Outlaws of the Green Forest

Opportunities and risks often appear together.

Most people consider the opportunities, but Zhou Yi was the opposite.

The Azure Sky King was clearly up to no good. Ordinary people, for the sake of divine skills, would be willing to take the risk.

Learning supreme divine skills would allow one to advance to Innate in ten years and become a Grandmaster of a generation.

"This plot feels a bit familiar?"

Zhou Yi shrugged. He wasn't the son of some great expert, nor did his ancestors have deep-seated grudges waiting to be avenged. Compared to a protagonist chosen by fate, he was more like a petty villain who abused prisoners to make money.

"So, I'm content with getting a telepathic secret art for free!"

Zhou Yi carried a bucket into Cell A-2, where the Yellow Sky King was imprisoned.

The layout of the cells was similar. The Yellow Sky King was locked on the rack, his hair disheveled, his Taoist robe stained with black and red blood.

His arms were twisted like noodles, broken in countless places. All ten fingers had been chopped off, leaving only bare palms.

"Heavenly King, time for a meal."

Zhou Yi used the telepathic secret art. As expected, the Black Armor Guards on duty at the door didn't react.

The Yellow Sky King paused slightly, then continued to drink his meal as if nothing had happened, inquiring telepathically.

"Who are you? Are you here to save this poor Taoist?"

"No."

Zhou Yi's mind raced as he replied, "Inviting the Heavenly King to ascend to heaven!"

"This poor Taoist should have known long ago that those aristocratic families are just weathercocks, leaning with the east wind when it's strong, and with the west wind when it's strong..." the Yellow Sky King muttered to himself.

Zhou Yi frowned slightly, not continuing the deception.

After delivering the meal, he went to find Warden Zheng, saying he had caught a cold and requesting a month or two of leave.

"You fellow, you're like an old turtle!"

Warden Zheng waved his hand, not making things difficult for Zhou Yi.

Spring Breeze Pavilion.

The sound of singing and dancing, the swaying of red sleeves.

It was already full before evening, as today was the day to judge the courtesan of the year.

The Pleasure Quarter introduced ten or twenty pure maidens, showcasing their talents in turn: zither, chess, dance, calligraphy, painting, and poetry. Two or three would be eliminated every ten days, and the last one remaining would be the top courtesan.

These rounds of selection earned even more than arranging a maiden's first night.

Wealthy merchants and magnates showered money without blinking an eye to support the beauties, with countless red silk fabrics being tossed about after each song.

"Miss Nongyu's zither skills are unparalleled! A reward!"

A fat man with ten jade rings on his hands waved and scattered a stack of silver notes.

"Miss Lianxiang's poems have spread throughout Shenjing, surpassing most scholars; she should be first!"

The speaker was a scholar who couldn't scatter money like the fat man, so he called on his friends and classmates for support, creating quite a stir.

"What dog fart poetry? Someone said long ago that Lianxiang paid someone to buy it from outside."

"Don't slander people's reputations with nonsense! My father is a judge in the capital's yamen; I'll have you arrested if you dare to slander again!"

"A mere judge dares to be arrogant? This young master is in Marquis Weiyuan's Estate; come and arrest me if you dare!"

"Crude!"

"Waste!"

"..."

Shenjing was the capital of the Fengyang Kingdom, where you could hit a sixth-rank official by throwing a brick, so a mere judge really wasn't much. However, once a noble was cursed, scholars would immediately come to his aid, creating a surge of public sentiment.

The madam's eyes were squinted with laughter as she saw the dispute escalating.

Nothing major could happen under the emperor's feet. The shills mixed in the crowd on both sides would guide the conversation, and ultimately the victory or defeat would fall on the courtesan competition.

This kind of infighting would earn at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!

Second floor private room.

The side facing the stage downstairs had no walls, so one could clearly see the performances of the pure maidens. When tired, one could lower the brocade curtains and discuss tea and Dao with the girls.

Zhou Yi was half-reclined on a soft couch, with women on both sides, pouring wine and serving dishes.

From time to time, he would tell jokes he had heard in his previous life, and the two girls with low laughter thresholds would let out clear giggles.

Then he would tell a tragic love story, and the girls would empathize and shed tears.

"This is the real blessing!"

Zhou Yi nestled among the jade and leaned on the fragrance, enjoying himself immensely.

After taking paid sick leave from the Heavenly Prison, Zhou Yi removed his old-age makeup, changed into a young and handsome appearance, and stayed in the Spring Breeze Pavilion for more than half a month.

It's easier to make someone look older than younger with disguise techniques.

Thanks to his Longevity talent, Zhou Yi stopped growing after adulthood. Zhou Yi only needed to slightly alter his skin tone, face shape, and voice, and even if Zhang Zhou were reborn, he wouldn't recognize him.

Few of the other prison guards in the Heavenly Prison remembered what Zhou Yi looked like when he was young.

"I'm like a ghost, an immortal ghost, wandering in the mortal world!"

Zhou Yi swirled his wine glass and murmured, "Empires or royal families, civil officials or military generals, peerless geniuses or those who hold sway over the court, are all just fleeting clouds!"

The Yellow Sky King is colluding with the southern aristocratic families. The Heavenly Prison has become a powder keg. He'll go back after the storm passes.

Clang!

A loud noise, followed by a woman's scream, interrupted Zhou Yi's thoughts.

"I've got plenty of silver. I can sleep with whoever I want. Are you looking down on me?"

The man speaking was short and fat, but his strength was surprisingly great. He shattered the table with a palm strike and scolded the madam while gripping her neck.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The madam couldn't speak, feeling like her neck was about to break.

"Where did this bumpkin come from, daring to cause trouble at the Spring Breeze Pavilion!" Before the words finished, a figure arrived, the blade aimed straight at the man's neck, with no intention of holding back.

"We are the Desert North Twins, not bumpkins."

The short, fat man threw down the madam, his body bouncing off the ground like a ball. He spun in the air, deflecting the blade, and collided head-on with the swordsman.

Bang! Bang!

Several loud sounds echoed as the swordsman crashed into the wall and slowly slid down.

He spat out several mouthfuls of blood, mixed with fragments of internal organs, twitched a few times, and fell silent.

The madam was pale with fright and trembling. The swordsman was a retainer of the behind-the-scenes owner, a man of steel and iron bones, yet he couldn't even last a round. She didn't dare say anything else, even if she wouldn't sell.

"Nongyu, why aren't you serving this master!"

"Hahahaha!"

The short, fat man laughed heartily, grabbed Nongyu's collar, and with a few leaps, he actually took her away.

The Spring Breeze Pavilion's staff skillfully carried away the swordsman's corpse, cleaned up the blood, and replaced the tables and chairs, as if nothing had happened.

A moment later.

The guests returned to their lively atmosphere, continuing to play music and dance.

"How many first-rate experts is that now?"

Zhou Yi, hanging around the Spring Breeze Pavilion, had seen several first-rate experts in half a month, including some whose depths he couldn't fathom, who were very likely top experts in the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Brothels and taverns have the most well-informed news. The day after the Azure Sky King was imprisoned, people were already discussing it.

Fifteen years ago, the Azure Sky King was just an ordinary disciple of the Great River Gang, with mediocre Martial Path talent.

While escorting goods by boat, he accidentally found a divine skill inheritance in the river. In just ten years, he broke through to become an Innate Grandmaster. If he hadn't encountered Grand Marshal Li Wu, no one in the Fengyang Kingdom could have stopped him. At the very least, he could have secured half the country!

The rumors spread extremely quickly, clearly with someone fueling the flames.

People in the martial world aren't interested in rebelling and becoming kings, but they can't resist the temptation of divine skills. Experts from all over the Fengyang Kingdom are gathering in Shenjing.

"Aristocratic families, ah, aristocratic families, you all deserve to be executed!"

Zhou Yi shook his head gently and opened his mouth to eat the grape that the girl had peeled for him.

That night.

The stars and moon were dim, and dark clouds covered the sky.

A fire suddenly broke out in the Court of Judicial Review, quickly spreading to dozens of pavilions.

The towering flames turned the sky dark red, and the patrol division's manpower was simply unable to do anything.

The Court of Judicial Review contained many important documents. The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately ordered the mobilization of the Heavenly Prison's imperial guards to assist. The Heavenly Prison was right next to the Court of Judicial Review. After receiving the order, the commander of the imperial guards immediately dispatched troops to put out the fire.

Not long after the imperial guards left, dozens of figures appeared outside the Heavenly Prison.

Tall, short, fat, and thin, each had a strange appearance.

Monks and Taoists, showing no compassion, were clearly ferocious.

The Heavenly Prison's gate was made of refined steel, and the walls on all sides were a full ten feet thick, impossible for even an Innate Grandmaster to break open.

"When will the gate open?"

"Half a quarter of an hour to go."

"Hehehe, Big Head Ghost, didn't you say only idiots would come?"

"You two big dumb bears, you're the idiots!"

"One Cave of Ghosts, after this is over, I'll send you to see King Yama."

"..."

Just as they were talking, a loud noise came from ahead.

Boom!

The gate of the Heavenly Prison collapsed in response. It wasn't that the refined steel gate had been broken, but rather that gunpowder had been used to blow apart the doorposts from the inside.

The guards on duty in the prison looked bewildered, while the Black Armor Guards had already begun to form ranks.

"Kill!"

A long whistle rang out, and dozens of figures rushed into the prison gate at lightning speed.

"Bold! This is the Heavenly Prison, a place of utmost importance! Those who charge it will have their nine generations exterminated..."

Before the Black Armor Guard commander could finish speaking, a flying needle dart pierced through his armor, shattering his heart.

The hundreds of Black Armor Guards mounted their warhorses, and their momentum could kill even those at the Marrow Cleansing Realm. However, on foot, it became a one-sided massacre.

What's more, among the crowd attacking that night, there was more than one top-tier expert.

"Haha... a satisfying kill!"

The short, fat man's weapons were two copper hammers, each with a head the size of a human head. He charged into the prison, smashing around wildly. Guards were injured if they were grazed and died if they were hit. In an instant, more than twenty people were buried beneath his hammers.

Red and white matter covered the hammerheads. He licked them with his tongue, becoming even more crazed as he killed.

The short, fat man was the first to reach Cell A-1, raising his hammer and smashing the prison bars to pieces.

"Azure Sky King, I've come to save you!"

"The Desert North Twins..."

The Azure Sky King slowly raised his head. Beneath his disheveled hair was a handsome face.

"You're not the Azure Sky King?"

The short, fat man had never met the Azure Sky King, but he had heard people say that the leader of the Jiangnan Martial Alliance was a wrinkled old geezer.

Suddenly, his heart trembled, his eyes filled with horror, and he stammered, "You're the God of Slaughter, Li Wu!"

"You bear isn't completely stupid."

Li Wu gently shook, and the iron chains binding his limbs opened on their own.

"I don't care who you are, you're going to die!"

The short, fat man spoke fiercely, but he threw his two copper hammers and turned to run like a bouncing ball.

"I heard you like to watch dogs eat people. Tomorrow, this general will find hunting dogs to see how many you can feed."

Li Wu's figure flashed, instantly appearing behind the short, fat man. He flicked his fingers repeatedly, and invisible streams of energy shattered the man's limbs. With a gentle wave, innate true energy sealed the acupoints all over his body.

Outside the prison gate, several experts looked as if they had seen a ghost when they saw Li Wu.

"Retreat!"

"This is a trap!"

However, it was too late. Li Wu passed by several people, and they all fell to the ground, dead.

"Li Wu, you're ruthless!"

The speaker had white hair and a flowing blue Taoist robe, a highly skilled master of inner energy from the Daoist sect.

Li Wu slowly said, "From today onwards, all true disciples and lay disciples of Jiangnan Tianyi Temple and Golden Light Temple will be charged with treason!"

"Amitabha!"

The monk held a convenient shovel, golden inner energy radiating from his body, like a Vajra in the world.

"There's no escape, let's attack together!"

The Impermanence Ghost's hands were as black as ink, emitting a foul-smelling poisonous gas, and he moved through the prison like a phantom.

"Below the Innate Realm, all are ants!"

A cyan longsword suddenly appeared in Li Wu's hand. Driven by innate true energy, it flipped and turned nimbly in the air, cutting the Impermanence Ghost into two pieces.

The Taoist and the monk didn't last more than a few moves before they died under the flying sword!

The remaining Jianghu experts no longer had the will to resist. They threw away their weapons and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy