Chapter 21: Return from Demon-Slaying

According to Shen Yi's judgment, the Wind and Thunder Subjugation of Demons True Scripture he cultivated had four stages.

These perfectly corresponded to the initial realm.

Three orifices marked entry—the early stage of the initial realm; his five orifices meant mid-stage initial realm cultivation, nearly double that of the weasel demon.

With strength overpowering weakness, he still fought so hard.

The reason was simple: he had no demonic arts like his opponent, and faced with its formidable defense, he was momentarily at a loss, forced to rely solely on brute force and cultivation to crush through.

Shen Yi sighed; cultivation was certainly serious, but it would be best to have a few secret techniques at the ready.

The three martial arts passed down by the Zhen Mo Si were already growing weak against true great demons.

He turned around; the villagers had already prepared two carts. Too many corpses, too heavy—they'd cut off only the heads, yet even so, they piled into a small mountain.

"What are you doing?" Chen Ji was bewildered.

"Huicheng." Shen Yi walked toward the slow-approaching old donkey at the crossroad, mounted it.

After this incident, he had fully awakened.

Gaining a good reputation to join the Zhen Mo Si was not as simple as he'd thought.

The government office could not sit idly by and watch him ruin their plan.

If so, then a clean break was necessary.

…

Dusk stretched vast over Bai Yunxian.

Street vendors hurriedly packed up their wares; a squad of soldiers yawned as they guarded the city gate.

Then a stench rolled in.

Several soldiers immediately covered their noses and mouths; the vendors straightened their bodies, curious, gazing toward the gate—next moment, a horde of terrifying wolf heads filled their vision, each with grotesque faces, lifelike, jaws wide open in snarls, brows and eyes still thick with lingering terror.

"Demons… demons entered the city!"

The vendor's spoon dropped; he stumbled backward in panic, falling flat on his back.

The soldiers tensed instantly, gripping their spears.

The two villagers pulling the carts, originally hunched and bearing the nervous curiosity of those long out of the city, saw the soldiers' panic and instinctively straightened their backs.

"What kind of look is that? We were terrified by demons, couldn't even walk—but we're not scared of a pile of dead corpses. They taste delicious."

Chen Ji walked slowly into the city, expression complex.

Behind him, an old donkey chewed fodder slowly; a handsome youth rode atop it, eyes calm, yet the stench seeping from his body made everyone shudder.

"Shen… is it Shen Yi?"

The soldiers held their spears, blinking in disbelief.

They knew his face too well—but now, aside from his features unchanged, his expression and aura were utterly unlike the ruffian he'd been before.

"Damned pest, even dead you still scare me."

The vendor also scrambled up, embarrassed and angry, brushed off his clothes, stole a sidelong glance at the donkey-riding youth, and felt an inexplicable shock.

How many demons must he have killed to stain his clothes like this?

"Lord Shen, this way, please!"

He quickly cleared a path, secretly thrilled—now he had fresh gossip for tea and meals.

How long had it been since Bai Yunxian sent anyone out to subdue demons?

And especially with such a grand display!

"You've definitely offended the government office completely."

Chen Ji took in the crowd's expressions and let out a bitter smile.

He couldn't understand why Lord Shen, famed for his "social finesse," had suddenly acted so recklessly.

Shen Yi gazed down calmly and spoke softly: "Was there a choice?"

"You have the power to slay demons, but no need to make it known to all. With such skill, your future is bright…"

Mid-sentence, Chen Ji froze.

He remembered: the Zhen Mo Si inspectors were coming soon. If Bai Yunxian could present itself as peaceful and harmonious, his future was assured.

But the man had already angered the demons—when the time came, who could guarantee the government office wouldn't sacrifice him as a shield?

If the monkey demon and weasel demon came demanding his surrender, it meant placing his life and fortune in the hands of those corrupt officials.

Better to make a spectacle, let the entire county know exactly who Shen Yi was.

Under the Zhen Mo Si Captain's investigation, who could claim to silence the voices of over a hundred thousand people?

This wasn't recklessness—it was the result of deep deliberation.

"I've followed you two days—I'm almost growing a brain."

Chen Ji shook his head helplessly, then straightened his posture, assuming a lofty air.

As he saw a group of clerks stagger out of the tavern, he deliberately steered the two villagers toward them, raising his hand to strike with the scabbard.

"Get out of the way! Want a whipping?"

Zhang Pengtian had never endured such humiliation; drunk, he turned to retaliate: "Fucking who the hell—"

His eyes swept over Chen Ji, about to draw his blade—when he noticed a cold, looking-down gaze fixed upon him.

"Shen… Shen…"

The courage to save face before his comrades vanished the instant he saw the two carts piled with demon heads—especially the weasel skull stacked highest.

Zhang Pengtian rubbed his stinging cheek and retreated, trembling.

He simply could not fathom how the man had survived… he must report to Liu Dianli at once!

…

"Alright, take them to the government office, find them lodging after, and treat them to a good meal."

Leaving the street, Shen Yi rummaged in his belt and tossed out a silver coin: "You two worked hard—this meal's on me."

"Sir, you're too kind!" The two laborers had witnessed his brutality when slaying demons; they hadn't expected him to be so gentle in daily life, and quickly bowed in thanks.

Only Chen Ji frowned, clutching the silver coin, finding it strangely familiar.

He bid farewell to the group.

Shen Yi dismounted the donkey, stretched his body slightly, masking the weariness in his eyes, and walked slowly toward home.

Undeniably, this was his most exhausting battle yet.

Not just physically, but also the dryness of his meridians' Qi—leaving him as if suddenly cast from the Celestial Court into the mortal world, the immense drop draining his spirit.

He stopped beneath the thatched eaves.

To avoid seeing something he shouldn't, Shen Yi knocked on the door.

His voice arrived before he did.

"Why are you back so late? I'm starving." Though her voice was weak, it remained clear and sweet.

Hearing the reply, Shen Yi pushed open the door and immediately frowned slightly.

The tiny hut, yesterday filthy and disordered, was now spotless—so clean he hesitated to step inside.

The woman's damp hair hung behind her, her washed face lovely and radiant; the faint vigor in her brows added an unusual charm.

She wore a black robe, slightly loose, yet accentuating her tall figure; her thick pants were half-damp, revealing sleek, rounded legs, and her bare white feet stepped directly on the floor.

"I washed all your clothes—including your official robe. I borrowed your old ones for now."

Lin Baiwei spoke, then suddenly lifted her gaze: "Are you going to work—or bathing in a pool of blood?"

Her nose twitched slightly; her expression changed: "Demon blood?"

Shen Yi gave no reply, only turned his gaze away and pulled a lotus-leaf parcel from his chest, tossing it onto the table: "Make do."

Seeing he wouldn't elaborate, Lin Baiwei wisely fell silent, sat at the table, and eagerly lifted the lotus leaf stained with demon blood.

"Huh! There's meat."

She pinched a strip of salted pork streaked with blood, wiped it slightly, then shoved it into a hardened bread roll: "Mmm."

"I said 'make do'—at least pick the clean parts inside." Even Shen Yi couldn't help rubbing his temples.

"Someone who's never known hardship is the one who acts so fussy. Out in the wilds, who cares if you starve to death?"

Lin Baiwei chewed the bread, face full of delight, adding: "So delicious."

"..."

Shen Yi fell silent—her words made it sound as if he'd grown up in a wealthy merchant's home, while she'd been raised on the streets.

(End of Chapter)