Two Streaks of Malevolent Qi Obtained

Terrifying sword energy, as if capable of cleaving through anything, traversed a great distance and arrived in an instant.

A sound of flesh being pierced rang out.

The Fox Demon was impaled by the sword energy, and a powerful, dreadful force pinned it to the ground.

A man dressed in black, with his face covered by a black cloth, emerged from the shadows.

The man held a long sword in his hand, radiating a visible fury, like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

Qin Shuang, hidden in the shadows, watched Shen Bai charge out and was completely stunned.

She had never felt such anger from this mysterious man; even that night, she had only sensed a profound calm.

But now, she felt it—a rage that seemed to cover everything, terrifying to the extreme.

"That constable must be someone he deeply cares about."

Qin Shuang thought to herself, quietly pulling out a small notebook from her chest and meticulously recording everything.

The scene shifted, and Shen Bai, still holding his long sword, had arrived at the riverbank.

Though his face was covered by black cloth, the rage in his eyes almost burst forth.

Zhou Qing opened his eyes, and when he saw the figure dressed in black before him, he was utterly stunned.

Even with the black cloth covering his face, they knew each other so well that Zhou Qing recognized Shen Bai instantly.

Countless questions were sprouting in his mind.

Isn't Old Shen just an ordinary person?

What's going on? What's with this oppressive feeling?

And what about the Fox Demon struggling on the ground?

Zhou Qing suddenly felt that his brother seemed to have become incredibly formidable overnight.

Of course, Zhou Qing didn't shout out, because he saw that Shen Bai was masked.

They were all intelligent people; Shen Bai wearing a mask naturally meant he wanted to conceal his identity.

Given this, Zhou Qing simply decided to play along.

"Once this is over, I'll go to the Pawnshop to find Old Shen," Zhou Qing thought to himself.

That's what he thought, and the others were even more bewildered.

Especially Chief Constable Zheng.

At this moment, Chief Constable Zheng was fighting the Fox Demon while glancing towards Shen Bai.

He didn't understand the other party's identity, but since they appeared and severely wounded the Fox Demon, they didn't seem to be an enemy for now.

Everyone present had their own conjectures, but Shen Bai was different.

Shen Bai's gaze was cold as he slowly approached the Fox Demon with his long sword.

The Fox Demon, severely wounded by the sword energy, struggled to get up.

But just as it got to its feet, a blood-red sword energy tore through the void and struck.

"Chii!"

A dull sound, like tearing cloth, filled the air.

As soon as Shen Bai made his move, several streaks of sword energy shot out.

Combined with the inherent Demon Slaying property of Blood Sword Dance, these several sword energies intertwined, forming a sword net.

The sword net approached, instantly dissecting the Fox Demon.

The Fox Demon didn't even have a shred of resistance; it turned into a pile of shattered remains, flailing on the ground for a few moments before dissolving into a foul-smelling mist.

A wisp of Malevolent Qi appeared, which Shen Bai collected into his pouch.

This scene left everyone present stunned, like wooden statues.

The terrifying Fox Demon had made them scramble, but under Shen Bai's sword energy, in just two strikes, the Fox Demon was gone.

The first strike severely wounded it, the second annihilated it.

Several constables swallowed, their throats feeling parched.

Since when did Ascending Cloud County have such a person?

Chief Constable Zheng loudly called out, "Valiant warrior, please lend me a hand!"

Since someone was helping, Chief Constable Zheng naturally spoke up.

Although he didn't know the other's identity, the fact that they could deal with a Bizarre Entity was enough.

Shen Bai didn't speak, but he truly wanted to act.

This Fox Demon was a Bizarre Entity, and to Shen Bai, it was a source of Malevolent Qi.

Shen Bai's long sword trembled, and blood-red sword energy reappeared.

The Fox Demon, which was struggling with Chief Constable Zheng, had its head pierced by the sword energy, twitched on the ground for a moment, and then turned into black smoke, vanishing.

With another sword stroke, the Fox Demon died instantly.

Chief Constable Zheng's eyes held a hint of surprise.

The first one could be attributed to luck, but the second was pure skill.

Chief Constable Zheng cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, brave hero, for your assistance. May I know your name? We will surely present you with a generous reward once we return."

Shen Bai said nothing, looking around.

He couldn't speak.

Chief Constable Zheng recognized him, just not as well as Zhou Qing did.

As for speaking with a raspy voice like in the stories? Sorry, that only happens in stories.

Even if he tried to make his voice sound hoarse, it would still be obvious.

Since Shen Bai remained silent, the atmosphere became somewhat quiet.

Feeling awkward, Chief Constable Zheng withdrew his hand and said, "Right, a hero who wishes to remain anonymous wouldn't reveal their name. Are you perhaps here for the Grand Tomb?"

News of the Grand Tomb had already leaked, which led to Chief Constable Zheng's guess.

Perhaps the other party was indeed here for the Grand Tomb, stumbled upon the Fox Demon by chance, and simply lent a hand.

Shen Bai stroked his chin, ignoring Chief Constable Zheng's words and falling into thought.

Initially, Shen Bai thought the people from the Upper Evil Gate were foolish for exposing the Fox Demon so easily.

But now, Shen Bai no longer thought so; instead, he believed the people from the Upper Evil Gate were very clever.

They wanted to create a bigger stir, to muddy the waters even more.

This time, with two Fox Demons, if Shen Bai hadn't been here, this group of constables would likely have suffered heavy casualties.

Shen Bai's gaze fell upon the middle-aged man.

This guy wasn't lucky to survive; he was deliberately let go. The one controlling the Fox Demon knew he had the ability to find it, so they used him to set up this trap here, aiming to cause even greater chaos.

The only variable today was Shen Bai.

Don't assume that Shen Bai easily dealt with the Fox Demons in two strikes; that was because Shen Bai was strong enough.

That's how variables worked.

After figuring things out, Shen Bai turned and prepared to leave.

With two wisps of Malevolent Qi acquired and the matter resolved, he still needed to return and await the opening of the Grand Tomb.

Chief Constable Zheng watched Shen Bai's retreating figure, wanting to say a few words, but the words caught in his throat.

"Clean up the mess and return to the yamen."

Chief Constable Zheng announced, and the constables began to clear the scene.

But they couldn't forget the scene they had just witnessed, especially Shen Bai's graceful demeanor as he dispatched a Bizarre Entity with a single sword stroke.

Zhou Qing, in particular, thought that once they returned, he would definitely corner Shen Bai and interrogate him thoroughly.

Ascending Cloud County, Shen Family Pawnshop.

After Shen Bai and Qin Shuang returned to the pawnshop, Qin Shuang's eyes held a curious gaze.

"That constable, he's someone very important to you, isn't he?" Qin Shuang asked.

Shen Bai nodded. "He's the kindest person to me in all of Ascending Cloud County, and my only true friend here."

Qin Shuang let out an "Oh." "No wonder. However, since the mastermind's plan was ruined this time, there will likely be repercussions."

Shen Bai chuckled. "I'm afraid he won't have any repercussions."

Qin Shuang was slightly taken aback.

Shen Bai raised a finger and slowly said, "Remember one thing: there are no perfect people in this world, only varying degrees of flaws."

"The more he acts, the more flaws he'll reveal. If there are enough flaws before the Grand Tomb opens, he might not live past its opening."

Qin Shuang nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite, then asked, "Are you not practicing your boxing tonight?"

Shen Bai shook his head. "I'm waiting for someone."

Just as Qin Shuang was about to ask who, a knock sounded at the pawnshop door.