sound in his throat. His originally fair skin seemed to have come into contact with sulfuric acid and was gradually festering, as if something was buried in the skin and was about to break out.

If she were an ordinary woman, she would be frightened silly upon seeing such a scene. However, after experiencing what happened last time, Miss Xu became much braver. Although she was a little dazed, she still guessed what Lu Zhan was here for, so she stumbled to the study to tell him.

"He...what is he..." Miss Xu came back to her senses from her stupor, picked up a handkerchief to cover her mouth and cried, tears sliding down her cheeks, and her slender body trembled like fallen autumn leaves.

Qin Xiuru had lost his mind, his skin cracked and slid off like a snake's skin, and a human figure emerged from the skin. It was called a human figure, but in fact, only the shape was similar to a human. The whole body seemed to be made up of black air, including all the limbs, but the face was as smooth as a mirror without any facial features. A withered skeleton was looming in the black air, which was very creepy.

"It's the Painted Skin Demon." Lu Zhan exhaled slowly, he had already guessed this in his heart.

There are many kinds of monsters, and the most skilled in disguise are the Painted Skin Monster and the Painted Skin Ghost.

The Painted Skin Ghost was a human in life, but became a ghost after death. He has a hideous face and likes to eat human hearts. He likes to wear human skin and pretend to be a beautiful woman to seduce ordinary men. When he succeeds, he will take out their hearts and eat them.

The Painted Skin Demons are mostly monsters that have been transformed from bones. Even after becoming monsters, they still have the obsession to be human. They like to peel off human skin to disguise themselves and integrate into human life.

Compared to the Painted Skin Ghost's evil words, the Painted Skin Demon is more difficult to detect.

Even though this type of monster is not very powerful, it is naturally good at hiding. If it does not actively reveal its demonic aura, even the demon suppressor will find it difficult to discover it. Moreover, the Painted Skin Monster has a great talent for imitation. When imitating human life, it can be so identical that even its biological parents may find it difficult to tell the difference.

There are even many painted skin demons who, after putting on human skin, will gradually forget their true identities and only regard themselves as real humans. They live like humans every day, either suffering or getting rich, without even knowing that they are demons.