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Twenty years added to one's lifespan isn't particularly long.
However, for Shen Yi, it was an immense surprise.
When he had crossed over, his predecessor had only left him over thirty years to live; he was destined to die young at a little over fifty.
Such was the decree of fate, as his time approached.
With the help of the Wind-Thunder Precious Scroll, he had barely managed to perfect his physique, but he was still within the realm of mortals.
To have extended his lifespan even slightly was no small feat.
Shen Yi collected his thoughts, looking forward to the Demon-suppression Bureau inspection scheduled for the following month with even greater anticipation.
Of course, he needed to prepare for every eventuality before then.
One was his strength.
The Great Qian Dynasty had established the Demon-suppression Bureau as an entity independent of the imperial court.
The lowest-ranked members, even without any soldiers under their command, were exceptional—granted the rank of seventh-grade Colonel, equivalent to the head official of Baiyun County.
Just a regular Colonel could gift the extraordinary Wind-Thunder Precious Scroll to Chen Ji, simply because of his promising talent.
To join their ranks, one must display uncommon abilities.
The Initial Realm... or perhaps something higher?
Shen Yi wasn't sure, but having a higher level of cultivation couldn't hurt.
Although he lacked a cultivation technique and precious medicines, he had previously derived martial knowledge of the Initial Realm from the Demon-subduing Blade Technique; now with half of the Wind-Thunder Precious Scroll in hand, if he was willing to expend years of his lifespan, he could surely deduce some profound insights.
Thinking of this, Shen Yi glanced at his status panel, feeling rather distressed.
He had felt like he was sitting on a fortune just a moment ago, only to become a pauper during the course of a meal.
[Remaining demon lifespan: seventeen years]
Slaying demons was not an easy task.
Shen Yi only had the chance to confront demons alone thanks to his predecessor's connections; however, as demonic beasts began to disappear one after another, the trust that had taken years to build would collapse at an unimaginable pace.
To strike while the iron was hot, Shen Yi needed to accumulate enough power to face their desperate counterattack before the demons realized his betrayal!
Beyond strength, there was another factor.
Reputation was the second consideration; after all, if the office couldn't conceal the truth any longer,
when the Demon-suppression Marshal arrived at Baiyun County, perhaps the first thing he would have to do before slaying demons would be to parade the "infamous" Mr. Shen through the streets for a thousand cuts.
But there was no rush for that.
As long as enough demons were slain, improving one's reputation would naturally follow.
"Hmm..."
Shen Yi stretched at the doorway, not having to worry about dying next year, he felt much more at ease.
Just then, two runners came hustling from the end of the street, gasping for air, "Officer Shen, we've finally found you! Head Song demands your immediate return for a report."
"A report?"
Hearing the call, Chen Ji, who was cleaning up the dishes, looked up.
The Head Song mentioned by the two men was the principal official of the criminal department, Song Changfeng.
Normally, subordinates reporting to their superiors was commonplace.
But that was not the case in the Baiyun County Office.
In his forties, Song should have been at the prime of his career, yet because he had taken the wrong side in matters dealing with demons, he was continuously oppressed by the office, unable to keep Shen Yi in check.
Although he conducted himself with integrity, his character was not particularly strong, and he watched with indignation as the waters of Baiyun County grew murkier, angry but too timid to stand up and accuse anyone.
After being suppressed, his spirits dwindled.
He simply became a hands-off manager, passing his days with a teacup in hand, avoiding Shen Yi whenever possible to save face.
Why then was he seeking him out today?
"I will go to the office. Rest early, and don't keep a light on for me."
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Chen Ji turned to retrieve his saber, and Chen Jinyu nodded obediently. She had always worried about her brother's stubborn temperament and his inability to tolerate any injustice. She feared he would be sidelined or bullied by his colleagues during his service. But it seemed that he now had found a superior he could trust.
With this in mind, she cast a stealthy glance towards the tall figure standing by the door.
Who could this person be to earn such respect from her proud brother?
Shen Yi turned his head, his eyebrows raised slightly, "What? Put down the knife and wash your dishes."
"..." Chen Ji silently dropped the knife.
Shen Yi looked back at the two clerks before him; both were his subordinates.
But at this moment, they avoided eye contact, evidently harboring unsaid words.
Whoever scared them to this extent and summoned him was likely not that leader Song.
"Let's go."
Shen Yi didn't ask further and stepped out onto the main street.
The two clerks, too frightened to breathe loudly, led the way to the barracks.
The slightly plumper one finally turned back, whispering with a pained expression, "Please be extra careful…"
As soon as he finished, he turned back around.
The men halted in front of the closed door, "Leader Song, Officer Shen has arrived!"
Hearing this, Shen Yi was puzzled. Could it really be Song Changfeng?
In just a moment of distraction, voices came from inside the door, but they weren't Song's...
Bang! Bang!
Two large holes were punched through the wooden door, and shadows burst out, piercing through the chests of the two clerks.
Shen Yi watched the black shadows emerge from the backs of the clerks; they were a pair of wrinkled, black-furred hands.
The hands, each clutching a faintly twitching heart, slowly stretched out before him, their sharp nails driving forcefully into the flesh!
"Brother Shen, why stop now?"
"..."
Shen Yi closed his eyes, taking a gentle breath of the warm, bloody air.
Then, he ferociously kicked the door!
With the door shattered, a sharp cry rang out from inside, and the shadow dashed sharply towards the back.
Shen Yi slowly stepped in, his indifferent gaze sweeping around.
The first thing that caught his eye was the distressed face of Song Changfeng, who knelt before a wicker chair, his body trembling, not only from fear but also due to what lay on his shoulders.
A thick, fluffy thigh lay casually on Song Changfeng's shoulder, causing nearly all his bones to crack from the weight, drenching him in sweat from the pain.
The owner of the hairy thigh lay in the wicker chair, wearing an oversized Confucian robe loosely open. It slowly propped itself up on one elbow, revealing an ugly ape face with bared teeth: "Brother, take a seat."
Besides it, two more Ape Demons were in the room.
One hunched over, its long arms reaching down to the floor, its face full of a menacing aura.
It was still dripping blood from its fingertips—the "warning" had evidently been delivered by it.
"Why did it take you so long... Look at the mess you've made..."
Song Changfeng's face twitched with emotion, nearly on the brink of collapse, "Is this how you handle Demons, bringing them right into the county office..."
It was unclear what had happened earlier, but the man, now with tears streaming down his face, lamented like a wronged widow.
Shen Yi looked at the table; three bloody dog heads were neatly lined up.
He glanced back at the two warm bodies of the clerks at the door.
The old Confucian-robed Ape smacked its lips, reached out a paw to touch Song Changfeng's head, and chuckled, "There's one more here."
As the words fell, the other two Ape Demons had quietly blocked the doorway.