The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

With a soft "pfft".

The Ghostwood Sword tore through Zhou Heng's sleeve and struck his arm.

The torn sleeve revealed Zhou Heng's fair and muscular forearm, with only a few white marks showing.

The Ghostwood Sword hovered in mid-air.

Zhou Heng frowned slightly. "Scholar, don't hold back. Use your full strength."

After Lü Zian attached himself to the Ghost Wood Sword, the Ghost Wood Sword did indeed become as sharp as a real sword, leaving deep sword marks even when it grazed a door frame.

However, the sword that pierced Zhou Heng's arm clearly felt weak.

Clearly, Lü Zian was afraid of hurting him, so he didn't dare to use force.

"Don't worry, you can't get on me."

Zhou Heng added.

Besides wanting to test the power of a ninth-rank divine official, he also wanted to test his Xuanhu Overlord Body.

It feels a bit silly to cut yourself.

Using Lü Zian's hand is a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.

The tip of the Ghostwood Sword tapped twice, as if Lü Zi'an was nodding in response.

Immediately afterwards, it circled twice in the air, gathered its strength, and then suddenly stabbed at Zhou Heng's forearm again.

Swish!

The sword tip pierced Zhou Heng's arm, leaving a small dent in the muscle, but the skin remained intact.

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

This Xuanhu Overlord Body is really something.

The thought just popped into my head.

Zhou Heng's arm suddenly swelled up to twice its original size.

His originally long and muscular arms suddenly became as thick as an adult's thigh, exuding a sense of power.

boom!

The Ghostwood Sword was instantly flung away, crashing into the wall with a clang before slamming to the ground.

Lu Zian suddenly opened his eyes, stood up unsteadily, as if he were drunk.

Chen Zhaowu's eyes widened, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit a duck egg.

"You—you—"

He pointed at Zhou Heng, stammering, unable to utter a single complete sentence.

Zhou Heng clenched his fist, his blood and qi flowed, and his arm returned to normal, only his sleeve was completely shredded.

"Scholar, are you alright?"

Sorry, I'm not very familiar with this power; I didn't control it well just now.

Zhou Heng said.

Lu Zian shook his head and said with a wry smile, "You guys will have to handle the fighting from now on. I'm really not good at it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaowu couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Is this why you're not good at fighting?

So what if you're just a ninth-rank divine official, even if you have the Ghost Wood Sword?

That's the Xuanhu Overlord Body!

"Little Zhou Heng, you used to practice the Xuanhu Overlord Body?"

Chen Zhaowu stared at Zhou Heng and swallowed hard.

"no."

Zhou Heng shook his head.

"No, no, this can't be."

Chen Zhaowu felt like his brain wasn't working properly.

No matter how talented someone is, can they really master the Xuanhu Overlord Body in just one day?

"By the way, I remember the scholar's secret report mentioned that you have extraordinary strength. You must have practiced other external martial arts since you were young, which is why you can be so good at them."

Chen Zhaowu stared at Zhou Heng, his eyes turning red.

"Um."

Zhou Heng gave a perfunctory reply, without provoking the child.

"I knew it!"

Chen Zhaowu breathed a sigh of relief; his worldview had almost collapsed.

"Zhou Heng, you are indeed a genius, but I'm not bad either."

Chen Zhaowu clenched his fist and said, "You've taken the lead now, but I'll definitely catch up with you."

Let's have a competition and see who can break through to the middle third rank first!

"Okay, Xiao Wu."

Zhou Heng said.

"Don't call me Xiao Wu! The scholar is older than me, but you're half a year younger!"

Chen Zhaowu said angrily.

"I am a two-star demon-slaying captain. I use my rank when on duty!"

"Yes, Captain Wu."

"..."

A horse-drawn carriage circled the streets and alleys of Ningyang County.

Chen Zhaowu's reason was to determine if any demons or monsters in Ningyang County had escaped.

However, Zhou Heng and Lü Zi'an both believed that he was simply trying to show off.

Otherwise, why would you need such a luxurious carriage?

He even changed into the uniform of the Imperial Guard and personally drove the carriage.

"Ningyang is such a small place. We helped them resolve the demonic disturbance, and they didn't even bother to line the streets and give us a proper send-off? They have no manners!"

Chen Zhaowu drove the carriage, muttering to himself.

Zhou Heng and Lü Zi'an looked at each other in silence.

Good fighters have no illustrious feats.

Few people knew about what they did in Ningyang County; the locals probably didn't even know who they were.

Besides, Chen Zhaowu didn't contribute much in resolving the chaos in Ningyang County.

"Captain Wu, where should we begin our investigation into the matter of the 'Free and Easy Powder'?"

Lu Zian poked his head out of the carriage and asked.

"Should we conduct an overt investigation or a covert one?"

"Of course, it's an undercover investigation."

Chen Zhaowu said, "Think about it, if we reveal our identity as the Guardian Division when we enter Dajin County, those demons and monsters will definitely flee at the mere sight of us."

You definitely won't be able to find anything by then.

Therefore, we need to conduct an undercover investigation!

"If we're going to do an undercover investigation, shouldn't we keep a low profile?"

Lu Zian suggested, "This carriage is too conspicuous, and it also has the Chen family's insignia."

That makes sense.

Chen Zhaowu nodded.

"Furthermore, I think we should split up and enter the city."

Lu Zian breathed a sigh of relief and continued.

He was worried that a scion of a prominent family like Chen Zhaowu would be arrogant and self-willed, but now it seems that apart from being a bit boastful, Chen Zhaowu is at least willing to listen to advice.

That's good.

After all, we'll be going to be going through thick and thin together in the future, and nobody wants to partner with someone who's too self-centered.

"That's a great idea!"

Chen Zhaowu said excitedly, "We also need to agree on a code to exchange information without meeting in person..."

He started talking non-stop, as if a switch had been flipped.

Zhou Heng jumped off the carriage and strode forward.

"Old Zhou, where are you going?"

Chen Zhaowu was taken aback, then shouted loudly.

He didn't feel confident calling him "Little Zhou," and he felt distant calling him "Zhou Heng," so he simply chose to call him "Old Zhou."

"We'll split up and head into the city."

Zhou Heng used his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to disappear into the distance in the blink of an eye.

"We haven't agreed on a code word yet!"

Chen Zhaowu shouted loudly.

"Little Captain Wu, is it possible that we don't need him?"

Lu Zian whispered, "I'm a night watchman. I can deliver messages to you at night, and most people won't be able to detect them."

Chen Zhaowu: "..."

Night Wanderer? So what? I'm an eighth-rank assassin!

Chen Zhaowu blushed; vernacular novels are deadly.

He jumped off the carriage and strode forward.

"Scholar, you can leave the carriage here. Someone will come to pick it up. I'll be going now. See you in Dajin County!"

Chen Zhaowu's retreating figure looked as if he were fleeing in disarray.

Lu Zian chuckled, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and slowly walked toward Dajin County.

…………

Dajin County is located north of Mount Tai. There is a river called Huanhua River to the north of the county seat.

Many evergreen trees grow along the banks of the Huanhua River.

Every summer, the periwinkle blooms with bright red flowers, and in autumn, the red flowers fall on the river surface, turning the river fiery red, which is very beautiful.

The name Huanhua River comes from this.

Compared to Ningyang County, which is a hundred miles away, Dajin County is much more prosperous.

Especially at the ferry crossing outside the city, merchant ships came and went in an endless stream.

Zhou Heng arrived at the ferry crossing outside Dajin County at dusk.

The setting sun casts its rays on the river, making half of the river shimmer green and the other half red.

Looking at the endless stream of merchant ships, Zhou Heng's face showed a thoughtful expression.

Dajin County has convenient transportation, and merchant ships can travel all the way to the capital.

The fact that the person who refined the Free and Easy Powder chose this place might also be related to this.

After admiring the river view for a while, Zhou Heng turned to look at the distant town of Dajin County.

Subconsciously, he activated the Qi Observation Technique.

From the perspective of the Qi Observation Technique, a dense Yin Qi enveloped the entire county town, making it resemble the underworld.

Zhou Heng's eyes stung, and he involuntarily took two steps back.