From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Time stands still in the mountains, and years pass unnoticed.

The depths of winter have ended, and the first thunder of spring has sounded.

Zhu Hong slit the wind-spotted leopard's throat with a single stroke. When he looked up, the snow covering the valley had already melted into trickling streams, tinkling as they fell down the old tree branches. He calculated in his mind that with this leopard demon, who had just completed its minor meat-refining stage, added to the mix, his merit points would jump from 590 to 600, settling steadily at 610.

The white orchid fruit and those elite weapons are enough to be put into our possession.

"Finally, we made it through."

Zhu Hong couldn't help but smile, his smile showing weariness but also great satisfaction.

He had been enduring this rift valley for a full month.

His personal provisions were long gone, and for the next ten days or so, he had to rely on killing and eating fresh. Although the monster meat could fill his stomach, it was bland and tasteless, making him feel nauseous. Several times, as he tore apart the dried-out strips of meat, he couldn't help but think, "Damn it, if I had known this would happen, I should have bought more steamed buns."

After muttering a few words, he quickly put the leopard carcass into his pocket and stood up.

"We need to go back."

Zhu Hong raised his hand to straighten the Fanyang hat on his head.

Alone.

They walked out of the valley through the remaining snow.

A series of shallow footprints were left behind, but they were quickly swept away by the mountain wind and disappeared.

……

Under the old tree where the horse was tethered at the mouth of the rift valley, the horse was long gone, leaving only a pile of gnawed horse bones mixed with the claw marks of monsters. It was likely that the horse had been carried away by monsters during the days he was in the valley.

"Amitabha Buddha, the immeasurable heavenly being."

Zhu Hong offered a few words of prayer for its soul, saying, "Eighteen years from now, it will still be a fine horse."

They lost their leg strength.

The only way is to rely on your own two legs.

When he stepped into Jinyang, it was already the next day.

As the sun began to set, the city walls were shrouded in the vast mountain scenery. He walked along the official road for a while before the city gate gradually came into view, moving from the size of a palm to the height of the sky.

The town was bustling with people, a noisy and crowded scene.

Having been away from the hustle and bustle of life for some time and accustomed to the sounds of wind and the roar of beasts, he suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity upon seeing these commoners.

"There are so many people..."

Ten days have passed since I left the mountain, yet a thousand years have passed in the world.

Zhu Hong paused briefly outside the city, dusted off his clothes, and then followed the flow of people, walking slowly into the city.

"A tally!"

When it came to his turn, a city gatekeeper suddenly stopped him and shouted.

Zhu Hong wasn't surprised; he had seen pedestrians and vehicles coming and going while he was queuing, all of whom had been officially verified. He handed over his badge: "Officer, Zhu Hong."

The gatekeeper took it, checked it several times, and then threw the token back.

"No problem, go in."

Zhu Hong took the waist token, hung it back on his waist, but didn't leave immediately. "Brother, is an official from Jinyang coming in person? Otherwise," he moved closer to the city gatekeeper and casually asked,

"Why is it necessary to show a talisman when entering or leaving today?"

"No big shot." The city gatekeeper glanced at him, then, seeing they were both officials, he dropped his airs. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "You don't know? The entire Liu family of the West City, over a hundred people, were wiped out last night." He shook his head repeatedly, his face unable to hide his sorrow.

"The Prefect himself issued a death order, and the entire city was placed under martial law."

All passersby must be checked.

Zhu Hong's brows furrowed. "Who has such power to carry out an act of annihilation in Jinyang?"

"Who can argue with that!"

The gatekeeper waved his hand with a bitter face, his expression inscrutable: "Although the Liu family cannot compare to the two powerful clans of Jiang and Chi, they are still a legitimate martial arts family with martial arts masters in charge, but..." He stopped abruptly.

Zhu Hong suddenly understood.

No wonder?

This talisman is probably just a formality, to prevent people from becoming agitated.

So that the people may know:

The government is still overseeing and investigating.

After all, a force capable of silently annihilating a clan with martial arts disciples is not something that can be stopped by a mere city gate checkpoint.

If they really wanted to arrest someone, they should have locked all four gates and sealed off the city for a search long ago.

In the end, this whole spectacle is nothing more than a smokescreen.

He grunted in response, asked no further questions, unconsciously rubbed the hilt of his sword at his waist, and then stepped across the threshold of the city gate.

Such things happen all the time in the martial arts world.

……

After walking only a few miles, Zhu Hong felt as if he were being pierced by eyes all around him.

As he passed a tea stall, several idle men were cracking sunflower seeds. When they saw him approaching, they forgot to spit out the shells and stared at him intently.

The dark blue official uniform was stained with blood, its original color now unrecognizable.

It's terrifying.

"daughter."

A young child tugged at his mother's clothes and whispered, "Is that the god of death from the opera?"

"Nonsense!"

The woman shoved the child's mouth shut and pulled him away, saying, "If you say another word, I'll smash your mouth."

Seeing the people on the street avoiding him like the plague, Zhu Hong's lips twitched involuntarily: "I need to hurry back."

The massacre of the Liu family had just occurred, and the Prefect was issuing an imperial edict. The whole city was in a state of panic. He was covered in blood and parading through the streets. If he delayed any longer, he would probably be reported to the yamen before he could even return to the yamen to report the crime.

There will be a lot of talking involved then.

He tightened his grip on the ground, about to leave quickly, when he heard a rapid, dense sound of horses' hooves, like a rainstorm.

"stop!"

A sharp shout rang out.

A group of constables in black uniforms marched along the long street, about ten riders in total. The one in the lead was burly, with a thick-backed cleaver about the width of a palm slung across his waist.

"Brother Dao?"

That man was none other than the deputy head constable, Zhou Dao.

Zhu Hong felt a sense of relief. "Fortunately, it's someone I know." He reached out and took off his hat, revealing his face.

Zhou Dao was taken aback and was about to speak when someone in the queue beat him to it.

"Hong, Hong kid!"

He let out a loud shout, his voice cracked from yelling.

Lin Jizhi dismounted and rushed over, his eyes wide open. He scanned Zhu Hong from head to toe several times, then yelled, "Damn it! You look like a ghost, did you go through a demon's mouth?" With that, he slapped Zhu Hong hard on the shoulder and launched into a barrage of words:

"I thought you'd died out there!"

You, on the other hand, just ran away without a word, leaving behind only a tattered piece of paper. Who are you trying to show that to? And...

You little brat, are you looking down on me?

"You actually left me to eat all by yourself!"

Having vented his frustrations, Lin Jizhi finally dropped his playful demeanor and asked, "Are you alright?"

"TOEFL, you're tough."

Zhu Hong smiled broadly: "They're impossible to kill."

"Tch~ What a show-off." Lin Jizhi scoffed and slapped him again, this time on the arm, but lighter.

"You think you're so capable?"

"Alright," Zhou Dao said at the opportune moment.

"It's good that you're back."

He sat upright on his horse and saw that although the man was disheveled, he was still standing firmly. He nodded and said, "Zhu Hong, go back first, wash off the blood, and then go and say hello to the leader."

"Yes, Brother Dao."

Zhu Hong clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Seeing this, Lin Jizhi turned and mounted his horse: "Hong boy, remember to get me a hot meal to fill my stomach." He pulled on the reins and shouted:

"We need manpower these days, so you can't be left out."

There won't be any free time then.

After shouting, he squeezed his legs together and followed Zhou Dao on his patrol into the distance.

Zhu Hong stood still, watching the group disappear around the street corner, before pulling his hat up over his head and heading towards the official residence.

……