Accumulating Merit! (Seeking Collections)

"The auspicious hour has arrived, execute!"

On the execution ground, as a beheading token fell, a brilliant saber light suddenly flashed.

Blood splattered, and the prisoner's headless corpse immediately crashed to the ground.

But after executing this one prisoner, it wasn't over.

Qin Zheng stepped to the side and moved behind a new prisoner.

Swish!!

With another saber strike, a head rolled.

Facing the imminent crisis and the rewards from beheading, Qin Zheng could already ignore such a terrifying scene.

Currently, five prisoners were lined up, but there was only Qin Zheng as the executioner.

So when time came, he had no choice but to follow the order, from left to right, to swing his saber and behead them one by one.

After chopping off the last prisoner's head, Qin Zheng gripped the ghost-head saber tightly with both hands, lightly shook the blade, and flicked off the blood beads.

The broad ghost-head saber, reflecting the blood beads, appeared even more sharp and chilling.

"Alright! We'll handle the rest. You go to the supervisor to sign and collect your pay."

At this moment, several soldiers walked up, starting to clear the corpses on the ground. One of them glanced at Qin Zheng's ghost-head saber and said.

Qin Zheng nodded, then wiped the blade with a rag, wrapped it in coarse cloth, and slung it across his back.

After completing this step, he then walked towards a building outside the execution ground.

"Brother Qin, they're recruiting new executioners. You'll have to work harder during this period."

At this time, the soldier who had spoken earlier approached Qin Zheng again.

These soldiers had witnessed the scene that day when Qin Zheng blocked Shi Dian's two moves with just a ghost-head saber.

Therefore, they all assumed Qin Zheng must know martial arts, and their respect for him increased significantly.

Qin Zheng paused and turned to nod at the soldier.

Then he continued walking out of the execution ground.

Qin Zheng was not the only executioner at Black Goose City's execution ground.

Before Shi Yan was executed, there were originally five executioners. However, except for Qin Zheng, who had transmigrated and survived, the other four executioners had all died under mysterious circumstances for various reasons before Shi Yan's execution.

This was information Qin Zheng had only learned about today, which was why he was tasked with beheading five prisoners alone.

Thinking of this, Qin Zheng's emotions became complicated.

Shi Dian must have reached some agreement with Ji Changyin. As long as there were no executioners on the day of the execution, the execution could be postponed, leaving room for manipulation.

However, neither of them had anticipated that although the original owner of this body had died, his transmigration would affect their agreement.

And Ji Changyin, as a captain dispatched by the court, could secretly make agreements with Shi Dian and turn a blind eye.

But when it came to the execution ground, with all conditions met, he couldn't continue to honor the agreement.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and drop the beheading token, allowing himself to behead Shi Yan.

This led to what happened next.

However, Qin Zheng couldn't figure out two points.

Since the Golden Cicada Gang was powerful and influential in Black Goose City and could even reach an agreement with the garrison captain, then for what reason was Shi Yan arrested?

And who ordered his beheading?

Also, on the execution ground, could the execution truly be postponed due to the absence of an executioner?

With so many soldiers present, if it came to that, wouldn't anyone be able to pick up a saber and do the job?

Could it be that there was some rule that was more important than the rule of timely execution?

Qin Zheng's mind was filled with these jumbled thoughts.

After a moment, he shook his head, clearing these thoughts away.

These matters were not the most urgent for him, and there was no need to dwell on them.

Thinking this, he diverted a portion of his attention to the scroll of merit in his heart.

[Qin Zheng]

[Lifespan: 70 (17)]

[Martial Arts: Ghost-head Saber Technique (Mastered), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Beginner)]

[Merit: One tael and six qian]

[Current Martial Art - Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell can be upgraded, requiring five qian of merit. Do you wish to upgrade?]

Looking at the information, Qin Zheng's eyes lit up, and his mood immediately became excited.

One tael and six qian, besides the remaining one qian he already had, the rest was obtained today.

This was equivalent to a criminal providing him with three qian in merit.

Although it was still quite a bit less than Shi Yan, Qin Zheng was still satisfied.

He hadn't expected that in just one day, he would accumulate enough merit to refine the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!

Once this martial art was refined, his personal safety would be greatly enhanced!

Imagining the changes the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill would bring, Qin Zheng's heart grew warmer.

However, refining martial arts caused physical changes, and being currently at the execution ground, he couldn't refine it immediately.

So, he had to temporarily suppress his excitement and wait until he got home to refine it.

Next, he needed to collect his wages, otherwise, with nothing on him, even eating would become a problem.

Black Goose City's execution ground was located on the southern outskirts, and the military camp was naturally stationed around it.

The job of executioner wasn't held by soldiers from the camp, but by brave ordinary people who volunteered.

Each beheading paid twenty wen, and if there were many prisoners, one could earn quite a bit in a day.

Therefore, near the execution ground, there were families who had made executioners their lifelong profession, passing it down through generations.

The family of Qin Zheng's current body was like that.

He had beheaded five people today, and including Shi Yan's, which hadn't been settled yet, that made a total of six.

This meant he would receive one hundred and twenty wen today, which was almost one tael of silver.

Not long after, he arrived at a place resembling an accounting office within the military camp.

Qin Zheng stated his name, and the person there didn't verify much before handing him a bag.

The bag made a crisp clinking sound as it moved, clearly containing a considerable amount of coins.

Qin Zheng didn't count them, thanked them, and quickly left.

However, the person who handed him the money was a middle-aged man with a white beard.

Watching Qin Zheng's retreating back, he shook his head and muttered, "Poor soul, short-lived fellow!"

But Qin Zheng didn't hear any of this.

Or even if he had, he would have just laughed it off.

With money in his pocket and enough accumulated merit on the merit scroll to upgrade.

At this moment, he felt a sense of satisfaction and joy fill his heart.

As long as he refined the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!

His future would be smooth sailing!

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly spotted an old monk outside the execution ground.

However, this old monk was thin and gaunt, dressed in rags, looking less like a monk and more like a beggar.

He was seen with his palms pressed together, facing the execution ground, chanting scriptures with compassion.

"Namo Amitabha, Tathagata, thus have I heard."

Qin Zheng listened closely but couldn't understand.

However, it seemed to be a scripture for cleansing sins and guiding departed souls.

Qin Zheng didn't linger and turned to walk outside.

It took about half an hour to travel from the military camp outside the southern city to his lodging in the eastern part of the city.

But Qin Zheng, eager to refine the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill as quickly as possible, quietly employed his lightness skill.

Instantly, his speed increased dramatically.

Before long, he returned to the eastern part of the city.

However, as he arrived in front of his humble earthen house, his ears twitched, as if he heard a faint breathing sound.

And the source of the sound was from inside the house!