The Martial Saint begins by collecting corpses.

The Town Night Division is located in the center of Blackwater County. It is a large mansion, but there is no sign. The gate is ajar, and outsiders cannot see what kind of place is inside.

With a dark, expressionless face, he led Lu Ming and the other two inside and explained:

"The Night Guard is where some ghosts and monsters are suppressed. The number of night patrolmen in this county is not very large, so they keep a low profile. Otherwise, if they attract too much attention, it may cause unnecessary trouble."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat. Were there some ghosts and monsters imprisoned in the Zhenye Division?

He immediately asked, "Brother Shen, is it because I've joined the Night Watch Division...?"

"Brother Lu, as I told you before, you're not officially a member of the Zhenye Division yet; you still need to pass the assessment," Shen Mo reminded him meticulously.

Lu Ming asked, "What kind of test is it? Is it a test of my ability to deal with ghosts and monsters?"

If that's the case, he definitely has no problem.

Because of the Heavenly Heart Seal, any ghost or monster that comes before him will be devoured by him.

Of course, based on his experience over this period of time, the Heavenly Heart Seal seems to have a drawback: it can only be effective when you get close to it at a certain distance.

In other words, if the ghost has ranged attack capabilities, then he would probably be at a disadvantage.

But ghosts and monsters shouldn't be that smart, right? Lu Ming thought to himself. So far, all the ghosts and monsters he had encountered seemed to be dull-witted.

"You'll find out then." Shen Mo didn't directly answer Lu Ming's question.

As they spoke, the group arrived at a courtyard. Shen Mo pointed to the west wing and said:

"You'll be staying in this room for the next few days. One of the ghosts in the city that was originally used for the assessment was killed by Zhao Meng, and the higher-ups are preparing new assessment content. It will take a few days."

Lu Ming's gaze sharpened. Zhao Meng had actually solved the ghost used in the assessment. Zhao Meng indeed had the ability to deal with ghosts and monsters.

He quickly said, "So, doesn't that mean Zhao Meng has ruined the Night Watch's important plans? Shouldn't he be punished?"

Shen Mo said seriously:

"I know you have a conflict with Zhao Meng, but since Zhao Meng can deal with ghosts and monsters, he must be a very important person to Blackwater County."

"Brother Lu, if possible, please try to reconcile with Zhao Meng."

"Continuing the confrontation will only result in losses for Heishui County."

Lu Ming sneered inwardly. Zhao Meng had sent people to kill him several times. Had they reconciled? Absolutely not.

However, Shen Mo's words did stir something in his heart.

Zhao Meng will surely learn of this now that he has been transferred to the Zhenyesi (Night Guard) by the county government.

The news that he had ambushed and killed Sun Ji and four gang leaders would soon reach Zhao Meng's ears.

So, what will Zhao Meng do when faced with a sudden increase in danger and being expelled from the county government?

Thinking of this, Lu Ming shook his head and said:

"Brother Shen, you should say this to Zhao Meng."

"If I'm not mistaken, Zhao Meng must have already sent experts to guard the vicinity."

"If I fail the assessment, I will definitely face his thunderous repercussions."

Shen Mo frowned and said, "Really? I went to see him before, and he said he would carefully consider my suggestion."

Shen Mo actually went to see Zhao Meng for him? Lu Ming was taken aback when he heard this, but he understood this person's character somewhat.

Recalling the time at the small mountain temple, when faced with the ghost's fatal landing attack, Shen Mo even tried to push him away, sacrificing his own life to cover his retreat and gain a chance to survive.

He nodded to himself. This person was quite upright, but his mind was a bit too simple.

Lu Ming smiled and said, "If Brother Shen doesn't believe me, he can secretly investigate the surroundings."

Shen Mo frowned, glanced at him, and turned to leave quickly.

Suddenly, Ah Lang and Monkey both screamed in surprise, followed by a creaking sound, as if a door was opening.

Lu Ming turned around and saw that Monkey and Wolf were checking the other rooms. He noticed that the doors to the master bedroom and the east wing were open, and people were coming out of them.

"Another one. This assessment is going to be very competitive." The person who came out of the east wing was a young swordsman dressed in blue with a sword at his waist.

Lu Ming was somewhat surprised by the oppressive aura emanating from him; this person who had just casually walked out actually had a cultivation level far exceeding his own.

He's probably a martial artist who trains in physical combat, and likely a top-tier one among them.

"Hello, my name is Chen Ming, and I come from the neighboring Qingshan County. Are you also here to participate in the Zhenye Division's assessment?" the young swordsman asked.

Lu Ming said, "Lu Ming is from this county."

He then turned to look at the person who came out of the master bedroom, only to see that it was a young man in black with a cold expression on his face.

He looked at Lu Ming, a slight smile playing on his lips, it was hard to tell whether it was a laugh or a cry, then turned and went back inside. He slammed the door shut.

The monkey quickly returned to Lu Ming's side, shrinking back and trembling as it said:

"Hiss~ Big brother, it's so cold around him."

Chen Ming sized up Lu Ming and his two companions, thinking to himself, "A mere Skin-Refining Martial Artist, accompanied by two ordinary subordinates, dares to participate in the assessment?"

He shook his head inwardly, but didn't say it aloud, only uttering a faint sentence:

"That man's name is Qin Xiaoyi. I have a feeling he's not simple; you'd better not provoke him."

After saying that, he turned around, went back to his room, and closed the door.

Lu Ming immediately gave a wink and went into the west wing with Monkey and Wolf.

The room contained only a bed, a table and chairs, and a small amount of open space. The room was quite cramped.

Ah Lang frowned and said, "Judging from the layout of this courtyard, this room should be the worst one."

The monkey sighed, "We're too late."

Lu Ming said, "As long as we can sleep, that's fine. Chen Ming in the east wing is a master of meat-refining, and Qin Xiaoyi in the master bedroom gives me a very bad feeling. Be careful and don't provoke them."

Both the monkey and the wolf looked very serious and nodded in agreement.

Ah Lang asked with some concern, "It seems there are many powerful individuals here. Brother, are you confident?"

Lu Ming remained silent, lost in thought.

If the test is on his ability to deal with ghosts and monsters, then of course he has no problem.

However, it is still unknown whether the assessment is fair or whether the content of the assessment is what he expects.

The group chatted quietly in the room. After a while, Shen Mo knocked on his door and said with a somewhat unpleasant expression:

"Zhao Meng did indeed have sentries hidden in this area, and one of his two personal bodyguards was Uncle Li, a veteran martial artist who had trained in meat-making techniques."

"If you encounter him, you will likely die in the heat of the moment."

"This Zhao Meng doesn't take my words seriously at all."

As he spoke, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

He then said, "Don't worry, I'll go teach Uncle Li a lesson right now and get rid of him immediately."

Lu Ming shook his head and said:

"No need. Zhao Meng probably thinks I'm bound to fail the assessment, so he did this."

"However, I am still somewhat confident that I will pass the assessment."

"When I join the Night Watch, I'll talk to him again, and I'm sure he'll be willing to reconcile."

"Uncle Li is waiting for me outside. I'll have him lead the way."

Shen Mo nodded with relief upon hearing this, saying, "I'm relieved that you think that way. Okay, then I'll personally arrange for you to meet."

Lu Ming smiled and nodded, seeing him out. After closing the door, his face immediately darkened.

The monkey asked worriedly, "A flesh-training martial artist? Brother, how strong are flesh-training martial artists? Can the three of us beat them?"

Lu Ming shook his head: "The martial artist who trains in physical combat is stronger than Sun Ji. If we encounter him in a hurry, we definitely can't win."

The monkey's expression changed. Stronger than Sun Ji? He still remembered how Sun Ji had smashed down most of a wall in one go.

Even better than that?

Moreover, this time it's their turn to be ambushed, wouldn't that be terrible?

Ah Lang then asked, "Big Brother, are we really going to reconcile with Zhao Meng?"

Lu Ming sneered, "Reconciliation? Hmph! We only keep Uncle Li around for his own good. Don't overthink it, let's pass the test first."

That night, Lu Ming slept on the bed, A Lang slept on the table, and Monkey slept on the floor.

He told the two of them to go to bed early and get enough rest.

He had already discovered the formula for the Qi-tonifying powder and could prepare it himself, so he would not lack medicine in the future. They could not relax and still had to get up early to practice martial arts. The two agreed and went to bed early.

In his sleep, Lu Ming suddenly felt a chill. The autumn air was deep. He gave the quilt to the monkey to spread on the floor and the mattress to use as a blanket. It was normal for him to feel cold.

However, he suddenly remembered that he had already mastered the art of skin tempering, so this bit of chill should not have been enough to make him feel cold.

Thinking of this, he suddenly woke up and opened his eyes. In the dim moonlight, two people stood side by side by his bed, staring straight down at him. He didn't know how long they had been watching him.