[{"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-56":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},2317944,4533,"Chapter 56: I Am Skilled at Killing Demons","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-56",56,"\u003Cp>Qingzhou Town Demon Office, External Affairs Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gray-tiled, white-walled buildings stood firm, their vermilion gates wide open, figures coming and going in quick succession, all with hurried expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi observed his surroundings in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though all wore black brocade yèsǎ robes, over sixty percent lacked cloud patterns on their sleeves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their average age was around forty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their qi was indeed from the First Realm, but it felt unstable—merely barely crossed the threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are these the Town Demon Captains Zhang the Butcher called those who “soak in medicinal baths”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the occasional figures wearing cloud-patterned shirts were younger, their gazes sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Inner Camp has three thousand, the Outer Camp over eight thousand—just over ten thousand men total, responsible for the safety of Qingzhou’s twelve commanderies and three hundred forty-two counties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beggar walked over, his tone tinged with lament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excluding the two thousand five hundred Inner Camp warriors needed to garrison Qingzhou, on average, twenty men must hold one county. So our manpower matches this number: when a Deputy General deploys, he takes roughly twenty Captains. Even if they’re all wiped out in an unavoidable crisis, the loss won’t be too great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening for a long while, Shen Yi learned the beggar’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi watched Ma Tao’s nonchalant demeanor and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, total annihilation seemed perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by this, to become a Deputy General and lead independently, you’d need at least a Jade Fluid Realm expert—in Baiyun County, that’s a local emperor with absolute power. And this is still called “not too great a loss”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But don’t worry—so long as your body isn’t lost without a trace, your family will send someone to avenge you within half a month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tao grinned, sighing: “The Town Demon General of Yushan Commandery was ambushed and killed by three local sects. He thought he’d covered his tracks perfectly. The Regional Commander’s second disciple led a thousand men—and in just six days, he cut off twenty-three thousand heads. Word is the heads are still piled at the city gate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to being stunned by the Town Demon Office’s ruthless power,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi pressed his lips together and made a mental note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d thought his current strength was enough to secure promotion—and at least ensure self-preservation. But the world was far more chaotic than he imagined: not only were ordinary mortals in peril, even the most renowned figures could die without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, what are you good at?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mujin stepped out of the government office, glancing at the group: “Tracking secrets? Long-range raids?… Oh, aren’t you particularly skilled in close combat, capturing demons and monsters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling how Shen Yi had humiliated Fang Heng earlier, her final words carried a hint of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Ma Tao shrugged, awkwardly clenching his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If two members of a team share similar martial arts, and one is vastly stronger, the other becomes redundant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shen Yi’s puzzled expression, he sighed, quickly steadied himself, and explained: “Just record it. If Head Li meets misfortune and you happen to survive, it’ll help other Deputy Generals pick men. Don’t worry about anything else—just say which martial art you’ve reached the highest level in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi fell silent, internally reviewing his skills. Soon, a faint frown appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others glanced at him, slightly puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s there to think about? You know your main art, your secondary arts, which you mastered, which you perfected—surely you’re clear on that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Shen Yi looked up, uncertain: “Killing demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight Treasures Mystic Body, Greedy Wolf Exterminating Evil, Heavenly Gang Blood Chaos, Intercepting Meridians and Capturing Dragons\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to say which was stronger—they all seemed useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing his reply, Liu Xiujie and Ma Tao froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mujin stared, then burst into laughter, clutching her abdomen as she turned and walked inside: “Fine, write it down—he says he’s good at killing demons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Li Xinhan finished the registration and stepped out slowly, giving Shen Yi a weary glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Baiyun County, he’d known Shen Yi studied too many arts—but he hadn’t expected him to have no clear main path. Should he ask a family patron to examine Shen Yi’s bones and guide his future direction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Er, arrange a carriage—Linjiang Commandery, Shuiyun Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook off his thoughts, nodded, and the short, childlike man bowed, then left silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xinhan led the group out of the Town Demon Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Head Li is nervous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiujie noticed his unease and whispered: “He’s low-ranked—every good assignment gets snatched by other Deputy Generals. Saving Lord Lin counts as a merit, but until he returns, we can’t publicize it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he racks up enough merit, and handles one more Jade Fluid Realm demon incident, Head Li can be promoted to Deputy General… I wonder if we’ll get lucky this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of merit, the two long-time partners both brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they were from prestigious families, joining the Town Demon Office precisely to make a name for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi now noticed their sleeve cloud patterns each had two stripes—clearly, Li Xinhan craved merit, and even his subordinates benefited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t envy them—just participate in five Jade Fluid Realm demon incidents, or earn one primary merit, and you’ll earn another stripe. Then, an internal qi cultivation technique will naturally be granted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping out of the Town Demon Office gate onto the long street, both men instantly shed their smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passersby halted and stepped aside as they passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after they were far away did people resume their tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the towering city gate, Xiao Er had already been waiting with the demon horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is our scout—he can race between Baiyun County and Qingzhou City in a single day. If you ever need to send a message, he’s your man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiujie leapt onto the carriage and teased with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Er glared at him, then nodded politely to Shen Yi, brief and direct: “Can deliver. Fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone settled in, Li Mujin tugged the reins and rode at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi sat inside the carriage, beginning to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even who rode the horse and who rode the carriage had meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The highest-ranked person stays alert longest and can react fastest in emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xinhan leaned against the carriage, hands clasped, fingers rapidly tapping his knuckles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked deeply troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It can’t be that bad,” Ma Tao waved a hand before his face: “We’re short on men, sure—but we’re just going to Shuiyun Village to find a few people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiujie went on to explain the mission to Shen Yi: “Several Captains were sent to Shuiyun Village to supervise. By regulation, they must send a letter home every fifteen days. We haven’t heard from them… but it’s not serious. Shuiyun Village has a River God—if the River God were in danger, the villagers would’ve stormed Qingzhou by now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xinhan fell silent for a long while, then pulled a bloodstained waist token from his robe: “This was delivered by the Linjiang Commandery government office. External Affairs Hall just handed it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Shen Yi: “I planned to bring you out first to get you familiarized… you’ve never fought real demons. Be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Liu and Ma both held their breath: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew Shen Yi had slain the dog demon and monkey demon in Baiyun County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying he had no experience?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he a Jade Fluid Realm expert?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tao recalled his earlier foolish words about death and revenge. He’d meant to lighten the mood—now he looked at Shen Yi with slight guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pah! My stupid mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yi shifted slightly; Xiao Er wiped the spittle from his face without expression, silently glancing at Ma Tao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1304,"2026-06-20T15:00:36.117Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a5f5287edcf7e2dc033b6c6bb97c12331914964ebf00d2b600113b8164dd76b9","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-57","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-55",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-cover.jpg"]