Subduing Demon Yang-Blade

Shen Yi had always felt that the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique was no ordinary art.

His predecessor had mastered the Bone-Piercing Grappling Hand in just three to five years. Yet when it came to this blade technique, even with his full concentration, it had taken him eight years merely to reach minor mastery.

It had taken a full thirty-three years to reach perfection and grasp a trace of Radiant Light.

If he could fully capture that Radiant Light, its effects would surely surpass those of ordinary martial arts.

With a slight movement of his mind, he poured all ten years of demon lifespan into the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique.

[You continued honing your already perfected Demon-Subduing Blade Technique. Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, and that trace of Radiant Light grew clearer. Unfortunately, your aptitude was mediocre, and you simply couldn't figure it out.]

"..."

"That's it?"

Shen Yi felt his chest tighten. That had been a full ten years! Ten years spent with every distracting thought cast aside for the sake of his goal!

Even if he'd spent the time working on an assembly line and given up all entertainment, ten years would have been enough to earn a house in a small county town.

But poured into a martial art, it hadn't even made a ripple.

He'd already invested so much that he couldn't just give up, so Shen Yi decisively continued pouring in more.

[In the seventeenth year, you finally seized that trace of Radiant Light and began trying to record it in a manual.]

[In the twenty-seventh year, you exhausted every ounce of your energy to perfect it, then named it Subduing Demon Yang-Blade.]

[Remaining demon lifespan: thirty-six years]

"Creating my own martial art?"

A set of insights into a blade technique suddenly appeared in Shen Yi's mind.

Once he had absorbed them, he realized it wasn't what he'd imagined.

On the panel, a line of text had appeared after the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique.

[Initial Realm Subduing Demon Yang-Blade]

This wasn't an entirely new martial art, but something more like a derivative technique, so it had no proficiency level.

After a total of sixty years of honing it, he had despairingly realized that human strength had its limits.

No matter how proficient his blade work became or how relentlessly he trained his body, a mortal could never stand against true great demons.

So he had proposed a method: mobilize the blood essence within his body, refine essence into qi, then wield the qi through the blade in his hand.

"Initial Realm?"

Shen Yi looked at the prefix.

The last time he'd seen this term was in the prompt after killing the Dog Demon.

Awakened Dog Demon, not yet in the Initial Realm.

That meant this single Opening Sun slash had already touched upon a certain realm.

"If I keep deriving the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique, could I create a complete Initial Realm martial art, rather than just a single blade technique?"

Shen Yi closed the panel, excitement welling in his eyes.

But soon, he rationally restrained the urge to pour in all his remaining lifespan.

Clearly, creating one's own martial art was an effort that yielded half the result for twice the work. With the same amount of demon lifespan, investing in an existing martial art would surely be more effective.

He remembered that the Demon Suppression Division Lieutenant had brought more than one martial arts manual last time. He held a modest position at the county office, so getting his hands on them wouldn't be difficult.

"Better get some rest first."

After undergoing so many changes, his mind finally relaxed, and a deep wave of exhaustion washed over Shen Yi.

He had only just started to lie down when the father and daughter from the Liu Family brought him the hot water they'd prepared earlier. The little girl put his feet in the water and began earnestly kneading them with her rough little hands.

Shen Yi closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

It was his first time experiencing what it felt like to be waited on by someone else.

Judging by how timid the two of them were, he could start playing the role of a wicked landlord in this household today, and they wouldn't dare object.

But Shen Yi opened his eyes and simply said, "That's enough. Go on out. I'll leave after resting for the night."

He didn't let any other feelings show.

His predecessor's many misdeeds were still there. No matter how gentle Shen Yi acted, he would only leave the father and daughter with needless fear and anxiety.

Old Liu went blank at his words, doubt and disbelief rising in his cloudy eyes.

But he quickly came to his senses, tugged at his daughter, and nodded again and again. "Lord Shen, you're too kind. You can stay as long as you like. Just say the word if you need anything."

The two stumbled out with the basin and hurried into another room.

Liu Girl huddled by the window, unable to sleep all night. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Lord Shen's sinister grin; whenever she opened them, she saw the Dog Demon's corpse in the courtyard, its eyes still staring wide open.

She held on until the rooster crowed at dawn. Eyes bleary with sleep, she suddenly caught sight of a figure outside.

The young man wore a black constable's uniform. His tall, lean figure, the saber at his waist—he cut a dashing figure.

He slipped quietly out of the courtyard. As he left, he propped up the broken door the Dog Demon had torn down, managing to block some of the cold wind.

"Dad, Lord Shen's gone."

"Phew... gone? Good... phew..."

Dew dampened the morning air, and a faint mist curled over the streets.

Shen Yi emerged from the fog and stopped before a pair of stone lions.

Baiyun County Office.

He entered through the side gate with practiced ease and walked into the Constabulary Office.

The criminal division of the Baiyun County Office had seven or eight squads in all. Shen Yi was only the head of one small squad, with eight constables under him. His immediate superior was Song Changfeng, the criminal division's director.

He sat down at his own desk.

Shen Yi casually flipped through a couple of ledgers and found that he couldn't make head or tail of them.

This showed not only that he was poorly educated, but also, indirectly, that his predecessor hadn't cared a whit about his duties.

The Great Gan Dynasty had been plagued by demon attacks for years. Although the Demon Suppression Division had been established, it was always terribly short-handed.

Local government offices were usually the main force in dealing with demon attacks. The Demon Suppression Division would only take over a region completely once the situation had spiraled out of control, then conduct a sweeping purge of the demons.

The result was that the entire local government office would be stripped of rank and lose all control of the region.

It was under these circumstances that his clever predecessor had found an opening.

By negotiating with demons, he had kept Baiyun County seemingly peaceful and earned the trust of his superiors. He had also spared his subordinates from having to fight demons in earnest, reducing casualties and earning immense prestige.

He handled matters capably, and after a few years, he had quietly begun to look like Song Changfeng's successor.

Of course, not everyone was convinced.

Shen Yi's gaze swept over the empty Constabulary Office and the wine jars strewn around beneath the desks. He picked one up and fell silent.

Just then, a thin young man hurried in.

When he saw Shen Yi in the chair, disdain flashed through his eyes. He quickly composed himself, took off his bamboo hat, and revealed a handsome face. "This subordinate pays his respects to Lord Shen."

The newcomer was Chen Ji, the least senior person in the Constabulary Office, but not without a reputation.

The reason was his astonishing talent for martial arts. He had even once earned praise from a Demon Suppression Division Lieutenant.

Unfortunately, he was young and hot-blooded and had suffered plenty at the hands of demons. After a harsh reprimand from his superiors, he had been handed over to Shen Yi for discipline.

His parents had died young, and he had made his way in Baiyun County with his younger sister.

As luck would have it, his predecessor had also been a shameless womanizer.

The two had clashed openly and behind the scenes. In the end, Chen Ji had agreed to obey him, while Shen Yi had promised to leave his sister alone. That had at least kept things relatively peaceful.

Tsk, why did it feel like I'd already earned myself a death sentence?

Shen Yi rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought, until Chen Ji broke the silence.

"Lord Shen, this subordinate just returned from Liuli Temple. Something happened in the village."

Remembering his superior's earlier orders, Chen Ji hesitated, but still quickly explained, "You said we weren't to concern ourselves with anything outside the city for now, but this demon has broken the rules. It actually settled down in the village."

He spoke faster and faster, as though especially worried Shen Yi would cut him off. It seemed he'd been through this sort of thing many times before.

"I hope... Lord Shen can go and... negotiate..."

When he said the word "negotiate," a trace of humiliation crossed Chen Ji's face. Even so, he did his best to maintain a respectful tone, unwilling to anger the man.

After all, Shen Yi usually brushed off this sort of situation and never cared. To get him to make an appearance, you had to flatter him first.

"If I remember correctly, the Demon Suppression Division Lieutenant brought three martial arts manuals last time. You borrowed them, didn't you?"

Shen Yi stood and walked to the doorway of the Constabulary Office, then stretched with all his might.

"Huh?"

Chen Ji froze. Had Lord Shen not heard a word he'd said?

"Let me have a look." Shen Yi held out his hand.

Chen Ji took a deep breath, walked over to his desk, and pulled out three exceptionally well-preserved manuals. The veins stood out on the back of his hand.

He stood there for a long time, then finally handed them over, heart aching.

Given Shen Yi's habits, these precious Demon-Subduing martial arts manuals would end up propping up a table leg or being given as some novelty to one of his lovers for amusement. He certainly wouldn't bother reading them.

Shen Yi took the manuals and sauntered out.

Chen Ji was left standing there in a daze, his grip tightening around his saber.

That bastard Shen hadn't even asked about it. Did the lives of the people outside the city not count as lives?

Just then, someone suddenly leaned halfway through the doorway.

It was Shen Yi, who had turned back. He looked puzzled. "What're you standing around for? Show me the way."

(Finished)