"Uh... where was this?"
The instant Qin Zheng woke up, he looked at the crude mud hut and instinctively frowned.
But immediately afterward, the surging memories cleared his mind in an instant.
He had transmigrated to a place resembling ancient China and become an executioner.
At the execution ground, he had chopped off the head of a young master from a gang.
Afterward, the young master's father—the gang leader—had struck him with two consecutive palm blows.
In the end, he had failed to hold on and passed out.
Thinking of this, Qin Zheng ignored the pain wracking his body and abruptly pulled open his inner garment, inspecting the skin over his chest.
There was a faint palm print there. It was not obvious, but it could still be vaguely seen.
The palm print had faded!
Qin Zheng's eyes immediately lit up, and the taut string in his heart loosened slightly.
This palm print over his heart was like a death warrant.
His predecessor had died beneath this very palm print, leaving him, freshly transmigrated, to endure the pressure it brought.
Previously, the palm print had been black as ink. Clearly, he had only one day left to live. If it flared up again, the excruciating pain would surely kill him.
But now, the palm print had become much fainter, no longer as black as it had been at first.
Clearly, the palm force within it had been diluted and eased.
That also meant the crisis had been temporarily postponed, and the time he could remain alive had been extended.
However, unless this palm print was removed, he would remain in danger.
At that thought, Qin Zheng recalled the details from the execution ground.
He had raised the Ghost-head Saber Technique to perfection, yet he still could not block a single strike from the Golden Cicada Gang's leader.
After being sent flying the second time, he had thought he was about to be beaten to death.
But unexpectedly, the captain responsible for overseeing the execution had stepped in, driven back the Golden Cicada Gang leader, and saved his life.
Then... had the palm print on his chest been caused by that man?
Or had raising the Ghost-head Saber Technique to perfection weakened the palm force?
Qin Zheng swept his gaze around. This shabby, impoverished room was indeed where he had lived after transmigrating here.
Then after he had passed out, that man must have sent someone to carry him back?
As he was thinking this, the door suddenly opened.
A somewhat burly, dark-faced man walked in.
Seeing that Qin Zheng was awake, he said in surprise, "You're awake?"
Qin Zheng looked at the unfamiliar man, nodded calmly, and asked, "You are?"
Yet his body subtly tensed in secret, strength coursing through every inch of him.
If the other man made even the slightest strange movement, he would strike with his saber like thunder!
Even without the ghost-head saber in hand, a hand blade was still a blade!
The man smiled and said, "My name is Wang Er. I'm one of Captain Ji's soldiers. You were badly injured and unconscious, so I carried you back."
As he spoke, he set the medicinal herbs and some meat in his hands on the stove.
"Gang Leader Shi is a Muscle-Refining Realm martial artist. You took two of his moves without dying, and your injuries weren't even too severe. That's truly impressive."
"You survived a great calamity, so you are sure to be blessed with good fortune in the future. I can see you're having some difficulties now, so consider these things an investment in you."
He smiled at Qin Zheng and pointed at the herbs and meat on the stove.
Hearing this, Qin Zheng immediately endured the pain and rose from the bed, bowing deeply to the man called Wang Er.
"I accept Brother Wang's kindness. If I ever achieve anything in the future, I will surely come to your door and repay you!"
He had only just transmigrated here. His home was bare as four walls, and he possessed nothing.
In order to obtain talisman paper and brew talisman water, his predecessor had even handed over his last bit of silver.
If Wang Er had not given him these things, Qin Zheng would not have known how to scrape together money to survive for the moment.
"No need. Just get yourself back in shape first."
Wang Er smiled and shook his head.
After casually finding a place to sit, he looked at Qin Zheng and said solemnly, "The Golden Cicada Gang has been wiped out."
Qin Zheng froze for a moment, then understood. The young master whose head he had chopped off was the Golden Cicada Gang's young gang leader.
Then the man who had stormed the execution ground, attacked him, and fought the garrison captain had been the Golden Cicada Gang leader.
"Did that old bastard die?"
Qin Zheng hurriedly asked.
He had chopped off that man's son's head, so he was certainly one of the man's primary targets for revenge.
If the Golden Cicada Gang had not been destroyed, then burdened by his family fortune, the man would be somewhat constrained when taking action.
But with the Golden Cicada Gang gone, if the old bastard was still alive, he would not be bound by rules or restraints when seeking revenge!
Faced with Qin Zheng's question, Wang Er shook his head with a grave expression.
Qin Zheng's face instantly darkened, as though a heavy stone had suddenly crushed down upon his heart.
This was the worst possible outcome, and the one he least wanted to face.
A beast freed of its shackles was most terrifying when it sank its teeth into someone!
He had exchanged blows with that man. The martial art that made golden light burst from his entire body was far beyond what his Ghost-head Saber Technique could withstand.
If that old bastard came knocking, there would be no garrison captain standing at his side to protect him. The outcome was obvious.
He would surely be unable to escape death!
Thinking of this, Qin Zheng's mood grew increasingly heavy.
But at that moment, Wang Er reassured him, "You needn't worry too much. Although Gang Leader Shi didn't die, the captain seriously wounded him."
"He committed countless evil deeds in Black Goose City and made plenty of enemies."
"Those people had feared his strength and dared not act before, but that might not be the case now."
"So in the short term, he probably won't dare return—at least not before his injuries heal."
Qin Zheng nodded at this, and the pressure in his heart eased somewhat.
But he also knew these were Wang Er's words of comfort. Though it was possible, it was not certain.
Who could guarantee that the old bastard would not be blinded by hatred and drag his heavily injured body here for revenge?
The old bastard might fear others, but would he fear someone like him, who could be sent flying with a single palm strike?
Therefore, Qin Zheng needed martial arts now!
He desperately needed martial arts!
With the Merit Scroll at his side, coupled with his job as an executioner, he could swiftly pile a martial art up to perfection!
As long as he obtained one or several decent martial arts and used merit to stack them up!
His strength would surely increase enormously!
Once his strength rose, he would no longer need to fear that man coming to his door!
And since that man had committed countless evil deeds, killing him in return might even earn a generous sum of merit!
Qin Zheng's mind raced as he considered where he could obtain martial arts.
But in this world, martial artists held lofty status, and martial arts naturally were not something ordinary people could access.
His predecessor had been alone in the world, with no connections or channels through which to acquire martial arts.
As he thought, Qin Zheng's brows gradually furrowed tighter.
Suddenly, he raised his head, looked at the dark-faced man before him, and asked hopefully, "Brother Wang, do you know martial arts?"
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