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

Zhou Yang tore open the tattered cloth.

A rusty, chipped, broken sword appeared before my eyes.

The blade was covered in dark red rust, and there was a large nick in the edge. The rope binding the handle had long since rotted away, leaving only a bare iron bar.

Zhou Yang's face darkened.

"You call this a treasured sword?"

"Would your grandma use this to chop vegetables?"

"Brother Yang, don't let its current appearance fool you. My great-great-grandfather said this knife once slew a dragon!"

Dai Maolu was so anxious he almost cried: "If I'm lying, I'll change my name to Dai Lumao (meaning 'wearing a green hat')."

Zhou Yang picked up the broken knife, weighed it in his hand, and almost dropped it.

Special item detected: Dragon Spine (fragment)

This is a fragment of a divine weapon forged from the spine of an ancient dragon, containing a trace of dragon might.

[It can be repaired by consuming lifespan. After repair, you can learn the martial art: Torrent Dragon Slash.]

[Lifespan required for repair: 10 years.]

Zhou Yang was secretly pleased, and his gaze towards Dai Maolu softened considerably.

That kid, he's got hair on his head, so he's reliable when he gets things done.

"Cough cough."

Zhou Yang cleared his throat.

"For the sake of our childhood friendship, I'll accept this deal."

"If you encounter any more problems like this that you can't solve in the future, you can come to me."

"Thank you so much, Brother Yang! Thank you so much, Brother Yang!"

Dai Maolu was so grateful that he wanted to kneel down again.

Zhou Yang, carrying the broken knife, turned and left, his voice echoing from afar.

"Remember, I'm the kind of person who charges extra for my services."

……

Back at the Embroidered Uniform Guard camp, Zhou Yang had barely settled into his tent when he entered.

A Jinyiwei captain announced the news loudly from outside the door.

"Zhou Yang, junior officer, is summoned by Commander Qin!"

Damn, what's this rich woman up to now?

Is it because you miss me?

Zhou Yang muttered to himself, stuffed the broken sword under the bed, straightened his flying fish robe, and strode toward the central command tent.

Inside the large tent, there was more than just Commander Qin.

The old man surnamed Liu, who was also a centurion, was also there. On the other side, sat the eagle-eyed young man, Song, who didn't like him.

A joint trial by three courts?

Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface and bowed respectfully.

"Your subordinate Zhou Yang greets the three lords!"

Qin Baihu pointed to the empty seat next to him.

"sit."

"Thank you, sir."

Zhou Yang sat down obediently.

"I heard you went to the East Market today and stuffed Butcher Zhang inside a pig?"

The old man, Liu Baihu, spoke with a smile, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Your Excellency, I am going to help a childhood friend resolve a personal grudge."

Zhou Yang replied.

"Personal grudge?"

Commander Song snorted coldly.

"You wore the flying fish robe of the Imperial Guard, committed murder in the street, causing a great uproar throughout the city. Is that what you call a personal grudge?"

"You have utterly disgraced the Imperial Guards!"

"Commander Song is mistaken."

Zhou Yang stood up, his face full of righteousness.

"That butcher Zhang bullies men and women, oppresses the villagers, and is a scourge of Jianghuai City! As a member of the Imperial Guard, how could I stand idly by when I witnessed this?"

"I am doing this to rid the people of a scourge and to demonstrate the formidable reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"you!"

Song Baihu was rendered speechless by his twisted logic.

"alright."

Qin Baihu raised his hand, stopping the two from arguing.

She looked at Zhou Yang with a scrutinizing gaze.

What you did today wasn't wrong.

"The swords of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are not only for dealing with the enemies of the court, but also for eradicating the filth of the local people."

"However, your methods are too crude."

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will certainly pay attention in the future."

Zhou Yang readily accepts good advice.

Liu, the centurion, stroked his beard and took over the conversation with a smile.

"It's a good thing for young people to have drive."

"Since you're so eager to rid the people of this scourge, I happen to have a job for you."

Zhou Yang thought for a moment, "I have something to do tomorrow, but please speak, sir!"

"There's a grain merchant in the west of the city named Wang Fugui, who's a distant relative of the Niu family."

Liu Baihu ignored Zhou Yang's explanation that he had something to do tomorrow, picked up his teacup, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"After the Niu family fell from power, he took over many of their properties. Recently, he has been hoarding and speculating, driving up grain prices, which has caused widespread resentment among the people in the western part of the city."

"The county magistrate sent several documents, but he ignored them all, relying on the fact that he supported several martial artists to act lawlessly."

Zhou Yang immediately understood.

This is to make him go back to being that vicious dog and bite Wang Fugui to death.

He rubbed his hands together and flashed his signature smile.

"Sir, this Wang Fugui must be a tough nut to crack."

"It's no problem for me to take care of it."

"That's the risk..."

Commander Song frowned deeply. This kid is at it again.

Qin Baihu picked up a file from the table and threw it in front of Zhou Yang.

"This is evidence of Wang Fugui's crimes of colluding with mountain bandits and robbing government grain."

"Both witnesses and physical evidence are available."

Zhou Yang picked up the file, glanced at it, and put it back, his smile widening.

"Sir, you know how I am when I do things..."

"After you've done it, I'll allow you to take another ten percent from the Wang family's confiscated property."

Qin Baihu interrupted him directly.

"In addition, your 'Grass Silk Horse Shoe' set is quite good. If you could combine it with Dew Grass Pill, it would definitely be even better."

She then took out another invitation.

"After it's done, I can take you to the Haicheng auction, and I'll pay for the Dew Grass Pill."

Zhou Yang's breathing became rapid.

The Dew Grass Pill is one aspect; according to the original owner's memories, there will be all sorts of rare treasures at the Haicheng Auction, and even secret cultivation techniques!

This rich woman is so generous!

"Mission accomplished!"

Zhou Yang grabbed the manual and files and stood up, patting his chest confidently.

"That mere grain merchant? Tonight, I'll show him what the speed of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is all about!"

"My lord, please wait for my good news!"

Liu Baihu and Qin Baihu exchanged a glance and both saw the smile in each other's eyes.

This knife is a bit greedy, but it's definitely useful.

Only Song Baihu, looking at Zhou Yang's greedy appearance, had a face so dark it could drip water.

"etc."

Qin Baihu called out to Zhou Yang, who was about to turn and leave.

"This time, I've sent two people for you."

She clapped her hands, and two officers of the Imperial Guard dressed in bullfighting uniforms walked into the tent.

These were the two people Zhou Yang had knocked unconscious in the woods earlier.

The two men looked somewhat awkward when they saw Zhou Yang, but they still bowed and greeted him.

"Your subordinate greets you, Commander!"

Zhou Yang grinned.

"You're too kind, brothers."

"From now on, we're all on the same side."

...

Zhou Yang stepped forward and patted the two of them on the shoulder in a casual manner.

The two captains froze, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

They had personally experienced Zhou Yang's punches; the power was simply inhuman.

"A great man doesn't hold grudges against a petty person. I offended you in the woods before."

The flag bearer on the left, named Zhao Lei, forced himself to speak.

"Yes, sir, we are just following orders."

Sun Feng on the right quickly chimed in.

Zhou Yang waved his hand.

Why bring up things from the past?

"You become friends after a fight."

"From now on, follow me, and I'll make sure you live the high life."