The sun slanted west, the evening glow like fire.
"It seems this is the place."
A young man with a long saber at his waist stood before a dilapidated courtyard, holding a piece of paper and looking around.
Ye Xiuchen lowered his head to compare it with the intelligence, put the intelligence away, and pushed open the broken wooden gate.
"Creak, creak." The old wooden door let out a piercing creak. Inside, it was a very ordinary commoner's courtyard. Having been uninhabited for a long time, the courtyard was in disrepair, overgrown with weeds.
Ye Xiuchen frowned. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he felt a chilling aura, a world apart from outside the gate.
Entering the house, he found it even more dilapidated, with almost nothing inside. Ye Xiuchen had to withdraw from the house and find a relatively clean spot in the courtyard. He sat down cross-legged, recalling the intelligence in his mind, and closed his eyes to rest, quietly waiting for nightfall.
As the last ray of sunlight disappeared from the sky, night descended.
Ye Xiuchen's eyes snapped open. He felt the chill in the air slowly engulfing him like a tide.
Ye Xiuchen stood up, his gaze alertly fixed on the center of the courtyard. In his perception, the chill was strongest there. He drew his long saber.
The cold moonlight spilled into the courtyard, casting a hazy white veil over it. Ye Xiuchen's eyes narrowed, a hint of nervousness in his heart, but also a trace of undisguised excitement.
The door of the house began to creak, and the grass in the courtyard rustled without wind. Ye Xiuchen's ears began to fill with whispers, but upon listening closely, he could hear nothing.
Ye Xiuchen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This ghost hadn't attacked directly but was harassing his mind with illusions. This indicated it was just a newly formed, weak spirit.
Ye Xiuchen's hand gripped the saber hilt tightly, his mind focused, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. With his other hand, he fumbled in his robe and pulled out a porcelain bottle, waiting for his moment.
In the shadows, a slightly translucent ghost watched as Ye Xiuchen remained unaffected, becoming increasingly agitated. It could sense the pure blood energy within the human. Its instincts told it that devouring his blood energy would bring it immense benefits.
It couldn't resist the temptation of the blood food. The ghost's instincts repeatedly told it that this human was delicious.
It let out a sharp shriek, extending its dark claws, and lunged at Ye Xiuchen.
Ye Xiuchen heard a scream that seemed to pierce his eardrums. His eyes saw a phantom ghost charging at him. His hand moved, and he uncorked the porcelain bottle, splashing its contents towards the ghost.
The liquid splashed directly onto the ghost, which instantly let out a scream of agony. The liquid burned the ghost, producing a large amount of white smoke, as if it were sulfuric acid.
Seeing that the virgin boy's urine was effective, Ye Xiuchen stomped his foot, circulating the blood energy in his body, and moved in front of the ghost. He swung his long saber with all his might, cleaving diagonally from the left shoulder to the abdomen, almost splitting it in two.
Ah!
The ghost cried out in pain.
It wanted to escape.
Ye Xiuchen's next blow arrived, directly splitting the ghost in half from the abdomen.
With a resentful shriek, the ghost's two halves fell to the ground and slowly dissipated, leaving only a pile of black dust. Ye Xiuchen bent over, collected the black dust, and sat down on a clean patch of ground.
He let out a long sigh of relief. He had almost fallen. If he hadn't prepared the virgin boy's urine beforehand, those seemingly simple two strikes had required Ye Xiuchen to exert his full strength, and his arms were already numb. However, he had successfully killed the ghost, and he could become a formal Demon Subduing Envoy upon his return. Thinking of this, Ye Xiuchen's heart filled with warmth.
That extraordinary power would soon be within his grasp. Ever since he had transmigrated, he had been awestruck by the extraordinary power displayed by the Demon Subduing Envoys. Upon learning that this world had extraordinary beings, as well as demons and ghosts, and only one country, Qin, he had been deeply impressed.
This world was vast, much larger than his previous life's Earth. Ye Xiuchen didn't know its exact size. He had transmigrated to this world as an orphan, with no parents, and had almost starved to death on the streets. When he learned that extraordinary powers were possessed by those in the Demon Subduing Department, he joined their training camp without hesitation.
The training camp was where the Qin dynasty cultivated new Demon Subduing Envoys and offered a chance at survival to those who were starving. Within the camp, they were taught martial arts by specialists, and food and lodging were provided. To become a formal Demon Subduing Envoy, one had to reach the Blood Refining realm in martial arts within a limited time and kill a newly born demon. Only then could one become a formal Demon Subduing Envoy, albeit the lowest rank, a Yellow-tier Envoy.
Suddenly.
A semi-transparent blue panel appeared before Ye Xiuchen's eyes. Ye Xiuchen quickly stood up, his gaze alertly scanning his surroundings. Finding nothing, he relaxed.
Ye Xiuchen looked at the blue panel before him, which displayed four words.
"Martial Dao Panel."
Could this be his cheat?!
Ye Xiuchen was overjoyed, almost jumping for joy. He couldn't help it; this world was too dangerous. He might be killed by a demon at any moment.
Ye Xiuchen took deep breaths, trying to calm his emotions. He steadied himself and looked at the Martial Dao Panel.
Name: Ye Xiuchen
Martial Arts: Yang Ji Zhuang (Minor Accomplishment) - Can be upgraded
Points: 1
Draw
Reinforce
Fuse
Ye Xiuchen looked at the panel, feeling a little confused. Information flooded into his mind. Ye Xiuchen read the information carefully and gasped.
The Martial Dao Panel was even more powerful than he had imagined. Through reinforcement and fusion, he could upgrade the quality of his martial arts, break through his original limits, and even draw items from all realms. All of this required points, which were obtained by killing demons and monsters.
The demon Ye Xiuchen had just killed was of the lowest tier, yielding only one point. He didn't know about higher tiers.
After resting for a moment to regain some strength, he got up and returned to the Demon Subduing Department to submit his mission.
Walking through various streets, he stopped before an extremely grand gate. A large plaque above it bore three flamboyant red characters: Demon Subduing Department.
Ye Xiuchen looked up at the plaque and presented his token to the guards at the gate. After a check, they let him in.
"Brother Ye!"
"En!"
As Ye Xiuchen walked along the paths of the Demon Subduing Department, he encountered familiar faces and exchanged greetings or nods.
But no matter who it was.
Their faces showed no superfluous emotion, as if they were indifferent to everything.
To this.
Ye Xiuchen had grown accustomed.
This was the Demon Subduing Department, the institution responsible for maintaining social order in Qin. Its primary duty was to kill demons and monsters, although it also had other side businesses.
People died every day. When those around you could die at any moment, having witnessed life and death so often, one naturally became indifferent to many things.
The Demon Subduing Department was vast.
Those who remained within the Demon Subduing Department were Demon Subduing Envoys, or prospective Envoys like Ye Xiuchen. There were seemingly higher positions above, which figures at the bottom of the Demon Subduing Department like Ye Xiuchen could not comprehend.
Without taking long, Ye Xiuchen stopped at a pavilion. Compared to other parts of the Demon Subduing Department, this place clearly had more foot traffic, with people constantly coming and going. Ye Xiuchen tidied himself up and walked into the pavilion.
Entering the pavilion, he saw a row of small windows, each with a small plaque beside it. Ye Xiuchen walked directly to one of the windows, where a middle-aged man was dozing.
Ye Xiuchen knocked a few times in front of him. The man jolted awake, startling Ye Xiuchen. The man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Ye Xiuchen's youthful face, yawned a few times, and listlessly asked, "What do you need?"
"Submit mission."
"What mission?"
Ye Xiuchen took out the black dust wrapped in burlap and his token, saying, "Promotion to formal Demon Subduing Envoy."
The middle-aged man looked at Ye Xiuchen with surprise. Ye Xiuchen smiled slightly.
The middle-aged man took the black dust, opened the cloth, and then took out something resembling a thermometer from a cabinet below. This device was called an Yin Ruler, specifically designed to measure the concentration of yin energy. He inserted it into the black dust, and a black line rose from the middle. When the line stopped rising, he took it out, examined it for a moment, and then placed it before Ye Xiuchen for confirmation. Ye Xiuchen glanced at it and nodded.
The middle-aged man put away the Yin Ruler and picked up a brush to record: "Qin Dynasty, year 678, May 17th. Ye Xiuchen, from Training Camp No. 1 of Qingyuan Town Demon Subduing Department, Tianyang Prefecture, single-handedly killed a low-tier vengeful spirit, meeting the promotion requirements. Promoted to Yellow-tier Demon Subduing Envoy."
He then took Ye Xiuchen's original token and retrieved a black iron token. The two tokens touched lightly, and a flash of light emanated. Ye Xiuchen's name appeared on the Yellow-tier Demon Subduing Envoy token. He then handed the token to Ye Xiuchen, saying, "Drip a drop of blood."
Ye Xiuchen complied. The middle-aged man then produced a set of standard long robes, a jade pendant, and a small porcelain bottle. With a slight smile, he said to Ye Xiuchen, "Congratulations, you are now a Yellow-tier Demon Subduing Envoy."
Ye Xiuchen accepted the robes, jade pendant, and small porcelain bottle, thanked the man, and left the pavilion after a brief greeting.
He exited the Demon Subduing Department and walked out onto the street, heading towards his home. Along the way, he took care of his meal and arrived at a small courtyard near the city wall. This was a small courtyard he had rented. The rent was not expensive monthly, as it was not a prosperous area. Previously, he had relied on part-time jobs to pay the rent. Now, he no longer needed to. After becoming a Yellow-tier Demon Subduing Envoy, he would receive a monthly salary of one to two taels of silver.
Ye Xiuchen opened the door and entered, locking it behind him. The courtyard was ordinary, with several wooden stakes and some martial arts training equipment placed on the ground.
Ye Xiuchen went to the front of the house to check the small mechanisms he had set up. Finding no anomalies, he entered the house, lit an oil lamp. The interior was simply decorated, with only a bed, a table, and a few chairs.
Ye Xiuchen placed his items and his long saber on the table, eager to check the panel.
Name: Ye Xiuchen
Martial Arts: Yang Ji Zhuang (Minor Accomplishment) - Can be upgraded
Points: 1
Draw
Reinforce
Fuse
Ye Xiuchen looked at the word "Can be upgraded" next to Yang Ji Zhuang. According to the information, it meant upgrading the martial art to the next level. The levels of cultivation techniques were divided into four stages: Entry, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Perfection.
Yang Ji Zhuang was a basic cultivation technique of the Demon Subduing Department, which could be cultivated to the first layer of the Body Refining realm, Blood Refining. Ye Xiuchen had just entered the Body Refining realm and was beginning Blood Refining. If upgraded, it would reach Major Accomplishment, close to Blood Refining Perfection. Ye Xiuchen was not in a hurry to upgrade for now.
He looked at the items distributed by the Demon Subduing Department on the table: a token, a jade pendant, a pill, and a set of standard robes. The jade pendant was used to collect yin and evil energy to identify killed ghosts. The token was a symbol of identity. The pill was a Body Refining Pill, which could accelerate the progress of body refining.
Ye Xiuchen opened the small porcelain bottle. It contained three Body Refining Pills, emitting a faint fragrance. Ye Xiuchen took one out and swallowed it in one gulp. It transformed into a warm current that flowed throughout his body. With a thought, the panel updated!
The words "Yang Ji Zhuang" on the panel flashed a few times and changed to "Major Accomplishment."
A wave of information regarding Yang Ji Zhuang at Major Accomplishment surged into Ye Xiuchen's mind. Ye Xiuchen focused his mind to receive the memories.
He began to assume the stance of Yang Ji Zhuang. The muscles under his skin twitched like mice, constantly bulging as they began to refine the medicinal power of the Body Refining Pill.
A moment later, Ye Xiuchen stopped his stance, let out a long sigh, and felt the strength in his body. His face was filled with amazement. With the help of the Body Refining Pill, he had directly reached Blood Refining Perfection.
He silently murmured, "Panel."
Name: Ye Xiuchen
Martial Arts: Yang Ji Zhuang (Perfection)
Points: 0
Draw
Reinforce
Fuse
A single point had directly upgraded Yang Ji Zhuang to Perfection. Ye Xiuchen felt the memories of Yang Ji Zhuang in his mind, proving that this was real and that the realm achieved through points was very solid.
Ye Xiuchen felt his own strength and ran to the courtyard to test it. He found that after reaching Blood Refining Perfection, his strength had increased by about one to two hundred jin. His current strength was now around eight hundred jin.
Indeed, once one stepped into the Body Refining realm, they were already considered to be on the extraordinary level.
Returning to the house, Ye Xiuchen thought that as a Yellow-tier Demon Subduing Envoy, he could go to the Scripture Repository and collect three cultivation techniques for free.
Thinking of this, Ye Xiuchen couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Those were truly extraordinary martial arts.
He immediately blew out the oil lamp and lay down to sleep.
The golden crow rose from the east, casting its light upon the human world. Qingyuan City, which had slept through the night, began to awaken.
After washing up, Ye Xiuchen put on his uniform. He had to admit that the Demon Subduing Department's uniforms were indeed handsome. Upon wearing them, Ye Xiuchen immediately exuded an aura of authority. The Demon Subduing Department uniform was primarily black, accented with red patterns.
He placed some important items in a small compartment under the bed and set up some small mechanisms on the door. After locking the main door, he headed towards the Demon Subduing Department.
On the gray-white streets, large bluestone bricks, each the size of a washbasin, were laid out.
People bustled to and fro on the streets, with the hawkers' cries, the chatter of pedestrians, and the aromas of various delicacies blending together.
Ye Xiuchen smelled the aroma of food and bought several large meat buns at a crossroads, eating them as he walked.
What he found strange was that when pedestrians looked at him, they showed a mixture of reverence and enthusiasm. Ye Xiuchen, whether his guess was correct or not, took a deep breath. It seemed the Demon Subduing Department had a greater influence than he had imagined.
After finishing the buns, Ye Xiuchen walked to the magnificent gate of the Demon Subduing Department and strode in. The guards, seeing Ye Xiuchen in his Demon Subduing Envoy uniform, stepped forward to check him. Their attitude was much better than the previous day. Ye Xiuchen presented his token, and after it was checked, he was allowed to pass.