Blood Sword Dance, Level Four

"Orders from the yamen?"

Shen Bai found it a bit strange.

Normally, when Zhou Qing came to see him, the two would mostly chat about everyday things.

In Ascending Cloud County, Shen Bai only had Zhou Qing as a friend, and the same was true for Zhou Qing.

But now, Zhou Qing had an uncharacteristic serious expression, which made Shen Bai feel that something significant was happening.

Chatting outside could easily lead to being overheard, so after some thought, Shen Bai led Zhou Qing into the Pawnshop and closed the door behind them.

Shen Bai poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing took it and drank it down in one gulp.

Before Shen Bai could even speak, Zhou Qing began.

"Old Shen, you must remember this: recently, if anyone comes to you to pawn anything bizarre, hold onto them and immediately have Zhang Chaofeng report it to the yamen."

Shen Bai took a sip of tea and said, "What's going on that's so mysterious?"

As a pawnbroker, Shen Bai knew the ropes of the Pawnshop business.

Receiving bizarre items was a common occurrence.

Zhou Qing looked around, acting mysterious: "The Heavenly Oversight Bureau has issued an order. All shops in Ascending Cloud County must be vigilant. If any strange items appear, report them immediately. Anything you deem strange counts, and the yamen will offer a generous reward."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bai suddenly understood.

If it were any other time, Shen Bai wouldn't have been able to guess, but after the incident with the Sophora Tree, especially the information Wuhua had given him, Shen Bai knew the reason.

"This matter might be related to the Bizarre Item lost by the Heavenly Oversight Bureau," Shen Bai thought to himself.

Weren't bizarre items just Bizarre Entities?

The Heavenly Oversight Bureau was probably afraid of causing unrest, which was why they were being so vague.

Shen Bai nodded and said, "Don't worry, if I encounter anything, I'll inform the yamen immediately."

Since this was the situation, Shen Bai would naturally cooperate fully.

He needed Bizarre Items, but he didn't need trouble, so Shen Bai would weigh the pros and cons.

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "That's good. The yamen still has things to do, Old Zhou, so I'll be leaving now."

Official duties had been heavy recently, and the Ascending Cloud County yamen was unusually busy.

Shen Bai asked, "Old Zhou, the Heavenly Oversight Bureau people are about to arrive. What are you thinking?"

At these words, Zhou Qing's body abruptly froze.

After a long silence, Zhou Qing gave a bitter smile: "I won't be going this year."

Shen Bai was slightly surprised: "Entering the Heavenly Oversight Bureau has always been your dream. Why don't you want to go anymore?"

Every year, the Heavenly Oversight Bureau recruited personnel from various yamens, who would enter after passing various assessments.

Shen Bai understood Zhou Qing; Zhou Qing's dream was to enter the Heavenly Oversight Bureau.

But now, to suddenly say he wasn't going left Shen Bai very confused.

In previous years, Zhou Qing had taken the assessment almost every year. The closest he came was last year, just barely missing entry into the Heavenly Oversight Bureau.

Zhou Qing sighed: "I'm still only at the Daoist Canon Realm, and the difficulty of the assessment increases every year. There's no point in wasting my time."

Shen Bai frowned: "Old Zhou, there's no need to lie between you and me."

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth and clenched his fists: "To make way for someone. This year, the county magistrate's nephew joined the county yamen, and the magistrate hopes we'll give up our spots."

"His nephew was originally studying in another county, hoping to pass the imperial examinations, but he failed every time. So he came to Ascending Cloud County, using the magistrate's name to smooth things over."

"I... I'll try again next year."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bai finally understood what was going on.

"Do you need my help?"

Zhou Qing was slightly stunned, then shook his head: "Old Shen, don't do anything rash. You're just an ordinary person; you don't know the difficulties of this line of work. It's fine, I'm just waiting an extra year."

In Zhou Qing's mind, Shen Bai had always been an ordinary person.

He and Shen Bai were good friends, and he never wanted Shen Bai to get involved in their circle, so he rarely brought it up.

After all, it would be a bad thing if an ordinary person got involved.

This was Zhou Qing's way of protecting Shen Bai, and even now, Zhou Qing was considering Shen Bai's safety.

"Old Shen, I have to go. I'm really busy."

At this point, Zhou Qing indeed had urgent matters to attend to and couldn't stay long. He turned and left the Pawnshop.

Shen Bai watched Zhou Qing's retreating figure, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"It seems Ascending Cloud County isn't very peaceful. I'll wait until the Heavenly Oversight Bureau people arrive to see what happens."

"For now, the priority is to improve my strength."

"However... Old Zhou's situation isn't entirely without a solution. I'll see what happens next."

Shen Bai was equally displeased about Zhou Qing being asked by the county magistrate to give up his spot.

He treated others exactly as they treated him.

Since Zhou Qing considered him a brother, he naturally felt the same way.

However, the next Heavenly Oversight Bureau assessment was still some time away, so Shen Bai decided to bide his time and see how things unfolded then.

With that thought, Shen Bai sat down in the Pawnshop and began his day's business.

Time slowly passed with the regular routine.

For Shen Bai, this recent period had been quite calm and uneventful.

No Bizarre Entities, no enemies, no one bothering him, and no petty annoyances.

Shen Bai had ample time and immersed himself daily in grinding Blood Sword Dance, entering a state of obsession.

He ran the Pawnshop during the day and practiced Blood Sword Dance at night. Aside from eating and working, Shen Bai devoted almost all his energy to Blood Sword Dance.

During this time, Zhang Chaofeng sent a message through someone, saying he encountered a landslide on his way back and would need to return after some time.

It was already the rainy season, and the Pawnshop hadn't had much business lately, so Shen Bai agreed.

This regular routine made Shen Bai even more engrossed.

He suddenly felt that if the Cheat System didn't require Malevolent Qi and appraisal, Shen Bai could even find a remote corner, grind until he was invincible, and then re-emerge.

It's worth mentioning that after Wuhua returned to Xuanxin Temple, he sent Shen Bai a letter.

Xuanxin Temple knew Wuhua's background, so they asked who had helped him.

When Wuhua consulted Shen Bai about communicating this, Shen Bai thought about it and agreed.

He needed connections.

The Cheat System required Malevolent Qi and Bizarre Items, and Shen Bai couldn't stay in Ascending Cloud County forever, so Maple Forest Province was an excellent choice.

Xuanxin Temple was a renowned orthodox sect, and Shen Bai felt it would be good to build a relationship with them.

Later, Wuhua wrote again, saying that if Shen Bai went to Maple Forest Province, Xuanxin Temple would host a welcoming banquet for him.

Shen Bai wasn't in a hurry for the time being, as he currently had plenty of proficiency to grind.

Thus, Shen Bai had a very relaxed time during this period.

And his intense grinding during this time yielded corresponding rewards.

"Finally... level four."

Shen Bai looked at the mist before him and let out a sigh of relief.

Before his eyes, the words formed by the mist were gradually becoming clearer.

Blood Sword Dance, level four!

The attributes of Blood Sword Dance slowly emerged.

Shen Bai's eyes lit up as he saw the text.

"These attributes are quite interesting."