Chapter 7: The Monkey Calamity Approaches

“I’m gonna… kill… you…”

Chen Ji’s body tensed, letting out a beastly roar.

Shen Yi casually swung the scabbard of his blade across his face—*crack*—leaving the man stunned.

“Pick up your sword and stand. Yelling threats after losing does nothing. Do you have some old bastard to back you up?”

Staring at the sword kicked toward him, Chen Ji was utterly bewildered.

The other man had already sheathed his blade and turned away—meaning, in Shen Yi’s eyes, he posed no threat at all.

Chen Ji had always believed he was the most hidden man in the entire government office; after his private conversation with the Vanguard Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, his vision and strength had long surpassed all his colleagues.

The only reason he still endured Shen Yi’s abuse was simply that he’d been given too little time to grow.

If only he had more time…

But reality had delivered him a crushing blow.

If he hadn’t misread it just now, Shen Yi’s seemingly casual movements clearly carried the flavor of the Demon-Slaying Sword Art—even the perfected, instinctive mastery of it.

The other man’s strikes were faster, stronger, and far more familiar with this martial art! That was why he could dismantle Chen Ji’s assault so effortlessly.

“But… the Vanguard Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau only taught you this martial art three years ago. How could you possibly have reached perfection?”

Chen Ji picked up his sword and muttered to himself.

Shen Yi walked over to the group of collapsed constables: “Where are they?”

Zhang Dahu opened his mouth but couldn’t form a single coherent sentence: “Peo… peo… peo…”

Their boss was brilliant at drinking, dice games, and sleeping with women—but when had he ever learned to wield a sword?

Shen Yi sighed and kicked him, sending him flying half a meter away: “I asked you where they are.”

The previous owner had left him quite a mess.

One could say Shen Yi was a middleman: collecting the office’s salary, fully devoted to fulfilling the demands of all kinds of demons and monsters.

Unlike the dog demons under Huang Pizi, whose minds were so simple they only wanted to eat people.

On the other side were a group of old apes, obsessed with beauty, fond of young girls who hadn’t yet matured—but their nature was violent; the women Shen Yi had sent them were all tortured to death within months, and their demand was immense.

This time, the demands of both sides had clashed.

The previous owner had prepared six girls for the apes—all underage, one of them being the Liu family’s maid.

But the Liu family’s girl had caught the dog demons’ eyes as well.

With no other choice, the previous owner turned his gaze to Chen Ji’s sister; though slightly past the ideal age, her appearance was vastly superior to those malnourished, scrawny girls.

“What a beast.”

Shen Yi shook his head, his gaze sharpening further.

He had thought his past life had taught him enough suffering, that he’d seen through the coldness of human nature—until he found himself in this chaotic age, and realized suffering had degrees.

Zhang Dahu realized his boss was truly angry—not just putting on a show for that Chen kid.

He rubbed his abdomen and scrambled to his feet, quickly leading the way.

Seeing this, Chen Ji hurried after him, desperate.

Outside the government office, less than two streets away, Zhang Dahu turned into a teahouse corner, then into a vegetable patch behind the latrine—where several girls, tightly bound and caked in mud, lay weak and barely breathing, clearly starved for days.

“The old madams from the brothel haven’t come yet to dress them up—they look ugly now, but a bit of powder and rouge would make them passable.”

One constable stepped forward to explain, worried their boss would think they’d been lazy.

He hadn’t finished speaking when Zhang Dahu shoved him aside: “Boss, here are the signed indenture papers from their parents—they’re all flesh and blood, we feel for them too, but we had no choice…”

Shen Yi took the stack of papers, paused silently, then said: “Go buy rice, flour, salt, and pork—lots of it. Hurry.”

“Yes, Boss!”

Zhang Dahu turned and left; he’d followed Shen’s boss for years and knew his brutality—any brother who dared question him had eventually ended up as demon food.

Never ask questions you shouldn’t.

“I said… buy.”

A cold reminder came from behind. Zhang Dahu froze, turned, and met Shen Yi’s clear eyes—no longer cruel, no longer threatening.

Yet for some reason, Zhang Dahu suddenly felt a surge of urine—he instinctively clenched his legs: “Understood, Boss. I’ll spend silver to buy them. Rest assured.”

Shen Yi turned his gaze back forward.

Chen Ji’s face was dark, silent, as he reached out to untie one of the girls.

As the saying goes: beauty depends on comparison.

Among these dark, thin girls, Chen Jinyu’s slender frame, though delicate, carried no trace of malnutrition; even caked in mud, her skin remained pale and smooth.

And since she’d just been captured, her complexion wasn’t as weak as the others’.

Her delicate features carried a scholarly air, tinged with fragile charm.

No wonder the previous owner had fixated on her.

With a constable brother looking out for her, she’d always lived easier than the other girls.

Chen Ji clenched his teeth, lifted his sister onto a green stone, and in normal times, anyone who harmed this girl would have faced his blade in a flash of rage.

But now, he silently vented his fury into his palm.

“… ”

Shen Yi turned away, knelt down, and began untying the other girls, gently brushing his knuckles over their foreheads as they watched him in terror.

The weather had turned cool lately; if they caught a chill, it’d be trouble.

Fortunately, they were merely exhausted and dehydrated—nothing else seriously wrong.

“Master Shen…” the youngest girl, no more than twelve or thirteen, trembled as she spoke.

Shen Yi chuckled bitterly—the previous owner’s infamy had even reached children this young.

He wiped the mud from her face with his thumb, gently patted her head: “Rest a bit. I’ll take you home.”

Soon, the constables returned, carrying large bundles.

Shen Yi stood, glanced at Chen Ji crouching there, squeezing his palm so hard he seemed ready to dig his nails into his flesh, and sighed: “Enough. We’re not off duty yet.”

He then led the girls out of the teahouse.

“The rest of you, get back to the barracks. Leave the goods here—he’ll carry them.”

Hearing this, Chen Ji nearly laughed in fury—after treating his sister like this, you dare make me your porter?

Chen Jinyu looked dazed, biting her thin lip; perhaps because she was older, she appeared calmer than the other girls, despite her fear: “Brother, I’m fine. Go do your work.”

She knew her brother’s temper best—under these circumstances, even she couldn’t talk him out of it.

So she couldn’t show panic—it wouldn’t solve anything, only invite more trouble.

“Hurry up. If you dawdle, it’ll be dark.” Shen Yi’s voice came from outside.

His blunt words tightened Chen Jinyu’s heart; her gaze toward Chen Ji grew more worried.

To her surprise, her brother rose silently, then actually hefted the rice and flour onto his shoulders: “Follow me. When we’re off duty, I’ll take you home.”

Seeing this, Chen Jinyu paused, then turned her gaze outward, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

(End of Chapter)