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

At midnight, dark clouds hung low, and raindrops pattered on the bluestone street.

Commander Chen, clad in black armor and carrying an iron hammer, led his personal guards in stealth.

His horse stopped at the alley entrance, his gaze fixed on Tongyuan Pawnshop.

The pawnshop lights had long been extinguished, and the starlight was reflected in the puddles in front of the door.

Commander Chen gave a low shout and swung his iron hammer to smash the door.

The wooden door shattered with a crash, scattering fragments everywhere.

The interior was dimly lit, with only the old accountant hunched over a dilapidated table.

The old man's chest heaved, and beads of sweat dripped down his brow.

Chen Qianhu raised an eyebrow and lightly tapped the old man's forehead with his finger.

"The banknotes from the treasury are right here."

His words were like cold knives, slashing in all directions.

Suddenly, a night wind blew up a sudden alarm.

The bronze bells jingled on the roof.

A dull horn sounded from the north wall, its blast like the howl of a wolf.

At the end of the dark alley, the protectors of the Heavenly Principle Sect rushed out from the shadows.

They were clad in grey robes, wielding dark iron swords, their steps as steady as a rock.

The leader roared, "Who dares to touch the church's treasury!"

Commander Chen did not retreat, but instead swung his sword at the leader.

The leader's sword flashed, cutting through the night.

The two clashed, and the sound of metal clashing echoed through the pawnshop.

The guards charged at the protector, swords and spears clashing.

Blood blossoms bloomed in the rain, red spots dripping onto the bricks.

Several guardians collapsed to the ground, blood mist spurting from their chests.

Commander Chen approached the vault door, his hands gripping the heavy iron bars.

He pried it open forcefully, and the silver notes inside the box swayed.

The banknotes were as thin as cicada wings, and the writing shone brightly under the lamp oil light.

"Got it!" he chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with greed.

However, with so many guardians, the rain washed away even more of their forms.

One of the guards rushed towards Commander Chen, the tip of his knife pointed at his throat.

Commander Chen was stabbed in the left shoulder, and blood splattered onto his clothes.

He gritted his teeth and persevered, slicing open the protector's chest with the blade.

The Dharma protector collapsed to the ground, breathing rapidly.

The battle intensified, with raindrops pelting the wooden beams like needles.

The wooden beams swayed, and roof tiles fell off.

The broken tiles hit the ground with a dull thud.

Amid the chaos, the hidden door of Tongyuan Pawnshop was gently pushed open.

Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang entered quietly, their steps as light as cats'.

They walked across the damp stone steps to the entrance to the basement.

The basement was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with old silk lanterns.

The lanterns swayed, reflecting the brilliance of piled-up gold and silver.

Several huge bronze boxes sat quietly, their lids half-closed.

Qin Shuang lightly tapped the lock with her finger, and the bolt sprang up.

The box was opened, revealing it piled high with ancient coins, jewelry, and jade pendants.

A calculating glint flashed in Zhou Yang's eyes as he quickly packed the treasure into his backpack.

"Hurry up," Qin Shuang urged in a low voice, her voice echoing in the damp air.

Zhou Yang nodded, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

They turned around and bumped into a guardian who was still searching.

The guardian held a dark iron sword, its tip dripping blood.

Qin Shuang drew her long sword, the blade slicing through the dampness.

Short knives and swords clashed, sparks flying.

The guardian staggered backward, his sword breaking.

Ignoring the flames behind him, Zhou Yang rushed toward the hidden door.

There were continuous banging sounds outside the door, as iron hammers clashed with shields.

As Chen Qianhu faced an increasing number of protectors, his movements began to slow down.

He grabbed the banknotes and rushed out the door.

The rain washed over his armor, dulling its metallic sheen.

The stone slab beneath his feet cracked, revealing blood-red soil.

The sound of the Dharma protectors' horns finally ceased in the distance, and the sound of rain gradually weakened.

All that remained in the pawnshop were broken pieces of wood, bloodstains, and scattered silver notes.

Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang had disappeared at the end of the dark alley, their shadows elongated by the lamplight.

Their backpacks were bulging, and the heavy gold and silver made a soft rustling sound.

The night wind blew, carrying away the lingering smell of blood and gunpowder.

Chen Qianhu stood in front of the broken door frame, his eyes flashing with bloodlust.

He gripped the silver note tightly and murmured, "This money is enough for me to smash the city gate again."

In the distance, the flag of the Heavenly Principle Sect fluttered in the rain, its black fabric reflecting starlight.

The remaining figures of the Dharma protector vanished in the lamplight, leaving only the patter of raindrops.

Zhou Yang's footsteps echoed on the bluestone path, seemingly reminding him:

Every burning comes at an equal cost.

He glanced back at the still-burning ruins of the pawnshop, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"The first fire has been lit," he muttered to himself as he continued forward.

#Chapter 209 [The Ghosts of the Mass Grave]

The mass grave in the north of the city was shrouded in darkness.

Zhou Yang stepped on the withered grass, his boots crunching over a piece of bone. He didn't look down, continuing his walk straight towards the dilapidated temple complex.

Qin Shuang followed three steps behind him. Her embroidered spring knife was pressed against her waist. Her gaze swept around, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Are you sure you want to find these people?

Her voice was low and carried a hint of disagreement.

"A bunch of scum."

Zhou Yang didn't turn around, but just chuckled softly.

"The most useful people are the ones with no moral compass," he said. "The more shameless they are, the easier they are to manipulate. For enough money, they'll even sell their own mothers."

Qin Shuang didn't say anything more.

The two walked through a desolate graveyard. Most of the graves were half-collapsed, revealing blackened coffins inside. Wild dogs roamed in the distance, their gleaming green eyes fixed on the two uninvited guests, but they dared not approach.

A half-collapsed earth god temple appeared before us.

A fire was burning at the temple entrance, and several ragged people sat around it, scrambling for something.

Only when you get closer can you see that they are several half-roasted rats.

"Third brother, you're not good at this either. You're having trouble even catching a mouse."

"If you're so good, you do it yourself! My legs are worn thin from running around."

The speaker was a skinny man, his face covered in ash, but his teeth were dazzlingly white.

Zhou Yang stepped on and broke a tree branch.

The men all turned around at once. Their eyes were fierce, filled with the wariness of trapped beasts. But when they saw that the newcomer's clothes were clean and tidy, their fierceness turned into doubt.

"Who is it?"

Zhou Yang ignored their questions. He walked straight to the fire and took the heavy money bag from his waist.

In front of everyone, he turned the bag upside down.

Splash!

A dozen or so silver ingots rolled out, gleaming alluringly in the firelight.

The thugs' breathing became noticeably heavier.

They stared at the silver on the ground like stray dogs that hadn't eaten for three days staring at a piece of fat meat.

"silver."

Zhou Yang's voice was calm, as if he were talking about today's weather.

"Do you want it?"

The thugs looked at each other in bewilderment. In the end, it was the skinny guy who stood up. He was half a head shorter than Zhou Yang, but his shoulders were broad, and he looked like someone who had been hanging around on the streets for years.

"Sir, what...does this mean?"

"Simple."

Zhou Yang raised his hand and pointed to the outline of another temple that was faintly visible in the distance.

"A flock of fat sheep lives in that temple. They carry a lot of money."

The skinny monkey squinted.

"A fat sheep?"

"People of the Heavenly Principle Sect."

Zhou Yang put it bluntly.

"They've been winning over the people of Anyang recently and have a large sum of money. Go rob them; what you get is yours."

The faces of the thugs all changed.

"Tenrikyo?"

The skinny monkey took half a step back and lowered his voice even further.

"Sir, aren't you sending us to our deaths? Those people are not to be trifled with."

"not to be trifled?"

Zhou Yang bent down, picked up a silver ingot from the ground, and weighed it in his hand.

"That depends on whether you dare."

He tossed the silver over.

The skinny monkey instinctively caught it, and the weight in his hand made him pause in surprise.

"This is a deposit," Zhou Yang said. "After the deal is done, I'll give each of you twenty taels."

The skinny monkey held the silver in his hand and remained silent for a while.

The silver spun in his dirty palm.

The firelight reflected on his face, making his cloudy eyes shine.

"What are you after?"

Zhou Yang smiled but did not answer the question.

He turned and winked at Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang understood, took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, and handed it to the skinny monkey.

"This is their roster and rotation schedule," she said. "Midnight is when they'll be at their most relaxed."

Skinny Monkey took the note, glanced at it, and then looked up at Zhou Yang.

Who are you?

"Someone who wants them dead."

Zhou Yang's voice was calm.

"That's enough."

……

child time.

The night was even darker at the mass grave, with most of the moonlight obscured by dark clouds.

Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang stood on a high slope in the distance, looking down at the local earth god temple. The temple was quite large, covering an area of ​​about two or three acres, and was surrounded by earthen walls. Two lanterns were lit at the entrance, swaying in the wind.

The lantern's glow was limited, illuminating only a small area near the entrance.

There were faint figures moving around inside the temple, and whispers could be heard from time to time.

"They're here."

Qin Shuang said in a low voice.

Zhou Yang followed her gaze.

In the darkness, dozens of figures were stealthily approaching the local shrine. Although these thugs were usually idle and idle, they were quite adept at this kind of shady business. They moved with hunched backs, close to the ground, making almost no sound.

Skinny Monkey walked at the front, clutching a rusty machete in his hand.

Zhou Yang watched this scene calmly.

"Let's begin."

He said softly.

Qin Shuang glanced at him and took the longbow from behind her back.

……

Inside the Earth God Temple.

A dozen or so people dressed in gray robes sat around a square table. On the table were several plates of cold dishes, a pot of wine, and a stack of silver notes.

"When will this batch of silver be sent out?" someone asked.

"tomorrow."

The person sitting in the main seat said.

"The higher-ups are pushing us hard; they say we need to get all the locations in Anyang City up and running by the end of the month."

"Anyang City..."

The other person sighed.

"The water's deep here, it's going to be difficult."

"What's there to be afraid of? Our sect has great power; what is Anyang City compared to that..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from outside the temple.

Immediately following was a cacophony of footsteps and shouts of killing.

"What's going on?"

The person in the main seat suddenly stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Before he could even draw his sword, the temple door was kicked open.

A group of thugs wielding knives and clubs rushed in, led by the skinny guy.

"Grab your weapons!"

The skinny monkey roared.

"Leave all the silver, and kill everyone!"

"court death!"

The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect reacted quickly, drawing their swords to fight.

The two groups instantly engaged in a fierce battle.

The sounds of clashing swords, screams, and roars mingled together, causing dust to fall from the temple roof.

Someone knocked over the table, scattering banknotes all over the floor, stained red with blood.

……

On the high slope, Zhou Yang closed his eyes.

A barely perceptible glimmer appeared between his brows.

That was the "Eye of the Array" obtained by burning away one's lifespan.

In the instant he closed his eyes, the airflow throughout the entire mass grave appeared in his perception. The wind blew from the northwest, carrying damp moisture, passing through the rubble and withered grass, forming small vortices around the earth god temple.

These vortices were originally disordered, but in Zhou Yang's perception, they became clearly visible.

It resembles a giant net, with clearly identifiable nodes.

He found the key one.

There, a special loop can be formed simply by guiding the airflow.

Zhou Yang opened his eyes.

With a light flick of his finger, without much force, he ignited a cluster of phosphorus powder that had been buried beforehand.

The phosphorus powder burned, emitting a faint blue light.

At the same time, he guided the airflow to envelop the blue light, stretching it into a long, thin shadow in the darkness.

The shadow drifted in the moonlight, its shape eerie, like a disheveled demon.

The blue light was faint and stood out against the night sky.

"ah--!"

From the direction of the Earth God Temple, someone let out a terrified scream.

"A ghost! There's a ghost!"

The thugs and followers of the Heavenly Principle Sect who were fighting stopped and looked up at the drifting shadow.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, leaving only that eerie blue shadow hovering in mid-air.

The shadow stretched longer and longer, casting a distorted silhouette on the temple wall.

"They're ghost soldiers!"

someone shouted.

"The ghostly soldiers from the mass grave have emerged!"

Fear spread through the crowd.

The thugs, who were already a motley crew, began to retreat, and even the members of the Heavenly Principle Sect showed expressions of fear.

Some people started trembling and couldn't even hold their knives anymore.

Zhou Yang stood on the high slope, watching this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This is the effect he wanted.

Fear is sharper than swords.

He continued to guide the airflow, making the ghostly figure float faster and faster in the air, finally lunging towards the direction of the earth god temple.

A ghostly figure swept across the temple roof, bringing with it a chilling wind.

"Run—!"

Someone shouted first, and the thugs scattered and fled.

The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect were thrown into disarray; some wanted to chase, while others wanted to escape, and the area in front of the Earth God Temple was in complete chaos.

Corpses lay strewn about, and blood stained the ground red.

The ghostly figure was still hovering in the air, like some kind of ominous premonition.

……

"That's about it."

Qin Shuang's voice rang in Zhou Yang's ears.

She didn't know how Zhou Yang did it, but she knew her chance had come.

She nocked an arrow, drew the bow, and aimed.

The arrow pierced the air, carrying a rolled-up piece of paper, and flew through the chaotic crowd, plunging straight into the arms of a figure approaching them.

The man was dressed in armor and had a sword at his waist; he was clearly a patrol captain.

He instinctively reached out and grabbed the arrow, then looked down and saw a piece of paper tied to the arrow.

Unfold the slip of paper; it contains only a list of names and a line of small print:

"The stronghold of the Heavenly Principle Sect, the Earth God Temple. A list of those involved in the black market is attached."

The captain's expression changed.

He recognized these names; they were all people who had been making a lot of noise in the city recently.

He looked up towards the direction of the earth god temple and saw the eerie ghostly figure hovering in the air, as well as corpses and fleeing figures scattered on the ground.

"Everyone, follow me!"

He said in a deep voice.

"We must capture these traitors tonight!"

The soldiers responded in unison and rushed toward the earth god temple with torches in hand.

……

In front of the Earth God Temple.

The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect are hunting down the fleeing thugs.

Suddenly, a thug fell to the ground, landing right at the feet of a leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

The incense master raised his knife to strike.

The thug suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs:

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards are here—!"

The shout was so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire mass grave.

The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect were all taken aback.

Embroidered Uniform Guard?

They instinctively looked around, only to see the eerie ghostly figure floating in the air and the approaching torchlight in the distance.

The torches stretched out in a continuous line, like a fiery dragon surging towards this side.

"withdraw!"

The person in charge should make a decisive decision.

"Get out of there first!"

But it was too late.

The patrol captain led dozens of soldiers and charged over, their battle cries deafening.

The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect were attacked from all sides, and in a short time, chaos ensued.

Some people desperately tried to rush out, some knelt down and begged for mercy, and others tried to resist but were hacked to pieces.

The stench of blood permeated the night air.

……

On the high slope, Zhou Yang watched all this and gently clapped his hands.

"pretty."

He turned around and reached out his hand to Qin Shuang.

"silver."

Qin Shuang rolled her eyes at him, but still took out a silver ingot from her waist and placed it in his palm.

"You planned this all along?" she asked.

"It's not good enough, how dare you come?"

Zhou Yang weighed the silver in his hand and put it into his pocket.

"These members of the Heavenly Principle Cult are getting too comfortable in Anyang City. Let them know that this isn't a place they can just stay as they please."

Qin Shuang didn't speak, but just watched the chaos below gradually subside.

The torchlight illuminated the corpses scattered in front of the local temple, some belonging to local thugs, others to members of the Heavenly Principles Cult.

The patrol captain was directing his men to clear the battlefield and tie up the captured members of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

Those people still had expressions of fear on their faces, and they would occasionally look up at the sky.

But the ghostly figure had already disappeared.

Only the moonlight peeked through the dark clouds, appearing pale and lifeless.

"These people..."

Qin Shuang's tone was somewhat complicated.

"You know they won't survive."

"Know."

Zhou Yang's voice was calm.

"But that was their own choice. I simply gave them a chance."

He turned and walked out of the mass grave.

"Let's go, there are more important things to do next."

Qin Shuang watched his retreating figure and remained silent for a moment.

Under the moonlight, Zhou Yang's shadow was stretched very long.

His steps were light and quick, as if he had just finished a profitable deal.

Qin Shuang eventually followed after them.

The boots rustled as they stepped on the withered grass.

The night wind blew, swirling up pieces of paper money, which then floated in the air.

The screams gradually subsided in front of the local earth god temple in the distance.

The patrol captain picked up the blood-stained silver note from the ground, his brow furrowed.

The mass grave is not peaceful tonight.

The two people who had been secretly instigating the incident had already disappeared into the night.

Zhou Yang touched the silver in his pocket and smiled.

This deal is a good one.