Chapter 22: Demon Realm

How long do you plan to stay?

Watching her eat with such delight, Shen Yi suddenly felt hungry, reaching for the baked bread—only to have her fair, jade-like fingers lightly tap his hand away.

Lin Baiwei picked up a clean flatbread and handed it over: "I built a small shed in the backyard, trying not to disturb you. As for how long… another month?"

She wasn't sure.

Shen Yi took the flatbread, his expression unreadable.

This woman never spoke a truthful word; her background seemed clean, but years ago the Lin family had sent her away, and when she returned, she'd learned some skill—daring to venture out of the city alone to subdue demons.

He'd originally thought she was just a greenhorn.

But after recent interactions, Shen Yi realized her mind was meticulous, her demeanor and movements marked by hardship—far from the foolish, reckless type.

Most importantly, she'd angered those utterly mysterious fox demons—and still came back alive?

The previous owner had locked her in this room, thinking he'd struck a lucky deal—but in Shen Yi's eyes, it was outright suicide.

Never mind what a lowly constable would face if this scandal erupted and the Lin family turned furious.

Why didn't the fox demons kill her?!

Shen Yi couldn't figure it out, so he stopped trying, and said calmly: "No."

Hearing this, Lin Baiwei wasn't surprised; instead, she smiled lightly: "What? Didn't you always want me to be your wife? Are you backing out now?"

When she was dragged here, that look on his face—full of lust—was no act.

He'd expected that, upon hearing her slight concession, even if he pretended calm, he'd betray some flicker of emotion.

Yet the young man slowly lifted his gaze.

Moments later, a flicker of mockery passed through his clear, dark eyes.

Lin Baiwei's eating motion halted. She wiped a crumb from her lip with her index finger, turned back, and as Shen Yi's mocking gaze settled on her, the fragile, pitiable charm on her face slowly faded.

"Hmm."

She brushed back a strand of hair from her temple, sighing with quiet resignation—and instantly, her entire aura shifted.

Lin Baiwei sat up straight, her narrow eyes sharpening: "I don't know whether you're just a lowly constable—or one who serves demons—but why on earth did you draw their attention?"

She glanced at his bloodstained robe: "Playing calm must be unbearable, isn't it? Desperate to find a way out?"

Lin Baiwei bluntly revealed his completion of the mortal realm, crossed her legs, and calmly smoothed her robe, her gaze turning icy.

"Call me Master, and I'll help you enter the initial realm. How about it?"

Last time I was too hasty, made up a martial art name too crudely. Today I came prepared—still can't fool you, kid? How laughable.

Lin Baiwei was confident.

She quietly gazed at the young man.

Immediately, she saw Shen Yi lift his hand, draw his waist sword, and casually place it on the table.

"You left home to study martial arts."

Shen Yi's voice grew cold: "Did you learn to perform operas?"

He pressed his five fingers against the scabbard. Lin Baiwei suddenly felt engulfed by thick, oppressive killing intent, involuntarily swallowing hard: "Y-you… what are you going to do?"

"I have no interest in you."

Shen Yi shook his head: "But I'm very interested in your sect."

"I already said I have no sect."

Lin Baiwei tried to explain, but Shen Yi pulled out a small cloth bundle from his robe, laid it beside the scabbard, and unfolded it—revealing a trembling, fleshy orb inside.

"Prove your worth."

Shen Yi stood with his hands at his sides, seemingly harmless—but the sword and the orb on the table had already declared his stance.

Choose one. Cut the theatrics. He was out of patience.

"…"

Lin Baiwei stared at the orb, her fingertips hidden in her wide sleeves trembling imperceptibly.

After a moment of stunned silence, she said: "A beast core? Where did you get this…?"

Before she finished speaking, her eyes flicked back to his bloodstained robe—the answer was obvious.

"A four-hundred-year beast core? Is this from a weasel demon?"

Lin Baiwei clenched her fingers, concealing her shock. He'd left this morning with a fried flatbread in his mouth, and returned at night with a beast core from an initial realm demon.

When had constables in Bai Yunxian grown this ferocious?

She glanced at the young man and said bluntly: "A beast core of this quality can serve as the main ingredient for Qi-accumulation Pills, or assist in refining higher-grade Condensed-Elixir Pills… Under unfavorable conditions, swallowing and absorbing it directly still yields seven or eight percent efficacy, though it leaves more impurities and harms cultivation slightly—best to take your time."

"Of course, regardless of purpose, it's beyond the reach of any martial artist below the initial realm… This is the truth." Lin Baiwei's tone grew serious.

Hearing this, Shen Yi nodded and casually covered the beast core again.

Just as he'd guessed.

If she'd kept lying and called it poison, he'd have seriously considered drawing his blade.

But the fact that Lin Baiwei recognized the beast core's origin at a glance had genuinely surprised him—did she know every demon near Bai Yunxian?

"You may stay. But I won't get involved in your dealings with the fox demons, nor will I ask about your identity."

Shen Yi put the bundle away and continued: "As a condition, I need two genuine initial realm cultivation manuals."

"Peach Blossom Mountain-Cleaving Axe, Demon-Slaying Peerless Sword…" Lin Baiwei had just raised her finger when she felt the young man's cold gaze—she lowered her hand with a pout: "I don't have any manuals now. I'll give them to you after I'm rescued."

"Fine."

Shen Yi didn't press further.

He wasn't used to putting all his eggs in one basket. Though the Zhen Mo Si was valuable, if he could establish ties with martial sects and gain more information on cultivation, it would be even better.

"Bai Yunxian just killed a weasel demon—aren't you afraid the other demons will rage?"

Lin Baiwei picked up the baked bread again, stuffed it with salty pork until it bulged, then bit into it with a muffled "Ah-wu," speaking through her chewing: "Though demons form their own factions, they're united in their stance toward the imperial court. Frankly, you shouldn't have started with the weasel demon—you've stirred up the hornet's nest."

"What do you mean?" Shen Yi stirred up a sliver of interest.

"This dog demon has only just entered the initial realm, while Yuan Tongtian has stayed on East Mountain for years without coming out, preparing to break through the initial realm to perfection. It should be the one most wary of this sort of thing."

Lin Baiwei's little face flushed red. She forced the cake down, let out a long breath, and said: "There's also the old mother Qinglin. Over a hundred years ago there were already rumors that she's a great demon of the Jade Liquid Realm. If I were you, I'd report it to the imperial court, invite a few Deputy Generals of Zhen Mo Si, get rid of the snake demon first, and the likes of the old ape and yellow dog would naturally flee."

Shen Yi listened quietly, then noticed she didn't continue: "What about the fox demon?"

Miss rolled her eyes.

She had already swept all the food clean, gave her ample chest a light pat: "Burp… sleepy, sleepy."

Shen Yi sat back down on the edge of the bed, cupped his fist and said: "Many thanks for the warning."

Lin Baiwei strolled unhurriedly toward the back courtyard, shot him a glance: "At least you have a conscience."

He came to the quiet little courtyard.

The ease in the woman's eyes faded, and the expression on her face gradually grew complicated.

Don't be fooled by the contempt she showed toward the weasel in her words — that was a genuine initial-realm demon. The other party was an ordinary constable, with no master to speak of, and even his cultivation art still had to be obtained from a stranger like herself; even if he'd had some lucky encounter, it wouldn't be complete.

Under such circumstances, he had actually been able to slay the dog demon.

If a path of cultivation could be paved for him, his future achievements would surely be extraordinary.

A talent like this, if he died in this muddy water of Bai Yunxian, that would truly be a waste of heaven's gift.

But now she could hardly protect herself, and truly had no strength left to bother with so many idle matters… so hungry.

(End of chapter)