Facing Han's punch, Su Tian Nü neither retreated nor dodged. Instead, a smile reappeared on her face.

  "Jia Ming, I remember you. We will meet again in the future..."

  Before she could finish her sentence, Han's fist landed on her, and her form immediately exploded into nothingness.

  It was just a soul imprint, something that could only hide within the statue and perform some dark tricks. Now, facing Han, it had no means of resistance.

  Han stared at the statue for a while. After Su Tian Nü's imprint dissipated, the statue no longer carried the subtle psychological influence, the power to tempt and manipulate people.

  Turning to Zhao Duguan, Han asked, "Do you know anything about Su Tian Nü?"

  "I learned about her back when I was studying in the county town. She is the spokesperson of the Heavenly Mother, second only to the leader of the Heavenly Mother Sect."

  "Each generation of the Heavenly Mother Sect has multiple Tian Nü. The next leader will be chosen from among them."

  "As for Su Tian Nü... I haven't heard of her. She might be a recently born Tian Nü."

  It seemed she was a saint or an heir of sorts.

  Han nodded and then stored the statue into his Taibai Bag.

  "This is also a key piece of evidence. I will take it back to Lu Duguan."

  "..." Zhao Duguan didn’t say much.

  With that, Han left without taking anything else from the room. The remaining items were all mundane, of little value.

  After handling these matters, Han returned to his residence, while Zhao Duguan hurried back to the Ghosts and Gods Department.

  Soon after, people from the Ghosts and Gods Department and the Dingwu Department were dispatched overnight, heading for various locations in Qinghua County.

  Search! Search fiercely! Investigate to the end!

  That night, Qinghua County became a flurry of activity. One after another, important figures were alarmed, and anyone with issues was immediately detained.

  The Great Qi dynasty had an established separation of politics, military, and the Dao. Normally, the latter two wouldn’t meddle with politics.

  But with what had happened in Qinghua County, Zhao Duguan couldn’t care less about that.

  Despite the turmoil in the county, it didn’t affect Han. Though he was the instigator, it no longer concerned him.

  He left without a trace, never seeking fame or recognition.

  That night, as officers from the government department conducted their searches, they carefully avoided Han’s residence. Whenever they passed by, they did so cautiously, showing a deep sense of respect.

  Now, everyone knew that an esteemed envoy had come to Qinghua County—a killing god, one who relished decapitating others with brutality.

  Several deputy department heads from the Ghosts and Gods Department and Dingwu Department had lost their heads without a word—just a swift action, and off went the heads.

  It was terrifying.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Back in his residence, Han released Peng Liuming's soul again for questioning.

  As expected, Peng was tight-lipped and refused to divulge anything.

  Although Han had ways to get him to talk, this matter involved the Heavenly Mother Sect, so it would be best to consult with Lu Qingmo once they returned.

  After taking out the spatial bag from Peng Liuming’s possession and exploring its contents, Han was pleasantly surprised.

  There were items related to incense cultivation, Daoist techniques, martial weapons, and other resources, which was expected from someone in charge of this outpost.

  Moreover, Han also acquired a magical artifact.

  In a good mood, Han took out three calming incense sticks from the spatial bag and handed them to An Lang.

  "Feel free to use them, no need to hold back!"

  "Thank you, young master!"

  An Lang happily took them.

  After organizing the spoils of the day, Han felt a sense of satisfaction.

  To get rich, one still had to engage in chivalrous deeds.

  And to get truly rich, it all came down to cheats.

  Han took out the Evil-Repelling Order and looked at it. A number on it represented his good deeds.

  However, due to Zhao Duguan’s actions, the number kept changing, meaning people linked to the Heavenly Mother Sect’s outpost were being rounded up one by one.

  Since that was the case, Han didn’t rush to finalize it yet.

  Eliminating evil brought good deeds, and when Han chose to settle it, there would be an additional bonus. The cleaner the evil was eradicated, the higher the bonus.

  After the day’s events, it was already late, and Han meditated until after midnight.

  Master Zhou, having worked all day, transformed into a lumberjack and kept busy.

  Only those who are useless to society would sleep!

  With a sharp swing of his axe, three glowing orbs appeared in front of Han.

  【Low-Grade Spirit Herb: Ginseng】

  【Strengthens vital energy, enhances Qi】

  【Low-Grade Spirit Herb: Ginseng Fruit】

  【Strengthens vital energy, enhances Qi, boosts spirit】

  "..."

  Seeing the first two drops, Han felt speechless. The last time it was yellow plums and middle plums, and now again it’s ginseng and ginseng fruit. Why couldn’t you combine them into a ginseng fruit drop?

  Han slapped the Big Thousand Immortal Tree again and ranted.

  【Herbal Pill: Spirit Nourishing Pill】

  【Nourishes spirit, strengthens soul】

  【Magical Artifact: Clear Heart Jade Pendant (Fragment)】

  【Reduces mental distractions, calms the mind, protects against illusionary forces. A clear heart is like ice, unaffected by any chaos.】

  【Detected that the player already has a fragment of the Clear Heart Jade Pendant. It can be fused.】

  Han was surprised. He hadn’t expected the magical artifact fragments he received in the early days of chopping trees to appear again today.

  Fragments, fusion!

  【Magical Artifact: Clear Heart Jade Pendant】

  【Calms the mind, resists illusions, clears the heart, unshaken even when the sky falls.】

  After fusing the two fragments, Han was astonished to find a complete artifact.

  "Looks like the stronger the artifact, the more fragments it has, and the harder it is to complete," Han mused.

  The Water Avoiding Pearl was a prime example.

  Another artifact! Han’s heart felt at ease.

  He chopped away three more times, and the orbs filled the space in front of Han.

  Three spirit herbs dropped, along with three useful herbal pills for cultivation.

  Even though Han’s soul and martial arts had already reached the second realm, the drops were still low-grade spirit herbs and herbal pills. The tier of the items hadn’t increased.

  However, the potency of the herbs and pills was noticeably stronger.

  【Martial Art Seed: Chaotic Cloud Saber Technique】

  【No light in the heavens, black clouds press the ground, the wild saber dances, and the light returns.】

  【Martial Art Seed: Tyrant Spear Technique】

  【The king of spears, suppressing all directions.】

  The final two drops were martial art seeds.

  But it left Han speechless.

  Are martial art seeds good?

  Yes, they are! They allow you to effortlessly learn a martial art, saving time and effort, and you can also directly master the basic techniques of a weapon.

  But why did you give me one for saber and one for spear?

  I use a sword!

  Han was about to lose his temper.

  I’m a swordsman, and yet you don’t drop a sword technique for me. You drop two other weapons instead.

  Was this intentional or accidental?

  Frustrated, Han planted the two martial art seeds in his Soul World and watered them.

  Sigh... I guess life’s just something to muddle through.

  Sometimes, Han envied other martial artists. They didn’t have so many choices, and therefore, no such worries.

  Han sighed!

  The next morning, as Han stepped out of his house, he saw a group of people waiting at his doorstep. As soon as they saw him, they swarmed around him.

  "Young Master Jia, I am the magistrate of Qinghua County..."

  "Young Master Jia, I am..."

  One by one, they introduced themselves with flattering expressions, eager to please.

  These were the kinds of people whose stomps could shake the whole of Qinghua County, but before Han, they had no pride left.

  At this point, even though he was a fake envoy, he had truly become the 'Jia Shangs.'