The Imperial Guards, like Yama, slaughtered until the Empress cried out for help.

Black Tiger Mountain is located in the southeast of Chaoyang County, bordering Baiyun County. It was named after a black tiger in earlier years.

At the foot of the mountain, in a secluded valley, stands a small, jet-black tree with red veins on its trunk that resemble blood vessels.

Enveloped in black leaves, a dozen or so red fruits were faintly visible.

Two people stood under the tree: Zhang He, the head of the Zhang family, and Zhang Zhi, the youngest son of Zhang He, a man in black.

Zhang Zhi looked up at the red fruit, his eyes filled with undisguised longing.

"Dad, the fruit is growing much better this time. Not only has the quantity doubled compared to before, but the fruit is also much bigger."

Zhang He laughed heartily and stroked his beard.

"What kind of blood did we use before? Pig's, dog's, dead people's blood, it's long lost its spirit."

"But this time, they're using living people."

"The results will naturally be different."

As Zhang He spoke, he carefully stroked the tree trunk with his hand.

But Zhang Zhi's eyes showed more worry.

"Father, didn't we use too many living people this time? A full ten of them."

"Moreover, their actions in Baiyun County were not clean, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard has already caught them red-handed..."

Over the years, he has always used the blood of livestock and occasionally stole the remains of the dead, doing things cleanly.

The fruit takes about two months to ripen, yielding eight or nine fruits. Ninety percent of the fruit are from family members, while the remaining ten percent is soaked in water and given to others to drink.

Although it is a bit slower, it is safe and stable.

In four years, everyone's cultivation level doubled.

All five brothers had broken through to the Acquired Realm, and their parents had even reached the late stage of the Acquired Realm.

With seven members at the Houtian level, such cultivation would make them a prominent family in Qiushui City.

But since the beginning of the year, the family has become increasingly anxious and has started to hire live people.

Zhang Zhi had a special intuition about certain things since he was a child; simply put, he was inclined to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.

They are exceptionally sensitive to danger.

He's had a bad feeling since the beginning of the year, and that feeling reached its peak today.

Zhang He sternly rebuked him.

"How can one achieve great things if one is timid and hesitant?"

"The Imperial Guard of Baiyun County? Commander Sun Yan? He's nothing but a piece of trash."

"As for those Imperial Guards we found, your third and fourth brothers can handle them."

"When dawn breaks, your father will break through to the Innate Realm. Then we will leave Yongning County, change our appearance, and even the Embroidered Uniform Guard will have a hard time catching us."

Zhang Zhi was stunned for a moment, then his voice rose a few decibels, his joy overflowing.

"Father! You're about to break through to the Innate Realm?"

Zhang He stood with his hands behind his back.

"Indeed, I sensed the constraint at the beginning of the year, but in the past few months, that constraint has become as thin as a cicada's wing."

"As long as I consume the Sacred Fruit tonight, achieving the Innate Realm is practically guaranteed."

In the martial arts world of Yongning County, the Innate Realm is the pinnacle of existence. There are only a handful of Innate Realm experts in the entire Qiushui City, and many of them are from official families.

For example, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the general of the city garrison, and so on.

As long as his family leaves Yongning County, changes their identity, finds a city similar to Qiushui City, and establishes a foothold, it won't be long before the Zhang family can be considered a prominent family.

However, joy did not cloud Zhang Zhi's mind. The sense of danger never dissipated, not even when he heard that his father was about to break through to the Innate Realm.

He felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his neck, and his intuition told him to run now, and to run out of Yongning County was the only way to survive.

After some deliberation, the allure of the Innate Realm family ultimately prevailed.

I kept reassuring myself that intuition can be wrong sometimes.

"Father, I'll protect you tonight! You can focus on your breakthrough!"

"Good son!"

Zhang He looked at his son, who was supporting him, and he was very satisfied.

Of his five sons, he was most satisfied with Zhang Zhi, who was the smartest, most talented, and most filial.

Since childhood, Zhang Zhi has always been certain that things he is sure of will not go wrong, so before doing anything important, he will always ask Zhang Zhi for his opinion.

Having received his son's affirmation, he felt confident that the matter was settled.

The Jianghu of Yongning County? The Embroidered Uniform Guard? Nothing special!

Just as the father and son were deeply in love.

A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the woods: "Old Zhang, Ah Zhi, run!"

Zhang He and his son immediately recognized He Lian's voice, and their expressions changed drastically.

"Father, is that Mother's voice?"

Zhang He didn't say anything, but quickly rushed into the forest and ran towards the source of the sound, with Zhang Zhi following closely behind.

In the woods, the black dog slapped He Lian's face repeatedly.

A thin, burly Imperial Guard stood nearby, looking terrified.

"My lord, it was my negligence. I failed to keep an eye on this thief, and she cried out..."

To put it bluntly, this already represents a missed opportunity and disrupted the capture target.

Shen Qing glanced at the depths of Black Tiger Mountain, waved his hand, and turned to walk towards He Lian.

"Go back and you'll be fined a month's salary and made to stand guard for three months. If you do it again, get out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The gaunt Imperial Guard looked up at Shen Qing in disbelief, wondering if the punishment was too lenient.

He was transferred from Luoshui City, where such a crime would be enough to cost him his head.

Could the only penalty be a month's salary and three months of night watch?

This is simply a fantasy.

The thin, wiry Imperial Guard knelt down with a thud.

"Thank you, sir! I will never do it again. If I do, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins."

Shen Qing stood in front of He Lian, whose face had been slapped red by the black dog.

"As expected of someone at the Acquired Realm, their skin is thick."

As he spoke, he grabbed He Lian's crown with his hand, and with a slight force, He Lian let out a painful scream.

"Since you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish."

He Lian's face contorted as she squeezed out a few words.

"Even as a ghost... I will never... let you go."

Shen Qing's face remained expressionless; those were truly clichéd harsh words.

"Then you'd better bring your whole family, otherwise, there won't be enough for me to kill."

He Lian's face was contorted in rage, her skull slightly deformed from Shen Qing's grip. The immense pain rendered her unable to utter any more harsh words.

"stop!"

Zhang He burst out of the woods, shouting until his throat was hoarse.

Shen Qing's lips curled up slightly, and with a sudden burst of force, He Lian's head exploded like a watermelon.

Shen Qing had been waiting for this moment. He didn't need to crush He Lian's head for even a moment, but he wanted Zhang He to arrive so that Zhang He could watch He Lian's head being crushed.

Turning around, Shen Qing revealed a warm smile.

"You're Zhang He?"

"Let me tell you, when He Lian died, she kept calling out your name."

"And your four sons, even on their deaths, believed you would come to save them."