Luoshui County.
Inner City.
On a rooftop about five hundred meters away from the county office, Jiang Ning stood quietly on the edge of the eaves, empty-handed.
Snow fell on his head but melted away silently.
His gaze was fixed calmly on the direction of the county office.
From this vantage point, despite the heavy snowfall, the distance of just over five hundred meters allowed him to see clearly that everyone had surrounded the county office according to the original plan.
At that moment, Hong Minghu, clad in a black tight-fitting outfit, stepped through the soft snow and arrived at the entrance of the county office.
"Who goes there?" The two guards at the gate, stamping their feet to keep warm, shouted at Hong Minghu, though their voices were laced with false bravado.
Hong Minghu's attire was alarmingly thin just a single layer of clothing, his chest partially exposed, his arms bare.
In the bitter cold of winter, amid heavy snowfall, an ordinary person dressed like this would have long frozen to death on the roadside.
How could they possibly appear at the entrance of the county office?
Moreover, over the past few months, Hong Minghu had developed an imposing aura that commanded respect without anger.
The mere intensity in his eyes made the two guards at the gate uneasy, their gazes flickering, unable to meet his.
"Hong Minghu," he replied indifferently.
As he spoke, Hong Minghu ignored the guards' hesitation and strode up the steps.
The two men stiffened, not daring to utter a word.
Gatekeepers naturally needed to have a keen sense of judgment they knew who could be provoked and who couldn't.
The name "Hong Minghu" had already spread throughout Luoshui County months ago.
Though they had never seen Hong Minghu's face before, his reputation was thunderous in their ears.
Immediately, they retreated to the side.
Even if they sensed that Hong Minghu's arrival might be trouble, they didn't dare show the slightest disrespect.
For a monthly wage of two taels of silver, why risk their lives?
Meanwhile, Hong Minghu stepped over the threshold of the county office gate and entered the front courtyard.
Elsewhere, Jiang Ning's gaze remained fixed on Hong Minghu.
As Hong Minghu entered the county office, Jiang Ning closed and then reopened his eyes activating his Heavenly Eye.
With a single sweep of his Heavenly Eye, he instantly pierced through the barriers of the buildings and saw Li Hong handling official business in his study.
Magistrate Li Hong.
A scholar and martial arts provincial-level examinee.
With dual honors to his name, he had entered officialdom and risen swiftly. By the age of forty, he had assumed the position of magistrate of Luoshui County.
Though in some TV shows of his past life, a seventh-rank county magistrate was often mockingly called a "sesame-seed official," in reality, a county magistrate held military and administrative power over an entire county truly a local emperor in every sense.
The county office was a scaled-down version of the imperial court, giving the magistrate the authority to decide life and death with a single word.
This was why the magistrate was respectfully addressed as "County Honorable."
But today, Hong Minghu had stormed into the county office alone.
"This is a world where power resides in the individual, where fists outweigh authority!" Jiang Ning sighed quietly to himself.
Hong Minghu could act this way not only because of his position as the head of the Inspection Bureau, holding a seventh-rank official title equal in rank to Li Hong but more importantly, because of his strength.
As a fifth-rank Internal Strengthening expert, he was ostensibly the top martial artist in Luoshui County.
At this moment, Jiang Ning saw clearly that as soon as Hong Minghu entered the county office, he caused an immediate stir. Someone sprinted inside and quickly rushed into Magistrate Li Hong's study.
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Li Hong dressed in plain gray robes stood up at once, his expression shifting between alarm and uncertainty.
A moment later, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, growing heavier and nearer.
After hesitating for less than a second, he pushed aside the chair behind him and strode out of the study.
Just as he stepped through the study's doorway, he saw Hong Minghu emerge from around the corner, now in his line of sight.
"Chief Hong, what is the meaning of this?" Li Hong's expression darkened, his displeasure evident.
"Magistrate Li!" Hong Minghu replied calmly, then grinned. "You've hidden yourself well... Deputy Leader of the Worship Sect!"
The moment these words were spoken, the faces of everyone in the courtyard changed, and Li Hong's expression turned grim.
"Words must be backed by evidence!"
"Evidence?" Hong Minghu chuckled. "My word is evidence. Come with me quietly, and I'll show you the evidence!"
"Arrogant!" Li Hong roared.
"You say I'm arrogant? Then I'll show you arrogance!" Hong Minghu's eyes narrowed.
In the next instant
BOOM!
From his perch on the distant rooftop, Jiang Ning saw a massive disturbance erupt in the courtyard where Hong Minghu and Li Hong stood. Then, the building behind Li Hong collapsed, burying him instantly in the rubble.
"Such immense internal energy it surpasses even mine. What kind of external aid could produce such an effect?"
Witnessing the scene at the county office, Jiang Ning's expression shifted to one of surprise.
From what he knew, Hong Minghu had reached the fifth-rank Internal Strengthening realm with the aid of external resources.
But now, seeing this, he realized just how extraordinary Hong Minghu truly was.
The sheer volume of his internal energy surpassed Jiang Ning's own.
After all, Jiang Ning had long ago reached the "river-like" level of internal energy equivalent to over a decade of cultivated power.
Though his reserves hadn't yet reached the "ocean-like" level of thirty years' worth, the gap wasn't far. He could sense that, before long, his internal energy would break through to that next tier.
This meant that even if his current reserves weren't at thirty years, they were certainly beyond twenty.
Yet, the internal energy Hong Minghu had just unleashed was undeniably greater than his own.
This meant Hong Minghu had already reached the "ocean-like" level.
"Internal energy like the sea surpassing mine."
"External resources can have such an effect? No wonder Hong Minghu and the others turned a blind eye when He Jinyun and his men were arresting and killing innocents, letting them claim false merits!"
At this moment, Jiang Ning also understood just how many treasures the Inspection Bureau or rather, the Martial Saint's Mansion possessed.
The Inspection Bureau's highest authority was the Martial Saint himself, which was why it enjoyed the Mansion's full support.
The Martial Saint's Mansion held a supreme position within the Great Xia Dynasty.
It had existed for as long as the dynasty itself.
Throughout all these years, its master had remained the same person.
With such a long history, who knew how many treasures the Mansion had accumulated?
Jiang Ning simply hadn't been important enough before to access those resources.
From Hong Minghu's current display, he now realized that contribution points were far more valuable than he had previously thought.
Because, as he understood it, to establish the Inspection Bureau and ensure it had sufficient foundation, the Martial Saint's Mansion had opened its eight centuries of accumulated resources to the Bureau without reservation.
As long as one had enough contribution points, they could exchange for any of the Mansion's treasures.
It was precisely because of this full support representing the Martial Saint's will that the Inspection Bureau enjoyed such special and seemingly lawless privileges.
And it was these very privileges that allowed Hong Minghu to disregard legal formalities today, arresting Li Hong, the ruler of Luoshui County, before gathering solid evidence against him.
As these thoughts raced through Jiang Ning's mind, his Heavenly Eye turned toward the rubble.
There, he saw Magistrate Li Hong coughing up blood, his body covered in wounds from Hong Minghu's single strike.
A particularly deep gash on his chest even revealed ribs as dark as obsidian.
"Sixth-rank, Mystic Bones?!"
Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed, a flicker of astonishment passing through him.
Only now did he realize that before the Inspection Bureau's establishment, the true strongest fighter in Luoshui County had been Magistrate Li Hong all along.
The sixth-rank Mystic Bones realm.
Half a year ago, that would have made him invincible in the entire county.
No
He shook his head slightly.
Images of Shen Congyun and Lin Qingyi flashed through his mind.
Shen Congyun's true strength remained unknown to him.
Back when Shen Congyun left, Jiang Ning had been far too weak to gauge his real power.
But from the clues Shen Congyun had left behind and the Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique he had imparted it was clear he had never been weak.
As for Lin Qingyi, she was even more extraordinary.
Despite her seemingly young age, she had already reached the half-step Grandmaster level.
By now, she might have even crossed that final threshold, becoming a true Grandmaster!
"Though Li Hong isn't as strong as Lin Qingyi or Shen Congyun, with this level of power, he was certainly qualified to contend with the Three Great Families!"
"But if that's the case, with such a bright future ahead of him, why would he ever need to join the Worship Sect?"
A doubt about Hong Minghu's earlier investigation arose in Jiang Ning's mind.
In his eyes, Hong Minghu was no true paragon of righteousness either.
A man who had turned a blind eye to He Jinyun's atrocities could hardly be called just.
Someone like that was perfectly capable of framing an innocent.
Though Hong Minghu had shown him considerable favor and respect thus far, Jiang Ning hadn't forgotten that it was Hong Minghu who had ordered him to attack the Cao family.
Where was the goodwill in that?
His current treatment was merely a result of his demonstrated strength and talent.
Those who had climbed to high positions were rarely extremists.
Outward appearances mattered smiling faces could hide daggers.
Few would make blatantly ruthless moves, which was why Hong Minghu's shift in attitude wasn't surprising.
As Jiang Ning pondered, his gaze suddenly sharpened.
Buried in the rubble, Magistrate Li Hong had just pulled out a small golden box no larger than a palm, and noticeably smaller than the one Jiang Ning had obtained before.
At the sight of it, Jiang Ning immediately recalled the golden box he had acquired earlier, along with the three-headed, six-armed, four-legged deity statue inside.
"It seems Hong Minghu's investigation wasn't wrong after all! Li Hong is involved!"
Meanwhile, Li Hong stared at the golden box in his hand, his expression shifting unpredictably.
He knew better than anyone the nature of his dealings with the Worship Sect.
He also understood that the only reason the Sect had granted him such an important position was because of his role as Luoshui County's magistrate.
He knew all too well what lay inside the golden box in his hand.
But he also understood that he was already inextricably tied to the Worship Sect.
The moment he had boarded this pirate ship, there had been no way off.
And now, Hong Minghu's attitude left no room for negotiation his strike had been merciless.
At that moment, Hong Minghu's voice reached him through the rubble:
"Come out. A sixth-rank martial artist like you won't fall so easily."
Hearing this, the last trace of hesitation vanished from Li Hong's eyes.
With his current strength, he stood no chance against Hong Minghu in a confrontation.
And if he were captured, the taint of the evil god's aura on him no matter how deeply hidden would be uncovered, proving his ties to the Worship Sect.
Even the slightest evidence would be enough for Hong Minghu to seal his fate.
Li Hong had clawed his way up from being a mere servant to this position how could he simply wait for death? How could he leave his life in another's hands?
All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Then, without hesitation, he opened the golden box.
Jiang Ning's Heavenly Eye pierced through the rubble covering Li Hong, revealing the box's contents.
It wasn't the three-headed, six-armed deity statue he had seen before, nor did it contain Bai Ling Blood. Instead, there was a piece of dark red flesh.
The flesh pulsed rhythmically, like a beating heart, radiating an overwhelming vitality.
Even from five hundred meters away, Jiang Ning instantly sensed a familiar aura one reminiscent of the Black Lotus Sect's Holy Maiden on New Year's Eve.
His eyes narrowed.
"This must be a piece of the Flesh and Blood God's flesh. Tainted by a deity's essence, it surely carries remnants of divinity!"
Back in the ruins, Li Hong grabbed the flesh and placed it in his mouth.
His eyes hardened with resolve.
He knew full well that consuming this flesh meant there was no turning back he would become nothing more than a pawn of the Flesh and Blood God.
But if Hong Minghu uncovered his secrets, his fate would be far worse.
Besides, becoming a deity's vassal, though it meant servitude, might also be an opportunity.
The gods were awakening from their slumber in a once-in-a-millennium upheaval.
The Great Xia Dynasty stood at a precipice, teetering on the edge of cataclysmic change.
In such times, survival meant everything. Only by living could one seize the infinite opportunities ahead.
Gritting his teeth, Li Hong swallowed the pulsating flesh.
A moment later, a low, guttural growl escaped his lips a sound of unbearable agony.
Meanwhile, Hong Minghu stood in the courtyard, watching the rubble coldly.
When he heard the faint, distorted noises beneath, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Good. If you don't fight back desperately, how can I solidify your crimes?"
Now certain of the disturbance beneath the rubble, Hong Minghu took a few deliberate steps back, his gaze icy.
Less than ten breaths later
BOOM!
The debris exploded outward as a monstrous figure emerged from the ruins.
Its body was grotesquely swollen, flesh tumors bulging and expanding as its form grew larger.
Before the horrified onlookers stood a four-legged, four-armed abomination.
Two additional lumps on its sides pulsed violently, gradually taking the shape of yet another pair of limbs.
To the county office staff, there was no trace of Magistrate Li Hong left in this monstrosity save for the face still visible on its head.
"Li Hong! So you truly are the leader of these rebels!" Hong Minghu's voice thundered, carrying hundreds of meters beyond the courtyard walls.
"Hong Minghu! You forced this upon me! You pushed me to this!" Li Hong's face twisted in agony, his words ground out between clenched teeth.
His third pair of arms had now fully formed.
The pain of this first transformation seared through his very bones.
The county office staff stared in horror, their minds reeling.
The sight before them left no doubt their magistrate was exactly what Hong Minghu had accused him of being: a leader of the rebels, deeply entangled with the Worship Sect.
The Worship Sect had long been branded as seditious, marked for extermination.
Now, they trembled, fearing they too would be purged for their association with Li Hong.
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