Shen Yi pondered for a moment before retracting his gaze.
The method of tempering the body was indeed important, but before delving into it, he could first learn a few more martial techniques of the same kind to accumulate relevant experience.
Martial arts of this caliber shouldn’t be lacking in the Demon-Suppression Bureau.
With a bit of accumulated merit, he could exchange for them.
Learning a few more techniques would save him a lot of time when it came to deducing and refining them.
Just like the Rongri Treasure Furnace, which was divided into upper, middle, and lower grades based on the number of acupoints it could connect with, other martial arts likely had similar classifications.
Techniques like "Severing Meridians and Capturing the Dragon" and "Four Harmonies True Qi," passed down directly by the General, were enough for someone like Lin Baiwei, a demon hunter, to build a great reputation in Qingzhou.
Even among martial arts of the Jade Liquid Realm, these were considered the pinnacle.
In the same realm, there likely weren’t any higher-grade techniques.
Even if there were, they weren’t something someone of his current status could access.
The reason Shen Yi had declined Li Mujing’s offer was twofold.
First, he didn’t want to trouble himself, nor did he wish to entrust his life and future to an unfamiliar aristocratic family.
No matter how sweet her words were now, once he joined, while he might gain some resources and martial arts, he would also be expected to risk his life to protect the family in times of crisis.
The Li family wasn’t the county magistrate of Baiyun County.
They surely had their own methods of controlling their family’s protectors and envoys.
If he had to risk his life for a future, Shen Yi preferred to do so within the Demon-Suppression Bureau.
At present, the only way to rise in rank within the Demon-Suppression Bureau was to slay demons and accumulate merit.
There were no convoluted schemes, which suited him just fine.
As long as he was brave and willing to fight, he could earn enough merit to gain anything he wanted through his own strength.
This way, he could use what he earned with a clear conscience.
As for the second reason, what Shen Yi wanted was something the Li family might not be able to provide, or might not be willing to give.
Even the "Four Harmonies True Qi" had transformed into a more terrifying demonic martial art in his hands.
The "Demon-Subduing Saber Technique" had evolved from a mortal martial art into a Jade Liquid Realm technique that rivaled the Five Great Skills.
Combining the strengths of various schools with the innate talents of demons to deduce even more profound demonic martial arts—that was what Shen Yi truly desired.
And when it came to the strengths of various schools, who could compare to the Demon-Suppression Bureau, the so-called "good guys"?
The once-great Songhe Sect of Qingzhou, which had colluded with demons, had been wiped out, and their unique treasure, the "Yi Jing Zhuan Xue Pill," had been rebranded as the "Meridian-Opening Pill."
In Yushan County, the three major sects had been annihilated by the General’s disciples, and their martial arts had naturally been absorbed into the Demon-Suppression Bureau under new names.
In other words, unless it was something related to the Core Formation Realm, ordinary martial arts no longer held much value for Shen Yi.
As for Core Formation methods, even if the Li family had them, would they be willing to give them up? And what price would he have to pay to obtain them? For now, what Shen Yi needed to do was to work diligently within the Demon-Suppression Bureau, accumulating enough merit to exchange for a Core Formation method before some demon took his head.
If he had enough demon lifespan to spare, he could also consider exchanging for some treasure crystals to aid in his deductions.
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 891 years]
He was just short of the lifespan of a single yellow-skinned demon.
"Has that butcher Zhang not had enough of his reunion yet?" Shen Yi remembered that when they first arrived in Qingzhou, Zhang had jumped off the carriage to find his old flame.
It had been nearly half a month, and there was still no word from him.
He wasn’t afraid of being caught by the abbot of the Diamond Sect and hung up in front of a Buddha statue, replacing the painting of the court lady.
If Zhang were here, he could at least explain the various body-tempering methods to Shen Yi.
Shen Yi shook his head and walked out of the room.
Under the dim moonlight, he stood in the courtyard and began practicing a basic set of "Cloud-Parting Long Fist" to familiarize himself with his new body, which was vastly different from before.
With his Jade Liquid Realm cultivation as a foundation, it would likely only take two or three days to fully master the power of the Flood Dragon Demon.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Shen Yi calmly finished his practice, still full of energy.
Reaching the peak of the Mortal Realm had reduced his craving for ordinary delicacies, and breaking through to the Jade Liquid Realm had even lessened his need for sleep.
Shen Yi felt that he had gained a preliminary control over his strength, so he returned to his room, retrieved his old clothes, and washed them clean.
After some thought, he channeled the energy from the Rongri Treasure Furnace into his palm to quickly dry the robe.
He folded the clothes neatly and then headed to the External Affairs Hall.
Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he ran into two single-striped lieutenants with grim expressions.
One of them seemed to recognize Shen Yi and forced a smile.
"Congratulations on your promotion, sir. I was also at the External Affairs Hall yesterday."
Hearing this, the other lieutenant also looked up, his eyes filled with envy but not jealousy.
After all, the merit they earned was through life-and-death battles with demons.
The court might reward them, but they had to be alive to receive it.
"You’re working under Lord Li, right? I heard he’s injured and needs to rest. You’re quite lucky... uh, I don’t mean it like that," the shorter lieutenant stammered, waving his hands to explain.
"It’s just that people like us rarely get a chance to rest."
"Rest?" Shen Yi, holding his old clothes, could only nod in response, though a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.
"Well, I heard Lord Li is still lying in the medical hall. Without him leading the team, the External Affairs Hall won’t assign you any tasks. It’s a good chance to rest for a while," the shorter lieutenant mumbled, then added in a low voice, "Other generals won’t easily take people from under the Li family’s command. You can rest easy."
Hearing this, Shen Yi began to understand.
For other generals, the External Affairs Hall "assigned" tasks, but Li Xinhan could choose his own.
Even after his injury, as one of his subordinates, Shen Yi didn’t have to worry about being transferred to an unfamiliar general and used as cannon fodder.
While this was a good thing, Shen Yi couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated.
It seemed the matter of demon treasure crystals would have to wait.
"We have urgent matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave," the two lieutenants said before walking away.
After they had gone some distance, one of them muttered in a barely audible voice, "Those bastards in the inner camp. When we’re out there risking our lives, they don’t lift a finger to help. But when it’s their turn to handle affairs, they come to us for manpower. What gives?"
"Save your breath. It’s not like your father’s surname is Li. He’s just a sect steward... Even if you had the strength of that guy just now, you could at least follow the Li family and get by."
The two slowly walked into another courtyard, unaware that Shen Yi’s hearing was now sharp enough to catch every word of their grumbling.
"..."
He hadn’t even done anything yet, and already he was being labeled.
Of course, Shen Yi didn’t care about that.
As long as he knew where the boundaries were and didn’t take what wasn’t his or entertain thoughts he shouldn’t, he would be fine.
With enough strength, even the murkiest waters wouldn’t affect him.
He calmed his mind and left the courtyard, returning the old clothes to the External Affairs Hall.
"I’ll return the martial arts manuals once I’ve memorized them in a few days," Shen Yi said, knowing that this wasn’t Baiyun County.
It was better to keep a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention, lest someone with ulterior motives took notice.
"No problem, just don’t lose them," two unfamiliar inner camp lieutenants nodded, their tone somewhat indifferent.
After leaving the External Affairs Hall, Shen Yi headed to the Demon-Suppression Bureau’s dining hall.
The place was filled with simple wooden tables and benches, and the food was nothing fancy.
As soon as Shen Yi sat down, a servant brought over six large plates: steamed sea bass, soy-braised pork, boiled pork knuckle with dipping sauce, and three types of fresh vegetables glistening with oil.
"Lieutenant, enjoy your meal. Call me if you need more," the servant said, placing a bucket of white rice on the table.
Shen Yi looked at the spread before him and didn’t bother with any pretenses about luxury in troubled times.
These were warriors who risked their lives to protect the land.
They deserved to eat their fill.
He quickly polished off the food on the table, let out a long breath, and leisurely returned to his courtyard.
At the courtyard gate, a tall, burly figure was sneaking around, peering this way and that.
(End of Chapter)