At the courtyard gate, Liu Xiujie stood frozen for a moment before forcing out a strained smile.
"Officer Fang, what are you... we... he..."
He pointed at Shen Yi, his words stumbling and halting.
He looked just like a child caught by a friend's parent while sneaking into their house to play.
As if embarrassed by his awkwardness, someone yanked Liu Xiujie back.
Leaning against the outer wall, Li Xinhan straightened up with an expressionless face and walked to the courtyard gate.
Both he and Liu Xiujie were three-mark Demon-Suppressing Captains, so they should have been familiar with each other.
However, Li Xinhan frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then reluctantly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, his tone distant.
"I’ve been ordered to investigate demon activity and must set off immediately. Shen Yi has already agreed to accompany me. I hope you can make this convenient for us, Brother."
Liu Xiujie silently stepped back, joining the other three.
Besides the beggar, there was a man as small as a child and a voluptuous woman with a ponytail.
Including Captain Li, these five were all that remained of their team.
The rest had stayed behind in Baiyun County and wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
Because of this, even though Li Xinhan didn’t want to confront Fang Heng, he had no choice but to step forward now.
"..."
Fang Heng didn’t turn around, nor did he even glance at the group at the gate.
He simply uttered one word, sharp and decisive.
"Scram."
At this, Li Xinhan’s hands, which had been hanging at his sides, clenched involuntarily, and his breathing quickened.
Born into a martial family and gifted from a young age, he had never been treated with such disdain.
His aura began to grow restless.
Li Xinhan took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions once more.
"I just want to take someone with me. I don’t want any trouble."
"Don’t want trouble, my foot. If the commander blames us, you can just ask your old man to apologize for you," the ponytailed woman yawned, slapping the back of his head.
"Let’s just grab him and go."
As she spoke, Old Liu’s fingers already held several poisoned hidden weapons.
The beggar’s body tensed, and the small, hunched man shifted his gaze to Shen Yi.
"Of course, you can always ask your family for whatever you need. Like how, just after reaching the Jade Liquid Realm, you managed to get a mid-stage Jade Liquid subordinate from your family to help you get promoted to deputy general. Meanwhile, I’m just a commoner who got here by soaking in medicinal baths."
Fang Heng slowly turned around, a hint of mockery in his expression.
Then, that mockery turned icy.
"But you can try stepping over this courtyard gate. See how your family background holds up against my talent."
"Tsk, I’m so scared," Li Mujing patted her ample chest, her lazy, alluring face showing no fear.
She took a step over the courtyard gate, her short sword already in hand.
"Hey, kid, where are you going? Come over here."
At her reminder, everyone turned to look.
They realized that while they had been busy confronting Fang Heng, Shen Yi had already walked to the door of the house, calmly retrieved his saber, and strapped the black scabbard to his waist.
Under Fang Heng’s indifferent gaze, he walked past him and joined the group.
"I’m ready. Let’s go."
Li Xinhan was stunned.
Was it really that simple? Had he overcomplicated things? Did they really not need to report to anyone? After all, Shen Yi had just arrived at the Demon-Suppressing Bureau and had no ongoing missions.
Of course, he could come and go as he pleased.
Li Mujing: "..."
Oh no.
A simple fight and completely enraging the other side were two entirely different things.
She glanced toward Fang Heng.
Fang Heng’s expression remained calm, but his muscles were slowly tensing.
In the next moment, he disappeared from his spot.
Even Li Mujing, who was also at the mid-stage Jade Liquid Realm, was momentarily dazed.
When he reappeared, Fang Heng was less than a foot away from the group.
He reached out toward Shen Yi’s neck as if grabbing a chicken, not using any martial techniques—just pure, overwhelming strength.
Casual yet unstoppable!
Li Xinhan’s pupils contracted.
He knew there was a gap between his strength and Fang Heng’s, but he hadn’t expected it to be this vast.
"I told you, you’re not allowed to take a single step out until you’ve learned what you need to. Are you deaf?"
Fang Heng’s hand pressed down forcefully.
Shen Yi tilted his body slightly, and his right hand, hanging at his side, instantly rose.
His fingers moved in a mysterious, almost eerie way, bypassing Fang Heng’s palm and lightly tapping his arm.
There was no fierce momentum, nor did it even look like a fight.
"..."
The moment Shen Yi raised his hand, Fang Heng’s eyes flickered with a strange sense of familiarity, though he was still reluctant to believe it.
But when Shen Yi’s fingers touched him, that flicker of doubt turned into furious regret.
He realized just how much his earlier casual attitude would cost him.
"Ha!"
Fang Heng roared, forcefully pulling back his strength.
His foot stomped hard on the ground, and his powerful body shot backward like an arrow.
He landed more than ten feet away from Shen Yi, quickly stabilizing himself and calming his breathing.
Everyone was confused.
What was he doing? Charging forward, then leaping back...
"..."
Fang Heng stood with his head lowered, completely motionless, not speaking for a long time.
Only Li Mujing noticed something was off.
She curiously looked at him.
What was Fang Heng hiding? Despite his efforts to conceal it, his right arm, deliberately tucked behind his back, trembled slightly.
Though there were no visible injuries, it hung limply, as if boneless.
"Any other questions?"
Shen Yi rested his hand on his saber hilt.
If Fang Heng wanted to continue questioning him, he was ready to answer.
Hearing this, Fang Heng’s lowered face flushed red with suppressed anger.
He clenched his teeth so hard that his cheeks bulged, and a faint metallic taste filled his mouth.
Fang Heng wasn’t afraid of a fight.
Even with his entire right arm sealed, he still had sixty percent of his strength left.
But it was pointless...
His most prized talent had been calmly crushed underfoot by Shen Yi.
In just seven or eight days, Shen Yi had mastered the ability to instantly locate meridians.
This wasn’t just basic proficiency—it was far beyond that.
If Shen Yi’s palm strength had been slightly stronger, Fang Heng’s right arm might not have been temporarily sealed but permanently turned into dead flesh.
Faced with such a terrifying display, Fang Heng found that the only thing he could do was stand there and pretend to be dead.
Even lifting his head felt shameful.
"When will you be back?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"Who said I was coming back?" Shen Yi looked at him, puzzled.
"You!" Fang Heng’s eyes shot up, filled with both rage and panic.
This small courtyard was the holy land of the entire Demon-Suppressing Bureau.
How could anyone not want to stay here? If... if Shen Yi really didn’t stay, how would he explain this to Senior Sister Lin? Someone with such terrifying comprehension couldn’t be allowed to slip through his fingers!
"This is Senior Sister Lin’s wish. Don’t push it too far!"
Watching Fang Heng’s furious expression, everyone was stunned.
When had this arrogant brute stopped using his fists and started arguing instead? Only Li Xinhan nodded thoughtfully.
He vaguely remembered that when he was young and faced with something he couldn’t handle, he would also instinctively bring up his sister.
But... what couldn’t Fang Heng handle? Surely not Shen Yi? He turned to look at the young man beside him.
(End of Chapter)