Chapter 91: Junior Brother Dog_1
Demon-suppression Bureau, separate courtyard.
A few Golden Eagle Commandants placed the precious robe on the bed inside the room, and swiftly boiled water to tidy up the space.
After everything was in order, they clasped their hands and said, "Officer Shen, is there anything else you require?"
The General was not in Qingzhou, the Demon-suppression Great General held sway over the Twelve Prefectures.
In the yamen, this Personal Adjutant General who had not yet left was held in very high esteem, with his commands promptly obeyed by all; even outside, he held a status equivalent to an Elder of a first-rate family or sect.
"Nothing else."
Shen Yi waved his hand, watched the men leave, and sat on the edge of the bed.
He reached for the gilded wolf pattern hair crown, subconsciously wanting to pinch it with his fingertips.
Suddenly realizing his own strength, not to mention real gold, he could even crush fine iron.
He set down the hair crown and picked up the thin robe, gently caressing the Yin Yang fish pattern on it before finally placing it aside after a long while.
"This promotion came too fast."
Shen Yi lay on the bed, arms as his pillow, enjoying the hard-earned comfort of its softness.
If he had truly advanced on his own merit, that would have been fine, but he knew better than anyone how much was embellished in his achievement of slaying that Solidifying Pill dragon.
Could it be that the real reason his predecessor wandered in Baiyun County was that he was the illegitimate child of a Demon Suppression Great General, banished to roam abroad?
He had always felt guiltless, but now he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Ridiculous!"
Shen Yi sneered, as if only being targeted would give him peace of mind.
On his way back, he had learned quite a bit about the Demon-suppression Bureau and the realms of Martial Arts from Hong Lei, such as the fact that each Demon-suppression Great General only had a few, four or five at most, Personal Adjutant Generals, some not even one.
Among them were Old Adjutant Generals who had followed their leaders for a hundred years or more, each having clawed their way out from among countless Colonels, for whom achieving Jade Liquid Perfection was merely the starting point.
Among the twelve generals, Patriarch Chen was the one closest to his life's end.
Fortunately, the Yin God nurtured within his inner core had grown somewhat, adding a flicker of life to what was a candle in the wind.
If he truly possessed such natural talent to advance from an ordinary man to Jade Liquid Perfection in two months, not to mention having an Outer Elixir that contained the prowess of Jiao Jun... when the time came that the old man could no longer wield the Heavy Iron Halberd, almost no one else could take the position of Demon-suppression Great General.
Governing millions of civilians in a prefecture was something Shen Yi could hardly imagine when he was in Baiyun County.
What a pity that such "talent" required a massive accumulation of demon lifespan.
"..."
As soon as thoughts of demonic lifespan crossed his mind, a fleeting ripple disturbed the calmness on Shen Yi's face.
Now that he had reached Jade Liquid Perfection, to continue advancing, he needed a true Solidifying Pill Method.
Although he understood the Demon-suppression Bureau's desire for stability and peace, when it came to himself, he couldn't help but lament their rigid obstinacy, always measuring in "years."
Shen Yi was willing to wait, but not willing to sit around and just wait.
Besides the Demon-suppression Bureau, these things were not absent elsewhere. With the identity of a Personal Adjutant General, many possibilities opened up.
If he could obtain it in advance, of course, that would be best.
But before engaging in such matters, he needed sufficient strength as a foundation; otherwise, it would be quite awkward if someone caught his tail, surrounded him, and he ended up being overpowered in the scuffle.
"Ahem." Imagining such a scenario, Shen Yi couldn't help but curl his lip.
As things stood, there were many directions in which he could improve.
Since his encounter with the young dragon in Shuiyun Village, his previous Refinement Method was clearly not enough. Fortunately, the upcoming Bodhi Vajra Body would allow his body to enhance once more.
Beyond that.
Shen Yi sank into introspection, looking at the Fiendish External Elixir suppressed by the Sun-Melting Furnace.
The power of the demonic fiend within had just reached the halfway mark.
If he could fill them all, it would be equivalent to possessing twice the cultivation level of Jiao Jun. At that time, beneath the Embrace Pill Realm, as long as it does not involve the Yin God and Primordial Techniques, wouldn't he be able to walk sideways as he pleases?
Unfortunately, the Sun-Melting Furnace had already reached its limit. To suppress more formidable demonic power, he might need to rely on connecting more apertures.
If he remembered correctly, the last time he deduced the Wind-Thunder Sun-Melting Manual, it took more than two hundred years to open just four new apertures. With two hundred and seventy-five apertures, he was still far from having them all uncovered.
"No rush, take it slowly."
Shen Yi lazily climbed out of bed and poured himself a cup of cool boiled water.
This significant gap in his lifespan wasn't something that could be filled in a moment or two. At least now he had a direction, which was better than when he was groping around cluelessly in Baiyun County like a headless fly.
"Does Officer Shen usually quench his thirst with plain water?"
A teasing voice came from the courtyard. Shen Yi glanced sideways and saw a handsome young man in white holding two wine jugs, his lips curved with a smile, "Bai Ziming, working at the medical hall."
This name sounded familiar; he had heard it from Hong Lei, listed alongside Fang Heng and Lin Baiwei, and it came last.
Shen Yi glanced at Fang Heng, who was standing behind the other man, took a sip of warm water, and said indifferently, "Tea is too bitter; I'm not used to drinking other things."
He had lived miserably enough in his previous life; where would he find the leisure to savor the sweetness hidden in bitterness?
"I have a special nourishing tea that enriches both the Yin and Yang, boosts the Qi, and strengthens the kidneys. The flavor is full, rich, and sweet. Next time, I'll bring Officer Shen a couple of packets."
Bai Ziming took the initiative to enter the room, placed the wine jugs on the table, and took a food box from Fang Heng's drooping hand. He discreetly sized up Shen Yi, then spoke up, "My junior brother is impetuous and offended you earlier. I deliberately brought him over to apologize."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi looked toward the tall and burly man.
Fang Heng stated honestly, "No, he doesn't believe there's a martial artist younger than him who is stronger. He resents it, and he came to find your weakness, planning to take advantage of it in the next sparring session."
"..." Bai Ziming's eye twitched, his smile slightly stiff.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. Officer Shen's cultivation is formidable, and I, Bai, am far inferior. Just a humble physician, how could I dare speak of sparring?"
Shen Yi looked towards Fang Heng again.
The stout man lifted his head, "Not true, when Sister Jiang reached Jade Liquid Perfection, he nonetheless attacked her from behind with a newly developed poison needle last time she returned, resulting in her getting knocked to the ground with one sword strike, lying there for two months."
"You guys talk." With an expressionless face, Bai Ziming put down the food box, turned, and left, "I've got some things to do."
When the master returns, he must report and have this backstabbing wolf expelled from the sect!
"Brother Bai."
Fang Heng called after him, arms hanging down, with a hint of apology, "Could you pour some wine for me?"
"Suddenly, I'm not hungry or thirsty anymore." Although Bai Ziming said that with a cold face, he still took out three dainty cups from the food box and filled them with fine wine.
He pushed the cups towards the two men before finally lifting his own.
"Brother, could you also close the door for me?" Fang Heng took a deep breath.
Bai Ziming's hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly, his gaze turned dark and brooding, "Fang, I don't bully the disabled. Wait until your injury is healed, and you just wait."
Having said that, he turned, flung his sleeve, and slammed the wooden door shut.
"..."
Observing the duo, Shen Yi fell into silence. After a moment, he asked, "What exactly is the matter?"
Fang Heng clenched his teeth, using his nearly numb hands to shakily reach for the wine cup, struggling to lift it before downing it in one gulp.
After agonizing for a long time, he finally mustered the courage to say, "I want to ask you... not to go to Linjiang Prefecture, at least not for the next few months."
The words were not particularly loud.
Yet they caused the two people outside the gate to halt their steps slowly.
The middle-aged man with very broad shoulders silently looked inside, the little girl sitting on his shoulders turned suddenly pale, and the swinging of her delicate little legs stopped.
Bai Ziming, standing in front of the house, had just heard the words from inside and was still processing them when he caught a glimpse of figures in the distance, and sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
This idiotic junior brother, without making a sound, had actually brought him over to cheat?!