Another European Pull Epic Poetry Entry

[Shen Qingshan knew all too well the horrors of the yamen's dungeons and was determined not to let Han Sheng take you away.]

[Just as the two sides were about to come to blows, a stern voice rang out.]

["Officer Shen, what do you think you're doing?"]

[The arrival was Feng Yucheng, Chief of the Baiyun County Demon Slaying Division and Shen Qingshan's direct superior.]

[His martial cultivation was second to none in Baiyun County, having already reached the Soul Tempering Realm!]

[With Feng Yucheng's appearance, Shen Qingshan knew there was no way he could keep you there today.]

[Helpless, he could only watch as you were taken away.]

["Fourth Brother, rest assured. I won't abandon you. I will appeal to the County Magistrate and ensure justice is served!"]

[By now, you had realized this was a set-up. To prevent your Third Sister's family from being implicated, you quickly spoke up.]

["Brother-in-law, don't worry about me! Just protect Third Sister and my niece!"]

[This was merely a simulation; you had no fear of death. At worst, you would just miss out on drawing a few traits.]

[Inside the county prison, you were strapped to a torture rack.]

[Before you lay a dense array of torture instruments: branding irons, leather whips, nose-slicing knives, foot-chopping axes, spiked chairs, wooden donkeys...]

"Chen Yi, I advise you to come clean and plead guilty, otherwise..."

"I plead guilty."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I killed the person. I did it all. The confession statement should be ready, right? Bring it here. Let me sign it. We're all busy people."

"..."

Han Sheng was dumbfounded.

He had prepared a whole slew of practiced speeches, precious experience honed from his past interrogations—stuff that would scare even a ghost.

He had also prepared a complete set of "Great Memory Restoration Techniques," along with a full kit of professional tools. No matter how strong a person's will, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Why couldn't he use a single one?

He hadn't even started asking, and the guy already confessed?

"As expected of me, always finding the path of least resistance..."

Never mind that he didn't have the "Hyper-Beast Pain Tolerance" equipped.

Even if he did, it only reduced pain; it didn't eliminate it.

It was obvious that claiming innocence would only lead to severe torture before being forced to confess anyway. It was better to admit it directly and save himself a beating.

[Han Sheng took out the confession paper and went through the motions.]

["Chen Yi, do you plead guilty to the Huowang Village case?"]

["Guilty."]

["Do you plead guilty to the burglary and murder case in Xiping Village?"]

["Guilty."]

["Do you plead guilty to the slaughter of the plow ox in Guangtian Village?"]

["Guilty, guilty, guilty. Hurry up. It's just balancing the books, isn't it? I get it, I get it."]

[After you pressed your fingerprint, Han Sheng, feeling thoroughly deflated, threw you back into the cell.]

[A few days later, the court convened. The fat-eared County Magistrate sat above, went through the formalities, and finally sentenced you to military exile.]

["Military exile?"]

[You were quite surprised. Normally, it would definitely be a beheading, just like Shen Qingshan in the last simulation.]

[The Magistrate said absent-mindedly.]

["In recent years, the war with the Southern Borders has been tense. The Emperor has shown great benevolence: all capital crimes with mitigating circumstances may be commuted to military exile."]

[It seemed that because you had helped the Magistrate close so many cold cases, you were now considered to have "mitigating circumstances."]

[On the day of departure, a pair of steel hook spirit artifacts were driven into your scapulae, locking down the circulation of your Blood Qi and preventing you from exerting much martial force.]

[Otherwise, to escort a martial artist like you, they would have to arrange for guards with higher cultivation realms, an expense the yamen couldn't afford.]

[Chen Yun and Shen Qingshan brought their daughter to see you off.]

["Time to go! Don't dawdle!"]

[The bailiff in charge of escorting you spoke impatiently.]

[Third Sister walked up with a smile and stuffed some silver into the hands of the two bailiffs.]

["Officers, why not go have a little wine to warm yourselves up before setting off? It won't be too late..."]

[The bailiffs walked away with satisfied smiles.]

["Don't talk too much!"]

["Yes, yes, yes..."]

[Watching your Third Sister bow and scrape before two petty officials left a bitter taste in your mouth.]

[Shen Qingshan sighed. "It is your brother-in-law's incompetence. I couldn't save you."]

[Chen Yun could no longer control her tears. "Fourth Brother, your brother-in-law did his best. We could only get it changed to military exile..."]

[Only then did you realize that avoiding the death penalty was due to Shen Qingshan pulling strings on the outside.]

[This likely drained Third Sister's family savings and the wealth left by Shen Qingshan's ancestors.]

["Third Sister, Brother-in-law, don't worry. Military exile is fine. If I earn military merits, maybe I can even return home in glory!"]

[Shen Qingshan knew very well how hard it was for a low-level martial artist to earn merit on the battlefield in this world of martial arts.]

["Fourth Brother, twenty miles outside the city, I've arranged for two trusted aides to meet you. They will pose as bandits, knock out the bailiffs, and then you can..."]

["Brother-in-law, there is no need for that."]

["Fourth Brother..."]

[The Magistrate had threatened you: if you dared to run, your Third Sister's family would be held collectively responsible.]

[You didn't want to implicate them.]

[Third Sister's family watched you leave. She was weeping like a fountain, while your young niece waved at you, shouting, "Uncle, come back soon!"]

[Third Year, Age Twenty.]

[Beginning trait extraction...]

[Extraction successful!]

[「Photographic Memory」 (Purple): You possess super memory. You will firmly remember everything you see and hear.]

[Do you wish to adjust traits?]

[Yes/No]

"Whoa—"

Chen Yi's mouth formed a perfect "O".

A Purple Epic trait with a 1% probability—he just drew it, fresh and easy?

"Am I actually lucky?"

Thinking about it carefully, it made sense.

He could draw a 0.001% Mythical trait, so wasn't 1% just a piece of cake?

He had to equip this "Photographic Memory" trait.

To earn merit on the battlefield through force required competing in martial prowess.

Chen Yi's current level was obviously not enough.

But if he had a memory far superior to ordinary people, he might be put to important use.

"Damn Magistrate, wait until I become a general. I'll come back and chop you up!"

[You replaced 「Roaming Dragon, Playing Phoenix」 with 「Photographic Memory」.]

[You looked at 「Roaming Dragon, Playing Phoenix」 in the trait library with deep regret. You hadn't even had the chance to experience the effects of this trait in this run.]

[Baiyun County was located in Baling Commandery, Qing Province of the Great Qian Dynasty.]

[Great Qian had unified the entire Central Plains, comprising two capitals and eighteen provinces.]

[South of Qing Province was Su Province.]

[The Southern Border Army, stationed at the southernmost tip of Su Province, was your destination.]

[This world was vast. It took you a full year just to traverse the distance across two provinces.]

[To the south of the Central Plains lay the Southern Borders, an area no smaller than the Central Plains itself.]

[There were hundreds of small kingdoms in the Southern Borders. They fought constantly amongst themselves and frequently harassed the Central Plains.]

[The Southern Border Army existed to deter and resist these border threats.]

[As a conscripted convict, upon entering the military camp, you were assigned to the logistics battalion—no armor, no weapons. You were responsible for dirty, tiring work like sharpening stakes, pitching tents, and cleaning the camp.]

[The dozen or so soldiers in your tent were also convicts. They acted like hooligans; as long as no one was watching, they were a group completely devoid of organization or discipline.]

[One of the veterans, a man named Old Liu who ruled the roost in this tent, spotted you as a fresh face and decided to show you who was boss.]

["Hey, new guy. What crime got you sent here?"]

["Killing."]

["How many?"]

["Over a hundred, I suppose."]