Left Qianhu

For Programmatic Justice.

Zuo Qianqiu first promoted Chen Fan from the Ping'an County Jinyiwei Baihu Office Zongqi Officer to Centurion, and then transferred him to Longyuan Prefecture to become a Deputy Centurion in charge of logistics.

Because the two Deputy Centurions of the Longyuan Prefecture Jinyiwei Commander's Office were both promoted from within the Commander's Office, this third Deputy Centurion position was promised by Zuo Qianqiu long ago to be filled by someone selected from the Baihu Office of a county under Longyuan Prefecture, in order to avoid suspicion.

Therefore, Chen Fan's promotion to Deputy Centurion was reasonable, legal, and compliant with all regulations – a complete exercise in programmatic justice.

If it weren't for prior agreements with the many Centurions guarding the counties, the Deputy Centurion positions in Longyuan Prefecture wouldn't have fallen into the hands of people like them.

Generally speaking, the strength of Centurions guarding counties was mostly at the fifth stage of the Spirit Concealment Realm, with very few at the Spirit Aperture Realm. Even if they broke through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, they would be the lowest-tier Spirit Aperture Realm martial artists.

However, the frontline Centurions of the Longyuan Prefecture Jinyiwei Commander's Office were all Spirit Aperture Realm martial artists. Promotions to Centurion within the Longyuan Prefecture Commander's Office could be achieved through merit accumulation, without necessarily breaking through to the Spirit Aperture Realm.

But such Centurions could not lead a large team on the frontline. If they were in logistics, they could manage some tasks and follow the command of the Deputy Centurion in charge of logistics.

This was done both for their own benefit and for the benefit of the Jinyiwei brothers who had faced life and death together.

Without cultivators in the Spirit Aperture Realm, one shouldn't even think about leading a team to Purple Mountain to slay Demons and exterminate Devils, as that would simply be sending them to their doom.

"This courtyard is nice. It's a standalone unit, kept clean, with all the necessary living supplies, and they're all new."

"You can cook for yourself here, or you can eat at the Commander's Office camp."

Chen Fan looked around. The detached house wasn't large, with two courtyards and two entrances. The front courtyard had a kitchen, a storage room, and a servant's room. The back courtyard had two bedrooms and a reception room.

It was small, but it had everything.

For him living alone, it wasn't too small. Even if he remarried and hired a cook and a maid, it would be sufficient.

As he was strolling in the courtyard, Wang Teng and a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties knocked and entered the front courtyard.

Wang Teng, as a Deputy Centurion, lagged half a step behind the middle-aged man, making the identity of the newcomer obvious.

The Longyuan Prefecture Jinyiwei Centurion, Zuo Qianqiu, at the peak of the Spirit Aperture Realm!

"Your subordinate, Chen Fan, greets Centurion Zuo!"

Chen Fan stepped forward, cupped his fists in a salute, and spoke.

"Deputy Centurion Chen, you are truly a young talent."

"You single-handedly turned the tide and saved tens of thousands of people in Ping'an County. You deserve the greatest credit!"

"If you find anything inconvenient or unfamiliar upon arriving at the Longyuan Prefecture Commander's Office, feel free to find Xue Ning and Wang Teng. Of course, if I am at the Commander's Office, you can come directly to me."

"However, I am stationed at Purple Mountain year-round, confronting the Demons of Purple Mountain, so I am often away for months at a time and not frequently at the Commander's Office. I hope you can understand."

Zuo Qianqiu had a handlebar mustache and a goatee, and looked quite gaunt, yet Chen Fan felt a deadly threat from him.

This Longyuan Prefecture Jinyiwei Centurion was likely even more powerful than an ordinary peak Spirit Aperture Realm cultivator. Otherwise, the Myriad Household Office of Yunzhou wouldn't have entrusted him with such an important responsibility, stationing him to oversee a prefecture.

"I wouldn't dare to trouble Centurion Zuo. Everything is fine here."

Chen Fan replied upon hearing this.

"I heard from Xue Ning that you risked cultivating the Blood Sha Skill to save the people of Ping'an County, and that you cultivated it to perfection in an extremely short period, opening up thirty-six acupoints throughout your body."

"May I examine your physical condition? Perhaps I can think of a way to resolve it."

Zuo Qianqiu inquired.

He was actually quite puzzled by Chen Fan. He had seen martial artists who cultivated the Blood Sha Skill; their eyes would turn blood-red, and the higher their cultivation, the more they resembled someone with conjunctivitis.

Yet, Chen Fan's eyes were dark and clear, showing no sign of Blood Sha invading his body. It was truly miraculous!

"Thank you, Centurion Zuo!"

Chen Fan nodded upon hearing this.

He felt that he couldn't refuse Centurion Zuo's suggestion, as he saw the words "what is said will be done" in the Centurion's eyes.

It was clear that the other party was concerned about the severe side effects of him cultivating the Blood Sha Skill. This was not merely concern for his health, but concern that the Blood Sha invading his body would lead to qi deviation and cause harm to the region.

"Forgive my intrusion!"

Centurion Zuo placed his hand on Chen Fan's shoulder. Chen Fan felt a bone-chilling true qi erupt from Centurion Zuo's hand, entering his body, circulating through his meridians, and finally, a wisp of cold energy flowed into his dantian and disappeared completely!

"Innate Body, physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, and perhaps a hidden special constitution."

"The thirty-six acupoints throughout the body have been opened, but the physical body shows no trace of Blood Sha Qi invasion, let alone Blood Sha entering the brain and causing qi deviation."

"However, the black and red aura within the dantian is like a maggot gnawing at the bone. It seems the dantian has begun to be eroded. If this continues, it may not be long before it spreads from the dantian to all parts of the body, eventually leading to Blood Sha entering the brain and causing qi deviation."

"But if his physical body can continue to strengthen and develop even greater physical power, he might be able to suppress the Blood Sha Qi within his dantian, preventing it from further eroding other parts of his body."

"Furthermore, Chen Fan possesses the Innate Body. If he also has a hidden special constitution or bloodline, he can continue on the path of strengthening his physique."

"If he can forge a path of physical body sanctification in the future, a mere Blood Sha can be eliminated with a raise of his hand, and he might even be able to transform the Blood Sha Qi into nourishment to strengthen his physical body!"

"Additionally, I suspect that the reason the Blood Sha Qi has had such a minimal effect on him is inextricably linked to his use of his own vital blood to aid in cultivating the Blood Sha Skill."

"Although this Blood Sha Qi is highly corrosive, it was ultimately fed by his own vital blood, thus minimizing the damage to his body."

"This might be a path of martial arts breakthrough for Jinyiwei members with poor aptitude who find it difficult to break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm."

"Using one's own vital blood as an aid, cultivate the Blood Sha Skill, break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, and then immediately cease cultivation, thereby extending one's life and increasing one's strength."

"This might truly be a viable path."

"This Chen Fan is truly extraordinary. By chance, he might have opened up a path for the utilization of Blood Sha Skill. If some senior expert were to improve upon this idea and popularize it, how many Spirit Aperture Realm cultivators could my Great Zhou gain each year?"

"Although cultivators who break through this way to the Spirit Aperture Realm generally have low combat power and almost no room for improvement, it's still enough."

"If they don't take this path, they'll be stuck at the fifth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm and live for just over a hundred years."

"By taking this path, they can break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm. Even if they are the weakest Spirit Aperture Realm in history, their combat power will increase, and their lifespan will greatly extend, allowing them to live for at least two hundred years."

Zuo Qianqiu's thoughts drifted far away as he examined Chen Fan's body.

"Cough, cough, cough."

"Commander Zuo, is it done?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly and couldn't help but speak.

Zuo Qianqiu finally snapped back to reality and nodded, saying:

"Chen Fan, you are simply a genius."

"I don't know how you managed it, but even if you cultivated the Blood Sha Skill to perfection, the Blood Sha Qi would only have eroded a portion of your dantian. Currently, it hasn't caused any adverse effects to your body."