I can enjoy the Mythic card pool all to myself

The rain falls in torrents during the Qingming Festival, and the travelers on the road are heartbroken.

Where is the restaurant? Shepherd boy refers to Xinghua Village.

clap clap...

Raindrops pattered on the desolate mountain path.

A slender figure wearing a straw raincoat emerged from the drizzle.

"Is that shepherd boy making fun of me? What kind of tavern is this in this godforsaken place?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Chang looked up and saw an inn or tavern.

The lanterns hanging from the eaves were blown about by the wind, and the words "Dragon Gate Inn" were clearly written on them!

A bolt of lightning ripped through the long night, illuminating the inn as it swayed precariously in the wind and rain.

"There really is a restaurant?"

……

The still-charming proprietress idly fiddled with an abacus behind the counter.

There were several tables of patrons inside the shop, and judging from their attire, they seemed to be traveling merchants.

He was just too quiet, with a sinister look in his eyes, and didn't seem like a good person.

However... when you open a business, you're managing the sources of income from all directions.

She only cares about whether she has money or not.

Just then, someone pushed open the door and walked in, and the wind and rain poured in.

The proprietress looked up and her eyes lit up.

"What a handsome young man!"

"Sir, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

Fang Changdao said, "A superior room, and a table of fine wine and food."

Throw out the silver.

"Alright, sir! Please find a seat and rest. Your food and drinks will be here shortly!"

The proprietress immediately beamed with smiles.

Fang Chang casually picked a table and sat down.

As soon as he sat down, the merchants in the corner exchanged glances.

"Is it him?"

A middle-aged man with a fair complexion, no beard, and an effeminate demeanor slightly turned his fingertips and took out a plain portrait from his bosom.

He squinted and carefully compared the square shape.

The person in the painting wears a gold-embroidered iron mask, revealing only a pair of cold and sharp eyes. Judging from the figure, outline, eye shape, and eyebrows alone, he bears a five or six-point resemblance to Fang Chang.

In the lower left corner of the portrait, a line of ink characters stands out: "At midnight, the Hundred-Household Envoy is a nightmare for even ghosts."

The effeminate man stared at the portrait for a long time, then slowly shook his head and secretly communicated with his companion.

"It shouldn't be."

"Ghost Fear colluded with evil spirits to assassinate Lord Qianhu, but Lord Qianhu crippled him with a single palm strike, leaving him a cripple."

"Although this person is of similar age, his breathing is deep and steady, his complexion is rosy, and he shows no signs of injury or fatigue."

"But...it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"

"Based on the clues along the way, it is highly likely that Gui Jianchou will pass through this place after escaping from Liangjing."

"Let's wait a little longer. If we find nothing, we'll kill everyone here to prevent that guy from sneaking in and getting away with it."

The other "merchants" nodded slightly without making a sound.

Just then, the sound of footsteps in the rain came from outside the door, hurried and chaotic.

Eight or nine bodyguards, soaked to the bone, entered the inn.

The burly man at the head of the group wore a straw hat with a chipped corner and had a centipede-like scar on his face.

He squinted as he scanned the inn, and said in a deep voice, "Three large rooms."

The proprietress was delighted to see there were still customers.

Just as she was about to respond, her gaze swept over the group of bodyguards and saw a black lacquered wooden coffin being carried behind them, lying heavily in the rain.

"Why did you leave this unlucky thing at the door?"

The proprietress covered her nose with a handkerchief, her face full of disgust.

"This is an inn, not a mortuary!"

"Take him away quickly! This world is already chaotic enough; what if he catches some kind of disease..."

The scarred man remained silent and took out two silver ingots.

The proprietress stopped abruptly, her face instantly breaking into a smile. "Seeing a coffin brings wealth! Seeing a coffin brings wealth! There's nothing unlucky about it."

The effeminate man in the corner glanced at the group of bodyguards and frowned.

He had amazing hearing; with the slightest movement, he could hear strange noises coming from inside the coffin.

"No, something's strange about that black coffin. I can vaguely hear a breath coming from inside."

"There's someone in the coffin. Go check it out and see if it's Ghostly Sorrow hiding inside."

The group immediately got up and walked straight toward the coffin.

The scarred man noticed their actions, stepped in front of them, and questioned them in a deep voice.

"What do you want to do!"

The other bodyguards reacted and looked warily at the effeminate man and his companions.

For a moment, the atmosphere inside the inn became tense.

Seeing that things were going badly, the proprietress turned pale with fright and quickly hid back behind the counter.

The effeminate man took in the reactions of the bodyguards, which further confirmed his suspicions.

"If it's happening at midnight, all unauthorized personnel should immediately leave."

"This coffin may contain a wanted criminal. Open it immediately; I wish to inspect it myself!"

A token with an ink-black background and gold gilding, engraved with the pattern of the third watch of the night, has already been thrown out.

Everyone's expression changed when they saw the token.

"It's the third watch of the night, and it's the people from the imperial court."

"They have the power to monitor the martial arts world and apprehend criminals nationwide..."

Ordinary martial arts practitioners would tremble at the mere mention of his name and kneel down to beg for mercy.

After all, the infamous reputation of the Third Night Palace was known to everyone in Daliang; it was full of ruthless executioners.

"Sir, we are from the Tianya Escort Agency, making a living by traveling the martial world."

"I was entrusted by my employer to escort his father's remains back to his homeland, so that he could return to his roots."

"The employer repeatedly instructed me not to open the coffin and expose it to the light."

"Our escort agency values ​​integrity above all else. It would be inappropriate to break the rules, so what do you think..."

The scarred man braced himself and bowed slightly.

Before the words were even finished!

The effeminate man snorted coldly, his palm radiating demonic energy, and he slammed it into the scarred man's chest.

"Bang!"

Caught off guard, the scarred man was sent flying backward, smashing the tables and chairs.

He coughed up blood, and bloodstains were clearly visible on his chest.

"My rules are the rules."

"Your resistance to the search and arrest indicates you have something to hide and intend to protect a wanted criminal. According to the law, you should be executed!"

The effeminate man spoke in a cold tone, brooking no argument.

"Father!"

A spirited young female bodyguard, enraged by the sight, drew her sword without hesitation and slashed at the effeminate man.

"Xiuer, retreat quickly! He's a martial artist who reached the highest rank by relying on demonic energy!"

The scarred man clutched his chest and quickly spoke up to warn him.

However, it was too late.

A red light flashed in the effeminate man's eyes, and his hand transformed into an eagle claw, shattering the blade.

Before the female bodyguard could react, the eagle's claws had already gripped her shoulder and ripped it open...

"Rip!"

Fabric ripped apart, blood and flesh splattered.

The female bodyguard cried out in pain and fell to the ground, her shoulder bleeding profusely, a piece of flesh torn off.

"To raid someone at the crack of midnight is an even more serious crime."

The effeminate man waved his hand indifferently, "Kill them all."

After he finished speaking, the rest of the men disguised as merchants drew their swords and cleared the area.

The bodyguards, unwilling to be slaughtered, were forced to fight back and resist desperately.

However, how could these bodyguards possibly be a match for the midnight guards?

Within just a few breaths, two or three bodyguards had their heads rolled.

"Xiuer, I'll stop him, you go quickly..."

The scarred man staggered to his feet and lunged at the effeminate man like a madman, knife in hand.

"Clang!"

The effeminate man parried the blade with a backhand motion and involuntarily took a half step back.

He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. It's a pity that without reaching the ninth rank, one is destined to be nothing more than an ant."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slapped the scarred man on the top of his head.

If this palm strike lands squarely, death is certain!

"Father, Father..." The female bodyguard's pupils trembled violently upon seeing this scene.

She tried to get up, but the movement aggravated her injuries, leaving her unable to do so.

At this critical moment...

[Unexpected Encounter: Joining the Tianya Escort Agency]

[Reward: Unlock the limited-time gacha pool • So close yet so far]

In an instant, a flash of light appeared without warning, and the trembling, whistling sound of the blade echoed throughout the Dragon Gate Inn.

By the time everyone came to their senses, a thin line of blood had appeared on the effeminate man's neck.

"Who...who is it...?"

The effeminate man's consciousness rapidly faded.

Filled with resentment, he noticed a young man who had previously been overlooked by them.

The young man was expressionless, holding a goose-feather knife that gleamed with a sharp, cold light and was embroidered with blood patterns.

This is a sword specially forged by the Liang Dynasty for the centurion of the Third Hour!

By wielding this knife, one can kill and exorcise demons, plundering their life force to nourish oneself.

Upon seeing this, the effeminate man suddenly realized what was going on.

So this kid...

This is the very thing they're looking for—the one that even ghosts fear!

But wasn't this boy's physique already crippled by Lord Qianhu?

Logically speaking, this kid should have lost all his martial arts skills and become a cripple, so why is he still so strong?

There was a loud "thump"!

The previously arrogant and effeminate man was beheaded on the spot, his eyes wide with confusion as he died.

"When did pseudo-martial artists who rely on demonic energy to enter the ranks become worthy of uttering the words 'ant'?"

Fang Chang's gaze was icy cold. With a flick of his wrist, drops of blood rolled down from the goose-feather blade.

A line of pale gold lettering slowly appeared before my eyes...

[Slayed a demon (pseudo-ninth rank), gained 10 merit points.]

Chronicles of the Martial Arts World

【Hero: Fang Chang】

【Fine: 7】

[Qi: 1]

【God: 2】

(The Vitality and Spirit attribute of an adult strong man is 1)

【Good deeds: 10】

[Realm: Ninth-Rank Martial Artist (Mastery of Yi Jin Jing / Complete Destruction of Tendons and Bones)]

[Faction: Midnight (Defector)]

Martial Arts: Dead Man's Scripture (Complete), Iron Shirt (Mastery)

[Trait: None]

【Bag: Blood-Patterned Goose Feather Blade (Green)】

[Current permanent card pool: Library, Treasure Cliff (activated at Rank 8), Rare Treasure Pavilion (activated at Rank 7)]

[Current Limited-Time Summoning Banner: Midnight (Expired)]