Wei Qing shook the blood droplets from his blade and sheathed it.
He announced coldly:
"From this day forth, everyone in Fang Manor is confined pending investigation. Without an order from the Imperial Court, no one is permitted to leave." His gaze swept over the crowd, and several martial artists who had been itching to act instantly froze in place. "Those who disobey..."
"Lord Wei, please show mercy." The steward dropped to his knees with a thump. "We're only servants of Fang Manor. We truly knew nothing about Fang Xiang colluding with demons. We beg you to be lenient."
"My lord."
Zhu Huan happened to charge into the courtyard with more than a dozen constables.
"Constable Zhu." Wei Qing gave a slight nod. "Dispatch three shifts of constables to guard Fang Manor in rotation. If even one person leaves, I will hold you responsible."
"Yes, my lord."
Before entering the city, Wei Qing had already instructed him.
To avoid suspicion, the two still addressed each other by their official titles in public.
"My lord, Lord Fang is kneeling outside Fang Manor, waiting for you."
Outside Fang Manor.
Fang Youting knelt on the ground, his back hunched.
He was not yet fifty, but at that moment, he seemed like a weathered old man in his seventies or eighties, with one foot in the grave.
After learning that the eldest son in whom he had placed such high hopes had colluded with demons, his originally ink-black hair now seemed covered in frost, disheveled and fluttering in the wind.
"Lord Fang, what are you doing?"
"My lord, the ground is cold. Please get up first, and then we'll talk."
The surrounding commoners quickly gathered around. Some asked him anxiously what was wrong, while others tugged at his arms.
Fang Youting seemed like an emotionless clay statue, kneeling motionless on the ground.
"What exactly happened?"
"I saw people from the Heavenly Realm Division enter Fang Manor just now. Could it have something to do with the Heavenly Realm Division?"
"Hmph, does being from the Heavenly Realm Division mean they can run roughshod over everyone? Lord Fang has led us in reclaiming wasteland, building bridges and roads, and punishing crooked merchants all these years... Who doesn't know he's our Azure Sky, a good official who sincerely treats us commoners like human beings?"
The crowd grew restless. Several burly men rolled up their sleeves, fire blazing in their eyes as they prepared to charge into Fang Manor.
They wanted to seek justice for this parent official who had devoted himself heart and soul to Qingcheng.
That was how commoners were.
Whoever treated them well, they would repay a hundredfold.
Old Man Sun, the charcoal seller, shakily raised his cane. "This old man's life was saved by my lord during the snow disaster ten years ago. Today..."
"Everyone, you mustn't act rashly. This is because Fang failed to teach his son properly; it has nothing to do with the Heavenly Realm Division."
Fang Youting hurriedly spoke up to stop them.
Just then.
The tightly shut gates of Fang Manor opened, and Wei Qing led his people out in single file.
When he saw Fang Youting kneeling on the ground, his footsteps halted. His gaze lingered for a long while on that painfully conspicuous head of white hair.
"Lord Fang, why put yourself through this?" Wei Qing's voice was unusually gentle as he continued, "This matter has nothing to do with you..."
"My lord, it was all Fang's fault for failing to teach his son." Fang Youting instead knocked his head heavily against the ground. When he raised it, blood ran down his forehead. "I am willing to accept punishment. But the innocent people in the manor... I beg you to put in a good word for them before the Imperial Court."
The Great Zhou Code stated that anyone who colluded with demons would have their entire clan executed.
The Fang clan members inside Fang Manor all fell within the nine degrees of kinship.
Unless something unexpected happened, the servants in the manor would also be buried alongside their master.
"Lord Fang, you know that..."
"Fang understands."
Seeing that Wei Qing had not explicitly refused, Fang Youting did not press the matter. He bent down and knocked his head against the ground again.
"My lord, I wonder what exactly happened?" Old Man Sun emerged leaning on his cane, his gaze fixed on Wei Qing.
"Will something happen to Lord Fang...?"
"Fang Xiang of the Fang family colluded with demons and harmed the people of Qingcheng. The evidence is conclusive. Fang Xiang has already been executed."
Wei Qing's voice was not loud, but it exploded beside everyone's ears like a thunderclap.
"What?"
The cane in Old Man Sun's hand clattered to the ground, and his withered body swayed.
An oppressive silence instantly descended before Fang Manor's gates. The watching commoners all sucked in a sharp breath.
"This... how could this be?" The knife in Zhu Rou Rong's hand clattered to the ground.
That Young Master Fang who always wore white robes and helped the commoners at the market?
That eldest young master of the Fang family who distributed porridge at the City God's Temple on the tenth of every month?
That refined gentleman who had paid Scholar Chen's medical expenses two days ago and said, "Study hard and benefit the common people in the future"?
He had secretly been a human traitor who colluded with demons!
"Then does that mean, my lord, that my son's disappearance was connected to Fang Xiang?"
Zhu Rou Rong suddenly began trembling violently, his eyes crawling with blood vessels. He remembered how his son had disappeared half a month ago, and how Fang Xiang had accompanied him in searching for the boy all night.
Fang Xiang had even comforted him, saying that his son would definitely be found.
At the time, he had been frantic with worry. In Fang Xiang's eyes, hadn't that desperation been nothing more than a joke...
Zhu Huan stepped forward and placed the bundle in his hands on the ground, then gently opened it.
"These things were found in Fang Xiang's room. Take a look and see if any of them belong to someone you know."
Clatter!
As the bundle opened, hairpins, handkerchiefs, longevity locks, jade pendants, and other items spilled across the ground.
Several people instantly rushed out of the crowd.
"This is my daughter's hairpin."
"This is the jade pendant Xiao'er received from his grandfather on his birthday last year."
"My son..."
Zhu Rou Rong's eyes turned scarlet. The veins on his thick arms bulged as he gripped a bone-cleaving knife that was white from tip to hilt.
"Beast! I'll skin him alive!"
He suddenly shoved through the crowd, reached his stall, snatched up the butcher's knife gleaming coldly on the chopping board, and charged toward Fang Manor.
"Exactly. Killing that beast would be letting him off too easily."
"Skin him!"
"Rip out his tendons!"
Several commoners who had recognized the objects could no longer suppress the fury in their hearts. Their eyes red and their breaths ragged, they followed Zhu Rou Rong and pounced toward Fang Manor.
"Stop them!"
Wei Qing shouted harshly. Several constables charged from behind and firmly blocked the way before Fang Manor.
Zhu Huan's figure blurred. He raised a hand and seized Zhu Rou Rong's wrist.
"Brother Rong, you still have Hai'er and sister-in-law. Don't do anything foolish."
Zhu Rou Rong felt a numbing pain shoot through his wrist. His palm loosened uncontrollably, and the knife spattered with pig's blood flipped through the air before Zhu Huan caught it securely.
"Hah... hah..."
A beast-like rasp came from Zhu Rou Rong's throat. He swung up his right hand and slapped himself hard across the face.
His right cheek instantly swelled red. Eyes bloodshot, he took an unwilling step back.
The other commoners still trying to storm Fang Manor were temporarily restrained by the constables.
Wei Qing stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Fang Xiang colluded with demons. The Imperial Court will issue its own judgment. I have already ordered Fang Manor temporarily sealed."
"During this period, no one is permitted to cause trouble."
"Zhu Huan, take Lord Fang into custody for now!"
"Yes."
Zhu Huan waved his hand, and two constables stepped forward.
Fang Youting rose shakily. He took one last look at Fang Manor, its gates thrown open, then turned and slowly followed the constables toward the county office.
The long street fell silent.
The commoners automatically made way.
Their gazes toward Fang Youting held anger and unwillingness, but more than anything else, they could not bear to see this Azure Sky of Qingcheng suffer.