Chapter 24: The Government Office Acts

“So that’s how it is.”

Shen Yi savored the newly acquired Blood Demon Blade Art in his mind, each movement brimming with ferocity and malice.

It clearly bore the ruthless marks of demons and monsters, utterly unrecognizable as having evolved from that staid, conventional Demon Subduing Blade Art.

Meet violence with violence!

This was a true, complete martial art for the Initial Realm—entirely different in caliber from the Zhengyang Blade, which had forcibly crossed realms through shortcuts.

Combined with his Full Initial Realm cultivation, if he faced the weasel demon again, Shen Yi was confident he could subdue it within three strikes.

He turned his gaze to the interface.

The demon’s lifespan had dwindled to only one hundred and thirty years; the surplus had been spent on two other martial arts, but the returns were meager—merely a talent similar to Fist and Palm Proficiency.

【Light as a Swallow: Years of lightness training have honed your control over your body; your movements have grown fleet and graceful.】

It was barely better than nothing.

Shen Yi felt no disappointment; he now understood the interface’s function.

To deduce new martial arts, what mattered more than time was the accumulation of “materials.”

Relying solely on lifespan could only place hope in the elusive spark of inspiration.

Only by mastering more martial arts could one synthesize them, draw analogies, and create something new.

This was not something achieved by sitting idle with an empty mind, dreaming without substance.

Take the Blood Demon Blade Art—it fused the Blood Demon Force from the Beast Core. The Wind and Thunder Scripture only evolved its Initial Realm path because the Zhengyang Blade already existed.

“Be content with what you have.”

The progress he made in a single night would, for an ordinary person without elixirs or miraculous fortune, likely be a lifetime’s achievement.

This was already a tremendous stroke of fortune.

Shen Yi rose and turned to the cabinet, where Lin Baiwei had washed and dried his clothes.

He reached for them, shed his undershirt, revealing a near-perfect muscular frame—his only flaw being his excessive laziness: he refused even to walk the beat himself, leaving his skin a cold, unhealthy pale.

That wasn’t a major issue; a bit more sun would fix it.

Shen Yi quickly dressed and turned to see the woman standing silently by the back door.

“What is it?”

“Just taking a stroll.”

Lin Baiwei reluctantly tore her gaze away, rubbing her belly hopefully: “Is there breakfast today?”

“Wait for me.”

Shen Yi stepped out and bought two fried pancakes from a stall. Remembering the two martial arts he hadn’t yet claimed, he hesitated: “Add an egg… how much?”

Logically, as a squad leader, with no bad habits, he shouldn’t be short of silver.

His predecessor had plenty of ways to make money—if he were willing to be ruthless…

“Master Shen, the pancakes are free—eat as many as you like.” The vendor bowed deeply, wrapping the pancakes and handing them over.

“Thank you for your kindness, but no.” Shen Yi shook his head and placed ten copper coins on the table.

He brought the breakfast home.

Shen Yi bit into the pancake as he walked toward the government office, but halfway there, he sensed something was off.

Everywhere he passed—bun sellers, vegetable vendors, passersby—all cast curious glances his way; when he looked back, they immediately ducked their heads, pretending to be absorbed in their work.

“From now on, any demon or evil matter in Baiyun County must be handled by him.”

“Him? Master Shen?”

“What nonsense are you spouting this early? If you’re worried your daughter or wife is too pure, or you’ve got too much silver you don’t know how to spend, he might help—but demons?”

“Speak lower! Do you know what happened yesterday? The demons are gone from the western suburbs. Two village peasants swore it themselves—every demon across the mountains was beheaded and delivered to our county. The leader? Master Shen.”

Shen Yi, now an Initial Realm martial artist, caught every whisper like a mosquito’s hum.

He quickened his pace and stepped into the government office’s barracks.

The scene inside was unchanged from usual—just noticeably emptier.

In the vast courtyard stood only four people: Chen Ji swept the ground with a broom, expressionless; Niu’s brothers and Zhang Dahu crouched by the doorway, staring blankly at each other.

Seeing Shen Yi enter,

Zhang Dahu leapt to his feet with a shout: “Master Shen! You’ve finally come! You’ve got to stand up for us!”

He rushed over, utterly aggrieved.

“Why won’t they let us patrol? Why force us to chase demons? The western streets had so much graft—that was our hard-earned livelihood! Song Tou just wiped it all out with one word!”

“Master Shen, you’re the favorite of Director Liu. How dare Song dare act so arrogantly? He’s not just humiliating us—he’s clearly…”

Chen Ji silently shoved him aside and stepped beside Shen Yi, whispering: “It’s Director Liu’s order.”

The four men left in the barracks were precisely those who had gone to the Liu family massacre scene the day before.

Director Liu’s intent was clear.

He didn’t just want to marginalize them—he wanted them dead, to show others the fate of siding with Shen Yi.

You’re so good at killing demons?

Then kill them all.

Post notices, make it public—first raise you to the highest, then watch coldly as you fall.

If you’re too afraid, then behave yourself—stop causing trouble.

“He knew you killed the weasel demon. He came at midnight, flew into a rage, and left before dawn, afraid he’d run into you.”

Chen Ji offered a bitter smile.

Clearly, Shen Yi’s sudden display of power had deeply shaken Director Liu—indeed, terrified him.

But it still wasn’t enough…

Even the powerful expert Director Liu had brought from Qingzhou, who could match the weasel demon in combat, earned only six hundred taels of silver per month.

Six hundred taels of pure silver could crush an ordinary man—but dropped into the murky waters of Baiyun County, it wouldn’t even make a ripple.

Beyond the dog demon, even more terrifying man-eating demons lurked beyond the county.

If trouble erupted, even the Demon Suppression Bureau would need to first seize control of the entire county, relocate the populace, then proceed methodically—three to five years to resolve the demon threat would be considered swift.

Don’t think three or five years is short.

For the county magistrate and other officials, it meant ten years of hard study and effort wasted, their futures dimmed, their advancement blocked.

Even if the court later reinstated him after eliminating the demons, all he’d hold would be a destitute county with a shattered population—unacceptable.

Had it not been for the capital crime of obstructing demon extermination, and had Shen Yi not possessed extraordinary martial prowess,

They wouldn’t have even bothered with this sordid scheme—they’d have stripped him bare or hired someone to take his head.

“Master Shen.” Chen Ji’s expression was complex—he had a younger sister to care for, yet suddenly found himself branded a “co-conspirator” of Shen Yi’s, his spirits heavy.

He himself felt this way; the target of persecution was even worse off.

Thinking of this, his eyes softened with pity:

“Before leaving, Director Liu left me a message: if you come to your senses, bring a bottle of wine and pay him a visit… He said the county magistrate gives others six hundred taels—surely he won’t shortchange you…”

(End of Chapter)