From slaying demons and eradicating evil, begining the path to immortality 40

Chapter 40: The Ape Demon’s Offering

Shen Yi picked up the dao (a type of Chinese sword), its blade shimmering with a dark luster. Compared to his previous blade, this one was narrower and straighter, its edge as thin as a cicada’s wing, yet several times heavier. Clearly, it was no ordinary weapon.

Yet, even such a precious dao couldn’t pierce his own flesh. The effectiveness of the Golden Sun Eight Treasures Profound Body had exceeded Shen Yi’s expectations. According to Zhang the Butcher, this was merely a self-developed technique based on the initial realm martial arts of the King Kong Sect. If the complete Jade Liquid Realm martial arts of that sect were obtained, wouldn’t it be even more powerful?

Shen Yi shook his head and used the blade to extract the beast essence from Yuan Tongtian. He then approached the younger ape demon, repeating the process. Finally, he picked up the scabbard and sheathed the dark blade.

Unfortunately, this fine dao lacked a name. Shen Yi pondered for a moment. Since the blade was dark and the scabbard was ink-black, he decided to call it “Second Black.”

He raised his eyes and summoned the panel.

[Slain Initial Realm Consummate Ape Demon, total lifespan 774 years, 197 years absorbed.]
[Slain Initial Realm Late Stage Ape Demon, total lifespan 631 years, 270 years absorbed.]
[Remaining demon lifespan: 651 years]

…

First, the ape demon presented a precious dao; then, he gained such abundant lifespan. He should have been happy. Yet, looking at the neatly arranged skulls on the table, Shen Yi inexplicably lost some of his enthusiasm.

He turned and walked towards the crowd. Chen Ji silently got up and followed him. Seeing this, the Niu brothers and Zhang Da Hu quickly scrambled to their feet from the ground, though their expressions showed undeniable fear.

Lord Shen hadn’t been a particularly kind person in the past. But compared to what they’d just witnessed, he was undeniably merciful. To have literally beaten a demon into a pulp – the visual impact was too great for these ordinary constables; they would likely need several weeks to recover.

“What are you all gawking at? Get lost!”

Seeing Shen Yi walk away, Zhang the Butcher kicked the soldiers and constables on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the utterly deserving Liu, the magistrate’s clerk, these people were merely the blades in the yamen’s (local government office) hands, carrying out orders. After the clerk’s execution, they hadn’t dared to act. He was truly afraid Shen Yi’s killing intent would surge, and he would casually slaughter these ordinary people.

The King Kong Sect had some connection with Buddhism. While Zhang the Butcher didn’t believe in any nonsense about karmic retribution, excessive killing inevitably affected one’s spirit, even leading to martial madness. It was simply unnecessary. As long as the yamen’s problems were dealt with, someone else would take care of these soldiers; with a little tidying up, they were still a core force in guarding the county city. To put it bluntly, if they were all killed, could they really rely on a few martial masters to be responsible for city defense day and night?

“Thank you, Lord Shen, for sparing our lives!”

The young men kneeling on the ground finally relaxed, repeatedly kowtowing in the direction where the young man had gone.

Zhang the Butcher remembered the fleeing scabby-headed man, then looked at the corpse in the green robe, already mangled beyond recognition by the dao’s energy: “Him…”

“The magistrate’s clerk was killed by the demon; we know.”

Each of the young men were shrewd; they lacked the courage to subdue demons, but they had the eyes to assess the situation.

Baiyun County was doomed! Lord Shen’s successive slaying of demons was absolutely impossible to conceal. For three years, the yamen had consistently reported that the city was peaceful and prosperous, with no demon calamities and no popular discontent. If this matter were exposed, the County Governor would need ten heads to be enough to pay the price. It was clear that even though the demon incidents all happened within a few days, the County Governor still sensed something was wrong, hence arranging for that expert to accompany him.

Thinking of the Monk with a Thin Head desperately fleeing… everyone understood who the lamb to be slaughtered was now.

“Humph!”

Zhang the Butcher waved his sleeves, somewhat annoyed, and chased after Shen Yi. The other party had easily killed two demons without a single injury, while he couldn’t even subdue the Monk with a Thin Head. That sparring session today… this wasn’t just letting water; it was letting the whole ocean flow! The other party even called him “senior” repeatedly, which was utterly humiliating!

…

Late at night, the County Governor’s mansion.

In the main hall, an old man, clad only in a white undergarment and loose trousers, sat back in a red wood chair, soaking his feet in a wooden basin. His eyes were closed, his fingers tapping rapidly on the armrest. He hadn’t even noticed that the water in the basin was already cold, clearly preoccupied.

The night watchman’s wooden clapper had already sounded three times. Logically, things should have been settled long ago. Song Changfeng and that Liu, those two dogs, had indeed excellent discernment in choosing and cultivating people, yet had inadvertently nurtured a disaster for themselves.

Previously, they had said that with those little constables around, the demon lords were very satisfied and had no complaints. Now they’re all in the morgue, what can they complain about? If he were truly a peerless martial artist who exterminated all the surrounding demons for him, then the silver and beautiful women would have been readily available. But this neither-here-nor-there fellow, besides causing trouble, was utterly useless, he deserved to die!

“Why are you only just back?”

The County Governor opened his eyes, looking at the figure who had clumsily crashed through the door.

“Quick! Silver! Load all the silver that’s mine onto a cart. I’m going back to Qingzhou, immediately!”

The Monk with a Thin Head panted, strode over in three steps, and under the County Governor’s surprised gaze, grabbed his collar.

“What… what do you mean? My master sent you to protect me, and now only a few months later, you’re leaving?”

“Protect your grandmother! What kind of stupid demons did Liu collude with? Provoking that fiend, if we don’t leave, he’ll probably break down the door and take my head!”

The Monk with a Thin Head’s eyes were bloodshot. He had come to Baiyun County just to earn some money, not to lose his life. How could such a remote place nurture such a formidable martial artist?

“Let go of this County… what’s the rush… he’s just a constable, a man of the court! Not one of your martial arts ruffians!”

As the County Governor spoke, he also got anxious, reaching out to pry the other’s fingers away. Unexpectedly, he actually managed to pry them loose. The County Governor was stunned, watching as the other man lost his breath, only a tiny needle, thin as a cow’s hair, protruding from his throat.

The next moment, a slender young man carrying a sugar-painting stick smiled cheerfully as he retracted his blowgun and stepped into the room from the darkness. Behind him, there were people dressed as cart drivers, wealthy merchants, and even beggars… more than ten people entered one after another, then found places to sit down. The only thing they had in common was the expression on their faces that didn’t match their attire or status. It was the aloof indifference of someone looking down from a great height. And the object of this indifference was the County Governor, trembling, pushing the dead man off him.

“Who… who are you? How dare you trespass into the County Governor’s mansion?”

No one spoke, but instead turned their gaze to the doorway. With the sound of footsteps, a figure strode over the threshold. The newcomer was tall, wearing a long black satin robe, a jade belt at his waist, and a ferocious wolf embroidered in gold on his shoulder. The cuffs were also embroidered with cloud patterns, a total of three.

The man walked into the hall, casually surveying the room. His voice was slightly chilling: “Colluding with demons, check his identity.”

“Got it.”

At these words, the beggar-dressed man walked over, his grimy fingers quickly moving over the Monk with a Thin Head’s body. After a moment, he looked up and smiled: “The path of body tempering, skilled in finger techniques… Divine Eagle Claw, a disciple of the King Kong Sect. Well done, Old Liu, even a body-tempered martial artist’s neck couldn’t withstand your hidden weapon.”

The young man carrying the sugar-painting stick chuckled and waved his hand: “Any harder and it wouldn’t have worked.”

The man sat down in the main seat, nodding slightly: “Send a letter to the King Kong Sect, let them go to the Demon-Suppressing Agency to receive their punishment.”

From the moment he recognized the man’s clothing, the County Governor’s face turned deathly pale, barely better than a corpse’s. This was the attire of a Demon-Suppressing Agency officer, and the three cloud patterns signified that he was a high-ranking official within the agency.

“Your honorable surname?” He mustered his courage to ask. In fact, he wanted to ask why, before the appointed time, the other party had arrived in Baiyun County early.

“County Governor is too kind. My humble self is Li Xinhån.” The man looked sideways, his face showing a bit of a smile: “Please bind yourself, we still have important matters to discuss.”
(End of Chapter)

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