Two Days Later, Execution!

[Host: Wei Qing]

[Age: 16]

[Realm: Seventh-rank martial artist (Intermediate)]

[Spirit: 487]

[Strength: 385]

[Physique: 391]

[Cultivation Art: Returning Origin Art (To be learned)]

[Martial Skills: Flowing Cloud Slash (Mastered) - Ultimate: Lotus Flower; Nanke's Dream (Minor Success); Ephemeral Art (To be learned)]

Feeling the surge of power within him, Wei Qing's lips curved into a smile.

Looking at the corpses littering the ground, the surviving members of the Fang family and their servants all had faces as pale as paper.

Their gazes towards Wei Qing now were like looking at a demon crawling out of hell, their bodies trembling uncontrollably from fear.

The runners standing to the side, however, had entirely different expressions.

Their faces were filled with an almost devout reverence.

It was the look of someone deeply impressed by a strong individual.

Wei Qing's eyes were cold as he looked at the remaining members of the Fang family, their servants, and guards, and said, "Is there anyone else who wants to test if my Heavenly Realm Division's blade is sharp?"

"Feel free to step forward."

His bone-chilling voice completely shattered the last shred of defiance in the hearts of the Fang family members.

"Detain them all and throw them in prison!"

"Yes."

All the runners pounced like hungry wolves.

At this moment, no one dared to resist any longer. They obediently put on shackles, lined up, and were escorted out of Fang Manor to be sent to prison.

The commotion of detaining the Fang family naturally alarmed the surrounding citizens.

"Serves them right! Colluding with demons, they deserve to die."

"Your Majesty is wise! I finally get to see you pay for my Xiao Cui's death. Cui'er, did you see this?"

"Alas, it's a pity about Lord Fang."

"I must keep a close eye on my children and keep them far away from demons."

In the crowd.

There were those cursing!

There were those throwing rotten eggs!

There were also those who lamented Fang Youting.

Even more were the common folk sternly warning their children, fearing they might end up with someone so foolish, so disgraceful.

By the roadside, on the second floor of Wangchun Tower.

A veiled woman looked at a three or four-year-old child in the crowd, feeling pity. "Why should the sins of the father be visited upon a child of a few years old?"

"He doesn't understand anything yet!"

"Holy crap!" The man standing beside the woman's face changed drastically, and he quickly covered her mouth. "Junior Sister, are you trying to die?"

"Are you thinking our sect has been living too comfortably lately and you want to spice things up for us?"

The man glanced down and met Wei Qing's cold eyes.

At that moment, time stood still.

He trembled violently, as if an invisible chill had pierced his heart.

It wasn't until Wei Qing looked away that the man realized with a start that his entire back was already drenched in cold sweat.

"Mmm... mmm..."

The masked woman struggled violently, glaring at the man with dissatisfaction.

"Junior Sister, you must understand that anyone who colludes with demons has the blood of our human compatriots on their hands. Tens of thousands of our people have died at the hands of these traitors."

"Their family's children are innocent, but were the victims not also innocent!"

"That's why the Great Zhou has enacted strict laws. Anyone who colludes with demons will have their nine generations of relatives punished."

"If what you just said were exploited by someone with ill intentions, do you know our entire sect could be wiped out!"

"Ah..."

The masked woman was so startled she froze on the spot.

She never imagined that a moment of compassion would nearly bring ruin to her sect.

"Senior Brother, I didn't mean to."

The man emphasized solemnly, "This is the first lesson your Senior Brother taught you about descending the mountain: disaster comes from the mouth!"

"From now on, whenever you speak, consider the occasion."

"Some things you can think about in your heart, but you absolutely cannot speak them lightly."

The masked woman softly said, "Okay, I'll remember."

Hearing this, the man also got a headache.

Ever since they descended the mountain, this Junior Sister had caused him no small amount of trouble.

If not for his decent strength, and the fact that the Qingshan Sect still had some reputation in Jizhou Prefecture.

They would have been in trouble long ago.

But as the Master's beloved Junior Sister, he couldn't just ignore her.

As the two were talking, the Fang family members were all escorted to prison.

The common folk who followed them crowded the entrance of the yamen, waiting.

Not long after.

A runner emerged from the yamen and posted a notice on the public bulletin board.

He then loudly and briefly announced the content: "Fang Xiang colluded with demons. His Majesty has decreed that he will be executed at the execution grounds east of the city at noon, two days from now!"

After speaking, he turned and went back into the yamen.

Two other runners stood guard at the bulletin board.

The waiting common folk heard that the verdict was real and clapped their hands in approval.

The news of the Fang family's imprisonment and their impending execution in two days spread through every street and alley of Qingcheng like it had grown wings, reaching its destination in less than half a day.

This news.

Became a topic of conversation for the common folk during their leisure time.

"Punishing the nine generations of relatives, the laws of our Great Zhou are still so harsh,"

Inside a roadside inn, a patron with a sword strapped to his back couldn't help but sigh.

"Hmph, I think it's good. For traitors to our people, there should be no leniency. The more scum like this are killed, the better. That way, who would dare collude with demons?"

"Mm, that makes sense."

"Come, let's drink. Since we're in Qingcheng, let's not rush our journey. Two days from now, let's go watch together."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Cheers!"

At the same time.

Zhu Huan was leading more than ten runners, turning the Fang Manor inside out. Finally, all the valuables were transported 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, this confiscation of the Fang family's assets includes thirty-one famous paintings and calligraphy, title deeds for six shops, various pearls and agates, a hundred bolts of fine Yunzhou cloth, thirty thousand taels of silver, and two thousand gold ingots."

"The total value is three hundred fifty-four thousand six hundred."

Three hundred fifty thousand taels.

Wei Qing took a deep breath, "Ten years as a clean prefect, one hundred thousand taels of snow silver."

"Fang Youting was a good official, but not a qualified patriarch."

In the Great Zhou, a common family's annual expenses would be at most twenty to thirty taels of silver.

A single Fang family had over three hundred thousand taels.

From this, one could see how much the Fang family had extorted from the people.

"Sell all the properties, title deeds, famous paintings and calligraphy, and deposit the proceeds into the county yamen's treasury. Together with the autumn taxes, escort it to the Imperial City in one month."

"Yes."

The County Lieutenant took his orders and withdrew.

Inside the yamen's inner chambers.

After a simple lunch, Wei Qing entered a state of cultivation.

"System, learn Ephemeral Art"

[Command accepted!]

The system's voice had barely faded when the cultivation route and a wealth of practice experience flooded into his mind.

A moment later.

After Wei Qing absorbed it, the status of the Ephemeral Art leaped from 'to be learned' to 'Minor Accomplishment'.

With a slight shift of his thoughts, his figure moved as if teleporting, instantly appearing thirty feet away.

"This speed, it's more than three times faster than before. High-grade Profound Tier techniques, as expected, are extraordinary."