How Am I Supposed to Go On Living Like This?

Ma Kui's eyes bulged wide, and his head buzzed.

His face turned deathly pale.

Hadn't the information said Fang Ming was escorting the death-row prisoner?

How had it become Shen Qing?

Had he been set up?

A shadow of a fist rapidly filled Ma Kui's pupils.

Ma Kui twisted his body with difficulty, swiftly raising a one-handed hammer wrapped in true qi before his chest.

You're Xiantian, and so am I. Why should I fear you?

Even if I can't beat you, can't I still run?

But the next instant, the hammer in his hand shattered on impact. It did not hinder Shen Qing in the slightest, breaking into several pieces like tofu in the blink of an eye.

And Shen Qing's fist-force did not diminish, punching straight through Ma Kui's right chest.

Ma Kui's pupils abruptly protruded, bloodshot veins swiftly swallowing the whites of his eyes.

Shen Qing withdrew his fist. Ma Kui instantly lost his support, staggered back two steps, and collapsed onto the ground.

"Th-This... how is that possible?"

This hammer of his had been forged from specially made steel from the Tiangong Workshop. Even a Xiantian Realm peak expert would not find it easy to shatter.

Yet before Shen Qing, it had not lasted even an instant. Was he some ferocious beast?

Shen Qing turned back and lightly pointed a finger. A stream of true qi entered Scholar's chest, and Scholar suddenly woke up, sitting bolt upright and rubbing his temples.

"Strange, why did I pass out?"

The instant Ma Kui had flung out the steel pellets, Shen Qing had used true qi to protect the backs of the four men's necks. Ma Kui could not possibly harm them.

But why had they passed out? Naturally, Shen Qing had knocked them unconscious with his true qi.

A performance had to be carried through to the end.

Shen Qing's expression was cold, as was his voice.

"Ma Kui, you hijacked a prison cart while armed, attacked a Hundred-Household Officer, and attempted to assassinate an Imperial Guards Captain. Your crimes have been compounded. I hereby sentence you to immediate execution."

Upon hearing Shen Qing's words, Scholar looked at Ma Kui on the ground and immediately understood. He hurriedly got to his feet, pulled out the Book of Impermanence from his robes, and began recording.

Ma Kui struggled to cover the wound in his chest with his hand, but it was completely useless. If he could not stop the bleeding within the time it took to burn an incense stick, he would certainly die.

He raised his head and looked at Shen Qing.

"I was wrong... I beg you, spare me. I never meant to attack... I thought Fang Ming was leading the escort..."

Scholar pondered for a moment before beginning to write.

'Ma Kui fully confessed to his crimes and even made wild threats to kill Fang Ming, the Banner Commander.'

Shen Qing said, "I heard you obtained a Hundred-Household Officer position at the Pacification Bureau in Qiushui City. You could have slipped away and served as a Hundred-Household Officer. Wouldn't that have been good enough?"

Tears streamed from the corners of Ma Kui's eyes, and the regret in his gaze was impossible to conceal.

That was right. Wouldn't it have been better to simply leave?

He could have gone to Qiushui City and become a Hundred-Household Officer. Even if he had been poached away, he had still broken through to Xiantian and become a Hundred-Household Officer. His days would not have been bad. Why had he let a moment of greed cloud his mind?

"I was wrong... Lord Shen, I truly was wrong. I beg you, spare my life. I'll go to Qiushui City immediately. I'll never appear before you again... I'm willing to give you all my money..."

Scholar wrote another entry in the Book of Impermanence: 'Ma Kui said the Pacification Bureau in Qiushui City was wonderful and wished he could report for duty immediately.'

"There are not so many chances to choose in life. If you choose wrong, you must bear the bitter fruit."

Ma Kui still wanted to beg for mercy, but Shen Qing could no longer be bothered to listen. He shaped his fingers into a peak and lightly pointed. A stream of true qi pierced straight through Ma Kui's heart. Then, with another light swipe, Ma Kui's head parted ways with his body.

Pacification Bureau.

Shen Qing personally sent Sun Yun to the execution ground, while Black Dog wielded the blade.

The entire process flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water, taking less than half an hour.

Under normal procedure, an important prisoner like this would be handed over to the authorities for public execution after interrogation by the Imperial Guards.

But the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was too important. Naturally, Shen Qing could not let anyone else take over.

The authorities had repeatedly requested permission even to bring Sun Yun out for a public beheading. Otherwise, Sun Yun would never have left the Pacification Bureau's prison alive.

Shen Qing stood quietly amid the crowd, watching Sun Yun's head fall to the ground.

[Your subordinate has killed a Xiantian Realm cultivator. Congratulations, you have successfully plundered the trait: Sleight of Hand (Blue)]

Just then, a slightly surprised voice rang out behind him.

"Shen Qing? Why are you here?"

It was Hundred-Household Officer Zhang Shan. Shen Qing had a decent impression of him. At the very least, Zhang Shan did not put on official airs or act high and mighty, and he had sent Silver Crows to lend Shen Qing a hand the night before last.

"Aren't you here too?"

Zhang Shan laughed heartily. "I'm just here to watch the excitement. I heard Cloud-Piercing Hand had been caught, so I came to take a look. I also wanted to see that newly appointed Hundred-Household Officer in the western district. He caught Cloud-Piercing Hand as soon as he took office—that's truly impressive!"

As he spoke, Zhang Shan looked around. "Hey, have you seen that Hundred-Household Officer? I heard he's rather handsome."

The moment he said that, both the Banner Commander beside Zhang Shan and Shen Qing could barely keep it together.

The Banner Commander moved closer to Zhang Shan.

"My lord, Lord Shen Qing is the newly appointed Hundred-Household Officer of the western district."

Zhang Shan was instantly stunned. He looked at Shen Qing, then at the Banner Commander, his voice rising several notches.

"No, you knew the newly appointed Hundred-Household Officer was Shen Qing, so why didn't you tell me?"

The Banner Commander immediately looked aggrieved. "My lord, I wanted to say so, but you said, 'Who cares who he is? I'm helping him make a show of strength anyway.' I thought you didn't care."

Zhang Shan lightly rapped the Banner Commander on the head. "Nonsense."

Then he looked at Shen Qing, his eyes full of curiosity. "Look at this mess. I never expected you to rise through the ranks so quickly."

"Do you have some secret?"

"You can't keep it to yourself. Hurry up and teach me. I want to improve so badly..."

Shen Qing smiled faintly. "It was merely a fortunate coincidence."

Zhang Shan lifted his head to look at the sky, his face full of resentment. "A coincidence? It really was a coincidence. Not long ago, you obtained the Blood-Swallowing Wood Crystal Core, and now you caught Sun Yun right after taking office. Why don't I have that kind of luck?"

"It's all fate. By catching Sun Yun, the Pacification Bureau should give you at least three hundred Merit Points, right? Use those three hundred Merit Points to exchange for some treasure fruits, and you'll be able to advance another step in the Xiantian Realm. It's all luck, ah... wait a moment..."

"Xiantian... Xiantian..."

Zhang Shan suddenly leaped up. "Xiantian?! You broke through to Xiantian?"

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes, immediately picking out the key point in Zhang Shan's words. Merit Points? What were Merit Points?

How he had broken through to Xiantian was not important.

Shen Qing waved a hand. "It was just luck, but that isn't important. Tell me first: what are Merit Points?"

Zhang Shan's eyes widened like copper bells. That was not important?

It had not even been ten days since they had last met, had it?

Zhang Shan could not help asking himself.

How long had it taken him to cultivate from the Houtian Realm to the Xiantian Realm?

There was no need even to mention the first level of the Houtian Realm. Just breaking through from the ninth level of the Houtian Realm to the Xiantian Realm had taken him several years.

Yet Shen Qing had taken only a few days?

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