Knocking Them Down

"You may notify the Assistant County Magistrate to temporarily take over the position of County Magistrate and handle the yamen's affairs."

"As for what happens next, await the Imperial Court's decree."

"Yes."

After giving his instructions, Wei Qing mounted his horse and rode along the bluestone path towards the inn.

The sun was setting as he arrived in front of the inn.

"Safe travels, honored guest. Please mind the steps."

At the inn's entrance, the waiter, A Fu, supported a patron reeking of alcohol, reminding him gently.

"You brat, are you looking down on this old man... hic" The patron suddenly hiccuped, his cloudy eyes narrowing at A Fu.

"Even if you brought me another jar... I could still finish it..."

"Honored guest, would you like me to call a carriage for you?"

The patron raised his hand to refuse. "No need... I'm only a few steps from home."

"Then please, take care."

"I'm going now, no need to see me off."

The patron waved his hand and staggered into the alley opposite.

The waiter returned to the counter. "Shopkeeper..."

Zhang Zhidong raised his hand, interrupting A Fu, and walked towards the entrance. "My Lord."

Wei Qing's expression was icy, devoid of his usual warmth.

"Take me to the secret room."

"Yes."

Zhang Zhidong's heart trembled. For some reason, he sensed a strange chill emanating from Wei Qing.

The moment the hidden door opened, the bronze lamp lit up without any wind.

Wei Qing suddenly turned, his tone stern. "Brother Zhang, are you looking to have tea at the Inspection Division?"

"What are you talking about?"

Hearing this, Zhang Zhidong looked utterly bewildered.

"The Night Snack Guard reported to the Imperial City that the demon's strength was early Eighth Rank, correct?"

Zhang Zhidong quickly recalled the intelligence in his mind and nodded slightly. "That's correct!"

Wei Qing looked up. "Then why was the true strength of the demon I encountered in Longdong Village mid-Eighth Rank?"

"That's not all, but why did the intelligence fail to mention the early Sixth Rank demon?"

"Even more so, it failed to mention that Magistrate Fang's eldest son, Fang Xiang, colluded with demons."

"As the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Realm Division, how could the Night Snack Guard be completely unaware of this intelligence?"

BOOM!

Zhang Zhidong froze as if struck by lightning.

An bone-chilling coldness shot up his spine from the base of his tailbone to the crown of his head. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead down his nose.

When the words "Sixth Rank demon, Fang Xiang colluded with demons" struck his eardrums, his knees instinctively went weak.

It felt as if he were already kneeling before the grim interrogation chambers of the Heavenly Realm Division.

Zhang Zhidong's Adam's apple bobbed several times before he managed to squeeze out a broken voice. "My... My Lord, please see reason. The Night Snack Guard would never dare..."

"Two days." Wei Qing suddenly interrupted, leaning forward slightly. "I want the list of everyone else in Qingcheng who colluded with demons."

"Otherwise, I won't mind replacing the entire Night Snack Guard in Qingcheng."

"As the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Realm Division, the Night Snack Guard should not have made so many mistakes. Brother Zhang, it's time to wake up."

"Fortunately, a mysterious expert passed by this time and dealt with that Sixth Rank demon."

"Next time, can your head remain safely on your neck? It's uncertain."

"Lord Wei, your reprimand is deserved."

Zhang Zhidong nodded obediently, understanding in his heart.

Wei Qing was definitely not bluffing. Although the Night Snack Guard was an intelligence department and didn't directly participate in slaying demons, if their intelligence was flawed and caused significant losses to the Heavenly Realm Division, then...

Not only could he lose his head, but his entire clan could be exterminated.

"That's all I have to say. Brother Zhang, it's good that you understand." Wei Qing didn't intend to waste any more time on this matter.

"My Lord, I will remember this favor. In the future, if there's anything you need me for, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Zhang Zhidong bowed solemnly to Wei Qing.

"Later, I will report truthfully to Fang Xiang about the matters at hand. Whether you can seize the opportunity for atonement depends on you."

After Wei Qing finished speaking, he got up and returned to his room.

Exiting the secret chamber, Zhang Zhidong suddenly felt like he had narrowly escaped death.

He immediately ordered all the Night Snack Guards to conduct a thorough search and investigation of Qingcheng.

Inside the room.

Wei Qing took out several sheets of white paper and spread them out before him.

He ground the ink.

He picked up his brush.

Although he had only been in Qingcheng for two days, he had encountered many things.

First, there was a mid-stage Eighth Rank demon, then an early Sixth Rank demon, the appearance of a mysterious expert, Fang Xiang's collusion with demons, and the mysterious Sixth Rank black-robed martial artist. Numerous pieces of information were jumbled together.

This made the unease in Wei Qing's heart grow stronger.

He couldn't avoid reporting these matters.

After all.

There were people from the Inspection Division lurking in the shadows.

Of course, he chose to conceal some things.

He did not mention Zhu Huan's betrayal in his heart.

When fighting the Four-tailed Spirit Stream Demonic Cat, the people from the Inspection Division had not shown themselves.

An Eighth Rank fighting a Sixth Rank.

This had already far exceeded the scope of the assessment.

There must be a reason he didn't know.

This also gave Wei Qing the best excuse to conceal Zhu Huan's information.

It took him fifteen minutes.

He finally finished writing everything he needed to.

Qi energy surged out, drying the ink completely. He folded the letter, placed it in the bamboo tube he carried, and turned to go downstairs to the backyard.

A Fu was already waiting there. Seeing Wei Qing approach, he stepped forward and handed a night owl to him. "My lord, this is what Steward Zhang asked me to prepare."

"Mm."

He securely tied the bamboo tube to the night owl's leg. The light clinking of the metal buckle was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard.

The moment he opened his right hand, the night owl let out a long cry. Its feathers fluttered without wind, and its wings suddenly spread, turning into a black shadow that pierced the night sky and flew rapidly towards the Imperial City.

After returning to his room.

Wei Qing took out a Marrow Cleansing Pill from his system space and swallowed it in one gulp.

The moment the pill slid down his throat, it suddenly transformed into thousands of ice needles.

The ice needles, carrying lightning, surged along the Ren and Du meridians into his Dantian.

The ice needles converged in his Dantian to form a small vortex. Then, as they flowed into the extraordinary meridians, their temperature suddenly rose, turning as hot as lava.

The two extreme forces raged within him like wild horses that had broken free of their reins.

The hot current, carrying the ice needles, caused fine black impurities to seep from his skin wherever it passed.

As time went on, the impurities gradually formed scabs, and a foul odor followed.

"Oh..."

"This is too stinky."

Wei Qing flickered and appeared by the pond in the backyard, jumping directly in.

Water splashed three feet high. Ink-black sewage gushed from his collar, dyeing the entire pond black.

The fish that had been playing in the pond the moment before were now floating belly-up on the surface, motionless.

The sound of him falling into the water instantly attracted A Fu.

Upon seeing that it was Wei Qing in the pond, he quickly stepped forward to check on him.

"My lord..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw the reaction of the fish in the pond and the color of the water. Recalling the records of Marrow and Blood Cleansing in the Heavenly Realm Division, his eyes lit up. "Congratulations, Lord Wei, on completing your Marrow and Blood Cleansing."