Ping'an County.
The Document Archive.
As the door was smashed to pieces.
Xu Qingxiao stared blankly at the man before him.
He wondered whether he had offended Heaven in his previous life. Starting out with only twenty-four hours left to live was bad enough; after enduring countless hardships and racking his brains, he had finally obtained a forbidden art.
Yet his very first attempt at cultivating it had condensed a Golden Crow killing intent. If his cheat hadn't appeared, he would probably have died already.
He had escaped death twice, and now the fugitive had been delivered right to his doorstep.
Was this a deliberate attempt to kill him?
Xu Qingxiao could understand a fast pace, but wasn't this a little too fast?
Outside the Document Archive.
A middle-aged man stood before Xu Qingxiao, radiating a sinister chill. He wore black hemp clothes, his face was painfully gaunt, and a terrifying cold emanated from his body.
Compared with the chill Xu Qingxiao had suffered earlier, the cold emanating from this man was powerful enough to make the ground freeze. The difference was enormous.
His icy gaze and frost-covered body made him look like some bizarre creature.
His opponent was strong. A ruthless man capable of escaping Southern Yu Prefecture Prison couldn't possibly be weak.
Besides, the cold radiating from his body alone made Xu Qingxiao somewhat fearful.
Fortunately, as Xu Qingxiao circulated his blood and qi, that icy sensation was instantly driven away.
A strand of supreme yang qi already existed within Xu Qingxiao's body, specifically countering sinister cold and evil entities.
If he advanced another rank, Xu Qingxiao even felt he could kill someone of a higher rank. Right now, however, he dared not act rashly. His opponent was at least an Eighth Rank martial artist in the Five Viscera Realm.
A difference of two ranks meant two vast chasms between them.
Acting impulsively would mean courting death.
"You're still alive?"
The man spoke. Xu Qingxiao had looked familiar at first glance, and after a moment's thought, he remembered who he was.
He was somewhat curious. It was rather incredible that someone struck by his nether yin cold qi could have survived this long.
He examined Xu Qingxiao carefully, and his expression changed in an instant.
"The nether yin cold qi inside you is gone. Your blood and qi are vigorous, like a blazing flame. You've cultivated the Pure Yang Unorthodox Art, and you've even entered the ranks."
"Hand over the forbidden art, and I can spare your life."
In an instant, he had deduced that Xu Qingxiao had cultivated the Pure Yang Unorthodox Art. Otherwise, how could a mere yamen runner have survived his nether yin cold qi and even entered the ranks?
That was the only possibility, so he spoke first, offering to let Xu Qingxiao go if he handed over the Pure Yang Unorthodox Art.
Unfortunately, Xu Qingxiao clearly didn't believe words that could only fool a three-year-old.
But he wasted no time and looked at the man as he spoke.
"I can give you the forbidden art, but one thing for another. Give me yours."
"And don't think about killing me. I've already cultivated the Pure Yang Unorthodox Art and comprehended a supreme yang Divine Ability. I might not be able to kill you, but I can hold you up long enough. Once the people from the yamen arrive, even if you escape them, don't expect to leave the county alive."
At a time like this, how could Xu Qingxiao simply hand over the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art?
He wanted to obtain the man's forbidden art, then frighten him into exercising caution.
"You?"
"Someone who's only just entered the ranks?"
The man sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
"You're welcome to try."
Xu Qingxiao took a step forward, looking utterly confident.
He had no choice. This was no time to cower. Cowering meant certain death; standing his ground might at least let him bluff his way through. Failing that, he could stall the man. At worst, they would die together and drag each other into the grave.
Let's see who loses more.
Sure enough, as Xu Qingxiao stepped forward, a trace of uncertainty flashed through the middle-aged man's eyes.
"Fine. Here's my forbidden art. Give me yours, and I'll leave immediately."
Almost without hesitation, he decisively tossed a small booklet to Xu Qingxiao, unconcerned that he might try any tricks.
"Take it."
Xu Qingxiao tossed him the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art.
He played no tricks, nor did he dare to. His enemy was strong and he was weak. Frightening him off was enough; trying to show off clever maneuvers would only hasten his death.
After catching the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, the man opened it, glanced at it once, then turned and left.
Perhaps he truly had been frightened off, but Xu Qingxiao thought it more likely that he simply didn't want to linger. After all, he had fought his way into the county yamen's Document Archive. If he delayed any longer, the people from the yamen really would arrive.
Then he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
The middle-aged man left.
Xu Qingxiao let out a heavy breath.
His third escape from death.
Things were already this nerve-racking and intense right at the beginning. He could only imagine how dangerous they would become later. From now on, he had to remain cautious and steady no matter what. He absolutely couldn't act recklessly.
Once the man was gone, Xu Qingxiao didn't idle.
He immediately approached the wounded runner and checked his breathing.
Dead.
An indescribable feeling stirred within him. Xu Qingxiao checked the other man as well. He was dead too.
Perhaps this was what it meant for human lives to be worth no more than weeds.
If he hadn't bluffed his opponent, he might have become a corpse himself.
But before grief could spread, Xu Qingxiao's expression turned cold.
He entered the Document Archive, took down a candle, then set fire to all the documents inside, including the wooden box.
The documents weren't thick, so they burned extremely quickly. In less than seven minutes, more than a dozen shelves had caught fire, and flames swallowed the entire Document Archive.
Meanwhile, Xu Qingxiao opened the forbidden art. It was also written in the script of Great Wei, with the title [Taiyin Meridian Condensation Art].
Reading rapidly, Xu Qingxiao memorized the entire forbidden art as quickly as possible, then placed it on a burning shelf. Only when it had turned to ash was he satisfied.
Once the fire grew fierce, Xu Qingxiao walked out of the Document Archive, then struck himself hard beside his heart with his palm.
Pfft.
The powerful blow made Xu Qingxiao's five viscera shudder and sent his blood and qi surging. He spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, staining the front of his clothes.
He did this to clear himself of all suspicion. Everyone in the county yamen knew he had been afflicted with Nether Yin Qi. Who would believe he had recovered for no reason?
The fugitive's appearance was truly a Heaven-sent opportunity, giving Xu Qingxiao a perfect explanation. But to make that explanation work, he had to strike himself. Otherwise, his story wouldn't hold together.
After injuring himself, Xu Qingxiao began his performance.
"Someone, help!"
"Save me!"
"The fugitive's come back!"
Xu Qingxiao shouted at full volume while collapsing to the ground. First, he wanted to sell his performance; second, he had overdone it. It really hurt, so his expression was entirely genuine.
His head was spinning too, making Xu Qingxiao feel like an idiot.
He hadn't controlled his strength and had genuinely injured himself.
By now, flames engulfed the Document Archive and thick smoke billowed out. At last, the people from the county yamen arrived.
The county yamen was less than a few dozen meters from the Document Archive, but Constable Chen had dispatched many of its men elsewhere, leaving only a few ordinary runners.
They had heard the commotion earlier, but simply hadn't dared approach.
The fugitive from Southern Yu Prefecture had arrived. Going over would have meant throwing their lives away, so they had hidden inside the county yamen, not daring to emerge.
Only when Constable Chen rushed back with his men did they dare come over.
Xu Qingxiao's head was spinning, but before he lost consciousness, he still heard Constable Chen's voice.
"What happened? How did our own base get raided?"
As that voice rang out, Xu Qingxiao stopped forcing himself to stay awake.
He fainted on the spot.
Between nine and eleven that night.
Deep night shrouded the heavens.
The dark firmament was like ink.
As voices sounded around him, Xu Qingxiao gradually regained consciousness.
"This truly is a miracle. All the cold poison inside young Qingxiao has been expelled. Although his five viscera have sustained some damage, a good prescription and a few days of rest will see him fully recovered. Heaven truly cherishes life."
Doctor Zhao's voice was filled with astonishment, along with some joy.
"Recovered? How is that possible? Qingxiao was afflicted with Nether Yin Qi. How could he suddenly recover?"
Constable Chen's voice followed, his words full of shock.
"That, I do not know. We can ask young Qingxiao when he wakes."
The voices outside the door were loud, but they sounded faint to Xu Qingxiao.
At that moment, Xu Qingxiao felt dizzy, but he could still make a little sound.
"Brother Chen."
At the sound of his voice, the door was immediately pushed open.
Several figures entered at once, led by Constable Chen. His eyes still held shock, but also concern. The first thing he did upon approaching was ask how Xu Qingxiao felt.
"Brother Chen, what happened? Am I about to die? Why do I feel so weak all over?"
Xu Qingxiao spoke, telling the lie he had prepared beforehand.
"Qingxiao, you really escaped by the skin of your teeth this time. You're all right now. All the sinister cold inside you is gone. You're going to live."
Before Constable Chen could speak, the runners behind him had already answered.
It was wonderful news, and naturally, they couldn't resist sharing it.
"The sinister cold is gone? Brother Chen, is that really true? Did the county magistrate find some miraculous medicine for me?"
Xu Qingxiao continued asking questions he already knew the answers to, even pretending that the county magistrate had found him some miraculous elixir.
"No."
"Qingxiao, tell me, what happened in the Document Archive? Why were you unconscious on the ground?"
Constable Chen shook his head, then asked what had happened.
"The Document Archive?"
"Unconscious?"
Xu Qingxiao frowned. He didn't rush to answer. Constable Chen was no greenhorn; on the contrary, he was very shrewd. Having worked as a constable for decades, he knew how to investigate a case.
If Xu Qingxiao answered immediately, he would give himself away, because that wasn't how a normal person would react first.
So he pretended to think for a while before speaking.
"Brother Chen, I only remember that while I was resting in the Document Archive, that fugitive suddenly came back. I was half-dead at the time, so he ignored me and searched through the Document Archive for something."
"In the end, he found a wooden box on a roof beam. Then he laughed wildly with delight, opened the box, and took out a book. I don't know what happened, but after he read it, heat started rising from his whole body, and golden light shone all over him."
"I wanted to take advantage of his strange state and drag him down with me, but he reacted in time and struck me with his palm. Then he burned down the entire Document Archive and left."
"I'm not really sure what happened after that. Brother Chen, what's going on?"
Xu Qingxiao's account was watertight. What he was really telling everyone was that the fugitive had learned the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art and then unleashed a supreme yang palm technique. Although it had injured his internal organs, it had also accidentally forced the cold poison out of his body.
That was Xu Qingxiao's scheme.
But before Constable Chen could ask any further questions, footsteps approached.
Soon, a runner's voice sounded outside the door.
"Constable Chen, people from Southern Yu Prefecture have arrived. The county magistrate asks you to come at once."
As that voice rang out.
The voice sounded.
Everyone in the room couldn't help but look startled.
Southern Yu Prefecture?
Before you continue