I Want to Serve the Imperial Court

Boom!

The Boss frantically unleashed the gang qi within him and suddenly sprang into action.

Whoosh!

His body spun as he rose. The instant his back faced Zhou Baishan, he leaped several zhang away in a posture like a tiger vaulting across a ravine.

He was actually running away.

The Boss had a clear mind.

Zhou Baishan was a dignified Silver Bell Guard. He had disguised himself as a bandit in the stronghold before encountering him, and over the past several months, he had been so calculating. Since he had also intended to capture that Evil Skin Cult fiend, he must have come prepared.

The Judge's Office possessed enough treasures to dazzle the eye.

And after revealing his true strength just now, Zhou Baishan was clearly no weaker than him.

Running was the best option.

"Damn it."

Even Zhou Baishan had been thrown off for a moment. Cursing inwardly, he hurried after him.

In less than ten breaths,

he closed the distance and suddenly flicked his sleeve.

Pfft!

A silver needle tore through the air and arrived in an instant.

The Boss's expression changed. He hastily twisted aside, narrowly evading the needle.

But that brief delay let Zhou Baishan's face flush red. His speed soared, and he caught up directly.

Clang!

He drew his blade and slashed.

The blade's edge was fierce and overwhelming, coming in a dense barrage.

Every slash carried astonishing gang qi.

The Boss's eyelids twitched wildly. His palms turned red and ignited with blood-colored flames, resembling blood jade as he desperately parried.

"Second Brother, we've spent several months together. We can talk this out."

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Pfft!

Zhou Baishan bent low and swept his blade sideways, vaulting past the Boss and leaving a trail of blood behind him.

The Boss grunted and staggered back.

Whoosh!

A heavy saber was already pressed against his neck.

The Boss's entire body went rigid, his face ashen.

"Se-Second Brother..."

Zhou Baishan was expressionless. "I know you won't tell the truth, so I won't ask."

Pfft!

One slash swept past.

The Boss clutched his neck. His knees buckled, and he crashed heavily to the ground as streams of blood spurted through his fingers.

He stared wide-eyed in agony, making harsh syllables that sounded like curses. With a pained whimper, he fell backward and gazed up at the sky.

Zhou Baishan's gaze turned sharp as he swept his eyes over the surroundings.

Then he grabbed the Boss and flashed beneath the locust tree, directly throwing the not-yet-cold corpse onto it.

The instant it touched the Jade Hide, the Jade Hide glowed. Crimson patterns surfaced across its surface, erupting with a startling suction force that firmly stuck to and tugged at the Boss's corpse.

Then, streams of blood essence and vital energy were devoured by the Jade Hide.

In merely dozens of breaths,

the Boss's corpse shriveled and fell limply to the ground.

The patterns on the Jade Hide gradually faded. Its luster became even gentler, and it appeared more delicate than before.

Zhou Baishan's face darkened as he watched this scene.

Beneath the distant thickets,

Zhao Hong's heart pounded.

He had heard every sound outside with perfect clarity.

At first, he had thought it was a ruse.

But apparently, it was not.

They had really started fighting.

Especially after hearing Zhou Baishan reveal his identity, his expression became strange.

The Judge's Office?

"Still not coming out?"

A fierce shout suddenly rang out from afar.

Zhao Hong shuddered, but his expression did not change. He remained completely still.

After the shout, there was no movement for a long while.

He relaxed slightly.

So he really was trying to trick me.

But was he truly from the Judge's Office?

Suddenly,

he felt a chill run through his body. He stiffened at once and struggled to raise his head.

A figure stood above him, looking down with utter mockery in his eyes.

Gulp!

Zhao Hong swallowed.

So he had really discovered him.

Since he had been found, there was nothing else he could do.

Zhao Hong revealed a bitter smile and stepped out from the thickets.

"My lord, this junior is Zhao Hong. I came from Stone Valley County and wish to join the Judge's Office."

Zhou Baishan's expression gradually turned strange.

Seeing Zhao Hong even take out proof of household registration, the corner of his mouth could not help twitching.

"Did you kill Third Brother?"

"Yes."

"With your mere inner force, how did you kill him?" Zhou Baishan eyed him with deep suspicion.

"I rammed him to death."

As Zhao Hong explained, he felt that Zhou Baishan was far more reliable than the previous Third Brother.

He did not seem fake.

"Come on, try ramming me."

Zhou Baishan was utterly speechless.

Zhao Hong hesitated. Ramming him seemed somewhat inappropriate.

He suddenly pulled out the Blood Gang Pill he had taken from Third Brother's body.

"My lord, Third Brother said this was a Blood Gang Pill. Is that true?"

"It is."

Zhou Baishan did not understand what he was getting at.

"That's good."

Zhao Hong poured one out and swallowed it directly.

"You..." It was already too late for Zhou Baishan to stop him. His face turned livid. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Boom!

Pain appeared on Zhao Hong's face.

It had to be said that the Blood Gang Pill truly deserved to be a cultivation pill for the Blood Gang realm.

Its medicinal power was terrifying.

The impact nearly made him feel as if his limbs and bones were being torn apart.

But fortunately,

he gritted his teeth and unleashed all his strength.

His muscles and bones endured a violent impact, yet amid their trembling, they stirred with astonishing divine strength.

He forcibly withstood the Blood Gang Pill's impact and refined its power at a visible pace.

Zhou Baishan's expression changed once, then twice, then again. In the end, his face was filled with shock as he nearly stood frozen.

Could that bastard Third Brother have been carrying fake Blood Gang Pills?

No, it was not fake.

That surge of power was unmistakably from a Blood Gang Pill.

An early inner force martial artist had swallowed a Blood Gang Pill whole and endured it with only a trace of pain.

Boom!

Zhao Hong's aura surged. Under the effects of that single Blood Gang Pill, he broke through directly to the middle stage of inner force.

Zhou Baishan opened his mouth, then fell completely silent.

This aura did not resemble inner force at all.

It was practically comparable to Blood Gang.

Yet he could tell very clearly that it was inner force.

His blood and inner force were still far from the point where they could transform into gang qi.

But whose blood and inner force could possibly be so terrifying?

After a long while,

Zhao Hong exhaled a breath of turbid air, delight appearing on his face.

The Blood Gang Pill's efficacy was far too potent.

Unfortunately, there were only two of them.

Now that his cultivation had broken through and his strength had greatly increased, the second pill's effects would be drastically diminished.

"My lord, does that prove it now?"

Zhou Baishan took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

It was entirely possible that Third Brother had been caught off guard and rammed to death by such a ferocious youth.

"So, you really want to join the Judge's Office?"

"That's right."

"Do you know what state the Judge's Office is currently in?"

A mocking look appeared on Zhou Baishan's face. "It has suffered grievous losses. In the three-hundred-li area around Clawfang Mountain alone, several Golden Bell Guards and dozens of Silver Bell Guards have fallen while clearing out bandits and searching for medicine."

"And now, the Evil Skin Cult has suddenly emerged to cause trouble."

"The Judge's Office was newly established, so it was already short-handed."

"You're young and possess such talent. Why come here?"

Zhao Hong's pupils constricted.

Though Zhou Baishan had said little, the danger behind his words was already apparent.

Combined with his successive encounters,

his heart chilled. What Zhou Baishan had said was likely not even the whole picture.

But he was already here.

Five hundred taels.

Two Blood Gang Pills.

He had already tasted the benefits.

He definitely could not go to the prefectural city for the time being.

So where could he go?

Though he had not formally taken a master, he already had a lineage.

If he truly joined some faction, even if he revealed his strength and talent, could he casually obtain several hundred taels of silver and Blood Gang Pills?

This place was dangerous, but the risks and rewards were proportional.

"You needn't doubt my identity or my words."

"This is my identification token."

Seeing Zhao Hong remain silent, Zhou Baishan assumed he was doubtful and took out a token and bell, shaking them together.

"Although this incident was caused by you, in the end, I was simply unlucky."

"You came from a tiny mountain village and possess such talent. Find somewhere stable to cultivate slowly first. This place is not suitable for you."

"The Judge's Office is far more complicated than you imagine."

Zhou Baishan sighed softly, a trace of bitterness flashing through his eyes.

Zhao Hong came back to his senses and said solemnly, "My lord, I want to serve the imperial court."

"I want to join the Judge's Office."