Dressed in a dark robe adorned with cloud patterns and cinched with a white jade belt, Shen Yi stepped out of the room, his figure tall and straight.
The elderly woman smiled warmly.
"Oh, you're much more handsome than Heng. Come, sit down."
Fang Heng moved the table to the courtyard and brought over a few plates of light dishes.
His gaze eventually fell on the cloud pattern on Shen Yi's sleeve.
Without a word, he picked up a ladle and silently scooped out three bowls of thick porridge.
He helped the old woman sit down.
"It's just me and my grandmother here. We only have simple meals. If you don't mind, feel free to eat."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Having eaten dry rations for the past two days, Shen Yi didn't put on any airs.
He sat down at the table and began eating, alternating between the small dishes and the porridge.
Seeing him enjoy the meal, the old woman's smile widened.
"You came from Baiyun County? Baiwei mentioned in her letter that you're a good boy. Are you married? If not, I can introduce you to someone."
At this, Shen Yi choked on his porridge. "..."
Fang Heng, seemingly used to this, continued eating in silence.
Once the bowls were empty, he set down his chopsticks.
"Master won't be back for at least two months. Until then, you'll stay here."
With that, Fang Heng went back inside and returned with a thick book, placing it on the table.
"Master made a name for himself in Qingzhou when he was young, thanks to five unique skills. Mastering just one of them allows you to dominate demons of the same level. These skills were passed down to us. They aren't part of the Demon-Suppression Division's martial arts, so teaching them to you isn't against the rules. But since you're not part of our sect, you can learn them but must not pass them on."
After spending so much time with Zhang the Butcher, Shen Yi was no longer the clueless novice he once was.
Whether it was the Demon-Suppression Division or martial sects, leaking martial arts without permission would result in severe punishment for both the teacher and the learner.
Light punishments included losing limbs or having their meridians destroyed, effectively "taking back" the martial arts.
Severe punishments could mean losing one's life.
No wonder Lin Baiwei had been so desperate to make up martial arts when she was in dire straits.
The "Fourfold True Aura" she had transcribed was truly the only thing she could teach.
"The skill I was taught is called 'Meridian-Severing Dragon Capture,' a profound martial art of the Jade Liquid Realm, focusing on fist and palm techniques. I'll be on leave for a month, practicing it three times a day—morning, noon, and evening. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Fang Heng stood up slowly, his tone indifferent.
"Until you've mastered it, you can't leave the courtyard, nor can you hang out with Li Xinhan and his group of spoiled brats. The cloud pattern on your sleeve isn't earned through connections."
Hearing this, Shen Yi slightly raised his gaze, his expression unreadable.
He had thought Lin Baiwei was cunning and hard to get along with.
But after coming to Qingzhou, whether it was Li Xinhan or Fang Heng before him, they all carried an air of arrogance, as if carved from the same mold.
The commanding attitude hidden beneath their calm exteriors was indeed something he wasn't used to.
"..."
The old woman's face twisted as she listened.
Suddenly, she picked up a branch from the ground and lightly whipped Fang Heng's calf.
"Since when did you learn to scare people? Can't you let him eat in peace? Baiwei spoke highly of him. Do you really think he's the kind of person you're describing?"
Fang Heng lowered his gaze, standing still and taking the hits.
"I misspoke."
Once the old woman's anger subsided, he walked over to a small tree about the width of a bowl.
His muscles trembled slightly, and then his fists and palms struck the tree like arrows, seemingly at random.
The tree, which Shen Yi could easily snap, didn't even tremble under Fang Heng's continuous strikes.
"Everything has its meridians. Find them, and sever them."
Fang Heng slowly retracted his palm and turned to Shen Yi.
"By the way, have you received a bottle of Meridian-Opening Pills?"
Shen Yi took out the bottle.
"This?"
"Aside from those who come out of medicinal baths, every Demon-Suppression Division officer receives three pills upon joining. Chew and swallow them to refine the medicinal power. They can relax your meridians and expand your acupoints. Take one every three months. Once fully refined, they can expand your twelve major acupoints by ninety percent. This will nearly double your efficiency in refining and storing qi."
Fang Heng explained briefly.
Shen Yi looked down at the bottle in his hand.
After fully understanding its significance, he was still somewhat astonished.
Doubling the efficiency of refining qi meant that for a beginner martial artist, one day of hard training would be equivalent to two days before, effectively giving him a rebirth in terms of talent.
The other effect was even more profound.
The amount of qi stored in the major acupoints was fixed—a conclusion Shen Yi had reached after consuming a vast amount of demon lifespan.
Even after centuries of effort, he could only slowly condense his qi into jade liquid.
Expanding the acupoints by ninety percent would mean having nearly double the stamina in a fight.
And such a precious medicine was available to everyone.
"Is this medicine common?"
Hearing this, Fang Heng looked away.
"It was once an exclusive treasure of the Songhe Sect, a major sect in Qingzhou, called the Meridian-Transforming Acupoint Pill. It was only given to a few inner disciples. Later, the Songhe Sect colluded with demons and was wiped out by the Demon-Suppression Division, who then brought back the formula. Other sects have similar medicines, but their effects are at most fifty percent as potent."
He continued, "The Demon-Suppression Division's salary isn't high, but the benefits are decent... provided you can survive."
With that, Fang Heng turned and went back inside, revealing the tree that hadn't moved at all.
Shen Yi silently observed the tree.
It was still the same tree, but its green leaves and straight trunk now seemed lifeless, exuding an eerie "dead" aura.
Though he didn't fully understand the intricacies, any martial art that could be mentioned alongside the Fourfold True Aura couldn't be too shabby.
He reached out and absentmindedly flipped through the book on the table.
A moment later, a line of text appeared on his panel.
[Jade Liquid.
Meridian-Severing Dragon Capture (Not Yet Mastered)]
"Child, you can't just flip through a book like that. Are you full? Did you enjoy the meal? If you're done, take it back to your room and read it properly."
The old woman pushed him to get up, urging him to go inside.
"It's fine. There's plenty of time."
Shen Yi looked at the old woman with a hint of helplessness, his eyes softening.
He picked up the book and bent down to help clear the table.
Though he was used to bossing around Chen Ji and Lin Baiwei, having an unrelated elderly woman do work for him was something his conscience couldn't quite handle.
Moreover, after encountering so-called geniuses recently, Shen Yi, who had dreaded the endless chatter of relatives in his past life, found that he actually preferred the latter.
Being asked about relationships or salaries was far more comfortable than being casually labeled.
"..."
Fang Heng stood inside the house, watching his grandmother's cheerful demeanor and then glancing at Shen Yi, his expression turning cold.
First, he took advantage of Senior Sister Lin's misfortune to demand two Jade Liquid Realm martial arts, both rare treasures like the Fourfold True Aura and Meridian-Severing Dragon Capture.
Even with the talent of his senior brothers and sisters, they only chose to master one of them.
Yet this guy, at the initial stage, dared to covet both.
On his first day in the Demon-Suppression Division, he was already cozy with Li Xinhan's group of wealthy brats, even managing to get the cloud-patterned robe.
And now, he was trying to curry favor with his grandmother, who had no background and was only here because she needed his care.
He probably thought she was some hidden master.
Greedy and foolish, truly annoying.
Wanting to seize this opportunity to rise quickly was human nature.
But not even bothering to hide it?
If this wasn't called bootlicking and insatiable greed, then what was?
(End of Chapter)