The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

Night fell, all was quiet, except for the gentle sound of the wind.

Qingzhou, Jinan Prefecture, Licheng County.

The Zhao residence of County Magistrate Zhao Mingzhang was still brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

However, it was no different from any other day.

Suddenly!

A man in black appeared in the Zhao residence.

only!

This man in black has just appeared!

"who?"

A steady, powerful voice, carrying a hint of authority, rang in the black-clad man's ears.

One by one, the guards of the Zhao family appeared out of thin air around the man in black.

There were as many as several dozen people.

In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the men in black.

"Dozens of them ascended to the realm of immortals."

"Three Celestial Realm experts."

"The one with the highest cultivation level has reached the peak of the fifth level of the Celestial Realm."

"How come there are so many experts in the Zhao residence?"

The man in black said with a look of surprise in his eyes.

This man in black was Yang Jiong.

The martial art he chose was the Void Codex of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion.

Although he intentionally suppressed his cultivation level this time, displaying only the peak of the first level of the Immortal Ascension Realm, he wanted to see if there were any hidden experts in the Zhao Mansion.

If he is discovered when he enters the Zhao residence, it means that Zhao Mingzhang is the one who robbed the money that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was transporting to build water conservancy projects!

After all, Zhao Mingzhang was from a small county town, so his cultivation level was certainly not high.

Being able to set foot in the Immortal Realm is already a very good thing.

It's highly likely that he's only at the Nascent Soul stage.

The guards or retainers in his mansion are most likely only at the Nascent Soul Realm level.

It was simply impossible to find any trace of Yang Jiong.

Chu Xiu suspected Zhao Mingzhang because he was highly likely to be the culprit.

There was no one else left in the entire Licheng County.

Besides, he was able to secretly move all the money that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had brought for water conservancy projects out of the warehouse.

It is important to know that the Yellow River floods in Licheng County are extremely severe, and the difficulty of constructing water conservancy projects in this section of the river is also extremely high, so a lot of money needs to be spent here.

Therefore, the number of items transported was extremely large.

A large quantity means that moving it away is not an easy task, let alone moving it quietly.

This one is much more difficult!

Chu Xiu suspected that this money was very likely still in Licheng County.

And the most likely location is within the Zhao residence.

Because the most dangerous place is the safest place.

Moreover, given Zhao Mingzhang's status and position in Licheng County, his residence was the safest place to be.

of course.

This is based on the premise that Zhao Mingzhang actually robbed the money transported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Are you a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

The person who first spoke walked out from not far away.

This is a middle-aged man dressed in the official robes of a county magistrate.

It was Zhao Mingzhang, the county magistrate of Licheng County.

"Zhao Mingzhang, it really was you who robbed the money that our Embroidered Uniform Guard was transporting to build water conservancy projects!"

Yang Jiong looked at Zhao Mingzhang with a cold and sharp gaze and said.

Seeing that the Zhao family had so many experts, Yang Jiong immediately understood that Chu Xiu's guess was indeed correct.

It really is Zhao Mingzhang!

"Tell me, when did you Imperial Guards figure it out?"

"Did you guess that, or is there someone else?"

Where are these people now?

Zhao Mingzhang looked at Yang Jiong calmly and said casually.

"You thought I was going to tell you?"

Yang Jiong looked at Zhao Mingzhang with disdain and said.

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with alcohol!"

"Since you are unwilling to speak properly, then I have no choice but to capture you and let you confess slowly."

"Take him down!"

Zhao Mingzhang sighed deeply and said.

"Yes!"

The guards of the Zhao family shouted in unison.

A guard from the Zhao family, who was at the fifth level of the Immortal Ascension Realm, sneered and moved, his right hand reaching out to grab Yang Jiong.

His moves clearly demonstrate that he is skilled in grappling techniques.

The remaining guards of the Zhao family simply surrounded Yang Jiong, showing no intention of making a move.

These guards from the Zhao family clearly believed that Yang Jiong was only at the peak of the first level of the Immortal Ascension Realm.

A mere peak-level Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator is not even qualified to make them join forces.

Moreover, their goal was to capture Yang Jiong alive, not to execute him.

Yang Jiong's eyes were calm. He slowly raised the long sword in his left hand and drew the sword from its sheath with his right hand. He had already disappeared from the spot.

The moment the sword light appeared.

The Zhao family guard, who was at the fifth level of the Immortal Ascension Realm, had already fallen to the ground.

Yang Jiong, however, had already charged towards the remaining Zhao family guards, each sword strike accompanied by the fall of a Zhao family guard.

In the blink of an eye, five Zhao family guards at the Immortal Ascension Realm level had perished under Yang Jiong's sword.

All of a sudden.

The Zhao family guards all showed expressions of shock.

Even the five Zhao family guards at the Celestial Realm level became serious at this moment.

They clearly hadn't expected Yang Jiong to be hiding his cultivation level, and that his swordsmanship had reached such a high speed.

It wasn't just his sword that was fast; his movement speed was even faster!

"He's not at the peak of the first level of the Immortal Ascension Realm; his strength has at least reached the Celestial Realm. All Immortal Ascension Realm guards, step back!"

"The Celestial Realm guards must join forces to capture him!"

Zhao Mingzhang's expression changed slightly, and he shouted urgently.

"Yes!"

The Zhao family guards responded and the Immortal Realm guards retreated rapidly, all showing signs of relief. Meanwhile, the five Celestial Realm guards attacked Yang Jiong.

"What's wrong with ganging up on the few?"

A cold, clear voice rang out.

A woman in white, with unparalleled beauty and a serene, otherworldly air, appeared and charged towards the Zhao family guards, who were at the Celestial Realm level.

And it wasn't just this one woman in white; two more figures appeared afterward.

They were Murong Qingcheng, Dugu Yanyu, and Gu Jingfeng.

Their attire was different from Yang Jiong's; they were not dressed in black, nor were they masked.

After all, Yang Jiong needed to disguise himself as a martial artist at the peak of the first level of the Immortal Ascension Realm to infiltrate the Zhao residence and investigate, but they did not.

All they need to do is hide in the shadows.

"You five, hold off those four!"

"Even if it means death, we must hold them off!"

Zhao Mingzhang's eyes narrowed, his expression changed slightly, and he called out to the five Zhao family guards, intending to leave with the group of Zhao family guards at the Immortal Ascension Realm level.

however!

at this time!

Chu Xiu appeared out of nowhere not far from Zhao Mingzhang, looking at him with a mocking gaze and said, "Trying to leave?"

"I am right here, where do you think you're going?"

"Chu Xiu! You are Marquis Chu Xiu, the Champion!"

"How did you end up in Licheng County?"

When Zhao Mingzhang saw Chu Xiu appear, a look of horror appeared on his face. He felt his scalp tingle and a chill rise up his spine. He exclaimed in disbelief.

He never expected that after robbing the Embroidered Uniform Guard's money and killing several of their agents, even the Marquis of Champion, Chu Xiu, would reach Licheng County.

"You killed my men, so naturally I couldn't not come!"

"I never expected that you, a mere county magistrate, would possess the cultivation level of the ninth level of the Celestial Realm."

"The manor also has so many Ascension Realm and even Celestial Realm guards."

"Tell me, who are you?"

Chu Xiu stood with his hands behind his back, speaking with an indifferent expression.