Apart from the Yellow Pelt, there were a total of twelve towering dog demons.
This number roughly matched the memories left by his predecessor.
Excluding the old, weak, women, and children, just these dozen or so elite demons were enough to dominate the region, reigning supreme and forcing the eight hundred soldiers of Baiyun County to stay within the city walls, while over a hundred constables trembled in fear.
Yet, this group was still the least notable among the major demon factions.
"I didn't expect you to come, much less stand before me like this," the Yellow Pelt lazily raised its head from atop the massive palanquin, looking down with a condescending gaze.
It idly picked at its nails as it spoke, its voice hoarse but calm, though its eyes betrayed a slight shift in emotion.
"Since you're here, let me ask you something," it continued, its tone still indifferent.
"Do you have any sons? I've lost two. I only had..."
It paused, counting on its fingers, a flicker of irritation crossing its eyes.
"I can't remember... I didn't particularly like them, but suddenly losing two feels... uncomfortable."
"It's strange, isn't it? The places where they disappeared—why are they all under your jurisdiction?" The Yellow Pelt's voice remained steady, but its gaze sharpened.
"Given how respectful you've been in the past, give me an explanation, and I'll let you keep your corpse intact."
With that, it leaned back on the palanquin, while the elite dog demons beneath it bared their fangs, their lips curling back to reveal sharp, menacing teeth.
Shen Yi tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, answering the demon's question with action.
In an instant, he surged forward, his palms driving him toward the nearest dog demon.
Before the creature could even react, Shen Yi's blade had already pierced its heart.
Thud!
The entire movement was as swift as a thunderclap.
By the time Shen Yi exhaled his first breath, the other dog demons had only just begun to react, their roars echoing through the village.
The palanquin, carried by twelve demons, finally swayed slightly.
The Yellow Pelt propped itself up, looking down just in time to meet Shen Yi's gaze.
The young man's eyes were clear, devoid of any emotion save for a thick, murderous intent.
The Yellow Pelt leaned over the edge of the palanquin, its eyes, hidden beneath sagging skin, gleaming with a ferocious light.
A low, guttural growl escaped its throat.
"Is this how you killed my sons?" it snarled.
"And now, you dare to come for me!"
As it spoke, its massive body suddenly leaped into the air, blotting out the sky.
The loose skin on its arms flapped like sacks as it brought down a palm strike with the force of a mountain-splitting blow.
The other dog demons set down the palanquin, their hunched bodies trembling as saliva dripped from their fangs.
They roared, blocking all possible escape routes for Shen Yi.
Just as the Yellow Pelt's meaty paw came crashing down, Shen Yi shifted his stance.
The perfected "Spirit Snake's Eight Steps" technique allowed him to move with ease, slipping through the seemingly impenetrable wall of demons.
As the Yellow Pelt's massive body slammed into the ground, Shen Yi spun around, his blade slicing through the air and cleanly severing the head of another dog demon.
In Shen Yi's eyes, these so-called "elite" demons were nothing more than mindless beasts, relying solely on their hunting instincts.
They were riddled with openings, far inferior to the ape demon he had encountered before.
In just a short span of time, two more lives were claimed.
The Yellow Pelt's strike had missed, and its earlier laziness was now replaced with fury.
"Get out of my way!" it bellowed, its massive body far more agile than it appeared.
It swung its arm again, this time with a crimson aura of bloodlust emanating from its skin, clearly enraged.
At the Yellow Pelt's command, the other dog demons halted their movements, clearing a path for their leader.
But this only made Shen Yi's strikes even more precise.
His movements were like a ghost's, weaving through the demons, his blade slicing through their throats with ease.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Pelt found itself hindered, its attacks constrained by the fear of harming its own kin.
Another punch missed its mark, and frustration began to boil within the demon.
Three... six... eight!
Demons were not known for their fertility, and many offspring died before reaching maturity.
Only the strongest survived, and over the years, the Yellow Pelt had managed to accumulate just over a dozen descendants.
Now, in the blink of an eye, more than half of them lay dead.
As two more dog demons fell to Shen Yi's blade, the young man stood with his back to the Yellow Pelt, calmly pulling his sword free.
"Die!" the Yellow Pelt roared, charging forward with its massive arms, crushing two of its own offspring in its path.
Thud! Thud!
The remaining dog demons stared in disbelief as their father's massive body barreled toward them.
A steel blade pierced through their abdomens from behind, skewering them like kebabs.
"Now, can you remember how many sons you had?" Shen Yi stood behind the two demons, his blade held to the side.
His pale face, now splattered with blood, bore a cold, sinister smile as he looked at the stunned Yellow Pelt.
In the village, a few villagers peeked out from their hiding spots.
Despite the hardships they had endured, the sight before them made them clutch their hands tighter, a chill running down their spines.
The young constable, relatively slender in comparison, stood tall and straight.
At his feet lay a gruesome scene of severed limbs and decapitated dog demon heads, their grotesque faces rolling into the fields.
The dry, cracked earth was now soaked in dark red blood, the stench of death permeating the air.
With just one man and one blade, Shen Yi had turned the area before him into a hellish landscape, while the village behind him remained untouched.
The massive, terrifying Yellow Pelt panted heavily, its fat trembling with each breath.
Shen Yi slowly pointed his blade at the demon's forehead, tilting his head slightly.
"I thought you enjoyed scenes like this."
If they didn't, why would they tear people into dozens of pieces and scatter them across the courtyard?
The Yellow Pelt let out a low, mocking laugh.
"Now that they're all dead, it's a bit easier, isn't it?"
As it spoke, the fat on its body began to tremble with a strange rhythm.
A crimson aura of bloodlust seeped from its skin, thicker than fog, instantly enveloping the surrounding area.
Anything the aura touched—corpses, blood—began to sizzle and dissolve into pus within moments.
Faced with this bizarre phenomenon, Shen Yi remained calm.
He had expected this.
As a major demon, the Yellow Pelt had transcended mere physical combat.
It was only natural that it would possess other abilities.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Yi activated the five major acupoints within his body.
A white mist tinged with crimson enveloped his form, clashing with the Yellow Pelt's bloodlust aura.
The two forces collided like fire and water, rapidly consuming each other.
Without wasting any more time, Shen Yi stepped forward, his blade slashing down with all his might.
Sssshhhhk!
The blade struck the Yellow Pelt's neck and shoulder, cutting through its flesh as easily as tearing paper.
A massive gash opened up, stretching from the demon's shoulder down to its abdomen.
In the next moment, a crimson aura ten times denser than before erupted from the wound.
The Yellow Pelt's head hung limply, its bones clamping down on Shen Yi's blade as it lunged forward, attempting to crush him within its massive body.
Shen Yi released the hilt of his blade.
His fist clenched tightly, and with a simple, direct punch, he struck the Yellow Pelt's body.
The fat on the demon's frame rippled like water under the force of the blow.
(End of Chapter)