Chapter 37 Guidance

Shen Lian and the others recuperated at the clinic for a few days, and after applying blood-activating powder, their injuries healed quickly.

The Qinghe Lantern Festival was not over yet. The Demon Suppression Division had increased patrols, especially at night, with demon suppressors and yamen runners on duty at the entrances of the main streets and alleys.

A lot has happened in Qinghe County during this period. Cases such as the Corpse-Eating Woman, the Heart-Digging Case, and the Missing Persons Case have occurred one after another, resulting in many deaths.

Fortunately, the Demon Suppression Division has been working hard to solve the case during this period, and so far, the cases of the Corpse-Eating Woman and the Heart-Digging have been successfully resolved.

In order to kill the murderer of the heart-digging case, the Demon Suppression Division paid a heavy price. Shen Lian and others were all injured and had to recuperate for several days.

The body of the man in the straw hat was transported back to the Demon Suppression Division, and a number of items were found during the search, including a booklet and a compass, but nothing of value was discovered.

After recuperating at the clinic for several days, Shen Lian and the others returned to the Demon Suppression Division.

Li Hu stretched his shoulders and said, "After staying at the clinic for the past few days, my bones are all brittle. I'll take advantage of this recovery to exercise properly."

Chen Yun smiled and said, "We've been resting for a few days, and our progress has fallen behind quite a bit. It's definitely time to speed up our cultivation."

Shen Lian said, "Cultivation requires a balance of activity and rest. Taking a break is not necessarily a bad thing for us."

"Brother Shen is right," Wang Lin nodded. "Brother Shen, I'd like to spar with you on swordsmanship to see what my shortcomings are."

"Okay!" Shen Lian nodded with a smile.

The group then arrived at the training ground.

Shen Lian and Wang Lin stood on opposite sides of the training ground, while Li Hu and Chen Yun stood to the side.

Shen Lian slowly drew the long sword from his waist, the blade gleaming with a cold light.

Wang Lin took a deep breath, gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, activated the "Tiger Subduing Stance," and mobilized his qi and blood throughout his body, making his entire aura completely different.

"Brother Shen, please!"

Wang Lin took the lead, his long saber slashing down like a dragon emerging from the water with a "Mountain Splitting" move, the blade whistling and incredibly powerful.

Shen Lian lightly turned his feet using the "Tiger-Taming Stance" footwork and charged towards Wang Lin, his long sword slashing diagonally upwards, which was the starting move of the "Wave-Slicing Style".

clang!

The two blades clashed, producing a crisp, resonant sound.

A long, sustained force emanated from the blade, causing Wang Lin's arm to go numb. He used the force to retreat, sweeping his longsword horizontally and unleashing a three-hit combo of the "Wave-Slicing Style" towards Shen Lian.

Facing Wang Lin's three consecutive strikes, Shen Lian swept his long sword horizontally, striking out like a nimble snake, and blocked all three of Wang Lin's consecutive strikes.

Wang Lin was forced to retreat three steps. He was secretly surprised. He thought that his swordsmanship had improved a little after this period of training, but he did not expect Shen Lian's progress to be even more amazing. His control over the sword energy was very exquisite.

"Brother Shen, let's try again!"

Wang Lin let out a low shout, steadied himself, lowered his waist and stood firm, pushing the "Tiger Subduing Stance" to its limit. His blood and qi surged within him, and he slashed at Shen Lian with his longsword once more.

With this slash, the wind howled, and the momentum was even greater.

Shen Lian could tell that Wang Lin was using all his strength. He took a series of steps and swept his long sword horizontally, drawing a perfect arc.

clang!

Wang Lin's longsword was deflected by Shen Lian, and the fierce force was instantly dissipated like a mud ox entering the sea.

Wang Lin felt as if his all-out attack had struck empty air, and he staggered forward half a step. He was immediately shocked.

The next moment, Shen Lian closed in, his long sword already positioned against Wang Lin's neck.

The outcome is decided!

Seeing this, Chen Yun and Li Hu were secretly amazed. Wang Lin's strength was definitely among the top of the newly promoted Demon Suppressors, but now he was easily defeated by Shen Lian. Shen Lian's strength had increased a lot during this period.

"I've lost!" Wang Lin took a deep breath, then sheathed his sword and retreated. "Brother Shen's understanding of swordsmanship far surpasses mine."

Shen Lian sheathed his sword and laughed, "Sword techniques are static, but people are dynamic. The three forms of the 'Demon Subduing Sword Technique' are the foundation. When facing an enemy in battle, being too rigid about the order of the moves will only expose your weaknesses. If you use all your strength in every move, you won't leave yourself any room to maneuver. Once your opponent is stronger than you, you won't even have a chance to fight back."

"I've learned a lot!" Wang Lin nodded.

Shen Lian's words woke him up; he had indeed been too concerned with the completeness and power of the moves, neglecting the flexibility and adaptability in actual combat.

Li Hu strode forward and patted Wang Lin on the shoulder: "Losing to Brother Lian is not shameful. His swordsmanship is not something an ordinary person can withstand."

Chen Yun stepped forward slowly: "Senior Brother Shen's move just now has probably exceeded the scope of a minor mastery of swordsmanship."

Shen Lian nodded and said, "I have mastered the 'Demon Subduing Blade Technique' and have incorporated some of my own understanding into it."

Wang Lin, Chen Yun, and Li Hu all gasped in shock.

"The 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique'...completely mastered?" Li Hu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "How long has it been? Brother Lian, your cultivation speed is terrifying!"

Chen Yun exclaimed, "Senior Brother Shen has actually mastered the 'Demon Subduing Blade Technique' in such a short time. His talent is truly admirable."

Wang Lin smiled bitterly, "No wonder I was defeated so thoroughly. The swordsmanship at the Great Perfection level is no longer confined to the moves themselves, but has truly grasped the essence of power."

"I just happened to have some insights," Shen Lian said. "Compared to Commander Zhao and the others, we are still far behind."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group became solemn. Although the cases of the Corpse-Eating Woman and the Heart-Digging were successfully resolved, the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult had not yet been eliminated.

This is always a sharp blade hanging over our heads.

As long as the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult are not eliminated, the people of Qinghe will always live in fear and trembling, constantly worried that they will be targeted by the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult and die a violent death.

Next, Chen Yun and Li Hu sparred with Shen Lian one after the other.

Shen Lian instructed the two in swordsmanship, allowing them to gain some insights into the art.

After finishing his sparring session, Shen Lian returned to his quarters, changed into casual clothes, and then left the Demon Suppression Division.

During this period, the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult caused a lot of trouble and many people died, but fortunately, they did not take any action during the Qinghe Lantern Festival.

But this doesn't mean that the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult won't make another move.

Who knows what the remnants of the Blood Worship Cult might be plotting right now.

Shen Lian left the Demon Suppression Division and strolled along the streets in the east of the city. The evening breeze swept through the narrow alleyways, swirling up a few withered leaves.

He kept the [Combat Power Detection] on throughout, scanning back and forth with his eyes.

The case of the heart-ripping has now been solved, and the man in the straw hat has been executed, but Shen Lian still feels a sense of unease.

From discovering clues at the fish market to the ambush at the lantern festival, the whole process was full of twists and turns, but in the end the murderer was caught and everything came to an end.

But what about that strange fire?

The Demon Suppression Division has been investigating for several days, but so far, they have not found any clues. The more they do so, the more troublesome the situation becomes.

The remnants of the Blood Worship Cult are currently lying low, and it's unknown what they're plotting. When the enemy makes their move, it will likely be difficult to deal with them.

After surveying the streets, Shen Lian found nothing.