[In the first year you practiced Demon Hunting, your Body Technique and perception greatly increased.]

...

[In the tenth year you practiced Demon Hunting, you could finally discern a demon’s weakness with your naked eye and exploit it.]

...

[In the twentieth year you practiced Demon Hunting, you finally became proficient in the Demon Hunting skill and became a qualified Demon Hunter.]

[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Occupation: Demon Hunter, Swordsman, Boxer, Chef]

[Skills: Cooking (Master), Demon Hunting (Proficient), Tiger-Crane Form (Proficient), Blood Tiger Saber (Expert)...]

[Enhancement Points: 0]

Bai Yuan felt a headache coming on.

A full hundred-plus enhancement points had barely been enough to raise his Demon Hunting skill to the Proficient level.

At a normal pace, it would have taken him a full twenty years to reach his current level.

This showed just how high-grade the Demon Hunting skill was—it was even a cut above the Tiger-Crane Form.

The effects after upgrading Demon Hunting to the Proficient level were also extremely noticeable.

Demons were, in fact, everywhere. Some hid deep in the vast mountains, while others lived right in the secular world, disguised so perfectly they were indistinguishable from ordinary people.

This required a Demon Hunter’s most unique ability: to smell demonic qi and use it to find a demon’s hiding place.

Beyond that, to better locate demons, a Demon Hunter’s Body Technique and perception were also top-notch. These were all essential, foundational abilities.

Bai Yuan’s strength had soared as a result.

He clapped his hands in satisfaction, then shouldered the Huang Pizi’s corpse and headed down the mountain.

Demon meat was a precious medicinal ingredient; it absolutely could not be wasted.

... 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Brother Yuan, what kind of meat is this? It smells so good!"

Xiao Qiaoniang picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. The aroma was so rich it made one want to savor every chew.

"It’s... I’m glad you like it."

Bai Yuan was gnawing on a weasel leg, his words muffled. He had been about to say it was weasel meat, but he held his tongue. Weasels weren’t exactly popular in town.

’Meat from a creature that’s become a demon is really something else!’

The ingredients were so good that his culinary skills barely had room to shine.

The finest ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods; you eat them for their original flavor.

Bai Yuan had simply stewed a pot of the weasel meat with a little salt, yet the flavor was incredibly delicious. Things like bear paw or shark fin were a total joke in comparison.

What surprised him even more was that eating demon meat actually had the effect of calming his Evil Qi.

He wouldn’t trade this meat even for a thousand pieces of gold.

There wasn’t much meat on the weasel, and before long, the pot was empty.

Xiao Qiaoniang suddenly cried out in alarm.

A fiery blush spread from her neck to her cheeks, and she felt an intense heat coursing through her body.

"Brother Yuan, what’s happening to me?"

Panic showed on Xiao Qiaoniang’s face. This was the first time she had ever experienced something like this.

Bai Yuan took a step forward and swiftly pulled open the collar of her shirt. He saw a very fine red line spreading from her shoulder blade.

Ever since becoming a Demon Hunter, his mind had been filled with all sorts of strange bits of knowledge.

Like this current situation, for instance.

"Sister Qiao, it’s nothing. After tonight, you’ll be a Skin Grinding Martial Master."

Hearing this, Xiao Qiaoniang’s eyes widened in astonishment. It had only been a short six months since she’d started practicing martial arts.

Breaking through to the Skin Grinding level in just half a year—such speed was already comparable to those Female Martial Artists in Flying Eagle Castle.

Bai Yuan clicked his tongue in wonder as well.

’Demon meat from a creature that has achieved spirit form really is extraordinary. It forced Sister Qiao’s training progress forward by a whole year with its potent nourishment. No wonder I heard Old Xue say that some children of nobles in Huanglong Prefecture cross the Skin Grinding Barrier while they’re still young. It’s all from eating demon meat.’

In Qinghe County, not even the Young Masters of Flying Eagle Castle enjoyed such a luxurious treatment.

Demon meat was highly nourishing even for Strong Internal Martial Masters. Unless one was extremely favored, it was nearly impossible to get a taste of it.

It was only because Bai Yuan had become a Demon Hunter; otherwise, he might not have been able to slay this weasel even if he reached the Yijin Pass.

Now that Xiao Qiaoniang was a Skin Grinding Martial Master, the Five Animals Fist was no longer sufficient.

He planned to make a trip to Celestial One Pavilion tomorrow to pick out a new, suitable Cultivation Technique for Sister Qiao.

"Sister Qiao, do you prefer swordsmanship or whip techniques?"

He remembered that the Female Martial Artists at Huwei Arts Hall mostly used these two types of weapons, just like how Li Ting used a sword.

"Brother Yuan, I want to use a spear."

"!"

’Violent enough. I like it,’ Bai Yuan thought.

As the saying goes, "a year for the sword, ten for the spear." The spear was difficult to train, but its killing power was immense. It was not something an ordinary person could master.

Since Xiao Qiaoniang wanted to learn the spear, then learn the spear she would.

Bai Yuan recalled that his third senior sister, Cheng Li, also happened to practice the spear. Having Sister Qiao become Senior Sister Cheng’s disciple seemed like a good idea. Plus, since they were both women, it would be convenient for them to look out for each other.

...

"Take a disciple?"

Cheng Li looked at Bai Yuan, who had sought her out first thing in the morning, and raised a shapely eyebrow.

This third senior sister of Huwei Arts Hall was different from most women in Qinghe Town. She was heroic and dashing, like a man—and her chest, of course, was, too.

"No problem. Just bring her to the Martial Arts Hall."

To Bai Yuan’s surprise, Cheng Li agreed readily.

Perhaps it was because there were so few Female Martial Artists at Huwei Arts Hall that Cheng Li was so decisive.

Li Ting, who had entered the hall at the same time as Bai Yuan, was also a disciple under Cheng Li.

Generally, Outer Disciples would apprentice themselves to Inner Courtyard Disciples. Only a select few might gain the approval of a True Disciple. The fact that Li Ting was able to become Cheng Li’s disciple was, more or less, thanks to her being a woman.

"Then I thank you, Senior Sister."

Bai Yuan cupped his fist to Cheng Li.

If his third senior sister hadn’t agreed, he would have had a real headache finding a master for Sister Qiao.

A few days later, Bai Yuan paid the tuition for Sister Qiao.

Because Sister Qiao was already a Skin Grinding Martial Master, she didn’t need to start as an apprentice. She smoothly entered the Outer Courtyard and became Cheng Li’s disciple.

As the Second Shopkeeper of Five Flavors Pavilion, it was a simple matter for Bai Yuan to arrange a room in such a large restaurant.

These days, he and Sister Qiao were spending more and more time in the city, so the two of them simply decided to live at the Five Flavors Pavilion.

Liu Qingshan had no objection to this; in fact, he welcomed it with open arms.

The closer Bai Yuan was to the Five Flavors Pavilion, the safer his business would be. How could he possibly refuse?

Sister Qiao didn’t have a system, so she spent most of her time practicing at the Martial Arts Hall.

Bai Yuan sat alone in his room, gazing at the Ten Thousand Demons Painting floating before his eyes.

The Ten Thousand Demons Painting could record the demons Bai Yuan killed. In the future, if he encountered a demon of the same type, the painting would weaken its strength, giving Bai Yuan an inherent advantage.

Beyond that, it had another wonderful use: his ability to perceive demons of the same type was also doubled.

Even from a hundred zhang away, Bai Yuan could smell the demonic qi it emitted.

Just like right now...

Bai Yuan was astonished to discover that there was a Snake Demon hiding right here in the Five Flavors Pavilion!

This discovery shocked him.

If he hadn’t activated his Demon Hunting skill, he never would have noticed.

He followed the scent of the demonic qi, and the trail eventually led him to the back kitchen...