Zhou Hongzhi smiled, showing his goodwill.
He was the Capital Office Envoy in charge of this area, a martial artist assigned to the County Office. He had served here for over a year and had built up quite a reputation.
He held public office.
He called out to Shi Wen, wanting to get a sense of the situation.
That was perfectly normal.
A death in the street could be a big deal or a small one, but if they saw it and failed to look into what had happened,
they would be held accountable when they returned.
It wasn't as if no one had ever died in the street.
But a scene like this, with a body smashed into pieces by sheer force, was truly a rare sight!
That was what Zhou Hongzhi had been thinking, but the moment he met Shi Wen's calm gaze, his heart inexplicably skipped several beats.
His instincts told him this man was dangerous!
He hurriedly changed his tune. "I was mistaken. Some thugs were killing people in the street, and you struck back in self-defense. You're innocent, innocent!"
"Mm."
Shi Wen nodded and walked a few steps, carrying the man.
Suddenly, he turned around, startling Zhou Hongzhi so badly that he tensed up, one hand already on his sword hilt.
Before he could react, Shi Wen casually tossed him a piece of silver and said, "Sorry for the trouble with cleaning up."
With that, Shi Wen disappeared into the alleys under countless onlookers' eyes.
"Phew..."
After Shi Wen left, the group of constables stood where they were, gasping for breath. Their faces were full of lingering fear; the more they recalled what had just happened, the more unspeakably terrified they became.
And it wasn't just them.
Many martial artists watching from the street, along with some battle-hardened fighters,
were all left with their scalps tingling.
Brutal!!
Was this man not far too brutal?
Three martial artists at the Blood Tempering pinnacle had been beaten to pieces by him in just a few exchanges!
That's right—beaten to pieces in the literal sense!!!
More importantly, those three Blood Tempering pinnacle martial artists had attacked viciously and worked together seamlessly. Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd done something like this.
An ordinary Blood Coagulation Realm martial artist would probably have struggled for quite a while under the three men's seasoned moves and coordinated assault. One careless moment, and they could have been caught in their trap and capsized in a ditch!
But who could have guessed?
When this unknown young martial artist faced danger, he had actually beaten two martial artists to pieces with his bare hands and won in such an absurd way?
"Damn it, when did Black Cloud County get a ruthless bastard like him?"
Zhou Hongzhi's breathing was somewhat ragged.
He racked his brains, trying to think of the people from the four local martial arts schools, the thirty-seven martial academies, and the various merchant associations and great families.
But he couldn't figure out where this man came from.
His methods were too vicious and fierce. He'd smashed a Blood Tempering martial artist with one move. Zhou Hongzhi couldn't tell what school he belonged to, but there was no mistaking the local accent!
A constable nearby edged closer and asked in a low voice, "Chief Zhou, you've been in the Blood Coagulation Realm for over a year. There aren't many Capital Office Envoys in the County Office who can fight you to a draw. If that man had suddenly attacked just now, about how many moves would it have taken you to capture him?"
Capital Office Envoys were all martial artists in the Blood Coagulation Realm.
Those in even higher positions were martial arts experts in the Origin Blood Realm.
People like that usually worked directly under the County Lieutenant or the county magistrate.
And in the eyes of these constables, Zhou Hongzhi, a Capital Office Envoy, was an insurmountable mountain!
"Capture your ass! I'd be lucky not to get beaten to death. Damn it, do you think an ordinary martial artist could have broken through that formation just now?"
Zhou Hongzhi cursed. "Those three were clearly outsiders who specialized in sneak attacks and sucker punches. If an unwary Blood Coagulation martial artist ran into them, they could easily capsize in a ditch!"
"That man's body is as tough as iron, his strength immense, and his blood energy abundant. I'm afraid only martial artists at the Blood Coagulation pinnacle, or those nearing the Origin Blood Realm, could stand against him!"
"Damn it, I was scared half to death just now. I thought I was about to die in the line of duty. Damn!!"
As Zhou Hongzhi continued cursing, a constable nearby asked quietly, "Then how should we record what happened today?"
"Report that during today's patrol, we encountered foreign criminals committing murder. They were slain by a law-abiding citizen of our city, an act of virtue that protected the people and defended our territory..."
Zhou Hongzhi had been assigned to the post for over a year, and had seen plenty of martial artists fighting in the street, sometimes even killing one another.
He knew how to deal with such matters quickly.
But an incident as brutally bloody as today's
was a first for him.
I'm a dignified Blood Coagulation martial artist, and he tells me to clean up?
Damn it, fine, I'll clean up.
Feeling the silver in his hand, Zhou Hongzhi shook his head helplessly. "Go on, you few—get some people over here to clean up..."
His gaze lingered on the figure that had vanished into the alley.
He pondered in silence.
The clothes that man had worn looked familiar. They had the style of a local Fist Academy.
Unfortunately, the man's clothes had been destroyed in the fight.
There was no way to tell which Fist Academy or martial arts school he belonged to. He wasn't only vicious in his actions; his strength was terrifying, too.
"Forget it. Don't ask around. It'll be bad if we stir up trouble."
Zhou Hongzhi shook his head, sat down on a stool nearby, and drank a bowl of tea.
Someone like that will surely make a brilliant showing at the Martial Examination if he takes part. If he causes trouble again later, the experts at the County Office can handle it. It won't have anything to do with me.
Come to think of it, the court moved up the Martial Examination this year. I might as well take some leave and work on the martial arts I've neglected, so I can earn the title of Martial Scholar.
Zhou Hongzhi patted the small belly he'd acquired from all the social drinking since becoming a Capital Office Envoy.
Even the insides of his thighs had grown noticeably plumper.
A dazed look came over Zhou Hongzhi's face.
Once, he had been a man of iron resolve who pursued the martial path, his muscles hard as stone.
How had they gone so soft after he became a Capital Office Envoy?
But when he thought of the County Office's drinking-table culture, he let out another sigh.
Sometimes, you just had to drink...
Maybe I should leave the County Office. But I'm nearly thirty—where would I go? I've got a whole family waiting for me to support them.
Zhou Hongzhi sighed and fell silent...
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones rang out, and the screams in this desolate alley were especially miserable!!!
Shi Wen's eyes were as calm as a pool of dead water. The man in front of him had already been crushed beyond recognition, nearly every bone in his body broken.
After learning the full story from the man,
Shi Wen tightened his hand and crushed the man's neck.
"Someone from the Fist Academy went and informed them?"
"At the Fist Academy, I've always been walking on eggshells, careful and cautious. I never start conflicts with anyone. Even when there's a conflict, I pretend I don't see it and ignore it. I've kept such a low profile. So who would want to harm me?"
"Could it be Wei Shan?"
"That man kept targeting me in the Inner Courtyard today. If it wasn't him, who else could it be?"
"Damn it, whether it was him or not, I'll pin this on him for now. If it wasn't him, then he can consider himself unlucky!"
"Maybe... I can't keep such a low profile anymore."
Shi Wen's expression shifted between light and dark, and a trace of brutality flashed in his eyes.
If he kept acting modest and low-key, other people would probably take him for a coward who was afraid of trouble. If he was always so easy to deal with, wouldn't people keep coming to bother him?
Whoever came looking for trouble, he'd smash them to pieces!
Kill!
Kill, kill, kill!!!
Just kill them. Why make things so complicated?
Crack...
Shi Wen crushed a brick beside him and took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
He glanced down and saw the corpse, barely recognizable, lying on the ground. A look of shock suddenly appeared on his face.
"When did I become so brutal?"
"Wasn't I always kind and gentle? When I killed Chen Shuisheng, I couldn't sleep all night. Why don't I feel anything when I kill people now?"
"I've been influenced! I've never been like this before!"
"It must be the breathing technique affecting me!"
"The Prosperity Society's evil art really is terrifying. It's still evolving, and it can already affect me!"
Shi Wen dragged an entire section of wall over the corpse to cover it.
He gazed at the darkening sky. A murderous, restless look flashed in his eyes as he disappeared into the pitch-black alley.
Before you continue