In the Martial Arts Arena, the moment Lu Ming finished speaking, Shen Changfeng shouted in uncontrollable fury:
"Lu Ming, yesterday you schemed against my fourth brother and caused his death. You still have the nerve to ask why Director Wei wanted to see you?
"I came today to arrest you and bring you to justice."
The four hundred disciples fell silent, watching the scene with surprise, confusion, or amusement.
"Who are you?" Lu Ming turned and glanced at Shen Changfeng, speaking calmly.
Shen Changfeng's gaze sharpened. His blood and qi suddenly surged, and a faint pressure rolled forth, making Lu Ming's breathing hitch. The next moment, Shen Changfeng stepped forward, intending to seize him.
"Stop." Wei Jinlin's calm voice came from the high platform.
Shen Changfeng abruptly halted and hurriedly said:
"Master Wei, I meant no disrespect toward you. It is simply that my brother's killer stands before me, and I could not suppress my emotions. I ask Master Wei's forgiveness."
Since he was also from Red Cloud County, Shen Changfeng had entered the Military Service Bureau years ago and could therefore address Wei Jinlin as "Master Wei."
Wei Jinlin said, "You claim Lu Ming killed Shen Jue. What evidence do you have?"
Shen Changfeng cast Lu Ming a cold look and said:
"I have already investigated it. Yesterday, my fourth brother Shen Jue left the Military Service Bureau because he had old grievances with Lu Ming and went to settle matters with him.
"And when Lu Ming returned from going out yesterday, he passed near the place where my fourth brother died. The time he passed through also happened to coincide with the time of his death.
"This matter must be connected to Lu Ming. I ask Master Wei to enforce the law impartially and hand Lu Ming over to me for punishment."
Wei Jinlin suddenly said, "Are you saying Lu Ming had the ability to cause an earthquake?"
Shen Changfeng's heart skipped a beat. Wei Jinlin seemed to know quite a bit about what had happened yesterday?
Wei Jinlin continued:
"Shen Jue fell to his death because the ground suddenly split open. It may have been a natural occurrence, or it may have been caused by the demonic creature ravaging the city.
"I personally examined the scene.
"If you cannot produce new evidence, then return."
"Yes, Master Wei." Shen Changfeng's expression stiffened. He shot Lu Ming a resentful look, his heart filled with unwillingness.
He naturally knew Shen Jue's death had most likely had nothing to do with Lu Ming. But Shen Jue had left the Military Service Bureau to kill Lu Ming; Lu Ming was unharmed, yet Shen Jue had died.
Shen Changfeng could not accept this.
There were many members of the Shen Family, but Shen Jue had shared the same mother as him, and the two had been closest. Since Shen Jue had died because of Lu Ming, he would surely avenge this hatred.
But before Wei Jinlin, he did not dare act recklessly. Since Wei Jinlin would not hand Lu Ming over, he could only endure for now.
Lu Ming, you had better hide in the Military Service Bureau forever. A flash of viciousness passed through Shen Changfeng's eyes as he gritted his teeth and left.
"Thank you, Master Wei, for standing up for me." Before the high platform, Lu Ming let out a breath and spoke to Wei Jinlin.
He had not expected Shen Changfeng to come looking for him without any evidence at all. Just because Shen Jue's death had some slight connection to him, Shen Changfeng had dared come directly to demand his handover.
Even though it had been established that Shen Jue had left the Military Service Bureau to kill him.
Clearly, Lu Ming had reason on his side, yet Shen Changfeng had pressed him step by step, as though reason belonged to the Shen Family.
This showed just how overbearing martial lineages could be.
Wei Jinlin said, "Fall into formation. I called you here today because there is something to announce."
"Yes." Lu Ming glanced at Wei Jinlin, and a spark of heat flashed through his heart.
The Shen Family's tyranny had completely failed before Wei Jinlin. With a single sentence, Wei Jinlin had sent Shen Changfeng away in disgrace. This came from his own formidable strength.
In this world, strength determined one's status.
He had to raise his strength as quickly as possible—not only his supernatural abilities, but his cultivation as well.
Lu Ming walked into the ranks and lightly clenched his fists. Now that he possessed Qi-Enhancing Pills and Sweet Dew Powder, as long as he studied diligently and trained hard, reaching the Meat Refining Realm before the Grand Examination should not be a problem.
But after the Grand Examination, he could no longer remain in the Military Service Bureau. With merely Meat Refining Realm cultivation, he was still far too insignificant before the enormous Shen Family.
Joining a sect after the Grand Examination and using its power to contend against them was one path. But that depended on others and was not reliable.
It would be best for him to grow stronger himself. Only then could he advance or retreat as he pleased.
At the very least, I must reach Major Completion in Flesh Refining! Lu Ming silently thought.
If he had the chance, he had to reach at least Major Completion in Flesh Refining. Only then could he unleash stronger supernatural power and have hope of protecting himself.
"Recently, demonic creatures have run rampant around Red Cloud County. Shen Jue's death yesterday is also suspected to have been the work of a demonic creature. There are still doubts, but we cannot let down our guard."
On the high platform, Wei Jinlin spoke slowly.
"Those who have reached Nine Breaks in One Breath or above, step forward and follow me to the Grand Martial Arts Arena. From now on, you will receive special training there. The rest may cultivate here on your own."
Special training? Lu Ming froze for a moment, a strange feeling rising within him.
He had never expected that his actions yesterday would be mistaken by Wei Jinlin for the work of demons, leading him to arrange special training.
Seeing Chen Jinyang, Feng Qingzhu, and the others step out one after another and follow Wei Jinlin deeper into the Military Service Bureau, Lu Ming also stepped forward and followed the crowd.
They eventually arrived deep within the Military Service Bureau, at a vast Grand Martial Arts Arena enclosed by towering walls.
The instant he entered, Lu Ming looked around curiously. He had discovered this place before, but the gates had always been closed, so he had never entered to take a look.
Now that he was inside, he saw numerous wooden stakes planted throughout the Grand Martial Arts Arena. No—more accurately, they were Iron Stakes.
The neatly arranged Iron Stakes stood in about thirty rows, with roughly one zhang between each pair of front and back rows. Their dark bluish iron sheen caught the eye, carrying a trace of chill.
And farther inside... Lu Ming raised his eyes, surprise appearing in them.
At the innermost edge of all the Iron Stakes lay a coiled python body. The python was enormous; even coiled up, it stood over a zhang tall, the height of a one-story building.
Its surface was covered in black iron-colored scales, which looked incomparably hard.
The moment they saw the python, an extremely distinct pressure bore down on them, making everyone's chests tighten.
Someone in the crowd cried out in horror:
"A demon! There's actually a demon here!"
"That is... the legendary Iron-Scaled Python Demon? I think I've heard of it. Its scales are said to rival the heavy armor of the army—even blades and swords cannot cut through them!"
"It is said that Demon Meat is an excellent tonic, far better than Qi-Nurturing Powder and even many medicinal pills. Could Master Wei be giving us Demon Meat?"
"Don't tell me he wants us to fight that demon? Wouldn't that be seeking death?"
Lu Ming's heart jolted. So that was a demon?
A faint glimmer suddenly flashed through his eyes. In his vision, the wind gained color. Gray wind brushed past the Iron-Scaled Python Demon, and an immensely powerful aura came from its body, far surpassing the Shen Changfeng he had seen earlier.
That aura had already tangibly affected his condition. It was as though he had been stared down by an unparalleled ferocious beast, leaving his body stiff.
This was the strongest aura he had ever encountered in his life!
As for Wei Jinlin, because he had rarely displayed his martial strength, his usual aura was only somewhat stronger than Shen Changfeng's when restrained.
To the left of the Grand Martial Arts Arena stood a high platform. Wei Jinlin stood upon it and said:
"Demonic creatures are demonic creatures, and demons are demons. Do not confuse them in the future.
"This Iron-Scaled Python Demon is not the one in the city, and it is already dead. I have inserted ten Red Tokens into its body.
"There are sixty-one of you in total, including sixteen Meat Refining Realm martial artists. Whoever obtains a Red Token will receive one-tenth of the Demon Meat."
The moment those words fell, everyone was overjoyed.
As long as they could obtain a Red Token, they could receive Demon Meat? That was a treasure capable of vastly increasing cultivation efficiency!
Heat rose in Lu Ming's heart as well.
With only Sweet Dew Powder and Qi-Enhancing Pills, he could at most cultivate to the Meat Refining Realm before the Grand Examination. But if he could obtain Demon Meat, Major Completion in Flesh Refining was within reach!
Yet he had also noticed a detail in Wei Jinlin's words: this Iron-Scaled Python Demon was already dead.
Though the demon was dead, it could still release such an aura and pressure everyone!
Lu Ming vaguely felt that obtaining a Red Token would probably not be so simple.
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