If you don't bring disaster to the world, what kind of henchman are you to be?

"Can."

Zhu Qing stepped forward and flicked open the copper lock on the wooden box.

In an instant, a cold light shone into his eyes, and the chilling coldness gave him goosebumps.

Inside was a six-foot-long goose-feather saber, its entire body a dark, silvery-gray, with a smooth, flowing blade and a built-in blood groove.

The hilt is shaped like a swallow, and the handle is elongated, seemingly designed for two-handed grip.

Good knife.

With just one glance, Zhu Qing determined that this was a superior knife, far surpassing the one he currently used.

The old man beside him stroked his beard and chuckled, saying, "This knife is called Gray Winter. It is forged from top-grade black iron and fine steel. It combines the lightness of a goose feather knife with the powerful armor-piercing ability of a Miao knife. Minister Chen's family has a large collection of weapons, and this knife is enough to rank in the top ten."

"I am honored that you, Commander Zhu, have bravely captured the flower thief. Your merits are great, and I have specially sent this old man with this knife to express my gratitude to you."

Zhu Qing smiled slightly: "How could I possibly accept that?"

As he spoke, he reached out and grasped it, immediately feeling its weight; he estimated it to be at least eighty pounds.

Fortunately, he is currently at the mid-stage of the Body Refinement realm; if his cultivation were any lower, he would probably find it very difficult to use.

Swish!

Swish!

After a simple wave, whether holding it with one hand or two, the feel was excellent.

As the saying goes, a good horse needs a good saddle; acquiring this divine weapon is like adding wings to a tiger.

"Please convey my thanks to Minister Chen on my behalf, sir."

Zhu Qing sheathed his sword and casually slung it around his waist.

"Of course, of course."

The old man smiled, narrowed his eyes, jogged a few steps forward, and lowered his voice, saying, "Commander Zhu, what do you plan to do with that flower thief?"

Zhu Qinghuan said, "According to the law, we will detain them first, and after interrogation, we will send them to the Dali Temple for sentencing."

"Could it be sent directly to the Chen residence?"

"Um?"

Zhu Qing was somewhat surprised and whispered, "Does Vice Minister Chen intend to handle this himself?"

"Hehe, that makes sense."

The old man stopped beating around the bush and said frankly, "Commander Zhu, you may not know this, but this lecherous scoundrel has brought shame upon the Chen family. Lord Chen has long wanted to skin him alive."

"Now that he's been captured, if we follow the previous procedure, he'll at most be executed in the autumn. It would be too lenient for him to be executed so easily."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qing felt that what he said made sense.

If he were in the position of Minister Chen, he would do the same if his unmarried daughter were defiled by this lecherous scoundrel.

What could be more satisfying than personally killing this beast?

Besides, he had just accepted the knife from the other party, so he had to do the job.

"Yes, that lecherous thief is locked up in jail. Minister Chen can send someone to retrieve him at any time."

"That's great!"

Upon hearing this, the old man beamed with joy and said, "I will immediately go back and report to the Vice Minister, Commander Zhu. My Chen family accepts this favor!"

"If you ever need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"Of course, of course."

Zhu Qing smiled and agreed.

Not only did he solve the major case of womanizing, obtaining five hundred taels of silver and a top-quality weapon, but he also became on good terms with Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of War.

This is a winning streak!

……

After the old man left, Zhu Qing summoned the panel in his mind.

[Realm Level: Mid-stage Body Refinement (Minor Success 43/100)]

Martial Arts: White Ape Skill (Minor Success 43/100)

Thunder Blade Technique (Mastery 50/100)

Wild Goose Movement (Dacheng 50/100),

[Jade-Crushing Finger (Beginner 15/100)]

[Attribute value: 1]

Although I didn't gain any attribute points from last night's battle, fighting against a master has improved my skills in all martial arts.

"Now that we have obtained excellent weapons, we can focus on practicing our swordsmanship."

"We've run out of tiger bone powder; go get a few more doses of better medicine!"

Zhu Qing regained her composure and headed straight for the Rejuvenating Pharmacy.

In martial arts, talent is the first consideration, and resources are the second. The former is innate; you either have it or you don't. The latter depends purely on financial resources and luck.

Zhu Qing has already saved up a lot of silver. Money is a stubborn thing if it's not spent, so he naturally needs some good medicine to help with his cultivation.

Huichun Pharmacy.

"Master Zhu, you've arrived!"

As soon as he stepped through the gate, the young apprentice who had been there earlier quickly and respectfully greeted him. His chubby face was full of endearing smiles, which was quite charming.

"It's been a few days since I last saw you, Master Zhu. You've become even more handsome and dashing."

"It can talk."

Zhu Qing patted his head, and with a flick of his wrist, threw a tael of silver in front of him, which immediately made his eyes light up as he caught it steadily with both hands.

"Thank you, Master Zhu! You're so generous!"

Is Physician Duanmu available?

"Yes, yes."

The young medicine boy happily tucked the tip into his pocket, then bent down and pulled back the curtain of the backyard gate.

"My master is currently studying a medical book; I'll take you there!"

Duanmu Yun, born in Qingxi, was a renowned medical expert in the capital.

The young apprentice led him to a brick and tile house in the backyard and gently knocked on the door: "Master, Lord Zhu from the Northern Garrison Command requests an audience."

A moment later, a sound came from inside the door.

"Let him in."

Zhu Qing then pushed open the door and entered.

The room was simply furnished, with no valuable decorations, and mostly rows of bookshelves.

Sunlight streamed through the sunny window, making the whole room bright and cheerful. Duanmu Yun sat by the window, writing medical books with a fine brush in her hand.

She is forty years old now, but time has not left any marks on her face. She still has bright eyes and white teeth, and a graceful figure. She wears a simple gray dress, but the fabric is soft and obviously made of high-quality silk, which complements her figure very well.

"Senior Duanmu, please forgive my intrusion." Zhu Qing clasped his hands in greeting.

Duanmu Yun put down her pen, stood up, glanced at him, and said leisurely, "Commander Zhu is a regular customer of our shop, no need for formalities, please sit down."

"Young man, serve tea."

"Okay, Master!"

The young apprentice scurried out to pour tea, while Zhu Qing sat opposite him.

"I hope you won't come here unless you have something important to say. Please speak." Duanmu Yun's gaze was indifferent.

Zhu Qing got straight to the point: "Nothing else, I just want Physician Duanmu to prescribe some medicine to aid my cultivation. Money is no object."

Besides her superb acupuncture skills, Duanmu Yun was also famous in the capital for her amazing medicine-making techniques.

Most ordinary doctors have fixed prescriptions for medicated patches.

Unlike Duanmu Yun, she can formulate the most suitable medicinal patch formula based on the martial artist's own condition and cultivation needs.

Simply put, it can be customized to perfectly suit the individual cultivator, minimizing or even completely eliminating the side effects of the herbal medicine.

As the saying goes, every medicine has some toxicity. Her skill was even more admirable than acupuncture. Many martial artists in the capital had sought her help to make prescriptions, including many masters.

"Alright, I understand."

Duanmu Yun did not refuse, and continued, "In that case, please, Lord Zhu, remove your clothes and demonstrate what you have learned."

"Take off your clothes?" Zhu Qing was taken aback when she heard this.

Do I have to go streaking just to get a prescription?

Duanmu Yun quietly explained, "Every cultivator's constitution is different. If I want to prescribe a perfectly suitable medicine, I need to understand your cultivation level as much as possible."

Zhu Qing understood immediately, and it made sense. She got up and took off her shirt, but paused when it came to taking off her pants.

"...Do I have to take this off too?"

"Only underwear."

Duanmu Yun spoke with her eyes fixed straight ahead.