Chapter 87: The Art of Training People

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Shi did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately said,

“That’s hardly a problem. Easy enough. You lot...”

He had just been about to call out to the bailiffs when he suddenly thought of something and changed his mind.

“Forget it. I’ll personally accompany you, little brother. It’ll also let Madam Bone see the results I’ve achieved.”

With your build? Can you even make it 800 meters?

But in response to Zhou You’s puzzled expression, Magistrate Shi merely waved a hand, apparently signaling something to the bailiffs.

The bailiffs exchanged glances, all of them looking troubled, but in the end they could only shake their heads helplessly.

What exactly was this fellow up to now?

Before Zhou You could ask, several bailiffs walked out. Then, amid a loud clatter of noise, the doors outside were actually dismantled and removed.

A moment later, the men who had gone out returned carrying an enormous object, followed by even more bailiffs.

If Zhou You’s eyes were not deceiving him...

It was a sedan chair.

A giant, oversized sedan chair with the roof removed.

The chair was still decorated with gold and silver embellishments, full of the same nouveau riche aesthetic as everything else. But that was not the important part. The important part was that it exceeded two and a half meters in diameter.

What in the world required that much space?

Oh, right. There happened to be one such thing standing nearby.

Zhou You cast a sidelong glance and, sure enough, several bailiffs had run to Magistrate Shi’s side. Working together, they struggled to pull his massive body out of the chair. Then, holding their breath and straining with effort, they slowly moved him beside the sedan chair and carefully lowered him into it.

Next, the bailiffs at the sides gritted their teeth and exerted themselves simultaneously. Veins immediately bulged from their foreheads, and their faces turned red from strain. Only then were they barely able to lift the sedan chair.

Only after settling himself comfortably did Magistrate Shi leisurely say,

“Let’s go. Keep it steady. And remember to leave a few men behind to watch the house. If anything goes missing, I’ll skin you alive!”

As his words fell, the sedan chair began moving forward slowly.

Yet Zhou You caught certain emotions in the eyes of the men carrying it.

Shame.

Anger.

And long-suppressed resentment that they dared not voice.

So someone immediately began stroking his chin.

This was becoming quite interesting.

Declining Magistrate Shi’s offer to arrange a sedan chair for him as well, Zhou You simply relied on his own two legs and followed the procession out of the county seat.

After all, he still possessed the blessing of Sanzhi Xiumo, and the Yin Ghost Feeding Chant further enhanced him. Even after walking such a distance, Zhou You remained completely unflustered, neither red-faced nor out of breath.

The bailiffs, on the other hand, looked like exhausted dogs. Even though they took turns carrying the sedan chair, the absurd weight and the scorching sun had pushed every one of them close to their limits.

Yet despite this, none of them dared voice a single complaint.

In fact, to make Magistrate Shi more comfortable, they had to attend to him attentively the entire way. One would offer a piece of pastry, another would bring a cup of chilled tea. Of those not carrying the chair, two were specifically assigned to jog alongside it, fanning him constantly.

Viewed this way, he seemed even more comfortable than he had been back in his residence.

Watching from the side, Zhou You grew increasingly curious and finally asked,

“Say, Old Brother Shi, how exactly did you manage this? How did you turn the county’s yamen runners into something more like personal servants?”

Hearing this, Magistrate Shi immediately burst into a smug grin.

“Little brother, as a demon you probably don’t understand. Training people is actually pretty much the same as training dogs.”

The moment those words were spoken, one of the fans beside him stopped moving briefly.

Magistrate Shi instantly lashed out with a whip.

“What are you slacking off for? Do you want to end up like Wu Wenqing?”

The bailiff shuddered violently and immediately put more force into his fanning.

Only then did Magistrate Shi continue.

“You absolutely can’t treat them too well. Treat them too well and they stop working. You’ve got to train them like dogs. Every now and then, toss them a bit of dog food to keep them on a leash. Make them fear you while also feeling grateful to you. Then pick out a few obedient ones, the sensible ones, and make them your trusted subordinates. Let them manage the rest of these things beneath them...”

Zhou You suddenly interrupted.

“But Old Brother Shi, aren’t you afraid that if these people are oppressed too severely, they’ll eventually turn around and come after you?”

Magistrate Shi froze for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.

“Little brother, that’s where you’re mistaken. Normally you couldn’t push them this far. But the difference now is that standing behind me isn’t the government, it’s Lord Grand Duke Jupiter. With all these demons and monsters stationed in the county, who among them would dare make a move? Aren’t they afraid of being caught, skinned alive, having their tendons ripped out, and then being eaten alive?”

Zhou You nodded in agreement.

That much was true.

From what he had seen, the demons of this world were indeed far stronger than humans. Creatures like White Dew Spitting Silk and Madam Bone could easily wipe out these yamen runners by themselves.

That Daoist of the Profound Origin might have been an exception, but from everything Zhou You had heard lately, that man had likely been dead for a very long time already.

So with such malevolent beings backing him, Magistrate Shi truly could act without restraint within this county.

But then again...

Zhou You recalled everything he had seen over the past few days and suddenly smiled.

He said nothing further, however, and casually steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Speaking of which, little brother here saw your residence earlier, Old Brother Shi. It was truly overflowing with wealth, marvelous beyond words.”

And so time gradually passed amid idle conversation.

After roughly a quarter of a shichen, about one hour, the group finally arrived at their first destination.

It was a warehouse.

From the outside, it looked entirely ordinary. A grayish-blue roof, brick walls, and the appearance of a typical merchant’s storage facility.

The unusual part was the large contingent of soldiers guarding the entrance.

Noticing Zhou You’s curious gaze, Magistrate Shi casually explained,

“Little brother, I know what you’re thinking. It does rather have the effect of loudly proclaiming that there’s treasure hidden here. But I don’t really have a choice. Some time ago, when security wasn’t this strict, quite a few refugees managed to sneak in. Although most of them were dealt with, a few slipped through the net. Fortunately, those who escaped were probably scared out of their wits and didn’t cause any major trouble. Still, to prevent accidents, I specially assigned all these extra men.”

As he spoke, the sedan chair carrying him arrived before the entrance.

Several soldiers hurried over, smiling obsequiously as if intending to greet him. Magistrate Shi immediately waved them aside arrogantly.

“This little brother and I are here to inspect whether there have been any recent problems with the Animal Transformation operation. Hurry up and open the door.”

The leader among the soldiers quickly nodded and bowed to Zhou You in greeting. Then he pulled a key from his waist and unlocked the heavy lock on the door.

And at long last, Zhou You was finally able to behold the true appearance of this Animal Transformation workshop.