My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Soon, people started coming to the door in droves.

One after another, the captains of the Yinhu Guard came to his door, bringing gifts to curry favor with the soon-to-be-appointed centurion of the Xunhu Battalion.

Herbs, antiques, books... all sorts of things filled the stone table and windowsill in the courtyard.

Clearly, these people had specifically inquired about Lu Ming's preferences, and each gift was precisely chosen to be useful to him.

In particular, the medicinal herbs he had been searching for all over the place to brew Dragon Tiger Wine were piled up to the brim.

They greeted us with smiles, their words full of respect and flattery, their backs bent more limply than the willow branches at the door.

They were afraid that if Lu Ming became unhappy in the future, the demons might rush into the camp and leave an opening in their defense zone, feeding them to the monsters.

Compared to how Lu Ming had previously avoided being suppressed, he was completely different, leaving Fan Wu and the other two speechless.

We welcomed and saw off guests, and before we knew it, it was evening.

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted in from outside the courtyard wall, bathing all the brocade boxes and medicine baskets in a warm golden hue.

"Hahaha... Brother Lu, congratulations on your promotion to centurion!"

Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside.

Chen Xuan stepped into the house with a smile. The hem of his green robe was covered with dust, indicating that he had rushed over.

Chen Rui followed closely behind, carrying a vermilion lacquered brocade box, his steps light and quick.

"Centurion Chen!"

Upon seeing this, the people inside stood up to greet them, and then tactfully withdrew, leaving the two alone.

"Lord Chen, I am so sorry for not greeting you properly."

Lu Ming greeted him with a smile and led him to a wooden table to sit down.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chen Xuan gave Chen Rui a wink.

Chen Rui immediately understood, stepped forward, placed the brocade box on the table, and gently lifted the lid.

Lu Ming looked up and saw a pure white jade dragon ginseng lying in the box.

It is about two feet long, coiled like a dragon, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafts over you. Just one whiff of it makes you feel refreshed.

"A two-thousand-year-old Jade Dragon Ginseng?"

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, then pushed the brocade box back, saying with trepidation:

"Lord Chen, this is far too valuable."

Seeing this, Chen Xuan quickly reached out and pressed the lid of the box, looking apologetic.

"Brother Lu, please accept this small gift. I felt deeply ashamed that I failed to protect you when Shi Lei acted so arrogantly some time ago."

Lu Ming cursed the cunning old fox who claimed to be self-protective in his heart, but replied with a smile:

"Not at all, sir. You have already protected me so much, how could you say such a thing?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Xuan suddenly pointed to Chen Rui beside him and said:

"Brother Lu, my cousin's temperament is different from mine. He's always wanted to fight on the battlefield and earn merit. I wonder if you could do me the honor of letting him serve under you?"

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, a slight thought stirring in his mind.

To place people in positions of authority?

Or is he really just trying to make a fortune?

After all, the Tiger Patrol Camp is the front line in the confrontation with demons. Although it is dangerous, it is indeed the best place to make meritorious contributions.

Furthermore, most of the former commanders of the Yinhu Guard had previously served as centurions in the Xunhu Battalion.

He glanced at Chen Rui, who immediately flashed a fawning smile, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Fine, I'm already in debt anyway, so let it come."

He thought to himself.

Anyway, Taipingdao is going to send people here anyway, so one more won't make a difference.

In the midst of this pleasant atmosphere, Lu Ming saw the two of them to the door.

Before Chen Xuan and his companion had gone far, a Yin Tiger Guard stepped into the courtyard carrying a four-foot-long brocade box.

"Lord Lu, Lord Xue is too busy with official duties to come in person, so he has sent his subordinate to present the gifts for his promotion."

The young Yin Huwei bowed and presented the brocade box with exceptional respect.

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.

If it weren't for Xue Bao holding him back, he would have been promoted to centurion long ago.

Now, the other party is clearly using this as an apology.

"Haha, Lord Xue, you're too kind. It should be me who goes to pay my respects."

Then, amidst the young man's fearful gaze, he helped him up, expressed his loyalty to Xue Bao, and then let him leave.

"Hehe, today is really lively!"

Fan Wu and the other two chuckled and huddled up to Lu Ming, teasing him.

Lu Ming smiled wryly, thinking that it was finally quiet. He picked up the brocade box and headed into the house.

In no mood--

"Lord Lu!"

A constable dressed in yamen runner's uniform came running in, panting, and bowed to Lu Ming with clasped hands.

"Lord Liu has summoned me tomorrow!"

Lu Ming paused, a slow smile creeping onto his lips:

"So eager, huh? Perfect timing, I should go collect my debts too."

He hadn't forgotten that Liu Zhiyuan had made a solemn promise to trick him into killing Shi Lei.

……

At night, the moon and stars are rare.

Lu Ming sat cross-legged on the bed, the brocade box that Xue Bao had given him already opened on his lap.

Inside the box lay a rusty longsword, its blade nearly three feet long, its spine straight and upright like a pine tree.

Even though it is covered in rust, you can still see the upright and dignified spirit it had when it was cast.

According to the Yin Tiger Guard, this sword was "gifted" by an elder of a village when Xue Bao went out to slay demons.

According to the elder, this sword is a "demon-slaying sword".

Long ago, a vicious dragon roamed the waters. A Taoist priest wielded a sword and slew it, then hung the sword at the Demon-Suppressing Shrine on the riverbank to forever guard the great river.

"I thought it was just a legend, but it turns out it might actually be true."

Looking at the long sword in the box, Lu Ming couldn't help but sigh.

Of the things people brought during the day, apart from medicinal herbs that he could use to brew wine, the other antiques and books were all useless. Only this sword caused the Heavenly Heart Scroll to react.

He picked up the longsword, and the white mist on the Heavenly Heart Scroll suddenly surged:

[The martial art "Demon-Slaying Sword" has been discovered. It can be refined. Should it be refined?]

Lu Ming didn't hesitate: "Refine it!"

In an instant, my consciousness wavered again, and I was pulled into another space-time by an invisible force.

Dark clouds obscured the sky, and torrential rain poured down, leaving only a gray curtain of rain between heaven and earth.

A turbid river surged and roared in the torrential rain, its water level rising wildly.

The muddy floodwaters overflowed the banks and spread towards the villages on both sides—

It destroyed houses, flooded farmland, and swept away livestock and people who couldn't escape.

"Mother...where are you!"

"My child...my child..."

The cries of children and the wails of women rose and fell, but were all drowned out by the raging torrent.

"roar--!"

A deafening roar erupted from the heart of the river.

A dragon, tens of feet long, burst out of the water.

The dragon's body was as black as iron, and its scales gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the rain.

A pair of vertical pupils looked down at the fleeing humans who had fallen into the water, a hint of cat-and-mouse mockery flashing in his eyes.

Then its gigantic maw opened wide, and a violent suction force pulled countless people into it, disappearing into its bottomless throat before they could even scream.

Then, the dragon's body tumbled and raged in the river, creating even bigger waves.

After washing away the houses that were lucky enough to survive, along with their foundations, the floodwaters slowly drifted away.

Beside the village, on the eaves of a Taoist temple, a frail young Taoist priest knelt on the soaked tiles, staring intently at the horrific scene before him.

Rain streamed down his cheeks, indistinguishable from tears.

He finally realized that retreating into seclusion and asceticism could not save humanity.

When the flood receded, he spent years searching for spirit iron and diligently learning the art of sword forging, eventually forging a long sword by hand.

Then, combining what he had learned over the years, he created his own sword technique, "Demon-Slaying Sword".

Several years later, the floods struck again, and the evil dragon once more stirred up trouble, destroying villages and displacing people.

The Taoist priest entered the river with his sword, using the sword to guide righteous energy and his will to calm the turbid waves.

After a fierce battle, he killed the evil dragon and emerged bathed in its blood.

Finally, he hung the demon-slaying sword on the riverbank at the demon-suppressing shrine, took a bamboo staff, and wandered the world, disappearing without a trace.

The misty fog gradually dissipated, and the Taoist's face became clearer—

A square and gentle face, with calm and serene eyes.

"A great and wise teacher!" Lu Ming exclaimed in surprise, his expression faltering.

His consciousness then wavered again, and countless pieces of information flooded into his mind like a torrent:

"Controlling the spirit with the mind, drawing water with the sword..."

"When the sword is drawn, the waves calm; when the spirit is unleashed, the demons vanquish..."

"One sword to suppress the abyss, another to slay the evil..."

When Lu Ming regained consciousness, his hands trembled slightly.

The mottled rust on the longsword peeled off like scales, revealing the cold blue blade underneath.

The blade was covered with fine, hair-like spiritual patterns that gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

The sword guard is shaped like a cloud pattern swallowing a dragon's head, with the dragon's mouth holding the blade and its eyes inlaid with two red copper beads, which seem to be able to ward off evil in the dim light.

The hilt of the sword is wrapped with dark brown ancient vines, and a small Tai Chi seal is cast on the pommel. When you hold it, a dignified and righteous aura rises from your palm.

He looked down and saw that the writing on the scroll had been refreshed:

[Martial Skill: Dragon-Slaying Sword (Low-grade Earth Rank; Mastery 2000/30000)]

"It's actually a low-level martial skill!"

Lu Ming couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The scene that appeared in the mind seal just now was clearly the scene of the Great Teacher slaying the dragon when he was young.

At that time, he was not even a martial artist, but with a heart full of indignation, he studied on his own for several years, not only forging a precious sword, but also creating a ground-level martial art.

He was utterly amazed by such talent.

"Great Teacher... what exactly do you want?"

Considering the actions of the Taiping Dao nowadays, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He could hardly believe that the upright and gentle Taoist priest was now a wicked Taoist priest colluding with demons.

"Never mind... what does it have to do with me!"

He suddenly pulled out the gourd from his waist and drank the last mouthful of Dragon Tiger Wine.

"Boom—!"

The heat rises from the stomach, tempering the muscles and skin, and slowly seeping into the bones.