[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons":3,"chapter-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Immortality Begins with Slaying Demons",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317928,4533,"Chapter 40: The Ape Demon Presents a Treasure","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Shen Yi picked up the dark-glowing ceremonial knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his previous blade, its blade was narrower and straighter, its edge as thin as a cicada’s wing, yet weighed several times more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly not an ordinary weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even this treasure blade could not pierce his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effect of the Golden Sun Eight Treasures Divine Body had exceeded Shen Yi’s expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the butcher Zhang, this was merely his own crude adaptation based on the initial-level martial arts of the Golden Body Sect; if he had access to the sect’s complete Jade Fluid realm techniques, they would be even more formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi shook his head and used the blade’s edge to extract the beast core from Yuan Tongtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then walked over to the young ape demon beside him and did the same, finally picking up the scabbard and sheathing the dark blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad this treasure blade had no name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi pondered for a moment; the blade glowed dark, and the scabbard was as black as ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s call it Erhei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his gaze and summoned his interface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Slain a Peak-Level Initial Realm ape demon, total lifespan: 774 years, remaining: 197 years, absorption complete】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Slain a Late-Stage Initial Realm ape demon, total lifespan: 631 years, remaining: 270 years, absorption complete】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Remaining demonic lifespan: 651 years】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the ape demon presented a treasure blade; then, such a rich harvest of lifespan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He should have been delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Yi looked at the neatly arranged skulls on the table and suddenly lost some of his enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked toward the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ji rose silently and followed behind him; the Niu brothers and Zhang Dahu scrambled to their feet at once, their expressions tinged with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen my lord had never been a kind man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to what had just happened, he was positively merciful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To crush a demon into pulp before their eyes was too shocking for these ordinary constables—they’d likely be haunted for weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you all standing there for? Get out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shen Yi walk away, the butcher kicked the soldiers and constables on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the utterly guilty Liu Dianli, these men were merely blades in the government’s hands, obeying orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after the Dianli’s beheading, they hadn’t dared lift a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d truly feared Shen Yi would fly into a killing rage and slaughter these ordinary people on a whim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden Body Sect had ties to the Buddhist sect; though the butcher didn’t believe in karmic retribution, excessive killing inevitably disturbed the spirit and could even lead to qi deviation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the government office was cleansed, these soldiers would be dealt with by others; with a little tidying up, they could still serve as the backbone of the county’s defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it bluntly, if you killed them all, would you really rely on a handful of martial masters to guard the city day and night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Master Shen, for sparing our lives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young men on the ground finally relaxed, bowing repeatedly toward the direction the youth had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The butcher remembered the fleeing Laiba head and stared at the shredded corpse in the blue robe: “He...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Dianli was killed by demons—we know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of the young men was sharp; they lacked the courage to fight demons, but they knew how to read the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baiyun County was finished!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Shen had slain demons one after another—this could not be hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For three years straight, the government office had reported the city as peaceful, the people content, no demons outside, no unrest within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this truth came out, the County Magistrate would need ten heads to be beheaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, even though the demonic incidents had occurred within just a few days, the magistrate had sensed something was wrong—that’s why he’d sent that expert along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the skinny head monk’s desperate flight...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone understood now who the real lamb awaiting slaughter was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The butcher swept his sleeve and hurried after Shen Yi, annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man had effortlessly slain two demons without a single scratch, while he couldn’t even handle a skinny head monk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s sparring match...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just holding back—it was letting him win outright!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the man kept calling him “Senior,” which was utterly humiliating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, the County Magistrate’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main hall, the old man wore only a white undergarment, leaning back against a redwood chair, clad in a short cotton pant, feet soaking in a wooden basin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were closed, fingers tapping rapidly on the armrest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t noticed the water had grown cold—his mind was elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night watchman had struck his wooden clapper three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, the matter should have been settled long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Changfeng and that Liu bastard had sharp eyes—they each picked one person to cultivate, and somehow raised a Huohuan  for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, they’d claimed the little constable pleased the demon lords, who had not a single complaint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they’re lying in the morgue—what’s left to complain about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d truly been a peerless martial master who wiped out all demons around me, I’d have gladly given him silver and beauties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But someone halfway competent? Useless except for causing trouble. Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you only returning now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magistrate opened his eyes, staring at the disheveled figure crashing through the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quick! Silver! Load all my silver onto the cart—I’m leaving for Qingzhou, right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skinny head monk panted heavily, lunged forward, and grabbed the magistrate’s collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You... what do you mean? Master ordered you to protect me—only a few months have passed, and you’re leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Protect your grandmother! That Liu bastard allied with what idiot demons? They’ve drawn the attention of that demon-star—if we don’t flee now, he’ll break in and cut off my head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skinny head monk’s eyes were bloodshot; he’d come to Baiyun County only to earn some silver, never intending to die here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a remote backwater produce a martial master like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let go of me first... why the rush? He’s just a constable—a servant of the court! Not some Jianghu martial man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the magistrate spoke, he too grew frantic, grabbing the man’s fingers to pry them loose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his shock, his fingers actually moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magistrate froze, watching as the man went lifeless—only a fine cow-hair needle now protruded from his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, a small youth carrying a sugar figurine pole stepped into the room, smiling as he tucked away his blowpipe from the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him came men dressed as carters, merchants, even beggars...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, over a dozen entered, seating themselves casually—yet all shared the same expression, utterly incongruous with their attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the cold indifference of the high and mighty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the object of that indifference was unmistakably the magistrate, trembling as he pushed off the dead body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who... who are you? How dare you break into the magistrate’s residence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spoke. Instead, all eyes turned toward the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps approached, and a figure stepped over the threshold, boots first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was tall, clad in a long black brocade yesa robe, a white jade belt at his waist, a ferocious wolf, ready to devour men, embroidered in gold thread across his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cuffs bore cloud patterns—three in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man strode into the hall, glancing around casually, his voice edged with chill: “Collaborated with demons. Investigate his identity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, the beggar-dressed man stepped forward, his filthy fingers swiftly scanning the skinny head monk’s body. Moments later, he looked up and grinned: “Qi-refining path, focused on finger techniques... Divine Eagle Claw. He’s a Golden Body Sect disciple. Impressive, old Liu—your hidden needle pierced even a qi-refining martial man’s throat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth with the sugar pole chuckled, waving his hand: “If he’d been harder, it wouldn’t have worked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man sat in the main seat and nodded slightly: “Send a letter to the Golden Body Sect. Let them report themselves to the Demon Suppression Bureau for punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment he saw the man’s attire, the magistrate’s face turned as white as death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the uniform of a Demon Suppression Bureau Captain—and three cloud patterns meant he was among the most senior captains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask your esteemed surname?” he asked, summoning courage, though he truly wanted to ask why they’d arrived early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency is too kind,” the man replied, glancing sideways with a faint smile. “No need for titles—I’m Li Xinhan. Please tie yourself up. We have matters to discuss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1444,"2026-06-20T15:00:36.117Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a1c7897beb1c31470741b7e75bcd0d4aaf6e99f4b71fa78bfa32715ccd1476ed","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-41","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-39",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-cover.jpg"]