Disposition

Wei Qing flicked the blood off his saber and sheathed it.

He announced coldly:

"Effective today, all residents of Fang Manor are confined and awaiting trial. No one is to leave the manor without imperial court orders." His gaze swept over the crowd, and several restless martial artists froze in place. "Those who defy this..."

"Lord Wei, have mercy!" The butler dropped to his knees. "We are merely servants of Fang Manor and truly unaware of Fang Xiang colluding with demons. I beg you to be lenient."

"My Lord."

Zhu Huan arrived with over a dozen constables, rushing into the courtyard.

"Constable Zhu," Wei Qing nodded slightly. "Deploy three shifts of constables to guard Fang Manor in rotation. If even one person leaves, you will be held accountable."

"Yes, my Lord."

Wei Qing had given him instructions before entering the city.

To avoid gossip, they still addressed each other by their official titles in front of others.

"My Lord, Lord Fang is kneeling at the entrance of Fang Manor, waiting for you."

Outside Fang Manor.

Fang Youting knelt on the ground, his back hunched.

Though not yet fifty, he looked like a frail, elderly man of seventy or eighty.

Upon learning that his highly favored eldest son had colluded with demons, his once ink-black hair was now like frost covering his head, scattering messily in the wind.

"Lord Fang, what is this?"

"My Lord, the ground is cold. Please get up first."

The surrounding commoners quickly gathered, some asking with concern, others pulling at his arm.

Fang Youting remained motionless on the ground, like an emotionless clay statue.

"What exactly happened?"

"I just saw people from the Heavenly Realm Division enter Fang Manor. Could it be related to them?"

"Hmph, does the Heavenly Realm Division think they can do as they please? Lord Fang has led us to reclaim wasteland, build bridges and roads, and punish corrupt merchants all these years... Everyone knows he's our Azure Sky, a good official who truly treats us commoners as people."

The crowd stirred. Several burly men rolled up their sleeves, their eyes blazing, ready to charge into Fang Manor.

They wanted to seek justice for this parent official who had poured his heart and soul into Qingcheng.

This is how common people are.

Whoever treats them well, they will repay tenfold.

Old Man Sun, the charcoal seller, shakily raised his cane. "My life was saved by His Lordship during the snow disaster ten years ago. Today..."

"Everyone, please do not act rashly. It is my fault as a father for failing to raise my son properly. This has nothing to do with the Heavenly Realm Division," Fang Youting quickly spoke out to stop them.

Just then.

The tightly shut gates of Fang Manor opened, and Wei Qing emerged with his men.

When he saw Fang Youting kneeling on the ground, his steps faltered. His gaze lingered for a long time on the glaring white hair.

"Lord Fang, why must you do this?" Wei Qing's voice was unusually gentle. "This matter, concerning you..."

"My Lord, it is all my fault, for failing to raise my son properly." Fang Youting heavily kowtowed. When he looked up, blood streamed down his forehead. "This subordinate is willing to accept punishment, but I beg you to speak well of the innocent people in the manor to the Imperial Court."

Great Zhou Law: Those who collude with demons shall have their nine generations exterminated.

The Fang clan members within Fang Manor all fell within the nine generations.

The servants in the manor, barring any surprises, would also be buried with the main family.

"Lord Fang, you also know..."

"I understand."

Seeing that Wei Qing did not explicitly refuse, Fang Youting did not press the issue and bent down to kowtow again.

"Esteemed Lord, do you know what exactly happened?" Old Man Sun stepped forward, leaning on his cane, his eyes fixed on Wei Qing.

"Will Lord Fang... be alright?"

"Fang Xiang of the Fang family colluded with demons and harmed the people of Qingcheng. The evidence is conclusive, and Fang Xiang has already been executed."

Wei Qing's voice was not loud, but it struck everyone's ears like thunder.

"What?"

The cane in Old Man Sun's hand clattered to the ground, and his withered body swayed.

A deathly silence fell over the area in front of Fang Manor. The gathered commoners collectively gasped.

"This... how is it possible?" Zhu Rou Rong's cleaver clattered to the ground.

The young master Fang, who always wore white and helped people in the market?

The young master Fang who gave out porridge at the City God Temple on the tenth of every month?

The gentle scholar who paid for Scholar Chen's medicine the day before yesterday, saying, "Study hard, and in the future, you will benefit the people."

Secretly, he was a human traitor colluding with demons!

Doesn't that mean, "Sir, is my son's disappearance related to Fang Xiang?"

Zhu Rou Rong suddenly began to tremble violently, his eyes bloodshot. He remembered his son's disappearance half a month ago, and Fang Xiang had accompanied him searching for a whole night.

Fang Xiang had also comforted him, saying his son would definitely be found.

His frantic state at the time, in Fang Xiang's eyes, was nothing more than a joke...

Zhu Huan stepped forward and placed the bundle in his hand on the ground, opening it gently.

"These items were found in Fang Xiang's room. See if any of you recognize them?"

Clatter!

As the bundle opened, hairpins, handkerchiefs, longevity locks, jade pendants, and other objects scattered across the ground.

Instantly, several people rushed out from the crowd.

"This is my daughter's hairpin."

"This is the jade pendant my son Xiao'er's grandfather gave him last year."

"My son..."

Zhu Rou Rong's eyes were blood red, the veins on his thick arms bulging, as he tightly gripped a bone-scraping knife, pure white all over.

"Beast, I'm going to skin you alive."

He suddenly pushed through the crowd, walked to the stall, grabbed the gleaming pig-slaughtering knife from the chopping block, and charged towards Fang Manor.

"Right, death is too good for that animal."

"Skin him."

"Tear out his tendons."

Several commoners who recognized the items could no longer suppress their inner rage. With red eyes and ragged breaths, they followed Zhu Rou Rong, rushing towards Fang Manor.

"Stop them."

Wei Qing roared, and several yamen runners rushed out from behind, blocking them firmly in front of Fang Manor.

Zhu Huan moved, reaching out and gripping Zhu Rou Rong's wrist.

"Brother Rong, you still have Hai'er and your wife. Don't do anything foolish."

Zhu Rou Rong felt his wrist go numb, his palm uncontrollably loosening. The knife, stained with pig's blood, flipped in the air and was steadily caught by Zhu Huan.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Zhu Rou Rong let out beast-like gasps from his throat, swung his right hand, and slapped himself hard on the face.

The right side of his cheek instantly turned red and swollen. With red eyes, he reluctantly took a step back.

The other commoners who were trying to storm Fang Manor were temporarily controlled by the yamen runners.

Wei Qing stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Fang Xiang colluded with demons. The Imperial Court will deliver its judgment. I have already ordered Fang Manor to be sealed temporarily."

"During this period, no one is allowed to act recklessly."

"Zhu Huan, take Lord Fang into custody temporarily!"

"Yes."

Zhu Huan waved his hand, and two yamen runners stepped forward.

Fang Youting trembled as he stood up. He cast one last glance at the open gate of Fang Manor, then turned and followed the yamen runners slowly towards the yamen.

The long street was silent.

The commoners automatically parted to make way.

Their gazes towards Fang Youting held anger, unwillingness, but more than anything, a sense of pity for this Qingcheng Azure Sky.