"You... you..."
The skinny monk had also spoken with the black-robed youth and knew full well the terrifying background the other party had.
The group of foxes from the Northern Cliff were not to be trifled with, not even by the Green Scale Matriarch, let alone a lone martial artist like himself who had come from Qingzhou.
Bowing his head in front of them was no disgrace.
The only thing he hadn't expected was that someone would dare not to bow?
"Cough..."
Old Man Yin Seven's features twisted as he vomited out the flesh and blood he had swallowed earlier, mixed with saliva.
He forced himself to endure the convulsions, flipping over and standing up, his eyes wide with anger.
The sound of his breathing grew heavier, more like that of a beast than a human.
"Roar!"
He opened his mouth, and a roar as loud as a giant bell erupted, deafening to the ears.
If one had the cultivation of the Initial Realm, it might have been bearable, but for someone like Chen Ji, who only had a bit of martial skill, even trying to maintain his stance, he couldn't help but stagger back a couple of steps.
As for the Lin family steward, he was even worse off, collapsing to the ground, his silk robe stained with filth.
"It's over, it's over, the Lin family is going to have a death on their hands!"
He cried out, sneaking a glance forward.
He saw Shen Yi, as if he hadn't heard anything, steadily and unhurriedly drawing a three-foot-long blade.
Unlike Chen Ji's dramatic drawing of his sword, Shen Yi didn't put on a fierce expression or grit his teeth; instead, he seemed casual, like pulling out an oil-paper umbrella on a rainy day.
But the moment he saw Shen Yi draw his blade, Old Man Yin Seven instantly stopped his roar, fear flashing in his eyes, and he turned to flee! Inside the room, the moment the other party made a move, he had keenly sensed the profound aura, definitely not someone who had just entered the Initial Realm... at least a master who had reached the peak of the Initial Realm.
Old Man Yin Seven pushed off with his legs, crouching low, and in one step, he shot out six zhang away.
He didn't even have the mind to look back.
Seeing his sorry state, even the two senior brothers from the Vajra Sect showed a bit of surprise.
Both were in the Initial Realm, why be so afraid?
"Handling official business, we shouldn't interfere."
The skinny monk seemed to guess that the other party was wary of Shen Yi's helper and suddenly added with a sarcastic tone.
Butcher Zhang glanced at him and slowly sighed.
Yet, even so, what was puzzling was that Old Man Yin Seven still didn't stop, instead running even faster.
The next moment, Shen Yi's figure moved nimbly, and in two or three steps, he quietly appeared behind the black-robed youth.
The long blade in his hand suddenly slashed down, the fierce and sharp force finally making Old Man Yin Seven's back go cold, forcing him to turn and block with his elbow.
Sssshhh!
The long blade, wrapped in a mix of crimson and gray-white energy, slashed down! The sharp edge tore through Old Man Yin Seven's flesh like paper, the hard elbow bone cracking with a snap.
The rampant blade energy passed through the arm, leaving a deep gash on the other's face that reached the bone.
The gash extended all the way to his right shoulder, sizzling with a corrosive sound, visibly turning the surrounding flesh into pus at a rapid pace.
As blood sprayed, strands of dark yellow fur emerged from Old Man Yin Seven's face, the stench of a beast spreading.
The dark yellow fur, with black patterns, revealed his true identity.
The "human skin" he wore lost its effect, and he opened his bloody maw, revealing a ferocious tiger's head.
Old Man Yin Seven endured the pain, his vision blurred by the crimson, and he fled in panic, shouting in terror, "You madman! She won't let you go!"
This seemed to strike a chord with the skinny monk.
He looked at Shen Yi in shock, his eyes as if looking at a dead man.
Butcher Zhang watched the tiger demon charging towards him, smacked his lips, and pulled out an ordinary-looking butcher's knife from behind his waist.
In his large hand, the black butcher's knife looked more like a toy.
After a moment's thought, he flipped the knife to use the back of the blade, his thick arm swinging up and smashing down hard on the other.
Under the fierce force, the already panicked tiger demon was sent flying back again.
It flailed, trying to grab onto something, but in its crimson vision, a clean face suddenly appeared, looking down at it with decisive action.
Sssshhh!
A flash of silver light.
The head and body separated, landing one after the other, kicking up some dust, quickly expanding several times into a strong and robust tiger's body.
Shen Yi sheathed his blade, bent down, and with his long, powerful fingers, he pierced into the other's abdomen, slightly groping, and pulled out a small beast core.
[Killed Initial Realm Tiger Demon, total lifespan 520 years, remaining 132 years, absorbed completely]
"Are you out of your mind?!"
The skinny monk glared at his junior brother in anger: "How many times have I reminded you, don't cause me trouble!"
Butcher Zhang put away his butcher's knife, didn't respond, and instead pulled out a blade of grass to chew on, his face changing slightly, and he quickly spat it out: "Pah, do you keep dogs at home? It feels like it's been peed on, tastes so foul."
"Thank you."
Shen Yi put away the beast core.
"I just have a habit of slapping everything I see."
Butcher Zhang looked over, smiling indifferently.
"Bastard... bastard..."
The ignored skinny monk trembled with anger.
Shen Yi turned his gaze, noticing the blade in Chen Ji's hand, his expression showing a bit of confusion.
"Just a bit nervous, took it to boost my courage."
Chen Ji hid the blade behind his back, forcing a smile, his eyes showing a bit of shame.
Just how many more demons would the other have to slay to prove he wasn't the type to collude with demons? The earlier nameless ghost fire had actually made him question himself, otherwise why fear the gossip of others? It's just that...
Shen Yi's martial progress was just too fast! This was the first time Chen Ji had seen the other slay a great demon with his own eyes.
In Shen Yi's hands, the tiger demon hadn't even thought of resisting from start to finish.
The only comfort was that the other hadn't used the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique, meaning Shen Yi must have been secretly practicing martial arts, likely with another master.
"Alright, take the demon's body, back to the yamen."
Seeing he didn't want to elaborate, Shen Yi didn't press further.
"Understood."
Chen Ji quickly stepped forward.
At that moment, the sinister voice came again from the side.
"Young friend Shen, he doesn't need to boost his courage, his courage is so big he almost slashed at me with his blade, even asked me what I am."
The skinny monk walked over with a cold laugh.
It's not like wearing the clothes of the court makes you a big shot in front of martial artists.
Even without resorting to underhanded tactics, just your superior could shut you up.
Hearing this, Chen Ji's movements paused slightly, a bit of regret surfacing in his heart.
Dealing with demons was already troublesome enough, why stir up more trouble for a moment's anger? Thinking this, he lowered his head and rubbed his face, wondering how to apologize, but then heard Shen Yi's calm question.
"Did you really say that?"
Hearing this, Chen Ji stiffened, helplessly admitting, "I did."
The skinny monk's sneer deepened as he stood with his hands hanging.
Shen Yi nodded, turning to walk towards him.
"It's not a big deal, I'm not without magnanimity, but Officer Shen, you should keep a tighter rein on your subordinate..."
Before the skinny monk could finish, he saw Shen Yi stop in front of him, his hand resting on the scabbard.
He looked over with calm eyes, his thin lips slightly curling, his voice tinged with mockery:
"So."
"What are you?"
(End of Chapter)