CHAPTER 268: CHAPTER 268: LOYALTY

However, before the monk could see Zhu Haomiao, a line of blood spread across his neck. With his motion, his half-turned head tilted uncontrollably and fell under the force of gravity, landing on the ground with a thud.

Sssssssss~

A fountain-like pillar of blood shot to the sky, enveloping several meters in a crimson mist. In contrast to the headless corpse, the calm and collected youth appeared as a Demon God reigning over death, exuding an inexplicable yet cruel dignity.

Gulp~

Unconsciously swallowing a mouthful of saliva, only then did Yan Yunsheng realize that during their earlier exchange, the opponent hadn’t used his true strength at all.

The prison-breaking monk had strength on par with him, even if he had the upper hand, to defeat such an opponent would take great effort.

Yet Inspector Li had slain the monk with a single move!

This also meant that if Li Lin truly wanted to kill him, it would be no harder than slaughtering a chicken!

With this realization, Yan Yunsheng felt a mix of emotions.

Jealousy, admiration, awe, fear...

Not only of Li Lin’s strength but also of his temperament.

Having such terrifying power, yet allowing others to ridicule and taunt him, only revealing his true face once his goal was achieved...

How did a young man with such vigor hold back?!

Amidst sighs of wonder, a long sword was thrown through the air, and Yan Yunsheng instinctively reached out to catch it.

"Clean up the bodies and bring them back!"

Watching the youth stride away with a meteor-like pace, horrified screams subtly emanated from nearby onlookers. Yan Yunsheng hurriedly directed his subordinates to cover the corpses and carry them back to the Anti-theft Bureau.

On the other side, Zhu Haomiao strolled along the street, his hands folded behind his back, his gaze slightly unfocused, with much of his consciousness immersed in the Book of Black.

[Greed] +62 [Gluttony] +91 [Sloth] +74

[Greed]: LV.0→LV.1 (12/100)

[God] +1

[Gluttony]: LV.0→LV.1 (41/100)

[Body] +1

[Sloth]: LV.0→LV.1 (24/100)

[Qi] +1

Unlike killing natives on the First Layer Heaven where original sin can’t be absorbed directly, killing natives of the Second Layer Heaven surprisingly allows the absorption of a portion of original sin!

Zhu Haomiao couldn’t help but think of the differences between natives and descenders.

Does this mean that natives of the Second Layer Heaven are more real and closer to real people?

Zhu Haomiao pondered for a while, catching a fleeting moment of inspiration, but upon careful consideration, it seemed vague and unclear. He could only shake his head and temporarily put aside this philosophical issue.

Immediately afterwards, the youth’s lips curved up, and as he casually grasped the air, a dazzlingly beautiful gold coin appeared between his fingers like magic, flipping and twirling lightly like a small elf.

Originally troubled about how to make the bad guys drop coins, unexpectedly, it came effortlessly...

Death is the most direct means to break down spiritual barriers!

Though without a dedicated ritual for clean extraction, it excels in simplicity and swiftness.

Playing with the [greed coin] in his hand, Zhu Haomiao sighed with a bit of regret.

The extraction of seven [greed coins] from three extraordinary-level martial artists, combined with the significant increase in [value] required for Second Layer Heaven cultivation techniques...

Overall, the difficulty of cultivation technique upgrades has more than doubled!

However, the good news is that the upgraded [Gluttony] from the Second Layer Heaven, when combined with the acquired higher divine nature, seems to develop new possibilities.

Raising his left hand, a flash of black appeared in Zhu Haomiao’s eyes, activating his authority, causing a vague translucent snake head shadow to envelop his hand. As he curled his fingers into a claw, the snake’s mouth opened and closed unpredictably, as if his entire arm had transformed into a giant serpent about to devour someone.

"Inspector Li!"

While Zhu Haomiao was exploring the inner changes, respectful greetings pulled him out of his contemplation.

Looking up, the youth noticed he had already returned to the entrance of the Anti-theft Bureau.

"Hmm."

Smiling and nodding at the guards, Zhu Haomiao withdrew the faintly perceptible serpentine qi force and stepped through the gates, discovering the battle traces had been tidied and the corpses brought inside.

Ten minutes later, when Yan Yunsheng and others returned with the bodies, the hall was filled with six corpses, immediately spreading a bloody scent.

"Inspector, three brothers have died in the line of duty."

Looking at the three uniformed corpses with twisted, painful expressions, everyone saw their own reflection and felt a sense of shared fate, their expressions darkening.

Zhu Haomiao sighed deeply and shook his head.

"First, settle the brothers’ remains and have someone give them a proper farewell."

"Yes."

Colleagues close to the deceased held the bodies with tears as they left, while the rest glared at the three beheaded culprits with gritted teeth.

Although Zhu Haomiao had cut them down on the spot, leaving none alive, the hatred in the hearts of the people was still hard to appease, wishing to tear them to pieces!

Seeing this, Zhu Haomiao curiously looked towards Yan Yunsheng.

"Captain Yan, how common are these prison breaks?"

Yan Yunsheng’s expression turned serious, and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded heavily.

"There are a few occurrences every year, so some troublesome prisoners are transferred to the General Office’s main prison..."

"Wasn’t their fourth brother, called the Overlord Blade, transferred?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Yunsheng solemnly shook his head.

"There are too many of these sworn brothers and oath-bound comrades in the Jianghu, and we can’t control their relationships. The General Office’s main prison doesn’t have that many slots, so they only accept prisoners of the Middle Three Grade and above; those of the Lower Three Grades are still detained in local jails."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Haomiao squinted thoughtfully.

As the national power of the Da Zhen court declines, not only does its deterrence against the outside weaken, but its internal deterrence dwindles even more.

Chivalry with martial strength defies prohibition...

Especially in a world where individuals wield supernatural power!

Disagreeing and killing officials or breaking prisoners out of jail seems no big deal to the unruly Jianghu people...

Rubbing his chin, Zhu Haomiao came back to his senses and continued to inquire.

"Did you find anything on these people?"

"We found nothing that could prove their identity, only a few bottles of elixirs and some silver notes."

Yan Yunsheng placed a pile of miscellaneous items in front of Zhu Haomiao and introduced them in a low voice.

"From the three of them, we found over 1200 taels in silver notes, 4 bottles of healing and detoxification top-grade elixir pills worth several hundred taels, and finally, their weapons could fetch some money as well."

"Hmm... what’s usually said about this kind of haul?"

Understanding Zhu Haomiao’s implication, Yan Yunsheng carefully replied.

"Theoretically, it should be handed over to the General Office, but..."

Upon hearing the word "but," Zhu Haomiao understood and nodded.

"200 taels for each fallen brother, and the remaining will be divided among the participants of the operation."

"For example, in this case, since I killed the three robbers alone, I’ll take half, and the rest you’ll divide among yourselves."

"As for the specific distribution ratio... Captain Yan, you work out a scheme."

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes brightened, their gaze towards the young man finally carrying a hint of genuine loyalty.