"Today, I came to see the lovely bride you found for us, but I accidentally caught the scent of those mutts, so I decided to come in and take a look."
"Don't worry, you're efficient, and we're quite satisfied with your work."
The old ape glanced at Shen Yi, then leaned closer to Song Changfeng: "But your rank is too low, always being bossed around by mediocre people. It's quite frustrating. Today, I'll help you out by getting rid of him, giving you a chance to climb higher."
"I didn't kill the dog demon..."
Song Changfeng's eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets, as he screamed, "I'll resign immediately... don't kill me... Shen Yi! I've never crossed you! Why are you doing this?"
Seeing his terrified expression, the three ape demons burst into laughter.
Their sharp, piercing laughter grated on Shen Yi's nerves, and his voice turned cold: "Let him go."
At these words, the old ape's expression changed.
Although it had called Shen Yi "brother," it was more of a mocking term.
In their eyes, Shen Yi was nothing more than an obedient lackey.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to intimidate him.
Since when did a lackey get to give orders?
The old ape bared its yellowish fangs, suppressing its anger, and looked at Shen Yi with amusement: "If I let him go, what's in it for me?"
It hadn't planned to actually release Song Changfeng, but it was curious about what kind of show Shen Yi, this wolf in sheep's clothing, was putting on today.
Hearing this, Shen Yi lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, then relaxed his brow as if offering a condition the ape couldn't refuse:
"Let him go, and you'll die a painless death."
The room fell silent.
The old ape's eyes gradually filled with killing intent: "Interesting. And if I don't?"
Shen Yi looked up, sincere: "I'll carve you into a skeleton."
Before the ape demons could react, Song Changfeng was so terrified that his eyes nearly burst, and he almost bit through his teeth.
He finally understood—Shen Yi had no intention of letting him leave alive today!
Carved into a skeleton? Who was carving whom?
The ape demons from the East Mountain weren't like the yellow-skinned demons from the West Suburb.
Dog demons were numerous and of varying strength, and even a group of seven or eight constables could barely subdue one.
But the ape demons? There were only five in total.
Apart from the ancient demon who hadn't been seen for years, the remaining four brothers were all elite.
With just their small numbers, they could hold their own against the yellow-skinned demons.
And now, three of the four brothers were here!
Sure enough, upon hearing Shen Yi's words, the old ape in the scholar's robe completely cooled its gaze.
It didn't mock or roar to intimidate.
The old ape simply increased the pressure in its hand, its sharp claws digging into Song Changfeng's forehead, squeezing his skull until it creaked, as if it would burst like a ripe watermelon at any moment.
It coldly glanced at Shen Yi, hoping this head would teach the man how to speak properly.
At that moment, the old ape's eyes flickered with confusion, which quickly turned to rage!
Shen Yi wasn't even looking at its hand.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the door, stopping in front of the two confused ape demons.
After a moment of observation, he chose the one who had broken the door and killed earlier.
Then, Shen Yi raised his hand and, before the ape demon could react, slammed it down on the back of its head!
With a surge of immense force, the ape demon crashed to the ground, its face smashing into the shattered floor tiles.
The other ape demon finally snapped out of its daze and let out a sharp screech.
Even in such a frantic moment, it didn't lose its composure.
Its arm, far longer than a human's, swung in a perfect arc through the air, its black-furred hand clenched into a fist, descending like a thousand-pound weight, aiming straight for the young man's spine!
This was no longer an instinctive attack but a highly skilled martial technique.
Its left arm was poised, ready to deliver a fatal blow after breaking the opponent's spine.
"..."
Shen Yi, still pressing down on the first ape demon's head, casually raised his other hand to block the incoming strike.
The black-furred hand, which could have easily shattered a spine, was effortlessly deflected the moment it touched Shen Yi's arm, its immense force instantly collapsing.
Then, Shen Yi's slender fingers wrapped around the ape demon's throat, and with a slight squeeze, its cervical spine shattered.
From start to finish, he didn't even glance back.
His calm gaze remained fixed on the ape demon's head in his hand, which was gradually deforming.
Every time it struggled, he increased the pressure.
"Roar!!"
The old ape in the scholar's robe paused for a moment, unable to comprehend how someone so familiar could act so unpredictably.
But the death of one of its brothers had clearly pushed it over the edge.
Instinctively, it wanted to use Song Changfeng as leverage to make Shen Yi stop, but before it could speak, it stared at Shen Yi's expressionless face and suddenly realized.
The man in Shen Yi's hand was its brother, while the one in its own hand... had nothing to do with Shen Yi.
In a fit of rage, it kicked Song Changfeng away and leaped over the table: "Stop!"
A scream and a dull explosion sounded simultaneously.
Shen Yi withdrew his hand, flicking off the red and white sticky substance from his fingers.
He glanced at the figure lunging toward him from mid-air, his hand calmly resting on the hilt of his blade.
Just as he was about to draw, his movements suddenly slowed.
The old ape's bloodshot eyes suddenly filled with black mist, and the same mist seeped out from its fur, quickly forming a chain.
The black mist chain exuded an eerie coldness, writhing like a dragon as it lashed toward Shen Yi!
"..."
Shen Yi frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
This was the first time he had seen so-called demonic magic.
The eerie coldness was bone-chilling, as if it could freeze a person solid and even corrode their mind.
He had thought that after reaching the peak of mortal strength, nothing below the initial realm could threaten him.
He hadn't sensed anything extraordinary from these three ape demons.
But now, he finally felt a hint of trouble.
As he pondered, his drawing motion changed.
Unlike before, it was no longer swift and agile but much slower.
His blood surged, and even through his skin, he could feel the scorching heat.
The blade slowly emerged from its sheath, its silver surface coated with a faint red mist, flowing like blood.
Suddenly, the blade flashed through the air!
The old ape in the scholar's robe widened its eyes, staring at the young man now only three feet away.
It seemed like it could reach out and tear his face apart, but its sharp claws trembled, unable to move forward.
Confused, it looked down.
Its scholar's robe was severed, the cut perfectly clean.
From the waist down, its two powerful legs thudded to the ground, yet it was still mid-air.
"Clang."
Shen Yi sheathed his blade and stepped over the two halves of the ape demon.
(End of Chapter)