Chapter 95: The Demon Hunter's Gift

"What is this?"

Shen Yi casually loosened the scabbard; he had already guessed some of it.

Sure enough, Aunt Aqian's voice gained a few hints of teasing:

"A Demon Hunter's waist token."

"Demon Hunter…" Shen Yi had heard that name more than once, and had even personally seen a few of them on Qingfeng Mountain.

"They travel a thousand miles in search of demons, answer to Zhen Mo Si but not to its summons — that is what a Demon Hunter is."

Jiang Chengyun stepped slowly into the room, expressionless, and casually tucked the silver bell at his waist into his cloth belt to hide it.

So-called "answer to orders but not to summons."

When Zhen Mo Si issues an order, they may carry it out, but no one may interfere with their methods. They possess the greatest autonomy — only the result matters, never the process.

This scope of non-interference also includes the Regional Commander.

Moreover, it is "may carry it out" — if they feel they have something heavier on their hands, or simply feel lazy, they may ignore it entirely.

Not only outside, but even internally, ranks are divided by copper bell, silver bell, and gold bell — yet even a gold-bell Demon Hunter cannot give orders to a copper-bell one.

Such lax rules represent the imperial court's unconditional trust in them.

To join the Demon Hunters, a Vice General is only the simplest threshold; one must also be tested on core intellect, character, and strength.

"What are the benefits?" Shen Yi withdrew his gaze.

Hearing this, Jiang Chengyun clenched his teeth slightly. Aunt Aqian laughed and pressed her small belly, leaning back into her chair: "Demon Hunters report straight to the imperial court. Whatever you want — as long as Great Qian has it, we have it… and there aren't as many ridiculous rules as Zhen Mo Si."

"We only look at one thing."

Aunt Aqian held up two fingers: "How many demon traces you can gather, or how many demon heads you can take."

Jiang Chengyun gave his grandmother's fingers a helpless glance and added in a low voice: "You'll also gain access to the largest intelligence network in all of Outside Qingzhou — and of course, you yourself are part of it."

Aunt Aqian shook the bell again: "With this thing, you can leave messages anywhere. Personal Aides and above also master similar methods — any other bell-bearer who comes close will receive them. Within a hundred li, you can use it to exchange intelligence… though if you want to use it to coax young ladies, that's fine too."

"Besides that, it can also store a few items and serve as a temporary means of self-defense."

Saying so, Aunt Aqian propped herself on the table again and slowly pushed the silver bell over: "Inside there are Breath-Concealing Arts, Shape-Shifting Arts, Qi-Seeking and Qi-Gathering Arts, and also a little gift Aunt Aqian specially prepared for you. I heard from General Chen that you seem to like this sort of thing. Big brother, still need to think it over?"

Her delicate face carried a smile, yet the smile seemed somewhat strange. Jiang Chengyun, too, glanced over with drooping eyelids.

What the two of them had just spoken of were all benefits.

But anyone not a fool would know what kind of risk accepting this thing would mean.

A silver-bell Demon Hunter's status would never be lower than a Personal Aide Vice General, yet their circumstances were two diametrically opposed extremes.

If Zhen Mo Si's people tread through mountains of blades and seas of flames, advancing step by cautious step, then Demon Hunters were a band of madmen dancing barefoot on knife tips.

Though they had the capital for such madness, one who often walks by the river — how could their shoes ever stay dry?

In other words, their shoes had never truly been clean.

"I suppose there's no need."

Under the gaze of the two, Shen Yi casually tucked the bell away, his eyes calm — as if it really were just an ordinary bell.

"…"

Seeing this, Aunt Aqian and Jiang Chengyun exchanged a glance.

So casual, so offhand.

If this ink-robed youth were not a fool who couldn't understand what was said, then it could only mean one thing.

The other party's degree of madness even exceeded Aunt Aqian's expectations!

"Convinced now? How does he compare to you back in the day?"

Aunt Aqian turned and patted Jiang Chengyun's arm.

"Grand… oww!"

Before Jiang Chengyun could finish speaking, that small hand on his arm instantly twisted.

He lowered his gaze to the side and stopped his words.

True — back then, he himself had indeed been excited and thrilled, mustered up tremendous courage, and only at the very end accepted that bell.

Nowhere near as composed as the man before him.

But the difference was that before becoming a Demon Hunter, he had endured over ten years of life-and-death battles. Even with a gold-bell Demon Hunter for a grandmother, she had never lifted a finger to help him in the slightest.

Given grandmother's temperament, even upon hearing the death of her eldest grandson, she would only kick her leg and laugh heartily, mock his uselessness — at most hiding a touch of sorrow meant for him within the tears of her laughter.

Yet Shen Yi had been in Zhen Mo Si less than a month, with Lin Baiwei delivering a letter beforehand and Chen Qiankun watching over him afterward.

Hard to say if it wasn't simply a case of a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger.

"Big brother, just channel your qi into it. Once he's done with what he's handling, I'll have him take you through the procedures."

"Learn what's inside as quickly as you can. Intimidating a few brain-damaged stupid flood dragons is honestly a bit embarrassing. If you can't beat the oldest one, at least run fast — give it a slash on the forehead, slap it silly, then run it three thousand li like a dog being walked, and on the way back, slaughter its whelps too. It's really thrilling — you should try it when you get the chance."

Aunt Aqian hopped off the chair, waved her hand, and skipped out of the room.

Jiang Chengyun took one last look at Shen Yi, then followed out at a slow pace.

Only after walking some distance did he say, slightly displeased: "Grandmother, giving him the silver bell so directly — isn't that a bit unfair to us?"

"Here."

Aunt Aqian raised her wrist and shook a delicate golden bell: "Trade you."

Watching that swaying bell.

In Jiang Chengyun's drooping eyes, a burning heat surged. Throughout all of Outside Qingzhou, there were only three such gold bells — each one representing a being comparable to a Zhen Mo General.

In other words, the twelve Zhen Mo Generals, plus three gold-bell Demon Hunters — fifteen Embracing Elixir Realm experts in total — were all the top-tier masters in Outside Qingzhou besides the Regional Commander.

But soon, Jiang Chengyun suppressed that burning heat: "Better wait until you're dead, and I've achieved perfect Dan and formally stepped into Embracing Elixir, before we talk about it."

"There you go then."

Aunt Aqian rolled her eyes: "What's the damn use of a broken bell? Can Chen Qiankun give positions I can't? The real skill is how much demon qi and heart's-blood essence is stored inside — how many precious medicines and martial arts that can be exchanged for."

"Does he really have that kind of ability?" Jiang Chengyun asked doubtfully, looking over.

Aunt Aqian stopped helplessly, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "No way, you actually expect someone at Jade Liquid Perfection to accomplish much? Just giving him a little pep talk, that's all. Tracking down and slaying the demon is your job; growing strong is his."

The two walked off into the distance again.

The side courtyard, a quiet room.

Shen Yi sat back down on the edge of the bed, took out that silver bell, his eyes full of puzzlement.

What incredible luck had he stumbled into lately?

Sitting quietly at home, and then two people just pop out of nowhere—handing over intel, handing over a treasure, and even a whole bunch of self-protecting skills.

That girl with her mischievous grin had almost made Shen Yi a little nervous.

And the final price turned out to be… no price at all?

Slaying demons alone was something he had originally planned to do.

"Strange, really."

Shen Yi shook his head.

He tried channeling Qi into it.

Immediately, just like falling into inner-vision, several items suddenly appeared before his eyes.

A few manuals recording all sorts of techniques.

And the little gift Aunt Aqian had mentioned.

It was a Nascent Core Realm flood-dragon demon core, lying quietly there.

(End of chapter)