"Lo... Lord, could you untie us first?"
The young man in the brocade robe from earlier spoke timidly in a soft voice.
The murderous aura of this group had left too deep an impression on him. Coupled with their identity as members of the Heavenly Realm Division, he did not dare show the slightest disrespect.
"Zhu Huan."
"Yes."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Huan gave the constables beside him a meaningful look.
"Thank you, Lord."
The bound men were freed and hurriedly bowed toward Wei Qing and the others, expressing their gratitude.
Wei Qing looked at the injured constable before him and asked, "Zhu Huan, how many casualties did we suffer in this operation?"
Zhu Huan's tone was heavy. "Lord, six died in the line of duty, and eleven were injured."
Wei Qing immediately ordered, "Send men to escort the civilians back to the city."
"Bring the injured back as well. The government office will cover the cost and provide them with the best treatment possible. In addition, reward each of them with ten taels of silver."
"For the brothers who died in the line of duty, give each family three hundred taels as a settlement allowance. Also tell their families that if they encounter any difficulties in the future, they can come directly to the government office for help."
"Yes. On behalf of my men, I thank you, Lord." Zhu Huan cupped his fists and replied solemnly.
"Thank you, Lord."
The injured constables were overcome with excitement. In the past, there had never been any rewards for operations like this.
Ten taels of silver was equivalent to two and a half months of their salary.
And the three hundred taels in settlement allowance had increased the previous compensation standard sixfold in one stroke.
For a moment,
a surge of warmth welled up in everyone's hearts.
How they wished Wei Qing could remain in Qingcheng and serve as magistrate.
Such a generous superior—
they liked him far too much.
Next, Wei Qing warned them again, "Constable Zhu, you must personally handle this matter."
"The compensation and settlement allowances must be delivered to the recipients or their families without a single coin missing."
"If anyone dares to embezzle even a portion of it..."
"Do not seek permission. Kill without mercy!"
When the word "kill" landed, everyone was shaken by the invisible killing intent Wei Qing released.
They understood.
If some fool really dared to reach out his hand, Wei Qing would absolutely unleash a massacre!
"Yes, subordinate will certainly not disappoint you, Lord."
Zhu Huan nodded solemnly.
From that moment on, after being bound by countless Master-servant contracts, he finally acknowledged Wei Qing, his master, from the bottom of his heart.
"Thank you, Lord Wei."
Upon hearing this, the constables present had reddened eyes.
In the past, whenever something like this happened, after layer upon layer of exploitation, only a few scattered coins would remain by the time the money reached their hands.
Some had once mustered the courage to demand an explanation, only to be branded with the crime of "disrupting official duties" in the blink of an eye.
They could not even guarantee their families' safety.
Wei Qing's words were like a calming pill, leaving them without any worries.
The way Tantai Yue and the others looked at Wei Qing also changed subtly.
In the past, matters like this had always been handled by the government.
They had heard some rumors about the shady dealings involved, but the Heavenly Realm Division had no authority to interfere in local administrative affairs.
Now that Wei Qing was serving as acting magistrate, handling it this way was entirely justified.
No one could find fault with it.
"Qingzi, you're the man!"
Jun Wushang gave a thumbs-up and said admiringly. He had discovered that ever since Wei Qing had "risen from the dead," he had become more and more to his liking.
He acted decisively and handled affairs with seasoned composure.
He was no longer as indecisive as before.
Jun Wushang was delighted by Wei Qing's transformation.
"You sure talk a lot. What, does your arm not hurt anymore?"
From an angle where no one else could see, Wei Qing lightly poked Jun Wushang and quickly glanced at Zhang Xue.
"Ow... You really have a crow's beak. Now that you mention it, it does hurt a little."
After that heroic rescue, Jun Wushang's feelings toward the little pepper Zhang Xue had also changed subtly.
Seeing Wei Qing's obvious hint, the "pain" in his arm suddenly intensified, and he could not help crying out.
"Xue'er, go look after Wushang. After all, he was injured saving you."
Shen Yan gave Zhang Xue an order.
"All right." A flicker of delight flashed through Zhang Xue's eyes, but she hid it at once. Putting on an expression of "displeasure," she stepped forward. "Hmph, if Mother hadn't said so, I wouldn't be bothered to look after you."
"Thank you, Xue'er."
Jun Wushang gave a foolish grin and raised the arm hidden behind his back, giving Wei Qing a huge thumbs-up.
Wei Qing smiled calmly.
When Zhang Zhidong saw his precious daughter going to look after Jun Wushang, he glared at him unhappily.
The latter acted as though he had not seen it, baring his teeth and pretending to be in pain with a series of "ss—ah, ss—ah" noises.
Everyone set fire to the members of the Yan Family and Cheng Hao's corpse, burning them to ashes.
They then followed Wei Qing out of the City God Temple and began the journey back along the road they had taken there.
Whoosh...
After confirming that Wei Qing and the others had left, Zhou Kai appeared in the City God Temple.
"This boy has hidden himself even more deeply than his father."
"His battle strength just now was absolutely comparable to that of a fifth-rank martial artist. A Seventh-rank martial artist who has comprehended an ultimate meaning—forget the Heavenly Realm Division, there isn't a single person throughout the entire Great Zhou who can match him in talent."
When Tao Kun had appeared earlier, Zhou Kai had been preparing to lend a hand.
But he had noticed that there had not been the slightest trace of panic or fear on Wei Qing's face!
His curiosity was stirred at once.
He wanted to see why Wei Qing was so confident. Perhaps he would encounter an unexpected surprise!
Wei Qing's subsequent performance had been more than a surprise—it had been downright terrifying.
Who could have imagined that a Seventh-rank martial artist could actually comprehend an ultimate meaning?
And then, in the battle that followed, he had severed a fifth-rank martial artist's arm with a single strike, sending that fifth-rank martial artist fleeing in utter disarray.
If Zhou Kai had not witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it even if someone beat him to death.
"Wei Yuan, you have raised a fine son."
"Once this boy returns to the Heavenly Realm Division, that place is going to become lively."
"With this boy's strength now even greater than mine, there is no need for me to keep watch over him anymore."
"Right, this boy seems to be single. If he happens to encounter that one..."
His voice still lingered in the air, but his figure had already merged into the darkness and vanished without a trace.
The mass graveyard ten li outside Qingcheng.
Tao Kun emerged from behind a large tree and cautiously swept his gaze around. Seeing no one nearby, he quietly let out a breath.
Clutching his still-bleeding wound, he looked toward the City God Temple. "Damn brat, the next time we meet, I'll make you pay for this severed arm!"
If he had not acted cautiously today,
and carried the Teleportation Talisman on him, he might well have ended up buried in the City God Temple just like Cheng Hao.
At the thought of Cheng Hao, he was beset by another splitting headache.
As the personal disciple of the sect elder Chen Hai, he had been repeatedly warned before leaving the sect to protect Cheng Hao at all costs.
In an emergency, ensuring Cheng Hao's safety was to be his first priority.
In the end, he was alive, while Cheng Hao was dead.
If he returned to the sect like this, he would surely have to endure Chen Hai's thunderous fury and punishment.
Just as he was racking his brains for a solution, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind. "That's right! How could I have forgotten about this? Damn brat, let's see if you can survive this. Heh heh..."
As he spoke, his figure blurred and vanished into the night.