The Martial Saint begins by collecting corpses.

Shen Mo led Lu Ming to the patrol station and stood in front of the station.

He smiled slightly:

"I have worked with the inspector many times, and we have a very close relationship, like brothers. If I tell him that I would recommend you for a position, he will definitely agree."

At this moment, Deputy Inspector Zhao Dehu walked out of the Inspectorate Office and asked in confusion:

"Lord Shen, Lord Lu, are you planning to come to the Patrol and Inspection Division to find help?"

Shen Mo replied:

"I suppose so. I need to speak with the inspector; could you please inform him?"

Zhao Dehu shook his head and said:

"The inspector has gone out on business to attend a banquet."

Shen Mo nodded slightly:

"Then we'll wait here for a moment."

He then led Lu Ming into the patrol and inspection department.

Zhao Dehu hesitated for a moment, but seeing that they had already entered the government office, he remained silent.

The two waited until evening.

"Why aren't they back yet?"

Shen Mo glanced at Lu Ming somewhat awkwardly, "He must be busy with official duties."

Lu Ming nodded calmly, but said:

"In that case, let's go back first."

Shen Mo had no choice but to agree.

He immediately got up and walked out of the patrol station with Lu Ming. But just as they reached the gate, they heard a voice reeking of alcohol say:

"What? Shen Mo is waiting for me inside with Lu Ming? Hmm, don't tell him I'm back."

Shen Mo's eyes lit up when he heard the voice, and he pulled Lu Ming outside. The man was the patrol inspector.

Upon hearing this, he froze at the doorway, only to see the patrol inspector in his official robes hurriedly leaving the patrol office with his back to him.

Shen Mo's expression changed, and a hint of anger appeared in his eyes as he said:

"We're such good friends, how could he... Why would he do this?"

Lu Ming shook his head and said, "Let's go."

The two returned to the Lu residence in silence.

Shen Mo said, "Tomorrow, tomorrow I will take you to see the Registrar."

Clerk? The third most important person in the county government.

Lu Ming immediately nodded and said, "Okay."

The next morning, seemingly to prove something, Shen Mo rushed over early and took Lu Ming to the county government office.

However, when they arrived at the yamen, they were told that the magistrate had also gone out to attend a banquet.

"A banquet? Another banquet!"

Shen Mo gritted his teeth, his face grim, and said:

"Whose banquet did they attend?"

The doorman hesitated and remained silent.

Lu Ming pulled Shen Mo away. Next, Shen Mo took him to see the chief constable, as well as the Li family, a wealthy family in the city, and more than a dozen other people.

Many of them were actually attending a banquet.

The few other people were also seen, but they were vague and evasive. Every time the topic of recommending talented people came up, they would change the subject and not give a direct answer.

As evening approached, the two stood on the street. Shen Mo remained silent for a long time, then said with a hint of bitterness:

"I even saved the lives of some of them. I initially thought it was just a list, but I never expected..."

Lu Ming shook his head; he knew it wouldn't be that simple. He said:

"You are a night watchman of the Night Guard. In the eyes of many, it is only right that you eliminate ghosts and save their lives."

"It's appropriate, I didn't say it shouldn't be, but in our usual interactions..."

Shen Mo said, somewhat confused.

At this moment, Lu Ming stared at a restaurant on the street and said:

"In ordinary interactions, we should also consider their value. In critical moments, sometimes personal interests are more important than friendship."

Shen Mo followed Lu Ming's gaze and his eyes immediately narrowed. In a private room upstairs in the restaurant, the window was open. He saw Lin Xiaojie's profile, and the clerk and inspector were raising their glasses in a cheerful toast, their faces beaming with smiles.

"Drink! We won't leave until we're drunk! I'll have to rely on you gentlemen to get me on the list of talented people."

"Sure, sure, hehe..."

"Sigh, Shen Mo and I are like brothers, and look at the mess this has made."

"Haha, I will definitely not disappoint you, sir."

Lin Xiaojie laughed and said, then suddenly turned his head and met Lu Ming's gaze. He was slightly taken aback, then revealed a confident smile.

"Let's go."

Lu Ming looked away and led Shen Mo back to the Lu residence.

"Lin Xiaojie, Lin Xiaojie... he's no match for you at all. He simply couldn't handle that ghost at Xiaoshan Temple. You are the best candidate to be the chief of the Night Guard."

In the hall, Shen Mo sat for a while, still somewhat unable to accept it, and said...

Lu Ming didn't say anything, letting him face reality.

After a while, Shen Mo took a deep breath, a look of apology on his face, and said:

"I'm sorry, I thought it would be an easy task, but I'm still not qualified. But I really don't want to give up, Brother Lu, my son, he's also missing."

Lu Ming frowned:

"How long have you been missing? Even you can't find anything?"

"It's been a full six months."

Shen Mo gritted his teeth slightly, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes, and said:

"The government doesn't care, and Lin Yunrong doesn't care either."

"They make us risk our lives while they sit in the town hall or indulge in debauchery. They want to be seen as capable, to wield power, and to continue their pipe dreams!"

"It's because of the imperial court's recruitment order that they dare not investigate. Many people have disappeared, but they are helping to cover it up, fearing that the upcoming prefectural inspection team will find out."

"But what about my son? My son, he's still so young..."

"Brother Lu, let's try again, just one more time. I'll look for another way. I want to become the Chief Justice, I want to find my son, I want revenge! Brother Lu..."

Shen Mo looked at Lu Ming with hopeful eyes.

A look of apology appeared on Lu Ming's face as he shook his head and said:

"Feel sorry."

This matter is clearly beyond saving.

He couldn't risk his life and waste time here with Shen Mo. Although Shen Mo had given him a chance to be tested, he had saved Shen Mo once before at the small mountain temple and didn't owe him anything.

He possesses the Heavenly Heart Seal; as long as he doesn't die, there will be a way out. The situation here is unpredictable; leaving this place of trouble as soon as possible is the right path.

But then Shen Mo hurriedly said:

"Brother Lu, aren't you lacking internal cultivation elixirs? I can exchange them for you with my merits."

Lu Ming said helplessly:

"Brother Shen, things are beyond our control. Let's just wait and see what happens."

Shen Mo sighed deeply, stood up, and said:

"I was being presumptuous. Last time I wiped out that ghost at Xiaoshan Temple, I got a Class C merit, which can be exchanged for ten internal cultivation secret medicines. This merit is yours, and I will send you the secret medicines."

Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he said:

"Thank you very much."

Shen Mo looked at Lu Ming, sighed, and turned to leave.

It was already evening. After seeing Shen Mo off and having dinner, Lu Ming remembered that the internal cultivation medicine in his body still had some medicinal power that had not been refined, so he immediately began to practice the Canglang Stance Technique.

He finished his practice late at night and stood up.

I felt my Qi and blood stabilize a bit more, with a vague, indescribable feeling, as if I could control my Qi and blood more easily.

His eyes flickered, and he quickly realized that it was the two martial arts experience points from last night that had played a role.

Even without him deliberately seeking to comprehend the two insights into the true meaning, he gradually gained understanding of them as he cultivated, almost instinctively.

If he continues to study and practice diligently, he will eventually master that magical ability.

"Big brother, big brother, are you asleep?"

He was just about to rest when he suddenly heard Ah Lang's voice from outside.

Lu Ming walked over and opened the door. There stood Ah Lang, looking rather mysterious. Seeing him open the door, Ah Lang excitedly presented a small wooden box with both hands, saying:

"Brother, a hunter from Qingle Street, to thank you for wiping out the gang and indirectly saving him, offered up the silkworm silk he had accidentally obtained."

"I went out to the mountains with him during the day to get it, that's why we came back so late."

"He said he didn't dare show it after he got it, for fear of being silenced, so he thought it would be more appropriate to give it to his older brother."

"Silkworm silk?"

Lu Ming opened the small wooden box with some skepticism and saw that there was indeed a thick ball of white silk thread inside.

He tugged at it with all his might, but it was incredibly resilient; even with his current strength, he couldn't tear it at all. He immediately perked up, finding it hard to believe he had obtained such a large lump.

When Chen Yihui was at the county government office, he would sometimes tell Da Hu some common sense about martial arts in his spare time, and Da Hu would listen to him for a while.

Silkworm silk is one of them.

This is a very tough material that can change with temperature; it becomes soft when the temperature is high and hard when the temperature is cold. It can be used to make inner armor, etc.

Such a huge clump of silkworm silk? It's worth a fortune!

Lu Ming suddenly received such a treasure, and from an ordinary hunter no less. He had a strange feeling that the villagers had shared nuclear fusion technology with him.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He took a deep breath, closed the wooden box, and slowly calmed himself before saying:

Did you give him any money?

Ah Lang said, "Don't worry, brother, I gave him three taels of silver."

Lu Ming nodded:

"Almost, you did a good job on this."

"However, I have already made up my mind. You arrange a route out of the city immediately. We need to leave the city quietly and safely."

"We must evacuate Heishui County as soon as possible."