In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
During that time, Chen Feng was arranged to recuperate at the yamen.
Zhang Xue, meanwhile, diligently took Tantai Yue around Qingcheng. Naturally, Cai Yang and the others could not escape the fate of becoming attendants burdened with carrying bags.
After just one day, Cai Yang and the others went from the excitement of heading out to, "We don't like shopping. We love closed-door cultivation."
Today.
Was the day the Fang Family would be executed.
While Wei Qing was cultivating, someone knocked on his door. "Knock, knock."
"What is it?"
"My lord, noon is almost here. The Fang Family's execution requires you to oversee it," the County Magistrate's voice came through the door.
"Alright, I understand."
"This subordinate takes his leave."
After saying that, the County Magistrate's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
His cultivation had come to a temporary halt. Wei Qing slowly rose, and as he stretched, his bones crackled softly.
"Comfortable."
After being tempered by the Bone Tempering Pill, every bone in his body was now as crystalline and translucent as jade, faintly radiating a warm, gentle glow.
An unprecedented sense of lightness welled up within him, as though he had been reborn.
With a thought, his status panel appeared:
Host: Wei Qing Age: 16 Realm: Sixth-Rank Martial Artist (Intermediate) Spirit: 971 Strength: 1030 Physique: 999 Cultivation Arts: Returning Origin Art (Minor Success); Great Freedom Visualization Art (Minor Success) Martial Skills: Flowing Cloud Slash (Perfected) - Profound Meaning: Lotus; Ephemeral Art (Perfected) - Profound Meaning: Divine Movement; Nanke's Dream (Minor Success)
The Bone Tempering Pill had not only tempered his bones and raised his martial potential.
It had also sharply increased all his attributes by more than a hundred points, nearly equivalent to killing two Sixth-Rank Primary martial artists.
Wei Qing rose and changed into the official robes the County Magistrate had prepared for him.
Looking at himself in the mirror, clad in official robes, he did seem to possess a bit more of an air of authority.
"Quite imposing. Unfortunately, I was never born to be some official lord. The peak of martial arts is what I seek in this life!"
Qingcheng was especially lively today.
Because today was the day the Fang Family would be executed.
The sight of countless yamen runners escorting prison carts toward the execution grounds immediately drew the attention, curses, rotten eggs, and spoiled vegetable leaves of the citizens along the way.
Only the prison cart holding Fang Youting caused the citizens to turn their heads wherever it passed.
For this parental official who had devoted himself wholeheartedly to the people, all of them wore expressions of reluctance and sorrow.
"This new Magistrate is truly not simple."
On the second floor of Wangchun Tower, Song Yuanming stood with his junior sister in their usual old spot.
Dongfang Rongrong, who had been busy shopping these past few days, asked curiously, "Senior Brother, why do you say that?"
"First came the demons of Dragon Cave Village, then the Fang Family, followed by the Yan Family. This new Magistrate has acted again and again, yet remains safe and sound even now. That alone proves he must possess formidable martial strength to protect himself."
Dongfang Rongrong looked at Wei Qing, who rode at the very front, her face filled with surprise. "Wasn't there news that the Heavenly Realm Division of Jizhou had sent people to provide support?"
"Chen Feng was injured, yet he was completely unharmed."
"More importantly, Tantai Yue and the others faintly formed a formation with him at its center."
"Without great strength and methods, it would be very difficult to win over someone ranked fourth on the Heavenly Pride Ranking."
"The Heavenly Realm Division has produced another peerless monster!"
"In the near future, if he does not fall midway, he will surely shock all of Great Zhou, perhaps even the Eastern Region!"
Dongfang Rongrong covered her little mouth, her face full of disbelief.
The strongest person in the Qingshan Sect was only a Sixth-Rank martial artist.
As the most talented person in the sect, she had already reached Eighth-Rank Advanced, but breaking through to Seventh Rank without two or three years was impossible.
Yet a mere Guardian Envoy from the Heavenly Realm Division, someone who had only come for training, possessed strength comparable to their sect master.
The Heavenly Realm Division's foundation truly was far beyond what Jianghu sects like theirs could compare to.
The execution grounds east of the city.
Once Wei Qing took his seat on the execution platform, the County Magistrate and Zhu Huan stood behind him, one step away, flanking him on either side as they awaited instructions.
The prison carts carrying the Fang Family slowly stopped at the edge of the execution grounds.
There were ten prison carts. Fang Youting's only son occupied one alone, while the remaining Fang Family members and servants were crammed into the other nine.
"Bring the prisoners down from the carts."
Wei Qing raised a hand and immediately gave the order.
Upon hearing this, the yamen runners waiting beside the carts opened them and dragged the prisoners out.
Aside from Fang Youting, some of those dragged from the carts had tears and snot smeared all over their faces, while others looked numb and lifeless.
Several others refused to get out no matter what. Only after the yamen runners gave them a vicious beating were they forcibly dragged down.
Glancing at the Fang Family's only remaining descendant, Fang Youting knew it was nearly impossible, but he still knelt toward Wei Qing. "Lord Wei, Fang knows the Fang Family's sins run deep and has no objections to the court's judgment. But this sole descendant of my Fang Family is only three years old. Could my lord perhaps help secure him a place in exile?"
"The Fang Family will certainly..."
"Lord Fang." Wei Qing interrupted him. "Please forgive this official for being powerless to help."
"Once the imperial decree has been issued, this official must act in accordance with it. I hope Lord Fang understands."
"If you must blame someone, blame Fang Xiang for betraying humanity and colluding with demons."
"Blame him for being born into the Fang Family."
Seeing this, Fang Youting sighed, then resigned himself to fate and closed his eyes.
"Noon has arrived. Execute them!"
Wei Qing tossed out the execution token in his hand and gave the order.
The yamen runners immediately dragged Fang Changshan, who had resisted the most fiercely earlier, onto the platform.
The already prepared executioner took a mouthful of wine and sprayed it directly over the gleaming blade. Then, he brought it down with a single stroke.
Swish...
The long blade fell, and head parted from body.
The bloody scene immediately drew cries of alarm from the citizens and turned the faces of the detained Fang Family members deathly pale.
"My son!"
Fang Youren cried out in grief and fury. Even now, he could not believe that the enormous Fang Family would one day end in the extermination of its entire household.
Fang Changshan was dead.
Fang Youren tried to struggle, only for the executioner to smash the flat of his blade into his jaw. His head snapped back, and he fell to the ground, unable to move.
"Execute another."
Wei Qing's gaze remained cold as he gave the next order.
The executioner raised his blade and brought it down. Fang Youren's head immediately rolled away.
"No! I don't want to die!"
"We are merely servants of the Fang Family. Why should we be buried alongside that bastard?"
"Fang Xiang was the one who colluded with demons, so why kill us? I refuse to accept this..."
Faced with the wailing of the Fang Family members and servants.
The executioner acted as though he saw nothing.
He continuously swung the execution blade in his hand.
The long blade fell, and heads rolled one after another.
Blood dyed the entire execution platform red.
Whenever someone was beheaded, yamen runners collected the corpse while dragging the next person awaiting execution onto the platform.
The thick stench of blood made the surrounding citizens uncomfortable, yet not a single person left.
"Lord Wei truly has a heart ruthless enough."
Song Yuanming watched Fang Family members being beheaded one after another. Even he felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Yet Wei Qing's expression had not changed from beginning to end. The coldness in his eyes made a trace of fear rise from the depths of Song Yuanming's heart.
Dongfang Rongrong beside him had long since turned deathly pale.
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