Mercy Cannot Command an Army: Zhao Xing's Choice

Xier County, Inspection Department.

Chen Shijie parked the Arrowfish Flying Boat in the square of the Inspection Department.

The first landing location was not the Agricultural Supervisorate, but the Inspection Department, as Zhao Xing had requested.

If he wants to carry out an inspection mission, he will definitely have to go through the Inspection Department.

In addition, the task involves a large number of people, which he cannot handle alone, so the Inspection Department force must be mobilized.

When they disembarked, Chen Shijie and Long Xiao both looked rather grim, because just by looking at where Zhao Xing had come first, they knew that this problem was going to be serious.

If it were a group of dozens or hundreds of people of low rank, Zhao Xing could act alone with Long Xiao, without needing the assistance of the Inspection Department.

"Are you really making this your first stop?" Just before stepping into the Inspection Department, Long Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Is there something you can't tell the Marquis first?"

"Long Xiao!" Chen Shijie said in a deep voice, "Don't interfere with him, the Marquis will understand."

Qiu Mingyi, the "Grand Inspector" of the Inspection Department, is Fifth Grade.

As a Fifth Grade, he was not under the jurisdiction of Boping Marquis Yang An; this position was used to monitor the internal affairs of the army.

Aside from Yang An, whom he couldn't control, the Inspection Department had the right to arrest and prosecute any other military officers who committed illegal acts. The Inspection Department also served as a law enforcement force during battles.

Of course, unless it's treason, the Inspection Department would have to consult Yang An before disciplining any military officers.

The Inspection Department have always been disliked by the soldiers. Basically, every few years, the Inspection Department have to be replaced, and when they leave their posts, they have to leave secretly to avoid being attacked by the soldiers.

Grand Inspector Qiu Mingyi had only been in office for a year and had a fairly harmonious relationship with Yang An. Yang An had basically completed the previous internal cleanup himself, and Qiu Mingyi had only assisted by providing some interrogation and investigation work.

When he learned that Zhao Xing's first stop was the Inspection Department, he immediately came out to meet him personally.

Because Zhao Xing's current Arrowfish Flying Boat is flying with the Ten Suns Banner of the Military Realm. Any genius who receives such a mission, regardless of what happened before or after.

In this stage, they were like imperial envoys, representing the will of the Military Realm, or, more broadly, the will of Emperor Jing.

"Go and invite Zhao Xing to the main hall to receive him," Qiu Mingyi ordered. "Order all inspectors of the third rank and above to return to the county town to await orders."

"Also, go to the Divine Temple and inform Lord Ma Dezhu, the chief priest, to bring a team of priests and invite the two law enforcement deities Fan Wujiu and Xie Bian, over."

"Bring out the Qilin Treading Sea Robe and the Skyward Sparrow Plume Hat. I need to bathe and change."

Qiu Mingyi, looking radiant, gave a series of instructions to his servants.

He was leisurely drinking under the grape trellis when he heard that Zhao Xing had arrived. He immediately perked up and unconsciously licked his lips.

He fully understood what signal Zhao Xing was sending by making his first stop at the Inspection Department.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! I want to see rivers of blood!" Qiu Mingyi's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I've prepared all the weapons for you, kid. Don't disappoint me."

That year, Qiu Mingyi spent all his time drinking. Yang An regained his position as commander-in-chief, and Qiu Mingyi could only watch from the sidelines. In Qiu Mingyi's opinion, Yang An's blade wasn't ruthless enough; he hadn't scraped away the rotten flesh thoroughly enough. If his Inspection Department had investigated more thoroughly, far more people would have died.

Now that Zhao Xing has arrived, he must have obtained substantial evidence of his crimes, and the level and number of such cases involving such geniuses are not low.

Two quarters of an hour later, in the main hall of the Inspection Department.

"Your humble servant Zhao Xing greets Lord Qiu." Zhao Xing bowed to Qiu Mingyi, the Grand Inspector, who was also one of the reviewers for the first stage of the mission.

Qiu Mingyi's evaluation after he completed the first task carried significant weight.

"Zhao Xing, what brings you to the Inspection Department to see me?" Qiu Mingyi asked.

"I have been ordered by the Military Realm to come and deal with the illegal activities in Xier County." Zhao Xing got straight to the point, "Please assist me Inspection Department."

"Oh? I wonder how many people you need to mobilize, and how many of them are involved in the crime?" Qiu Mingyi asked.

In fact, he knew the intelligence information the moment Zhao Xing entered the room. Now he was asking to see how much Zhao Xing was willing to submit.

Zhao Xing understood this as well. As long as he did the job and Yang An didn't interfere, all these people were doomed. The only difference was whether he did it or the Inspection Department did it.

"A total of 1,423 members are involved in the illegal activities. I need the entire Inspection Department to be mobilized, and it would be best to ask the War God Hall for cooperation." Zhao Xing took out a list. "This is the list of people involved in the case."

"Very well, cracking down on illegal activities is the duty of the Inspection Department. I will keep the news under wraps and hand over all manpower to you for deployment!" Qiu Mingyi said. "This is the order of the Grand Inspector. After you receive the order, all personnel in this division will obey your commands."

"In addition, Lord Ma Dezhu of the War God Hall will arrive at the Inspection Department within one hour to assist you."

"Thank you, sir." Zhao Xing cupped his hands in thanks and immediately accepted the Grand Inspector's order to leave the courtroom.

Outside the courtroom, Chen Shijie and Long Xiao felt a chill run down their spines when they saw Zhao Xing emerge with the Grand Inspector's warrant in hand, and even Chen Shijie's pupils contracted.

Zhao Xing, holding the order of the Grand Inspector, began to move around the various departments to formulate arrest plans.

"The Inspector General of the First Division is hereby ordered to apprehend Hong Tai, the Changshui Commandant, Qi Shan, the Zhonglei Commandant..."

"The two inspectors are hereby ordered to apprehend Fan Geng and He Cheng..."

"The Inspector General of the Three Departments..."

Long Xiao, the protector, was by Zhao Xing's side, while Chen Shijie stayed in the side hall of the Inspection Department to drink tea and avoid suspicion.

When he heard Zhao Xing read out that long list, Long Xiao's eyes widened immediately.

Once the order was given, figures from all parts of the Inspection Department immediately took to the air and disappeared into the darkness.

Seeing that Long Xiao seemed a little off, Zhao Xing immediately asked, "Why don't you go and rest first?"

Long Xiao said sadly, "How can I sleep now? Several of the people you mentioned are brothers who have gone through life and death with me and Old Chen."

"That was six years ago," Zhao Xing said calmly. "Now, are you still sure they are your brothers? When you see them again, do you feel anything is different?"

Long Xiao remained silent. As a sword cultivator, he had a clear Sword Heart. When he saw old acquaintances one after another a year ago, he could indeed sense that his brothers had changed, but he did not want to think about it in that way.

"Can you tell me, is there any hope for them?"

Zhao Xing remained silent.

His first stop was here, which means that his choice was definitely not one of compromise or compromise.

Killing one person offends people, and killing a thousand people also offends people.

There's no such thing as a perfect solution when it comes to this kind of thing.

Unless Zhao Xing is willing to ruin his future and receive a lenient sentence.

But that's simply impossible.

Having no relatives or friends with these scoundrels, how could Old Master Zhao possibly ruin his future for them?

Let me tell you the truth.

"Even without me, they're doomed," Zhao Xing said. "The Military Realm has been gathering evidence against these people for a while now, but they're only launching this attack now that they've investigated thoroughly, unless..."

"Unless Your Marquis protects them, is that right?" Long Xiao's face showed hope. "Yes, Qiu Mingyi may be older, but he's not as powerful Marquis."

Zhao Xing shook his head and said, "Hong Tai is the current Changshui Commandant of the Divine Might Army, Official Seventh Rank, Lower. He served as the Registered Field Magistrate Tao County Xier County years before returning to the Divine Might Army after its reorganization. His crimes include raping fourteen people and driving five to their deaths. After Boping Marquis was reinstated and transferred, he killed all the family members of the fourteen victims to cover up his crimes."

"Qi Shan, the current Zhonglei Commandant of the Divine Might Army, is Seventh Grade official. He previously served as the Xier County Tranquil Flood Magistrate of Fubu County, Xier Prefecture for three years. He privately set up checkpoints and accepted bribes totaling 3.42 million taels from merchants from other places."

Long Xiao's face turned pale, his eyes blazing with fury. "How could these bastards do such a thing... such a thing..."

Seeing this, Zhao Xing stopped reading.

Yes, Boping Marquis could protect these people, but if he did, it would prove that he was too merciful!

A kind heart cannot command an army; strict discipline is essential. This is the basis for Zhao Xing's actions this time.

If Yang An were to protect those scoundrels, Zhao Xing would have to flee and join their ranks, even at some cost.

Because this was different from what he understood, and his army was not disciplined. How could such a person later achieve great fame?

That must be because I remembered it wrong, or something happened to Yang An in this life.

In short, it wasn't just the imperial court and the Divine Might Army that were observing Zhao Xing through this mission.

Zhao Xing was also observing the Divine Might Army's ship to see if it was worth boarding.

Although he thought highly of Old Chen and felt that Old Chen suited his taste, ultimately, the Divine Might Army was under the command of Yang An.

Xier County, Changshui Military Camp.

Hong Tai was inspecting the camp, holding a staff and wearing armor.

Night patrols are not something a captain like him should be doing, but for some reason, he felt unusually uneasy today.

"Is there something unusual about the Lan River? But I haven't felt any shift in the solar terms, and the phenological changes are just the usual changes of the four seasons."

"Liu Ming, prepare a flying boat for me; I need to go on an inspection tour of the Lan River!"

Hong Tai shouted to his guards.

But no one responded.

The night was still, and a bright moon rose, but the moon was behind the head of a dark golden figure.

"Fan Wujiu the Judicial Nether God?!"

Hong Tai got goosebumps and shuddered, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

A flying ship did indeed arrive, but it came from outside.

"The people from the Inspection Department even invited the Judicial Nether God of the War God Hall?!" Hong Tai's unease had reached its peak.

It was a feeling that his guilt had nowhere to hide, which made him want to run away.

But Hong Tai stubbornly endured it.

"Changshui Commandant greets the Judicial Nether God and all the Inspectors," Hong Tai knelt on one knee. "May I ask what brings you all to my Changshui Military Camp?"

"Hong Tai, you are suspected of rape and murder, and the entire families of fourteen people were wiped out." A patrol officer said coldly, "I have come to arrest you on the orders of the Grand Inspector. Surrender now."

Hong Tai's heart skipped a beat. When the other party mentioned the exact number of fourteen, he knew that this matter could no longer be kept secret.

"You scoundrel! Who is slandering me? I demand to see the Marquis!"

"When you arrive at the Inspection Department, you will have your turn to see Boping Marquis."

Meanwhile, at the Zhonglei Military Camp.

Qi Shan was also bound by a Golden Light rope and struggled on the ground.

"Slander! This is slander! I demand to see Boping Marquis!"

Qi Shan shouted.

At the same time, a large number of inspectors appeared in military camps throughout Xier County. They appeared suddenly and launched precise attacks.

Overnight, sounds rang out everywhere.

Some people refuse to admit their guilt, while others readily confess.

"I only embezzled a batch of military rations, but that happened back in the thirteenth year of New Splendor Era's reign. I will admit my mistake to the Marquis and pay the fine myself!"

"I am on official business. The Inspection Department can come back in three days. What?! An order from the Grand Inspector?!"

Others wanted to escape.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

Zhao Xing stood on the flying boat, retracting his fingertips. A figure fell from mid-air in front of him; it was a Nine Section Commander.

He followed one of the teams to a military camp. When the inspector announced the arrest, the Military Sima Nong confessed on the surface, but when he knelt down, he actually wanted to escape by hiding underground.

Whether it was because the previous operations went too smoothly or because the team members were slightly less capable, they were caught off guard and managed to escape.

However, he was immediately bounced out of the ground by the [Boundless Earth Palace], breaking his escape technique.

He was then killed by Zhao Xing using the Water Drop Art.

"Zhang Ze, the commander of the Fire Element Camp, refused to obey orders and has been executed. The Fire Element Camp will be temporarily taken over by Deputy Commander Huang Ming."

Zhao Xing's voice spread outwards.

They then rolled up the corpses and took them onto the flying boat.

Sweating profusely, the accompanying inspector bowed to Zhao Xing, saying, "This humble official has failed in his duty."

"It's alright," Zhao Xing said calmly. "The intelligence was wrong. His strength has improved. Let's return to the county town."

"Yes."

The operation began at nightfall and ended at dawn the following day.

A quarter past noon.

Zhao Xing sat in the first seat on the left in the hall of the Inspection Department, listening to an inspector report on the situation.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, all the teams returned by 5:00 AM, totaling 1423 people, without a single mistake. Among them, 57 resisted arrest and were executed on the spot."

"After joint interrogation by the War God Hall and the Inspection Department, the remaining 1,366 people all confessed."

Zhao Xing nodded slightly upon hearing this.

At this time, the intelligence provided by the military forces of the Great Zhou Military Realm was still quite reliable. Although there were some individuals whose strength and intelligence were slightly different, the difference was not significant. The evidence against them was irrefutable, and whether they admitted it or not, it was all the same.

Qiu Mingyi looked down and said, "Zhao Xing, these people have all confessed. How to deal with them is up to you. You can consider their past merits and give them a lenient sentence, after all, you are a member of the Divine Might Army."

Zhao Xing remained expressionless. This old man, as an assessor, was testing him again. This was clearly a large-scale crackdown. Not only was the Divine Might Army conducting self-examinations, but other armies were also taking similar actions. How could you say that he would be treated leniently?

He stood up and bowed to Qiu Mingyi: "Yes, thank you for the reminder, sir."

Zhao Xing received the review list from the person reporting below. The remaining 1,366 people had been divided into different levels and were placed in front of Zhao Xing.

Now, Zhao Xing can decide the life or death of these people immediately simply by checking the boxes on the list.

Zhao Xing picked up the list and pretended to browse through it in deep thought.

"According to intelligence gathered by the Military Realm, the remaining 1,366 people are all guilty of serious crimes punishable by death."

"In this extraordinary time, the law must be applied severely; serious crimes are punishable by death!"

Zhao Xing paused for a moment, and under Qiu Mingyi's surprised gaze, he closed the document directly.

Then he used the sign with the word "Zhan" to draw the word "Zhan" on the cover of the document.

"1366 people, all executed, immediately!"

There will be one more update, but it's very late, so don't stay up late.