Shen Yi considered for a moment and brought his attention back to the present.

Body-refinement techniques were important. But before simulating further, it made more sense to learn several more arts of the same type first — accumulating relevant knowledge and experience before running the derivation. The efficiency savings would be significant.

Techniques of that quality shouldn’t be scarce here. A modest amount of accumulated credits could purchase them, and the more material fed into the simulation, the faster the results.

The Solar-Fusion Furnace, for instance — classified into upper, middle, and lower grades based on how many apertures it connected. Other techniques almost certainly had similar tiers.

The Meridian-Severing Dragon Capture, the Four Harmonies True Astral Force — these were things passed down directly from the General herself. Mastering even one was enough to build Lin Baixi’s considerable reputation across Qingzhou. Among Jade Liquid Realm techniques, they were at the absolute apex.

Within the same cultivation level, nothing ranked higher — or if it did, it wasn’t something accessible to him at his current standing.

As for why he’d declined Li Muqing’s offer in the first place—

The first reason was straightforward: he didn’t want the trouble, and he wasn’t prepared to place his life in the hands of a family he didn’t know.

She talked well right now. But once truly embedded in a great household, resources and techniques might come his way — and when the family faced a crisis, he’d be expected to die for them in return.

The Li family wasn’t a county magistrate handing out rice. A family guardian came with controls. Real ones.

Both options required staking his life on an outcome. Between the Li family and the Demon Suppression Division, Shen Yi preferred the Division.

And the Division’s path was uncomplicated: kill demons, accumulate credits. No maneuvering. No ambiguity. Perform well, and anything could be earned through ability alone. Clean, and more to his taste.

The second reason was simpler still.

What Shen Yi wanted, the Li family might not have — and even if they did, they might not give it.

The Four Harmonies True Astral Force had transformed into something with far more killing potential in his hands. The Demon-Subduing Bladework had traveled from an ordinary human technique all the way to a Jade Liquid Realm art that could hold its own against the General’s five signature techniques.

Drawing on everything available, incorporating demonic affinities, deriving something beyond what any single lineage offered — that was what Shen Yi was building toward.

And when it came to everything available, who offered more than the Demon Suppression Division?

The former Qingzhou first sect, Songhe Sect — slaughtered for colluding with demons — and their Meridian-Transforming Aperture Pill had become the Division’s Aperture-Opening Pill. The three sects in Yushan Prefecture, eliminated by the General’s second disciple — their techniques had presumably been renamed and absorbed as well.

In other words: except for anything related to the Condensate Realm, ordinary techniques weren’t going to advance Shen Yi’s development much further.

A Condensate Realm method — did the Li family even have one? If they did, would they give it, and what would the cost be?

The right move was to stay in the Division, do the work, and accumulate credits until he’d earned the standing to ask for what he actually needed. Before reaching that point — don’t get killed by a demon.

If the demon lifespan reserves grew sufficient, swapping some for Demon Crystals to assist derivation was worth considering.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 891 years】

One Yellow King’s worth away from a thousand.

“That man — hasn’t he had his fill yet?”

Shen Yi remembered Zhang Tuhu jumping off the carriage the moment they’d arrived in Qingzhou and disappearing after some old flame. Nearly half a month had passed without a word. The Jingang School’s abbot wasn’t going to catch him, take down the paintings he’d hung beside the Buddha, and put Zhang Tuhu up there instead.

If he were around, he’d at least be someone to talk to about body-refinement techniques.

Shen Yi shook his head, stepped outside.

In the faint moonlight, standing in the courtyard, he started working through the most basic form of the Cloudscattering Longfist — learning where the edges of this completely different body were.

With Jade Liquid Perfection as the foundation, bringing the Flood Dragon’s Power fully under control would probably take two or three days.

By the time the sun was high the next morning, he lowered his fists without any particular effort, still entirely fresh.

Reaching mortal peak had lessened his need for ordinary food. Reaching Jade Liquid Perfection had apparently lessened his need for sleep.

He went back inside, took out his old uniform, got water, scrubbed it clean. Then, thinking it over, circulated qi from the Solar-Fusion Furnace to his palms and dried the fabric in short order.

He folded it neatly and walked toward the External Affairs Hall.

Just outside the courtyard gate, he ran into two single-band Commanders looking unhappy. One of them appeared to recognize him and forced a smile.

“Congratulations on the promotion, sir. I was at the Hall yesterday.”

The other looked up too, envy in the eyes but without resentment.

Credits earned by fighting demons — the court would give them to whoever lived to claim them.

“You’ve been running missions with Commander Li, right? Heard he’s laid up and needs to rest — lucky timing for you. I don’t mean that the way it sounds—” the shorter one managed an apologetic smile, “—what I mean is the rest of us don’t often get a chance to stop.”

“A rest?”

Shen Yi had his old uniform in hand and could only nod, though some confusion showed in his eyes.

“With Commander Li still in the infirmary and no one to lead the squad, the Hall won’t assign you anything.” The shorter man lowered his voice. “And other Deputy Commanders won’t typically pull people from Li’s group either. You might as well take it easy while you can.”

That clarified things.

For most Commanders, the Hall assigned missions. Li Xinhan had the standing to select his own. Even while he was recovering, his team members weren’t at risk of being pulled away by an unfamiliar superior to serve as cannon fodder somewhere unpleasant.

Good, objectively. But Shen Yi rubbed the back of his neck. The Demon Crystal plan was going to take longer than expected.

“We have business to attend to — farewell.”

The two walked off. Once they’d covered enough distance, their voices dropped to something barely audible.

“Those Inner Division rats — when we’re out bleeding for them they’re nowhere to be found, then we come back to hand in our reports and have to sit under their noses, and now they’re short-staffed and pulling people from us. On what grounds?”

“Give it a rest. It’s not like your father’s surname is Li, or has any standing in the martial world. If you had the same ability as that new one back there, you could ride along with the Li family too.”

They moved into the courtyard and were gone.

They had no idea Shen Yi’s hearing was now remarkable enough to catch every word at that distance.

“…”

He hadn’t done anything yet, and the labels were already being applied.

Not that he particularly cared. As long as he knew where the lines were — didn’t take what he wasn’t entitled to, didn’t develop ambitions that would make him someone else’s problem — the water could be as murky as it liked around him.

He cleared his thoughts, left the courtyard, and took the old uniform to the External Affairs Hall.

“I’ll return the technique copy when I’ve committed it to memory.” He knew this wasn’t Baiyun County — a bit of discretion was appropriate. Doing things too quickly and too conspicuously invited attention from people with sharp eyes and their own agendas.

“No hurry. Just don’t lose it.” The two Inner Division Commanders on duty nodded, their manner on the cooler side.

He left and made his way to the Division’s dining hall.

Uniform wooden tables and benches. No choices on the menu.

Shen Yi had barely sat down before a servant arrived with six large dishes.

Steamed perch. Braised pork in soy sauce. Slow-cooked pork knuckle with dipping sauce. Three kinds of fresh seasonal vegetables with a light gloss of oil.

“Take your time, sir. Just call if you need more.”

The servant set down a full bucket of rice.

Shen Yi looked at the spread and didn’t perform any particular feeling about it.

These were all people who spent their lives protecting the region at the cost of their own. The food should be enough to fill them.

He cleared the table with reasonable efficiency, let out a satisfied breath, and made his way back to the courtyard.

At the gate.

A large, powerfully built figure was pacing back and forth, peering in and out with all the subtlety of someone casing the place.

(End of Chapter)