How come I'm the one being conquered?

Bai Jun dejectedly lowered his head, leaning against the roadside and sighing, "Working overtime... What are you laughing at?"

"Ah, it's nothing. I just feel a little comforted hearing someone else is suffering the same hardship. I didn't mean to mock you."

Despite her words, the smile in the corner of Han Ya's eyes couldn't be contained. In the end, she simply followed Bai Jun's example, leaning against the wooden railing by the road and sighing, "It's so nice to just stand here and do nothing for a while. The thought of going back to the Hall of Karma and sifting through mountains of sin records makes me wish this moment could last forever and ever and ever."

"Don't say that. I want to get back and sleep soon. I don't want to just stand around in the street catching a cold wind."

The night wind carried a slight chill. Bai Jun tightened his jacket, trying to keep the biting wind from seeping into his clothes.

It was long past nine o'clock. Most of the Luofu's residents had already fallen into a peaceful slumber. Bai Jun, tired from a busy day, stretched. All he wanted now was to get back to his warm little nest, take a comfortable bath, and then sleep soundly.

"I won't bother you with your work anymore. If it's okay, please say hello to your sister for me. That's all. Goodbye."

Before he had taken more than a few steps after saying goodbye, Bai Jun's clothes were tugged. He turned around and saw Han Ya looking conflicted, wanting to say something.

"My sister..."

"Your sister? What about Xue Yi?" A bad feeling arose in Bai Jun's heart. He stepped forward and asked seriously.

Han Ya's lips moved a few times, but in the end, she said nothing. Forcing a smile, she shook her head. "N-nothing's wrong. My sister is fine. Let's meet again next time... No, it's better if we don't meet again. After all, nothing good ever comes from meeting me."

Bai Jun hated this kind of cryptic behavior. Seeing that she wouldn't speak, he impatiently smacked her head with his scabbard.

"Oof..." Han Ya clutched her head and crouched on the ground, making a cute sound.

"Speak!" Bai Jun had no intention of being gentle. He continued to urge her with an ominous tone.

"My s-sister was pursuing a demon from the Medicine King's Legacy. Unexpectedly, the demon's methods were vicious, and she sustained severe injuries, causing her puppet body to be destroyed again. And this is the fifth time this month! I advised her to hand the mission over to another judge, but after she woke up, she insisted on pursuing them..." Han Ya's eyes dimmed, her voice trembling slightly.

Her sister was always like this, always so indifferent to her own puppet body and soul. Although the mechanical puppet body didn't feel pain, it was still the vessel that contained the soul. After too many times, the damage and pressure on the soul would be irreversible.

She and Huo Huo had nagged her about this more than once or twice, but the effect was pitifully small.

"Ah, really, that idiot. Her head is made of pure stubbornness. She won't stop until she hits a brick wall."

Bai Jun ran his fingers through his hair with some annoyance. If Xue Yi were here, he would definitely pinch her cheeks and ask her what on earth she was thinking. If she couldn't beat the demon from the Medicine King's Legacy, she should just hand it over to someone else... Wait, Medicine King's Legacy?

Bai Jun blinked in belated realization and suddenly asked, "Wait, did you just say a demon from the Medicine King's Legacy?"

"Yes, a demon from the Medicine King's Legacy stole a prescription from the Alchemy Commission. The Ten Lords Bureau is currently doing everything they can to track him down." Although Han Ya didn't know why his expression had suddenly become so terrifying, she still answered truthfully.

"It seems fate has brought me what I was looking for without even trying..." he murmured, and left on his own.

He left Han Ya standing there, staring blankly at his retreating back, her outstretched hand falling powerlessly.

Asking him to deal with her sister's affairs was too much to ask, wasn't it... But then again, who would risk their life for them, who had long bid farewell to the mortal world?

It was so cold, it was strange.

This body had lost its five senses long ago, yet for some reason, it felt cold now. She crouched down, burying her face in her arms, her curled-up body trembling slightly.

Just then, a warm jacket was draped over her back.

It was Bai Jun, who had returned. He looked at her with confusion. "Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Hurry up and lead the way!"

Chapter 34: You seem to be somewhat disloyal to the Emperor's Bow

A public restroom somewhere in Liuyun Crossing.

The Vidyadhara man lit a cigarette. The flickering, faint flame was like a speck of firefly light in the night, with a warmth that could be extinguished by a gust of wind. But after a brief filtration in his lungs, the momentary comfort made him feel that he was still alive.

He forcefully stomped out the cigarette butt on the ground with his toe and walked out of the public restroom. Immediately, he wore an expression of annoyance, as if a chill had seeped into his body, dispelling the sliver of warmth he had finally managed to accumulate.

This season was a time of transition between cold and warmth. Even if the temperature difference was large at night, it couldn't be helped. But even so, he still couldn't understand why the Xianzhou people insisted on keeping meaningless things like seasonal changes on their flagship. Wouldn't it be best to always keep the environment at the most suitable temperature for people?

"As expected, I'm not one of those Xianzhou people. Sigh, it's so cold again today."

He leaned against the wall of the public restroom, speaking as he looked up at the sky. The stars seemed unusually large, but it was just the usual night sky.

Liuyun Crossing, shrouded in darkness, was silent. Apart from the self-operating docks, there seemed to be no other signs of life. However, even so, the Vidyadhara man's calm demeanor suggested that he was already accustomed to such things.

If one were to say he was an ordinary person, appearing here alone in the middle of the night seemed somewhat unusual. Moreover, his physique and face didn't resemble those of an ordinary office worker, but rather hid an aura accustomed to violence. The broad saber jingling behind his waist seemed to confirm this.

The wall of the public restroom behind him was a faded, scorched brown. Large chunks of wall plaster had fallen off, and even parts of the wall had collapsed. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. But strangely, the corridor at the entrance was meticulously cleaned, and the incandescent lights provided good brightness even at night.

It was clear that this place was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

The bells tied to the iron bars of the public restroom's window were connected to a certain corner inside the restroom. When there was a situation, as long as the guard rang the bell, the people inside could quickly receive the message and get support from their companions.

That being said, the Vidyadhara man guarding the entrance didn't actually believe anything would happen. He had been doing the same repetitive work for several consecutive years, and he imagined he would continue to do so forever.

As he grew weary of the future and looked forward to the end of his shift, he suddenly heard a steady set of footsteps approaching.

The Vidyadhara man guarding the entrance immediately perked up, his eyes widening as he looked at the very young figure. It was clear that this person was not on the guest list for tonight.

"Hey, kid, don't you have eyes? This is..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt something cold and sharp pressed against his neck. Looking down, he saw a long saber gleaming with a cold light, and he could faintly sense that the sharp aura emanating from the person in front of him was definitely not something he could contend with.

In his own words, he had managed to live through the first three hundred years of his life thanks to three words: "know when to quit."

Professional ethics, reputation, morality – all nonsense. Was earning that little money worth losing his life?

So, he immediately stepped aside, opened the door, and said with a fawning smile, "Haha, you're looking for the boss, aren't you? Then I won't stop you. Please, come in!"

With that, he fled the scene in a rather comical posture, looking back repeatedly, utterly disheveled.

Bai Jun didn't have the leisure to pay attention to him. Instead, he used his scabbard to lift the dirty cloth curtain in front of the restroom and walked in slowly.

Behind the cloth curtain, a pungent odor assaulted his senses. The analysis came in a second – it wasn't ammonia, but a sharp, stinging scent of sodium hypochlorite.

Perhaps the vast majority of law-abiding Xianzhou residents would never imagine someone opening a clinic in a disused public restroom.

"Let's see, where exactly do these rats like to hide in the sewers..."

As Bai Jun's gaze swept around, he quickly pinpointed a crack between the third tile and the red brick in the partition wall.

Upon closer inspection, the crack there was clearly separated from the floor, as if... it were a door?

With that thought, Bai Jun immediately kicked towards it.

First, there was the sound of metal parts breaking, followed by a large hole appearing in the wall, and the damaged door panel made an exceptionally loud clattering sound as it slid down the sturdy stairs, triggering panicked shouts from the guards.

"Just as I thought, it's exactly like a movie plot. Can't these guys come up with anything original?"

Bai Jun muttered as he descended the stairs, planning to clear out the troublesome individuals first.

At the very back of the "clinic" was a small room, empty except for a table and a screen.

A man who looked like a physician was talking to a muscular Foxkin in front of him.

"Tsk, cut the nonsense. This is a forbidden formula from the Alchemy Commission, a prescription used by the Vidyadhara to recover memories of their past lives. You know its value." Zhan Guang impatiently tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes revealing his dissatisfaction with the black market dealer's quote.

It was less a clinic and more an exchange.

The physician calmly sipped his tea, a composed smile still on his lips. "I naturally know its value, but as you know, the authorities have been cracking down lately, and the name 'Medicine King's Legacy' is a major taboo."

"No need to worry, I'm not part of the Medicine King's Legacy anymore."

"I don't care about your personal affairs. I only know that the notice posted by the Shence Mansion states, 'Medicine King's Legacy demon stole prescriptions, unforgivable crime.'" The physician put down his teacup, shook his head with a smile, "Do you understand? My subordinates and I are just trying to make a living, and we don't want to incur the wrath of the Shence Mansion and the Ten Lords Bureau."

This was sheer nonsense. This bastard had already made enough money from this black market to be executed eight hundred times over, and now he was pretending to be a law-abiding citizen?

Zhan Guang clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in anger, but he was helpless against the physician. He had betrayed the Medicine King's Legacy and angered both the Ten Lords Bureau and the Shence Mansion. He needed to escape the Luofu quickly and couldn't afford any more trouble.

"Fine, five thousand Xun Di it is, then."

"Deal. You are truly a hero." The physician's smile grew more triumphant. He turned to collect the money, completely oblivious to Zhan Guang's furious, murderous gaze.

Just as he was taking out the money, shouts and the loud clatter of colliding objects suddenly came from outside the door. The physician was startled and immediately shouted towards the outside, "What's happening!"

But the outside was silent, as if the sounds from moments ago were just an illusion.

Yet, the cold sweat that broke out on both the physician's and Zhan Guang's foreheads was enough to prove this was no dream. The physician unhesitatingly handed over a full ten thousand Xun Di to Zhan Guang and subtly retreated a few steps.

"M-My lord, could you perhaps check what's happening outside for me? Maybe my subordinates are drunk and acting up again."

"Of course I c-... Dammit, you scoundrel, you think I'm going to take a stab for you?"

While the physician wasn't paying attention, Zhan Guang landed a heavy punch on his face, then swept past the box filled with Xun Di, spitting on the groaning physician on the ground. "Do you think I don't know you're trying to sneak out through the hidden door?"

With that, he first overturned the screen in the room and kicked open the hidden door behind it, then hastily fled.

"Damn you, you son of a bitch!"

The physician ignored the piercing pain in his nose, forcing himself to get up to escape quickly—

With a crack, the door slowly opened.

"Ah!"

The physician hurriedly looked towards the door. A very young, silver-haired youth appeared in his vision. Through the half-open door, he could see bodies lying haphazardly in the corridor. The physician's heart sank to the bottom.

He crawled on the cold ground like a dog, beginning to beg for mercy with tears streaming down his face.

"Is the prescription with you?" Bai Jun asked a question that made no sense.

"The, the prescription? I don't know what prescription..."

The physician hesitated for just a moment, but his brief reaction was enough for Bai Jun to reach a conclusion. "How many of the Ten Lords Bureau Judge's interrogation methods have you heard of? I'll ask one last time, where is the prescription?"

"It's... it's..."

The reason the physician could operate in the Alchemy Commission and the black market, living freely outside the laws of Xianzhou, wasn't just because of his meticulous planning; it was also because he knew when to do what at critical moments...

As Bai Jun stepped closer, he crouched and lunged forward, his palms crackling with a faint purple arc of electricity.

"Magnetic field rotation, damn it!"

He had implanted an electrical pulse network beneath his artificial skin, a trump card he rarely showed.

No matter what long-lived species of Xianzhou, no matter what ingenious craftsmanship of the Crafting Department... under a full-power strike, they would likely all turn to charcoal.

However, Bai Jun's movements were far faster than his.

The physician had intended to distract the other party through conversation and then find an opportunity for a fatal blow. The moment he jumped, he was met with a sheath strike far faster and more powerful than Zhan Guang's fist.

Thump—!

Before he could react, his nose had already suffered a devastating blow. Then, the unsheathed long saber pierced through his topknot and lodged directly into the wall.

Amidst the surging pain, the physician struggled to open his tear-blurred eyes and saw the saber above his head.

It was an unremarkable long saber, with a pale blade, forged in a one-piece style, without any ornate artistic markings. The entire hilt was pure white and flawless, the blade intricately patterned with quenching marks, the sharp lines of the blade extending like translucent flames into the hilt.

It looked heavy and sharp, as if it had been freshly polished not long ago. The light reflecting off the blade was reminiscent of the moon of Yaoqing.

It was practically a work of art—if it weren't stuck above his own head.

"To put it simply, I don't want my reasonable sleep time to be occupied... Tell me, where are the prescriptions and the people from the Medicine King's Legacy?" Bai Jun said to the physician in front of him with a chilling tone, or perhaps more like a mechanical command.

If anyone familiar with Bai Jun were present at this moment, they would surely find his current state unfamiliar. Yet, for some reason, even Bai Jun like this didn't seem out of place, as if he was always meant to be this way.

"Cough... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Please spare me, great hero! Spare me!"

The physician knew that arguing was pointless at this juncture. Thus, he maintained a posture with his "head under the sword's hilt" and confessed for a full minute.

The young man retracted his long saber, which was like a work of art, took out the Jade Omen, poked it a few times, and then vanished from the spot, leaving only the rustling sounds from the secret door.

The physician suddenly felt all his strength drain away as if from nowhere. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground. When he finally came to his senses and tried to escape, he discovered that a woman resembling a judge had already pressed her spear-like scepter against his throat.

His eyes rolled back, and he fainted completely, seemingly hearing the conversation between the judges before he lost consciousness.

"Sister, shouldn't you be recuperating in the sarcophagus? Why are you here!"

"It's nothing, leave this place to me, I need to help him..."

"Sister!"

Author's Note

As the title suggests, the novel will be available for purchase at noon today.

Counting from my first novel last year, it's been almost a year now.

Compared to when I first started, my experience is certainly richer now. However, this is also my first time attempting a narrative that interweaves the main plot with slice-of-life elements. The emotional interactions between characters and the pacing of the plot are both significant challenges, and to be honest, I still feel a bit uncertain.

But regardless, I am truly grateful for all the support from you readers up to this point. The author will work even harder to write relaxing and enjoyable daily content.

As for Bai Jun's past and the stories of other characters, they will be gradually revealed in the upcoming plot. I hope you can all be patient and read on.

I will do my best to increase the update speed, ensuring a daily pace of 6,000+ characters. After all, I have an early morning class every day, and the details of the work also need refinement. I cannot be anxious.

Ah, writing a novel is truly a painful marathon. I have to look at many posts and reviews every day, worrying about not writing well... This feeling of constant anxiety is not pleasant, especially when I see some inexplicable comments.