Chapter 29: What Kind of Thing Are You?

"You... you..."

The Thin Toad had also spoken with the black-robed youth and knew well the terrifying background behind him.

Those foxes of North Cliff were so fearsome that even Elder Mother Green Scale dared not provoke them lightly, let alone a wandering martial artist like himself who came alone from Outside Qingzhou.

Bowing before them was no shame.

The only thing he had not expected was that someone would dare not bow.

"Cough..."

Ke Laoqi's features twisted; the flesh and blood he had swallowed earlier, mixed with saliva, was vomited out all at once.

He forced himself to stop convulsing, rolled over and rose, his eyes wide with rage, the panting in his throat growing heavy, no longer sounding like a mortal but rather like some wild beast.

"Roar!"

He opened his mouth, and a roar erupted, deafening as a great bronze bell.

If one possessed cultivation of the initial realm, it would be fine, but for a constable like Chen Ji with merely some martial skill, even while striving to maintain his stance, he stumbled back two steps involuntarily.

As for the Lin family steward, it was even more tragic; he collapsed directly onto the ground, his silk robe stained yellow with filth.

"It's over, it's over, someone in the Lin family is going to die!"

With a crying voice, he stole a glance forward.

He saw Shen Yi, as if he had heard nothing, walking steadily, unhurriedly drawing a three-foot-long blade.

Compared to Chen Ji's drawing of the blade, he made no pretense of ferocity or gritted teeth; instead, he appeared somewhat casual, as natural as pulling an oil-paper umbrella from one's chest when autumn rain fills the air.

But at the moment he saw him draw the blade,

Ke Laoqi instantly ceased his roar, fear surfaced in his eyes, and then he turned and fled!

Inside the house, the instant the other struck, he had keenly sensed that thick aura; it was absolutely not someone who had just stepped into the initial realm... at the very least, a master of the great completion of the initial realm.

Ke Laoqi's legs exerted force; crouching low, he covered six zhang in a single step.

He had not even the thought to look back once.

Seeing his wretched appearance, even the two senior brothers of the Vajra Gate showed a hint of surprise.

Both being of the initial realm, why should he be so terrified?

"The imperial court is handling the case; it is improper for us to interfere."

The Thin Toad seemed to guess that the other feared Shen Yi's helpers nearby and suddenly interjected in a sarcastic tone.

Zhang the Butcher glanced at him and sighed slowly.

Yet even so, what was puzzling was that Ke Laoqi still showed no intention of stopping; instead, he leaped even faster.

In the next moment, Shen Yi's figure moved with agility; in two or three steps, he silently appeared behind the black-robed youth.

The long blade in his hand suddenly descended; the surging ferocity and ruthlessness finally made Ke Laoqi's spine turn cold, and he could not help but turn to block with his elbow.

Slish!

The long blade, wrapped in an aura interwoven with scarlet and gray-white, struck down!

The sharp Shen Daoren tore through Ke Laoqi's flesh and skin as if ripping paper; the hard bones of his elbow cracked instantly, and the rampant blade qi passed through his arm, leaving a deep, bone-exposing gash on the other's face.

The gash extended all the way to his right shoulder, emitting a sizzling corrosion sound, turning the surrounding flesh and skin into pus at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As blood sprayed forth, strands of dark yellow hair emerged from Ke Laoqi's face, and the foul stench belonging to a wild beast spread out.

Upon the dark yellow fur, black patterns revealed the other's true identity.

The "human skin" it wore lost its effect; it opened a blood-filled maw, revealing a ferocious tiger head.

Ke Laoqi endured the pain, his vision blurred by scarlet; in his panic he fled sideways, screaming in terror: "You madman! She will not let you go!"

These words struck a chord in the Thin Toad's heart.

He looked at Shen Yi in shock, his eyes as if viewing a dead man.

Zhang the Butcher watched the tiger demon rushing toward him, clicked his tongue, and pulled a plain pig-slaughter knife from behind his waist; in his broad palm, the black pig-slaughter knife looked more like a toy.

After a moment's thought, he reversed his grip to use the blade's spine, raised his thick arm, and smashed down fiercely upon the other.

Under the fierce force, the already panicked tiger demon was smashed flying back again.

It flailed helplessly, trying to grab something; in its scarlet vision, a clean face suddenly appeared. The other glanced sideways at it, the movement crisp and decisive.

Pch!

Silver light flashed.

Head and body separated, falling one after another, kicking up a bit of dust, then rapidly swelling several times in size, transforming into a strong, plump tiger body.

Shen Yi sheathed his blade, bent down, and thrust his five long, powerful fingers into the other's lower abdomen; after a brief search, he extracted a small beast yuan.

【Slain tiger demon of the early stage of the initial realm, total lifespan 520 years, remaining 132 years, absorption complete】

"Is your brain broken?!"

The Thin Toad glared angrily at his junior brother: "How many times have I reminded you not to cause me trouble!"

Zhang the Butcher sheathed the pig-slaughter knife, said nothing, and pulled another blade of green grass to put in his mouth; his expression changed slightly, and he quickly spat it out: "Pah, does your family still raise dogs? It feels like it's soaked in urine, a mouthful of stench."

"Thank you."

Shen Yi put away the beast yuan.

"I was just being meddlesome; I want to pat whatever I see."

Zhang the Butcher looked over and smiled indifferently.

"Scoundrel... scoundrel..." The ignored Thin Toad's hands trembled with anger.

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze and noticed the knife in Chen Ji's hand; a few more doubts appeared in his expression.

"A bit nervous; take it to bolster your courage."

Chen Ji hid the knife behind his back, forced a reluctant smile, and his eyes held a hint of shame.

How many more demons must the other slay before proving he is not someone who colludes with demons and monsters?

The nameless ghost fire from before had, in truth, even made him doubt himself in his heart; otherwise, why would he have feared the idle gossip of others?

It's just that…

Lord Shen's progress in martial arts was simply too fast! This was the first time Chen Ji had personally witnessed the other man slay a great demon. In Shen Yi's hands, that tiger demon had not for a single moment from start to finish entertained the thought of resisting.

The only thing that could comfort him was that the other man had not used the Demon-Slaying Saber Art.

It meant Lord Shen must have long been practicing martial arts in secret, most likely under some other master.

"Enough. Bring the demon's corpse along, we're heading back to the government office."

Seeing he was unwilling to elaborate, Shen Yi did not press further.

"Yes, sir." Chen Ji briskly started walking.

Just then, that eerie, snickering voice came from the side again.

"Shen Xiao, he doesn't need to bolster his courage — his courage is so great he nearly took a blade to this old man, and even asked this old man what sort of thing he was."

The Thin Head-Ascetic strode over with a cold laugh.

Just because you're wearing the imperial court's clothes doesn't mean you can put on airs in front of a jianghu martial artist. Even without resorting to underhanded tricks, your direct superior alone could pressure you into silence.

Hearing this, Chen Ji's movements faltered slightly, and a trace of regret welled up in his heart.

Dealing with demons was already troublesome enough as it was; why invite even greater trouble for the sake of a momentary fit of temper?

Thinking of this, he lowered his head and rubbed his face, wondering how he ought to apologize, when he heard Shen Yi ask calmly:

"Did you really say that?"

Hearing this, Chen Ji stiffened all over and replied helplessly, "I did."

The Thin Head-Ascetic's cold smile deepened as he stood with his hands at his sides.

Shen Yi nodded and turned to walk toward him.

"It's no great matter. This old man is not a petty person either. It's just that, Constable Shen, you really ought to keep a tighter rein on your subordinate…"

Before the Thin Head-Ascetic could finish speaking, he saw Shen Yi come to a halt before him, his palm resting on the saber sheath.

He cast him a calm gaze, his thin lips lifting slightly, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery:

"So."

"What sort of thing are you?"

(End of chapter)