"The auspicious hour has arrived. Execute!!"
On the execution ground, as an execution token fell, a blazing saber light suddenly flashed.
Blood sprayed, and the prisoner's headless corpse crashed to the ground.
But executing this prisoner did not mark the end.
Qin Zheng took a step to the side and arrived behind another prisoner.
Swish!!
Another slash fell, and a head went rolling.
Faced with the looming crisis and the gains from severed heads, Qin Zheng was already able to ignore such horrifying scenes.
Five prisoners stood in a row at this moment, but there was only one executioner: Qin Zheng.
So when the time came, he could only follow the order from left to right, swinging his blade and taking their heads one by one.
After cutting off the last prisoner's head, Qin Zheng gripped the Ghost-head Saber Technique saber with both hands and gave the blade a light shake, flinging away the beads of blood on it.
The broad Ghost-head Saber looked even more chilling and icy under the sheen of blood.
"Alright! We'll handle the rest. Go sign for your pay with the steward."
At that moment, several soldiers came over and began cleaning up the mangled corpses on the ground. One of them glanced at Qin Zheng's Ghost-head Saber and spoke.
Qin Zheng nodded. He wiped down the blade with a rag, then wrapped it in coarse cloth and slung it diagonally across his back.
Only after finishing this did he head toward a building outside the execution ground.
"Brother Qin, they're recruiting new executioners. We'll have to trouble you more during this period."
The soldier who had spoken earlier called out to Qin Zheng again.
The scene of Qin Zheng using a Ghost-head Saber to forcibly receive two of Shi Dian's moves that day had been witnessed by these soldiers.
They therefore assumed Qin Zheng definitely knew martial arts, and treated him with far more respect.
Hearing this, Qin Zheng paused and turned to nod at the other man.
Only then did he continue walking out of the execution ground.
The execution ground of Black Goose City had not originally had Qin Zheng as its sole executioner.
Before Shi Yan was beheaded, there had originally been five of them. Yet among those five executioners, only Qin Zheng had survived after transmigrating into this body.
The other four had all died inexplicably for one reason or another before Shi Yan's execution.
Qin Zheng had only learned this information when he came today, which was why he had been made to behead five prisoners alone.
Thinking of this, Qin Zheng's emotions became complicated for a moment.
Shi Dian must have reached some agreement with Ji Changyin. So long as there was no executioner on the day of execution, the sentence could be postponed, leaving room to maneuver.
But neither of them had expected that although the original owner of this body had died, Qin Zheng's transmigration would disrupt their agreement.
As a captain sent down by the imperial court, Ji Changyin could secretly make arrangements with Shi Dian and turn a blind eye.
But once they were truly on the execution ground, with every condition in place, he could no longer keep honoring that agreement.
He could only grit his teeth and throw down the execution token, having Qin Zheng cut off Shi Yan's head.
That had led to everything that followed.
But there were two things Qin Zheng could not figure out.
Since the Golden Cicada Gang possessed such immense wealth and influence in Black Goose City, and could even reach an agreement with the garrison captain—
What exactly had Shi Yan been arrested for?
And who had ordered his execution?
Also, would an execution really be delayed just because there was no executioner at the grounds?
With so many soldiers around, when the moment came, could they not simply pick someone, put a long blade in his hand, and do the same thing?
Could there be some rule here that outweighed even the rule of carrying out executions on time?
These jumbled thoughts rose in Qin Zheng's mind.
After a moment, he shook his head and swept them away.
These matters were not the most pressing concerns before him. There was no need to waste his thoughts on them.
With that in mind, he devoted a sliver of his attention to the Merit Scroll within his heart.
Qin Zheng Lifespan: 70 (17) Martial Arts: Ghost-head Saber Technique (Mastery), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Beginner) Merit: 1 tael, 6 mace Current martial art, Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, can be upgraded. Requires 5 mace of merit. Upgrade?
Seeing the contents, Qin Zheng's eyes lit up, and excitement immediately surged through him.
One tael and six mace—apart from the one mace he had originally possessed, all the rest had been gained today.
In other words, each criminal had provided him with three mace of merit.
Though it was far less than Shi Yan had provided, Qin Zheng was still quite satisfied.
He had not expected that in just one day, he would gather enough merit to refine the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!
As long as he refined this martial art, his safety would receive even greater protection!
Imagining the changes the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill would bring, Qin Zheng's heart grew increasingly fervent.
But refining a martial art would cause changes to his body. Since he was currently at the execution ground, he could not refine it immediately.
He could only suppress the excitement in his heart for now and wait until he returned home.
Next, he needed to collect his wages first. Otherwise, with nothing on him, even eating would become a problem.
Black Goose City's execution ground lay on the southern edge of the city, and the military camp was naturally stationed around it.
The work of an executioner was not done by soldiers from the camp, but by bold commoners who signed up for it.
Beheading one person earned twenty copper coins. If there were many prisoners, one could earn quite a bit in a day.
Thus, near execution grounds, there were always families who had made their living from this trade for generations, passing it down from one generation to the next.
The Lineage of this body Qin Zheng now occupied was one such family.
Today, he had beheaded five people. Including Shi Yan's head, which had yet to be settled, that made six in total.
That meant he could collect one hundred and twenty copper coins today, roughly one mace of silver.
Before long, he arrived at a place in the military camp resembling an accounting office.
Qin Zheng reported his name. The people there did not verify much and simply handed him a pouch.
The pouch made a crisp clinking sound as it moved, clearly containing quite a few coins.
Qin Zheng did not count them closely. After offering his thanks, he hurriedly left.
The one who had handed him the silver was a middle-aged man with graying whiskers.
Watching Qin Zheng's departing figure, the man shook his head and muttered, "A miserable soul, a short-lived ghost!"
Qin Zheng did not hear any of this.
Or even if he had, he would merely have laughed it off.
With money in his clothes and enough accumulated merit on the Merit Scroll to upgrade himself—
At this moment, his heart was filled with satisfaction and delight.
As long as he refined the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!
The road ahead of him would be smooth and open!
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly spotted an old monk outside the execution ground.
But the old monk was thin and gaunt, dressed in ragged clothes. He looked less like a monk than a beggar.
The old monk stood with his palms pressed together, facing the execution ground and chanting scriptures with mournful compassion.
"Namo Amitabha..."
Qin Zheng listened closely for a moment, only to find that he could not understand it.
Still, judging by the sound of it, it was likely some scripture for cleansing sins and guiding departed souls.
Qin Zheng did not linger. He turned and walked outside.
From the military camp outside the southern gate to his lodging in the eastern part of the city took half an hour on foot.
But in order to refine the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill as soon as possible, Qin Zheng quietly used his lightness skill.
His speed immediately surged.
Before long, he returned to the eastern part of the city.
But when he arrived before his family's earthen house, his ears twitched, as though he had heard a faint sound of breathing.
And that sound was coming from inside the house!
Before you continue