Boping Marquis Yang An (Third Update)

Once the Execution Decree was signed, the document immediately underwent changes.

All the names turned crimson, then twisted and turned to ashes and vanished.

This is no ordinary document; it's Fate Disc!

By signing this decree, Zhao Xing effectively removed these entities from the Dynasty of Fate system.

"Ah, how did I drop to the Eighth Rank Realm?"

"Pfft~ My bone, my bone is broken!"

"My Silver Bone have been demoted to Iron Bone, and I've been stripped of my Official Rank!"

"Hahaha, so this is my own power."

"Is it true that if the flow of Qi and blood is obstructed, it will be returned to the court?"

The criminals being brought to the square immediately became agitated.

Some people have already found that their cultivation level has dropped, and even their martial arts techniques have deteriorated.

Some people even turned gray-haired and wrinkled at this moment.

Dynasty of Fate, this is Dynasty of Fate!

If Zhao Xing knew the Aura Observation Technique, he would see right now that a kind of qi had been drawn from the 1366 people in the square and was swirling and gathering in the air.

Since the imperial court can bestow blessings, it can also take them back. Whether it's realm or lifespan, once a person is completely removed from the Dynasty of Fate system, they will be reduced to their original state.

Generally speaking, this process will be even more tragic. Whether you are a martial artist or a sorcerer, if the court helps you lay the foundation and build the house for you, and removes a beam or pillar, or even removes half of the foundation, the final result will be far more than just returning to the original state.

Therefore, if someone commits a serious crime and reaches the point of being removed from the Dynasty of Fate system, it's basically no different from death, unless they are like Zhao Xing, who has cultivated himself up step by step and only needs the effects of Qi Yun and increased lifespan.

So even if they are stripped of their Official Rank in the future, it will not have a significant impact on their own strength, at least they will not suffer as much as the criminals in the square.

"I want to see the Marquis! I want to see the Marquis!"

"Why? I'm Seventh Grade military officer, why don't I even have a chance to atone for my sins?!"

"You want to kill me just because I embezzled a few tens of thousands of taels?"

"My Marquis, my Marquis, I refuse to accept this!"

Many people in the square, upon witnessing the large-scale regression of their cultivation levels and the turning of their black hair to white, immediately had a premonition and began to struggle frantically.

Inside the hall, Qiu Mingyi watched as Zhao Xing signed the Execution Decree without hesitation, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

The Inspection Department needs talent like this!

Executing all 1,366 people takes more than just a little courage; it requires immense courage.

Moreover, Zhao Xing was not a reckless man who would issue Execution Decree in a moment of anger.

Qiu Mingyi had set up several tests beforehand. He first asked how many people he wanted to deal with, implying that he had the right to conceal some of the numbers. He also said that since they were from the Divine Might Army, they could be treated leniently.

It can be said that Zhao Xing signed this Dao Command without having anyone to rely on.

All they could rely on was the law and the court's crackdown.

If Zhao Xing were a hothead or a spineless coward, lacking both courage and political acumen, he would have found it difficult to make this decision.

A strange light flickered in Qiu Mingyi's eyes. He stood up and gestured, saying, "Please, Grand Inspector, go and oversee the execution."

Holding the Grand Inspector, Zhao Xing was originally just a figurehead, but now Qiu Mingyi greatly admires him and even addresses Zhao Xing as Grand Inspector, which is enough to prove his appreciation for Zhao Xing.

"In that case, I will take the liberty of supervising the execution on behalf of Lord Qiu." Zhao Xing, holding the command arrow, rode the clouds to the top of the square.

If you're going to do something, do it thoroughly and do it beautifully.

How could such minor offenses possibly catch the eye of the Military Realm intelligence department?

Therefore, 30% of the people on the list are guilty of serious crimes, and 70% are guilty of capital offenses!

There is absolutely no problem with sentencing Zhao Xing to death.

Long Xiao was filled with sorrow, but he still appeared behind Zhao Xing. He dared not look down, for those were all familiar faces.

"Long Xiao? What are you doing here?"

"The Grand Inspector? Who is this person? He's not Qiu Mingyi!"

"I know, he looks like Zhao Xing."

"Zhao Xing? Isn't he the genius Agricultural Official of my Divine Might Army?"

"This... he took on the patrol assignment? Is he the one who wants us dead?"

"Long Xiao, you bastard, you betrayed your brother!"

"Long Xiao, please plead for your brother! Have you forgotten the days we fought side by side?"

Zhao Xing ignored him, his expression unchanged. Holding his command token, he shouted, "Silence!"

The command temporarily granted him the power of Ritual Cultivator, allowing his words to become law.

At this moment, he cast Silence Spell, and the square instantly became completely silent.

"As military officers, you should use force to Ceasefire and protect the country and its people."

"Yet they have now committed numerous atrocities, including arson, murder, looting, and plunder, deceiving the people and harming the country—their crimes are too numerous to recount!"

"Even if I had made contributions in the past, I also enjoyed the benefits of the imperial court."

Merit is merit, and crime is crime.

"Japan the Great Zhou Decree, I sentence you all to death!"

"Execute immediately!"

Zhao Xing General's Order the order slip downwards.

As the decree fell, the sky above the entire square seemed to collapse. The 'qi' that had been gathered in the sky above now fell down like a mountain.

As soon as the order is issued, these people will die instantly without pain.

But at that moment—

"Wait a minute!"

A deep voice came from afar, and Zhao Xing turned his head to look.

A figure clad in blue armor, imbued with the power of heaven and earth, swiftly descended upon the Inspection Department Square.

Below the Execution Decree, a giant Azure Dragon claw appeared, forcefully lifting it up again.

"Azure Dragon Claw! It's Boping Marquis!"

"Yang An, he really came."

Zhao Xing was quite disappointed.

If Yang An had protected even one person today, his impression of him would have been greatly diminished. If he had pardoned everyone, Zhao Xing would have had to discuss changing locations with Wei Yuan tomorrow.

"Greetings, Divine Might General."

The inspectors in the square and the people of the Divine Temple, including the soldiers who came with them, all bowed in respect.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing also cupped his hands in greeting.

Yang An was very young, with fair skin, red lips, a high nose bridge, and a very handsome appearance. If he hadn't been wearing a blue armor, military boots, carrying a large sword, and dressed in fine clothes, he would have looked like a refined gentleman and would never have guessed that he was the commander of an army.

At this time, everyone was referring to him as "Divine Might General" instead of Boping Marquis.

The former is the Official Rank, while the latter is Nobility Title. Generally, one is called "Marquis" in private, but in formal occasions, one must be called "Divine Might General".

Beside him was a middle-aged scholar with triangular eyes and a cunning and treacherous look on his face. He was probably Jia Pu, a well-known strategist of the Divine Might Army.

Zhao Xing was somewhat disappointed in Yang An, and even his bow was perfunctory.

After bowing, he silently lowered the cloud cover and returned to the corridor, standing with Old Chen.

Chen Shijie could easily guess Zhao Xing's thoughts, and immediately whispered, "Let's wait and see. The Marquis never disappoints."

Oh?

Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow and looked up at the sky again.

Once Yang An came out, Zhao Xing had no chance to speak; Qiu Mingyi was the one who spoke to him.

"Why is Divine Might General obstructing law enforcement?"

"The Inspection Department wants to execute 1366 of my brothers, how can Yang An not come?"

"Even if Lord Qiu insists on executing him, he should at least give him a chance to say his Last Words."

Yang An landed on the plaza, and the roar of the Azure Dragon resounded, instantly breaking the Silence Spell.

"My Marquis, my Marquis!"

"I'm innocent, Your Marquis!"

"My Marquis, Qiu Mingyi, that cruel official, harbors treacherous intentions and wants to kill us!"

The crowd in the square immediately burst into tears.

Zhao Xing? He wasn't important enough, and I didn't know him well, so his anger was clearly directed at Qiu Mingyi.

Qiu Mingyi stepped into the air and landed on the plaza, fearless, facing the might of the Azure Dragon head-on.

"Then let's hear what they have to say."

Yang An nodded. "Silence!"

The sound was instantly picked up in the square.

A strange light flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes. This was not some kind of Ritual Cultivator magic, but something that Yang An had accomplished with his words and personal prestige.

"Hong Tai, what grievance do you have?" Yang An asked Hong Tai, the highest-ranking military officer, first. "Tell me, and I will avenge you!"

Hong Tai looked up, his lips parted, but he couldn't utter a word.

Was he wronged? No, he wasn't wronged.

The crime is real, and the evidence is real.

How to tell?

"Can't say it?" Qiu Mingyi sneered. "Then I'll say it for you. Hong Tai, you were transferred to Tao County Registered Field Magistrate Jitian in the tenth year of the Jingxin Calendar. Given the situation of the Divine Might Army at that time, even the Boping Marquis was dismissed."

"You've been transferred from military to civil service, Official Seventh Rank, Lower Seventh Grade, which is only a drop in rank. Tao County is a fertile land; while the Favorable Weather may not be perfect, there are at least few natural disasters. As a Military Sima Nong transferred to a civil post, you won't need to fight or stand guard day and night, and your salary will even increase. Tell me, isn't this transfer unfair to you by the court?"

Hong Tai, his neck stiff, said, "That was because the Marquis took the blame for the brothers! The Marquis was forced to resign to protect the brothers in the army..."

"Okay!" Qiu Mingyi interrupted Hong Tai. "It's good that you know."

"How did you repay Boping Marquis in Tao County? Answer me!"

"My Marquis, I... I know I was wrong..." Hong Tai dared not raise his head.

"You admit your mistake?" Qiu Mingyi scoffed. "I doubt it."

"During your five years in Tao County, you raped fourteen women, driving five of them to their deaths. You bribed the other nine to keep them quiet."

"A year ago, Boping Marquis returned to the army and began to reorganize military affairs."

"Fearing exposure, you went so far as to murder the families of these fourteen women to silence them."

"You thought you had done everything perfectly, but little did you know that there are gods watching from above!"

"You were a righteous Changshui Commandant, how could you make one mistake after another and fall so low?"

"You say you're innocent? Is it you who's innocent, or the women you killed in your bestial rage, or the souls of the dead?!"

With each sentence Qiu Mingyi spoke, he took a step. In the end, his voice resounded throughout the sky, and all the criminals in the square could not raise their heads.

Qiu Mingyi surveyed the crowd in the square. "Anyone who feels wronged, speak out loud! If there is even one wrong judgment, I will immediately commit suicide to atone for my sins!"

Silence, a deathly silence.

As soon as Qiu Mingyi finished speaking, the command arrow above the square suddenly dropped another three points, and the Azure Dragon Claw seemed unable to support itself and was about to fall.

Hong Tai crawled on his knees to Yang An's feet.

"My Marquis, Hong Tai knows his crimes are unforgivable!"

"For the sake of my years of loyalty, please, my Marquis, spare my life and let me die on the battlefield!"

"Hong Tai will surely die on the battlefield!"

After saying that, Hong Tai fell heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, the others followed suit and kowtowed one after another.

"My Marquis, I, He Long, have only embezzled a few tens of thousands of taels of silver. How can I be deserving of death!"

"My Marquis, let us die on the battlefield!"

"My Marquis..."

Qiu Mingyi fell silent.

Because these people all confessed their crimes and did not refute them, what they asked for was for Yang An to use his special privileges to pardon them and let them die a different death.

Qiu Mingyi couldn't interfere with Yang An's actions because this was the privilege of the strong and Noble Families, a systemic problem left over from history. When the Grand Ancestor first conquered the world, the top-ranking experts could choose to go to the Eight Desolate Lands and establish themselves as kings. If their personal power was strong enough, why would they need to submit to the Great Zhou if they didn't have special privileges?

These privileged systems are hard to judge as good or bad, but they simply exist.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Xing also felt that this test was really difficult.

Faced with a former subordinate pleading for mercy, asking only for a different way to die, most people would probably have been moved and granted a pardon.

However, if Yang An pardons him, his evaluation will inevitably be lowered.

Of course, he would never try to persuade him at this point.

Everyone has their own choices, and Zhao Xing's choice was to be severely punished rather than go against the court's crackdown.

What choice will this Boping Marquis make?

After a moment of silence, Yang An spoke.

"Hong Tai, Qi Shan, and all my brothers."

"You have done a good job of Ceasefire with force, and I still believe you can do it now, but you have forgotten your heart to defend the country and protect the people."

"The law punishes crimes mercilessly, but I, Yang An, share some of the blame for the crimes you have committed."

"It is my fault, Yang An, for failing to govern properly, which has led to the tragic loss of 1366 brothers today!"

"I, Yang An, should be punished first!"

The sword behind Yang An suddenly came out of its sheath.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the golden sword suddenly slashed across his left shoulder and right leg.

"Pfft~"

The blade cleanly severed his left shoulder and right leg!

"Boping Marquis!" Qiu Mingyi exclaimed, his expression deeply moved.

"My Marquis!"

"Divine Might General!"

Exclamations of surprise echoed from all corners of the square!

Zhao Xing also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Yang An to be so ruthless, cutting off one of his arms and one of his legs.

Although there are treasures in this world that can regenerate severed limbs, it is not difficult for a Fourth Grade expert to obtain Bone-Connecting Ginseng.

But anyone who dares to do that is a ruthless person!

"My Marquis! My Marquis! We are willing to confess our crimes and die!"

"The Marquis treated us like brothers, and today he has severed our limbs; we deserve to die!"

"Marquis, please don't!" Hong Tai and the others rushed forward like madmen when they saw that Yang An was still going to stab them. Even though they were bound with ropes, they still tried to block him.

"Divine Might General!" Qiu Mingyi also spoke up to stop him, "You mustn't do that."

"My Marquis," the middle-aged Jia Pu stepped forward, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "Grant the brothers' request and see them off."

Yang An closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and then his golden sword flew out, instantly piercing through 1,366 people in the square.

"From this day forward, I, Yang An, am demoted to Bitter Soldier and forced into the Vanguard Camp to atone for the sins of my fallen brothers by killing barbarians!"

"Until the total number of people killed reaches 13,660! I urge all soldiers of the Divine Might Army to take my Yang An as a warning."

Having said that, Yang An used his Azure Dragon to sweep up the corpses of the dead soldiers and flew away from the Inspection Department.

"Losing a comrade, what a 'losing a comrade,' what a 'self- Bitter Soldier,' what a 'Yang An!'" Zhao Xing watched Yang An's departing figure, a glint of smirk in his eyes. "To achieve this, you deserve to be famous throughout the land!"

I don't know if you guys are satisfied with this chapter, but I think Yang An's character and his actions are believable in this era and context.

Finished at midnight, time for bed! To be continued tomorrow!