How am I supposed to live like this?

Ma Kui's eyes widened to an incredible degree, his head buzzing.

His face turned deathly pale.

Weren't we told Fang Ming was escorting the death row inmate?

Why is it Shen Qing instead?

Was I set up?

A fist shadow rapidly enlarged in Ma Kui's pupils.

Ma Kui struggled to twist his body, quickly channeling True Qi into a single-handed hammer and holding it before his chest.

You're Xiantian, I'm Xiantian too, why should I fear you?

Even if I can't beat you, can't I at least run away?

But the next moment, the hammer in his hand shattered. It didn't even slow Shen Qing down, breaking into several pieces like tofu in an instant.

Furthermore, Shen Qing's punch, with undiminished momentum, pierced directly through Ma Kui's right chest.

Ma Kui's pupils bulged, bloodshot quickly taking over the white parts of his eyes.

Shen Qing retracted his fist, and Ma Kui lost his support, staggering back two steps before collapsing onto the ground.

"How... how is this possible?"

His hammer was forged from special steel by the Tiangong Workshop; even a peak Xiantian Realm expert would have difficulty shattering it.

Yet, in front of Shen Qing, it couldn't even hold for a moment. Is he a ferocious beast?

Shen Qing turned and reached out, gently tapping the scholar's chest. A surge of True Qi entered the scholar, who suddenly jolted awake, sitting up and rubbing his temples.

"Strange, why did I pass out?"

The moment Ma Kui threw the steel balls, Shen Qing had already shielded the four of them with True Qi at the back of their necks. Ma Kui couldn't have harmed them.

But why did they pass out? Naturally, Shen Qing had used True Qi to knock them unconscious.

The act must be thorough.

Shen Qing's expression was cold, and his voice was equally frigid.

"Ma Kui, you used a weapon to hijack a prisoner transport, assaulted a Centurion, and attempted to assassinate an Imperial Guards Colonel. Your crimes are compounded. I sentence you to immediate execution."

The scholar heard Shen Qing's words, looked at Ma Kui on the ground, and quickly reacted. He scrambled to his feet, pulled out the Book of Impermanence from his robes, and began to record.

Ma Kui struggled to cover the wound on his chest with his hand, but it was useless. If he couldn't stop the bleeding within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he would surely die.

He looked up at Shen Qing.

"I was wrong... Please, I beg you, spare me. I didn't intend to attack... I thought Fang Ming was leading the escort..."

The scholar pondered for a moment before starting to write.

Ma Kui confessed to his crimes and even boasted of killing Commander Fang Ming.

Shen Qing: "I heard you also secured a Centurion position at the Qiushui City Pacification Bureau. Why sneak away? Wouldn't being a Centurion be good enough?"

Tears streamed down Ma Kui's eyes, his regret unconcealable.

Right, wouldn't it have been better to just leave?

Going to Qiushui City to be a Centurion, even if he was poached, he had broken through to Xiantian and become a Centurion. His life would be set. Why did he have to be momentarily foolish?

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

The scholar wrote again in the Book of Impermanence: Ma Kui spoke highly of the Qiushui City Pacification Bureau and wished to take up his post immediately.

"Life doesn't offer that many chances for choices. Choose wrongly, and you must bear the consequences."

Ma Kui tried to beg further, but Shen Qing had no more patience. He formed his finger into a peak and gently tapped, sending a surge of True Qi directly through Ma Kui's heart. With another light slash, Ma Kui's head was separated from his body.

Pacification Bureau.

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

The entire process was swift and seamless, completed in less than half an hour.

According to normal procedure, important prisoners were handed over to the yamen for public execution after interrogation by the Imperial Guards.

However, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was of great importance, and Shen Qing naturally wouldn't let anyone else handle it.

It was only after repeated requests from the yamen that they were allowed to bring him for execution; otherwise, Sun Yun would never have left the Pacification Bureau's prison alive.

Shen Qing stood quietly in the crowd, watching Sun Yun's head fall.

[Your subordinate has killed a Xiantian Realm cultivator. Congratulations on successfully plundering the trait: Sleight of Hand (Blue).]

Just then, a slightly surprised voice sounded from behind him.

"Shen Qing? What are you doing here?"

It was Centurion Zhang Shan. Shen Qing had a decent impression of him; he wasn't arrogant and didn't put on airs. He had even dispatched Silver Crows to assist him the night before.

"Aren't you here too?"

Zhang Shan chuckled, "I just came to watch the excitement. I heard that the Cloud-Piercing Hand was arrested, so I thought I'd stop by to see the new Centurion in the west of the city. Arresting the Cloud-Piercing Hand right after taking office, that's truly impressive!"

As he spoke, Zhang Shan looked around. "Hey, have you seen that Centurion? I heard he's quite handsome."

As soon as he said this, the Commander and Shen Qing, who were following Zhang Shan, could barely contain themselves.

The Commander leaned closer to Zhang Shan.

"My Lord, Shen Qing is the newly appointed Centurion in the west of the city."

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

"What? You knew the new Centurion was Shen Qing and you didn't tell me?"

The Commander looked aggrieved. "My Lord, I wanted to tell you, but you said no matter who it was, you'd help out. I thought you didn't care."

Zhang Shan lightly tapped the Commander's head. "Nonsense."

He then looked at Shen Qing, his eyes full of curiosity. "Look at this mess. I never expected you to get promoted so quickly!"

"Is there some secret?"

"You can't keep it to yourself, teach me quickly, I really want to improve..."

Shen Qing smiled calmly. "It was just a coincidence."

Zhang Shan looked up at the sky, full of melancholy. "Coincidence? It is indeed a coincidence. Not long ago, I got the Blood-Swallowing Wood Crystal Core, and now I've arrested Sun Yun right after taking office. Why don't I have such luck?"

"It's all about luck. You arrested this Sun Yun, and the Pacification Bureau must have given you at least three hundred Merit Points, right? If you use these three hundred Merit Points to exchange for some precious fruits, you can advance further in the Xiantian Realm. This is all luck, ah, hmm... wait a moment..."

"Xiantian... Xiantian..."

Zhang Shan jumped up abruptly. "Xiantian!!!? You broke through to Xiantian?"

Shen Qing's eyes narrowed, and he immediately focused on the key point in the language: Merit Points? What are Merit Points?

How he broke through to Xiantian was not important.

Shen Qing waved his hand. "It was just luck, but that's not important. First, tell me, what are Merit Points?"

Zhang Shan's eyes widened like copper bells. This wasn't important?

The last time I saw you was less than ten days ago, wasn't it?

Zhang Shan couldn't help but ask himself.

How long did it take me to cultivate from the Houtian Realm to the Xiantian Realm?

Let alone Houtian Realm Level 1, even breaking through from Houtian Realm Level 9 to the Xiantian Realm took me several years.

And you did it in just a few days?

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