Chapter 109: The Silver Bell Demon Hunter Is Online

The room was silent and still.

Shen Yi put down his chopsticks and raised his cup in casual response.

He didn’t bother with empty pleasantries about not being formal; with a man of such blunt character, some things had to be spoken out before his heart could feel at ease.

“Huh—”

Zhang the Butcher sat back down at the table, a smile now on his face.

This time, the Golden Body Sect had crushed his dignity into the dust.

Honestly, with the strength he had now, even if he sacrificed his life, what could he truly do to help?

Yet Brother Shen still treated him exactly as before, no different from when they were in Baiyun County.

“I plan to take this child away from Qingzhou City for a while, to stay in a small county town for some time. Once we arrive, I’ll have someone send you a letter.”

Shen Yi’s rise was now swift and strong, and he had publicly stood up for Zhang the Butcher; anyone remaining in the city who wished to curry favor with him and forge a connection with Lord Shen was countless.

But the brute saw deeper: these honors were not meant for him, and where there were those eager to flatter, there were also those who wished to harm Shen Yi. With his own weak strength, he would easily become a vulnerable point others could exploit to attack Shen Yi.

“Watch your safety.”

Shen Yi nodded, glancing sideways at Fang Heng: “Why are you staring at him like he’s your father?”

“...”

Fang Heng rolled his eyes and sat down as well. If his own parents had seen things so clearly, they wouldn’t have clung to that tiny shop, ending up slaughtered by demons, leaving only his grandmother and him to rely on each other.

Seeing Zhang the Butcher and the boy’s relief after escaping death, he simply felt a moment of emotion.

The Regional Commander was a good master, but hardly a proper elder.

“Grandmother says I’ve changed a lot lately, and she wants to thank you in person.”

Fang Heng sighed. He’d changed so much because since meeting this man, his arm had never healed properly.

Unable to fight others, his temper had naturally grown much more restrained.

“Tomorrow.”

Shen Yi suddenly realized that since he’d begun knowing more people, this world now had someone who actually cared for him.

The feeling was surprisingly pleasant.

All three drank only a few sips before returning to their rooms to rest; in this demon-ravaged age, getting thoroughly drunk was a luxury.

The next day.

Zhang the Butcher rose early and left. Before departing, he left no words, only bowed deeply toward Shen Yi’s door, taking the child with him.

In the morning, Fang Heng walked in carrying two bags of tangerines.

Shen Yi packed away the entire set of uniform worn by his personal deputy commander into the Silver Bell, donned a black long robe he’d brought from Baiyun County, and stepped out the door.

“You’re planning to leave again?” Fang Heng looked at his attire and seemed to realize something.

Aunt Qian had indeed given Lord Shen the bell.

This hurried, restless manner—Fang Heng had seen it only in one other person.

“I can’t stay in the city forever. Just going out for a stroll.”

Shen Yi stepped toward the courtyard gate.

He’d been carrying half of the Numbing Elixir Body Refinement Scripture, never using it—it was driving him mad with impatience.

The two soon arrived at the Regional Commander’s residence.

This was his second time stepping into this place, yet his mindset was utterly different from last time.

Now, standing here, others would assume he was here on official business—not because he’d climbed someone’s coattails.

“Little Yang, just wait a bit longer—I’ll introduce you to a young man.”

“Oh no… Auntie… I just came to deliver Fang’s salary. I’m not looking for anyone right now.”

“Just take a look at him first.”

“I’ve got things to do…”

Inside the courtyard, several voices exchanged words; the girl sounded somewhat exasperated.

As the two stepped into the courtyard, she turned her head, her gaze sweeping past Fang Heng and landing on the tall, slender figure in the black robe.

“Uh.”

Little Yang instinctively sat back down on her stool: “Suddenly, I’ve got nothing to do.”

Fang Heng glanced at her and said coolly: “Go attend to your duties.”

“It’s not really that busy… hey—don’t pull me—Lord Shen! It’s me! I’m the one who picked that cultivation technique for you last time!”

Fang Heng walked over, yanked her up, and didn’t let go until she’d shuffled out of the courtyard, still glancing back at Shen Yi with wide, fixed eyes.

“You brat, can’t you be a little more polite?”

The old woman gave him a light slap, then smiled warmly at Shen Yi: “You’ve come.”

“Yes, I came to see you.”

Shen Yi nodded, surprised that the woman’s constant talk of introducing a girl had actually been serious.

“Sit down, I’ll cook you something.”

Elders loved to chatter and knew nothing of cultivation—they asked only about daily life, family matters.

Shen Yi didn’t find it annoying. He sat in the courtyard and answered her questions earnestly.

Only in moments like this did he feel a faint sense of returning to his past life.

Soon it was noon, and again, plain porridge and simple dishes were placed on the table—this time, a special bowl of braised pork had been prepared just for him.

“You helped me teach that fool a lesson—he’s become much more well-behaved. Eat more. Next time, hit him harder.”

Shen Yi picked up his chopsticks and, under the old woman’s eager gaze, had just lifted a piece of meat.

The silver bell at his waist suddenly trembled.

He kept his expression unchanged, let the half-fat, half-lean morsel melt slowly on his lips, savored it carefully, then smiled: “Your cooking is excellent.”

“Is it? Then eat more,” the old woman beamed.

“Maybe another time.”

Shen Yi quickly finished his bowl of porridge, rose with a slight apology, and bowed to take his leave.

Fang Heng sensed something and looked up: “Lord Shen, be careful.”

The daily dangers faced by the Town Suppressing Corps captains were less than one-tenth of those faced by demon hunters.

“It’s fine. You young people are busy—go on, go. Come back often when you have time.”

After Shen Yi left, the old woman’s smile faded. She sat back at the table and slapped Fang Heng again: “What are you messing around for? Such a good young man—if he had a wife waiting at home, would he be pushing himself to the brink like this?”

“You can’t just pick anyone randomly,” Fang Heng muttered, unusually defending himself.

“That’s true,” the old woman mused, then suddenly grinned: “Your senior sister is quite similar to him.”

“You mean Sister Lin?” Fang Heng blinked, then nodded slightly—it did make sense.

“No, the prettier one,” the old woman winked, whispering: “Both seem cold and aloof, but inside, they’re warm-hearted. Why don’t you help bring them together?”

Hearing this, Fang Heng shuddered violently and waved his hands frantically: “Stop it, Grandma! Lord Shen only seems cold—he just doesn’t talk much. Sister Jiang? Totally different! You’ve got it all wrong!”

Seeing his grandmother still unconvinced, he glanced around.

Lowering his voice, he said: “Brother You told me Sister Jiang survived a demon attack as a child. She crawled out of a pile of corpses alone. When she met Master, she had only one companion—a golden-furred macaque, also orphaned by demons. They kept watch for each other at night, shared a single wheat cake, and still kept their spirits up after surviving.”

“Too bad she met Master.”

Fang Heng sighed: “Master took her and the macaque to a courtyard nearby and cared for them.”

“Isn’t that good?” the old woman asked curiously.

“Good?” Fang Heng lowered his head, picking at pickled vegetables half-heartedly: “Master taught them both martial arts—the macaque learned the saber, Sister Jiang learned the sword… That macaque’s entire clan had been slaughtered by monkey demons; it fled for its life. Their bond was forged in death.”

“Just a few months later, the macaque reached the beginner stage. Master gave it a magic saber and sent it out to train.”

“Not long after the monkey left, Master called Sister Jiang over and said the macaque carried deep rage. Its first act on this journey would be to return and seek revenge—its journey would take no more than a month.”

“In one month, if it breaks through the initial realm, he’ll take Sister Jiang to rescue it.”

The old woman stared: “Did it succeed?”

“Of course it failed,” Fang Heng said, his eyes filled with helplessness. “Sister Jiang slept only two hours a day, yet still fell just short.”

“Of course, none of that matters.”

Fang Heng waved his hand, exhaling deeply: “What I want to say is, since then, Sister Jiang has never asked about the macaque again—not even where it went. She completely let go, determined to become Qingzhou’s sharpest sword. It’s not what you think—cold outside, warm inside…”

“It’s that she truly doesn’t care about anything at all.”

(End of Chapter)