The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

"Lord Zhou, you—"

Lu Zian was terrified. A gust of wind rushed into his mouth, rendering him speechless. He could only watch helplessly as the bright blade fell towards Magistrate Han Jun.

are you crazy?

Lu Zian had only one thought in his mind.

It was at this moment.

The hemp rope binding Han Jun, the magistrate of Ningyang County, snapped in pieces, and his body seemed to inflate instantly as it collided with the rope.

With a muffled thud, his official robes transformed into fluttering butterflies.

Along with it, the human skin also shattered.

Ding-dong.

The long knife that should have landed on the head of Han Jun, the magistrate of Ningyang County, was blocked by several black fingernails.

The blade and the fingernail collided, sending sparks flying.

"Demon!"

Lu Zian's teeth were chattering, and he scrambled out of the room.

The county constable also wanted to escape, but he was tied to a chair and could only kick his legs in vain, like a turtle that had been flipped over.

"How did you recognize me?"

When Han Jun, the magistrate of Ningyang County, shed his human skin, he was revealed to be a weasel taller than a person.

Its dark yellow fur was glossy and smooth, and its small eyes gleamed with doubt. It held the Dragon Sparrow Blade with both hands and asked in human language.

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Heng's eyes.

The opponent's fingernails are quite hard; even the Dragon Sparrow Blade couldn't cut through them.

"you guess."

Zhou Heng said calmly.

Immediately afterward, he raised his left hand and grabbed the weasel's front paw before it could react.

With an unparalleled burst of power, the weasel was violently slammed out of the window.

With a loud bang.

The weasel landed face down, its entire face embedded in the broken floor tiles.

It let out an angry shriek, pressed its front paws to the ground, straightened its body, and with a move called "Rabbit Kicks Eagle," its thick legs kicked backward with force.

If an enemy were to pursue it, it would be unable to dodge its full-force kick.

With its waist muscles taut and body slightly twisted, it will turn in mid-air after a push, followed by a smooth series of small moves that can definitely leave a ninth-rank strongman with a face full of blood and sweat.

As Zhou Heng flung the weasel out of the room, he also took a step out.

Faced with the weasel's fierce counterattack, Zhou Heng simply slowly extended his knife.

Swish.

A flash of red light appeared on the edge of the Dragon Sparrow Blade.

The weasel felt as if it were flying, and its body felt much lighter.

It twisted its body in mid-air and saw two incredibly familiar legs before it.

Zhou Heng turned around and went back into the house.

A startled scream came from behind.

He scrambled out of the room, only to be hit squarely by the weasel's fallen half-body.

"No, don't kill me."

The county magistrate was lying on the ground, struggling to get out of his chair, having already spat out the rag from his mouth.

Upon seeing Zhou Heng enter, the man in his forties or fifties trembled all over, his face filled with fear.

"I am human, not a demon."

A flash of cold light streaked past.

The county constable cried out and closed his eyes.

The expected excruciating pain did not come. After a while, the county constable slowly opened his eyes and saw a handsome face full of helplessness.

Looking down, I noticed that the hemp rope covering me had broken, with a smooth and clean break.

Only then did he realize that Zhou Heng's strike wasn't meant to kill him, but to sever the ropes binding him.

The county constable breathed a sigh of relief; his whole body was soaked in cold sweat, and even his lower body felt a chill.

He tugged at his robe, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"If you're not dead, get up and clean up the mess."

Zhou Heng didn't even glance at him.

Whether he knew about the affair between Magistrate Han Jun and Constable Shen Chong or not, his time as a county constable was over.

The county constable was in charge of arrests and interrogations throughout the county. Apart from such a major oversight, his responsibility was undeniable.

In a time of peace and prosperity, it is ironic that a county magistrate is actually a demon in human skin.

…………

Leave the county government office.

Zhou Heng stood on the empty street, momentarily at a loss for where to go.

He no longer has a home in Ningyang County.

Perhaps he should leave this place after dawn and return to the capital to take up his post in the Imperial Guard.

The light and shadow flickered before my eyes, and the danger countdown was reset to zero.

[You have survived the greatest life-threatening crisis in history and have been rewarded with the Lesser Formless Force.]

A surge of memories welled up.

At the same time, Zhou Heng's blood surged within his body, and his qi and blood boiled.

He could even hear the sound of his blood surging.

In his memory, he practiced diligently day and night, pondering the power of qi and blood.

Once his qi and blood nourished his body and his strength reached its limit, he began to study the techniques of channeling his energy.

He originally had ten points of strength, but could only exert five points.

As he comprehended the Lesser Formless Force, he was able to integrate his Qi and blood into any move, and with ten parts of his strength, he could unleash six or even seven parts of it.

He continued to practice.

I don't know how many years have passed.

He finally mastered the Lesser Formless Force to its perfect state.

With qi and blood flowing throughout the body, every move can be executed at will; the skill has reached its peak, exerting full force.

A martial artist at the eighth rank, highly skilled, nicknamed "Assassin".

Zhou Heng slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips.

One item per day, the speed is acceptable.

Swish!

With a flick of his wrist, the Dragon Sparrow Blade was drawn from its sheath, transforming into a flash of light.

Previously, he needed to be able to mobilize his qi and blood to flow into the blade and enhance the lethality of his moves.

Now, with each swing of his sword, his vital energy flows freely into the blade as if guided by his own hand.

Even if it's just randomly swung around, its power far exceeds that of before.

"Clang."

Zhou Heng sheathed his sword.

"Come out."

He said loudly.

Lu Zian peeked out from behind the stone lion at the entrance of the county government office with a sheepish grin.

"Lord Zhou, if you have nowhere to go, I do have a spare room at my house. If you don't mind its simplicity, how about staying at my place for the night?"

Lu Zian spoke up.

Zhou Heng glanced at the sky; there were only two hours left until dawn, so it really wasn't worth looking for an inn anymore.

"lead the way."

Zhou Heng took a step forward.

Lu Zian's home was indeed simple, with only three rooms in total. One room was used as a kitchen, another was Lu Zian's bedroom and study, and the last room was filled with miscellaneous items.

Lu Zian brought Zhou Heng into his home, then went into the kitchen and busied himself for a while, eventually bringing out several rather good dishes and wine.

"We should celebrate the slaying of the great demon."

Lu Zian said with a smile, "These dishes and wines can't compare to those at Tianxiang Restaurant, Lord Zhou, please make do with them."

Zhou Heng looked at Lü Zi'an and slowly placed the Dragon Sparrow Blade horizontally on the table in front of him.

"You can tell me now."

"What did you say?"

Lu Zian paused for a moment while holding the wine pot, and a few drops of wine spilled onto the table.

"Your true identity."

Zhou Heng placed his left hand on the scabbard, as if he were about to draw his sword at the slightest provocation.

Lu Zian smiled self-deprecatingly, "Han Jun hid it so well, I still don't know how you saw through the flaw."

I knew I couldn't hide it from you after all.

He put down the wine pot, stood up straight, straightened his faded blue robe, and bowed with his hands clasped.

"Let's get to know each other again. I am Lu Zi'an, a scholar from Ningyang and a part-time spy in the Imperial Guard. I greet you, Brother Zhou."