Because of the Punish Evil System, Shen Zhui had always possessed this ability.
He could see the Sin Values above other people's heads.
As long as someone had committed an illegal or criminal act, Shen Zhui only needed to focus on them for a while to see a string of numbers.
If the numbers were gray, it meant the crime did not warrant death. If they were red, it meant the crime warranted death!
Since Shen Zhui usually carried the Daoist Magic Token issued by the county magistrate when handling cases, and it already possessed a detection function, he basically had no use for this ability.
Besides, this was inside the city. Shen Zhui had lived here for so many years, yet he had never encountered anyone laden with grave sins who dared enter the city, so he had never formed the habit.
But now, he could use this Sin Value judgment to verify his suspicions!
"Even if it is the system's ability, I still have to be careful. I can't show anything unusual."
"And I have to get my adoptive father away first. Otherwise, if the other party notices something amiss, I can hold out until the county magistrate takes action, but my adoptive father can't."
If they fought inside the city, they would definitely be discovered. Yet there would still be some time between the discovery and the dispatch of people to stop them.
Even if the county magistrate could shorten that time infinitely, that gap would still exist.
Shen Zhui had to consider everything carefully. Otherwise, if anything happened to his adoptive father, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
With his plans made, Shen Zhui sighed inwardly.
I hope I'm just overthinking this.
That evening, Shen Zhui went out and arrived at the county office, where he exchanged a few words with a colleague from the Martial Arts Department with whom he had a good relationship.
Afterward, Shen Zhui returned home and told his adoptive father, Shen Shan, to deliver some charcoal to the county office the next day.
His adoptive father, Shen Shan, suspected nothing and readily agreed.
Seeing this, Shen Zhui let out a sigh of relief. As long as his adoptive father reached the county office entrance tomorrow, someone would temporarily keep him there to rest until Shen Zhui returned.
The county office was absolutely safe. Only after leaving his adoptive father there did Shen Zhui feel at ease.
Early the next morning, when his adoptive father carried the charcoal out the gate, Shen Zhui took a deep breath and knocked on the gate of the neighboring courtyard.
"Knock, knock, knock! Shopkeeper Huang, are you home?"
Wu Gu, who was sitting inside the house, suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hm? It's him. What does he want with me?"
Wu Gu was already somewhat regretful that he had been too friendly before. Now the other man had even come over to visit...
Although he was somewhat irritated by Shen Zhui's sudden visit, which had interrupted his recovery, Wu Gu still ended his cultivation and prepared to go out and take a look.
He gave his body a slight shake, and in an instant, he transformed from a burly, red-haired strongman into a portly, big-bellied wealthy merchant.
The moment he stepped outside, Wu Gu plastered on a smile.
"Young brother, what brings you here?"
Shen Zhui cupped his fists, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry for the trouble, Shopkeeper. I wanted to ask whether you have aconite roots, hemp seeds, or raw flower fruits?"
Wu Gu's expression remained unchanged. Fortunately, he often used the identity of a medicinal merchant, so he immediately realized that the three medicines Shen Zhui mentioned were ingredients for nourishing the internal organs. Moreover, he had made preparations long ago. When buying medicine, he had mixed the things he needed into a long list of other medicinal herbs, and as it happened, he had all three.
"I do. Are you injured, young brother?"
Shen Zhui looked up at Wu Gu and put on a helpless smile. "It's an occupational ailment. I've suffered from it plenty over the years."
Then Shen Zhui deliberately added, "But let me make this clear first: if you're selling them at a higher price than everyone else, I'll buy them somewhere else."
Wu Gu laughed heartily. "Absolutely not. Wait here. I'll go get them for you."
He turned and prepared to enter the house.
Shen Zhui had never dared look too closely at him while facing him directly. But at the instant Wu Gu turned around, he pretended to be nonchalant and let his gaze rest on Wu Gu's head for several seconds.
After a few seconds, he quickly looked away. Although Wu Gu sensed Shen Zhui's gaze, he paid it no mind.
Only after Wu Gu had completely entered the house did Shen Zhui's heart suddenly begin pounding harder, and a trace of shock flashed through his eyes!
Because above Wu Gu's head, a scarlet number—60007—had appeared!
Red meant that the other party's crimes had reached the point where even the system deemed him worthy of death.
But that was not the main point!
"60007. It's him! So it was him!" Shen Zhui roared inwardly!
Just as Wu Gu had been deeply impressed by Shen Zhui, Shen Zhui had been equally deeply impressed by Wu Gu!
After all, this was the first Qi Cultivation True Person he had ever fought, and the man had nearly caused his death.
For that very reason, Shen Zhui had tried to see whether he could view a Qi Cultivation True Person's Sin Value.
The Flame Figure he had seen back then had happened to possess a Sin Value of exactly 60007!
"The Sin Value is exactly 60007. It's him—this has to be him!" Shen Zhui dared to conclude that this man was the one who had escaped from Red Leaf Manor.
As for the possibility that a completely unrelated master happened to have the exact same Sin Value? Shen Zhui felt that possibility was vanishingly small—practically nonexistent!
"If Wu Gu is the one, did he move in beside my house by coincidence, or did he do it deliberately? Could he be connected to the Li Family?"
Shen Zhui thought of many things in that instant. The reason Wu Gu had been able to escape was that the Li Family's Xiantian Master had opened a gap for him. Shen Zhui felt that was highly likely.
Stay calm. I can't let him see through me. Seeing that the other man was about to come out, Shen Zhui put on another smile.
"Young brother, the few medicinal herbs you wanted are all here."
"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Shen Zhui accepted them and reached into his robes for money.
"Forget it. They're just a few ordinary medicinal herbs, not worth much. Consider them a gift to welcome you, young brother." Wu Gu hurriedly waved his hand.
At that moment, he only wanted to send Shen Zhui away as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if the other man took out silver, he would have to give him change. What a nuisance.
"If that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you for the gift, Shopkeeper!"
"It was nothing, nothing."
Returning to his own courtyard without changing expression, Shen Zhui did not leave immediately. Instead, he boiled water and prepared to brew the medicine.
Only after waiting for a quarter of an hour did Shen Zhui slowly leave the house.
He hurried into the county office and went straight to Wang Long.
"Captain Wang."
"Shen Zhui, is something urgent? Why are you covered in sweat?" Seeing the anxious look on his face, Wang Long immediately frowned.
"Your subordinate accidentally discovered a master in front of his home. He lives right next door, and the aura he inadvertently revealed was very similar to that of an Xiantian Master we once fought!"
"An Xiantian Master?" Wang Long's expression changed, and his manner grew solemn.
"Tell me everything in detail!"
"Yes." Shen Zhui slowly explained, "Yesterday, after returning home, your subordinate discovered that an old neighbor who had lived beside us for seven or eight years had suddenly moved away four days ago..."
Shen Zhui recounted his encounter with Wu Gu after returning home. Naturally, he omitted the matter of using the Sin Value to make his judgment.
He only said that the other party had inadvertently leaked his aura, allowing him to sense it.
"You discovered him by accident? How certain are you?" Wang Long frowned after listening. Arresting an Xiantian Master without cause was no laughing matter.
"Your subordinate entered the Unity of Heaven and Man realm. I sensed the aura he revealed while practicing the saber, so I'm at least seventy percent certain!" Shen Zhui wanted to say he was a hundred percent certain, but after thinking it over, he lowered it a little.
"Whoosh..." A gentle breeze swept past, and a green figure suddenly appeared beside Wang Long.
"My lord."
"Junior brother."
"I already know what you were discussing."
The green mist shrouding his body dispersed, and Wei Wenhe looked at Shen Zhui. "Among the Xiantian Masters you've encountered, there were Cang Hai and Li Zhong of the Li Family, Yang Peng of the Yang Family, and a Qi Cultivation True Person in the Spiritual Inspiration Realm."
"Cang Hai and Yang Peng are not in the city at present. It seems the one you're referring to is that Qi Cultivation True Person, Wu Gu."
Shen Zhui listened obediently. Although Wang Long was an Xiantian Master, he was not the county magistrate, and his authority was limited. Even mobilizing the power of the temple required an Execution Token Dao Plaque.
But the position of county magistrate was different.
Inside the city, the county magistrate could freely mobilize all the formations and the power of the temples.
Within the county town, an official empowered by the formations and divine power possessed unfathomable strength!
Wei Wenhe suddenly closed his eyes, then opened them again. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've already confirmed it. It is indeed him."
"That quickly?!" Shen Zhui was secretly startled. He had thought the county magistrate would need to spend some time on it, or only be able to confirm the man's identity after reaching the scene. He had not expected him to settle it in an instant.
Apparently, Wu Gu had entered the city with nothing more than the aura of an ordinary person, which was why he had not attracted the county magistrate's attention.
But now that Shen Zhui had brought it up, Wei Wenhe immediately extended his divine sense to investigate. Once he noticed it, he could naturally discover the anomaly.
"Let's go over." Wei Wenhe waved his hand. A flash of green light passed, and the three of them vanished inside the county office.
City God Temple, guest courtyard.
Lin Ze was gulping down wine in misery. Seven or eight empty wine jars already lay beside him.
He rarely drank, but right now, he only wanted to get thoroughly drunk.
"Damn it! The Li Family Head was actually that arrogant!" Lin Ze fiercely smashed a wine jar onto the ground.
"He ruined my mission, yet thought a few words of apology would make up for it! And then the Yang Family went back on their word too, refusing to offer even the slightest practical compensation!"
"The Li Family, the Yang Family—good, very good! You two families had better make sure no one joins the Wu'an Army. If I encounter you in the Nine Nether Mountain Range in the future, then..."
A murderous glint surfaced in Lin Ze's eyes. Within the territory of the imperial court, he did not dare act recklessly, but things were different within the Wu'an Army.
"Looks like I can only go back." Lin Ze sighed and shook his head.
"Lin Ze."
Suddenly, a dignified voice reached his ears.
"Hm? What is this..." Lin Ze suddenly raised his head, searching for the source of the voice.
Immediately afterward, he saw a blurry green figure.
"Is the county magistrate looking for me?" Lin Ze sobered up at once.
"Lin Ze, come to Dongzheng Street in the northern part of the city at once. We've found the person you were looking for."
"What?! You found him?!" Lin Ze cried out, momentarily losing his composure, as overwhelming joy surged through his heart.
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