Merit-based card draws, quickly become a Heavenly Emperor

In the south of Yongqing County, Chief Constable Chen, steeling himself, knocked on a magnificent door.

The door opened a crack, and half a head peeked out; it was Butler Cao.

His face was still swollen, covered in bruises, his mouth was crooked, and he could barely speak.

"What are you doing here again?"

Constable Chen quickly cupped his hands, his face beaming with smiles: "Steward Cao, a tiger demon has appeared in Anping Town, causing heavy casualties among the people."

The county is short-handed and would like to borrow a few of your guards. Once the matter is settled…”

"Bullshit!"

Butler Cao's speech was unclear, yet his spittle flew far.

"What does it have to do with my Cao family that those country folk were bitten by tigers?"

My bodyguards are here to protect the house, not to hunt tigers for you!

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Officer Chen was extremely anxious and repeatedly bowed and pleaded.

"Steward Cao, that tiger demon has already killed five people. If this drags on any longer—"

"roll!"

Butler Cao pulled his head back, and with a bang, the door slammed shut and the latch fell.

Officer Chen stood outside the door, his smile frozen in place.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh, then turned and strode away.

At the county government office, the county magistrate, the county assistant magistrate, and the county constable all fled as quickly as possible, and the wealthy families and martial arts schools in the city wouldn't even let them in.

He could only try his luck at the county government office again; even if he couldn't get a word in, waiting at the door was still an option.

Just as he turned the corner, a hand landed on his shoulder from behind.

"Old Chen."

Officer Chen shuddered and turned around abruptly.

Standing before me was a burly man with a chiseled face and sharp, eagle-like eyes. He was dressed in a black outfit and had a standard-issue long sword hanging at his waist.

"Lord Guan!" Constable Chen's eyes welled up with tears, and his knees almost buckled.

The burly man remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "You said there are tigers causing trouble, when and where?"

Officer Chen took a deep breath and recounted the entire Anping Town massacre case and Fang Zheng's discoveries in detail.

After listening, the burly man didn't ask any further questions, only saying one word: "Go."

……

At dusk, a wine shop five miles outside Anping Town.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the horizon a dark red. In the open space in front of the wine shop, a group of people stood ready to depart.

Fang Zheng stood at the very front, his gray official robe fluttering in the twilight.

Behind him were six constables, all armed with knives and spears, two of whom were carrying military-grade crossbows.

Officer Chen counted the number of people on the side, a look of relief on his face.

"Lord Fang, this time we have confidence."

He strode over to Fang Zheng and said excitedly, "After I reported to the officials in the county government, the county magistrate and the county constable all declined to come."

Upon hearing that an eighth-rank tiger demon was causing trouble, all the wealthy households and martial arts schools in the county closed their doors to him.

Fortunately, Inspector Guan intervened and even managed to get two armor-piercing crossbows from the county magistrate.

With Lord Guan in charge, this tiger hunt is a sure thing!

Fang Zheng followed his gaze.

Beside the hitching post at the entrance of the wine shop stood a burly man.

This person is Guan Tieyi, a ninth-rank inspector.

He was a master who had just entered the eighth-rank [Meridian Opening] realm, and with the help of official qi and techniques, he was not considered weak among the eighth-rank masters.

Fang Zheng's heart skipped a beat. This person was working in the supervisory office. He wondered if he had any connection with Chu Tiankuo.

But now is not the time to inquire.

He stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Fangzheng, a ninth-rank official from the underworld. I greet Lord Guan."

Guan Tieyi waved his hand, his voice crisp and clear: "I came here to slay tigers and eliminate evil, I don't need any of those roundabout ways."

Fang Zheng didn't mind, turned to look at Constable Chen, and said solemnly, "Constable Chen, you have worked hard on this mission. The people of Anping Town will remember you after the tiger hunt."

Officer Chen gave a wry smile and waved his hand, "Lord Fang, please don't flatter me."

To be honest, all of us are native to Anping Town.

If a tiger is eating people right at our doorstep, and we just cower and pretend we didn't see it, wouldn't we be worthy of being called human?

Fang Zheng's gaze swept over the seven constables, each of them standing tall and proud, their eyes filled with murderous intent, not fear.

He nodded, picked up the large, rough porcelain bowl on the table, the coarse wine inside gleaming in the setting sun.

"Brothers, let's drink this wine and then go up the mountain to fight the tiger!"

He tilted his head back, the strong liquor went down his throat, burning like a knife.

"Let's go up the mountain to fight the tiger!" the crowd shouted in unison, and drank it all in one gulp.

The wine bowl slammed heavily on the table, making a dull thud.

With the addition of a hunter who volunteered to lead the way, the group of ten strode into the mountains under the setting sun.

At the entrance of the wine shop, the shopkeeper watched the group's retreating figures, feeling a surge of emotion welling up inside him, and secretly prayed for Fang Zheng and the others.

........

Once inside the mountains, Fang Zheng stopped the group and took out a lantern.

This is the "Shadow-Catching Lantern" he drew earlier.

The lantern is shaped like an ordinary oil paper lamp, with a pale yellow body, but the body is covered with dark red runes.

Fang Zheng took out the ghostly energy that had previously clung to the Soul-Binding Chains and threw it into the lamp. The light inside the lantern immediately pointed southwest.

"This way."

The group pushed through the dense forest, trudging deeper and deeper into the mountains.

As darkness fell and the mountain path became increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse, the weakest member of this group still possessed a cultivation level of the ninth rank.

Fang Zheng is further protected by his official robes, and his strength is enhanced at night, making him move with the speed of the wind, taking one step as fast as two steps for an ordinary person.

Guided by the shadow-catching lantern, Fang Zheng quickly found the location of the courier ghost, a deep, dark cave.

Fang Zheng released Liu Qingyu, letting her go in first to scout ahead.

A moment later, Liu Qingyu's voice echoed in his mind: "A giant, striped tiger is sleeping."

Their strength must be at least at the eighth rank, or higher.

In addition, three vengeful spirits stood guard nearby.

Fang Zheng regained his composure and explained the situation in a low voice.

The crowd formed a circle, and Guan Tieyi squatted on the ground, drawing a simple diagram with a twig.

"Tigers are nocturnal and sleep during the day; they're sleeping now, but they'll wake up soon."

Guan Tieyi pointed to the cave entrance, "I'll lure it out from the front, and you guys dig traps outside the cave entrance, with armor-piercing crossbows set up on both sides."

If it falls into a pit, beat it to death.

As for those three accomplices?

He looked at Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng nodded: "I'll handle it."

Without saying a word, everyone grabbed their weapons and started digging.

In less than half an hour, the trap was dug, and withered branches and leaves covered it, leaving no trace.

Everyone scattered and hid, holding their breath and staring intently at the cave entrance.

A low, rumbling snoring sound came from inside the cave, like muffled thunder.

Guan Tieyi stood up, picked up a fist-sized stone, and threw it into the cave entrance.

"Bang."

The stone hit the cave wall, bounced twice, and the snoring stopped abruptly.

After a moment of deathly silence, a tiger's roar exploded from the cave, causing leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

A foul, putrid stench wafted out of the cave entrance, making people want to vomit.

Without saying a word, Guan Tieyi turned and ran.

A giant, striped tiger leaped out of the cave and chased after Guan Tieyi.

The crowd was horrified. The tiger was over ten feet long from head to tail, and its four paws were bigger than a human head when they stepped on the ground.

Guan Tieyi sprinted at full speed, the man and the tiger rushing through the ambush circle one after the other, the tiger's front paws just stepping on the withered leaves.

"Boom!" The ground collapsed.

The tiger's massive body crashed into the pit, the wooden stakes at the bottom piercing its flesh. In pain, it let out a deafening roar, sending stones and dirt flying everywhere.