In a quiet courtyard within the Demon-Suppression Bureau, several golden-armored officers placed a precious robe on the bed and swiftly prepared the room, boiling water and tidying up.
After finishing their tasks, they clasped their hands and asked, "Lord Shen, is there anything else you need?"
The general was not currently in Qingzhou, and the Demon-Suppression General was stationed across twelve counties.
Within the bureau, this temporary aide-de-camp, who had not yet left, held an extremely high status.
His words carried great weight, and even outside the bureau, his position was comparable to that of an elder in a top-tier aristocratic family or sect.
"Nothing else," Shen Yi waved his hand, watching as the officers left.
He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for the gilded, hollowed-out wolf-patterned hair crown.
He instinctively wanted to pinch it with his fingers but suddenly remembered that with his current strength, not only could he crush real gold, but even refined iron would shatter in his grip.
He set the crown aside and picked up the thin robe, gently running his fingers over the yin-yang fish pattern embroidered on it.
After a long while, he placed it down as well.
"This promotion came too quickly," Shen Yi muttered to himself, lying back on the bed with his arms behind his head, savoring the rare moment of comfort.
If he had truly earned the promotion through his own abilities, it would have been one thing.
But he knew better than anyone how much of the credit for slaying the Core Formation flood dragon was exaggerated.
Could it be that his previous self, wandering in Baiyun County, was actually the illegitimate child of some Demon-Suppression General? The thought made him uneasy, despite his usual confidence.
"Ugh," Shen Yi scoffed.
Was he really only comfortable when he was being targeted?
On the way back, he had learned a lot from Hong Lei about the Demon-Suppression Bureau and the realms of martial cultivation.
For example, each Demon-Suppression General only had four or five personal aides, and some had none at all.
These aides were often veterans who had served for over a century, having risen through the ranks based on merit.
Reaching the peak of the Jade Liquid Realm was merely the minimum requirement.
Among the twelve generals, Old Man Chen was the closest to the end of his lifespan.
Fortunately, the growth of his inner core's yin spirit had added a bit of vitality to his flickering life.
If Shen Yi truly had the talent he appeared to possess—reaching the peak of the Jade Liquid Realm in just two months from being an ordinary mortal, and even possessing an external core containing the cultivation of a flood dragon—then when the time came for Old Man Chen to step down, the position of Demon-Suppression General would almost certainly fall into his hands.
Governing a county with millions of people was something Shen Yi could hardly have imagined back in Baiyun County.
The only downside was that this "talent" required a massive amount of demon lifespan to sustain.
At the thought of demon lifespan, Shen Yi's calm expression flickered slightly.
Now that he had reached the peak of the Jade Liquid Realm, further advancement would require a true Core Formation method.
While he understood the Demon-Suppression Bureau's emphasis on stability, he couldn't help but feel frustrated by their rigid and inflexible approach, which often required years of waiting.
Shen Yi could wait, but he wasn't willing to sit idle.
Outside the bureau, there were other ways to obtain what he needed, and with his current status as a personal aide, many doors were now open to him.
If he could acquire the necessary resources early, it would be ideal.
But before he could pursue those opportunities, he needed to have sufficient strength as a foundation.
Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to corner someone only to find out he couldn't defeat them.
"Tsk," Shen Yi smirked at the thought.
There were still many ways to improve.
Since encountering the young flood dragon in Shuiyun Village, his previous body-refining techniques had clearly become inadequate.
Fortunately, the upcoming Bodhi Diamond Body technique would allow his physique to advance further.
In addition, Shen Yi focused inward, examining the external demon core suppressed by the Melting Sun Treasure Furnace.
The demonic energy within it had only reached the halfway point.
If he could fill it completely, it would be equivalent to having twice the cultivation of the flood dragon lord.
At that point, as long as he didn't encounter any Core Formation experts or those with yin spirit or primordial chaos techniques, he could essentially roam freely.
Unfortunately, the Melting Sun Treasure Furnace had reached its limit.
To suppress even more powerful demonic energy, he would need to open more acupoints.
If he remembered correctly, during the last time he deduced the Wind and Thunder Melting Sun Scripture, it had taken over two hundred years to open just four more acupoints.
With 275 acupoints opened, he was still far from completing the process.
"No rush, take it slow," Shen Yi lazily got up from the bed and poured himself a cup of cold water.
Such a large gap in lifespan couldn't be filled overnight, but at least he now had a direction, which was better than blindly fumbling around like he had in Baiyun County.
"Does Lord Shen usually quench his thirst with plain water?" A teasing voice came from the courtyard.
Shen Yi glanced over to see a handsome young man in white robes carrying two jugs of wine, a smile playing on his lips.
"Bai Ziming, from the medical department."
The name sounded familiar—Hong Lei had mentioned it alongside Fang Heng and Lin Baiwei, though Bai Ziming was listed last.
Shen Yi glanced at Fang Heng, who stood behind Bai Ziming, and took a sip of water.
"Tea is too bitter, and I'm not used to drinking anything else."
His previous life had been miserable enough; he hadn't had the luxury of savoring the subtle sweetness hidden in bitterness.
"I have a special tonic tea at my place. It nourishes yin and yang, boosts energy, and strengthens the kidneys. It has a rich, sweet flavor. I'll bring you a couple of packets next time," Bai Ziming said, walking into the room as if he owned the place.
He set the wine jugs on the table and took a food box from Fang Heng's lowered hands.
He discreetly observed Shen Yi before speaking again.
"My junior brother here has a bit of a temper. He offended you earlier, so I brought him over to apologize."
Hearing this, Shen Yi looked at the burly, rough-looking man.
Fang Heng spoke honestly, "No, he doesn't believe there's anyone in the younger generation stronger than him. He's here to find your weaknesses so he can ambush you during your next sparring match."
"..."
Bai Ziming's eye twitched, and his smile stiffened slightly.
"Don't listen to his nonsense, Lord Shen. Your cultivation is far superior to mine. As a mere physician, how could I dare to speak of sparring?"
Shen Yi turned his gaze back to Fang Heng.
The burly man raised his head.
"No, Senior Sister Jiang is at the peak of the Core Formation Realm. When she returned last time, he still shot a newly developed poison needle at her from behind. She slapped him to the ground with one sword strike, and he was bedridden for two months."
"You two chat," Bai Ziming said with a blank expression, setting down the food box and turning to leave.
"I have some things to attend to."
When Master returns, I must report this traitorous ingrate and have him expelled from the sect!
"Senior Brother Bai," Fang Heng called out to him, his arms hanging limply.
"Could you pour me a drink?"
"Suddenly, I'm neither hungry nor thirsty," Bai Ziming said coldly.
Despite his words, he took out three small cups from the food box and filled them with the fine wine from the jug.
He pushed the cups toward the two men and then picked up his own.
"Senior Brother, could you close the door for me?" Fang Heng took a deep breath.
Bai Ziming's hand holding the cup trembled slightly as he glared at Fang Heng.
"Fang, I don't bully the disabled. Once you're healed, you're dead meat."
With that, he turned and left, slamming the wooden door shut behind him.
"..."
Watching this pair of clowns, Shen Yi fell silent for a moment before asking, "What's this really about?"
Fang Heng clenched his teeth, using his nearly numb hands to shakily pick up the wine cup.
He struggled to lift it and then downed the contents in one gulp.
After what seemed like an eternity of hesitation, he finally mustered the courage to speak.
"I want to ask you... not to go to Linjiang County, at least not for the next few months."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make the two figures outside the courtyard gate pause in their steps.
A broad-shouldered middle-aged man silently turned to look inside, while the little girl sitting on his shoulders suddenly stiffened, her fair legs ceasing their playful swinging.
Bai Ziming, standing by the door, had just heard Fang Heng's words and was still processing them when he caught sight of the figures in the distance.
Beads of sweat instantly formed on his forehead.
This idiot junior brother had dragged him here without a word, only to pull this kind of stunt?!