The strength of the soul was increasing—slowly, but the sensation was clear as day.

True Qi was also swelling violently, far beyond the gentle rise of before; it was as if even the tattoo on his chest couldn’t restrain the surging power within, leaving a gaping opening for it to flood madly into Shen Hao’s body.

It hurt a bit, because his meridians were expanding, forced open by the sudden surge of True Qi. This was very bizarre, for under such a violent wash of Qi, meridians should normally break apart completely. Yet now, each time they broke, they were mysteriously reconstructed, gradually able to contain the skyrocketing True Qi.

The feeling was also very mystical, like a metamorphosis overnight, making Shen Hao reluctant to pull away. It wasn’t until daylight broke that he was forced to stop, gathering Qi and finishing the practice.

Just as he stood up, his whole body crackled and popped like frying beans, bones thundering dully, and his stature even grew taller by a whole inch out of nowhere!

He exhaled a mouthful of turbid breath for a full half a stick of incense, shook his clothes, and out spilled gray-black dust like sand—all impurities forced from his body overnight.

Shen Hao’s face was full of shock. It was only now that he realized he’d actually broken through the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and Qi Refining Eighth Layer in a single night, reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm Ninth Layer!

At this moment, bones ringing in harmony, washing his marrow, he had climbed to the peak of Qi Refining!

Beyond this lay the first great barrier of cultivation: Gathering Spirit and Breaking Qi!

If he succeeded, he could enter the Gathering Spirit Realm and continue on the path of cultivation; if not, he’d remain mediocre at this level for life. Everyone gets only one chance to break through—no exceptions.

Steadying his emotions with great effort, Shen Hao never expected to reach the summit of Qi Refining so soon. Even as of yesterday, he thought he’d need at least another ten years.

Yet, he managed it in just one night?!

Pulling up his shirt, he gazed at the even more vivid Black Beast Tattoo in the copper mirror, a jumble of feelings impossible to put into words.

Wary? Relieved? Puzzled? Determined to probe further?

Or perhaps... gradually getting used to it?

"And this is only one night—I can still sense a sea of energy sealed in this tattoo yet to be released. Who knows how far my cultivation will be pushed this time? Looks like I have to finish up the things at hand quickly and then go into seclusion for another stretch."

The big case was just closed, and Shen Hao still had all kinds of business on his hands. Only by sorting everything out quickly could he ask Tang Qingyuan for leave.

During breakfast, Shen Hao found he could eat far more than before—his appetite had probably doubled, at least! Xia Nu beside him kept stealing glances, her pretty little face brimming with curiosity, eyes shifting repeatedly to Shen Hao’s belly, probably wondering how he could eat so much without his stomach bulging. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Don’t go to the East Market today." Setting down his third bowl of noodles, Shen Hao seemed to remember something and gave Xia Nu a reminder.

"Huh? Master, why not?"

"They’re hanging heads over there today."

"Eek! Then I won’t go. I was planning to pick out some fabric with Ms. Xin’Er to make you a new jacket." The bulk fabric caravans were circled around the East Market; the best material in Li City’s surroundings was generally bought there.

"Okay, just be careful yourself. Oh, by the way, Lin Xin’Er’s tailoring is really good. Don’t forget to pay her."

"I already paid, Master, please rest assured."

"Mm."

Shen Hao wiped his mouth, took the tea that Xia Nu handed over, downed a large mouthful, buckled on the Yanji Saber, and finally headed out on duty.

...

Every day, even before daybreak, Li City’s East Market would burst into its daily bustle and clamor. There were not only the freshest fruits, vegetables, and meats, but also a cornucopia of goods from the north and south.

Selling, buying, watching the excitement, or just ambling about.

Eyeing the goods, eyeing the people, eyeing the money.

On the south side of the East Market stood a large arched gate. Outside the gate stretched an open square, about twenty zhang around. Usually, when merchant guilds had to stage an event, they’d build a platform there and hawk their products. Or if the Court had a major announcement, it would also be made here—the last time they did a beheading spectacle, it was in this very spot.

Early that morning, two merchant guilds setting up their stalls saw eight Xuanqing Guards in black brocade robes arriving on the square, and wondered to themselves, What’s going on?

Soon after, each guard pulled two spotless human heads from a bamboo basket, threaded cords through their mouths and out their necks, tied them off, and hoisted them over twenty feet up the high pole standing in the square.

Then, they set up a notice board by the high pole—the board covered in several hundred densely written characters, bearing the signatures of Tang Qingyuan and Shen Hao of the Li City Xuanqing Guard Hundred Households Station.

Once done, the eight Xuanqing Guard tidied up and left.

Everyone in the square immediately crowded over. Whenever the Xuanqing Guard put up a notice board, anyone who could read would be itching with curiosity. Who the hell got their head chopped off and displayed like this? How monstrous a crime had they committed? Previously, in the Li Family’s Rebellion Case, only a few ringleaders had their heads hung up for three days. Did these two commit rebellion too?

But after those in the crowd who could read read the notice aloud, everyone realized: these two weren’t executed for rebellion, but for abducting and murdering children—by the hundreds!

Rebellion, everyone knew, was a crime to wipe out nine generations. But for the average civilian, there wasn’t much hatred toward such people—after all, rebelling never touched the common folk directly.

But child abduction and murder was different. Every person of sound mind finds such evil intolerable, and those with children hate it all the more.

"Serves them right!!"

"The Xuanqing Guard lords are truly formidable! Beasts who’d lay hands on children deserve to have their heads chopped and hung for all to see!"

"I heard so many families lost their kids—how pitiful. All ruined by monsters like these?"

"See what I meant about Xuanqing Guard lords having hard hands and real skills? Did you see it on the notice? All those were cold cases, some unsolved for years no matter how much the victims pleaded. The government office couldn’t do a thing, but once the Xuanqing Guard stepped in, it was cracked right away. Can anyone not admire that?"

There was no need for drums and gongs. All morning, everywhere in the East Market, everyone was talking about the severed heads out by the gate, all righteous indignation and quick to praise the Xuanqing Guard. Especially at the end of the notice, the signatures of "Tang Qingyuan" and "Shen Hao" gave the ordinary people an inexplicable sense of safety.

The Xuanqing Guard lords don’t just arrest traitors—they chop the heads off beasts who harm us common folks too.

As daylight grew bright, a couple squeezed into the square, hugging a child, both wearing aprons—clearly market vendors.

Reaching the notice, they begged a literate scholar to read it out. Once he finished, both husband and wife burst into tears. The woman crouched on the ground, wailing her throat hoarse, shrieking "My child!"; the man clasped the child in his arms, mumbling, "Heaven has eyes."