Shen Yi always felt that the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique was anything but ordinary.
His previous self had mastered the Bone-Piercing Grappling Technique in just three to five years, yet when it came to this blade technique, even with full concentration, it took him eight years just to reach a minor level of mastery.
It wasn’t until a full thirty-three years had passed that he finally achieved perfection and grasped a faint glimmer of insight.
If he could fully capture that glimmer, the results would far surpass those of ordinary martial arts.
With a slight stir in his heart, Shen Yi poured ten years of his demon lifespan into the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique.
[You continue to refine your already perfected Demon-Slaying Blade Technique.
Ten years pass in the blink of an eye, and that glimmer of insight becomes clearer.
Unfortunately, your talent is mediocre, and you can’t quite grasp it fully.]
"..."
"That’s it?"
Shen Yi felt a tightness in his chest.
That was a full ten years! Ten years of single-minded focus, abandoning all distractions! Even if he had spent those years working a mundane job, forsaking all entertainment, he could have earned enough to buy a house in a small town.
But pouring it into martial arts? Not even a ripple was made.
Having already invested so much, there was no way he could give up now.
Shen Yi decisively continued to pour more lifespan into the technique.
[In the seventeenth year, you finally seize that glimmer of insight and begin to record it in a manual.]
[In the twenty-seventh year, you exhaust all your energy to perfect it, naming it the "Demon-Slaying Sun Blade."]
[Remaining demon lifespan: thirty-six years.]
...
"Self-created martial art?"
A new understanding of a blade technique suddenly appeared in Shen Yi’s mind.
After absorbing it, he realized it wasn’t quite what he had imagined.
On the panel, a new line of text appeared after the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique.
[Initial Realm: Demon-Slaying Sun Blade]
This wasn’t an entirely new martial art but rather a derived technique, so there was no proficiency level to speak of.
After a total of sixty years of refinement, Shen Yi despairingly realized that human effort has its limits.
No matter how skilled the blade technique or how tirelessly he trained his body, as a mere mortal, he could never hope to contend with true great demons.
Thus, he proposed a method of mobilizing the essence within his body, refining it into energy, and then using his blade to control that energy.
"Initial Realm?"
Shen Yi looked at the prefix.
The last time he had seen this term was in the prompt after slaying the dog demon.
"An awakened dog demon, not yet at the Initial Realm."
This meant that the Sun Blade technique had touched upon a certain realm.
"If I continue to refine the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique, could I create a complete Initial Realm martial art instead of just a single technique?"
Shen Yi closed the panel, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
But soon, he restrained himself from pouring all his remaining lifespan into it.
Clearly, creating a martial art from scratch was an inefficient process.
The same amount of demon lifespan invested in an existing martial art would yield far better results.
He remembered that the last time the Demon-Suppression Division officer had passed down martial arts, there had been more than one.
Given his minor status in the yamen, obtaining them wouldn’t be difficult.
"Let’s rest for now."
After experiencing so many changes, Shen Yi’s mind finally relaxed, and he was overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion.
Just as he was about to lie down, the father and daughter from the Liu family brought in a basin of hot water they had prepared earlier.
The young girl soaked Shen Yi’s feet in the hot water and began to massage them with her rough hands.
Shen Yi closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
This was the first time he had experienced being waited on by others.
Given how timid the two were, he could easily become a tyrannical landlord in this household from today onward, and no one would dare to oppose him.
But Shen Yi opened his eyes and simply said, "That’s enough. You can go now. I’ll rest for the night and leave tomorrow."
He didn’t show any other emotions.
After all, the previous owner of this body had committed countless atrocities.
No matter how gentle he acted now, it would only make the father and daughter more fearful.
Old Liu, hearing this, was momentarily stunned, his cloudy eyes filled with doubt.
But he quickly regained his composure, pulling his daughter along and nodding repeatedly.
"Master Shen, you’re too kind. Stay as long as you like. If you need anything, just call."
The two stumbled out with the basin and retreated to another room.
The young Liu girl leaned against the window, unable to sleep all night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Master Shen’s menacing grin.
When she opened them, she saw the lifeless corpse of the dog demon in the courtyard.
She stayed awake until dawn, her eyes heavy with sleep, when she suddenly noticed a figure outside.
A young man in a black official robe, his tall figure exuding a heroic aura, with a blade at his waist.
He quietly left the courtyard, and as he did, he propped up the broken gate the dog demon had destroyed, blocking out some of the cold wind.
"Father, Master Shen is gone."
"Huh... gone? That’s good... that’s good..."
...
The morning dew was heavy, and a faint mist hung over the streets.
Shen Yi emerged from the mist and stood before two stone lions.
The Baiyun County Yamen.
He entered through the side gate with practiced ease and walked into the duty room.
The Baiyun County Criminal Division had seven or eight teams, and Shen Yi was just a small leader among them, in charge of eight constables.
His direct superior was the Criminal Division Director, Song Changfeng.
Sitting down at his desk, Shen Yi casually flipped through the records on the table but found he couldn’t make sense of them.
This not only showed his lack of education but also proved that his predecessor had been completely indifferent to official duties.
The Great Qian Dynasty had been plagued by demonic disasters for many years.
Although the Demon-Suppression Division had been established, manpower had always been severely lacking.
Dealing with demonic threats was usually the responsibility of local yamens, with the Demon-Suppression Division only stepping in when the situation spiraled out of control, taking over the area and conducting a full-scale demon purge.
The result was that the entire yamen would lose their positions, completely losing control of the area.
It was under these circumstances that Shen Yi’s predecessor, with his cunning mind, had found an opportunity.
Through his ability to negotiate with demons, he not only kept Baiyun County seemingly peaceful, earning the trust of his superiors, but also ensured that his subordinates didn’t have to engage in life-and-death battles with demons, reducing casualties and earning himself great respect.
He handled affairs so well that, over the years, he had quietly positioned himself to take over Song Changfeng’s role.
Of course, not everyone was convinced.
Shen Yi’s gaze swept over the empty duty room and the scattered wine jars under the table.
He picked one up and fell into silence.
At that moment, a thin young man hurriedly burst in.
Seeing Shen Yi in the chair, his eyes first flashed with disdain before he quickly adjusted his expression, removed his hat, and revealed a handsome face.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to Master Shen."
The young man was named Chen Ji, the most junior in the duty room but with a considerable reputation.
The reason was his extraordinary talent in martial arts, which had even earned praise from a Demon-Suppression Division officer.
Unfortunately, his youthful arrogance had led him to suffer several defeats at the hands of demons, earning him a stern rebuke from his superiors, who then handed him over to Shen Yi for "training."
Chen Ji’s parents had died early, and he had been raising his younger sister in Baiyun County.
Coincidentally, Shen Yi’s predecessor had been a lecherous scoundrel.
The two had clashed openly and covertly, eventually reaching a tenuous peace where Chen Ji obeyed orders, and Shen Yi promised not to touch his sister.
Sigh, it feels like I’m already walking a path to certain death.
Shen Yi propped his chin on his hand, lost in thought, until Chen Ji broke the silence.
"Master Shen, your subordinate has just returned from Liuli Temple. Something has happened in the village."
Chen Ji, recalling his superior’s previous orders, hesitated but quickly explained, "Although you said to ignore matters outside the city for now, this demon has broken the rules and has taken up residence in the village."
He spoke faster and faster, clearly worried about being interrupted, as if this had happened many times before.
"I hope... Master Shen can go and... negotiate..."
When he said the word "negotiate," a flicker of shame crossed Chen Ji’s face.
Even so, he maintained a respectful tone, unwilling to provoke his superior.
After all, given Shen Yi’s personality, he usually brushed off such situations, showing no concern.
To get him to act, one had to butter him up first.
"I remember last time, the Demon-Suppression Division officer brought three martial arts manuals. Didn’t you borrow them?"
Shen Yi stood up and walked to the door of the duty room, stretching lazily.
"Huh?"
Chen Ji was stunned.
Had Master Shen not heard a word he’d said?
"Bring them to me," Shen Yi extended his hand.
Chen Ji took a deep breath, walked to his desk, and pulled out three well-preserved manuals, his hand trembling slightly.
He stood there for a long time before reluctantly handing them over.
Given Shen Yi’s habits, these precious demon-slaying manuals would either be used as a table prop or given to some lover as a novelty.
He would never actually read them.
Shen Yi took the manuals and leisurely walked out the door, leaving Chen Ji standing there in a daze, his grip on his blade tightening.
Does Master Shen not even care about the lives of the people outside the city?
Just then, a figure poked its head back through the door.
It was Shen Yi, who had returned, looking puzzled.
"What are you standing around for? Lead the way."
(End of Chapter)