From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Wang Zhenshan pushed open the door and entered, followed closely by Zhu Hong.

The room was simply furnished with a desk, a few chairs, and a landscape painting hanging on the wall, its brushstrokes light and simple.

The official in the blue robe sitting in the center of the grand chair, holding a scroll of documents in his hand, was none other than Gu Huai'an, the registrar. Beside him sat Liu Kui, the dark-faced head constable.

When Wang Zhenshan entered, both of them simultaneously turned their gazes to Zhu Hong behind him.

Wang Zhenshan stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Registrar, Chief Constable."

Gu Huai'an nodded, but his gaze fell on Zhu Hong, looking him up and down.

Zhu Hong was also looking at him.

Their eyes met, and Gu Huai'an's lips curled up slightly in a half-smile. "Your name is Zhu Hong, right?"

Zhu Hong immediately bowed in respect:

"Returning to the clerk, it is indeed your subordinate."

Gu Huai'an hummed in agreement, set aside the scroll of documents in his hand, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "You're not bad, kid. Wu, the clerk in the Completion Department, has been talking to me about it several times. He said that when you came back from the Rift Valley last time, you dragged a bunch of monster corpses with you, which really scared him."

He said slowly, "What...what..."

"They kept rambling on about how a newly appointed constable had caught more fish than those old hands."

"Wu, the clerk from the Completion and Revenue Department?"

Zhu Hong's heart stirred slightly, but he remained outwardly calm, bowing and saying, "You flatter me, Your Excellency. I was just lucky to pick up a few lone ones."

"Just lucky?"

Gu Huai'an glanced at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Demon beasts are all ruthless eaters. Picking up one or two is luck, but picking up a whole bunch is beyond luck."

Zhu Hong didn't reply, he just stood there with his hands at his sides.

Gu Huai'an looked at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and turned to look at Liu Kui beside him.

"Old Liu."

This time, the government office has a promising newcomer.

Liu Kui raised his eyelids and glanced at Zhu Hong, his gaze icy and sharp like two scrapers. "The rough jade is not bad, but who dares to praise it until it is polished to the end?" He leaned back in his chair and said in a gruff voice, "In this government, those who die young, I've seen more than live to see."

Having said that, he glanced sideways at Zhu Hong:

"Kid, you'll remember this."

"It's true that I have a knife, but how I use it and where I cut is the real skill."

Zhu Hong felt a chill run down his spine.

The words may sound rough, but the principle is sound. He immediately bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Excellency's teachings will be remembered."

"Whether you remember it or not, it's useless to say it."

Liu Kui waved his hand: "Once you've done your job, we can talk about the future."

Gu Huai'an shook his head and chuckled, "Your mouth is like a knife; aren't you afraid of scaring young people?" Then, his smile faded, and he turned to Wang Zhenshan:

"Zhenshan, have you come with important business?"

Wang Zhenshan stepped forward, his usual casual demeanor gone: "Reporting to the Registrar, I do indeed have something to report."

Gu Huai'an nodded and pointed to the chair next to him:

"Sit down and tell me slowly."

Wang Zhenshan did not sit down. He glanced back at Zhu Hong, then turned to Gu Huai'an and said:

Last night, Zhu Hong went to the White Dragon Boat alone.

The room quieted down for a moment.

Liu Kui frowned slightly, and Gu Huai'an's smile faded a bit. How could the two of them not understand the hidden meaning in Wang Zhenshan's words? He must have something important waiting for him after he spoke like this.

"The White Dragon Pleasure Boat?"

Gu Huai'an's tone was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger, "What are you going there for?"

Wang Zhenshan paused for a moment, then uttered a startling statement:

"He shut down the charity hall."

Upon hearing this, Liu Kui's thick eyebrows furrowed, and he stared at Wang Zhenshan for a moment before asking suspiciously, "If the charity hall is shut down, what about Huo Qianshan?"

Wang Zhenshan said:

"Dead, not a single one left."

Liu Kui's doubts grew layer by layer. He knew Wang Zhenshan's personality; once he spoke, it was no empty talk. But the whole thing was still hard for him to believe.

A moment later, Liu Kui suddenly moved.

His figure flickered, as fast as a ghost.

Zhu Hong felt a blur before his eyes, and before he could react, a hand was already on his shoulder.

The hand moved down from his shoulder, pinched his arm, then traced his spine, finally pressing on his lower back. The pressure wasn't heavy, but it felt like a ruler, measuring his entire body from head to toe.

By the time Zhu Hong came to his senses, Liu Kui had already withdrawn his hand.

"Completely refining meat."

A glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. "Excellent aptitude and natural talent." He paused, then muttered to himself, "You're one of this year's selected officials, right?"

Wang Zhenshan said from the side:

"Yes."

Liu Kui didn't say anything more.

He stared intently at Zhu Hong, a hint of surprise lingering in his eyes, his gaze fixed on Zhu Hong, never wavering.

a long time.

Liu Kuicai suddenly spoke: "Swing your knife at me."

Zhu Hong frowned, a thought flashing through his mind, before his hand was already on the hilt of his knife.

He had heard that Captain Liu Kui was a martial artist at the Bone Refining Realm, and he had witnessed it just now. His movements were incredibly fast; he couldn't even touch his shadow. Even if he slashed with all his might, he would hardly be able to hurt such a top expert.

in this way.

What's there to be so dramatic about?

"Zheng—!"

The black blade was drawn, its cold light flashing, and a full-force slash aimed straight at Liu Kui's face.

Liu Kui remained motionless upon seeing this.

Just as the blade was about to strike his face, he casually raised his wrist, and two fingers suddenly shot out with extreme precision, gently pinching the blade.

"bite."

Its sound is clear and melodious, like striking jade.

The knife stopped.

Zhu Hong looked down and saw that Liu Kui's two fingers were clamping his blade.

Two fingers.

It wasn't a knife to block, nor a hand to catch; it was two fingers that gently and skillfully clamped it. No matter how much force Zhu Hong exerted, the black knife seemed to be welded to the opponent's fingers.

"Six stones."

Liu Kui held the blade between his fingers, focused his mind on sensing the energy for a moment, then released his grip. "The power of this strike is already comparable to that of a novice martial artist like Huo Qianshan." His tone was calm, revealing no emotion, but the fleeting surprise in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

"They certainly have the resources to contend with him."

After saying that, Liu Kui turned around and looked at Gu Huai'an. Their eyes met, and no one else could fathom the meaning between them.

"Zhu, Hong."

Gu Huai'an withdrew his gaze and landed on the young man, unconsciously clapping his hands lightly in praise, "What an extraordinary talent! Even in my most long life, this is the first time I've seen such a magnificent steed." He stared at Zhu Hong for a while before slowly asking:

"How did you acquire such cultivation?"

"The government office can't teach them."

Zhu Hong was prepared. When asked, he bowed and calmly replied, "Reporting to the Registrar, I recently entered the rift valley and fought a fierce battle with a demonic beast. When I was about to fall into its jaws, I suddenly saw golden light filling the sky. When I opened my eyes again, the demonic beast was gone. The immortal who saved me patted me on the head."

He spoke with a serious expression and a firm tone, as if he had experienced it firsthand:

"After that strike, I immediately felt my mind and soul clear."

I vaguely heard a sentence:

May you live forever.

Since then, martial arts training has progressed by leaps and bounds.