Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Shen Qi put down the book "Chronicles of Peace and Prosperity" in his hand.

Despite the fact that dozens of lives were at stake, once they reached the hands of the inner city's scribes, they became nothing more than fodder for idle gossip and jokes.

He was too lazy to look any further and pushed open the door to walk into the courtyard.

Shen Qi took a deep breath, and white mist spewed out from between his teeth. He slowly spread his arms and launched the starting stance of the Spring Wood Skill.

This skill is indeed gentle and nurturing. It doesn't rush or pressure, but simply soaks and nourishes the soil again and again, like an old farmer tending his fields. You can't rush it, nor can you skimp on it.

After completing the deduction of a set of techniques, Shen Qi stopped his stance and stood still, exhaling a long breath of turbid air.

"Creak—"

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhou Wenyuan strode in.

"My lord." Shen Qi immediately stopped his movements and bowed.

Zhou Wenyuan's brows furrowed with barely concealed excitement, and his voice quickened as he spoke: "Get ready, the case in the outer city is closed."

Is it settled?

Shen Qi was taken aback. Although he didn't understand the meaning of the Tongyi, this realm was only below the Wulou realm, which could change the world, so it couldn't be too weak.

"My lord, could it be that experts from Pingzhou have arrived to provide reinforcements?"

"It's not Pingzhou's turn yet." Zhou Wenyuan strode to the stone table, sat down, picked up the pot of cold tea, and took a swig. "Last night at midnight, the Chief Minister personally went out of the city."

Shen Qi's heart skipped a beat: "Lord Si?"

"Just one move." Zhou Wenyuan held up a finger, his eyes filled with awe. "That puppet was about to commit a crime when the Master pointed at it, instantly killing it!"

One move?

To kill a master of the Transcendent Realm in one move? Just what realm is Jiang Xinyue at?

No wonder Jiang Xinyue was so calm about his Grade B Upper Martial Vein in the Martial Arts Examination Hall that day; it turns out she didn't care at all.

Zhou Wenyuan slammed down his teacup and sighed, "The death of a Tongyi Realm cultivator isn't so bad. What's fatal is that they found a token of the Hidden Nether Sect on him."

"The Hidden Netherworld Sect?" Shen Qi asked in confusion.

"A bunch of rats that can't stand the light of day." Zhou Wenyuan sneered. "These remnants of the previous dynasty have been gone for years, but I never expected they would actually run off to the Northern Border. Fortunately, someone who practiced evil arts got into trouble and created an uncontrollable puppet, which is how their whereabouts were exposed."

Zhou Wenyuan's tone turned serious: "The Chief Clerk wrote a memorial last night and sent it to the capital with utmost urgency. The court is most intolerant of these remnants of the previous dynasty. Chengping County, and even the entire Pingzhou Province, is likely to be in turmoil."

Shen Qi felt a chill run down his spine.

He then recalled the swirling black clouds in Jiang Xinyue's destiny!

A confluence of events.

This storm that is about to sweep across the entire northern part of the Dayan Dynasty is probably the very opportunity for Jiang Xinyue to soar into the sky.

Zhou Wenyuan patted Shen Qi on the shoulder, interrupting his turbulent thoughts, "You don't need to go back to the outer city."

Shen Qi was taken aback: "What do you mean, sir?"

Zhou Wenyuan pulled out two documents from his pocket and slammed them on the stone table: "One is a transfer order from the archives, and the other is from the armory. You choose one."

"Although the outer city is no longer plagued by that heretical cultivator who has reached the realm of enlightenment, the city is bound to be in chaos for a while as the search for the remnants of the Hidden Nether Sect begins. You've come to the inner city, where the archives are quiet and you can browse ancient books in the armory. Although the salary isn't high, it's stable. You no longer have to be associated with the bad luck of the dead, so you can focus on cultivation in peace, which is the right path."

This is blatant favoritism.

Who else would receive such treatment?

But Shen Qi naturally couldn't go.

Whether it's an archive or an armory, dealing with files and weapons every day, where would he find the life thread?

Shen Qi bowed deeply, standing straight at the waist.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. But... I still wish to return to the mortuary."

Zhou Wenyuan's outstretched hand, which was about to pat his shoulder, froze in mid-air.

"What?!"

"I grew up surrounded by corpses and am used to welcoming and seeing off the dead. I'm really not cut out for managing files or inspecting weapons," Shen Qi said earnestly, bowing his head. "The mortuary may not be respectable, but I feel at ease there."

Zhou Wenyuan was so angry at Shen Qi that he almost laughed.

He pointed at Shen Qi's nose, his finger trembling: "You...you blockhead! Don't you know what a cesspool that outer city is? Haven't you seen how many people have died lately? Do you really think you have nine lives?!"

"Your Excellency is wise," Shen Qi said, bowing his head. "Now that the evil cultivator at the Tongyi Realm has been executed, even if the outer city is in chaos, it won't affect the government. As long as I stay in the mortuary and don't leave, I am safe and sound."

"Why forsake the broad, smooth road and insist on crawling into a muddy ditch!"

Zhou Wenyuan paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

He just couldn't understand why anyone would give up a leisurely official position to become a mortician, a job shrouded in bad luck.

Shen Qi remained bent over, without uttering a sound.

He knew that Zhou Wenyuan genuinely cared for him.

But he couldn't accept this kindness.

Finally, Zhou Wenyuan stopped and let out a long sigh.

"Fine! Do whatever you want!"

Zhou Wenyuan waved his hand wearily, "Go to the morgue if you want. I want to see what you can learn from being in that pile of corpses!"

Shen Qi breathed a sigh of relief and said loudly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

"Don't thank me yet." Zhou Wenyuan said sternly. "You can return to the outer city, but the rules must be followed. From today onwards, you must come to the inner city to see me once every ten days. Firstly, so I can check on your progress in the Spring Wood Technique, and secondly, to collect your medicinal supplies."

This was the biggest concession he could make. He couldn't keep the person by his side, but at least he had to see them every now and then.

"I understand," Shen Qi replied crisply.

……

Half an hour later.

Shen Qi finished packing. Actually, there wasn't much to take, just a few sets of clothes that Zhou Wenyuan had his servants prepare for him, and a few books.

He slung the bundle over his shoulder, stopped outside the Zhou residence gate, turned around, and bowed deeply to Zhou Wenyuan on the steps:

"Take care, my lord. I will come to pay my respects again in ten days."

Zhou Wenyuan stood on the steps and waved his hand impatiently.

Only after the gate closed did Shen Qi turn around and walk towards the outer city.

By the time Shen Qi returned to the familiar government-run mortuary, the sun was already setting.

In the courtyard, two large black pots were boiling some kind of medicine, and the stench could be smelled from a distance.

"Oh my! Seventh Brother!"

An exaggerated shout interrupted Shen Qi's observation.

Zhao Youtian jogged out from the inner room to greet him.

"I've missed you so much, brother!" Zhao Youtian said excitedly, brushing the snow off Shen Qi's clothes. "You're finally back! These past few days without you here have been driving me crazy. I had to turn down several private jobs in the inner city. Come on, come on, it's warm inside!"

"You're too kind, brother." Shen Qi smiled slightly and handed over the luggage. "Have you been busy these past few days?"

Zhao Youtian paused in his steps.

He turned his head, glanced at Shen Qi, and a knowing look flashed in his small eyes.

"Too many! Unbelievably too many!"

He clicked his tongue and gestured with his hand to indicate the name:

"These damned street thugs, I don't know what they've done to deserve this, they're being burned to death every day, they're being hauled in cartload after cartload! They're just causing trouble for the authorities!"

He paused, chuckled, and rubbed his hands together:

"What's wrong, Seventh Brother? Getting itchy hands?"

……