Shen Yi picked up the ceremonial sword that gleamed with a dark, metallic sheen.
Compared to his previous blade, this one was narrower and straighter, with a blade as thin as a cicada's wing.
Yet, it was several times heavier than his old sword.
Clearly, this was no ordinary weapon.
But even such a treasure couldn't pierce his skin.
The effects of the Golden Sun Eight Treasures Body had exceeded Shen Yi's expectations.
According to Zhang the Butcher, this was just something he had figured out by referencing the beginner-level martial arts of the Diamond Sect.
If he had access to the complete Jade Liquid Realm techniques of that sect, how much more formidable would he be?
Shen Yi shook his head and used the blade to extract the beast core from the ape demon, Yuan Tongtian.
He then walked over to the young ape demon's corpse and did the same.
Finally, he picked up the scabbard and sheathed the dark blade.
It was a pity the sword didn't have a name.
After a moment of thought, Shen Yi decided to call it "Erhei" (Two Black) since the blade was dark and the scabbard was as black as ink.
He raised his eyes and summoned his status panel.
[Slaughtered an early-stage perfected ape demon.
Total lifespan: 774 years.
Remaining lifespan: 197 years.
Absorbed.]
[Slaughtered an early-stage late ape demon.
Total lifespan: 631 years.
Remaining lifespan: 270 years.
Absorbed.]
[Remaining demon lifespan: 651 years.]
"..."
First, the ape demons had offered him a treasure sword, and now he had gained such a substantial amount of lifespan.
He should have been in high spirits.
But as Shen Yi glanced at the neatly arranged skulls on the table, he inexplicably lost some of his enthusiasm.
He turned and walked toward the crowd.
Chen Ji silently stood up and followed him.
Seeing this, the Niu brothers and Zhang Dahu quickly scrambled to their feet, though their expressions were still filled with fear.
Master Shen had never been a particularly kind person, but compared to what they had just witnessed, he could be considered merciful.
Watching him beat a demon into a pulp was too much of a visual shock for these ordinary constables.
It would probably take them days, if not weeks, to recover.
"What are you all standing around for? Get lost!" Seeing Shen Yi walk away, Zhang the Butcher kicked the soldiers and constables still on the ground.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Unlike the despicable Liu, who deserved to die ten thousand times over, these men were just tools in the hands of the government, following orders.
After Liu's execution, they hadn't dared to make a move.
Zhang had been worried that Shen Yi might go on a killing spree and slaughter these ordinary people.
The Diamond Sect had some connection to Buddhism.
Although Zhang didn't believe in karma, excessive killing could still affect one's mind and even lead to demonic possession during martial arts training.
There was no need for that.
As long as the government's corruption was dealt with, these soldiers would be taken care of by others.
With a bit of discipline, they could still serve as the backbone of the county's defense.
To put it bluntly, if they were all killed, who would defend the city? A handful of martial artists couldn't possibly guard the city day and night.
"Thank you, Master Shen, for sparing our lives!" The young men kneeling on the ground finally relaxed and kowtowed repeatedly in the direction Shen Yi had walked.
Zhang the Butcher thought of the scarred man who had fled earlier and then looked at the mutilated corpse of the man in the green robe.
"He..."
"Liu was killed by demons. We understand," the young men said, their voices trembling.
They might not have the courage to fight demons, but they knew how to read the situation.
Baiyun County was finished! Master Shen had killed demons one after another, and there was no way to keep this a secret.
For three years, the government had reported that the city was peaceful, the people were safe, and there were no demonic threats or civil unrest.
If this got out, the magistrate wouldn't have enough heads to spare.
It was clear that even though the demon incidents had only happened in the past few days, the magistrate had sensed something was wrong.
That was why he had sent that expert to accompany them.
Thinking of how the skinny monk had fled for his life...
Everyone knew who the real lamb to the slaughter was now.
"Hmph!" Zhang the Butcher waved his sleeve and chased after Shen Yi, feeling somewhat annoyed.
Shen Yi had effortlessly killed two demons without a scratch, while he hadn't even been able to deal with the skinny monk.
As for today's sparring...
This wasn't just going easy on him—it was like pouring out an ocean! And Shen Yi had kept calling him "senior" the whole time.
It was downright embarrassing!
...
Late at night, in the magistrate's residence.
In the main hall, the old magistrate sat in a redwood chair, wearing only a white undergarment and a pair of shorts.
He was soaking his feet in a wooden basin, his eyes closed, his fingers tapping nervously on the armrest.
Even though the water had grown cold, he didn't seem to notice.
His mind was clearly elsewhere.
The night watchman's clapper had sounded three times.
By now, the matter should have been settled.
Song Changfeng and that scoundrel Liu had good eyes.
One had chosen, and the other had nurtured, creating a disaster for him.
They had even said that with that little constable around, the demons were satisfied and had no complaints.
Well, now they were lying in the morgue.
How could they complain?
If Shen Yi were truly a peerless martial artist who could exterminate all the demons in the area, that would be one thing.
The magistrate would have gladly offered him silver and beautiful women.
But as it stood, Shen Yi was neither here nor there—useless except for causing trouble.
He deserved to die!
"Why are you only coming back now?" The magistrate opened his eyes and looked at the figure that had barged through the door in a disheveled state.
"Hurry! Get the silver! Load up all the silver that's mine! I'm going back to Qingzhou. I'm leaving right now!" The skinny monk panted heavily, taking two or three steps forward.
Under the magistrate's shocked gaze, he grabbed the old man by the collar.
"You... what do you mean? My teacher sent you here to protect me. It's only been a few months, and now you're leaving?"
"Protect your grandmother! That scoundrel Liu colluded with some idiot demons and provoked that killing star. If I don't leave now, he'll break down the door and chop off my head!" The skinny monk's eyes were bloodshot.
He had come to Baiyun County to make some easy money, not to lose his life.
How could such a remote little place produce such a formidable martial artist?
"Let go of me first... What's the rush... He's just a constable, a government official! Not some rogue martial artist!" The magistrate grew increasingly agitated and tried to pry the monk's fingers off his collar.
To his surprise, he actually managed to do so.
The magistrate froze, watching as the monk's body went limp, a thin needle protruding from his throat.
The next moment, a skinny young man carrying a sugar figurine stick walked into the room, grinning as he put away his blowgun.
Behind him came a coachman, a wealthy merchant, and even a beggar...
Over a dozen people filed into the room, each taking a seat.
The only thing they had in common was the cold, detached expression on their faces, completely at odds with their attire.
Their indifference was directed at the trembling magistrate, who was pushing the dead monk off his lap.
"Who... who are you? How dare you barge into the magistrate's residence?"
No one answered.
Instead, they all turned their gazes toward the door.
Footsteps echoed as a tall figure stepped over the threshold.
The man was dressed in a luxurious black robe with gold embroidery of a wolf ready to pounce.
His sleeves were adorned with three cloud patterns.
The man walked into the hall, casually scanning the room.
His voice was cold and measured.
"Colluding with demons. Investigate his identity."
"Got it," the beggar replied.
His dirty fingers quickly searched the skinny monk's body.
After a moment, he looked up and smiled.
"He practiced body tempering, specializing in finger techniques... Divine Eagle Claw. He's a disciple of the Diamond Sect. Not bad, Old Liu. Even a body-tempering martial artist couldn't withstand your hidden weapon."
The young man with the sugar figurine stick chuckled and waved his hand.
"If he were any tougher, it wouldn't have worked."
The man in black took a seat at the head of the table and nodded slightly.
"Send a letter to the Diamond Sect. Tell them to come to the Demon Suppression Bureau to receive their punishment."
From the moment he saw the man's attire, the magistrate's face had turned as pale as a corpse.
This was the uniform of a Demon Suppression Bureau captain, and the three cloud patterns indicated that he was one of the most senior among them.
"May I ask your name?" the magistrate mustered the courage to ask, though what he really wanted to know was why they had arrived in Baiyun County ahead of schedule.
"You're too kind, Magistrate. My surname is Li, Xinhan."
The man glanced at him, a faint smile on his face.
"Please tie yourself up. We have important matters to discuss."
(End of Chapter)