If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

The sky was fully bright.

The morning mist drifted through the forest, carrying the damp scent of grass and trees. Zhou Yang walked ahead, his steps steady. Qin Shuang followed three steps behind him, her hand never leaving the hilt of her knife.

Neither of them spoke.

The mountain path was rugged, and a rainstorm the previous night had left the ground slippery with decaying leaves. Yet Zhou Yang walked as if he were in his own backyard, each step firmly planted on solid ground. His back was ramrod straight, showing no trace of the disheveled state of someone fleeing for their life.

Qin Shuang's feelings were complicated.

This man, yesterday she was a pawn she had recruited, today he is her only ally. His plan is insane, audacious, and sounds like he's courting death.

But she had no choice.

"Right here." Zhou Yang suddenly stopped.

This is a long, narrow valley with steep slopes on both sides and only a narrow path in the middle. The fog is even thicker here, obstructing visibility; you can't see a person more than ten steps away. The terrain is treacherous, making it a natural ambush site.

Qin Shuang looked around, her brows furrowing slightly. "You want to lure them here?"

"Not bad." Zhou Yang took out the black iron token from his pocket, weighed it between his fingers, and said, "Commander Chen is dead, but his token is still warm. Those mad dogs from the Zhenwu Guard will come after us as soon as they smell it."

He looked at Qin Shuang: "You are responsible for luring them in. Use your Jinyiwei identity to create a chase. Make them think you are just a lone Jinyiwei centurion."

"And what about you?" Qin Shuang asked.

Zhou Yang smiled, a smile carrying an indescribable meaning. He pointed to himself: "I am both the prey and the hunter. I'm hiding here, waiting for them to crawl into my trap."

Qin Shuang fell silent. She understood the danger of this plan. Once the Zhenwu Guard discovered it, the two of them would be like fish in a can, completely surrounded and killed.

"No confidence?" Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow. "You just need to lead them into this valley. Leave the rest to me."

His gaze was calm, yet it exuded an irresistible confidence. Qin Shuang looked into his eyes and nodded, almost as if possessed.

"Wait for me for half an hour." After saying that, Zhou Yang's figure flashed and disappeared into the thick fog and shadows of the trees.

Qin Shuang took a deep breath, suppressing her unease. She turned and walked out of the valley along the path she had come from. Her steps were deliberately hurried, even a little unsteady, like a weary person who had been on the run for a long time.

On the official road outside the valley, a group of black-armored knights were galloping towards them.

The leader was a stern-faced captain with a menacing scar on his cheek. He reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the messy footprints on the ground.

"The trail of Hundred-Household Commander Qin Shuang ends here," a Zhenwu Guard reported in a low voice. "Judging from the footprints, it seems she entered that Misty Valley."

A fierce glint flashed in the scarred captain's eyes: "Pass down the order! Two teams will surround the hillsides on both sides, the rest of you follow me into the valley! Commander Chen's death was suspicious; this Qin Shuang definitely knows the inside story! Capture her alive!"

"yes!"

The Zhenwu Guard acted swiftly and efficiently, splitting up their forces in a matter of moments. The scarred captain, leading seven or eight trusted men, spurred his horse and charged into the Misty Valley.

The fog in the valley grew thicker, forcing the horses to slow down.

Just then, the sound of clashing weapons came from ahead, accompanied by a woman's muffled groan.

"There it is!" Scarface's spirits lifted.

In the mist ahead, a figure in blue was being attacked by three men in black. It was Qin Shuang. She wielded an embroidered spring knife, parrying attacks from all sides. She had already been stabbed in the shoulder, blood staining her clothes. Her moves were fierce, but her stamina was clearly failing; she could only parry.

Upon seeing Zhenwu Guard, Qin Shuang's eyes flashed with a hint of panic. She feigned an attack and then turned to flee into the depths of the valley.

"Trying to run? Chase after them!" Scarface shouted, urging his horse to give chase.

Qin Shuang ran ahead, with the Zhenwu Guards chasing behind. The distance between them gradually closed. Qin Shuang's breathing grew heavier, and her steps became increasingly unsteady.

She ran to the narrowest part of the valley. The slopes on both sides were steep and sheer, with a muddy path below.

right here!

The thought had barely formed in her mind when a piercing scream suddenly came from behind her.

The last Zhenwu Guard in the pursuit suddenly froze, a bloody hole appearing in his chest. He looked down in disbelief, then fell straight off his horse.

"There's an ambush!" Scarface Captain roared, immediately drawing his sword.

But it was too late.

A ghostly shadow silently slipped out from the thick fog beside him. The shadow moved faster than a human, without even making a sound.

Scarface felt a blur before his eyes, and an irresistible force came from his side. He looked down and saw a hand piercing through his armor and pressing against his lower back.

The owner of that hand was Zhou Yang.

His face had a strange blush, and his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"you……"

Scarface only uttered one word before Zhou Yang suddenly exerted force in his palm.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible. Scarface's entire lumbar vertebrae were instantly crushed, and his body flew out like a rag doll, crashing into the mountainside before sliding softly down.

One fatal blow!

The remaining Zhenwu Guards were completely terrified. They hadn't even seen how Zhou Yang had gotten there.

"monster!"

Someone screamed in terror and turned to run away.

Zhou Yang, however, was faster than them. He blurred, leaving an afterimage in his wake. The next instant, he appeared behind a Zhenwu Guard, his fingers like knives, lightly slicing across the man's neck.

A line of blood spurted out. The man clutched his throat, making a hoarse sound, and collapsed to his knees.

The power of burning thirty years of lifespan to push the "Withering and Flourishing Finger" to its perfect state was fully displayed at this moment.

Each of his fingers was precise and deadly. The force of his fingers pierced the air, carrying the desolate aura of death. In Zhou Yang's perception, the movements of these Zhenwu Guards were as slow as snails. The weak points in their armor and the pathways of their meridians were all clearly visible.

This is no longer a martial arts duel; it's a one-sided hunt.

Qin Shuang stopped and leaned against a tree, staring blankly at everything.

In the mist, Zhou Yang's figure appeared and disappeared intermittently. He was like a cheetah darting through the forest, elegant yet deadly. With each appearance, a Zhenwu Guard fell. His movements were utterly swift and clean, devoid of any trace of cunning.

The stench of blood permeated the valley.

The battle was over in less than half a minute.

Apart from Qin Shuang, there was no one else standing in the valley. Seven or eight Zhenwu Guards, including the captain, were all dead.

Zhou Yang stood beside a corpse and exhaled softly. The strange flush on his face faded, replaced by a sickly pallor. He held his forehead, and a trickle of warm blood slid from his nostril.

He wiped it off casually with the back of his hand, his breathing somewhat unsteady.

Qin Shuang slowly walked over. She looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, then at Zhou Yang's pale face, and her throat felt dry.

"What...are you?" she finally asked.

Zhou Yang didn't answer immediately. He squatted down and began to grope the scarred captain's body. His movements were practiced, as if he were picking vegetables in his own garden.

"A businessman who knows how to trade," he replied without looking up.

He pulled an official document, a money pouch, and half a token from the corpse's arms. He put everything away and moved on to the next corpse.

Looking at him, Qin Shuang suddenly felt that this man was even more dangerous than those Zhenwu Guards.

The strength he just displayed exceeded her understanding of martial artists. It wasn't the Acquired Realm, or even the Innate Realm. It was a more bizarre and powerful force. But after using that power, he would become weak again.

This contrast is chilling.

"What price did you pay?" Qin Shuang pressed.

Zhou Yang paused. He looked up at Qin Shuang, a faint smile curving his lips.

"secret."

He stood up, tidied up the loot he had collected, walked up to Qin Shuang, and threw the money bag at her.

"Yours. A small token of appreciation for your hard work."

Qin Shuang instinctively caught it. The money bag was heavy, and the silver ingots inside made a crisp sound as they clattered together.

"I don't need it." She wanted to return the purse.

"Take it." Zhou Yang's tone left no room for argument. "We're all in the same boat now. You're a partner, not a subordinate. A partner should have the responsibilities of a partner."

He paused, his gaze falling on Qin Shuang's blood-stained shoulder.

"How's the injury?"

"External injury".

Zhou Yang didn't say anything more, but took out a small porcelain bottle from his bag and tossed it over. "Wound medicine, a special supply for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it works better."

Qin Shuang took the medicine bottle, feeling a slight coolness as her fingertips touched it. She looked at Zhou Yang with a complicated expression.

This man was sometimes as cold as ice, and at other times he would reveal subtle care that even he himself was unaware of.

Zhou Yang ignored her gaze. He unfolded the official document he had found and began to examine it carefully. The document recorded some of the Zhenwu Guard's tasks and personnel transfers.

He saw a message, and his eyes lit up slightly.

"Got it." He put away the official document and looked towards the valley exit. "The key to the capital has been found."

Qin Shuang was taken aback: "What?"

"The Zhenwu Guard has a small team that will be escorting a group of 'highly wanted criminals' to the capital in three days." Zhou Yang's face revealed a shrewd smile typical of a businessman. "We can infiltrate their ranks."

After he finished speaking, he walked out of the valley.

"Let's go, clean up the scene."

Qin Shuang looked at his slightly pale back, then looked down at the money bag and medicine bottle in her hand, and finally put them all into her bosom.

She followed.

The fog gradually dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light. The stench of blood in the valley slowly faded in the air.

A new plan has begun.