Chapter 112: The Simple Shen Yi

"You've all come from afar from Yushan Commandery — I hope your stay has been comfortable?"

Deng Jianyuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly looking at the three people in the courtyard: "If you're not comfortable, you might as well come to my place, and let me do my duty as host."

Hearing this, Deng Mingxu, who had originally been silently blaming Shenxu Ancestor for being too aloof — which had caused Miss Lin Rou to feel underappreciated yesterday, dragging him down with her —

now beamed with joy.

Laozu was going to take the initiative and help settle his betrothal!

Jiang Chengyun glanced over with some surprise, and only after a moment nodded: "Many thanks for the hospitality."

Deng Jianyuan smiled, his gaze sweeping over the three without lingering on any of them.

As if he didn't recognize Shen Yi, he dismissed the household members and turned to walk toward the depths of the great courtyard.

Once they reached the place,

Jiang Chengyun finally understood where the unease in his heart had come from.

He saw that there was actually another figure in a red dress standing in the courtyard.

Xiao Qiangwei was toying with a string of jade bracelets, and finding it boring, tossed them carelessly onto the stone table.

"Please, make yourselves at home."

Leaving those words behind, Deng Jianyuan silently walked into the house, then slowly closed the door.

Leaving only the three who knew each other staring wide-eyed at one another.

Shen Yi sat by the flower bed, took out his black blade and laid it across his knees, gently tracing the golden patterns on it.

"Coming out on business and bringing so many juniors along — can you really look after them all?"

The dust of yesterday was gone from Xiao Qiangwei's face, replaced by a few shades of mockery.

Lin Rou timidly reached out: "Sister Xiao, I was just passing by."

In such a small courtyard, two Silver Bell demon-hunters had gathered at once — it was truly impossible to relax.

Thinking of this, she glanced sideways at Shen Yi in the distance.

They were both young, and the other's experience was even shallower than her own — why did he look so calm?

"At least it's better than you going off to a brothel to fish for old men."

Jiang Chengyun clearly had no mind for bickering; he found a room and slammed the door shut.

Xiao Qiangwei gave a cold laugh, uninterested in dealing with the remaining two juniors, and likewise turned and went back inside.

Bang.

In such a tense atmosphere, Shen Yi lifted his gaze toward the room belonging to the Deng family's Laozu.

The guess he had raised earlier on the road resurfaced in his mind… where exactly had this information come from?

Putting himself in the other's shoes — if it were his own child's trial, at most he'd say a few words at home and be done with it; would he really go out and proclaim it far and wide?

But having just arrived, let alone Jiang Chengyun and Xiao Qiangwei, even an ordinary demon-hunter like Lin Rou wouldn't take his words to heart.

Just as he'd said on the road, even if it were false, they absolutely wouldn't let it slip by.

As a local power in Yong'an City, would the Deng family's Laozu know things even demon-hunters weren't aware of?

Recalling yesterday, the old man's abrupt act of giving last instructions.

Perhaps it wasn't because he held any particular view of him — it was simply that Jiang Chengyun and Xiao Qiangwei were too strong, he couldn't bring himself to speak with them, and he didn't want to throw the Deng household into panic.

It so happened that there was a him, meat without wine, and the old man had simply come over to sit.

If that were the case,

then the whole affair seemed very off.

Knowing full well two great experts were at his side to help, and the old man was no greenhorn fresh out of the gate — why would he lose his nerve before the fight, even giving rise to thoughts of death in advance?

Thinking of this, Shen Yi silently tightened his grip on the hilt.

Originally he'd thought that if there truly was no chance, he'd just tag along and learn, to make things easier in the future — but now it seemed… perhaps not.

……

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and night had fallen once more.

Deng Jianyuan had not stepped out of his room since that day.

Yet Jiang Chengyun and Xiao Qiangwei had not relaxed their vigilance, still watching him as if he were a thief.

People of the imperial court harbored a natural distrust of martial men of the jianghu — this too was the survival rule they had summed up at the cost of countless lives.

Lin Rou was clearly getting bored from sitting around; she tried several times to chat with Shen Yi, only to find he didn't seem to be a mere bystander purely watching the show, like herself.

"Hey, how about we pull out first — they won't split the credit with us anyway."

"……"

Before Shen Yi could reply, the silver bell at his waist suddenly trembled violently.

A wisp of qi slipped into his ear.

The message within was… nothing at all.

At the same time, Jiang Chengyun and Xiao Qiangwei flung open their doors and stepped out, their expressions shifting slightly, a hint of excitement on their faces.

After roughly three breaths, a second message came through the silver bell.

This time there was finally a voice, though somewhat muffled and unclear, as though the speaker hadn't yet swallowed their saliva, and the tone was exceedingly faint.

"Mountain Lord…"

Before the words had faded, Deng Jianyuan finally pushed open his door and slowly walked out.

The old man's face was calm as he stared steadily at Jiang Chengyun.

"Tch."

He shook his head, then suddenly stepped forward, his body gliding like a flying swallow over the rooftops, making no attempt to conceal his aura, and in an instant landed at the great hall.

The two Silver Bell demon-hunters followed at the same time.

The Patriarch's sudden movement clearly alarmed the Deng family; crowds surged out from courtyards everywhere, filing one after another toward the main hall.

Lin Rou looked at the small bell in her hand, her countenance growing solemn.

It wasn't that she cared about a colleague's death; after all, such things were far too common. She simply hadn't expected that great demon, already comparable to a Nascent Core Realm peak, would dare risk being hunted by General Tingyang of Tingyang Commandery to step into Yong'an City at the cost of its life.

As if realizing something, she looked up in alarm: "Oh no! It's on the verge of breaking through, wanting to devour a few more human elixirs to become a Demon Lord of the Embracing Elixir Realm!"

What a damn Mountain Lord trial; this was clearly a feast it had prepared for itself.

"So close, so close."

Lin Rou patted her chest, shivering with cold fear: "Luckily it was Sister Xiao and Boss Jiang who came. If two ordinary Nascent Core Realm experts had been sent instead, it would have succeeded today."

She instinctively glanced to the side, only to find the man in black robes who had been sitting there was now gone without a trace.

Deng Family Main Hall.

A crowd of bewildered family members huddled together, staring at the Patriarch who had not acted in years.

They saw the "Lin Family guards" and the "courtesan" brought back by the master blocking him on left and right.

Jiang Chengyun frowned and gave the order: "Come with me."

If the target was the Mountain Lord, they could not afford to miss even a shred of assistance.

This old man might not have detailed information, but leveraging his advantage as a local, he must have guessed something. The Demon Hunters feared he would run, yet he too feared the Demon Hunters would be scared away prematurely.

Their thoughts had coincidentally aligned.

"No, no."

Deng Jianyuan chuckled, like a mischievous child: "An old man must first protect his family; even if the imperial court arrives, they can find no fault."

Just as their expressions changed, he suddenly altered his words: "Unless you find someone to watch them for me... how about him!"

Deng Jianyuan pointed into the crowd.

Shen Yi held his scabbard, standing silently inside the room.

Unexpectedly, before Jiang Chengyun could speak, Xiao Qiangwei transmitted a message via the silver bell first: "Ignore him. After we leave, if you encounter danger, do as you see fit."

Demon Hunters are not the Zhen Mo Si; they have no duty to protect Shen Yidi.

"Let's go."

Jiang Chengyun hesitated no longer, grabbed Deng Jianyuan, and leaped out of the Deng family compound.

A great demon comparable to a Nascent Core Realm peak was far more attractive than a few tiger cubs.

Once the three vanished from the spot, the remaining Deng family members finally snapped out of their bewilderment. Deng Mingxu saw Lin Rou rushing over from afar and hurried to meet her: "Miss Rou, what exactly is happening?"

Lin Rou helplessly shook off his hand: "What's happening? Demons are coming to eat you."

Two silver bell Demon Hunters have gone to deal with the Mountain Lord; three tiger cubs remain. If even one of them is of the Nascent Core Realm, wouldn't they be able to hunt the city's Demon Hunters and martial artists at will?

If not now, then when?

With that thought, she hurriedly beckoned to the foolhardy youth: "Retreat first!"

With the Deng family Patriarch absent, only a handful of Jade Liquid Realm martial artists remain; they will inevitably become targets for the tiger cubs.

As her words faded, Shen Yi, as if he hadn't heard, stepped forward to the main seat, casually brushed off his clothes, sat down, placed his black-bladed sword on the table, and lightly rested his hand upon it.

Xiao Qiangwei's warning was actually unnecessary. The Deng family Patriarch was no fool; did he not know that after he left, no one in the vast Deng family could possibly hold him? It was likely he simply didn't want him involved in the great demon affair.

It was also a favor. If he was willing to take a few of them away, it would be better than simply fleeing.

"Why does no one in this group speak the truth?"

The Mountain Lord released news early, intending to use human elixirs to break through a realm.

The Demon Hunters used the noble families as bait, wanting to lure the demons back to exchange for merit.

Deng Jianyuan prepared to face death, turning the plan against itself by leaving the Demon Hunters to guard the city for him...

I am the simplest of all.

Simply wanting to kill demons.

(End of this chapter)