Sick of Living

Han Zheng had no idea Chen Zhao wanted to join his group for that very reason.

If he had known, he definitely would have said Li Jingzhong had led his disciple astray this time.

Cheating with hacks was not something just anyone could learn.

As Li Sancheng wrapped a red sash around his arm, he said regretfully, "I thought I'd get to wear a constable's uniform and patrol the streets. Didn't expect this was all we got."

Han Zheng shook his head. "That uniform is worse than not wearing one. How many people in Black Stone County don't curse the constables in the County Yamen? Wearing it is just asking to be cursed at."

Li Sancheng thought about it and felt that was true.

There were quite a few yamen runners in the County Yamen, but the constables alone had the worst reputation—so bad that everyone wanted to beat them up.

His father was also a yamen runner, but as a jailer, he stayed in the prison all year round and had little contact with ordinary people, so he was not cursed at instead.

"What should we do now?"

Li Sancheng and the others all looked at Han Zheng.

The four of them had practically tacitly accepted Han Zheng as their leader.

"According to Constable Zhang, we patrol every street, alley, and corner of Black Stone County one by one.

"We've lived in Black Stone County for over a decade. We might not recognize everyone in the county seat, but we know most of them.

"The moment we spot anyone suspicious, we send a signal to notify Constable Zhang."

Han Zheng's expression turned somewhat solemn. "You all saw the strength of those Incense Cult followers last time.

"Even ordinary followers possessed Houtian Late Stage strength. They're extremely dangerous, so don't try to show off."

There were not many disciples in the Martial Arts Academy, but their strength was generally quite good. They were far more useful than the previous constables in the County Yamen, who merely occupied their positions without doing any work.

With the County Yamen's notices posted and these Martial Arts Academy disciples patrolling the streets, all of Black Stone County instantly felt as though the wind whistled and every crane's cry sounded an alarm. Even in broad daylight, there were far fewer pedestrians on the streets.

Yet after searching for several days, they still found nothing, which made Zhang Tianyang somewhat anxious.

He knew that what he was doing was no longer fishing in troubled waters—it was startling the snake in the grass.

But there was no other choice. If he did not startle the snake, he truly had no time to slowly search for the Incense Cult's undercover agents.

Ten days later, on a somewhat desolate long street.

Li Sancheng no longer had the excited look he had worn when they first began patrolling. He looked rather dejected and bored.

They wandered the streets every day, checking Black Stone County over and over, day and night, yet they still found nothing.

He swayed his head as he looked around, then suddenly said in delight, "Zhang's Sesame Cakes is actually open! I'm going to buy some sesame cakes. Do you want any?"

Zhao Jinming and Wang Bao said at the same time, "Yes!"

Han Zheng yawned. "Get me one."

Chen Zhao hesitated, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Bring me one too."

Li Sancheng ran off excitedly to buy sesame cakes.

As grain prices in Black Stone County soared madly, not only had all kinds of restaurants closed down, even food vendors had become much fewer.

After all, anyone who had grain now kept it tightly in their hands. Who would be willing to sell it?

Li Sancheng happily finished buying the sesame cakes, then suddenly turned around and nearly crashed into someone.

But the other person swiftly dodged aside, and Li Sancheng staggered twice, almost falling over.

Li Sancheng instinctively wanted to apologize, but then suddenly felt that something was wrong.

That person's reaction was far too fast. One look at those steps told him that he knew martial arts.

Moreover, the man wore a huge conical hat that revealed only the faint outline of his chin.

There was no blazing sun today, nor was it raining. Why was he wearing a conical hat?

And why did this person's figure look somewhat familiar?

"Sorry, brother. I nearly bumped into you."

Li Sancheng blocked the man's path and grinned. "Brother, why do you look a little familiar? Does your family live in Green Goat Alley?"

The man paused. "I do live in Green Goat Alley. I have something to do and need to hurry home. Let's talk another time."

A crafty look appeared on Li Sancheng's fat face. "You let the cat out of the bag, didn't you? There's no Green Goat Alley in Black Stone County. I made it up to fool you!"

The man in the conical hat abruptly raised his head, revealing a face like that of an old farmer—seemingly honest and simple, yet filled with killing intent.

"Courting death!"

Li Sancheng immediately recognized who stood before him.

No wonder this man had looked familiar.

This was the Incense Cult follower who had forced the caravan to smell incense outside Black Stone County, only to be driven back by Han Zheng in a single move!

Before Li Sancheng could react, the other man had already stepped forward. His fist came with a fierce whistling wind, his surging blood and qi erupting as he blasted toward Li Sancheng's head!

Li Sancheng assumed the defensive stance of the Vajra Fist, but the gap in their strength was too great, and he was sent flying with a single blow.

"Help!"

Li Sancheng suddenly let out a sharp scream, pulled out the signal flare Zhang Tianyang had given him earlier, and lit the fuse.

That thing looked like an oversized double-bang firecracker, but it was even louder. A streak of red light exploded in midair.

"Damn it!"

The Incense Cult follower had no time to kill Li Sancheng to silence him and immediately turned to flee.

Han Zheng and the others rushed over the instant Li Sancheng screamed for help, but by the time they arrived, they could only catch a glimpse of the fleeing Incense Cult follower.

Still shaken, Li Sancheng patted his chest and pointed in the direction the man had fled, shouting, "I found someone from the Incense Cult!

"That guy was the follower who fought you outside Black Stone County last time! He even tried to kill me to silence me!"

He did not know whether his luck was good or bad.

Everyone had patrolled together for so many days without finding any trace of the Incense Cult, yet he had run into one just by going to buy sesame cakes.

"Chase him! Once we see him again, fire another signal to show Lord Zhang the direction!"

Han Zheng's gaze sharpened, and he immediately led the others in pursuit.

In the struggle between the imperial court and the Incense Cult, he had already accepted the Demon Extermination Division's pills. Naturally, that meant he stood with the Demon Extermination Division.

If the Incense Cult truly captured Black Stone County in the future and learned that he had worked for the Demon Extermination Division, they would certainly settle accounts with him as well.

Han Zheng was not the sort of person to sit on the fence and hesitate.

Since he had chosen one side, the other was destined to become his mortal enemy. If he did not kill them, his own side would die!

Besides, the road to Jingzhou Prefecture was currently sealed off. Black Stone County had practically become an Isolated City. They had to save themselves and could not truly rely entirely on the imperial court to take care of Black Stone County.

Led by Han Zheng, the group chased after him all the way.

But the other man was quite able to run. Even though Han Zheng had reached the Innate Realm, he was not much faster than him.

After much difficulty, they finally caught sight of the man's figure, only for the Incense Cult follower to flee into a restaurant called Autumn Moon Pavilion.

Han Zheng was about to chase after him when Li Sancheng stopped him and said quietly, "This restaurant is Shen Family property. It's the largest restaurant in the county seat after Moon Drinking Pavilion."

"Shen Family property cannot shelter an Incense Cult demon either!

"We may be temporary constables, but we're still people of the imperial court.

"Send another signal to Constable Zhang. He said himself that if anything happened, he would bear the responsibility."

Han Zheng directly led the group into Autumn Moon Pavilion. An elderly shopkeeper and several attendants immediately stepped forward to block them.

"What do you mean by charging into my Autumn Moon Pavilion so aggressively?"

Han Zheng pointed to the red sash on his arm. "Do you recognize this?"

The old shopkeeper sneered. "Of course I do. Aren't you County Yamen constables? Temporary workers who don't even have official uniforms.

"Autumn Moon Pavilion is Shen Family property. Forget temporary constables like you—even those former constables wouldn't dare come to Autumn Moon Pavilion to squeeze us for money!"

Han Zheng said coldly, "We aren't here to squeeze anyone for money. We're pursuing an Incense Cult demon. I saw with my own eyes that he entered Autumn Moon Pavilion just now."

"There are no Incense Cult demons here. Get out, get out! Daring to cause trouble here—you simply don't know whether you're alive or dead!"

The old shopkeeper of Autumn Moon Pavilion arrogantly waved his hand to drive them away.

A cold glint flashed through Han Zheng's eyes. He directly seized the old man by the throat and lifted him up.

"Colluding with an Incense Cult demon—which one of us doesn't know whether he's alive or dead?"

The old shopkeeper's face instantly turned red. He wanted to beg for mercy, but could not utter a single word.

Just then, an angry shout suddenly rang out from upstairs.

"Outrageous! You dare cause trouble in a Shen Family restaurant? Have you eaten a bear's heart and a leopard's gall?"

Two people came down from upstairs. One was Shen Conghai, a direct descendant of the Shen Family, and the other was Pang Feiyan, daughter of Black Tiger Gang's Pang Heihu.

Han Zheng tossed the old shopkeeper aside, then cupped his hands. "Young Master Shen, please forgive us. We are following Black Stone County's chief constable Zhang Tianyang's orders to pursue an Incense Cult demon.

"I saw with my own eyes that an Incense Cult demon fled into this restaurant just now."

Shen Conghai sneered. "I was upstairs eating with Miss Feiyan just now and did not sense anyone entering the restaurant at all. I think you're deliberately causing trouble!

"Waving a chicken feather as an imperial edict—never mind that you're acting on Zhang Tianyang's orders; even if you were acting on the County Magistrate's orders, my Shen Family restaurant is not a place where you can run wild!"

Han Zheng's gaze immediately narrowed.

Shen Conghai was lying!

If Shen Conghai were in the Houtian Realm, Han Zheng might truly have believed him.

But Han Zheng was now in the Innate Realm, and his six senses were more than ten times stronger than those of a Postnatal Martial Artist.

That Incense Cult follower was only in the Houtian Realm. How could Shen Conghai possibly have failed to notice him running into the restaurant?

Even if he had been upstairs playing cards with Pang Feiyan, there was no way this disturbance could have escaped his notice.

Pang Feiyan, standing beside Shen Conghai, lifted her chin as well, her brows and eyes filled with arrogance.

"I remember you. You're Li Jingzhong's disciple, aren't you? Even if Li Jingzhong himself came, he wouldn't dare be so rude to Brother Hai. I think you're simply sick of living! Why aren't you getting out yet?"

Han Zheng smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth. The sight was strangely sinister.

"Get out? You're colluding with Incense Cult demons. I think you're the ones sick of living!"

Han Zheng said gravely to Li Sancheng and the others, "Go guard outside the restaurant. Watch every direction. Don't let anyone escape."

Then Han Zheng stepped forward. Blood and qi surged violently around him, and when his foot struck the ground, it was like a giant elephant stamping the earth. The entire restaurant seemed to tremble.

"Since you refuse to hand him over, fine. I'll take him myself!"