Chapter 10 Gathering Merits! (Please Bookmark)

"The auspicious time has arrived, behead!"

At the execution ground, as the beheading order token fell, a bright blade light suddenly flared.

Blood sprayed, and the headless body of the prisoner immediately crashed to the ground.

But beheading this one prisoner did not bring an end.

Qin Zheng took a side step towards the next prisoner.

Whoosh!

Once more, a sword fell, and another head rolled.

In the face of the crisis he was about to confront, and the rewards gained from severing heads, Qin Zheng had already become numb to such a horrifying scene.

At this moment, five prisoners were lined up in order, but there was only one Executioner, Qin Zheng.

Therefore, when the time came, he had no choice but to follow the sequence, beheading each one from left to right.

After cutting off the last prisoner's head, Qin Zheng gripped the Ghost Head Greatsword tightly in both hands, gave it a slight shake to flick off the beads of blood.

The wide Ghost Head Greatsword, set against the backdrop of the blood droplets, appeared even more chilling and awe-inspiring.

"That's enough! We'll handle the rest, you go to the office to sign for and collect your money," said one of the soldiers who came up to clean up the mutilated corpses on the ground, glancing at Qin Zheng's Ghost Head Greatsword as he spoke.

Qin Zheng nodded, promptly wiped the blade with a cloth, then wrapped it in coarse fabric and slung it across his back.

Having done this, he then walked toward a building outside the execution ground.

"Brother Qin, a new Executioner is being recruited, you'll have to work harder during this period," said the soldier who had spoken before, addressing Qin Zheng again.

The scene of Qin Zheng withstanding two moves from Shi Dian with the Ghost Head Greatsword had been witnessed by these soldiers.

As a result, they assumed Qin Zheng must possess martial skills and hence showed him much more respect.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zheng paused, turned his head, and nodded at the soldier.

He then continued towards the outside of the execution ground.

The Executioners at Black Goose City's execution ground weren't just him.

Before Shi Yan was beheaded, there were originally five Executioners, but other than Qin Zheng, who had survived by transmigrating, the other four had died mysteriously before Shi Yan's execution.

Qin Zheng had learned this information only today, which explained why he alone had to chop off the heads of five prisoners.

Thinking about this, Qin Zheng felt a mixture of emotions.

Shi Dian must have made some agreement with Ji Changyin: if there were no Executioners on the day of the execution, it could be postponed, leaving room for maneuver.

But neither of them could have anticipated that his predecessor would die, and his transmigration would interfere with their agreement.

Ji Changyin, a Colonel sent by the imperial court, could privately make deals with Shi Dian, turning a blind eye where necessary.

But when it came to the execution ground, with all the necessary conditions met, it was impossible to keep to their deal.

He had no choice but to throw down the beheading order token and behead Shi Yan himself.

This led to the events that followed.

Yet Qin Zheng couldn't make sense of two points.

If the Cicada Gang had significant influence in Black Goose City and could even come to an agreement with a Garrison Commander,

what was the reason for Shi Yan's arrest in the first place?

And by whose orders was the beheading decreed?

Moreover, could an execution really be postponed just for lacking an Executioner?

With so many soldiers around, if push came to shove, couldn't anyone be picked to step forward? With a long sword in hand, wouldn't it be the same?

Could it be that there was some rule even more important than executing on time?

These jumbled thoughts rose in Qin Zheng's mind.

A moment later, he shook his head, sweeping those thoughts away.

These matters weren't his primary concern at present and weren't worth his attention.

With this in mind, he diverted a trace of his thoughts to examine the Merit Scroll nestled in his heart.

[Qin Zheng]

[Life Span: 70 (17)]

[Martial Skill: Ghost Head Saber Technique (Perfection), Cicada Shedding (Beginner)]

[Merit: one tael and six qian]

[Current Martial Skill · Cicada Shedding can be upgraded, requires Five Qian of merit, would you like to upgrade?]

Looking at the content above, Qin Zheng's eyes lit up, and his mood instantly became excited.

One tael and six qian, aside from the one qian he had left over, the rest was all earned today.

It was equivalent to, a criminal providing him with three qian of merit.

Although it wasn't much compared to Shi Yan, Qin Zheng was still quite satisfied,

He hadn't expected that in just one day, he'd have gathered enough merit to refine the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique!

Once he refined this martial skill, his own safety would have much greater assurance!

Imagining the changes the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique would bring, Qin Zheng's heart beat even warmer with excitement.

But refining martial skills would cause changes to the body, and currently being at the execution ground, he couldn't refine it right away.

Therefore, he had to temporarily suppress the excitement in his heart, waiting to go home to refine it.

Next, he needed to go collect his wages, or he wouldn't even have money for food since he had nothing left on him.

The execution ground in Black Goose City was located on the southern edge, and the military camp was naturally stationed around the execution ground.

The job of an executioner was not taken on by soldiers in the military camp, but rather by ordinary people with courage to sign up.

Chopping a head paid twenty wen, and if there were many prisoners, a substantial amount could be earned in a day.

Hence, near the execution ground, there would be families that have made a living out of the executioner's craft for generations, passing it down.

The family of the body Qin Zheng was in was such a family.

Today he chopped off five heads, plus the unsettled head of Shi Yan, making it six in total.

That meant he could collect one hundred and twenty wen today, roughly one qian of silver.

Before long, he arrived at a place similar to an accounting room in the military camp.

Qin Zheng reported his name, and without much verification, the person on the other side handed him a bag.

The bag made a clinking sound as it moved, indicating it wasn't lacking in coins.

Qin Zheng didn't count in detail, thanked them and quickly left.

The one who handed him the silver coins was a middle-aged man with graying beard.

Watching Qin Zheng's departing figure, he shook his head and muttered to himself, "A hard life, a short-lived ghost!"

These words, however, were not heard by Qin Zheng.

Or even if he did hear them, he would have just smiled it off.

With silver in his bosom and enough merit on the Merit Scroll for an upgrade,

he felt a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.

As long as he refined the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique!

From then on, his path would be unobstructed!

When he was about to leave, he suddenly saw an old monk outside the execution grounds.

However, the old monk was lean and dressed in tattered clothes, looking less like a monk and more like a beggar.

He saw him with hands clasped together, facing the direction of the execution ground, chanting scripture with compassion.

"Namo Amitabha... duo di ye ta..."

Qin Zheng listened for a moment and couldn't understand a word.

But it seemed like a scripture for purifying sins and guiding souls to rest.

Qin Zheng didn't linger, he turned around and walked away.

From the military camp outside the south of the city to his dwelling in the east of the city, it would take half an hour.

But in order to refine the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique as quickly as possible, Qin Zheng quietly applied his qinggong.

In an instant, his speed surged.

Before long, he had returned to the east side of the city.

Yet, as he approached his own clay house, his ears twitched, seemingly catching a faint sound of breathing.

And the source of the sound was coming from inside the house!