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

Zhou Yang was in a state of high excitement, but his face maintained a languid expression. He didn't look at the corpse on the ground, but instead flexed his wrists, his knuckles cracking.

He walked over and stopped in front of the body of the Imperial Guard captain.

The corpse's death was gruesome; there was a huge hole in its chest, and the blood had congealed into a dark purple color. Zhou Yang didn't pay any attention and directly reached out to feel around in the other person's belt.

His movements were swift, like a skilled pickpocket. He first tore off the exquisite Zhenwuwei waist tag. This item served as an identification mark within the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard). It was heavy in his hand, with fine gold threads inlaid on the edges, making it an excellent tool for concealment.

Then, he opened the other person's inner pocket.

He pulled out a yellowed silk scroll. Zhou Yang glanced at the cover, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"Burning Evil True Qi".

This is a secret manual used by the Zhenwu Guard to suppress evil spirits. Although it is only an incomplete copy, it is the purest "fuel" for him now.

[A low-level cultivation technique fragment, "Burning Evil True Qi," has been detected. Should it be retrieved?]

The system's cold notification sounded in his mind. Without hesitation, Zhou Yang clicked "OK" in his consciousness.

With a hum, the rolled-up silk rapidly weathered in his hand, turning into specks of blue light that seeped directly into his skin through his palm.

[Recycling complete. Lifespan increased by 3 years.]

Zhou Yang let out a long sigh of relief. Combined with the reward he received for killing the captain and the energy he had consumed, he could feel a dormant energy within him rapidly expanding.

With a thought, he retrieved his current lifespan balance.

Current lifespan: 212 years.

It has broken the 200 mark.

The feeling was strange, like a taut string suddenly being released, and Zhou Yang felt the whole world soften. The anxiety he had felt before, constantly worrying that he would die from an over-analysis, was replaced by a sense of exhilaration in control.

He continued to loot the body.

Three gold ingots of excellent quality, six official banknotes with large denominations, and three small white porcelain bottles. He unscrewed one of them and smelled a rich medicinal fragrance.

"Qi-boosting pills," Zhou Yang muttered to himself, stuffing the medicine bottle directly into his pocket.

These things are wealth in the eyes of ordinary people, but in his eyes, they are resources that can be converted into bargaining chips for survival. He is like a hunter counting his spoils, precise and greedy, not missing any usable fragments.

At this moment, Qin Shuang slowly walked over from behind.

Her footsteps were light, but Zhou Yang could sense a deep scrutiny in her gaze. Qin Shuang didn't speak, only staring at the pile of blood and remains on the ground, her brows slightly furrowed.

"How did it get resolved so quickly?" Qin Shuang's voice remained cold, but a hint of uncertainty crept into it.

Zhou Yang didn't turn around. He was squatting on the ground, drawing something in the pool of blood with his finger.

He took out a small bottle of corpse powder he had prepared earlier from his pocket, sprinkled it evenly around the corpse, and then guided the remaining trace of corpse energy in the body to direct the powder into the seven orifices of the corpse.

Soon, the captain's body, which had been dead, began to undergo bizarre changes. His skin rapidly turned black, his fingernails became long and sharp, and thick black blood overflowed from his mouth, making it look as if he had been torn apart and parasitized by some extremely ferocious evil spirit.

This is where Zhou Yang's "professionalism" lies.

He couldn't let the pursuers discover that his opponent had been killed by some advanced martial arts technique, nor could he let them see the traces of the "Burning Evil True Qi" being broken.

The only explanation is that an unpredictable evil spirit has appeared here.

"That's it." Zhou Yang dusted off his hands and stood up.

He turned to look at Qin Shuang. The ferocity on his face had vanished, replaced by a weary smile.

Qin Shuang stared at him, her gaze sweeping over his chest and arms. She noticed that although Zhou Yang had bloodstains, there were no fatal wounds, and the aura he exuded was much stronger than it had been half an hour ago.

This formidable strength was not achieved gradually, but rather like some kind of forbidden technique, resulting in a qualitative leap in a short period of time.

"What's wrong with your health?" Qin Shuang finally asked, her tone carrying a hint of concern, but more so a wariness of the unknown.

Zhou Yang noticed Qin Shuang's gaze linger on his fingertips for a second. He knew that Qin Shuang was questioning his breakthrough method, or that he was hiding some secret.

For a normal martial artist, such a leap in a short period of time would be almost impossible.

Zhou Yang did not answer directly. He slowly raised his right hand, extended a finger towards Qin Shuang, and gently tapped it with his fingertip.

His lips curled slightly upward, and his eyes revealed a pure businessman's temperament.

"Lord Qin, this is a trade secret."

Qin Shuang was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Yang chuckled softly, his tone flippant: "Want to know how I became so strong in such a short time? No problem, but you'll have to pay extra."

Qin Shuang's face instantly turned cold, her gaze piercing Zhou Yang's face like an ice pick.

But beneath this coldness, Zhou Yang caught a faint trace of helplessness.

This is their current situation.

Qin Shuang tried to control him, while Zhou Yang constantly sought a balance between control and being controlled that was most advantageous to him through exchanges.

"You actually dare to bargain with me now?" Qin Shuang said coldly.

"This isn't bargaining, it's an equal exchange." Zhou Yang shrugged, looking completely at ease. "I'll give you my life, I'll give you my strength, but my 'secret' is my private property."

Qin Shuang remained silent, but she neither ordered his arrest nor subjected him to further interrogation. This implied her tacit approval of this transaction.

Zhou Yang chuckled inwardly.

He knew Qin Shuang needed him now, and desperately so. In this unpredictable trap, a "monster" who could instantly kill a martial arts master and help her cover up her tracks was far more useful than an obedient subordinate.

He looked again at the battlefield, which had been staged as a scene of evil spirits.

The sound of rapid hoofbeats could be heard from the distant woods, indicating that the follow-up search team had arrived.

Zhou Yang quickly stuffed the looted valuables into his small cloth bag, then winked at Qin Shuang.

"Let's go, Lord Qin. Before those fools discover the 'evil spirits' here, we need to prepare a reasonable explanation for them."

He turned and walked ahead, his steps light and quick, as if he had just killed not a top expert, but a stray dog ​​blocking his way.

Just before leaving the scene, Zhou Yang looked down at his palm.

A faint, dark red light could be seen moving about there. He knew that this breakthrough was just the beginning; more benefits and crises were approaching with the roar of hooves.

His only goal now is to continue to increase his remaining lifespan.