The Black Book: Seven Deadly Sins

Feeling the sincere worry from the little girl, Zhu Haomiao chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Who told you I'm just a newbie martial artist?"

"Huh? Didn't we just spar not long ago..."

"That was more than a month ago. Haven't you heard the saying 'look at them with new eyes after three days'?"

"..."

In just over a month, you've shot up to the heavens?!

Zhao Nuo was both angry and anxious, stomping her foot fiercely: "Where did you get this outrageous confidence from?"

"What? I've been very patient, okay? I didn't even flip the table and kill him on the spot, nor did I plan on exterminating his whole family. You're just ungrateful, you little brat..."

Lightly tapping Zhao Nuo's cute little nose, Zhu Haomiao teased with a half-smile.

"..."

Already used to Li Lin's inexplicable words, Zhao Nuo gritted her silver teeth, glaring at him fiercely.

"Anyway, don't act impulsively. I'll go find my mother and ask her to find a way to protect you."

With that, the little girl let go of Diao Chan and ran away, leaving one person and one pet staring at each other.

"Diao Chan, it seems like everyone looks down on me. Should I create some big news to prove myself?"

Holding up the fluffy white pet, Zhu Haomiao idly petted its fur, smiling faintly.

Boom!

Without warning, a thunderclap exploded in the sky above the Royal Martial Academy. The fierce thunder tore through heaven and earth, the deep booming sound made hearts tremble, scaring half of the Imperial City into uproar.

In the unseen realm, countless top experts sensed a warning from the heavens, as if the entire world was about to undergo a dramatic change!

Feeling himself altering the river of fate with a single thought, causing a huge shock under the Heavenly Human Sensing, making ghosts and gods alike tremble, Zhu Haomiao scratched his ears, which had gone numb from the sound, gazing at the sky helplessly.

"I was just speaking casually, why so serious?"

"Don't worry, I'm a law-abiding person, how could I flip a table over just like that?"

Murmuring tentatively to himself, Zhu Haomiao petted the silly Diao Chan, changing the subject.

"But... if I'm cruelly persecuted by the feudal reactionaries, a heroic young man pushed to the brink, changes temperament drastically, and kills a few princes or so, wouldn't that be reasonable too?"

Looking up at the sky, blinking, not sensing any violent fate fluctuations, Zhu Haomiao nodded satisfactorily and flashed a wicked smile.

Soon after, the young man picked up the Inner Power Secret Manual beside him and immersed himself back into the ocean of knowledge, unfathomable seven-colored divine light surging deep within his jet-black pupils.

........

That afternoon, after completing the blackened version of the inner power from levels one to four, Zhu Haomiao, as usual, went to Lechang Square. Shortly after entering, he heard the sound of fierce quarreling from outside.

Before the young man could see what was happening, a group of people in ornate court attire rudely pushed past the obstruction and barged in.

One of them took a sweeping glance around, and locking eyes with Zhu Haomiao, sneered coldly.

"I am Xiang Hai Chang, Minister of Criminal Justice!"

"Li Lin, you've gone against heaven's will, shooting citizens in the streets for fun, causing public outrage, and a thousand people storming the government. Aren't you going to kneel and surrender?"

Hearing his aggressive roar, Zhu Haomiao squinted, his gaze sweeping over the burly figures behind him who were gripping their hilts and seemed eager to make a move. He vaguely felt that they were deliberately trying to provoke him, perhaps planning to... kill on the spot?

"Tsk tsk, such an impressive job of turning black into white, inverting cause and effect."

Snorting with laughter, Zhu Haomiao examined the patterns on the official's uniform, stood up calmly, and clapped mockingly.

"Our bureau's report hasn't even been finished, yet the Ministry of Justice has already reached a conclusion. Your efficiency is truly impressive..."

"Hmph! Still talking nonsense on the brink of death. Seize him!"

With a shout from Xiang Hai Chang, the burly men behind him had just stepped forward when over a dozen constables from the Anti-theft Bureau unsheathed their swords without hesitation, the snowy white blades gleaming half-revealed, their chilling murderous aura rooted them to the spot.

Looking around in disbelief at the constables' cold eyes filled with determined killing intent, Xiang Hai Chang was both shocked and furious.

"I am the Minister of Criminal Justice! Are you rebelling?"

Finishing, he looked towards the indifferent young man, sneering ferociously.

"Seize him! I dare anyone to interfere!"

Clang!

More than a dozen chilling sharp blades pointed in their faces, Xiang Hai Chang's expression froze, then his facial features slowly contorted, veins bulging on his forehead as he frantically shouted.

"It's rebellion! It's rebellion! You dare threaten the Minister of Criminal Justice!"

"Kill!"

"Kill them all!"

Hearing this, the once hesitant and uncertain gazes of the burly men suddenly focused, their whole bodies erupting with a frigid aura.

At this critical moment, a powerful roar came from outside the door.

"Everyone, stop!!"

Turning instinctively, Yin Tianze, dressed in a high-ranking Anti-theft Bureau uniform, stormed in angrily, and the constables who saw their direct superior hurriedly sheathed their swords and stepped aside.

Seeing this, Zhu Haomiao waved his hand softly, and the subordinates with a murderous aura swiftly withdrew their blades and retreated, leaving an empty space.

On the other side, Yin Tianze barged in like a raging bull, stopping right in front of Xiang Hai Chang.

"You're trying to kill my Anti-theft Bureau people? Huh?!"

Usually gentle and refined, Yin Tianze was now utterly savage, his aggressive aura clearly indicating that he was ready to start a massacre at the slightest disagreement.

Sweeping his gaze over the Fifth-rank spiritual beast emblem on Yin Tianze's official attire, a flash of apprehension crossed Xiang Hai Chang's eyes as he explained.

"Lord Jing'an, I am acting under orders."

"Orders? Whose orders?!"

"Of course, orders from above!"

"For the Ministry of Justice to arrest my Anti-theft Bureau people, you need Zuo Jinwu's written approval. Where is your arrest warrant, huh?!"

Showered in spittle by Yin Tianze, Xiang Hai Chang, with a grim expression, retreated two steps, and threatened quietly.

"Jing'an Captain, are you sure you want to make things difficult for me?"

"To hell with you!"

Without hesitation, Yin Tianze kicked him in the stomach, sending Xiang Hai Chang rolling away like a spinning top a few meters away.

This kick clearly didn't use True Power, causing little physical harm but inflicting immense humiliation. After rolling a few times, Xiang Hai Chang quickly stood up, straightening his disheveled official hat, and shouted in rage and shame.

"Insufferable Qiu Ba, let's see how long you can protect him!"

With that, Xiang Hai Chang glared hatefully at Zhu Haomiao before turning and leaving.

The bewildered burly men exchanged looks and hastily followed.

On the other side, watching their backs disappear beyond the door, Yin Tianze turned to look at the disinterested handsome young man with a complex gaze.

He never expected this guy to be so capable and efficient!

The matter they discussed the afternoon before, he started taking action that very night!

By the end of yesterday, he had uprooted the entire underground network of Lechang Square, implicating over a hundred people!

This sweeping move caught everyone by surprise, and by the time the aggrieved parties reacted, he had already tidied up almost all the mess!