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

Chapter 11: Even between brothers, accounts should be settled clearly.

Zhou Yang returned to his tent and pulled the curtain shut.

The silver notes, pills, and secret manuals in his arms seemed to still retain the coolness of Qin Baihu's fingertips.

"Rich woman, it smells so good!"

He chuckled, carefully put away the silver notes and the secret manual, leaving only the bottle of Hundred Battle Pills.

He sat cross-legged, uncorked the bottle, and poured the pill into his mouth without hesitation.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a surge of heat rushed into every part of the body.

Zhou Yang immediately activated the Innate Yang Technique to guide this massive medicinal power.

An hour later, he opened his eyes, and the internal energy within his body had become even more refined and profound.

"nice one!"

He took out the book "Grass Silk and Horse Shoes" and flipped through a few pages.

This palm technique is subtle and unpredictable, emphasizing skill over strength, which perfectly complements his powerful and domineering Mighty Bull Demon Fist.

"Begin the simulation!"

Zhou Yang silently recited in his heart.

[You burn through your lifespan to begin cultivating the Grass Silk Horse Shoe technique.]

[You have already mastered the Innate Yang Technique and received the aid of the Hundred Battles Elixir, making your cultivation of this palm technique twice as effective with half the effort. You have already mastered the basics in just one day.]

[In the tenth year, you combined the Grass Silk Horse Manipulation Palm with the Chaotic Void Step, making your movements even more elusive.]

[In your twentieth year, you attempted to integrate the explosive power of the Mighty Bull Demon Fist into your palm techniques, but repeatedly failed, nearly suffering a qi deviation.]

In your thirty-fifth year, you achieved a profound enlightenment, initially merging the two seemingly disparate forces of strength and gentleness, creating a fusion of the entanglement of grass threads and the plowing of a raging ox.

[In your fortieth year, you fully mastered the Grass Silk Horse Manipulation Palm technique and integrated it with the Mighty Bull Demon Fist and Soul-Severing Finger, greatly increasing its power. You then ended your training.]

[Current life expectancy: thirteen years]

Zhou Yang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He stretched out his right hand, fingers spread, and a fierce fist intent burst forth like countless spring grasses.

It combines strength and gentleness, and can be controlled and released at will.

"Not bad, you've gotten stronger again."

"It's just that my lifespan is dropping a bit too quickly; I need to find a way to replenish it with some rare and precious herbs."

Just then, a commotion arose outside the tent.

"Halt! This is the Imperial Guard camp; unauthorized personnel are not permitted entry!"

"Sir, I beg you, I'm looking for Zhou Yang, he's my childhood friend!"

A familiar voice, trembling with sobs, came in.

Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, lifted the curtain, and went out.

Two Imperial Guard captains were seen holding down a thin, ragged young man with tears streaming down his face.

When the young man saw Zhou Yang, his eyes lit up with hope.

"Brother Yang! It's me, Dai Mao Lü!"

Zhou Yang sized up his childhood friend in front of him.

In her memory, the original owner and this green-haired girl grew up playing in the mud together, and their relationship was quite good.

Later, when the original owner became a constable, the two had less contact.

"Let him go."

Zhou Yang spoke calmly.

"Yes, sir!"

The two captains immediately released their grip and respectfully stepped aside.

Dai Maolu scrambled to Zhou Yang's feet and grabbed his leg.

"Brother Yang! You have to save me!"

"I can't go on living!"

Snot and tears smeared all over Zhou Yang's brand-new flying fish suit.

Zhou Yang's lips twitched, barely suppressing the urge to kick him away.

"Get up and speak, what kind of behavior is this?"

"What is it? Come in and tell me."

He grabbed him by the back of his green coat and dragged him into the tent.

As soon as he entered the tent, Dai Maolu knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Brother Yang, you're a high-ranking officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard now, you have to help me!"

"What happened?"

Zhou Yang sat down in a chair and poured himself a cup of tea.

"It's Butcher Zhang from the east of the city!"

Dai Maolu cried out.

"He...he's got his eye on your sister-in-law!"

"He insists on forcing her to become his concubine!"

"I disagreed, and he brought his men to break my legs. He also said that if I didn't wash your sister-in-law clean and send her to his residence within three days, he would drown my husband and me in the river!"

"Brother Yang, I really have no other choice. I heard you've become successful now, so I've come to beg you!"

After Dai Mao-Lv finished speaking, he kowtowed to the ground again.

Zhou Yang sipped his tea, his face expressionless.

He remembered this butcher; he was a local tyrant in Jianghuai City, with more than a dozen thugs under his command. He bullied and monopolized the market, and was no different from the Niu family from before.

The Niu family was mainly powerful in business, while Zhang the butcher was just a local thug.

"How much money did he give you to get your wife with him?"

Zhou Yang put down his teacup and asked an unrelated question.

Dai Maolu was stunned for a moment, then cried even harder.

"Yang-ge, how could you think of me like that!"

"Even though I'm poor, I still have pride!"

"My wife has been with me for three years, and we have a great relationship. How could I possibly sell my wife!"

He gave me fifty taels of silver, and I threw it back on the spot!

"Oh, fifty taels."

Zhou Yang nodded and then asked.

"Is your wife very beautiful?"

"My...my wife is a famous beauty in Jianghuai City..."

Dai Maolu's voice trailed off, and he looked a little awkward.

Zhou Yang understood.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

A penniless man married a beautiful wife but couldn't even protect her; it's no wonder trouble arose.

"Brother Yang, you have to save us!"

Seeing that Zhou Yang hadn't spoken for a long time, Dai Maolu felt flustered and started kowtowing again.

Zhou Yang stretched out his foot to block his forehead.

"Alright, stop banging your head, or you'll make my carpet dirty."

He stood up, walked up to Dai Maolu, and looked down at him.

"Sure, I can help you."

Dai Maolu's face lit up with ecstasy.

"but……"

Zhou Yang then changed the subject.

Why should I help you?

Dai Maolu's smile froze on his face.

"Yang...Brother Yang, aren't we childhood friends?"

"Childhood friend?"

Zhou Yang laughed. He had been in prison and Dai Maolu hadn't seen him even once.

"Can childhood friends be eaten? Can they be exchanged for money?"

"I'm a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard now. Do you know how much risk I take to kill someone? Do you know how many favors I have to curry favor with just one mission?"

"I helped you get rid of Butcher Zhang, what do I get in return?"

Dai Maolu was speechless when asked the question.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Yes, what can he give Zhou Yang?

His family was so poor that they could barely afford to eat.

"Brother Yang...I..."

Dai Maolu's eyes dimmed, and his face was filled with despair.

Zhou Yang looked at him like this, but felt nothing.

He's not a saint; when it comes to saving people from suffering, he expects something in return.

Without any reward, who would bother with such a trivial matter? Besides, what business is it of his to have with the original owner's childhood friend?

"How about this?"

Zhou Yang squatted down and patted Dai Maolu's shoulder.

"I'll show you the way."

"Sell your wife to Butcher Zhang for fifty taels. Take the money, leave Jianghuai City, and start over somewhere else."

"This way you'll have both money and your life saved, a win-win situation."

Dai Maolu suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhou Yang in disbelief.

The hope in his eyes was completely extinguished, replaced by endless grief and despair.

"Zhou Yang! I never expected you to be this kind of person!"

He roared, no longer even calling him "Brother Yang".

"I must have been blind to consider you a brother!"

"My wife is my only family! I would rather die than sell her!"

After saying that, he struggled to get up from the ground and limped out of the tent.