If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

They knew they couldn't achieve the skill of killing a hundred-battle-level expert with a single finger.

Qin Baihu's cold gaze lingered on Zhou Yang for a moment, then swept over Zhao Keqing, who lay dead on the ground with his eyes wide open.

"Clean it up."

She uttered four words, turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.

"Yes, sir!"

The Imperial Guards behind him immediately obeyed the order and began to seal off the Niu residence, inventory the property, and arrest any remaining accomplices.

Zhou Yang eagerly followed in Qin Baihu's footsteps.

"My lord, my lord, please wait a moment."

Qin Baihu stopped and looked back at him, his eyes showing a hint of impatience.

"Is there anything else?"

"Sir, you see, this murder... was unplanned, wasn't it?"

Zhou Yang rubbed his hands together, his signature snobbish smile returning to his face.

"This Zhao guest elder was at least a hundred-battle realm expert; it took me a lot of effort to kill him."

"This is extra work, do you think...?"

Qin Baihu's eye twitched.

She'd seen people ask for money before, but she'd never seen anyone ask for money like this.

He had just killed someone, the body was still warm, and he came to talk to his boss about overtime pay.

"I've remembered your contribution."

"Let's talk about it back at camp."

After saying that, she used her movement technique and disappeared into the night in a few leaps.

"Yes, sir! Your subordinate obeys!"

Zhou Yang gave her a rather awkward salute as she walked away.

……

Outside Jianghuai City, at the temporary camp of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Inside the central command tent, the lights were on.

Three test households sat around a sand table.

Besides Qin Baihu, the other two were the old man who had appeared on the city wall earlier and the eagle-eyed youth.

"Commander Qin, what do you think of Zhou Yang?"

The young man, Shi Baihu, spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"This man is greedy, lustful, glib, and utterly disloyal. Letting him join the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be like inviting a wolf into the house."

"Although Fang Tian's death was his own fault, he was ultimately inextricably linked to this person."

The old man picked up his teacup and slowly blew on the steam.

"Commander Song is mistaken."

"Wolves are sometimes more useful than dogs."

"We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, need swords that can get things done, not groveling pets."

The old man put down his teacup and looked at Qin Baihu.

"Before we came here, you and I discussed that the waters of Jianghuai City are too deep, and we need a vicious dog to stir them up."

"This Zhou Yang, although unruly in his actions, is ruthless in his methods and has considerable strength, which is exactly what we need."

"He took down the tough nut of the Niu family in no time, saving us a lot of effort, didn't he?"

Qin Baihu nodded, a rare hint of approval appearing on her usually cold and aloof face.

"This knife is sharper than we expected."

"He not only killed Zhao Keqing, a guest of the Niu family, but also extorted money from the county magistrate and claimed all of the Niu family's property as his own merit."

Young Song Baihu frowned.

"This is outrageous! He's using the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a tool for personal enrichment!"

"So what?"

Qin Baihu countered with a question.

"As long as what he does aligns with our interests, what does it matter if he personally takes some benefits?"

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Commander Song, you are too straightforward. You still have a long way to go in the ways of officialdom."

"What the commander wants this time is the head of Fang Tian, ​​the leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and clues about the big fish behind him."

"Now that Fang Tian is dead, the trail has gone cold, and we must find a new breakthrough."

"This Zhou Yang is our breakthrough point."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled.

"What Commander Qin said is absolutely right."

"I've already investigated. Zhou Yang has a clean background; he's an orphan with no ties in Jianghuai City. People like him are the easiest to control."

"Give him money, give him power, give him what he wants, and he will work for us."

"A knife without a sheath is the most convenient to use."

Qin Baihu stood up.

I'll go and meet him.

Whether this knife can be used well depends on whether the price we offer is high enough.

……

In Zhou Yang's temporary barracks.

He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, counting the silver notes "seized" from the Niu family.

"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand..."

"We've struck it rich!"

Zhou Yang held a stack of silver notes, grinning from ear to ear.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted.

Qin Baihu walked in.

Zhou Yang was startled and frantically tried to hide the silver note.

"Ahem, sir, what brings you here?"

Qin Baihu ignored his little tricks and threw a wooden box and a bottle of pills in front of him.

"This is for you."

Zhou Yang opened the wooden box, inside was a thick stack of silver notes, worth at least two thousand taels.

He picked up the bottle of pills again, which had three words written on it: "Hundred Battle Pills".

This is a valuable item used by warriors at the Hundred Battles Realm to improve their internal strength; it's priceless and unavailable.

"My lord, this..."

"You killed Zhao Keqing; this is the reward you deserve."

Qin Baihu's voice was flat.

"Furthermore, according to regulations, the entire Niu family's assets must be handed over to the national treasury. However, considering your primary contribution, I will grant you one-tenth of it."

"Here are three thousand taels of silver notes. Someone will deliver them to you later."

Zhou Yang's eyes widened in disbelief.

Kill someone and you'll be rewarded with two thousand taels of silver and a bottle of elixirs.

Even if you confiscate their property, you can still get three thousand taels of silver.

The treatment of the Imperial Guards is too good!

He used to work as a constable, earning only a few taels of silver a month, which he spent on drinking and carousing, so he couldn't save any money at all.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you for your guidance!"

Zhou Yang was so excited that he almost knelt down before Qin Baihu.

"From now on, whenever there's something good like this, please think of me first, sir!"

"I guarantee I'll hit wherever I'm told, without hesitation!"

Looking at his greedy appearance, Qin Baihu's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

Don't get too excited yet.

"If you take my money, you have to do things for me."

She took a file out of her pocket and handed it to Zhou Yang.

"This is your first official assignment."

Zhou Yang took the file and opened it.

The name written on it is Li Wei.

"Li Wei?"

Zhou Yang remembered this name. The Niu family head had shouted it before he died, saying that it was his son's senior brother, the commander of the Jinyiwei in Anyang County, who was about to be promoted to trial centurion.

"Li Wei will come looking for you sooner or later."

"That's what Qin Baihu said."

"He colluded with the Niu family to smuggle contraband and disregard human life; the evidence is conclusive."

"But behind him is a big shot from the Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Office in Anyang County."

"I need you to kill him."

Zhou Yang closed the file, his smile fading.

This job is not easy.

To kill a soon-to-be-promoted Imperial Guard officer on his own territory.

This isn't just about making money; this is about risking your life.

"Sir, this mission is a bit too risky."

Zhou Yang asked tentatively.

"Look, regarding the price..."

"After this is done, I guarantee you'll be the commander-in-chief."

Qin Baihu immediately quoted a price.

"Moreover, although your finger technique is profound, it looks sinister to me. This palm technique is quite suitable for your movement technique."

She then took out a thread-bound book and tossed it to Zhou Yang.

"Grass Silk and Horse Shoes"

It's another fourth-grade martial art.

Zhou Yang's breathing became rapid.

Get promoted, make a fortune, and acquire martial arts techniques.

Who can stand this!

"Let's do it!"

Zhou Yang patted his chest loudly.

"Just you wait and see, sir!"

"That mere Li Wei, I guarantee he'll die knowing exactly why!"

"Your subordinate will go and prepare immediately!"

Seeing his eagerness, Qin Baihu nodded in satisfaction.

"Remember, I want him dead, but no one can know that we killed him."

"Make it clean."

"Understood!"

Zhou Yang stuffed the silver notes, pills, and secret manuals into his pocket and turned to leave the tent.

"etc."

Qin Baihu called out to him.

She walked up to Zhou Yang, extended her slender, fair fingers, and straightened his slightly crooked collar.

Her fingertips were icy cold, and they inadvertently touched Zhou Yang's neck.

Zhou Yang's body stiffened.

"You're very good."

Qin Baihu's voice was very soft, carrying a hint of something inexplicable.

Don't let me down.

After saying that, she turned around and walked out of the tent.

Zhou Yang stood there, touched his neck, and looked at the huge sum of money and the secret manual in his arms.

"Rich women, I like them!"