Another Twist

As Butcher Zhang held forth with his eloquent chatter, this vast world of martial arts began to take shape in Shen Yi's mind.

The swordsman of Green Peak Mountain, possessing a hero's spirit and a tender heart, rode his horse across nine mountains and ten rivers, slaying a Bull Demon to rescue his beloved concubine; the family of twenty-some souls was finally reunited, and he spent three days and three nights in domestic bliss without stepping outside, his fame resounding throughout Qing Prefecture.

The master thief of Flat Sand Valley snuck into a prince's manor at night, drank the prince's favorite precious nectar dry, let it ferment in his belly, and then urinated it back into the jar, earning himself the nickname "The Borrower Who Always Returns."

The master of the Vajra Sect begged for two erotic paintings of court ladies, secretly hanging them on either side of the Buddha statue, which gave the visiting prefect quite an eye-opening experience; he was chased out of Qing Prefecture by the abbot wielding a monk's staff, eventually fleeing to Baiyun County...

Shen Yi wore a strange expression.

Butcher Zhang smacked his lips. "Regardless, I offended them, and they docked my martial arts medicinal supplies, so I had to make them feel sick before I left."

"Fair point."

Shen Yi looked toward the courtyard gate.

Throughout the entire morning, not a single outsider had come to the office.

Although he did not fear being held accountable, he was still unaccustomed to the matter of slaying Liu the Clerk passing by so lightly.

With nothing to do, he felt at ease.

Occasionally, he would chat with Butcher Zhang, and in his spare time, they would spar.

The man was a martial arts fanatic; even knowing that Shen Yi was far stronger than himself, he remained full of fighting spirit.

Shen Yi only used Cloud-Parting Long Fist and Spirit Snake Eight Steps to trade blows with him, and he had to admit, the gains were quite substantial.

Martial arts proficiency and actual combat experience could not be lumped together.

One must not only know how to execute one's own moves but also judge the reactions of the enemy.

Although the improvement was not as fast as gaining longevity by slaying demons, the area around Baiyun County was already in a state of panic, with no demons daring to invade. As far as Shen Yi knew, there were only two demon dens: Old Mother Green Scale and the North Cliff Fox Demon.

Among them, Old Mother Green Scale was a famous Jade Liquid Realm demon. If he went out of the city alone, it was hard to say whether he would be collecting longevity or throwing his life away.

He had also asked Butcher Zhang if there were any scattered minor demons.

He received a look of slight confusion from the man: "Even the ruffians mixing in the city know how to form gangs and divide territory, otherwise they can't snatch money. If you were a demon, would you let a strange demon stay on your turf to forage? You would either take them under your command or crush them to death."

"In such a situation, if one could truly survive alone, how could they be an unknown minor demon?"

"..."

Shen Yi temporarily abandoned this thought.

Whenever he had a moment of clarity, he would return to his room, using the excuse of getting water to slightly deduce his martial arts via the panel.

When the office closed, he would carry the vegetables and raw meat Chen Ji had bought for him and head home.

This cycle repeated, and in a blink, five days passed.

During this time, the entire office was so quiet it felt as if everyone had forgotten it existed, which made Chen Ji slightly uneasy.

Butcher Zhang, however, was very happy. No one coming to the door proved that no one was suffering from demon afflictions; he simply had the bailiffs patrol the streets more diligently and occasionally go to the countryside to check for any oversights.

"Today it's water bamboo and lettuce. Per your instructions, I had the butcher save two pounds of lamb ribs. This is the remaining money." Chen Ji returned from his patrol and placed the items on the table.

"Alright, go back. I'll lock up today."

Shen Yi collected the copper coins and looked at the notification on the panel, his mood brightening slightly.

The gains these past few days were not as great as the Four-Unity True Qi, but the consumption of longevity was also minimal.

First, he combined Spirit Snake Eight Steps with the Heart Ape to create a new footwork, and deducing it to perfection only cost thirty-seven years.

[Initial Realm White Ape Plays with Python (Perfect)]

Compared to Spirit Snake Eight Steps, this new martial art was not only faster but also provided a boost to short weapons; it was a very suitable Initial Realm martial art for him.

Of course, what Shen Yi looked forward to most was the Blood Baleful Blade Technique, which finally showed a reaction after he poured over fifty years into it.

[In the fifty-fourth year, you attempted to refine the Blood Baleful Intent into Sha Qi. This step was extremely dangerous, but fortunately, you had mastered a True Qi method to perfection. Using that as a reference, you vaguely touched upon that threshold.]

If the deduction succeeded, he would have "personally" created a Jade Liquid Realm martial art—one that he had polished for many years, tailored entirely to himself.

Unfortunately, his demon longevity was running low.

Shen Yi sighed and looked at the Wind and Thunder Demon-Subduing True Interpretation.

He estimated the problem lay with the Wind and Thunder Precious Scroll; he had only obtained the first half, then relied on the foolish method of self-mutilation to forcibly deduce a divergent path, using it to break through the Initial Realm, only to walk further and further astray on this path.

It was truly stupid in a profound way; over a hundred years of longevity poured in, and the result was still the words "requesting from heaven and earth."

He didn't even fear that heaven and earth would get tired.

[Remaining Demon Longevity: 185 years]

"I'll try again tonight, keeping a hundred years for emergencies."

Shen Yi dismissed the panel and left the office, carrying the lamb ribs.

During these days, he had tasted all kinds of delicious meat dishes, and his palate had become much more refined. His evaluation of Lin Baiwei's cooking had grown higher and higher, which was why he was willing to spend money on good meat.

He didn't even have much interest in the salted meat sandwiches Chen Ji brought back at noon.

Against the backdrop of the hot, home-cooked meals he had every day, those dry, flavorless flatbreads were hard to swallow, and the meat was far too salty.

"It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality."

Thinking of this, Shen Yi felt a slight pang of self-reproach, then quickened his pace.

Returning to his door, he pushed it open.

He did not see that familiar figure at the back door.

Shen Yi stepped inside, puzzled.

Suddenly, two arms reached from behind his waist, wrapping around him and clasping tightly over his abdomen.

The familiar white sleeves, the slender wrists, and a faint, lingering scent of her body wafted from behind him.

"Why are you only just back?"

Her exquisite face pressed lazily against Shen Yi's arm like a kitten, her moist eyes filled with a hint of feigned reproach. Her red lips parted slightly, exhaling like an orchid, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, yet sweet and alluring: "I missed you."

Shen Yi remained silent, lowering his eyes to slightly lift the lamb ribs in his hand.

Lin Baiwei pressed her heavy chest firmly against his straight back, not glancing at the ribs, but staring straight into his eyes. "Why aren't you speaking? What are you thinking about?"

Hearing this, Shen Yi casually let go of the lamb ribs, letting them thud onto the floor. His voice carried a hint of irritation: "I actually wanted to play along with you, but your acting is too poor. If I continue to pretend I don't know, it really makes me look stupid."

"And..."

"And what?"

Lin Baiwei widened her eyes, looking up with a beaming smile.

Shen Yi's brows furrowed slightly, and he said with disdain: "Your fox stench is offending me."

As he spoke, his five fingers landed on the black hilt at his waist. The blade, shimmering with dark light, instantly left its sheath, and a thick, bloody baleful aura poured out with the blade.

The sound of the blade was like the wailing of a vengeful spirit, chilling to the bone.

The woman's pupils contracted slightly, and she quickly retracted her arms.

But no matter how fast her reaction was, how could it compare to that dark blade? In an instant, the sharp blade energy tore through her sleeves and sliced open her fair skin.

This heavy, powerful strike was intended to cut this delicate body in half!

Until a crisp bell chime rang out in the room.

In Shen Yi's vision, two flickering copper bells appeared. As the bells chimed softly, the dark blade seemed to sink into a quagmire, stalling in mid-air.

(End of chapter)