Chapter 34: A Master Comes to Join

Shen Yi’s greatest regret was not being able to leverage someone’s banner to slay more demons.

Of course, he couldn’t say that outright.

He removed the scabbard, repositioned his sword beneath his arm—though it dug into his skin, it was better than losing his head without realizing it.

Seeing his cautious demeanor, Lin Baiwei pursed her red lips.

If only she had been more careful back then, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.

She went to the counter, fetched paper and inkstone, sat down at the table, and added more oil to the lamp.

Under the flickering flame, she closed her eyes, ground the ink, and recalled.

Moments later, Lin Baiwei began copying diligently; with the graceful movement of her long fingers, elegant characters appeared on the paper.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you sleeping?” Shen Yi turned around.

“How can you sleep if you don’t get what you came for?” Lin Baiwei sneered.

We’re all ordinary folks with our heads tied to our belts—why pretend to be calm?

She still remembered the first time a demon clamped its hands around her throat, nearly choking her to death; even though her comrades swiftly severed its head, she trembled all night.

If someone had been beside her then, she wouldn’t have woken up screaming from nightmares in the middle of the night.

“...”

Shen Yi fell silent for a long while, then closed his eyes.

When the rooster crowed, he slowly rose, glancing at the woman yawning beside the table.

Still couldn’t do it... Even knowing she was from the Demon Suppression Bureau, Shen Yi still couldn’t get used to sleeping with a clothed living person beside him.

“Mm, I’ve copied half.”

Lin Baiwei rubbed her wrist and carefully reviewed it: “Don’t complain about the speed—any mistake here could cause major trouble.”

Shen Yi changed into clean clothes and nodded: “Thank you for your effort.”

“Tsk.” Lin Baiwei feigned surprise: “So you can speak properly after all.”

“After all, I’m counting on trading you to the Lin family for some silver—you know I’m broke.”

Shen Yi adjusted his cuffs, picked up his sword, and stepped out the door.

Baiyun County was small; news spread fast—even in one night.

Though dawn was still early, a crowd had already gathered outside the precinct courtyard, cramming the entrance so tightly no one could pass.

Someone shouted: “Captain Shen’s here!”

A clear path instantly opened before Shen Yi; he frowned ahead and saw Chen Ji and the others, faces flushed with panic.

“I’ll say it again—this place handles demons, not lechers, and certainly doesn’t help you find lost purses!”

“Lies! Old Yang’s wife brought her lover home—that’s exactly what those two tall men arrested! I saw it with my own eyes!”

The crowd erupted in chaos: “Maybe my purse was taken by a demon too, Captain Shen—you’ve got to help me!”

“...”

Shen Yi walked silently into the courtyard and waved: “Close the gate.”

The men strained to push the wooden door shut, finally securing the bolt, then collapsed onto the ground, staring at each other in exhaustion.

Zhang Dahu, trembling, muttered: “Damn it, they used to dodge me—now they dare storm my precinct?”

No sooner had he spoken than he realized his mistake and quickly grinned nervously at Shen Yi: “You’re the boss—you’re my real father.”

Chen Ji stood up with a smile, then suddenly stiffened, glancing behind him at the wooden door.

The next instant, the door thudded violently under heavy blows.

“Now they’re pushing their luck.”

The Niu brothers rolled up their sleeves, swung the door open, ready to curse—then froze, their eyes lifting in shock.

They were both large, muscular men—but the newcomer towered over them by a full head, his body massively built, especially his bloated, greasy belly, which looked terrifying.

Just by his physique alone, he could easily knock down several men without any martial training.

The Niu brothers had never seen such a fearsome man; they shakily stepped back two paces: “Boss, someone’s here... looking for trouble.”

Chen Ji stood firm, face grim, not daring to move.

He couldn’t fathom why a master from the Golden Body Sect would come to this tiny precinct—if even he couldn’t handle it, no one else in Baiyun County could.

“Closing the gate in broad daylight? I thought I’d wandered into the wrong place.”

The butcher, chewing a straw, grinned across at him: “You’re really here.”

Shen Yi saw no trace of the Thin Monk behind him, and bowed: “What brings you here, sir?”

“Don’t call me ‘sir.’ Bullshit.”

The butcher pushed past into the courtyard, replying calmly: “I came from Qingzhou at someone’s invitation, but now they think I’m too stupid—fine, I can’t stand their cleverness either. After thinking it over, you’re just as stupid as I am. Thought I’d come here for a meal.”

Hearing this, Chen Ji nearly lost his balance.

A martial master with a lineage, starving for food? Absurd.

Forget anything else—just by naming a price, given Baiyun County’s current state, how many wealthy merchants would gladly treat him like a god and pay silver to keep him?

The combined salaries of all hundred clerks in the precinct wouldn’t cover half a month of his upkeep.

“First, I’m not stupid.”

Shen Yi sighed, raised his eyes, then spread his hands: “And I’m broke.”

“Then I’m not stupid either,” the butcher chuckled, walking straight inside: “And I’m just as broke—just need a bowl of plain tea and rice.”

Shen Yi was about to explain he might not even afford plain tea and rice—after all, the man’s belly was no ordinary one.

Chen Ji was already stamping his feet in desperation.

What kind of minds do these people have? One refuses real silver, the other sees a master walking in—and still tries to find excuses to turn him away!

He pulled out a silver ingot from his waist and shoved it hard into Shen Yi’s hand, his eyes nearly bulging out.

Shen Yi glanced at Chen Ji and pushed it back: “Go play with your balls.”

Did he really look that stingy?

“Who’s this guy?”

The Niu brothers might not know, but Zhang Dahu understood Chen Ji’s nature—he never spent a single copper of his salary, saving every bit for his sister. Why was he suddenly so generous?

“The younger brother of the County Magistrate’s master.”

At these words, everyone’s minds went blank.

To them, the Thin Monk was a figure from legend—at least a rank like Liu Dianli’s was needed just to glimpse him, and even then, only briefly.

Now, a master of equal stature stood right inside their precinct, idly playing with stone weights they hadn’t touched in years.

Those stone weights, meant purely for show, weighed at least three or four hundred jin—and he lifted them with one palm, tossing them up and down like toys...

“You train with this thing every day?”

The butcher asked curiously.

“No, I usually train before bed.”

Shen Yi replied without blinking.

He spoke the truth—practicing martial arts openly on the street made people think you were a fool.

“Martial training is best not done in isolation. I’ve grown bored and restless staying alone in Baiyun County. Free time? Let’s spar.” The butcher set down the stone weight.

“Fine,” Shen Yi nodded—he himself needed someone to help him catch up on basic knowledge.

At this, the butcher’s face lit up with a grin: “I’m free right now.”

Shen Yi: “...”

“Shit, he’s definitely here to pick a fight,” the Niu brothers shook their heads, nearly fooled by the big-bearded man.

(End of Chapter)