Dongfang Rongrong watched the heads rolling endlessly from the execution platform and the wooden boards soaked through with blood. Her stomach churned violently.
She clenched the corner of her robe hard, wave after wave of sourness rising in her throat, yet she could not vomit a thing.
"Se... Senior Brother..." she trembled as she tugged Song Yuanming's sleeve, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Let's... go back..."
Song Yuanming looked at her paper-white face and sighed, shaking his head. "Jianghu is treacherous. There are scenes ten times bloodier than this."
He pointed at the upright figure in the center of the execution ground. "If you cannot even bear this much, you might as well return to the mountain sect early."
Though his own face had turned green as well.
But with demons and fiends running rampant now, this chaotic age allowed no weakness whatsoever.
In a private room of the restaurant across the street, Qin Yang tapped lightly against the window frame, his gaze fixed firmly on Wei Qing in the execution ground.
"Send word to the sect. Investigate this man's background thoroughly." His voice was dark. "I fear he may become the greatest variable in our plans."
"Senior Brother, what does our plan this time have to do with him? Could he really stick his hand into it?" Zhao Gao, standing beside him, frowned slightly.
"It is not yet clear whether the Imperial Court will intervene, but the disturbance in the Black House Wasteland definitely cannot escape the Night Owl Guard's notice. As Qingcheng's current Acting Magistrate, he may very well be involved."
"It is only prudent to guard against the unexpected. There is no harm in preparing beforehand."
Qin Yang shook his head slightly and explained patiently.
The details of last night's battle at the City God Temple had long since spread throughout Qingcheng through informants from every side.
Over the past few days, every force that had arrived had secretly become wary of that young Guardian Envoy.
There were certainly people with cultivation deeper than Wei Qing's, but behind him stood the Heavenly Realm Division and the entire Great Zhou Imperial Court.
No matter how arrogant Jizhou Prefecture's local sect forces were, no one dared openly make an enemy of the Imperial Court.
However—
There were always exceptions.
At the execution ground.
Members of the Fang Family were beheaded one after another.
Wei Qing sat upon the execution overseer's platform, silently watching it all.
Time trickled by.
As Fang Youting was beheaded amid the sighs of the common people, the matter of the Fang Family colluding with demons and fiends finally came to an end.
Fifty-nine headless corpses lay piled like a mountain, their gushing blood gathering into dark-red streams across the execution platform.
"My lord, the Fang Family numbered fifty-nine in total. All have been beheaded. Please instruct us further." The County Magistrate bowed as he reported the final result. Looking closely, his face was pale, and his legs were trembling faintly beyond his control.
Wei Qing nodded slightly and rose to look at the pile of corpses beside the execution platform.
"The Fang Family colluded with demons and fiends and betrayed the human race. In accordance with Great Zhou Law, they have all been beheaded as a warning to the public. Pass the order: all Fang Family corpses are to be buried in the mass graveyard east of the city. No one is permitted to offer them worship."
"Any who are discovered doing so shall be punished as accomplices."
"At the same time, I hope others will take warning from this."
"Any who collude with demons and fiends shall have their nine clans exterminated. There will be no mercy."
Though Wei Qing's words were not loud, combined with the mountain of corpses and sea of blood before them, they were more intimidating than any warning could have been.
Afterward.
The yamen runners who had long been waiting nearby began moving all the Fang Family corpses onto corpse carts and sending them to the mass graveyard outside the city.
Zhu Huan, who was directing the operation, saw Wei Qing pause repeatedly beside Fang Youting's corpse and that of the three-year-old child. He immediately understood Wei Qing's meaning.
He then instructed those transporting the bodies to bury the two separately and properly.
Elsewhere.
Wei Qing returned to the yamen, changed out of his official robes, and went back to the Inn.
The moment he saw Zhang Zhidong, he asked directly, "Brother Zhang, have you found out why so many sect forces have recently flooded into Qingcheng?"
The first time he had seen Song Yuanming that day, he had noticed that Qingcheng had gained many disciples from sect forces.
Thus, he had instructed Zhang Zhidong to keep a close watch on them and investigate why they were gathering in Qingcheng.
"According to reports from the Night Owl Guard, disciples from every sect have come because of the disturbance in the Black Mist Wasteland."
"Someone unknown spread word that an Exotic Treasure had appeared in the Black Mist Wasteland. After that, sects great and small throughout Jizhou Prefecture sent disciples to Qingcheng."
"At present, we have identified nine sect forces in total. Among them, the disciples of Blood Robe Gate, Liuyun Villa, Qingshan Sect, and Tianhai Gate are the strongest."
Blood Robe Gate?
Liuyun Villa?
Wei Qing looked puzzled. He had no impression of any of those four sects.
"They are merely second-rate forces." Zhang Zhidong understood and explained. "The strongest in their sects are only Fifth Rank. The true First-Rate Sects... have yet to show themselves."
"Perhaps when the rumored Exotic Treasure appears..."
Rumble...
The ground suddenly shook violently. Wei Qing and Zhang Zhidong exchanged a glance and rushed out of the Inn at the same time.
A crimson pillar of light tore through the heavens in the southeast. Sect disciples throughout Qingcheng leaped onto the rooftops one after another, staring excitedly at this heavenly phenomenon.
"The direction of the Black Mist Wasteland..." Zhang Zhidong drew in a sharp breath. "Could there truly be an Exotic Treasure?"
Wei Qing raised a brow and teased, "Brother Zhang, has your mouth been blessed? You were just speaking of rumors of an Exotic Treasure, and in the next instant, a heavenly phenomenon appeared."
Zhang Zhidong shook his head with a bitter smile. "If I truly possessed such divine powers, my first wish would be to wipe out all demons and fiends under heaven!"
His expression suddenly stiffened. "The appearance of an Exotic Treasure will surely spark conflict. Qingcheng's safety will depend on you, my lord."
After the battle at the City God Temple.
He knew full well this young Guardian Envoy's strength—he could slay Sixth Rank and repel Fifth Rank.
Wei Qing was absolutely the strongest person in Qingcheng at present in terms of martial strength.
"As Qingcheng's Acting Magistrate and the Heavenly Realm Division's Guardian Envoy, this is my duty." Wei Qing nodded slightly, then raised his head and spoke to the sky. "I am Qingcheng's Acting Magistrate. I know why you have all come to Qingcheng."
"But if anyone dares cause trouble within Qingcheng, do not blame this official's blade for showing no mercy!"
His proclamation was like rolling spring thunder, sweeping over all of Qingcheng. Everyone heard it with perfect clarity.
"That was Acting Magistrate Wei's voice. What did he mean by that?"
"Why care? With the Magistrate here, I would not be afraid even if demons and fiends came."
"That's right."
Wei Qing's extermination of demons in Dragon Cave Village, his investigation into the Fang Family's collusion with demons and fiends, and his thunderous methods in the battle at the City God Temple had long forged unmatched prestige in the hearts of Qingcheng's people.
"What profound internal power behind that transmission!"
Song Yuanming and sect disciples such as Liu Yang changed color at once, all looking toward Xingyun Tower.
They understood better than ordinary people that this Thousand Mile Sound Transmission required not only deep internal power, but also exquisite control over one's strength.
This was clearly a naked warning!
"Senior Brother..." Dongfang Rongrong tugged uneasily at her sleeve. "If we encounter this man while fighting for the treasure..."
Song Yuanming's knuckles whitened. They had indeed come for the Exotic Treasure, but if they clashed head-on with this Guardian Envoy who could slay Sixth Rank...
Yield?
Or seize it?
The disciples looked at one another, each seeing the same struggle in the others' eyes.
Before you continue