I'm Different—I Don't Like Leaving Loose Ends

Xu Jin stepped into the passageway, his flying sword hovering at his side. A crimson-gold halo lit the cold, damp stone walls as bright as day.

At the deepest part of the cave, Night Charm, who was exerting all its strength to break into the spirit-creature realm, shuddered from head to toe. The yin Sha Qi it had gathered halfway through its breakthrough collapsed on the spot, and the army Sha Qi surged backward in backlash, drawing a piercing shriek from it.

It whipped its head toward the passageway, its venomous gaze piercing the darkness as it fixed on the approaching figure.

"You're just a mere mortal, yet you dare ruin my cultivation?!" Night Charm was both shocked and enraged. Yin Sha Qi surged around it, transforming into several pitch-black ghost whips that lashed toward the passageway.

"Since you came knocking on my door, stay behind and pay with your vital energy! I'll suck you dry and leave not even your soul behind!"

Relying on the hundreds of years of army Sha Qi accumulated in the depths of the cave, it had nothing to fear, its arrogant bearing reaching its peak.

In its eyes, even if this man possessed some tricks, there was no way he could withstand the onslaught of yin soldier Sha Qi. He was merely walking into his own grave.

Xu Jin flicked a finger.

"Too noisy."

The flying sword hummed and trembled. Crimson-gold flames suddenly swelled, exploding through the cave like a miniature sun.

Those ferocious ghost whips of yin Sha Qi melted away the instant they touched the flames, like ice and snow beneath the blazing sun. Not even a wisp of black smoke remained.

Night Charm's entire body shook. Looking at that dazzling crimson-gold blaze, it instinctively began to tremble.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

What the hell was that thing?!

Just as it tried to retreat, a streak of sword light brushed past its yin-soul shell. A searing pain instantly spread through its body, and it let out a miserable scream. Its semi-transparent form faded at once.

"Pure Yang Astral Fire?... Pure Yang Astral Fire, the bane of all yin filth!" Night Charm shrieked as it turned and fled desperately toward the crack in the seal. "Who exactly are you?! How can someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau possess such pure yang-fire cultivation?!"

It was utterly terrified now.

It had thought that, with the yin soldier Sha Qi at its command, it could run rampant without restraint. Instead, it had run headlong into its natural nemesis.

This yang fire was no shallow art used by ordinary cultivators. Damn it, touching even a trace of it meant eternal damnation.

"I bear no grudge against you, sir, so why must you insist on wiping me out completely?!" it howled as it fled.

"Back then, Li Er, Zhang the night watchman, and Liu the peddler—those three dogs—killed me, stole my travel money, knocked me unconscious, and dumped my body in the mass grave! My bones lay buried for decades before I borrowed Sha Qi to awaken my intelligence. Was I wrong to seek revenge on them?!"

Night Charm fled before the crack in the seal, then turned to glare at Xu Jin and threatened him with false bravado, "Take one more step, and I'll tear open this seal! I'll release all the dozens of yin soldier remnants trapped beneath!"

When it saw that Xu Jin had not stopped, its tone instantly softened into a plea. "Senior, please show mercy! I am willing to offer up all the yin qi I have cultivated over these years. I ask only that you spare a wisp of my remnant soul. I swear I'll flee into the deep mountains at once and never set foot in the human world again!"

It had calculated that righteous cultivators would either care for the lives of common folk or possess a merciful heart. Surely they would have to give ground.

But the one it had encountered was Xu Jin.

Xu Jin stopped walking. "Yin soldiers? You won't get the chance to release them."

Before his words had even faded, Molten-Gold Sword Aura became a crimson-gold streak of light and shot straight through the core of its yin soul.

"NO—!"

Night Charm let out a desperate shriek as blazing yang fire erupted from within it, instantly engulfing its entire yin body.

It curled up and twisted. Its yin Sha Qi crackled as it burned away. In only a few moments, its once-solid body turned into a wisp of green smoke and vanished completely into the air, leaving not even a scrap behind.

Night Charm, which had committed evil for half a month and claimed three lives, was annihilated, body and soul.

Almost at the same moment, the Compendium of Divine Powers in Xu Jin's mind unfolded automatically:

[Slain: Lesser Demon-class Night Charm]

[Obtained: Demon Fragments ×6]

[Unlocked low-tier divine power: Yin-Soul Eye]

[Constitution slightly strengthened]

Xu Jin's gaze shifted slightly. He first closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world before him had gained a faint halo.

The remnants of yin filth that had once been invisible now gave off traces of pale gray yin qi in his eyes. Even the army Sha Qi leaking from the crack in the seal revealed its depth and direction.

Yin-Soul Eye could see through yin-filth illusions and locate the traces of yin souls.

He nodded to himself.

It came at just the right time.

In the future, when searching for such yin fiends and monsters, he would no longer need to rely entirely on Wang Lei's ability to sense qi. He could precisely lock onto enemies himself, neatly making up for this weakness.

The gains from this mission were even greater than he had expected.

He then turned and walked out of the cave.

At the entrance, Wang Lei was standing on tiptoe and peering inside, one hand pressed against the hilt of his saber, his face tense. Seeing Xu Jin emerge unharmed, he hurried forward to meet him.

"Brother Xu! How did it go? Did you take care of Night Charm? You didn't disturb the yin soldiers inside, did you?"

"It's dealt with." Xu Jin nodded. "There's a crack in the seal. I don't know sealing arts, so we'll need to report it to the Bureau once we return and have someone sent to repair it as soon as possible."

"Got it!" Wang Lei immediately pulled out the mission ledger and rapidly jotted it down.

"I'll mark down the scale of the yin soldier remnants according to the records. Once we're back, I'll begin the seal-reporting procedure. I guarantee nothing will be delayed."

He moved efficiently, clearly well acquainted with the procedures for field assignments. Xu Jin did not need to worry about a thing.

After packing up, the two headed toward Willow Family Village.

Many villagers had already gathered at the village entrance. They craned their necks to look, fearful yet hopeful.

The old night watchman stood at the very front. Seeing the two approach, he hurried forward, his voice trembling. "Officials... that, that thing causing trouble..."

"It has been eliminated." Wang Lei stepped forward and spoke according to Bureau protocol.

"It was a weasel spirit in the mountains. It occupied the mass grave to cultivate and cause mischief. The Bureau will send people to reinforce the seal there afterward, and compensation for the victims' families will be distributed as soon as possible. Just don't go near the mass grave again, and there won't be any trouble."

The villagers immediately breathed sighs of relief and thanked them again and again. The worry that had weighed on them for half a month finally lifted.

From behind the crowd, an old Daoist in a gray robe emerged while stroking his beard. He cupped his hands in salute to Xu Jin and Wang Lei, his expression a mixture of astonishment and doubt.

The village had spent money to hire him to perform rites. He had struggled for several days without achieving anything, and had instead been struck ill by the yin Sha Qi. He had thought disaster was about to befall the village, yet the Demon Suppression Bureau had resolved the matter in half a day.

"This humble Daoist dares to ask a question." The old Daoist looked at Xu Jin, his tone carrying some confusion.

"Though that yin soul was an evil fiend, it was ultimately still a departed soul. Your cultivation is profound, sir. Why did you not deliver it from suffering and send it on to rebirth? Why instead strike it until its soul scattered, denying it even a chance at reincarnation?"

Xu Jin glanced at him and spoke calmly. "You're talking about other people. I'm different from them. I don't like leaving loose ends."

Deliver it from suffering? Who knew whether the Compendium of Divine Powers would count that? If it didn't count as a kill and gave no reward, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

A losing deal could not be made.

Wang Lei added with a smile from the side, "Please excuse us, Daoist. The Bureau has its rules, and everyone has their own methods. Also, please keep these matters confidential. Ordinary people can easily panic if they learn too much about demons and evil spirits. As long as the village is peaceful from now on, that's better than anything."

The old Daoist froze for a moment, then sighed and bowed deeply. He said nothing more.

He understood as well that compared with vague and intangible deliverance, truly removing the danger and protecting a village's peace was what truly mattered.

Yet as he looked at Xu Jin's youthful profile, reverence in his heart only deepened.

At such an age, with such cultivation and such decisive ruthlessness—the Demon Suppression Bureau truly hid crouching tigers and coiled dragons.