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

Dai Maolu's body froze on the spot. He slowly turned around, a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

"Yang... Brother, are you... are you telling the truth? That knife isn't worth much."

"You didn't say that the knife was a gift from an immortal to your great-grandfather."

Zhou Yang held up one finger.

"One price, that knife, in exchange for your wife's innocence, otherwise you, the cuckold, will be wearing a green hat."

"Yes, my great-grandfather said that knife killed a monster!"

Dai Maolu was overjoyed and wept. He scrambled back and tried to kowtow again.

This time, Zhou Yang didn't let him touch his feet.

"lead the way."

……

The eastern part of Jianghuai City was bustling with activity.

A crowd had gathered in front of a butcher shop. A burly man with a fleshy face, bare-chested, and wearing a greasy apron was wielding a boning knife.

The burly man was none other than Zhang the butcher.

At his feet, several thugs were groping a trembling woman.

"Young lady, just give in to our eldest brother."

"Our eldest brother is a master of the Body Refinement Realm. Following him, we'll live the high life!"

The woman was Dai Maolu's wife.

When Dai Maolu saw this, his eyes turned red, and he grabbed a carrying pole from the side and was about to rush over.

Zhou Yang grabbed his shoulder.

"What's the rush?"

He straightened his flying fish robe and swaggered over.

Zhang the butcher was enjoying the flattery of his men and the fear of the beautiful woman when he suddenly saw a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) dressed in a flying fish robe approaching, and his heart skipped a beat.

He quickly put down the knife, a fawning smile plastered on his face.

"Oh dear, sir, what brings you here?"

"Come, come, sir, which piece of meat do you fancy? I'll wrap it up for you!"

Butcher Zhang bowed and scraped, a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance.

Zhou Yang ignored him and walked straight to the woman who was surrounded.

"You can leave now."

Seeing Zhou Yang's clothes, the thugs didn't dare to cause any trouble and sheepishly made way for him.

The woman felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She glanced at Zhou Yang, then looked worriedly at Dai Maolu in the distance, and then ran away quickly.

Butcher Zhang's face looked rather grim, but he still forced a smile.

"You're right, sir. Such vulgar women are not worthy of your attention."

Zhou Yang then turned his attention to the butcher shop.

He pointed to a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat on the cutting board.

"Is this pork really pork?"

Zhang the butcher's smile froze on his face.

What kind of talk is that?

I sell pork, not dog meat?

"You're joking, sir. My family has been butchering pigs for three generations, so of course we sell real pork!"

"oh."

Zhou Yang nodded.

"Alright, cut me three pounds of minced meat."

"Okay!"

Butcher Zhang breathed a sigh of relief; as long as they came to buy things, that was fine.

He grabbed two boning knives and began to slash the piece of pork belly with them.

clang clang clang!

Knives flashed, and minced meat splattered everywhere.

Butcher Zhang exerted every ounce of his strength, hoping to impress the Imperial Guard.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a pile of minced meat, even finer than minced meat, appeared on the cutting board.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled ingratiatingly.

"Sir, do you see, is it broken enough?"

Zhou Yang stepped forward, picked up a tiny bit of minced meat, smelled it, and then frowned as he looked at it.

Finally, he shook his head.

"never mind."

"I suddenly don't want to eat anymore."

The smile on Butcher Zhang's face vanished completely. "You take advantage of my kindness!"

A fierce and malevolent aura erupted from him.

"Kid, you fucking messed with me?"

His muscles bulged, and veins snaked under his skin, clearly indicating that he was a martial artist at the peak of the Body Refinement Realm.

The thugs realized what was happening and, grinning maliciously, surrounded them again.

"Brother, why waste your breath on him!"

"In Jianghuai City, no one dares to mess with us!"

The green-haired man in the distance turned pale with fright.

Zhou Yang, however, acted as if he hadn't seen it and picked at his ear.

"I've changed my mind, is that not allowed?"

Fuck you!

Zhang the butcher roared, and his large, fan-like hand, accompanied by a gust of evil wind, slammed directly towards Zhou Yang's crown.

If that palm strike landed squarely, an ordinary person's head would explode like a watermelon.

Zhou Yang didn't move at all.

Just moments before the palm was about to fall.

He held up two fingers.

With a gentle pinch.

Zhang the butcher's powerful palm strike was caught between two seemingly slender fingers, unable to advance even an inch further.

"you!"

Zhang the butcher's eyes were filled with horror.

He tried to pull his hand back, but found that his palm felt as if it had been welded shut by iron clamps.

"Too weak."

Zhou Yang commented.

He applied a slight pressure with his fingers.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones breaking rang out.

"what!"

Butcher Zhang let out a bloodcurdling scream, and his arm went limp and hung down.

The thugs had only rushed halfway when they saw this scene and abruptly stopped in their tracks.

"run!"

Someone shouted, and the group turned and ran.

Did I tell you to leave?

Zhou Yang's voice rang out behind them.

He swayed and used the Chaotic Void Step, leaving behind several afterimages.

Bang bang bang!

After a few muffled thuds, the thugs all foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

Zhou Yang grabbed the screaming Zhang the butcher and dragged him to the front of the butcher shop.

On the iron hooks of the butcher shop, half a pig with its internal organs removed was still hanging.

Zhou Yang glanced at it and seemed quite satisfied.

He lifted Zhang the butcher, who weighed over 200 jin (approximately 100 kg), with one hand as if he were carrying a small chicken.

"Don't you like pigs?"

"Today I'll make you one with a pig."

Amidst the horrified gazes of passersby, Zhou Yang aimed Zhang the butcher's head at the pig's abdomen.

Then, forcefully shove it in.

"Pfft!"

Butcher Zhang was forced inside the pig's body, leaving only his two legs outside, kicking and thrashing about.

Zhou Yang clapped his hands and walked up to Dai Maolu, who was completely dumbfounded.

"The matter is settled."

Even between brothers, accounts should be settled clearly.

"Where's my knife?"

...

Dai Maolu stood there, stunned, his mind still reeling from the bloody scene.

Zhou Yang patted his face with his clean, bloodless hand.

"Snap out of it! Where's my knife?"

"Huh? The knife! The knife! It's at my house! Brother Yang, I'll go get it right now!"

Dai Maolu was startled. Ignoring his leg injury, he limped ahead and led the way, his attitude a hundred times more respectful than before.

Zhou Yang followed behind him, completely ignoring the awe-inspiring looks from passersby.

The two walked through several alleys and arrived at a dilapidated courtyard.

Dai Maolu's house was bare, without a single decent piece of furniture. I don't know how this guy managed to marry such a beautiful woman.

He ran to the corner of the wall and carefully picked up a long, thin object wrapped in rags from a pile of rotten wood.

"Brother Yang, this is my family's heirloom sword."

Dai Maolu handed the item over as if it were a precious treasure.