Chapter 4: Basic Martial Arts: Perfection

Two old donkeys, one ahead and one behind, quickly left the county seat.

Chen Ji kept his head lowered, his expression solemn.

He hadn't expected Shen Yi to actually agree to leave the city, and moreover, contrary to his usual ways, to bring him along.

This should have been a good thing, but…

Chen Ji looked back and saw my lord Shen sitting on the donkey, flipping through a martial arts manuscript with one hand, reading it with great interest.

According to past custom, before dealing with demons and monsters, the other party would always send people like them to buy good wine and good meat, calling it "propriety."

Chen Ji had always felt sullen about this practice, finding it rather disagreeable.

But today, going empty-handed, he instead felt a bit of worry—if those two monsters couldn't be dealt with, the several hundred farming households in Liuli Temple Village, top to bottom, would likely be eaten clean before long.

"Why do you keep looking back? Focus on leading the way, and don't be jealous of this lord's handsome face."

Shen Yi roughly finished flipping through the manuscript and slowly closed it.

Two new lines of text had appeared on the panel.

【Cloud-Pushing Long Fist (Not Yet Entered)】

【Spirit Snake Eight Steps (Not Yet Entered)】

One set of fist and palm techniques, one set of light-footwork, plus the earlier Demon-Slaying Saber Art.

These were all the martial arts passed down by the Captain of Zhen Mo Si.

If all three techniques could be practiced to minor accomplishment, one would have the ability to handle some lesser demons.

Shen Yi didn't dawdle, pouring the remaining demon-demon lifespan bit by bit into the light-footwork he currently lacked most.

After all, no matter how sharp a long saber is, it still has to catch up to the person.

【You already possess a deep foundation in martial arts, and your body is strong and vigorous. In only one year, you entered the doorway of Spirit Snake Eight Steps.】

【After three years, your figure grew increasingly elusive, and your light-footwork reached minor accomplishment.】

【Six years passed, and Spirit Snake Eight Steps had become part of your instinct—worthy of being called major accomplishment.】

【In the eleventh year, your body moved like a ghostly phantom, your strikes formless, and your light-footwork reached perfection.】

【Remaining demon-demon lifespan: twenty-five years.】

……

Shen Yi felt the changes in his body and was somewhat astonished in his heart.

Pouring lifespan into martial arts—the specific progress would actually still reference his current physical condition.

So it was said that understanding by analogy worked: an old martial artist obsessed with saber techniques would naturally learn new martial arts much faster.

He subconsciously adjusted his posture on the donkey and immediately felt his body grow much lighter, as if he could leap three or five zhang in a single step.

Too bad there was no chance to try it now.

Shen Yi gathered his thoughts, poured the remaining demon-demon lifespan into Cloud-Pushing Long Fist, and while deducing the martial art, hoped to once again obtain some harvest regarding the "Initial Realm."

However, this time the result left him a little disappointed.

【Though you are not skilled in fists and kicks, after eighteen years of polishing, you can still strike like rolling thunder and split stone with your palms—Cloud-Pushing Long Fist has reached perfection.】

【In the twentieth year, you made no progress, fell into confusion, and felt you were wasting time.】

【In the twenty-third year, you began to doubt yourself; after this fist art reached perfection, it seemed to be the end.】

【In the twenty-fifth year, through years of contemplation, your attainment in fist and palm arts improved, and your fist-and-palm talent increased.】

All demon-demon lifespan was exhausted, and the harvest obtained was fully displayed on the panel.

【Cloud-Pushing Long Fist (Perfection)】

【Spirit Snake Eight Steps (Perfection)】

【Fist-and-Palm Mastery: Can shorten the training time for fist-and-palm martial arts and increase the chance of gaining insight.】

Besides the two perfected martial arts, he had also obtained something resembling a talent—but he alone lacked the news about the "Initial Realm" that Shen Yi wanted.

He slightly raised his eyes: "Counting the time, isn't it about time for Zhen Mo Si to come inspect our county?"

Hearing this, Chen Ji, who had been focused on leading the way, suddenly trembled slightly, a complex look flashing through his eyes. Without turning back, he said: "Reporting to my lord, there's still about a month."

How could he not understand—this was my lord Shen giving him a hint.

The entire Bai Yunxian government office was in collusion; the most urgent matter at present was to get through Zhen Mo Si's inspection and make sure to hand up a picture of the county being peaceful and harmonious.

If anything went wrong, at least most of this group would have their heads hung at the vegetable market, and the youngest and most handsome one among them would surely be my lord Shen's.

No wonder the other party was acting out of character today—turns out he was waiting for him right here.

If there was still one person in the government office who looked forward to the arrival of the Zhen Mo Si Captain, it could only be Chen Ji—he truly hoped… the imperial court would flay Shen Yi alive.

If it weren't for the other party falsifying things, the government office couldn't have suppressed the news at all, and the Demon-Slaying Army should have taken over this place long ago, sweeping away all the demons and monsters in the surroundings!

"One month?"

Shen Yi rubbed his temples.

According to what his memories said, he was merely a minor clerk, with no qualifications to communicate with Zhen Mo Si.

If he wanted to access more advanced martial arts, he could only obediently wait.

If he could thoroughly step into the "Initial Realm" within a month's time, would he have a chance to join Zhen Mo Si?

The demon-demon lifespan was still not enough!

As his thoughts drifted, the two old donkeys had already stopped before Tian Geng.

Shen Yi looked toward the broken-down little temple on the hillside—the deity statue was exposed, covered in straw, the offering altar had caved in halfway, and weeds grew in thickets.

The farmers had grown too lazy even to worship the gods, which was enough to show the resentment in their hearts.

"My lord, this way please."

Chen Ji tethered the old donkey and pointed out the direction.

The two men quickly stepped across Tian Geng, and a group of raggedly dressed farmers stood scattered in the distance, their faces gaunt, their gazes unfocused as they looked over.

After taking in the two men's clothing and appearance, they squatted back down again — no cries of injustice, no pleas for help. They knew perfectly well who had brought this suffering upon them.

"..."

Chen Ji felt the gaze from afar, and a touch of shame crept across his still-youthful face.

After seeing Shen Yi's calm expression, as though no one else existed, that shame curdled into resentment and fury.

He adjusted his bamboo hat, covering most of his face: "It's this household — attacked last night by the descendants of the Yellowskin... You'll understand once you go in and look."

Yellowskin is not a weasel.

Monsters have their own factions too, mostly bound by bloodline, setting themselves up as kings of their own hills.

Different factions make different demands of Bai Yun County — some want fresh meat, some want beauties, and others simply fancy rare treasures.

Among them is a den of dog-demons, and the one with the closest ties to Shen Yi.

The demon leading them is an old Yellowskin dog, who styles himself the Great King Yellowskin.

"Open the door."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin.

Chen Ji pushed open the wooden door at the cue, and saw the cramped little room awash in a sickening dark red.

The room was dim. On the table lay a dismembered torso, stacked neatly; what couldn't fit was threaded with straw and hung from the roof beam.

A dog-demon sat on the edge of the bed, a thigh in its hands, chewing the rotting flesh with an expressionless face.

Its gaze was sharp, like a loyal watchdog guarding a courtyard.

After taking in the appearance of the newcomers, its eyes softened just a fraction: "I wondered who it was — what brings you here?"

Shen Yi stepped inside, breathing in the stench that hit him full in the face, and let his gaze sweep left and right.

Chen Ji had already seen this scene before, but stepping into the room a second time, his face beneath the bamboo hat still twisted slightly. The hand gripping the hilt trembled violently, and he could not stop himself from drawing the blade three inches out of its sheath.

His talent was extraordinary — in just three short years he had cultivated the martial arts passed down by Zhen Mo Si to the minor accomplishment realm, fully qualifying him to engage this dog-demon, with a high chance of a bitter victory.

The reason he had held back his killing intent earlier and returned to the government office to report.

One was for the sake of his younger sister at home; the other was that he was no match for the Yellowskin standing behind the dog-demon — to strike rashly would only invite greater disaster.

"..."

Just then, a firm hand reached over without a sound and pressed his long saber back into its sheath for him.

Chen Ji came to himself, fixed his eyes tightly on Shen Yi's profile, wanting to see how the other man would handle it.

No matter how depraved the other man was, at the sight of his own kind being carved up and eaten, he ought to feel something, at least a little.

In his line of sight.

Shen Yi finally looked at the old dog. There was no sorrow or joy in his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted, baring a row of neat, pale teeth — he smiled.

Seeing this, Chen Ji's heartbeat gradually slowed. He lowered his eyes in disappointment, unwilling to listen any longer to the two exchanging pleasantries.

(End of chapter)