第44章 初露峥嵘

The fox demon's figure flickered as she leaned against the head of the bed.

She clutched her arm with one hand, her eyes wide with lingering fear as she looked up, then sneered with a mix of shame and annoyance: "Fine, fine, fine. I thought the Lin family was just lying to me, but it turns out you really were the one who killed Yin Lang."

As she spoke, the fox demon suddenly threw back the quilt.

Lin Baiwei was revealed wearing only a thin undergarment, her fair shoulders exposed. Her pretty face was marred by several bruises, and the blood at the corner of her lips had dried into a crust.

Her gaze was unfocused, and she struggled to maintain her consciousness.

The fox demon gripped her neck, sharp nails digging deep into her skin, and hissed in a shrill voice: "I told you to sleep with this bitch, I told you to torture this bitch, I told you to get rid of this bitch! And here you are, learning martial arts from her instead!"

"You're quite the teacher, my dear Deputy General Lin! To so easily turn the dog I raised against me—I bet you've let her take plenty of liberties with you, haven't you?"

The two faces were identical, yet jealousy surged in the fox demon's eyes, making her expression appear somewhat hideous.

The moment that title was called out, a flicker of imperceptible panic crossed Lin Baiwei's hazy eyes.

A moment later, though weak, she still managed to squeeze out a faint smile: "You talk too much. That's enough; I'm still hungry."

Watching Lin Baiwei close her eyes, the fox demon's gaze gradually turned icy. She mocked, "As expected of someone with a backer, you can remain so calm even when fallen to such a state... Why bother putting on this act? I may not be able to kill you, but can't he?"

At these words, Lin Baiwei finally showed a reaction, silently pressing her lips together: "..."

The fox demon looked toward the side with disdain: "A creature bought off by a few small favors—do you really think she's kind? You pig-brained fool! Do you know that given her master's status, the mere fact that you dared to tie her up that day is a crime punishable by a thousand cuts?"

Shen Yi watched the copper bell in front of him quietly.

From start to finish, the fox demon's focus had never been on it, yet the object moved without a breeze.

Under the impetus of his perfected Blood Baleful Blade Technique, his black blade had been unable to cut down even another half-inch.

It was less like a weapon and more like the "protective artifact" he had imagined.

So, the demon arts of this world were actually miraculous to such a degree.

As expected of a renowned demon faction; just having a second-generation member pop out was enough to broaden his horizons.

"Are you even listening to me?" The fox demon waved a hand, summoning the string of copper bells back to her fingers, looking quite irritated.

"..." Even with her heart pounding in anxiety, Lin Baiwei couldn't help but twitch the corner of her lips. The man's indifference wasn't directed solely at her.

Shen Yi retracted his long blade and walked toward the two women.

"Stop right there! Don't move!"

Perhaps that last strike had been too ruthless, leaving behind a lingering shadow of fear.

Seeing him approach, the fox demon instinctively tightened her grip, and a trickle of crimson flowed down Lin Baiwei's neck, causing her to groan and frown.

The young man didn't seem to hear her, continuing his stride until he stood still right in front of her.

The fox demon looked at the indifference on his face and suddenly felt something was wrong.

The relationship between Shen Yi and Lin Baiwei did not seem as close as she had imagined. They were far from being devoted lovers, and even a brief master-disciple bond wouldn't warrant such behavior.

"If you don't care about her, why not just be quick and clean about it? I'll allow you to go to North Cliff to avoid the heat... and we can call the matter of Yin Lang settled..."

The fox demon hesitated for a moment, offering a condition the other party couldn't refuse.

Shen Yi had already offended the Demon Suppression Division; there was no turning back for him.

They were both grasshoppers on the same string. Those damned Demon Suppression Division lieutenants had already secretly infiltrated the county, and she was tired of playing around in the Lin family. It was time for this game to end.

Hearing this, Lin Baiwei silently opened her eyes to look at the young man. Her red lips moved as if to argue, but she felt powerless.

She had intended to reveal her identity once they were more familiar, but now that the fox demon had come to expose everything, given Shen Yi's cautious nature, no amount of explanation would make him believe her assurances.

As she thought this, she suddenly saw Shen Yi raise his hand.

Slap!

His long, powerful fingers imprinted themselves onto the fox demon's unsuspecting cheek.

A force far exceeding the Initial Realm erupted from his fingertips. The fox demon's seemingly delicate body was slapped over, and she was immediately grabbed by the back of the neck and smashed violently toward the door!

"If you don't dare to kill her, why put on such a tough act?"

Shen Yi rubbed his wrist and turned to look at her.

The fox demon lay on her side in disbelief, her features twisted. Long fur sprouted from her skin, her lips protruded, and she spat out a mouthful of broken teeth.

The casual toss had actually broken several of her ribs.

When she looked up again, her fox-like face was filled with malice: "You're dead... when I return to report this to Third Grand-Uncle, I will personally skin you alive..."

By provoking both the Demon Suppression Division and the North Cliff Fox Clan, the man had no path left to live in Qing Prefecture!

Lin Baiwei's small face was stunned as she looked at the tall, straight back in front of her.

She had thought... he would at least ask about her origins. After all, she had hidden the truth for so many days, fearing that once he knew everything, he would choose to burn his bridges and silence her.

Now that the truth was out, Shen Yi's fierce, decisive action was far from what she had imagined.

"..."

Lin Baiwei's tightly wound heartstrings finally relaxed for a moment. Her feigned calm smile faded; after all, it really hurt to smile when the corners of her lips were split.

She steadied her breathing and said in a hoarse voice: "Don't mind her, she's not quite right in the head."

As long as she remained in Baiyun County, the Third Grand-Uncle the fox demon spoke of would never easily set foot here; otherwise, he wouldn't have just sealed her acupoints and sent her back to the county.

Even the desire to kill her was merely this little fox acting on her own initiative.

Of course, Lin Baiwei didn't want Shen Yi to get too entangled with the fox demon.

With that protective copper bell artifact bestowed by her elder, even an ordinary Jade Liquid Realm martial artist couldn't keep her there without some fierce methods.

The previous strike hadn't endangered her life, and the fox demon hadn't reacted in time, which was why the bell hadn't triggered.

If the fox demon were truly forced to fight for her life and her ferocity was stirred...

Just then, Lin Baiwei suddenly saw Shen Yi walking forward.

She endured the pain and reached out to grab his sleeve: "I'm really fine, there's no need..."

Shen Yi turned his head and gave her a slightly strange look.

Under that gaze, Lin Baiwei pressed her lips together, suddenly feeling embarrassed. It seemed she had misunderstood something just like the fox demon.

"That's not what I meant, you... you are no match for her..."

The more she spoke, the more confused she became; she seemed to have lost her usual composure and wit.

"..."

The fox demon slowly pushed herself up, looking coldly at the two of them, and then raised the bell in her hand.

The bell rang crisply, and the air congealed.

Compared to before, under this active stimulation, her aura rapidly declined, but the effect of the copper bell was more than ten times stronger!

The fox demon couldn't understand why she and this woman used the same face and wore the same clothes.

Yet the other party was always so lucky. Even after running into the Third Grand-Uncle, she could still save her life; despite being taken away by the wicked constables, she remained a virgin to this day, without even a scratch.

Even at the moment her neck was about to be snapped, she could still squeeze out that annoying smile.

The jealousy in the fox demon's eyes grew, coalescing into resentment: "Even a bitch dog like you wants to side with her! If I can't kill her, I can at least kill you first!"

With two short daggers in hand, she lunged at Shen Yi amidst the crisp ringing of the bell.

Lin Baiwei felt her body stiffen, her expression changing slightly.

Even when she had encountered that Condensing Core demon, she had been able to maintain her composure, but now, a rare trace of panic appeared on her face.

Suddenly, she noticed Shen Yi gently shake off her hand.

In this void-like quagmire, the man could actually still move?

The next moment, strands of invisible aura gathered in the room, solidifying at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Like a sky full of flying swords, they hung in mid-air.

A chilling intent permeated the surroundings, the silence so profound it didn't feel like the mortal world.

The fox demon held her daggers, her expression dazed as she looked at the young man standing with his hands hanging at his sides.

Shen Yi stood quietly in place, his face pale, but his gaze as calm as an ancient well.

As his thoughts stirred, the fox demon felt herself locked in by his aura, as if someone had gripped her throat, making it impossible to breathe.

In an instant, countless strands of True Qi poured forth, smashing down upon the fox demon with full force!