The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

Zhou Heng returned to the inn and, under the pretext of preparing for tomorrow's martial arts competition, kicked Er Gou out.

He took out a booklet from his pocket and started flipping through it.

The handwriting on the booklet was delicate and beautiful; it was Xue Zhiwei's own handwriting that recorded the taboos of the immortal officials.

Although Xue Zhiwei threatened Zhou Heng, she eventually told him about the taboos of the celestial officials.

After reading it from beginning to end, Zhou Heng gained a lot of new insights into the path of becoming a Celestial Official.

It must be said that compared to the unrestricted nature of martial artists, the path to becoming a celestial official is indeed subject to many constraints.

For example, one cannot practice cultivation in places with polluted air.

For example, sexual intercourse is prohibited during thunderstorms or rain.

For example, not eating beef... This was a rule that Zhou Heng added himself.

"Taboos aside, celestial officials do indeed possess some techniques that martial artists lack."

Zhou Heng pondered to himself.

The real reason why the alias of the Ninth-Rank Celestial Official is the Keeper of the Archives is not as Xue Zhiwei said, but because once one becomes a Ninth-Rank Celestial Official, one's memory will be greatly enhanced, and some exceptionally talented individuals can even remember everything they see.

If one were to study, one could easily memorize many books. And since immortals also need to master a lot of knowledge to cultivate, this is why they have this nickname.

"The Keeper of the Archives can actually influence other people's memories."

Zhou Heng now understood why Xue Zhiwei said he had very little chance of winning against Lu Tongguang.

The Ninth-Rank Immortal Official in charge of the Archives has one ability: to alter the memories of others.

If the spell is cast on an ordinary person, it can permanently alter their memories.

Zhou Heng is a seventh-rank martial artist. Even if a ninth-rank celestial official casts a spell on him, it can only affect him temporarily.

However, in the midst of battle, even a single moment can be enough to change the outcome.

To give a simple example, if the two were fighting, and Lu Tongguang used this memory-altering magic to make Zhou Heng suddenly forget the moves he had learned, or even change his memory of the moves, causing him to use flawed moves, then the outcome would be self-evident.

Martial artists can only withstand such divine techniques by sheer force.

But Zhou Heng is more than just a martial artist.

"If he didn't know, that would be fine. But now that I do, if Lu Tongguang still dares to use such methods against me, then I might as well turn the tables on him..."

Zhou Heng pondered to himself.

…………

Inside the Lin Family Pharmacy.

Lin Yue, or rather Xue Zhiwei, looked annoyed.

"I must be crazy, how could I agree to something like that?"

Xue Zhiwei muttered to herself, "He has the least seniority, yet he's now giving orders."

Taking action against the Lu family without any evidence, do they really think the Imperial Guard can do whatever they want?

If we can't find any evidence, that would be a real problem.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Why had she agreed to Zhou Heng's request?

…………

It was midnight.

A wooden sword swept through the air and appeared silently inside the Dajin County government office.

The wooden sword swiftly wrote lines of text on the ground.

The newly appointed county lieutenant of Otsu County, "Lu Zhao," slapped his thigh, his face full of excitement.

"Great idea! Scholar, go tell him, that's what we'll do!"

He spoke to the wooden sword, and if anyone saw him, they would think he had gone mad.

The wooden sword tapped its tip twice, as if nodding, and then it silently flew up and disappeared into the night sky in the blink of an eye.

…………

When Zhou Heng slowly arrived at Qianmen Street, the already bustling street was now completely congested.

Such a lively event as "martial arts duel" is rare even in Otsu Prefecture, so of course everyone wanted to come and see the excitement.

Even Yao Lie, the leader of the Dajiang Gang, came in person, but he didn't mingle with the crowd; instead, he stayed in a restaurant across the street.

Upon seeing Zhou Heng arrive, the onlookers quickly made way for him.

Zhou Heng had a black cloth covering his eyes.

His eyes have fully recovered, and if they weren't covered, no one would think he was blind when they saw those bright, piercing eyes.

"To make offerings, one must first sign a life-or-death agreement, engage in martial arts sparring, and bear full responsibility for one's own life and death."

Er Gou led Zhou Heng to the front of the arena and handed him a calligraphy brush.

Zhou Heng didn't care and casually wrote down the three words "become blind".

How to describe his handwriting? It can only be said that it perfectly matches the identity of a wandering knight-errant.

Just as Zhou Heng put down his brush, a man strode onto the stage with imposing presence.

Zhou Heng remained calm as he slowly ascended the steps and stood opposite the other person.

"Cheng the Blind, a native of Dong County, Qizhou, was twenty-five years old."

The man opposite slowly spoke, "I've worked as a ghostwriter for the government. My best achievement is killing Feng Zhen, a powerful demonic cultivator."

Given your age, background, and abilities, you can be considered a promising young person.

I'm giving you a chance. Join my Lu family now, and I'll forgive and forget what happened before.

Zhou Heng remained expressionless. He already knew that Xue Zhiwei had covered up the loopholes in his identity, and he was not surprised by the news of the Lu family's investigation.

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

Zhou Heng said calmly.

The man opposite him frowned, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

"To die at my hands, Lu Tongguang's, is your good fortune!"

The other party was indeed the second master of the Lu family, Lu Tongguang, the strongest man in Dajin County.

Before he could finish speaking...

Lu Tongguang suddenly pressed his body down, making a sprinting motion, with his right knee almost touching the ground.

boom!

The ground beneath his feet exploded, and he shot out at an angle like an arrow released from a bow.

In the blink of an eye, a fierce gust of wind had already hit Zhou Heng's face.

The black silk ribbon he used to blindfold his eyes snapped back and stretched straight up.

No sooner said than done.

Zhou Heng leaned back and used the Lingbo Weibu technique to retreat several feet in an instant.

Once Lu Tongguang made his move, he stopped wasting words and unleashed an attack like a torrential downpour.

He formed his hands into claws, creating a sharp hissing sound as he cut through the air. If he gripped firmly, even a steel knife would be snapped in two by his thick fingers.

Faced with Lu Tongguang's relentless barrage, Zhou Heng moved like a fish between his fingers, and the other man couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

"Zhou Heng, is all you can do is hide?"

Lu Tongguang's face flushed red as he roared angrily.

"As you wish."

Zhou Heng's lips curled up slightly, and he suddenly stopped.

The next moment, he drew his long sword from his waist, which turned into a streak of white light and swept towards Lu Tongguang.

"Here comes the knife!"

Lu Tongguang shouted loudly, and someone below the stage threw out a large golden ring sword.

Swish!

Lu Tongguang unleashed a powerful and heavy strike.

Ding ding ding.

Both sides' swordsmanship was as fast as lightning, and they had already clashed dozens of times in an instant.

The expressions on both sides became very serious.

This is a life-or-death struggle; the slightest carelessness could result in immediate death.

Lu Tongguang was secretly astonished. Not only was Cheng the Blind Man's swordsmanship fierce, but his sword could actually withstand his Golden Silk Ring Sword!

The golden-ringed broadsword in his hand was crafted by a renowned craftsman at great expense; it could cut through iron like mud and had helped him slay countless powerful enemies.

Ordinary knives simply cannot withstand the slashing of the Golden Silk Ring Blade.

Now, the blind man's knife not only blocked the attack, but also managed to chip the blade of the golden ring sword.

As Lu Tongguang's murderous intent surged, so did his greed.

Lu Tongguang is determined to have this knife!

Seeing that he couldn't defeat Zhou Heng with martial arts alone, Lu Tongguang's heart stirred, and a red glint flashed in his eyes.

Just then, Zhou Heng suddenly stopped, as if he had forgotten how to execute the move.

In a battle between masters, life and death can be decided in an instant.

Lu Tongguang grinned maliciously as he brought his golden-ringed broadsword down on Lu's head.

This trick had worked for him time and time again, and this time was no exception!

Everyone around the ring held their breath, hissing as they stared at the ring.

Er Gou closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

Just then.

A smile suddenly appeared on Zhou Heng's lips.

The moment the golden-ringed broadsword fell, Zhou Heng's body suddenly vanished.

Immediately afterwards, he appeared beside Lu Tongguang, and a flash of light swept towards his right shoulder.

not good!

Lu Tong's scalp tingled instantly, and a chill ran down his spine to the top of his head.

They've been tricked! The blind man wasn't affected by his magic!

Lu Tongguang instinctively wanted to change his move, but the Golden Silk Ring Saber was powerful and heavy, and once the move was made, it was difficult to reverse.

Swish!

Blood splattered as an arm was tossed high into the air.

The golden-ringed broadsword also flew into the air.

"ah--"

Lu Tongguang let out a scream, which stopped abruptly the next moment.

Zhou Heng lunged forward, instantly appearing behind Lu Tongguang, his right arm outstretched upwards, a streak of blood flowing down the blade.

Lu Tongguang stood in the center of the arena, a line of blood appearing on his neck, and blood spurted out instantly.