The two old donkeys soon left the county town, one following the other.
Chen Ji lowered his head, his expression grave.
He hadn't expected Shen Yi to actually agree to leave town, much less to bring him along, so unlike his usual self.
This should have been a good thing, but...
Chen Ji glanced back. Lord Shen was riding his donkey, flipping through a martial arts manual with one hand and reading it with great interest.
By past custom, before dealing with demons, the other party would send people like him to buy good wine and meat, calling it "proper etiquette."
Chen Ji had always felt bitter about this and despised the practice.
But today, he was heading there empty-handed, and instead he found himself growing worried. If they couldn't deal with those two demons, the several hundred farm households in Liuli Temple Village would likely be devoured before long.
"Why do you keep looking back? Focus on leading the way. Don't be jealous of this lord's handsome face."
Shen Yi finished skimming the manual and slowly closed it.
Two new lines had appeared on the panel.
[Cloud-Parting Long Fist (Not Yet Initiated)]
[Spirit Snake Eight Steps (Not Yet Initiated)]
One set of fist techniques, one set of light-footed movement techniques, and the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique he had learned earlier.
Those were all the martial arts passed down by the Demon Suppression Division Lieutenant.
If he could train all three techniques to the Minor Accomplishment stage, he would be capable of dealing with some lesser demons.
Shen Yi didn't waste time. He steadily poured the remaining demon lifespan into the movement technique he currently lacked most.
After all, no matter how sharp his blade was, he still had to be able to catch up with his target. 👺✊ 🎀👌
[You already have a deep foundation in martial arts and a strong physique. It took you only one year to initiate yourself into Spirit Snake Eight Steps]
[After three years, your movements had become increasingly elusive, and your light-footed technique reached Minor Accomplishment]
[Six years passed. Spirit Snake Eight Steps had become part of your instincts, and could be called Great Accomplishment]
[In the eleventh year, you moved like a phantom and struck without warning. Your light-footed technique was perfected]
[Remaining demon lifespan: twenty-five years]
Shen Yi felt the changes in his body and was somewhat surprised.
When lifespan was poured into martial arts, his progress apparently took his current physical condition into account.
As the saying went, one could draw on experience in one field to benefit another. An old martial artist obsessed with blade techniques would naturally learn other martial arts much faster.
He unconsciously adjusted his posture on the donkey and immediately felt much lighter, as if he could bound three or five zhang in a single step.
Unfortunately, he had no chance to test it now.
Shen Yi gathered his thoughts and poured the remaining demon lifespan into Cloud-Parting Long Fist, hoping to gain more insight into the Initial Realm while the martial art was being simulated.
However, this time, the results disappointed him.
[Though you were no good at fist and foot techniques, after eighteen years of honing your skills, you could still make your fists rumble like thunder and your palms crack stone. Cloud-Parting Long Fist reached Perfection]
[In the twentieth year, you made no progress at all and fell into confusion, feeling that you were wasting your time]
[In the twenty-third year, you began to doubt yourself. It seemed that once this fist technique was perfected, you had reached its end]
[In the twenty-fifth year, after years of contemplation, your mastery of fist and palm techniques improved, and your talent for them increased]
All the demon lifespan was exhausted, and its gains appeared on the panel. ♠🐳 👻👤
[Cloud-Parting Long Fist (Perfection)]
[Spirit Snake Eight Steps (Perfection)]
[Fist and Palm Mastery: Reduces the time needed to practice fist and palm techniques and increases the chance of gaining insights]
Besides two perfected martial arts, he had gained something like a talent. But the information he wanted about the Initial Realm was nowhere to be found.
He raised his eyes slightly. "If I've got the timing right, shouldn't the Demon Suppression Division be coming to inspect our county soon?"
At that, Chen Ji, who had been concentrating on leading the way, suddenly shuddered. A complicated look flashed in his eyes, but he didn't turn around. "Reporting to you, my lord, in about a month."
He understood that Lord Shen was reminding him.
The entire Baiyun County government was in cahoots. Their most urgent task was to get through the Demon Suppression Division's inspection and submit a report portraying the county as peaceful and prosperous.
If anything went wrong, at least half of them would have their heads hung up at the execution ground. The youngest and most handsome head would certainly belong to Lord Shen.
No wonder the other man had acted so unusually today. He'd been waiting for this moment.
If there was anyone in the government who hoped for the Demon Suppression Division Lieutenant to arrive, it could only be Chen Ji. He truly hoped... the imperial court would flay Shen Yi alive.
If Shen Yi hadn't been falsifying reports, the government couldn't have kept the news contained. The Demon Suppression Army should have taken over this place long ago and swept away all the demons in the area!
"A month?"
Shen Yi rubbed his temples.
According to his memories, he was only a minor official and had no standing to contact the Demon Suppression Division.
If he wanted access to more advanced martial arts, he could only wait obediently.
If he could fully enter the Initial Realm within a month, might he have a chance to join the Demon Suppression Division?
He still didn't have enough demon lifespan!
As his thoughts drifted, the two old donkeys stopped at the edge of the fields.
Shen Yi looked toward the dilapidated little shrine on the hillside. The statue was exposed and covered in straw, the altar had half-collapsed, and weeds had overrun the place.
The farmers couldn't even be bothered to worship the gods anymore. That was enough to show how deeply their hearts were filled with resentment.
"My lord, this way."
Chen Ji tied up the old donkey and pointed out the way.
The two hurried across the field ridge. A scattered group of ragged farmers stood in the distance, their faces gaunt and their eyes vacant as they watched them approach.
Once they saw the two men's clothes, they crouched back down. They didn't plead for justice or cry for help. They knew very well who had brought them this suffering.
"..."
Under the farmers' distant gaze, Chen Ji's still-youthful face showed a hint of shame.
When he saw Shen Yi's calm, indifferent expression, that shame turned to anger.
He adjusted his bamboo hat, hiding most of his face. "This is the household that was raided at night by Huang Pizi's descendants... You'll understand once you go inside."
Yellow Weasels weren't ordinary weasels.
Demons had their own powers, most of them bound by bloodlines. They established their own territories and declared themselves kings.
Different powers made different demands of Baiyun County. Some wanted fresh meat, some wanted beauties, and others simply liked precious treasures.
One pack of Dog Demons had the closest ties to Shen Yi.
The demon leading them was an old yellow-skinned dog who called himself Great King Huang Pizi.
"Open the door."
Shen Yi dipped his chin.
Chen Ji pushed open the wooden door. Inside the cramped little house, he saw a dark red scene that turned his stomach.
The room was dim. Dissected torsos were neatly piled on the table, and those that wouldn't fit had straw threaded through them and were hung from the rafters.
A Dog Demon sat on the edge of the bed, holding a thigh in its hands and chewing rotten flesh expressionlessly.
Its gaze was sharp, like a faithful watchdog guarding the house.
When it saw who had come, its eyes softened a little. "I wondered who it was. What brings you here?"
Shen Yi entered the house. As the foul stench hit him, he looked around.
Chen Ji had seen this scene before, but even on his second time in the room, his face twisted slightly beneath his bamboo hat. The hand gripping his sword hilt trembled violently, and he unconsciously drew the blade three inches from its sheath.
He was extremely talented. In just three years, he had trained the martial arts passed down by the Demon Suppression Division to Minor Accomplishment. He was fully capable of fighting this Dog Demon and would probably win, though at great cost.
The reason he had managed to suppress his murderous intent earlier and report back to the government was, first, his younger sister at home, and second, that he couldn't defeat the Yellow Weasel behind the Dog Demon. Acting rashly might bring even greater trouble.
"..."
Just then, a strong hand quietly reached over and pushed his blade back into its sheath.
Chen Ji came to his senses and stared at Shen Yi's profile, wanting to see how he would respond.
No matter how utterly depraved the other man was, surely seeing his own kind being eaten should affect him at least a little.
In his field of vision,
Shen Yi finally looked at the old dog. His eyes held neither sorrow nor joy. The corners of his mouth lifted, revealing a neat row of white teeth.
He smiled.
Seeing this, Chen Ji's heartbeat gradually slowed. He lowered his eyes in disappointment, unwilling to listen to the two of them exchange pleasantries.
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