Refining the True from the False: Becoming a God Starting with Devouring a True Dragon

Chapter 67 The Giant Elephant Demon Spear is Forged! Two Ranks Up, Promoted to Deputy Squad Leader! (5400 words, please subscribe)

Another courtyard.

Liu Banzhao and the others also found a large wooden box in the cellar containing money, the frozen organs of the mutated martial artist, and various other IOUs, ledgers, and the like.

Hearing cries for help to put out a fire outside, they quickened their pace.

"That kid Wang Qi is really quick."

Liu Banzhao pried out a frozen piece of the mutated martial artist's organ, and then the group set the cellar and courtyard ablaze.

"burn!"

"Burn it all up!"

A vicious shout came from not far away.

It was obvious they were all fellow taxi drivers, and it was as if they had been holding back a lot of anger, which they then unleashed in this raging fire.

Liu Banzhao climbed over the wall from his hiding place.

They then looked up at the sky, searching for traces of the ten taels.

This was the arrangement Wang Qi made before the attack.

They can use the kestrels as beacons and follow them to regroup and break through the encirclement.

A raging fire burned behind them as they watched the Xiashui Lane gang members rushing in the opposite direction towards Xiaoyangdao Hutong in a panic.

Tonight, Liu Banzhao, Zhang Yuan, and the others, who had been suppressing their anger for a long time, finally let out a big sigh of relief.

They gradually reunited halfway through the journey, and then they saw Wang Qi following behind.

After everyone silently followed the falcon, they finally escaped from the sewer alley.

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"We escaped."

A constable sighed.

"That last fire was so satisfying!"

"It's a bit like—when I was a kid, I secretly set fire to the house of that scoundrel Zhang who always stole our family's food. That's how it felt back then."

They looked at Wang Qi.

His eyes revealed gratitude and approval.

"That stab you gave me was truly terrifying!"

"Well done, kid."

The crowd's words were straightforward and unambiguous, all simply shouting "Awesome!"

indeed,

Wang Qi's slash not only terrified the people in the sewer alley, but also shocked the old constables.

Especially with Zhang Yuan as their mentor, setting a high bar for them.

This makes Wang Qi's strike even more terrifying.

Unlike the others, Zhang Yuan walked up to Wang Qi, frowned, and asked, "Why are you out in the sewers in the middle of the night?"

Wang Qi replied, "I went home, and my master's wife said that you have an important case to handle today and may not even be back tonight."

"I thought that Master was the best of the best among the constables, the elite among the yamen runners. No matter how big the case was, a whole day would be enough for you, and it wouldn't delay dinner at all."

"After thinking it over, it must be related to the Zhou Dayi case."

"I happen to be quite familiar with the sewer alley, so I came here."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuan laughed out loud, "You little rascal, how come you've suddenly become so eloquent?"

"I've heard that you and that Silver Fairy Sun Li girl often roam the sewers."

Liu Banzhao looked at a man with a thick beard, "Right, Lao Meng?"

"Um."

The bearded man nodded.

Wang Qi then realized that this bearded man was the first constable to arrive at the scene when he killed Li Xiong.

The survivors talked as they ran quickly toward the government office.

County Magistrate's Office.

"audacious in the extreme!"

Liu Caiping looked at the frozen internal organs of the mutated martial artist on the table.

"I'm going to report this to the military government and have them suppressed on charges of rebellion! They're too arrogant!"

"Openly intercepting and killing government officials, disregarding human life, and even willingly degrading themselves—it's utterly outrageous!"

"This is outrageous!"

Enraged, Liu Caiping smashed the purple cypress solid wood table in front of her on the spot.

It's one thing for people to collect herbs and use incense to cure diseases.

How could a perfectly good warrior be turned into a monster that is neither human nor ghost?

They even had the audacity to talk about "demonization".

absurd!

After venting,

He slowly regained his composure and looked at Liu Banzhao and the others in front of him, "You are all heroes of Heihe County."

Don't worry—I'll approve the note first thing tomorrow morning—

Liu Caiping suddenly fell silent, then changed her words, "Later, come with me to the courtyard, and I will select some treasures for you from my private collection."

One,

"But don't tell anyone about what happened tonight."

"You don't need to worry about the sewers for now. Focus on recovering from your injuries. I will give the three who died a proper burial."

He suddenly realized that such a major undertaking could absolutely not be accomplished by the rabble in the sewers alone.

This is definitely not just supported or tacitly approved by one big figure, but by several.

Although the identities of these people have probably already been exposed.

But if we were to openly reward a few people now, it would be tantamount to picking on them, and would only harm them.

"Please go to your rooms and rest for a while. I'll be there shortly."

After saying that, Liu Banzhao and the others turned and left.

Zhang Yuan, however, stopped and called out, "Sir, my apprentice was a great help this time. If it weren't for him, we would have died in the sewers long ago. You see—"

Zhang Yuan recounted the whole story, including how Wang Qi killed Chicken Boss and Sheep Boss with a single blow.

"Yeah, yeah, that kid is exceptionally fierce."

"We also have a clever kestrel that can guide us—"

Liu Banzhao and the others chimed in, praising Wang Qi's role.

"Is there anything else about Wang Qi?"

Liu Caiping's expression suddenly became much more interesting.

The news that Ji Shichang was carried away horizontally in Chunshui Pavilion did not spread.

The diners at the time were intimidated by the mysterious man's authority and even more afraid of Ji Shichang's retaliation, so they all kept quiet.

Therefore, it did not cause any disturbance in Heihe County.

As for who was in that room on the third floor at that time, very little was known.

But Liu Caiping found out immediately.

He not only knew who was inside, but also knew that Ji Shichang was humiliated because it was that young master Long who was avenging Wang Qi.

At this point in time,

He had another idea in his mind.

"Where are the others?"

"It's right outside the courtyard."

"Quickly, please let him in."

Soon,

Wang Qi stood in front of Liu Caiping.

"This humble official, Wang Qi, greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"

Wang Qi bowed.

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities, we're all family!" Liu Caiping looked at Wang Qi in front of her with a kind smile on her face.

"My dear nephew, you were truly valiant tonight, and you are quite the handsome young man."

No wonder he was able to associate with that young master Long.

Liu Caiping sighed inwardly.

His words weren't entirely unfounded.

Wang Qi's appearance was indeed outstanding; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the object of Zhou Fu's jealousy and "special attention" in the soap shop.

"Your journey to save my master is also a rescue of Heihe County; your merit is immeasurable!"

"Tomorrow, tomorrow I will reward them handsomely in front of all the constables!"

aside,

Zhang Yuan's expression changed, and he stepped forward again, saying, "Your Excellency, this action will make A-Qi the target of everyone's criticism. With Zhou Da's example as a warning, isn't this putting A-Qi in a very difficult position?"

Although they have largely been exposed.

But he treated his apprentice like a hero, praising him highly.

Wouldn't that just be setting up a target?

If those people want revenge, they'll definitely pick the biggest, most conspicuous one first.

"Don't worry! I've got everything covered!"

Liu Caiping patted her chest, full of confidence.

then,

He then looked at Wang Qi and smiled, "What do you think, my dear nephew?"

"I will follow the magistrate's arrangements."

Wang Qi agreed.

He's now so carefree, like someone burdened with lice and debts.

Why not give County Magistrate Ji more trouble and increase the intensity of his task?

"Ah Qi, I'm hosting a banquet at home these past two days to properly thank you."

"You've already learned all of Lao Zhang's skills, and even surpassed him. Wouldn't you like to learn something else?"

"It's always good to have more skills."

After leaving the Liu residence, the group chatted as they walked.

"Archery, perhaps."

Wang Qi thought about it seriously.

"That's wonderful! My family has been hunters for four generations, and our ancestral archery skills have been praised by a garrison commander!" Liu Banzhao said excitedly.

"Come find me whenever you're free, and I'll teach you personally."

"Then I thank you in advance."

Xiashui Lane, Xiaoyangdao Hutong.

Duck No. 2 and Pig No. 3 stared at the raging fire before them, along with the leaders of the various gangs of Wolf and Fox, and the charred bodies of Chicken No. 1 and Sheep No. 4, who were on par with them.

"Wang Qi, it's definitely the giant python Wang Qi."

The second duck was shocked, "Even the eldest chicken's demon form couldn't withstand that slash?"

"That's terrifying."

They were both shocked and angry.

not far away,

The four gang leaders—chicken, duck, pig, and sheep—were still leisurely bickering.

The second duck was furious and strode forward.

Pig Brother Three behind him quickly followed.

"What exactly is the business of your sheep-slaughtering gang? You had hundreds of people in total, yet you couldn't even hold onto ten constables, and your house was burned down?"

"You have the nerve to ask me? What kind of wretches did you give me? How can an old man who can't even lift a knife stop people?"

"If you ask me, the problem lies with your plan—"

"Hmph, four useless old geezers."

The second duck stormed over, immediately throwing out a bombshell.

The four people's faces instantly turned bright red.

"Little duckling, how dare you!"

"How can you speak so disrespectfully?"

"You're not the gang leader yet," the Duck Gang leader glared angrily.

Duck Brother Two said coldly, "Then let's have a fight now? Let's see who's more suitable to be the gang leader?"

Upon hearing this, the wicked leader of the duck gang immediately wilted.

"Hmph, with important matters at hand, I can't be bothered to argue with you."

"Useless." Duck Second had no intention of letting go of this gang leader, or rather, the four people in front of him.

"It's all because of your hesitation and indecisiveness that a potentially fatal situation has turned into this."

"Just wait, wait for Liu Caiping to submit a report to the military government, and tomorrow hundreds of cavalry will enter the city and crush the sewer alley to pieces."

With this remark,

This instantly silenced the gang leaders who were initially filled with rage.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Not far away, a middle-aged man with a limp walked over.

"Manager Ma."

"Manager Ma."

Everyone clasped their hands in greeting, even the second duck symbolically clasped his fists.

"I'll handle this. The sewers won't be finished."

"However, there's one thing," Manager Ma said, glancing at the two men, including Duck Lao Er.

"Don't even think about taking revenge on Wang Qi."

Why?

The second duck was puzzled.

Manager Ma said, "That person has an extremely powerful background; he's someone neither you nor I can afford to offend."

"Even if you want to die, go outside the city to make your move—but I think you'll be beaten to death before you even see him."

"Don't worry, you're overthinking it."

The second duck laughed, "Compared to you guys, I prefer that guy named Wang Qi."

"At least he could kill Chicken Boss and Sheep Boss with one strike, and he even dared to face thousands of people and return to Xiaoyangdao Alley to fight them. Compared to those four useless old bastards, he is worlds apart."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the four gang leaders turned red and then green.

"That's for the best."

Manager Ma waved his hand, "Go get back to work."

"Let's pretend nothing happened tonight."

"For those who died, each family should send three taels of silver. I will bring the money tomorrow morning."

After all,

Manager Ma limped away again.

the next day.

Wang Qi, who had stayed up all night, got up early.

He can't sleep.

Because he felt his blood and qi were restless, and the "refining cauldron" in his chest was agitated!

The Dragon Elephant Secret Martial Arts may be about to break through!

He had a premonition.

He suppressed the restlessness in his heart.

They waited until they counted the eggs as usual, and were just about to leave when the official in charge of counting the eggs called them back.

"At noon, everyone gathered at the main gate of the county government office, as the county magistrate had something to say."

After disbanding.

Wang Qi then rushed to the water-related room of Chunshui Pavilion without stopping.

Cooking meat, a form of spiritual practice —

boom!

When Wang Qi activated the dragon energy, he refined the flesh of the fossilized bull demon and began his cultivation.

He felt his practice today went exceptionally smoothly.

a moment,

The black mist around him suddenly expanded.

The black mist world reflected in the pupils also underwent a change.

The ghosts no longer wailed and roared, but hovered around Wang Qi.

Like guards protecting him.

It bared its claws and stretched its neck to attack—or perhaps it was trying to escape—towards the outside.

A glint of darkness flashed in Wang Qi's eyes.

Hands,

A black spear was vaguely taking shape.

Evil spirits clung to his body, like demons emerging from the underworld.

Dragon Elephant Secret Martial Arts - Great Demon Force, First Level.

The Giant Elephant Magic Gun.

Become!

"What happened now?"

"Could it be that the higher-ups have changed the policy again?"

"It's only been a few days, it certainly can't be —"

"It's hard to say. This isn't the first time policies have been changed so frequently. Remember the head tax incident last year?" "I think it's probably related to the Zhou Dayi case."

At noon, the group walked along the road, chattering amongst themselves.

Seeing that the constables from all the courtyards were being dismissed at the same time, the discussions grew even louder.

"Qi, what could possibly be wrong?"

Lu Shun asked.

Wang Qi and the other two stood side by side, while Gao Ya, who arrived late, lagged behind them by half a body length.

"Praise me."

Wang Qi said.

"Hmph, come on—" Lu Shun scoffed. "You're always either hanging around Chunshui Pavilion or practicing your martial arts. What's there to reward you for? Reward you for spending so much time there?"

"Qi, you've gone bad too!" Ge Daniu exclaimed in anguish, "Women are ruining your health!"

"If the purpose of practicing martial arts isn't to last longer, then what's the point?" Lu Shun retorted angrily.

"Anyway, I support Brother Qi!"

Gao Ya, however, steadfastly and mindlessly sided with Wang Qi, making sarcastic remarks.

They have arrived in front of the county government office.

The spacious and imposing county government office was packed with people.

Among the crowd, Wang Qi also spotted Xie Dajiao.

Since the incident at Chunshui Pavilion, this "beloved daughter of a wealthy family" has lost her former charm, like a wilted eggplant, always keeping her head down.

Soap Courtyard, Zhuang Courtyard, Kuai Courtyard —

Several hundred people from three shifts and six rooms surrounded the place, making it impossible to move.

"What a grand scene!" Lu Shun exclaimed, even more curious about what had happened.

Then,

County Magistrate Liu Caiping then walked out from inside the gate.

"As you all probably know, some time ago, Zhengyu Street and Zhuanfang Street were burglarized, and the constable Zhou Da was killed that very night after reporting the crime!"

"The people are filled with anxiety, and everyone is talking about how dark it gets in Heihe County!"

"With three shifts and six rooms, and over a thousand people, they couldn't find a single clue even after several days."

"At the time, even I doubted whether the sky in Heihe County was really that dark—"

"Fortunately, I was wrong!"

"Our Heihe County still has capable officials and talented people!"

"Liu Banzhao, Zhang Yuan, Meng Hu ———"

Liu Caiping began calling out names, naming the nine assassins he had previously selected.

However, six people walked out, while three others stood out as descendants of the deceased, holding the stone tablet.

"These nine individuals were discovered to be the ringleaders in the sewers!"

"And fight them to the death..."

"Some people must have seen the fire last night."

"That is the fire of heroes—"

Liu Caiping's voice was strong and clear. From beginning to end, she kept praising Liu Banzhao and his nine friends, but she blurred out the four major gangs of chicken, duck, pig and sheep, and didn't mention Xiaoyangdao Hutong at all.

"Effective immediately, Liu Banzhao, Zhang Yuan, Meng Hu, and the other two are promoted to deputy squad leaders, each receiving a monthly salary of five taels of silver and a jade waist token from the Qingshui Heihe region. They are also granted an additional 1,000 jin of third-tier demon meat from their respective cultivation techniques. They are permitted to move freely within the Heihe County government offices."

Upon hearing this, the many constables immediately erupted in excitement.

"Leaving aside that five taels monthly salary, the third-tier demon meat needed to progress from the Inner Strength Realm to the Blood Transformation Realm costs an average of three hundred coins per pound. One thousand pounds is three hundred taels of silver!"

"Money is a small matter. This thousand catties of third-tier demon meat is hard to buy. It's always been a case of 'high price but no market'."

"That kind of easy access within the government is ridiculous, isn't it? If you ever have a grievance, you can go straight to the top official. It skips the middleman—it doesn't sound like much, but it's actually incredibly useful."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, their eyes filled with envy.

At the same time, I admire them even more.

They heard on their way here that dozens of households in Xiashui Lane had the character "孝" (mournful) on their names.

In addition, there are many unregistered residents in the sewers, so a great many must have died.

Liu Caiping's voice rang out again.

"There is another person whose merits surpass those of the others."

"He saved his master and led six people to safety. Those two massive fires were only able to severely damage the demon faction thanks to his bold decision-making."

The noise below grew louder.

"There are other formidable opponents?"

Lu Shun's eyes widened.

"Captain Liu and his men are already among the most skilled constables, right?" Ge Daniu frowned. "Is there anyone who can surpass them?"

"It should be the squad leader," Gao Ya interjected.

"Qi, guess again," Lu Shun nudged Wang Qi. "Tell me one that doesn't include you."

Wang Qi had not yet spoken.

Liu Caiping, standing at the door, has already revealed the answer.

"Effective immediately, Wang Qi is promoted two ranks to Deputy Head of the Black River Squad, receiving a monthly salary of five taels of silver, and is granted the Qingshui Heihe Jade Waist Token. He is also granted an additional 1,000 jin of third-tier demon meat, obtained through his cultivation technique. He is authorized to act as he sees fit within Heihe County!"

"what?"

Lu Shun let out a sharp, incredulous sound.

Realizing something was wrong, he immediately covered his mouth.

But his pupils stared in shock at his good brother beside him, his eyes already asking the question, "It really is you."

And the people around them,

Most of them also had a look in their eyes that said, "It was you."

"Does 'acting expediently' mean that Wang Qineng acted first and reported later?"

"Does the county magistrate have such authority?"

"Never mind whether he has that right or not, just tell me whether the magistrate has that ability."

"That's true—the magistrate is directly backing him up. Wang Qi is really taking off."

"Wait, Wang Qi has reached the Inner Strength Realm?!"

From the crowd came another belated exclamation.

After a period of analysis and decryption.

The crowd surged and rippled like waves.

Looking at Wang Qi, who was the center of attention, Jia Zhengshu clenched his fists and muttered to himself, "I haven't worked hard enough. I need to work even harder!"

"Starting today, I will only sleep for two hours each day —"

Xie Dajiao's expression was complicated. She only dared to glance at Wang Qi before quickly lowering her head.

Just a few days ago, he was mocking Wang Qi for not having any powerful backing.

As a result, he quickly found a magistrate to rely on, while he himself—that County Magistrate Ji—had not left his house for several days, and no one knew how he was doing.

Wang Qi himself did not expect that the county magistrate would give him the authority to act expediently.

But then I thought about it again...

He guessed that it was probably to do a favor for Young Master Long.

This Magistrate Liu probably thought he was related to the young master of Long.

And that is indeed who he is.

He was merely a physician to the young master of Long.

As the saying goes, a local official is more powerful than a distant one.

Now, with the help of Young Master Long and the backing of this county magistrate—

I felt more confident walking around Heihe County.