Chapter 41: Fourfold True Vajra

Baiyun County, West Street.

Shen Yi turned to face the group: “Go home, get some rest.”

Tonight has been an unwarranted disaster for them.

Especially Zhang Dahu—he used to run rampant in the county, always getting his way, only to find that just as he began to rein himself in, a fellow officer nearly cut him down with a knife.

“Goodnight, Master Shen.”

Chen Ji and the others bowed in agreement.

Zhang the Butcher opened his mouth, ready to resume his earlier question.

“I didn’t hold back—I simply rarely spar with others, so I gained some insight.” Shen Yi rubbed his temples, slightly exasperated.

“That’s more like it.” Zhang the Butcher smacked his lips, regaining a sliver of confidence.

Shen Yi saw the men off, then slowly made his way toward his own small house.

Now that the dog demon and the old ape are both dead, though their cultivation was modest, they were in fact the greatest threat to Baiyun County.

The coming days will surely be much easier for me.

He reached his door, raised his hand to knock, glanced at the thick night, then lowered it.

She’s probably asleep?

Lin Baiwei sat at the table, carefully transcribing martial arts techniques.

Only her tightly clenched left hand betrayed a hint of worry.

I only meant to fool that bastard constable, just to save my own life.

But over these past days, he never returned home with clean clothes—Lin Baiwei’s view of him gradually shifted.

In this chaotic age, one who dares to slay demons is unlikely to be evil.

Yet last night’s events stirred a flicker of anger in her heart.

Is Baiyun County really to be guarded by one man alone? A single slip, and blades are drawn!

Lin Baiwei washes the demon blood from his clothes every single day.

How could she not know whether Shen Yi is a lazy, deceitful man who withholds reports?

Besides, this assignment is inherently unreasonable.

“Back already?”

Hearing the door open, Lin Baiwei’s face lit up with joy as she rose to look.

Shen Yi paused slightly, nodded, took off his outer robe and hung it on the cabinet, then picked up the papers on the table and flipped through them: “So much?”

“Jade Liquid martial arts involve meridians, acupoints, and the manipulation of jade-like qi—it can’t be compared to ordinary martial arts. Don’t rush; let me read through it a few more times to avoid mistakes.”

Lin Baiwei gave a brief explanation, noticed he bore no injuries, and exhaled softly: “Go wash up—I’ll reheat your food.”

“No need. I’m not hungry.”

Shen Yi flipped through the pages seemingly at random, but his eyes glowed with quiet delight.

A brand-new prompt had appeared on his panel.

【Jade Liquid. Fourfold True Vajra (Unacquired)】

A Jade Liquid martial art—rare even in all of Baiyun County—now lay quietly in his hands.

“Even among Jade Liquid cultivators, this is an extremely rare and brutal technique, usable only by those with deep foundations—it’s not suited to your current state, but I can only offer you this for now.”

Lin Baiwei stepped into the kitchen, yet still reminded him: “Martial cultivation must progress step by step.”

Moments later, she placed a steaming pot of braised meat and a large bowl of rice on the table: “My master said, no matter how much blood you’ve seen or how gruesome the scenes, you must still eat.”

Lin Baiwei, who had never admitted to having a sect, now spoke the word “master” without hesitation.

Shen Yi pressed his lips together, accepted her kindness, picked up his chopsticks, mixed the tender meat with the rice, and devoured it in a few swift bites.

The warmth of the food dispelled the gloom in his heart.

Shen Yi swallowed every drop of the meat broth, then rubbed his belly contentedly.

Seeing this, Lin Baiwei’s lips curled slightly as she cleared the dishes and left the room.

When the room fell silent.

Shen Yi climbed onto the bed and reopened his panel.

Fourfold True Vajra—wasn’t even an internal art, and didn’t sound related to swords or blades.

Where was the brutality?

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 651 years】

Shen Yi did not immediately simulate—he took out three beast cores, from the tiger demon and the ape demon.

He placed one in his mouth; the demon lifespan surged into the Fourfold True Vajra.

【Year One: You forcibly practiced the Jade Liquid sect’s methods, painstakingly deciphering obscure text while absorbing the tiger demon’s core.】

【Year Three: You finally understood this martial art; the beast core was fully absorbed, and all qi in your first acupoint had transformed into jade dew.】

【Year Twenty-Nine: You grasped the meaning of ‘Fourfold’—Heaven, Earth, Man, Self—and achieved the first step: ‘Qi and Body in Harmony’—Fourfold True Vajra entered the Rumen stage.】

【Year Thirty-Two: Your progress slowed drastically, primarily because your internal qi was insufficient to sustain this art—each attempt drained every reservoir in your acupoints.】

…

Shen Yi halted the influx and placed the second beast core in his mouth.

【Year Forty-Three: With the ape demon’s core, your qi recovery accelerated, and you gained insight into ‘Mind-Ape’; after prolonged practice, you advanced Fourfold True Vajra to Minor Completion.】

【Year Seventy-Two: You again realized the importance of talent and medicinal herbs—the former slowed your progress, the latter made it impossible to compensate with diligence.】

Seeing this, Shen Yi did not hesitate—he swallowed the third beast core.

【Year Ninety-Four: Fourfold True Vajra reached Major Completion. At this point, your every gesture summoned a storm of vajra rain, like a terrestrial immortal—but only you knew that each swing consumed years of accumulated qi.】

【Year One Hundred Thirty: Years of stagnation brought you pain—martial cultivation was no longer ‘one part effort, one part reward’; if you didn’t understand, you didn’t understand; if you couldn’t awaken, you couldn’t awaken… you gradually began to resent heaven and blame others.】

【Year One Hundred Ninety: In the erosion of time, you lost the will to complain—only quietly filling your acupoints, refining jade dew, awaiting the next attempt.】

【Year Two Hundred Sixty: You rose mechanically, without awakening—thousands of identical strikes, this time with a slight change—you were too numb to even know why.】

【Fourfold True Vajra, Perfect!】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 391 years】

…

Shen Yi’s eyes went blank for a moment.

That crushing pressure—the knowledge without understanding, the confusion after success—emotions intertwined and flashed through his mind in an instant…

And yet it made his stomach convulse violently, as if he would vomit up all his organs.

But it passed in an instant.

“Hss.”

Shen Yi rubbed his face.

Martial cultivation seemed no different from my past life’s work and studies.

Getting started, memorizing key points and formulas—easy enough. But perfection? That meant reciting it backward, integrating it fully, digesting the entire book—only those who reached this level could be called masters in their field.

Only someone like me, with such a powerful advantage, would dare aim to perfect every martial art.

Once the useless emotions faded, only the complete knowledge of this Jade Liquid martial art remained in his mind.

【Jade Liquid. Fourfold True Vajra (Perfect)】

【First Stage. Mind-Ape: You understand ape-demon nature intimately—climbing mountains as if walking on flat ground; progress in stepping techniques has increased.】

(End of Chapter)