Shen Yi always felt that this Demon-subduing Sword Technique was not ordinary.
His predecessor had only used three to five years to master the Bone-penetrating Grappling Technique, yet while practicing this Blade Technique, even with full concentration, it took eight years just to achieve minor accomplishment.
It took a total of thirty-three years to reach perfection, only then did he grasp a glimmer of spiritual insight.
If he could fully capture this spiritual insight, its effect would definitely be incomparable to ordinary martial arts.
With a thought, he channeled ten years of the demon's lifespan into the Demon-subduing Sword Technique.
[You continue to refine your already perfect Demon-subduing Sword Technique. Ten years pass in the blink of an eye; the glimmer of spiritual insight becomes clearer, but regrettably, your talents are mediocre, and you really can't fathom it.]
"..."
"That's it?"
Shen Yi felt stifled in his chest—those were ten full years! Ten years for which he could give up all distractions for the goal!
Even if you were just assembling screws, with no entertainment for ten years, you could afford a house in a small county town.
But when thrown into martial arts practice, it doesn't even make a splash.
Having invested so much, he could not possibly give up, so Shen Yi resolutely continued to pour in more effort.
[In the seventeenth year, you finally caught that glimmer of spiritual insight and began attempting to incorporate it into a manual.]
[In the twenty-seventh year, you exhausted all your energy to perfect it and named it the "Demon-trapping True Sun Sword."]
[Remaining demon lifespan: Thirty-six years]
...
"Self-created martial arts?"
A comprehension of a martial blade technique suddenly entered Shen Yi's mind.
Only after absorbing it did he realize it wasn't what he had imagined.
On the panel, there was a new line of text following the Demon-subduing Sword Technique.
[Initial Realm. Demon-trapping True Sun Sword]
This was not a completely new martial art, but rather something akin to a derivative ultimate skill, so there was no proficiency involved.
After sixty years of refinement, he despaired to find that human effort has its limits.
With a mortal body, no matter how skillfully he wielded the sword, and regardless of how incessantly his physique was trained at night, he still couldn't confront a true Great Demon.
Therefore, he proposed an idea of mobilizing the essence blood within the body, refining essence to transform qi, and then controlling the qi with the sword in hand.
"Initial Realm?"
Shen Yi looked at the prefix.
The last time he saw this term was in the prompt after slaying the Dog Demon.
Intelligent Dog Demon, not entered the Initial Realm.
In other words, this move of the Zhengyang Sword had already touched upon a certain realm.
"If I continue to deduce the Demon-subduing Sword Technique, is there a possibility of creating a complete Initial Realm martial art and not just a mere sword move?"
Shen Yi closed the panel, excitement welling up in his eyes.
But soon, he sensibly suppressed the urge to pour all his remaining lifespan into it.
Clearly, creating one's own martial arts was a task of diminishing returns; the same amount of demon lifespan would yield better results if invested in a pre-existing martial technique.
He remembered that the Demon-suppression Marshal had passed down not just one martial art, and with his modest standing in the government office, it wouldn't be difficult to obtain them.
"Rest first."
Suddenly subjected to so many changes, the moment his spirit relaxed, Shen Yi was overcome with an intense weariness.
He had just assumed the position to lie down when the Liu Family father and daughter brought over the hot water they had prepared in advance. The young girl immersed Shen Yi's feet in hot water and earnestly began to knead them with her rough hands.
Shen Yi closed his eyes and took a long breath.
It was the first time he had experienced the feeling of being served by others.
Given the duo's timid demeanor, even if he decided to become an utterly villainous landlord in their home from today on, there would be no problems.
But Shen Yi opened his eyes and merely said softly, "That's enough, thank you. Go out, I'll rest for the night and then leave."
He did not display any excess emotion.
After all, with his predecessor's numerous misdeeds, no matter how gentle he seemed, it would only unnecessarily frighten the father and daughter.
Upon hearing these words, the old Mr. Liu's gaze turned stagnant, his cloudy eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
But he quickly realized the situation, clutching his daughter and nodding repeatedly, "Officer Shen, you're too polite. You can stay as long as you like, sir, just call if you need anything."
The two of them staggered out with the basin of water, retreating into the next room.
The Liu girl stayed up all night restless at the window, every time she closed her eyes the sneering face of Officer Shen appeared to her, and upon opening her eyes, it was the resentful corpse of the Dog Demon in the courtyard.
She endured until the rooster crowed at dawn, her eyes bleary, when she suddenly caught sight of an additional figure outside.
The young man wore a black official's robe, tall and straight, with a sword slung at his waist—a picture of vibrant youthfulness.
He quietly left the courtyard, and as he left, he casually propped up the broken door the Canine Demon had dismantled, barely shielding against some of the chilling wind.
"Dad, Officer Shen has left."
"Huff... Left? Good that he's gone... Huff..."
...
Dew moistened the morning, with a faint mist swirling above the street.
Shen Yi emerged from the mist, standing in front of two stone lion statues.
Baiyun County government office.
He entered through the side door with familiar ease, stepping into the office room.
Baiyun County's judicial office had seven or eight teams, and Shen Yi was just a small leader among them, leading eight officers, with his immediate superior being the judicial office's chief, Song Changfeng.
He took a seat in his designated spot.
Shen Yi flipped casually through the register on the desk and realized he couldn't make any sense of it.
This not only proved his own lack of education but also indirectly confirmed that his predecessor had not taken his official duties to heart.
The Great Qian Dynasty had been plagued by demonic beings for many years, and although the Demon-suppression Bureau had been established, there had always been a severe shortage of manpower.
Regulating demonic disturbances was usually the main responsibility of the local government offices. The Demon-suppression Bureau would only take full control of the area and conduct a thorough demon sweep when the situation completely spiraled out of control.
The result of this arrangement was that the government offices would completely lose their authority over the area.
It was precisely under these circumstances that the clever predecessor had found his opportunity.
Through negotiating with demons, he not only maintained a surface calm in Baiyun County, earning trust from higher-ups, but also spared his subordinates from actual combat with demons, reducing many casualties and gaining great prestige.
Due to his competent handling of affairs, over the years, there was an increasing trend of him taking over from Song Changfeng.
Of course, not everyone was convinced.
Shen Yi's gaze swept the empty office room and the scattered wine jars under the tables. Picking up one, he fell silent.
Just then, a skinny young man rushed in hurriedly.
On seeing Shen Yi in the chair, a look of disdain flashed across the young man's eyes, which he quickly adjusted. Removing his hat, he revealed a handsome face: "This subordinate pays his respects to Officer Shen."
The newcomer was named Chen Ji, the one with the least seniority in the office but not short on reputation.
The reason for this was his exaggerated martial prowess, which even earned him praise from the Demon-suppression Marshal.
Sadly, his youthful impetuosity had landed him in trouble with demons several times, resulting in a harsh reprimand from his superiors, who had then assigned him to Shen Yi for guidance.
Both his parents had died early, and he supported his younger sister as they made their way in Baiyun County.
Coincidentally, his predecessor was a lecherous spirit.
After some overt and covert confrontations, they reached a settlement where Chen Ji obediently complied, and Shen Yi promised not to touch his sister, leading to an uneasy calm.
His, how does it feel like I'm already on the path to self-destruction?
Shen Yi sat with his chin propped on his hand, lost in thought, until Chen Ji broke the silence.
"Officer Shen, I've just returned from Liuli Temple. There's been an incident in the village," said Chen Ji urgently.
Chen Ji remembered his superior's previous orders and showed uncertainty in his eyes, but still quickly explained, "Although you said we should leave matters outside the city alone for now, this demon has broken the rules, settling down right in the village."
His speech sped up, as if he was particularly afraid of being interrupted by Shen Yi, suggesting he had often been in similar situations before.
"I hope... Officer Shen... would be willing to... negotiate..."
As Chen Ji said the word "negotiate," a flash of shame crossed his face. Despite this, he forcefully maintained a respectful tone, not wanting to upset the other party.
After all, Shen Yi's usual character was to give such matters short shrift, never really caring.
To get him involved, he had to be sweet-talked into it.
"I remember last time, there were three Martial Arts Techniques brought by the Demon-suppression Marshal. They seem to have been borrowed by you?"
Shen Yi rose and walked to the office door, stretching himself vigorously.
"Ah?"
Chen Ji stood frozen in place. Had Officer Shen not been listening to him at all?
"Bring them to me for a look," Shen Yi extended his hand.
Chen Ji took a deep breath, approached his desk, and pulled out three well-preserved copies of manuals, his hands showing bulging veins.
After standing for a while, he handed them over with evident heartache.
In line with Shen Yi's habits, these precious Demon-subduing Martial Arts would either end up propping up the corner of a table or be given away as curiosities to amuse one of his favorites; he was never willing to take a single look at them.
Shen Yi took the manuals and walked out the door at a leisurely pace.
Leaving Chen Ji standing there dumbfounded, his grip on the sword tightened.
Officer Shen, without even asking, do the lives of the people outside the city not count!
Just then, half a body leaned in from outside the door.
It was Shen Yi, who had returned. With a puzzled face, he asked, "Why are you standing there dumbstruck? Lead the way."