[Host: Wei Qing] [Age: 16] [Realm: Seventh-rank martial artist (Intermediate)] [Spirit: 487] [Strength: 385] [Physique: 391] [Cultivation Method: Returning Origin Art (Awaiting Study)] [Martial Skills: Flowing Cloud Slash (Perfected) - Ultimate Skill: Lotus Flower; Nanke's Dream (Minor Mastery); Ephemeral Art (Awaiting Study)]
Feeling the power surging through his body, a smile tugged at the corner of Wei Qing's mouth.
Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, the surviving members of the Fang Lineage and their servants all wore faces pale as paper.
When they looked at Wei Qing again, it was as though they were staring at a demon crawling out of hell, their bodies trembling uncontrollably with fear.
The constables standing to one side, however, looked entirely different.
Their faces brimmed with near-reverent awe.
It was the look of people utterly humbled before a mighty expert.
Wei Qing's gaze was icy as he looked at the remaining members of the Fang Lineage, the servants, and the guards. He said, "Who else wants to test whether the blades of my Heavenly Realm Division are sharp?"
"By all means, step forward."
That bone-chilling voice completely shattered the final thread of resistance in the hearts of the Fang Lineage's people.
"Take them all into custody and lock them in the cells!"
"Yes, sir."
All the constables pounced like starving wolves.
Now, not a single person dared resist. They obediently put on shackles, lined up, and were escorted out of Fang Manor and taken to the jail.
The uproar caused by the Fang Lineage's arrest naturally alarmed the surrounding commoners.
"Serves you right! You colluded with demons—death is too good for you."
"His Majesty is wise! We finally lived to see you pay with your lives for my little Cui. Cui'er, did you see that?"
"Ah, it's just a shame about Lord Fang."
"I'll definitely keep a close eye on my children and make sure they stay far away from demons."
Within the crowd.
There were people shouting curses!
There were people throwing rotten eggs!
There were also people mourning Fang Youting!
More than anything, though, some commoners were giving their own children stern warnings.
They were terrified their children might encounter some wretch who would drag ruin upon his father and ancestors.
On the second floor of Wangchun Tower beside the road.
A veiled woman gazed at a three- or four-year-old child in the crowd, pity welling in her heart. "Why should a few-year-old child be implicated in an adult's crimes?"
"He doesn't understand anything yet!"
"Fuck!" The man's expression beside the woman changed drastically. He hurriedly covered her mouth. "Junior Sister, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Have you decided our sect has been living too comfortably lately and want to find it a new way to survive?"
The man turned his head toward the street below, just in time to meet Wei Qing's icy eyes.
At that moment, time froze.
His entire body jolted, as though an invisible chill had pierced straight through his heart.
Only after Wei Qing withdrew his gaze did the man realize that his entire back was already drenched in cold sweat.
"Mmph... mmph..."
The veiled woman struggled fiercely, glaring at the man with eyes full of displeasure.
"Junior Sister, you must understand that anyone who colludes with demons has the blood of human compatriots on his hands. Tens of thousands of our fellow humans have died at the hands of these traitors."
"Their family's children may be innocent, but were the victims any less innocent?"
"That is why Great Zhou established such harsh laws: anyone who colludes with demons will have their entire nine clans exterminated."
"If someone with ulterior motives exploited what you just said, do you know that our entire sect could be wiped out?"
"Ah..."
The veiled woman stood there, stunned with fright.
She had never imagined that a moment of compassion could nearly bring the calamity of sect annihilation upon her sect.
"Senior Brother, I didn't mean to."
The man emphasized solemnly, "This is your first lesson after Senior Brother brought you down the mountain: disaster comes from the mouth!"
"From now on, whenever you speak, pay attention to the situation."
"There are things you may think about in your heart, but you absolutely mustn't say them carelessly."
The veiled woman said softly, "Mm, I'll remember."
Hearing this, the man was struck by another bout of frustration.
Ever since they had descended the mountain, this Junior Sister had brought him no end of trouble.
If not for his decent strength, along with the Qingshan Sect's reputation in Jizhou Prefecture, they would have run into disaster long ago.
But as the master's precious darling, he couldn't simply refuse to look after her.
While the two were speaking, the members of the Fang Lineage had already all been thrown into jail.
The commoners who had followed them crowded around the yamen gate. They were waiting.
Before long.
A constable walked out of the yamen and pasted a notice on the bulletin board.
Then he briefly announced its contents in a loud voice: "Fang Xiang colluded with demons. By order of the Imperial Court, he will be executed at noon two days from now at the eastern execution grounds!"
After saying that, he turned and went back into the yamen.
Two other constables stood guard by the bulletin board.
Hearing that the sentence had truly been handed down, the waiting commoners all clapped and cheered.
The news that the Fang family had been imprisoned and would be executed two days later spread like wildfire. In less than half a day, it had traveled through every street and alley of Qingcheng.
This news.
It also became a favorite topic of conversation over tea and after meals.
"Exterminating nine clans—the laws of Great Zhou are still as harsh as ever."
Inside an inn, a diner with a saber on his back couldn't help sighing.
"Hmph, I think it's just right. There shouldn't be the slightest mercy for those traitors to humanity. The more of these scum we kill, the better. That way, let's see who still dares defect to the demons."
"Mm, that's exactly right."
"Come, drink. Since we're already in Qingcheng, there's no need to hurry on our journey. Two days from now, let's go watch it together."
"That's just what I was thinking. Cheers!"
At the same time.
Zhu Huan led more than a dozen constables in turning Fang Manor inside out. In the end, they bundled up all the valuables and transported them back to the yamen.
In the main hall.
Wei Qing sat in the County Magistrate's seat while the County Lieutenant held a ledger and reported:
"My lord, during this confiscation of the Fang family's assets, we found thirty-one famous calligraphy and paintings, the deeds to six shops, a quantity of pearls and agates, one hundred bolts of fine Yunzhou cloth, thirty thousand taels of silver, and two thousand taels of gold."
"The total value is three hundred and fifty-four thousand six hundred."
Three hundred and fifty thousand taels.
Wei Qing drew a deep breath. "A clean magistrate could save ten thousand snowflake silver taels in ten years."
"Fang Youting was a good official, but he wasn't a qualified head of the family."
In Great Zhou, an ordinary family would spend at most twenty or thirty taels of silver in a year.
Yet the Fang family had more than three hundred thousand taels of silver.
It was clear just how much wealth the Fang family had wrung from the people.
"Sell all the property deeds, famous calligraphy and paintings, and the rest. Put the proceeds into the county yamen's treasury, then send them to the Imperial City together with the autumn tax a month from now."
"Yes, sir."
The County Lieutenant accepted the order and withdrew.
The inner hall of the yamen.
After eating a simple lunch, Wei Qing entered a state of cultivation.
"System, learn the Ephemeral Art."
[Command accepted!]
As soon as the system's voice faded, the circulation pathways of the cultivation method and a vast amount of cultivation experience poured into his mind.
A moment later.
After Wei Qing finished absorbing it, the Ephemeral Art's status leaped from Awaiting Study to Minor Mastery.
With a slight movement of his mind, his figure appeared three zhang away in an instant, as though he had teleported.
"This speed is more than three times faster than before. A High-grade Profound Tier Cultivation Method truly is extraordinary."