Moreover, what Zhang Qi presented was not just the thod. According to the agreent between Zhang Qi and Hao Chong, Zhang Qi would select so pretty ones among the refugees and let Magistrate Hao take them in, so that the Mystical Technique could advance further.
And this Magistrate Hao, that was what he was anxious about.
Bu Shen now understood that Magistrate Hao indeed had a legitimate reason to be anxious.
"Anyway, Yiyang County has been peaceful for a long ti, and there’s nothing important to deal with. So why not use the ti to practice diligently and improve oneself?"
Seeing that the advisor finally understood his intention, Magistrate Hao Chong sat down and talked openly.
"With the nomads invading from the north, the world may fall into chaos again. And in such tis, what is most important? It’s strength!"
Saying this, Hao Chong rolled up his sleeves, showing the advisor Bu Shen the hint of muscles flexing on his thin arms.
"This is the benefit brought by the Mystical Technique. I have practiced day and night, and my physique indeed beca stronger! If I continue to train, when the technique is fully mastered, I might be able to single-handedly block thousands of nomads... Who’s beating the drum?"
"I don’t know."
The advisor Bu Shen also stood up, listening intently.
Just as they said there was nothing important, sothing important ca up.
The drum that was sounding outside the yan was the Injustice Bell, which is usually not to be beaten. If people had sothing to report, they should enter the yan directly—only a major case or a severe injustice would soone beat the Injustice Bell to signify its importance.
But Yiyang County had long been peaceful, where could such a major case co from?
"Let go out and see."
With these words, Magistrate Hao Chong had Bu Shen call the governnt constables, and the group headed to the county yan’s main hall.
But as soon as they reached the main hall, Magistrate Hao Chong was so shocked that he nearly fell to the ground.
The hall, originally swept clean, was now filled with corpses. Looking over, there were no less than a hundred, all their bodies bearing marks of swords and axes, even signs of being burned by fire. Clearly, these young n in plain clothes had been through a fierce battle before their deaths.
But what truly horrified Magistrate Hao Chong was not this.
It was the corpse brought to the forefront.
Although the corpse had been crushed beyond recognition, the clothes and so hidden markings on the limbs allowed Hao Chong to recognize who it was.
It was his recent confidant, the Immortal who had guided him in the Mystical Technique, the person in charge of the Taiyin Mountain God Temple.
That is, the one who promised to help him acquire a Tripod Furnace, Zhang Qi.
"This, this this..."
Magistrate Hao Chong opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a complete sentence for a mont.
"How did he die? Why did he die?"
"Of course, because he deserved to die!"
In Magistrate Hao Chong’s view, a tall and sturdy man stepped across the corpses and erged.
After hearing the account from this strong man nad Du Chengfeng, Magistrate Hao Chong roughly understood the situation.
According to Du Chengfeng, the Taiyin Mountain God Temple was not benevolent in sheltering refugees but had murder in mind. These young cultivators, under the cover of night, wielded magic swords and struck indiscriminately—so as the leader of these refugees, this strong man nad Du Chengfeng led a counterattack, killing everyone from the Taiyin Mountain God Temple.
"That’s about it."
After finishing, Du Chengfeng cupped his hands towards Magistrate Hao Chong.
"These villains were insidious, launched a midnight assault. If I hadn’t practiced so martial arts, they would have killed ... So what do you think should be done about this? How about giving their place to ? After all, the Mountain God Temple is in the mountains, whether they manage it or we do, there’s not much difference."
"You, you you you..."
Pointing his finger at this strong man nad Du Chengfeng, Magistrate Hao Chong trembled for a long ti.
"You’re the rogue!"
"...Huh?"
Du Chengfeng was dumbfounded.
"I was clearly the one attacked..."
"Nonsense! Immortal Zhang has lived in Taiyin Mountain for generations, his family quite wealthy, why would he attack you?"
With a slap on the gavel, Magistrate Hao Chong beca angrier as he thought about it.
Impossible, he knew Zhang Qi’s family’s wealth very well. As a local magnate holding the Taiyin Mountain God Temple, the Zhang family was quite prosperous, often kind and charitable, aiding his magistracy in tis of need. How could they commit such heinous acts?
It must be these refugees! It must be these outsiders! They saw Zhang Qi’s family’s wealth, so they conspired to wipe out the entire Taiyin Mountain God Temple, and now they even fra Zhang Qi, plotting to seize the Zhang family’s unclaid properties!
"Yes! That’s it!"
In an instant, Hao Chong felt he understood everything.
If not for him, the magistrate with keen insight, seeing through the sches of these rogues, who knows how much injustice the Immortal would have suffered!
"Bold rogue, daring to deceive this official!"
Thinking this, Magistrate Hao Chong struck the gavel again and pointed his finger at Du Chengfeng.
"Guards! Arrest this insolent rogue for !"
Upon the order, the prepared governnt constables pounced like wolves and tigers, their Water and Fire Staffs raised, intending to subdue the rogue to his knees first!
Yet soon, the staffs stopped in mid-air.
Because right in front of them, the strong man nad Du Chengfeng held up a seal.
"No, I already said, I was the one attacked."
Du Chengfeng scratched his head.
"I am the Chief of Armants of Jizhou. I temporarily substituted in Yanzhou before, and these refugees were all led out by . This Zhang Qi was assaulting an official of the court... What, you still don’t believe? Alright, I also have the official docunts and the transfer order from the Governor of Yanzhou."
Seeing the seal and related docunts being presented, Magistrate Hao Chong started trembling again.
But this ti, not from anger, but from shock, knowing that he was rely a county magistrate, whereas the person before him was a prefectural official, though not the main officer, his rank was higher than his.
Thus, this situation...
"Fake."
Glancing at Zhang Qi’s corpse on the ground, Magistrate Hao Chong gritted his teeth.
"Fake! Yanzhou City is already fallen, information unclear. You claim to be the Chief of Armants, then why didn’t you fight at the frontline, but instead fled to my Southern Mountain Dao?"
"I... Wasn’t the battle over already?"
Du Chengfeng scratched his head more vigorously.
"Qi Jinshan was killed in action, Yanzhou City was destroyed, the battle’s over, why not leave?"
"Killed in action? I think it was you people who got him killed!"
Magistrate Hao Chong sneered.
Of course, he knew that soone who could serve as a commander of a province would not lack martial skills, such a person could indeed die in battle, to say he was murdered was unlikely—but it didn’t matter, he simply needed a reason to apprehend this rogue.
Regardless of whether he was truly the Chief of Armants, he had already thoroughly offended him. If not taking this chance to quickly eliminate him, should he wait for him to retaliate and strip him of his official robes?
"As the Chief of Armants, you dare desert your post, and even roar in the court!"
Magistrate Hao Chong struck the gavel once more.
"Guards! Seize this treasonous criminal who caused the death of his superior for !"
The constables raised their staffs again and charged, Magistrate Hao Chong squinted his eyes.
Indeed, just as he thought, the expression on this strong man nad Du Chengfeng’s face was of shock, disbelief, and even a bit puzzled—puzzled indeed, because the accusation was forcibly pinned on him, just like how the strong man had pinned an accusation on Zhang Qi earlier, after all, no evidence would prove this charge false, even if the Capturers from the court ca, no one could prove the accusation false.
"So how did you know?"
While Magistrate Hao Chong was waiting for the constables to subdue the strong man nad Du Chengfeng with their staffs.
The strong man nad Du Chengfeng suddenly spoke.
"No one should know... how did you know I committed treason and killed an official?"
"Haha, with keen insight, how could I not know... uh?"
Halfway through his sentence, Magistrate Hao Chong suddenly realized sothing seed off.
"What did you just say?"
"No matter."
Du Chengfeng sighed.
"Since you’ve found out, today you cannot be spared."
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