15: Improve again and return to basics!

A moment later, Hu Meier's corpse gradually changed.

Originally, aside from that tail, Hu Meier was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary woman.

But now, a layer of red fur gradually covered her body, and her figure slowly shrank.

Before long, the corpse completely reverted to its original fox form.

Outside the door, a series of noisy footsteps approached.

"Benefactor Jiang, you didn't..."

The voice came from far away and drew near.

Jiang Lan turned his head and saw Bao Jing, the monk, leading the village chief, running into the house one after another.

Seeing the scene before him, Bao Jing, the monk, quickly pressed his palms together and uttered a Buddhist invocation.

"amitabha..."

The village chief next to Bao Jing, however, stared wide-eyed at everything before him.

Before the two of them, a red-furred fox lay decapitated, the blood from its neck almost drained, with only a few drops occasionally oozing out and falling to the ground with a 'pat-pat' sound.

The situation inside the room was even more gruesome, covered in bloodstains, with even the ceiling stained dark red.

"This, this, this... this... where did this fox come from?"

"It's not a fox, it's Widow Li."

"Ah?"

The village chief's eyes widened.

"Are there any cleaner rooms?"

Jiang Lan asked in an indifferent tone.

"Yes!" The village chief reacted and quickly said, "Two sirs, this old man will take you to the east room."

With that, he hurried out.

Jiang Lan said nothing, only motioning for Bao Jing to follow.

The east room was next door; it looked like no one had lived there for some time, and despite the early summer weather, entering the room revealed a slight chill.

"Thank you for your trouble, you may go."

Jiang Lan didn't care about the chill; as long as there was a place to stay, it was fine.

Even if there were really evil spirits in this room, it would only add a few years to his Lifespan for nothing.

The village chief stood at the doorway, his expression somewhat hesitant.

"Sir..."

"Hmm?"

"Was that Widow Li really a fox transformed?"

Jiang Lan raised his eyelids.

"Didn't you see it yourself?"

"Ah..." The village chief's face showed a hint of lingering fear. "This old man will take his leave."

After the village chief left, Jiang Lan lay back on the heated brick bed.

Although he had just slain the fox demon, there was not a single drop of blood on him.

"Benefactor Jiang..."

"Hmm?"

"If you wanted to kill that fox demon, you could have just told me directly. Why did you have to specifically send me away?"

Jiang Lan heard this and glanced sideways at Bao Jing, the monk.

"I was afraid you'd fight me for it."

Bao Jing, the monk, looked puzzled. "Fight for what?"

"Nothing." Jiang Lan said, "Help me pass over the sleeping pillow, thank you."

Seeing that Jiang Lan had no intention of answering, Bao Jing could only pick up the pillow nearby and hand it to Jiang Lan.

"I'm going to sleep for a bit first."

"amitabha."

Just now, Benefactor Jiang said he wouldn't sleep and would keep watch with him. How could he change his mind so quickly?

Was he injured during the fight with the fox demon?

On the other side, Jiang Lan was unaware of Bao Jing, the monk's, thoughts.

He narrowed his eyes, and before him, the familiar light screen appeared... [Name: Jiang Lan]

[Cultivation: Bone Refinement Eighth Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yuan True Nurturing Skill]

[Martial Skills: Yan Military Saber Technique (Major Achievement), Wild Goose Step (Major Achievement)]

[Remaining Lifespan: Twenty years]

[Can infuse Cultivation Technique skills with Lifespan to increase strength.]

[Can increase Lifespan by suppressing or slaying demons.]

...He wasn't actually going to sleep; he intended to convert his Lifespan into strength.

One fox demon was probably far from the entirety of this village's problems.

Later, who knew what more dangerous things might be waiting for him.

Better safe than sorry.

If Lifespan was lost, it could be increased by hunting demons.

But if he couldn't defeat the demons, then death would be true death.

Jiang Lan didn't speak, but silently thought in his mind:

"Yan Military Saber Technique, fifteen years."

Based on the last situation, these fifteen years of Lifespan would not allow his Realm to Breakthrough to Bone Refinement Ninth Stage.

Previously, going from Bone Refinement Seventh Stage to Bone Refinement Eighth Stage had cost him a full twenty years.

So, at present, the only things that could bring him improvement were the two Martial Skills.

Wild Goose Step was a movement technique; even if its Realm continued to improve, it wouldn't be of much special use.

Finally, only the saber technique remained; there was nothing else to choose.

He knew too few Martial Skills.

That Little Monk seemed to have many powerful things.

Both the Heavenly Eye and palm prints.

He'd see if he had a chance to learn them in the future.

Jiang Lan thought to himself, looking at the light screen before him.

[In the third year, you practiced the Yan Military Saber Technique diligently every day, always feeling it wasn't the limit, but still had no clue.]

[In the fifth year, you finally gained some insight, touching upon the opportunity for improvement, and practiced the saber even more diligently.]

[In the eighth year, you had a realization, and the Yan Military Saber Technique finally achieved Major Achievement, its Realm advancing to 'Return to Simplicity'.]

[In the tenth year, you felt that Return to Simplicity was already the limit of the saber technique, but you did not slack off in your cultivation.]

[In the fifteenth year, while practicing the saber one day, you looked up at the sun in the sky and suddenly had a realization: Return to Simplicity was still not the limit of the saber technique. But time was limited, and you did not gain any further insights.]

Lines of text flashed across the light screen, and Jiang Lan's mind gained many insights into the Yan Military Saber Technique.

When he reached the Return to Simplicity Realm, he was somewhat surprised to find that the calluses on his hands had all disappeared.

Even the muscles on his arms, which had been somewhat disproportionate to his body, slowly became streamlined.

If an outsider who didn't know Jiang Lan saw him, they might think he wasn't a martial artist at all.

However, Jiang Lan knew in his heart that his strength had not weakened in the slightest; on the contrary, it was much greater than before.

If his previous strength was a ten, then now it was at least a twelve.

Jiang Lan's eyes flickered.

Return to Simplicity, was it truly not the limit?

Was there something beyond it?

After some thought, he didn't dwell on it too much.

Whether there was or wasn't, he would know after killing a couple more demons, wouldn't he?

He sat up.

Bao Jing beside him was startled.

"Benefactor Jiang, weren't you going to rest?"

"I'm well rested."

"This..."

Bao Jing was somewhat speechless.

Rested in three minutes?

...In a flash, night had deepened.

Jiang Lan and Bao Jing chatted intermittently.

"Did you develop this hysteria after joining the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Yes." Bao Jing replied, "For the past two years, thanks to the Centurion's care, otherwise, Little Monk might have been exposed in the wilderness long ago, ending up in the belly of some unknown demon."

"I think it might be dissociative identity disorder caused by post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Disorder... dissociative... what is that?"

Bao Jing was a bit confused.

"Scared crazy by demons."

"Little Monk understands, but Little Monk isn't crazy."

Just as Jiang Lan was about to say something more, he vaguely heard a series of horse hooves treading on the ground.

"Thump-thump-thump--"

Jiang Lan frowned slightly.

The sound came from the village entrance.

But at this late hour, who would be passing through here?

"Let's go, let's go out and see."