The straw-cloaked ape demon removed its bamboo hat, revealing sparse black fur that hinted at its old age.
Its body was short and stocky, but its head was unusually large.
As its lips moved, two sharp fangs peeked out.
"Your blade skills are decent, but your blade... not so much."
A tall, young ape demon knelt on one knee and carefully unwrapped a long, silk-covered object.
Inside was a slender ceremonial blade.
The scabbard was straight, jet-black, and polished to a glossy sheen, adorned with golden patterns.
With both hands, the young ape respectfully presented the blade.
The straw-cloaked old ape gripped the hilt with its bony hand and drew the blade, which gleamed with a dark, ominous light.
It examined the weapon with a hint of affection.
Shen Yi couldn't help but notice a pattern: the stronger the demon, the more it seemed to imitate humans.
The yellow-skinned demon insisted on riding in a palanquin but still only cared about its appetite, dreaming of devouring humans and giving itself crude nicknames based on its appearance.
These ape demons, on the other hand, wore human clothes, picked elegant names from books—like "Tongtian"—and even sought out the most delicate women to sleep with.
As for the Green-Scaled Matriarch, she had started grooming herself, kidnapping the finest craftsmen to create the most exquisite jewelry.
"My blade is called..."
Ape Tongtian held its breath, eyes blazing, ready to boast about the origins of its treasured weapon.
But Shen Yi had no patience for such theatrics.
He swung his blade toward the tall, kneeling ape demon.
The crimson aura surrounding his blade surged as it came down with immense force, aiming for the demon's neck.
Since achieving perfection in the Golden Sun Eight Treasures Body Technique, Shen Yi had felt his strength surge like a mighty river, far surpassing his previous limits.
The two demons were caught off guard by his sudden attack.
The tall, young ape hesitated for a moment before hastily raising its hand to block.
But that brief delay was all Shen Yi needed.
His blade sliced through the demon's neck as easily as cutting through tofu.
The head, still wide-eyed with shock, rolled to Ape Tongtian's feet.
The old ape clutched the ceremonial blade, its nostrils flaring as it let out a piercing screech.
"Outrageous! Outrageous! You uncultured brute from the wilderness!"
Even it, before eating, would wipe its hands with a damp cloth, bathe every three days, and burn incense every five.
And when it came to killing, one must announce their name, explain their reasons, and declare how they intended to win.
How could anyone be so crude and unrefined?
In its fury, Ape Tongtian's small frame leaped into the air, its dark blade slashing out with precision and ferocity.
The cold blade energy erupted, shattering the small thatched hut.
Despite its rage, Ape Tongtian's attacks were methodical and intricate, clearly the result of mastering a beginner-level blade technique.
This demon not only imitated human behavior but had also studied martial arts.
"No manners, you deserve to die!"
"You killed my descendants, you deserve to die!"
"Die now!"
Ape Tongtian hunched over, howling as it pressed forward, its long arms swinging wildly, each strike faster than the last.
Facing such a relentless assault, Shen Yi remained calm, his steps steady.
But inwardly, he felt a twinge of frustration.
This old ape was no ordinary demon; it had clearly been trained by someone.
Its blade technique seemed tailor-made for its long arms, and the ceremonial blade it wielded was no ordinary weapon.
The official blade Shen Yi held was worth no more than seven taels and two coins, and even that was after accounting for the workshop's cut.
He hadn't noticed it before, but now, facing an opponent who was also at the peak of the beginner level and whose martial skills were on par with his own, the difference in their weapons became glaringly obvious.
If he continued to hold back, hoping to defeat the demon without injury, he would only pay a heavier price.
With that thought, Shen Yi's eyes grew calm.
He seized an opening and swung his blade with all his might.
The disparity between their weapons was even greater than he had anticipated.
With just one clash, his official blade was shattered, the broken pieces flying in all directions.
Fortunately, he had anticipated this.
He discarded the hilt and, instead of retreating, closed the distance between them.
His long, powerful fingers clenched into a fist.
He was prepared to trade injury for injury!
Ape Tongtian saw his intent and, instead of fearing it, grinned maliciously.
It knew better than anyone just how sharp its treasured blade was.
Trade injury for injury? Shen Yi wouldn't live to strike again!
In the next moment, the dark blade slashed toward Shen Yi's shoulder.
But there was no sound of flesh being torn, no wet slicing of meat.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out.
Both of them froze.
Ape Tongtian gripped its blade tightly, but no matter how much force it applied, the dark blade wouldn't budge an inch.
"..."
It looked up and saw a flicker of surprise in Shen Yi's eyes.
So... what are you surprised about? What were you dodging? Why did you act like you were willing to take a hit just to strike back?!
Before Ape Tongtian could process this, Shen Yi's long, powerful fingers clamped down on its face.
With a surge of immense force, its entire body was slammed into the ground!
Ape Tongtian felt as though its internal organs were about to burst.
This strength... it was beyond the beginner level.
It was the realm it had always dreamed of reaching.
How could a martial artist with a body tempered to the level of Jade Liquid Realm stoop so low as to ambush someone before a fight?
Ape Tongtian couldn't comprehend it before Shen Yi's fist smashed into its eye socket.
Blood filled its nostrils as it gasped, the metallic taste of blood overflowing from its mouth.
The sound of Shen Yi's fists whistling through the air was like the whispers of a death god.
In the distance, Butcher Zhang threw another punch.
He and Skinny Monk were from the same school, so they knew each other's moves inside and out.
It would take a while for either of them to gain the upper hand.
But this punch landed squarely on Skinny Monk's nose.
Skinny Monk clutched his face, blood seeping through his fingers.
Despite the pain, his eyes were fixed on something in the distance.
"How old are you, still playing these tricks? Trying to make me look away? Today, I'm going to rid the world of you, you disgrace to our school!"
Butcher Zhang raised his fist, ready to strike again, but noticed Skinny Monk still staring intently behind him.
Gritting his teeth, Butcher Zhang turned to look.
A chill ran down his spine.
Dozens of young men stood frozen, their hands limp as they held spears and bows.
At the front, Shen Yi was pinning down the old ape, his fists rising and falling with cold precision.
His hands were covered in a mix of red and white, sticky like paste, dripping to the ground.
With each punch, the ape demon's legs twitched.
Until finally, there was no more movement.
Shen Yi slowly stood up, exhaling a long breath of hot air.
His dark eyes swept over the scene.
Under his gaze, the soldiers and constables dropped to their knees, too weak to even beg for mercy.
"How long has it been..."
Butcher Zhang swallowed hard.
He hadn't even warmed up, and over there, it was already over?
Two beginner-level demons, and they died without so much as a whimper.
He turned back to Skinny Monk, only to see the man scrambling away like a frightened rabbit, covering twenty yards in the blink of an eye.
He didn't look like a martial artist at all.
I don't know if anyone's reading this...
I have some errands to run today, so just one chapter for now.
I'll make up for it later.
Just letting you readers know.
Still a newbie, still pretty green, but I'll keep working hard to improve.
Typing away, aiming for that full attendance bonus.
Let's go!
(End of Chapter)