Chapter 14: The True Explanation of Wind and Thunder Demon Suppression

He couldn’t sleep all night.

Shen Yi tossed and turned, barely enduring until dawn.

Even knowing Lin Baiwei’s major meridians had been sealed by the fox demon, let alone his current cultivation, even the former body’s drunken wastrel could easily slay her.

Moreover, he had pressed his saber beneath his arm, ready to draw at any moment.

But he still wasn’t used to having a living person behind him.

Second, Shen Yi truly didn’t believe Lin Baiwei’s fabricated martial arts, but he was certain she possessed at least a few legitimate skills.

The woman refused to tell the truth.

Shen Yi closed his eyes, feigning sleep, yet wrestled internally: could he extract information by force or by withholding food?

In the former body’s mindset, helping the government conceal the demon disturbances, merely fooling the Demon Suppression Office, letting the fox demon fully assume Lin family’s only daughter’s identity—then this woman could be dealt with however she pleased.

But Shen Yi couldn’t do that.

He intended to join the Demon Suppression Office; if the fox girl’s secret were exposed, he’d be buried in mud up to his pants, washed clean even by the Yellow River.

A young hero unjustly shouldering such a massive black mark—too unfair!

After much deliberation, Shen Yi saw only one solution: slash Lin Baiwei’s throat, bury her somewhere, and if the Demon Suppression Office discovered anything, deny everything—claim even he had been deceived by the fox demon’s illusions.

Since no one could testify against him, he might as well interrogate her for martial arts techniques on the side.

“… ”

His fingertips brushed the scabbard, gently gripping it.

Shen Yi slowly sat up from the bed, bloodshot eyes from sleepless nights, rising with a grim demeanor.

Hearing the noise, Lin Baiwei, leaning against the bedpost, blinked drowsily and wiped her mouth: “Is it morning?”

Shen Yi glanced at her, then walked straight out of the room.

Sensing the suppressed killing intent in his casual gaze, Lin Baiwei snapped awake, stammering: “Hey, I don’t snore… why so grumpy this early?”

About a cup of tea later.

Shen Yi, chewing a fried pancake, stood at the doorway and tossed in a grease-stained paper bundle without expression.

Lin Baiwei tore it open—it held several steaming hot buns.

She instinctively swallowed saliva, eyes gleaming, her neat white teeth biting in at once, chewing as she muttered: “How… no meat…”

Shen Yi pulled out a clean outer robe, glared at her: “Meat-filled ones are called jia mo. No money—make do.”

Though in both lives combined, he had never killed anyone.

But Shen Yi wasn’t afraid to act—he’d slain demons, let alone weaker mortals.

He simply found killing under such coercion pointless, making himself look like an idiot.

Besides, solutions weren’t limited to one.

As long as he could slay the Lin family’s fox demon before the Demon Suppression Office arrived, everything would be settled.

As for the woman before him, better to ignore her entirely.

Shen Yi changed clothes and left the room.

Once his footsteps faded, Lin Baiwei stopped chewing, gazing thoughtfully toward the door, clearly exhaling in relief.

She understood how terrifying a cultivator’s longing for transcendence became at Shen Yi’s level.

But even with a blade at her throat, Lin Baiwei would never reveal a single word.

It was a rigid rule set from above.

Violating it meant certain death for the other—and no good end for herself either.

“Even this she can endure—her stamina’s nearly matching mine.”

Lin Baiwei sniffed the aroma of the buns, licked her lips, and bit in again.

…

East Street, Baiyun County.

Shen Yi slowed his steps and summoned his interface.

【Current Martial Arts】

Bone-Grasping Technique (Mastery)

Demon-Suppressing Sword Art (Perfected): Initial Stage. Demon-Suppressing Yang Sword

Cloud-Pushing Long Fist (Perfected): Fist and Palm Proficiency

Serpent Eight Steps (Perfected)

Wind and Thunder Divine Scroll, Upper Volume (Perfected)

【Current Remaining Lifespan: Twenty-One Years】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: Two Hundred Twenty-Two Years】

…

He found an empty alley and sat down.

Shen Yi skillfully channeled the demon lifespan into the Wind and Thunder Divine Scroll.

For already-perfected arts, further investment yielded uncertain returns.

Merely unlocking the Initial Stage of the Demon-Suppressing Yang Sword consumed twenty-seven years of lifespan.

But what Shen Yi wanted now… was an entire treatise on the Initial Stage!

For that, he didn’t care how much he spent.

【Year One, you gaze at the Wind and Thunder Divine Scroll, already etched into memory, and recall your life…】

【Year Five, your sword and fist techniques have reached peak mastery; your body has been utterly refined by celestial essence, yet all past experience now proves useless.】

【Year Twenty, you enter seclusion, sensing the elusive energies that haunt your soul.】

【Year Thirty-Seven, the Wind and Thunder Divine Scroll is an alchemical method—refining yourself with essence. You realize the substances within medicine and those within heaven and earth are nearly identical; you seem to grasp something.】

…

Year after year of prompts flickered before his eyes.

Shen Yi could not truly feel the agony of years passing without gain.

Merely imagining himself in that plight sent chills down his spine.

【Year Sixty, you’ve grown as familiar with celestial qi as an old friend, yet you still cannot fuse it with your body. You turn your gaze to the saber beside you.】

【Year Eighty-Two, you’ve used the Demon-Suppressing Yang Sword countless times; each strike drains your blood and essence. Your once-refined body, worn down by years of self-consumption, begins to decay.】

In Year Ninety, you successfully revert yourself to an ordinary mortal—but still refuse to put down the saber.

【Year One Hundred Five, your flesh withers, nothing left to transform. You swing the familiar Yang Sword, collapse to the ground, trembling hands refusing to believe this is your body—you close your eyes.】

【Year One Hundred Six, a cool stream finally flows into your skin; your tense face finally breaks into a faint smile—you know you guessed right.】

【Year One Hundred Twenty, your theory is correct: since you cannot comprehend it, force your body to the brink of death and let instinct draw heaven’s gift. For years, you repeat this act, growing ever more familiar with how qi enters the body.】

【Year One Hundred Forty-Six, you finally perfect the entire process and record it in a scroll, naming it The True Explanation of Wind and Thunder Demon Suppression.】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: Seventy-Six Years】

…

Shen Yi clenched his teeth, sudden weakness flooding his entire body.

He braced himself with his hands, breath chaotic and feeble.

Yet the information flooding his mind made him ignore his physical state—his eyes glowed with intense excitement.

Just three monkey demon lives, and he gained the path to transcendence—with surplus to spare—what a windfall!

The The True Explanation of Wind and Thunder Demon Suppression, forged over a century of sacrifice, was not obscure.

The human body has three hundred and sixty-two acupoints.

Only twelve major ones are suitable for absorbing and storing celestial qi.

In the martial arts evolution, his actions had simply used the most crude method to identify these twelve acupoints and mastered the way to refine celestial qi through them.

(End of Chapter)