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

Chen Qianhu clutched his shoulder, blood seeping from between his fingers.

The wound wasn't large, but it was right at the joint, and he couldn't lift his entire right arm.

He watched as Zhou Yang led Qin Shuang by the hand, step by step, towards the long bridge outside the waterside pavilion. Those menacing men in blue robes, who were usually so fierce, now seemed to have seen a ghost, unconsciously retreating to both sides.

"stop!"

Commander Chen roared, his voice trembling slightly.

Zhou Yang stopped and looked back at him.

His gaze was calm, like he was looking at a stray dog ​​whose leg had been broken.

"Is there anything else?"

Commander Chen's face turned a deep purplish-red. He had been operating in Anyang County for years, and no one had ever dared to speak to him like that. A lowly body double, a spineless coward who climbed the ranks by relying on women, dared to take away his bride on his wedding day, in front of a hall full of guests.

"Kill him!"

Chen Qianhu gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words.

"Whoever kills him will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and promoted three ranks!"

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

The men in blue, who had been retreating, changed their expressions. They exchanged glances; some gripped their knives tighter, while others crushed the poison powder hidden in their sleeves.

One thousand taels of silver. Enough for them to buy a house in Anyang County and marry two more wives.

Zhou Yang sighed.

He released Qin Shuang's hand and gently pushed her to the side.

"Stand here and don't move."

Qin Shuang was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Zhou Yang.

"I need to recalculate the accounts for this deal."

He turned around to face the restless men in blue.

The moonlight shone on him, and his black, fitted outfit almost blended into the night. His face was mostly covered by a mask, revealing only his eyes.

There was not a trace of tension in those eyes.

Instead, it was like watching a herd of pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"not enough."

Zhou Yang spoke, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"The price offered by Lord Chen is not enough."

"not enough?"

Enraged, Commander Chen laughed coldly, pointing at him and shouting, "Who do you think you are? A double, a lackey of the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Today, I will take your life!"

"If that's not enough, then add some more."

Zhou Yang ignored his roar.

He suddenly moved.

No one saw how he made his move.

A sharp "crack" was heard. The closest person in blue robes had his neck twisted at an eerie angle, and he fell straight down.

His eyes were wide open, and he died without understanding what had happened.

Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, gleaming a dark red in the moonlight.

"An extra life."

Zhou Yang's voice rang out.

He was already three steps away, standing in front of another man in blue.

Before the man could even raise his knife, Zhou Yang's hand was already on his shoulder. It was like a casual greeting between old friends.

Another "click".

the second.

"Add one more."

The crowd finally realized what was happening.

"Surround them! Attack together!"

Someone shouted, and a dozen men in blue robes rushed towards Zhou Yang at the same time. The glint of blades mingled in the moonlight, enveloping him from all directions.

Zhou Yang's lips curled up slightly.

His figure suddenly became blurry.

No, it's not vague.

It's fast.

It's so fast my eyes can't keep up.

A dark figure weaved through the crowd, and wherever it passed, the people in blue robes fell one after another. Some clutched their throats, some clutched their chests, and some died before they even had a chance to fall.

The smell of blood began to spread around the waterside pavilion.

Qin Shuang stood still, her fingers clenching the hem of her clothes.

She has witnessed murder.

She had seen it countless times during her many years in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But she had never seen a murder like this before.

There were no superfluous movements, no fancy moves. Every strike went straight for the vital points, and every move took a life.

This is not a battle at all.

This is harvesting.

"Stop him! Use concealed weapons!"

Commander Chen roared from behind.

More than a dozen hidden weapons came flying through the air, including throwing knives, steel needles, and iron caltrops, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Zhou Yang paused for a moment.

He took a deep breath.

The next moment, an invisible pressure erupted from his body.

It was a chill that seeped into your very bones. Like a sleeping dragon suddenly opening its eyes, cold, ancient, and filled with the aura of death.

Dragon's Might.

Several people in blue robes who were nearby suddenly froze.

Their pupils contracted sharply, and the knives in their hands trembled uncontrollably. Some of them collapsed to their knees.

That was a fear etched into my very bones.

It is an instinctive fear of higher life forms.

Zhou Yang did not give them a chance to recover.

He walked through the stiff crowd, and with each person he passed, a corpse fell to the ground.

The sound of necks breaking became the only accompaniment to this massacre.

Twelve.

Fifteen.

Eighteen.

When the last man in blue fell, the entire corridor of the waterside pavilion was filled with corpses.

Blood flowed into the lake through the cracks in the wooden planks, spreading a dark red stain on the water's surface.

Zhou Yang stood at the end of the corridor, almost completely unstained by blood.

He turned around and looked at Commander Chen, who was still standing in the same spot.

"Lord Chen, has the account been settled now?"

Chen Qianhu's throat bobbed.

He wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

The corpses lay at his feet, some even with their eyes open, staring straight at him.

He recognized these people.

These are his trusted confidants brought from the capital. They are elite assassins trained at great expense. Each one possesses the cultivation of a hundred battles, and normally a dozen or so ordinary martial artists cannot even get close to them.

Now, they're all corpses.

Zhou Yang didn't even catch his breath.

"What...what exactly are you...?"

Chen Qianhu finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, his voice hoarse beyond belief.

Zhou Yang did not answer.

He strode toward Commander Chen, stepping over the pool of blood on the ground, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.

With each step he took, Commander Chen's face grew paler.

By the time Zhou Yang reached him, this usually arrogant commander had already retreated to the railing. Behind him lay the lake, with nowhere left to go.

What I am is not important.

Zhou Yang spoke, his voice as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"The important thing is that I've accepted the price Lord Chen offered this time."

He reached out and gently placed two fingers on Chen Qianhu's shoulder.

Chen Qianhu froze, trying to dodge, but found he couldn't move at all. That terrifying pressure descended again, like an invisible hand pressing him firmly to the spot.

"But rest assured, Lord Chen, I will only collect half of today's debt."

Zhou Yang tightened his fingers slightly.

"We'll collect the other half another day."

A muffled thud.

Commander Chen screamed as he flew over the railing and crashed heavily into the lake.

With a "plop," a splash of water erupted.

Zhou Yang withdrew his hand and stood where Commander Chen had just been standing.

He turned around and looked at Qin Shuang.

She remained standing there, her red dress fluttering gently in the night breeze. Her usually cold and hard eyes now held a complexity he had never seen before.

"Let's go."

Zhou Yang's voice returned to its lazy tone.

"Business is done for tonight, time to go home and sleep."

He walked back, passing the corpses without even pausing.

Qin Shuang watched him walk over.

Under the moonlight, the figure appeared somewhat slender, yet strangely reassuring.

She suddenly remembered many things.

I remembered the first time I saw him, when he pretended to be stupid in the brothel. I remembered his ruthlessness when facing the cultists on Black Wind Mountain. I remembered him standing in a pool of blood just now, asking Commander Chen if the accounts had been settled.

This man is never as simple as he appears on the surface.

Zhou Yang.

She suddenly spoke.

Zhou Yang stopped and turned to look at her.

"Add more money."

Qin Shuang was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was talking about.

She suddenly smiled.

The smile was brief, lasting only a moment, yet it softened her entire demeanor.

"good."

She quickly caught up with Zhou Yang, and the two walked out of the waterside pavilion side by side.

Behind them, a patch of blood floated on the lake, slowly spreading under the moonlight.

Chen Qianhu's wedding banquet was completely over.

Stepping out of the back gate of the Chen residence, the night breeze greeted me.

Zhou Yang pulled off his mask and took a deep breath.

The smell of blood still lingered in the air, but it was much fainter than when we were inside.

"system."

He silently recited it in his heart.

The panel appears.

[Remaining lifespan: 208 years]

In that battle just now, he burned four years of his lifespan to unleash the dragon's might and increase his speed.

Four years of life for a complete victory.

This deal was worthwhile.

"You're injured."

Qin Shuang's voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Yang looked down at his left arm. There was a shallow bloodstain there, a scratch from the hidden weapon he had just been struck.

"Minor injury."

He waved his hand dismissively.

"Just apply some medicine when you get home."

Qin Shuang didn't say anything, but simply took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to him.

Zhou Yang took it and casually wrapped it around the wound.

The two walked along the riverbank as night deepened.

"Commander Chen will not let this matter rest tonight."

Qin Shuang suddenly spoke.

"He knows I did it, and he'll definitely cause trouble later."

"Let him find it."

Zhou Yang shrugged.

"Anyway, I haven't settled this score yet."

Qin Shuang turned to look at him.

Under the moonlight, the man's profile was clearly defined, with a nonchalant smile on his lips.

She suddenly realized that this man, whom she had used as a pawn and a substitute, might never have been under her control at all.

Zhou Yang.

"Um?"

"What exactly do you want?"

Zhou Yang stopped and thought about the problem seriously.

What do you want?

Money? He really needs money.

Power? With the lifespan system, power is just a tool to him.

Fate? He has over two hundred years of lifespan, so he doesn't lack it for now.

"What I want..."

He looked at the lights in the distance, his voice lowering.

"It probably means living a little longer and dying a little later, and the process in between is more enjoyable."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Qin Shuang remained silent for a moment.

Do you even know who you've offended tonight?

"Know."

"Then why did you even bother to intervene?"

Zhou Yang turned his head and looked at her.

The moonlight shone on her face, and her red dress was slightly disheveled by the night wind. Her eyes were bright, as if starlight had fallen into them.

"Because you're worth the price."

After he finished speaking, he continued walking forward.

Qin Shuang stood there, stunned.

The night wind blew by, carrying the distant sound of drums.

She watched the retreating figure, then suddenly quickened her pace and chased after it.

Zhou Yang.

"What is it now?"

"I'll increase your salary by 30% this month."

"Only 30%? Lord Qin, you're being far too stingy."

"Fifty percent."

"make a deal."

The two voices gradually faded into the distance, disappearing into the night of Anyang County.

Chaos reigned at the Chen residence.

The guests had long since fled, leaving only a mess and rows of cold corpses.

On the lake, Commander Chen finally climbed ashore, soaking wet and with a livid face.

He stared at the corpses, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Zhou Yang..."

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the name.

"I'll make you wish you were dead!"

The night wind blew, scattering his voice into the darkness.

No one responded.

Only the faint barking of dogs and the watchman's gong sounding at the third watch could be heard in the distance.