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

The candlelight inside the room flickered, bursting into a tiny flame.

Zhou Yang reached out and extinguished the tiny spark, a faint burning sensation spreading through his fingertips. He patted the ashes off his hands; they were remnants from the burned painting.

"Say yes."

Zhou Yang's voice was very soft, as if he were casually asking what to eat for dinner tonight.

Qin Shuang looked up abruptly, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She didn't speak, but stared intently at Zhou Yang, as if trying to discern a hint of amusement on the face of this man who usually only knew how to haggle.

"Are you crazy?" Qin Shuang's tone was icy. "That was a trap set by Commander Chen. If I agree, it's a dead end. Once I'm in the Prefect's mansion, I'll no longer be a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but just a piece of meat on the chopping block of the Chen family."

"No, the grass on that little girl's grave is probably a foot tall by now."

Zhou Yang leaned back in his chair, twirling the teacup he hadn't yet put away. The cup was a little hot to the touch, but he seemed oblivious, his fingertips rubbing against the rough glaze.

"Since Commander Chen dared to send the painting here, he must have figured out your weakness. Lord Qin, do you want to be a hero who would rather break than bend, and then watch that child turn into a cold corpse, or do you want to be a coward first, and then stick out your neck to bite someone else's throat?"

Qin Shuang didn't speak, her chest heaved slightly, and her originally straight back relaxed slightly, making her seem even heavier.

"How do you bite?" she asked.

Zhou Yang smiled. There was no warmth in that smile, only the shrewdness of a businessman after closing a deal.

"It's simple. Since he wants to get married, let's give him a grand and glorious wedding. But the word 'joy' will be stained with blood."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open halfway. The night breeze outside rushed in, carrying the chill of early winter, and dispelled the stuffy smell of candle wax in the room.

"Tomorrow, go to the prefect's mansion in person and tell him that you accept your fate. For the sake of that child's life, you are willing to marry him. Be humble, humble to the dust, so that he feels you have given up all struggle."

Qin Shuang walked behind him, looking at the dark night outside the window, her brows still furrowed.

"Even if I agree, the wedding day will be a den of dragons and tigers. He won't give me a chance to escape; there will definitely be assassins lying in ambush all around."

"Run? Why run?"

Zhou Yang turned around, a ruthless glint in his eyes. He took out a piece of silver of average quality from his pocket, tossed it up and caught it again, making a soft "snap" sound.

"Lord Qin, in business, we believe in equal exchange. Now that Commander Chen has set the stage, wouldn't it be a waste of his efforts if we didn't finish this performance?"

"you mean……"

"Use their plan against them."

Zhou Yang tucked the piece of silver into his sleeve, his tone as calm as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather, "I'll arrange everything for the next two days. You go to the banquet, just be your bride, and leave the rest to me. Remember, only when he feels you've completely given in will he relax and invite you into the 'bridal chamber' he's carefully prepared."

Qin Shuang remained silent for a long time. Looking at Zhou Yang's face, which always wore a lazy smile, she suddenly felt that this guy, who usually valued money over life, was now showing a kind of reliable quality that made people's hearts flutter.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"Two things. First, give me all the informants you have at your disposal, especially those who are usually inconspicuous and mingle among the lowest of the low. Second, give me two days to prepare the most detailed blueprints of the prefectural governor's mansion's back garden."

Zhou Yang held up two fingers and waved them in front of Qin Shuang. "This is a big job. As for the price... we'll settle it later."

……

The next morning, the streets of Anyang County were bustling with traffic, showing no trace of the undercurrents that had occurred the previous night.

Zhou Yang changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth outfit, smeared soot on his face, and mingled with the early morning vegetable vendors, wandering all the way to a dilapidated temple in the west of the city.

This was the poorest place in Anyang County, inhabited by beggars and vagrants. But for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was also the place with the most spies and the best sources of information.

"mouse."

Zhou Yang stood at the temple entrance and kicked the threshold with his toe, his voice very low.

There was a rustling in the haystack, and a man as thin as a monkey poked his head out, squinted at Zhou Yang for a few moments, then suddenly shivered and scrambled out.

"Mr. Zhou... what brings you here?"

The rat rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile on his face. He was a habitual thief and also an unofficial spy for the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had been reprimanded by Zhou Yang many times and was terrified of this money-grubbing man.

"I've got a big deal coming up, are you up for the task?" Zhou Yang didn't waste any words. He took out a small piece of silver from his pocket and weighed it between his fingers.

The silver gleamed faintly in the morning light, and the mouse's eyes widened.

"If Master Zhou gives an order, how dare I disobey? Tell me, whose information do you want, or whose...life?"

"Don't risk your life, this time we need someone nimble on their feet." Zhou Yang tossed him the silver and whispered, "Take your brothers and keep watch around the prefect's mansion. I need to know how many men Commander Chen has ambushed there, what time the shift changes, and even which tree in the back garden has a bird's nest."

The mouse clutched the silver, his heart skipping a beat. This was tantamount to provoking a major disaster, but looking into Zhou Yang's unwavering eyes, he could only swallow his "no."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it right away, and I promise there won't be any leaks."

Zhou Yang dusted off his hands, turned, and disappeared around the corner of the alley. He had more important things to do.

He needs to go to the prefect's residence to see the land in person.

……

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past two days, Anyang County has been unusually quiet. Qin Shuang followed the plan and personally paid a visit to Commander Chen. It is said that on that day in the main hall of the prefectural governor's mansion, this usually aloof female commander accepted the tea offered by Commander Chen with her head bowed and eyes lowered, without even refuting a single humiliating joke from him.

When the news spread, everyone assumed that Qin Shuang had resigned herself to her fate. After all, a woman alone in the officialdom, facing a local tyrant like Commander Chen, seemed to have no other choice but to submit.

The wedding date is set for tonight.

The prefectural governor's mansion was brightly decorated, with red lanterns hanging along the long corridors, casting an eerie glow over the otherwise solemn residence. Guests came and went in an endless stream, mostly prominent figures from Anyang Prefecture. Each person wore a smile on their face, but in their hearts, they were calculating the entanglements of interests behind this marriage alliance.

The back garden is not far from the wedding hall, separated by an artificial hill and a man-made pond.

As night deepened and several rounds of drinks were consumed, the faint sounds of revelry from the front yard drifted over, making the back garden seem exceptionally quiet.

Zhou Yang squatted on an old willow tree by the pond, his figure hidden among the dense branches and leaves. He held several thin talismans in his hand, his gaze coldly sweeping across the courtyard below.

There were several dark yellow talisman papers, with twisted patterns drawn on them with cinnabar, emitting a faint smell of sulfur. These were "explosive talismans" that he had casually taken from Wanfo Temple. Although their power was not comparable to regular gunpowder, they were enough to cause a big commotion in this enclosed and narrow place.

He had already circled the prefectural governor's mansion three times.

From the front yard to the back yard, from Chen Qianhu's study to Qin Shuang's temporary room, and even every possible exit, a clear picture was drawn in his mind.

"This layout is quite thoughtful."

Zhou Yang sneered inwardly.

Commander Chen arranged the wedding room in a waterside pavilion in the back garden, surrounded by water on three sides, with only a stone bridge connecting it to the shore. This was a typical place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack; as long as a few people were placed at the bridgehead, it would be difficult for them to escape.

But he seemed to have forgotten one thing.

If a fire breaks out in such a place, it will truly be a death trap.

Zhou Yang glanced at the sky; the moon was obscured by clouds, and all around was pitch black. He took a deep breath, and like a nimble cat, he silently slid down from the treetop and quietly slipped into the cracks in the stone foundation beneath the waterside pavilion.

This place is perpetually flooded and covered in moss, with a pervasive smell of decaying aquatic plants in the air. Zhou Yang held his breath, his fingers tracing an inconspicuous groove in the stone base.

right here.

He took out the explosive talismans from his pocket and carefully stuffed them into the deep crevice of the stone foundation. That was the crucial point supporting the wooden pillars of the waterside pavilion; if they exploded, half of the entire pavilion would collapse.

After doing all this, he didn't leave immediately, but turned around and headed towards the artificial hill. In a hidden cave in the artificial hill, he repeated the process, burying the remaining half of the talisman paper.

This is the passageway that guests must pass through, and also the easiest place for ambushers to hide.

Once detonated, the artificial hill will collapse first, blocking the retreat and forcing out the ambush troops; then the waterside pavilion will collapse, creating chaos. It is in that chaos that the real killing trap lies.

Zhou Yang patted the dirt off his hands, a satisfied look on his face.

This was the "grand gift" he had prepared for Commander Chen.

Of course, these few talismans alone were not enough to overthrow the entire prefectural governor's mansion. He also needed a knife, a knife sharp enough to catch Commander Chen completely off guard.

Just then, a series of noisy footsteps came from afar.

"The auspicious hour has arrived! Please, newlyweds, enter the bridal chamber!"

The matchmaker's shrill voice pierced the night sky, like some kind of signal.

Zhou Yang's eyes narrowed and his body tensed.

He saw Qin Shuang, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, slowly walking along the corridor, surrounded by a group of maids and servants. Her face was covered by a red veil, so her expression was not visible, but her straight back and slightly stiff steps revealed the tension in her heart at that moment.

Walking beside her was Chen Qianhu, dressed in a bright red wedding robe and beaming with joy.

The man's eyes were narrowed into slits with a smile, and he was waving a folding fan in his hand, looking every bit like a nouveau riche. He would occasionally turn his head to say something to Qin Shuang, seemingly enjoying the thrill of being in control.

Zhou Yang's fingers gently gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist.

That was a hundred-refined steel knife that he had bought from the black market at a high price. Although it couldn't compare to a divine weapon, it was more than enough to chop off a few heads.

"Lord Qin, you must be tired after acting for so long."

Zhou Yang silently recited a sentence in his heart.

He watched the grand procession cross the stone bridge and enter the waterside pavilion. The surrounding guests gradually dispersed, and the once noisy prefectural government gradually quieted down, leaving only a few flickering lights in the back garden.

This is the calm before the storm.

Zhou Yang emerged from his hiding place. He had changed out of his gray cloth shirt into a black night suit, and wore a black mask that only covered the lower half of his face, revealing only his dark eyes.

He adjusted his breathing rhythm, and the system panel flashed before his eyes.

[Remaining lifespan: 212 years]

The number seemed like a lot, but he knew that every breath to come could be a burning fire.

"Commander Chen, you'd better drink this cup of wine properly."

Zhou Yang suddenly exerted force with his feet, his figure like a black lightning bolt, silently sweeping over the artificial hill and diving towards the waterside pavilion that was suspended in the water.

The wind stopped.

The ripples on the water gradually subsided, as if waiting for the impending thunder.