Beheading as a Public Warning, the People Applauded in Delight

"Move!"

"Leave this place immediately."

Seeing this, the captains under Captain Liu did not even dare let out a peep. They immediately had the Black Armored Guards carry away the unconscious Captain Liu, then slunk off in disgrace.

Facing Zhou Shan, they did not dare utter a single threat.

They feared that if they angered Zhou Shan, he would beat them to death on the spot.

Zhou Shan had even dared to beat Captain Liu, and he had struck heavily enough to knock him unconscious. As for mere captains like them, if they dared say one word too many, they would likely end up like Captain Liu—carried out by others. If it got serious, their funeral feast would be served directly.

"My lord, Captain Liu comes from the Liu Family of Taishan Commandery. Today, we have thoroughly offended them." Captain He Yong stepped forward and reminded him, "My lord must beware of Captain Liu using his family's power to retaliate."

"The Liu Family wields considerable influence within the Black Armored Army. In Taishan Commandery, one of them even serves as a commander. Though they have no commander in Qingyang Commandery, the Liu Family does have someone serving as a commandant here. My lord must be careful in the future."

"We have already offended them. What is the use of saying any of this now?"

"..."

The captains spoke up one after another.

They were now Zhou Shan's subordinates, carrying out missions under him.

If Zhou Shan were targeted by the Liu Family, they would be implicated as well.

"It is nothing. A Liu Family without even a Martial Dao Grandmaster is not worth my concern."

Zhou Shan spoke with an unconcerned expression.

He was now a Superclass Martial Artist, and his Golden Bell Shield had seventy-four years of cultivation. So long as another twenty-six days passed, he would possess a Hundred Years of Cultivation and be able to break through to the Aperture-Opening Realm.

A Hundred Years of Cultivation was the pinnacle of the Accumulation Realm.

Possessing a Hundred Years of Cultivation meant one had cultivated the Accumulation Realm to perfection. The next step was Qi Connects Hundred Apertures.

The Liu Family did not have a Martial Dao Grandmaster who had opened the Ren and Du Meridians. Furthermore, most of their power lay in Taishan Commandery, and they did not even have a single Aperture-Opening Martial Artist in Qingyang Commandery. Thus, Zhou Shan did not take the Liu Family seriously.

Because in another twenty-six days, he would become an Aperture-Opening Martial Artist.

Since Zhou Shan had said so, the captains said nothing further.

"You are to immediately take men and raid Wang Shi's residence, as well as the residences of the Iron Palm Gang's five hall masters. We absolutely cannot let the Black Armored Army of Ye County profit." Zhou Shan said coldly, "Then have word spread that an auction will be held at the Iron Palm Gang's headquarters in two hours. The Iron Palm Gang's properties, farmlands, jade, jewelry, antiques, paintings, and calligraphy... all of it will be sold off in a clearance sale. First come, first served."

"Yes, my lord!"

The five captains accepted their orders, each taking twenty Black Armored Army soldiers as they left the Iron Palm Gang.

Before long, all the valuables within the Iron Palm Gang had been inventoried.

"Escort the Iron Palm Gang members and the Horse Bandit leaders to the execution ground and behead them as a public warning. Tell the city's people that we have wiped out the Horse Bandits who plundered merchant caravans, and make the Iron Palm Gang's crimes known to all."

After the inventory was completed, Zhou Shan began dealing with the Horse Bandit leaders and the Iron Palm Gang members.

"By your command!"

The Black Armored Army soldiers under him immediately escorted the Horse Bandit leaders and Iron Palm Gang members away from the headquarters toward the execution ground.

As Iron Palm Gang members were dragged out one after another, and through the Black Armored Army's announcements, the people of the city quickly learned that the Iron Palm Gang—the greatest gang beneath Ye County's three great families—had been wiped out.

Moreover, the Iron Palm Gang had actually disguised themselves as mountain bandits, plundered wealthy households in villages and towns, and colluded with Horse Bandits.

Every one of these acts was an atrocious crime.

Under the laws of the now-destroyed Great Jin Dynasty, any one of them would have been enough to condemn the entire Iron Palm Gang to execution.

Although the Great Jin Dynasty had now fallen, those laws had not all been abolished.

Most of the time, the Black Armored Army of the Guiyuan Sect still acted in accordance with the laws of the Great Jin Dynasty.

The news immediately swept through the entire county town like a storm.

"The Iron Palm Gang has been wiped out."

"This is truly wonderful! The Iron Palm Gang has finally been wiped out!"

"Child's father, if you know this beneath the springs, you can finally rest in peace."

"This Lord Zhou truly is a splendid official!"

"..."

As news of the Iron Palm Gang's destruction spread like a storm, countless city residents clapped and cheered.

Especially the people living in the Iron Palm Gang's territory—they had suffered under the Iron Palm Gang for far too long.

Who knew how many families had been destroyed because of the Iron Palm Gang?

But the Iron Palm Gang was powerful, beyond the resistance of ordinary people, so they could only endure in silence.

Now, this scourge known as the Iron Palm Gang had finally been eradicated.

"Execute them!"

At Zhou Shan's command, heads rolled one after another.

"Good!"

"Well killed!"

"These sons of bitches from the Iron Palm Gang should have been killed long ago!"

The surrounding onlookers shouted their approval.

Beheading was originally a very bloody affair.

Yet as the onlooking people watched Iron Palm Gang members being killed and their heads falling to the ground, not a single person was afraid. Instead, wave after wave of cheers erupted, and all of them applauded in delight.

Some even wept tears of joy. Their great vengeance had finally been avenged.

"When a dynasty rises, the people suffer. When a dynasty falls, the people suffer."

Seeing this scene, Zhou Shan could not help but sigh.

When a dynasty prospered and the realm was at peace, the common people at the bottom were targets for the powerful and wealthy to exploit. Now that a dynasty had fallen, the people still suffered, and the exploitation they endured was even more severe.

Such was the world today. It was the same wherever one went. He alone could not change it. If he encountered such things, then so long as his strength permitted it, he could only do what was within his power.

After all the Iron Palm Gang members had been executed, it was time to auction off the fixed assets controlled by the Iron Palm Gang, along with jade, jewelry, antiques, paintings, calligraphy, and the like. Everything was sold in a complete clearance sale.

Zhou Shan did not seek the highest price, only the fastest possible conversion of these goods into silver. Thus, in less than an hour, everything had been auctioned off.

Banknotes, silver, and gold combined came to a total of 116,520 taels.

"Let us go. We will return to Qingyang City first."

Zhou Shan led two hundred Black Armored Army soldiers away from Ye County.

Having obtained so much silver this time, he could purchase quite a few medicinal pills that increased cultivation.

For example, the Golden Jade Pill was a medicinal pill that only the Vajra Sect could refine. For those who cultivated Vajra Sect martial arts, such as the Great Strength Vajra Palm, Great Strength Vajra Finger, and Great Strength Vajra Leg, a single pill could increase cultivation by fifteen years. Even for those cultivating other martial arts, it could increase cultivation by ten years. However, the Golden Jade Pill could only be taken once in a lifetime.

Although the Vajra Sect had been destroyed, the Guiyuan Sect had obtained quite a few Golden Jade Pills.

Zhou Shan cultivated the Vajra Sect's Golden Bell Shield, so taking a Golden Jade Pill could increase his cultivation by fifteen years. It would save him fifteen days and allow him to reach a Hundred Years of Cultivation more quickly.

Besides that, the Guiyuan Sect also possessed quite a few other medicinal pills that increased cultivation.