Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

Li Ping sprayed the tea he had just drunk all over the ground.

He didn't even bother wiping his mouth, staring intently at Ren Jun.

"Is what you say true, senior brother?"

Ren Jun shook his sleeves, his expression unchanged.

"Absolutely true"

"This Hu Guan has been colluding with bandits and buying and selling official positions; his name has already been registered in the prefect's register."

"My master ordered me to come here to capture this person."

Li Ping wiped his mouth, looked down at the ground, and his mind raced with thoughts.

Is this a stroke of good luck or a terrible misfortune?

He thought it was a thug from a bandit background, but he never expected to run into his own powerful backer.

"So, what does Senior Brother plan to do?"

"I originally intended to arrest him directly, but based on what you said earlier, is Hu Guan planning a grand performance tomorrow?"

Ren Jun narrowed his eyes, a hint of mockery playing on his lips.

Li Ping sighed.

"It's not that I wanted to play along with him; he used a qi-inducing technique to entice me."

"They even threatened me with the safety of my brother and sister-in-law. If I don't comply, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave this county government office today."

"Then I'll play along."

Ren Jun stood up and patted Li Ping on the shoulder.

"Tomorrow you proceed as usual. I want to see what tricks this man can pull."

"Senior brother, you must save my life! That Hu Guan is a cultivator; my body can't withstand a single punch."

After speaking, Li Ping pointed to his thin shoulders.

Ren Jun smiled

"Don't worry, I'm here for you. He can't hurt you in the slightest."

"What about me? I'm just a normal mortal. If it really happens tomorrow and he does something drastic to me, wouldn't I become a wronged ghost?"

"So I'm letting you continue acting as usual."

Ren Jun took out a jade slip with a warm, lustrous sheen from his pocket.

"This is something my master specifically instructed me to give you. If you break this stalemate tomorrow, this Qi-guiding method will be yours."

Li Ping stared at the jade slip, swallowed hard, and felt the temptation to escape the mortal realm right before his eyes.

"If the deal falls through, senior brother, you'd better keep a close eye on me tomorrow. My life hangs in the balance on your finger."

next morning

As dawn broke, a large crowd had already gathered in front of the Xiyun County government office.

Li Ping stood in the center of the field, holding a rusty iron knife used for cutting pickled vegetables.

This knife is so old, it even has two chips on the blade, making it look ridiculous.

Standing opposite him was no longer the graceful Zhang from yesterday, nor any other woman from the county government office.

Instead, it was a young man with a fierce face and a long sword hanging from his waist.

Hu Guan's eldest son, Hu Lie

Hu Lie, dressed in a striking red robe, was being forced to cooperate with extreme reluctance, his neck held to a steel blade by Li Ping, groaning and moaning under his breath.

"Let go of my young master!"

The surrounding constables shouted loudly, their slogans were extremely disjointed, and some were even secretly yawning.

Li Ping shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone back off! If you take another step forward, I'll send him on his way!"

He shouted while inwardly rolling his eyes.

He'd been reciting those lines for half a month straight, and even he was getting tired of it.

But Hu Lie suddenly shifted his body at this moment.

The distance between the two people decreased by a few inches.

Hu Lie's pockmarked face leaned close to Li Ping's ear, revealing a set of yellowed teeth.

"Kid, you acted well."

Li Ping was about to reply with a polite remark when he suddenly saw Hu Lie's lips move slightly, uttering an extremely subtle syllable.

"seal up"

As soon as the word left his lips, Li Ping felt a chill run down his spine.

It felt as if an invisible rope was tightly binding me; speaking became difficult, and even breathing became challenging.

He immediately understood.

This father and son from the Hu family intended to kill him in front of everyone.

"Thief, prepare to die!"

On the steps, Hu Guan had already unleashed his full spiritual power.

His official robes billowed without wind as he strode forward, his right palm faintly glowing with a bluish light, aiming straight for Li Ping's crown.

If this palm strike were to land, any mortal would undoubtedly die.

The surrounding people were so frightened that they all closed their eyes.

Li Ping's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He tried his best to back away, but his legs felt like lead, and he couldn't move an inch.

He roared inwardly, cursing this damned senior brother's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Just as that giant hand was only inches away from Li Ping's forehead, and Hu Guan's sinister smile could no longer be suppressed...

A crisp sound of fingernails snapping came from inside the government office.

"bite"

The voice was extremely soft, yet it was heard exceptionally clearly amidst the chaotic shouts.

A pale blue stream of energy shot out from behind the gate, like an invisible iron rod, and struck Hu Guan's palm directly.

"boom!"

The force of the energy surged forth, and a fierce wind rose from the ground, causing the surrounding constables to stagger and fall.

Hu Guan felt as if his palm had struck an indestructible piece of black iron, and the recoil force surged forth like a tidal wave.

He groaned, his protective spiritual energy shattered, and he was sent flying backward.

It rolled several times on the hard stone steps, finally crashing into the vermilion gate of the government office, covered in dust and dirt.

The two heavy doors creaked and cracked open in several places.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Hu Lie could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

Li Ping's throat relaxed, and he immediately regained consciousness. He clutched his neck and coughed repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes.

He looked up and saw Ren Jun wearing a brand-new official's uniform.

Surrounded by a group of solemn-looking county constables, he strolled out from the back of the crowd.

Ren Jun looked down at Hu Guan, who was slumped on the ground, and shook the official document in his hand, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Magistrate Hu, what a fine example of the thief crying 'Stop thief!'"

Hu Guan stared intently at the official seal hanging at Ren Jun's waist, his face turning from red to white, then from white to green—a truly captivating sight.