Chapter 11: Initial Stage: Subduing the Demon with the Zhengyang Blade

"I came today just to see the wife you found for us, but I happened to catch the stink of those dirty dogs, so I came in to take a look."

"Don’t worry—you’re efficient, and we’re still satisfied with you."

The old ape glanced at Shen Yi, then leaned close to Song Changfeng’s face: "But your rank is too low—you’re still ordered around by such mediocrities. It’s unbearable. Today I’ll kill him for you, and help Brother Shen climb a little higher."

"I didn’t kill the dog demon..." Song Changfeng’s eyes bulged, his eyeballs nearly popping out as he shrieked: "I’ll resign my post right now... don’t kill me... Shen Yi! I’ve never provoked you! Why are you doing this?!"

Seeing his state, the three ape demons burst into laughter.

The laughter was shrill and grating, stirring irritation in Shen Yi, whose voice grew cold: "Let him go."

At these words, the old ape’s expression changed instantly.

Though it called him “Brother Shen,” that was merely mockery—in their eyes, Shen Yi was nothing but a obedient, well-behaved lackey.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone out of their way to give him this kind of intimidation.

When did a lackey get to issue orders here?

The old ape bared its pale yellow fangs, its anger subsiding as it regarded Shen Yi with morbid curiosity: "And if I let him go—what’s in it for me?"

It had no intention of truly releasing Song Changfeng, but it was genuinely curious what grand performance this man-beast was putting on today.

Hearing this, Shen Yi lowered his gaze to the old ape, thought for a moment, then relaxed his brow as if offering an offer it could not refuse:

"Let him go, and you’ll die more easily."

At these words, the room fell utterly silent.

The old ape’s eyes slowly filled with murderous intent: "Interesting. What if I don’t let go?"

Shen Yi raised his head, earnestly: "I’ll flay you down to a skeleton."

Before the ape demons could react, Song Changfeng’s eyes widened in terror, his teeth grinding so hard he nearly shattered them.

He finally understood—this man of the Shen family had never intended to let him leave alive!

Flay him into a skeleton? Who’s flaying whom?

The apes of Dongshan weren’t like the yellow weasels of the western suburbs—dog demons breed in droves, good and bad mixed together; the weaker ones could be subdued by seven or eight constables.

But apes—there have always been only five.

Aside from the ancient demon, long unseen, the four brothers beneath it were each elite warriors; with so few in number, they could hold their own against the weasels.

And now, three of the four brothers had come!

Indeed, upon hearing Shen Yi’s words, the robed old ape’s gaze turned utterly cold.

It made no mocking sound, nor did it need to roar to intimidate its enemy.

The old ape merely tightened its grip, its sharp claws sinking into Song Changfeng’s forehead, crushing his skull with a crunching sound, as if it would burst open like a ripe watermelon.

It stared coldly at Shen Yi beside it, hoping this head would teach him how to speak properly.

At that moment, the old ape’s eyes flickered with confusion—then erupted into fury!

It saw Shen Yi wasn’t even watching its hands—he turned and walked toward the door, stopping before the two confused ape demons.

He studied them briefly, then chose the one who had broken in and killed earlier.

Immediately, Shen Yi raised his hand and, before the ape demon could react, slammed it hard onto the back of its skull!

With immense force, the ape demon collapsed, its entire face sinking into shattered floor tiles.

The other ape demon finally snapped back to reality, opening its mouth to emit a piercing shriek—yet even in this panic, it kept its composure.

Its arms, far longer than a human’s, swung in a perfect arc through the air; its black-furred claws curled into fists, plummeting like a thousand-pound weight straight toward the youth’s spine!

This was no longer instinctive violence—it was a highly refined martial technique.

Its left arm coiled, ready to deliver the fatal strike after breaking the spine.

"..."

Shen Yi bent over, pressing one ape’s skull, and just as the claw was about to crush down, his other hand casually blocked it.

The black-furred claw, capable of shattering a spine with ease, was effortlessly slapped aside the moment it struck his arm—its thousand-pound force instantly shattered.

Then Shen Yi’s slender fingers clamped around its throat, applying slight pressure—crushing its cervical vertebrae.

Throughout, he never once looked back.

His calm gaze fixed on the ape’s head in his palm; each time it struggled, his grip tightened further.

"Aaaoooh!!"

The robed old ape’s grip faltered—it couldn’t comprehend how someone so familiar could perform actions so utterly beyond its understanding.

But the death of one brother shattered its reason.

Instinctively, it tried to use Song Changfeng to command Shen Yi to stop—but before the words left its mouth, it stared at Shen Yi’s utterly expressionless face and realized.

The one in Shen Yi’s hands was its own brother; the one in its own hands... meant nothing to Shen Yi.

It roared in fury, kicking Song Changfeng away, then leapt over the table: "Stop!"

A shriek and a muffled explosion sounded simultaneously.

Shen Yi withdrew his hand, shaking off the red-white viscous substance clinging to his fingertips.

He turned his head toward the figure hurtling through the air, his hand resting calmly on the hilt of his waist sword, preparing to draw—when his movement suddenly slowed.

In the robed ape’s bloodshot eyes, black mist surged upward; then, from its fur, more black mist emerged, forming a chain in an instant.

The black mist chain exuded eerie cold, writhing like a dragon as it lashed toward Shen Yi!

"..."

Shen Yi frowned slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes—this was the first time he’d seen what was called demonic magic.

The eerie cold was biting, as if freezing the body solid, and seemed to even corrode the mind.

He had assumed that after completing the mortal realm, nothing below the Initial Stage could threaten him—he hadn’t sensed anything transcendent in these three ape demons.

But now, for the first time, he felt genuine trouble.

In that moment, his draw changed—not swift and fluid as before, but far slower now.

His entire bloodline surged, the heat palpable even through his skin.

The blade emerged inch by inch, its silver sheen coated in a faint red mist, flowing like blood.

Suddenly, the blade swept through the air!

The robed ape demon’s eyes widened—it saw the youth just three feet away, close enough to tear his face apart—but its sharp claws trembled, unable to extend even an inch.

Confused, it looked down.

Its robe had been cleanly severed; from waist down, two thick, powerful legs thudded to the ground—yet it was still mid-leap.

"Clang."

Shen Yi sheathed his blade and stepped over the two severed ape limbs.

(End of Chapter)