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

The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on Qin Shuang's fair face.

She looked at Zhou Yang as if he were a madman.

"Are you crazy? That flower-viewing banquet was a trap set by Commander Chen. Who in Anyang County doesn't know that? It was a trap."

"I'm not crazy."

Zhou Yang looked up at her, his pupils calm as still as a deep pool.

"He wants to see my performance, so I have to give him the opportunity. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing."

He picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and slowly took a sip.

"Besides, it's a banquet after all, might as well go. But..."

He put down his teacup, revealing that money-grubbing smile that Qin Shuang knew all too well.

"You'll have to pay more."

Qin Shuang stared at him for a full three breaths.

She suddenly felt that she had never really understood this man.

He is greedy, cowardly, and a superb actor, yet deep down he possesses a ruthless streak that can defy anyone.

"Speak up," Qin Shuang said calmly, as if discussing the weather.

"readily!"

Zhou Yang snapped his fingers and held up two fingers.

"First, the travel expenses, appearance fee, and compensation for emotional distress, all added up to ten thousand taels of silver. Not a penny less, and I won't budge."

"Secondly, the equipment needs to be changed. My current attire is too shabby for a banquet; it needs to be more befitting of the Imperial Guards. You can cover the budget for the equipment."

"Third, intelligence. I need to know exactly what Commander Chen has done in the capital, what his backup plans are, and who he has invited. You'll be paid for the intelligence."

After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Qin Shuang with a leisurely air.

"That's it. If it's a deal, I'll become this actor. If it's not a deal, you can leave now, and I'll run off with your money tomorrow, leaving you penniless."

Qin Shuang's lips twitched slightly.

She took a silver note from her bosom and slapped it on the table.

"Here is ten thousand taels. I will take care of the equipment and intelligence."

Zhou Yang's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the silver note in a flash. He held it up to the candlelight to check it, and only after confirming that it was correct did he stuff it into his pocket with satisfaction.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

He stood up.

"Then I'll go check out the black market now. There must be a lot of good stuff in the capital."

"I'll have two people follow you," Qin Shuang said.

"No." Zhou Yang waved his hand. "Two living people would be too conspicuous. I'll take Xiao Liu with me. He's quick and agile, and he can't talk yet."

The "Little Six" he mentioned was the corpse puppet he had hidden in the shadows.

Qin Shuang didn't insist. She knew Zhou Yang had his own way of doing things.

***

The black market in the capital city doesn't operate on the ground.

It is located beneath a huge, abandoned riverbed.

The entrance was an inconspicuous rice shop. Zhou Yang gave the password, and the shop assistant led him through the warehouse and pushed open a hidden door.

A damp, musty smell mixed with the odor of cheap cosmetics and gunpowder hit you.

On both sides of the river, there were stalls made of broken wooden planks and oilcloth, with dim yellow firelight flickering.

Flying figures moved stealthily in the firelight, and all transactions were conducted in silence.

This is another side of Beijing, the festering sores beneath its glamorous facade.

Zhou Yang, like a nouveau riche entering the city, stood ramrod straight, his eyes scanning the surroundings, making no attempt to hide his curiosity.

In the shadows behind him, Xiao Liu followed silently, like a real shadow.

"Boss, what good stuff do you have? Show it all to us!"

Zhou Yang stopped in front of a weapons stall, his voice booming.

The stall owner was a one-eyed man. He glanced at Zhou Yang and noticed that although Zhou Yang was dressed plainly, his eyes revealed a shrewdness that made him seem unlike an ordinary hunter.

"Sir, what would you like to order? A knife? A sword? Or perhaps a hidden weapon?"

"I want the best of everything." Zhou Yang patted the bulging money pouch in his arms. "Money is no problem."

The one-eyed man's eyes lit up.

He dragged a heavy wooden box from under his stall, opened it, and inside was a row of throwing knives of various styles.

The blade gleamed with a ghostly blue light in the firelight.

"Ten of these deadly throwing knives, coated with aconite poison, for a thousand taels of silver."

"Too expensive." Zhou Yang shook his head. "Three hundred taels."

"Five hundred taels! That's the lowest I can go!"

"make a deal."

Zhou Yang readily paid and put the throwing knife away.

He walked to a stall selling miscellaneous items, and his eyes were drawn to a piece of grayish jade.

The jade was about the size of a palm, neither gold nor stone, and engraved with incomprehensible patterns, resembling some kind of ancient runes.

It was carelessly tossed in a corner, covered in dust.

"Boss, how much is this?" Zhou Yang picked up the jade, feeling its smooth texture and unusual weight.

The stall owner was a thin, old man who squinted at him.

"This is an item that we were destined to have but could not be together with. If you like it, sir, you can take it for fifty taels."

Zhou Yang didn't haggle; he tossed down a piece of silver, pocketed the ancient jade, and left.

As soon as he left, a glint of shrewdness flashed in the stall owner's eyes.

This kid knows his stuff.

Zhou Yang hadn't gone far when he summoned the system in his mind.

[Ding! Space-type item detected... Identifying...]

[Identification complete: Spatial array core (damaged).]

[Description: A core component of an ancient teleportation array, containing a miniature space. It can be used to stabilize and assist in the repair of large spatial artifacts, such as the "Dragon Spine Fragment."]

[Current match with "Dragon Spine Fragment": 17%.]

Zhou Yang paused for a moment.

Dragon spine fragment!

He actually needed this thing to repair that piece of broken iron he got from Fang Tian.

A thought struck him: this trip to the black market was worthwhile.

He carefully put the antique jade away from his body and continued strolling around.

He suddenly stopped at a secluded corner.

There was a woman standing in front of me.

She wore a long white dress with dark gold flame patterns embroidered on the hem. Her face was veiled, revealing only a pair of unfathomable eyes.

Those eyes were looking at me.

Zhou Yang's scalp tingled instantly.

He recognized the outfit.

Heavenly Principle Sect, Holy Maiden.

"We meet again, Zhou Yang." The saintess's voice was soft, like a breeze drifting into your ears. "You look much better than last time."

Zhou Yang put on a smile, but his hand secretly pressed against the knife at his waist.

"Your Excellency, I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. May I ask what business you have with a nobody like me?"

"The corpse poison in your body is almost out of control, isn't it?" The saintess didn't answer, but instead said something unrelated.

"I can smell it. It's the scent of the Corpse King. Although it's still very faint, it has already awakened."

"You are special. Instead of being consumed by the corpse poison, you refined it and turned it into your own power."

"Join us." The saintess extended her hand to him. "The Heavenly Principle Sect can help you completely control this power and become a true Corpse Emperor. Instead of being like this now, like a child sleeping with a stove, always at risk of being burned to ashes."

Zhou Yang's heart sank.

She was right.

He could indeed feel recently that the corpse poison in his body was becoming more and more active, like a lurking beast, always wanting to break free of its shackles.

Even the "Bone-Corroding Technique" derived by the system could only barely suppress it.

"That sounds like a good suggestion." Zhou Yang chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth. "However, I don't like being controlled. I prefer to be my own boss."

"You'll change your mind." The saintess withdrew her hand, seemingly unsurprised. "No one can resist the allure of the Corpse Emperor. The waters of the capital run deeper than you imagine. Commander Chen is just a clown; the one who truly wants you dead is still behind the scenes."

"Thanks for reminding me."

Zhou Yang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and left.

He didn't turn around, but he could feel that gaze fixed on his back until he walked out of the black market.

Back on the ground, breathing in the fresh air, Zhou Yang finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The appearance of the saintess was an accident, but also an opportunity.

Instead of returning to the inn, he turned into a small alley.

He took out a small bamboo tube from his pocket, pulled out the stopper, and a carrier pigeon flapped its wings and flew out, disappearing into the night.

This was the emergency contact information given to him by the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The note tied to the pigeon's leg contained only four words:

"Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Principle Sect, East City, Black Market."

After doing all this, he turned and walked toward the inn.

***

Back in his room, Qin Shuang was already waiting for him.

"Did you buy the items?" she asked.

"Just a little something." Zhou Yang didn't go into details and went straight to the point, "What about the intelligence?"

Qin Shuang handed over a note.

"Commander Chen has deployed twelve skilled men, all outlaws from the Jianghuai region, in the garden where the flower-viewing banquet will be held. He has also invited members of the Xuanwu Guard to oversee the operation, preparing to frame you for 'offending your superior.'"

"The Xuanwu Guard?" Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow. "He's certainly willing to invest heavily."

The Xuanwu Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have always been at odds. The Xuanwu Guard is specifically responsible for monitoring all officials and its methods are even more ruthless than those of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"What are you planning to do?" Qin Shuang asked.

"Let's just leave it at that." Zhou Yang tossed the note on the table. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Since it's a play, we have to make it look convincing."

He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.

[System, deduce the advanced version of the Asura Blade Technique.]

[Is it true that developing the advanced version of the "Asura Blade Technique" requires consuming 80 years of lifespan?]

"confirm."

A massive flood of information instantly rushed into my mind.

It was as if countless people were practicing sword techniques in his mind, breaking down each move and each stance into the most basic details, then recombining them to become faster, more ruthless, and more deadly.

His body trembled slightly, and fine blood vessels appeared under his skin.

It was a painful process of tearing apart and rebuilding, but he was already used to it.

He opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

After reaching the perfected state of the Asura Blade Technique, a new breakthrough was finally achieved.

Their combat strength has increased even further.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

Zhou Yang's eyes narrowed.

It wasn't Qin Shuang's footsteps.

He walked to the door, but instead of opening it, he asked in a low voice through the door, "Who is it?"

A low, familiar voice came from outside the door.

"Lord Zhou, I've brought you something."

He is the innkeeper.

Zhou Yang opened the door a crack.

The shopkeeper handed in a sealed wooden box, his face beaming with smiles.

"Someone asked me to pass this on to you, saying it's just a small token."

Zhou Yang took the box and closed the door.

Upon opening it, I found two items inside.

A thick stack of silver notes, totaling fifty thousand taels.

There was also a note with only a single, flamboyant "Thank you" written on it.

Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Such efficiency, such a grand gesture.

Zhou Yang smiled with satisfaction.

He carefully put away the banknotes and note, then his gaze fell on the table.

There, lying quietly, was a newly bought short knife and a piece of dusty ancient jade.

Outside the window, the moonlight was as clear as water.

The first major event in the capital is about to begin.

And he has already secured the best ticket.

He picked up the dagger and flicked it lightly with his fingertips.

"Buzz—"

The sound of the blade ringing out was clear and melodious, as if it were eagerly craving blood.