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

Sorrowful Soul Stream is located 30 li north of Anyang County.

This place is quite famous, but not for its scenery. Old hunters' faces turn pale at the mention of this cliff. They say the bottom of the cliff is filled with a heavy, lingering yin energy, and few who go in ever return unscathed.

Zhou Yang deliberately ran this way.

He kept walking and glanced back. The night was thick, and he couldn't see any pursuers, but the faint sense of oppression lingered behind him, impossible to shake off.

"My lord, this..."

Qin Shuang's voice came from the other side. She went around in a big circle, threw the token into the mountain stream to the north, and then returned along the route Zhou Yang had given her.

Her breathing was rapid, and her face was pale. The excessive consumption of her Xuan Yin internal energy, coupled with days of travel, would take its toll even on someone as strong as iron.

Zhou Yang waved to her.

"Over here."

Qin Shuang quickly followed. She glanced around, her brows furrowing.

Sorrowful Soul Valley.

She had visited Anyang County several times and had heard of this ominous place. The cliffs were steep, with howling winds all year round, and it was said that there was miasma at the bottom of the cliffs, and ordinary martial artists who went in never came out.

Zhou Yang went to an even more cunning spot—a half-collapsed cave entrance, hidden among boulders and withered vines. It was virtually impossible to spot without careful observation.

"Go in," Zhou Yang said in a low voice.

Qin Shuang didn't ask any further questions. All she could do now was trust this man's judgment, even though it seemed like a dead end.

The two of them went into the cave, one after the other.

The cave was dark and damp, with the sound of dripping water echoing in his ears. Zhou Yang took out a luminous pearl from his pocket, its faint glow illuminating the path ahead.

This is a natural cave. After walking a while, the view suddenly opens up.

Ahead was a precipice.

It wasn't too high, about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) high. There were a few protruding stone platforms on the cliff face, just big enough for a person to stand on. The bottom of the cliff was pitch black, and you couldn't see the bottom; you could only hear the faint sound of water.

"The Zhenwu Guards are hot on our heels." Zhou Yang embedded the luminous pearl into a crevice in the stone wall, then turned to Qin Shuang. "They outnumber us; a direct confrontation wouldn't be worthwhile."

Qin Shuang nodded.

She certainly knew the capabilities of the Zhenwu Guard. It was the court's most elite force for apprehending criminals, each member a master. She might not fear a one-on-one fight. But the enemy had sent a whole squad, with a commander in charge.

"What are you planning to do?"

Zhou Yang smiled.

He pointed to the protruding stone platforms on the cliff face.

"Sir, please do your work and leave some marks on those stone platforms."

Qin Shuang was taken aback.

"trace?"

"Traces of climbing." Zhou Yang's tone was calm, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "The Zhenwu Guard has many tracking methods; they can spot footprints, scents, even scratches on the stone walls. You followed those stone platforms, from bottom to top, leaving traces every so often."

Qin Shuang understood.

This is misleading the pursuers.

This led them to believe that someone had climbed up from the bottom of the cliff and escaped into the deep mountains.

"But..." she hesitated, "the Zhenwu Guard has skilled trackers; ordinary traces won't fool them."

"That's why we need adult help."

Zhou Yang took a few steps closer and his gaze fell on her.

"You cultivate the Profound Yin Technique, which is Yin in nature. The Sorrowful Soul Ravine is inherently heavy with Yin energy. If your internal energy remains here and blends into the surrounding environment, they won't be able to distinguish it."

Qin Shuang's eyes lit up slightly.

She understood what Zhou Yang meant.

The Xuan Yin internal energy is cold in nature and shares the same origin as the Yin energy of the Sorrowful Soul Valley. If she infuses her internal energy into the trace, the Zhenwu Guard's trackers will sense a chilling aura.

This scent will mask the real footprints, making them mistakenly believe that the target has escaped into the depths of the cliff.

"I see."

Qin Shuang didn't ask any more questions. She leaped and landed on the nearest stone platform.

She drew a short dagger from her waist and made several deep cuts on the stone wall. With each cut, she deliberately released a bit of her profound Yin internal energy.

The chill seeped into the cracks in the stone, blending with the damp atmosphere around them.

Zhou Yang stood below, looking up at her movements.

This woman was smarter than he had imagined. She didn't need him to explain every step; as long as he stated his purpose, she could come up with a solution.

This is good.

This saved him a lot of trouble.

A moment later, Qin Shuang leaped down from the last stone platform. A thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead, and her face was even paler than before.

"It's all set up," she said. "Leave a marker every three zhang (approximately 10 meters) from the cave entrance to the bottom of the cliff. Also..."

She paused for a moment, as if considering her options.

"I also left some internal energy near the cave entrance. If any of them chase after me in, the first thing they'll sense is my presence."

Zhou Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.

this woman.

She not only completed the task he assigned, but also added something extra. Leaving traces at the cave entrance was tantamount to telling the pursuers: the Imperial Guards were inside.

The Zhenwu Guard and the Jinyiwei would make things difficult for them, but they wouldn't go so far as to kill him. Their real target was Zhou Yang.

Qin Shuang was trying to relieve his burden.

"Not bad." Zhou Yang nodded. "Your move, sir, is even better than I expected."

Qin Shuang didn't respond to him. She leaned against the stone wall and regulated her breathing for a moment.

"What's next?"

"Next..."

Zhou Yang walked to a recess in the cliff face and sat down cross-legged.

"Next, we just wait."

He closed his eyes.

The system interface appeared in my mind.

Life expectancy remaining: 42 years

This number didn't make him feel very good.

Forty-two years. For a twenty-five-year-old, that's not a short time. But in this world of martial arts, forty-two years is gone in the blink of an eye.

He needs more.

"System," he murmured to himself, "I want to exchange for a magic escape technique."

[Please specify the direction, host.]

"A technique for escaping danger." Zhou Yang quickly selected one in his mind. "It needs to be fast, stealthy, and ideally compatible with my physique."

Since absorbing the essence and blood of that half-corpse, his body has changed. Yin and Yang energies intertwine within him, forming a unique physique. With this physique, cultivating ordinary techniques would be very slow, but cultivating certain unorthodox techniques would yield twice the results with half the effort.

[Based on the host's needs, the recommended cultivation technique is: Blood Shadow Escape.]

[Blood Shadow Escape: Using one's own essence blood as a guide, merging with Yin energy to transform into a blood shadow and escape into the void. Extremely fast escape speed, and can briefly conceal one's aura. At its peak, one can escape over a hundred miles away.]

Lifespan consumed: 10 years.

Zhou Yang's eyebrows twitched.

ten years.

This deal wasn't particularly expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. However, given the current situation, he didn't have many other options.

The Zhenwu Guard was in hot pursuit, so he had to leave himself a way out.

"exchange."

He held his breath and silently recited the mantra.

The next instant, a burning sensation rose from his dantian. This was no ordinary burning; it was a true burning. His blood was boiling, his bones were scorching, and it felt as if magma was flowing through his meridians, not internal energy.

Zhou Yang gritted his teeth, and veins bulged on his forehead.

He had experienced lifespan exchanges many times, but each time, the feeling of having his life force drained away was something he found hard to get used to.

ten years.

Ten years have vanished in the blink of an eye. Those years that should have belonged to him, those lives he might have experienced, have all been compressed into cold, hard data at this moment.

His breathing became rapid.

Cold sweat trickled down my back, soaking my clothes.

Qin Shuang sensed something was amiss. She opened her eyes and looked at Zhou Yang. In the dim light, Zhou Yang was surrounded by a faint red glow. The light was extremely faint, yet it exuded an eerie aura.

"Zhou Yang?" she whispered.

Zhou Yang did not respond.

His consciousness was undergoing a violent shock.

[Redeem successful.]

[Technique: Blood Shadow Escape, already perfected.]

A system notification sounded in my mind.

Zhou Yang let out a long breath. He opened his eyes, a red glint flashing in them before disappearing.

Ten years of lifespan in exchange for a perfected escape technique.

Whether it's worth it or not depends on the next battle.

"Sir." He stood up and stretched his arms and legs.

Qin Shuang looked at him.

Zhou Yang's face was even paler than before, and his eyes were slightly sunken, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Yet his eyes were exceptionally bright, revealing a sharpness that was hard to fathom.

"The Zhenwu Guards will arrive in about fifteen minutes." Zhou Yang walked to the vicinity of the cave entrance and listened intently.

The wind outside continued to blow, but he could feel the oppressive aura growing ever stronger.

"What did you just do?" Qin Shuang finally couldn't help but ask.

"I've prepared a grand gift." Zhou Yang smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "They'll definitely love it."

Qin Shuang frowned.

She couldn't see through this man. From the moment she met him until now, he had always been shrouded in mystery. All she knew was that he had his own secrets, and these secrets were the foundation of his existence.

She didn't ask any further questions.

The less you know about certain things, the longer you live.

"Get ready." Zhou Yang's voice pulled her back to reality. "The pursuers are almost here."

Qin Shuang nodded.

She drew a slender, flexible sword from her waist. The blade gleamed with a faint, cold light; it was her personal sword, named Frostflower.

The two stood side by side in the shadows at the cave entrance.

The wind outside grew stronger. The night was as dark as ink, and the stars were hidden behind thick clouds.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from afar.

Then came the second and third rounds.

A figure emerged from the darkness and landed on the rocks outside the cave entrance.

Zhenwu Guard.

There were seven people in total. The leader was a middle-aged man, burly and with a resolute face. He wore a dark red flying fish robe, with an embroidered spring knife hanging at his waist. His eyes were sharp, and he exuded an imposing aura.

Qin Shuang's pupils contracted slightly.

She recognized the person.

Zhao Wuji, commander of the Zhenwu Guard.

"Commander Qin," Zhao Wuji's voice was deep and powerful, "I didn't expect to meet you here."

His gaze passed over Qin Shuang and landed on Zhou Yang.

"Is this the person you're trying to protect?"

Qin Shuang remained silent. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, her body slightly tense.

Zhou Yang laughed.

"Commander Zhao." He stepped forward, his tone flat, "You've come all this way so late at night; you must be tired."

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes.

He sized up Zhou Yang. In his eyes, this young man's cultivation level was nothing special. But strangely, the other party showed no fear in front of him, a commander of a thousand.

"You're Zhou Yang?"

"That is indeed me."

"Remnants of the Heavenly Principle Sect."

"Commander Zhao has misunderstood," Zhou Yang shook his head. "I'm just an ordinary Jinyiwei officer, and I have absolutely no connection with the Heavenly Principle Sect."

Zhao Wuji chuckled.

He couldn't be bothered to argue with Zhou Yang. The Zhenwu Guard only cared about results. If the higher-ups wanted to arrest this person, he had to. Whether the other party was a remnant of the Heavenly Principle Sect was irrelevant.

"Commander Qin," Zhao Wuji said, looking at Qin Shuang, "Step aside."

Qin Shuang did not move.

"Commander Zhao." Her voice was cold. "Zhou Yang is a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His case will be investigated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard themselves."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Zhao Wuji's face showed a mocking expression. "Qin Shuang, you don't naively think that you, a mere centurion, can protect him?"

"The orders from above are: we must see him alive or dead."

If you insist on stopping me...

His gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Then I'll take care of you too."

Qin Shuang gripped the sword hilt tightly.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Zhou Yang stood to the side, his smile undiminished.

"Commander Zhao, you certainly have a lot of swagger," he said slowly, taking a step back and disappearing into the shadows. "Too bad, you can't catch me today."

Zhao Wuji turned to look at him.

"oh?"

"Don't believe me? You can try it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Wuji's expression changed.

He smelled an aura. Was it... yin energy?

His gaze swept deeper into the cave. The traces Qin Shuang had laid were now taking effect.

"I see." Zhao Wuji sneered. "They escaped to the bottom of the cliff?"

He waved to signal.

"Chase."

The two Zhenwu Guards immediately leaped up and rushed into the cave.

Qin Shuang's heart jumped.

Zhou Yang remained calm.

He stood in the shadows, a faint red glow emanating from his body. His Blood Shadow Escape technique was ready to be unleashed.

It's time to put to good use what I've gained in exchange for ten years of my life.