Slaying Demons and Returning to the City

According to Shen Yi's assessment, the Wind and Thunder Demon-Subduing True Interpretation he practiced consisted of four stages.

These corresponded perfectly with the levels of the Initial Realm.

Three apertures marked the entry level, which was the early stage of the Initial Realm. His own five apertures meant he was at the middle stage, nearly twice as strong as the Yellow Weasel.

Yet, despite having the advantage of strength over weakness, the fight had still been an exhausting ordeal.

The reason for this was that he lacked the demonic arts the creature possessed. Facing its formidable defenses, he had been momentarily at a loss, forced to rely on brute strength and raw cultivation to crush it.

Shen Yi sighed. Cultivation was certainly important, but it would be best to have two or three trump cards up his sleeve.

The three martial techniques passed down by the Demon Suppression Division were already proving inadequate against true great demons.

He turned around. The villagers had already prepared two flatbed carts. The corpses were too numerous and heavy, so they had simply taken the heads, yet even then, they were piled into a small hill.

"What is this for?" Chen Ji asked, looking somewhat dazed.

"Returning to the city." Shen Yi walked toward the old donkey that was trotting slowly toward the crossroads and swung himself onto its back.

Having experienced this, he had thoroughly awakened.

Gaining a good reputation to join the Demon Suppression Division was not as simple as he had imagined.

The yamen would never sit idly by and watch him ruin their plans.

Since that was the case, he had to make a clean break.

Dusk fell over the vast landscape of Baiyun County.

Street vendors were busy packing up their wares, while a squad of soldiers stood guard at the city gate, yawning incessantly.

A foul stench suddenly wafted over.

The soldiers hurriedly covered their noses and mouths, while the vendors stood up straight, looking toward the city gate with curiosity. The next moment, a pile of terrifying wolf heads came into view—all of them ferocious and lifelike, their bloody maws wide open, their brows and eyes seemingly still etched with deep terror.

"Demons... demons have entered the city!"

The ladle in a vendor's hand clattered to the ground. He scrambled backward in a panic, tripping and falling flat on his face.

The soldiers instantly grew tense, hurriedly gripping their long spears.

The two villagers responsible for pulling the carts had originally been hunched over, their faces showing the curiosity and unease of those who hadn't entered the city in a long time. Seeing the pathetic state of the others, they couldn't help but straighten their backs.

"What kind of look is that? We were so scared by the demons we could barely walk, but we aren't afraid of a pile of dead corpses. They taste quite delicious, actually."

Chen Ji walked into the city, his expression complex.

Behind him, an old donkey chewed slowly on some forage. The handsome young man rode on its back, his gaze calm, yet the stench radiating from him made everyone tremble.

"Shen... is that Shen Yi?"

The soldiers held their spears, blinking in disbelief.

They were all too familiar with his face, but now, aside from his features remaining the same, his expression and temperament were worlds apart from the rogue he had been before.

"That god-forsaken pest, even in death he has to give me a fright."

The vendor also scrambled up from the ground in shame and anger, patting his clothes. He stole a glance at the young man on the donkey, feeling an inexplicable sense of shock.

Just how many demons must one kill to stain their clothes like that?

"Master Shen, please, right this way!"

He hurriedly cleared a path, secretly thrilled that he would have new gossip to share over tea.

How long had it been since anyone in Baiyun County had gone out of the city to slay demons?

And to do it on such a grand scale, no less!

"You have truly offended the yamen this time."

Chen Ji took in the expressions of the crowd and couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

He didn't quite understand why Master Shen, who had always been known for his "worldly wisdom," would suddenly commit such a reckless act.

Shen Yi lowered his eyes calmly and said slowly, "Did I have a choice?"

"You have the ability to slay demons, but there was no need to make it known to everyone. With your skills, you would have had a bright future..."

Halfway through his sentence, Chen Ji suddenly froze.

He remembered: the Demon Suppression Division inspectors were due to arrive soon. If they could present a peaceful and harmonious image of Baiyun County, his future would naturally be secure.

But the man had already offended the demons. When the time came, who could guarantee the yamen wouldn't push him out as a scapegoat?

If he waited for the Ape Demon and the Yellow Weasel to join forces and demand his head, it would be the same as placing his life in the hands of those corrupt officials.

Rather than that, it was better to make a scene and let everyone in the county know exactly what kind of person Shen Yi was.

Under the scrutiny of the Demon Suppression Division officers, who would dare claim they could silence the voices of over a hundred thousand commoners?

This wasn't recklessness at all; it was clearly the result of careful deliberation.

"Following you for two days, I feel like I've finally grown a brain."

Chen Ji shook his head helplessly, then held his head high, adopting an arrogant posture.

Seeing a group of bailiffs stumbling out of a tavern ahead, he deliberately leaned toward them with the two villagers and brought his scabbard down with a heavy thud.

"Get lost! Do you want a taste of the whip?"

Zhang Pengtian had never suffered such an indignity. Drunk, he turned around, ready to retaliate: "Damn it, which blind bastard..."

His eyes swept over Chen Ji, and just as he prepared to draw his blade, he noticed a cold gaze looking down at him from above.

"Shen... Shen..."

The courage he had wanted to show off in front of his brothers vanished without a trace the moment he saw the two carts of dog-demon heads, especially the Yellow Weasel's head piled at the very top.

Zhang Pengtian touched his slapped face and retreated, trembling.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand how the man had returned alive... he had to report this to Liu the Clerk immediately!

"That's enough. You take them to the yamen, and when you're done, find them a place to stay and a good meal."

Leaving the street, Shen Yi dug into his belt and tossed out a piece of broken silver: "You two have worked hard. This meal is on me."

"You're too kind, Officer!" The two villagers had seen the man's brutality while slaying the demons with their own eyes; they hadn't expected him to be so gentle, and they hurriedly nodded their thanks.

Only Chen Ji frowned, clutching the piece of silver, finding it strangely familiar.

After bidding them farewell, Shen Yi dismounted the donkey, stretched his body slightly to mask the fatigue in his eyes, and walked toward his home at a leisurely pace.

He had to admit, this was the most draining battle he had ever fought.

It wasn't just the physical exhaustion, but the depletion of the Heaven and Earth Breath within his apertures. It felt as if he had suddenly fallen from a celestial court into the mortal world; under the weight of such a massive drop, his spirit couldn't help but feel withered.

He stood still under the eaves of his thatched cottage.

To avoid seeing anything he shouldn't, Shen Yi reached out and knocked on the door.

Before he arrived, his voice came first.

"Why are you only back now? My stomach is almost shriveled from hunger." Despite the weak tone, her voice remained crisp and pleasant.

Hearing the response, Shen Yi pushed the door open and his brows furrowed slightly.

The shack, which had been filthy and chaotic just yesterday, was brand new today, making it hard to even step inside.

The woman's damp hair hung behind her, and her clean, small face was pretty and moving, the three parts of heroic spirit between her brows adding a unique charm.

She wore a black shirt that, while slightly oversized, accentuated her tall figure. Her thick trousers were half-wet, revealing the rounded, slender shape of her legs, and her pair of fair, delicate feet were pressed directly against the floor.

"I washed all the clothes, including your uniform. You'll have to borrow your old clothes for now."

Lin Baiwei said, suddenly raising her eyes: "Are you out on duty, or did you go soak in a pool of blood?"

Her nose twitched slightly, and her expression changed: "Demon blood?"

Shen Yi didn't respond. He simply looked away, pulled a lotus leaf package from his bosom, and tossed it onto the table: "Make do with this."

Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Lin Baiwei sensibly stopped asking. She sat at the table and expectantly unfolded the lotus leaf stained with demon blood.

"Oh! There's actually meat."

She picked up a strip of blood-stained salted pork, wiped it off slightly, and stuffed it into a cold, hard flatbread: "Nom."

"I told you to make do; you could at least pick the clean parts." Even Shen Yi couldn't help but rub his temples at this moment.

"Only someone like you who hasn't tasted hardship would be so fastidious. Out in the wilderness, no one cares if you starve to death."

Lin Baiwei chewed the bread, her face full of enjoyment, not forgetting to comment: "So delicious."

"..."

Shen Yi was speechless. The way she said that, it sounded as if he were the one raised in a wealthy merchant's family, while she was the one who had grown up on the streets.