Judgment

"Shen Zhui commits violence in the street—seize him!" Yang Wu's face flushed red as he waved his arm and roared.

This Shen Zhui hadn't died, and now he dared to strike him in public.

"Careful, he's fast!" the Constable who had fallen warned. He'd raised his hand to block but couldn't stop it, taking a kick straight to the chest. Even now, his whole body felt weak and racked with pain.

"Shen Zhui, you're dead!" Several of the Constables were also from the Martial Arts Department. Two were even Seventh Stage Houtian, though they weren't familiar with Shen Zhui. Still, they didn't dare be careless, circling him from left and right.

By then, Shen Zhui had already rushed to his Adoptive Father Shen Shan's side and helped him up. Before he could speak, Shen Shan said, "Zhui'er, I'm fine. Watch out for them!"

The remaining four attacked at once, while Yang Wu drew his Iron Ruler, intent on using the chance to cut Shen Zhui down.

"Overestimating yourselves!" Shen Zhui swept his gaze over them and quickly gauged their strength. Though he hadn't drawn his own Iron Ruler, he didn't need it for these people.

In an instant, Shen Zhui spun around. With the boost of his Major Accomplishment Realm movement technique, his calf tore through the air like Lightning Bolt, sweeping toward the waist of the man charging in.

Shua~

His leg actually left seven afterimages in its wake. Shen Zhui was using his limbs as weapons, executing the moves of the Nine Layers of Iron Ruler.

"Damn it!" The Seventh Stage Houtian Constable hurriedly crossed his arms to block.

Crack, crack~

The sound of bones breaking rang out. The man felt as if a mountain had crashed down on him, stumbling backward involuntarily as his arms went numb.

With that single blow, his arms were broken, and he passed out from the pain.

"What?!" Yang Wu was stunned. He and Shen Zhui were both Eighth Stage of Acquired Realm, but he could never do that—kick a Seventh Stage Houtian into unconsciousness with one blow.

Thud, thud, thud!

Three more dull impacts sounded in quick succession. In the blink of an eye, everyone who had helped Yang Wu was on the ground.

Now that Shen Zhui had reached Major Accomplishment Realm in both movement technique and Ruler Technique, even a Ninth Stage Houtian Martial Artist was no match for him, let alone Yang Wu and his men.

Fast!

Too fast!

Their attacks came so quickly that the others couldn't react. With their movement techniques unable to keep up, charging at Shen Zhui was no different from standing still and letting him hit them.

"This is impossible!" Yang Wu was terrified.

Five men had followed him—two Seventh Stage Houtian and three Sixth Stage Houtian—and not one could withstand even a single exchange from Shen Zhui.

And Shen Zhui hadn't even used his weapon yet. If he charged in now, could he really win?

This Shen Zhui was the ruthless bastard who could cut down a Ninth Stage Houtian Martial Artist!

"Yang Wu!" Shen Zhui's eyes blazed as he fixed his gaze on him.

"Shen Zhui, don't do anything rash!" Yang Wu panicked, backing away repeatedly. "This is the county town. Committing violence in the street is a serious crime. Don't break the law you're supposed to uphold!"

"A fine 'law you're supposed to uphold'!" Shen Zhui ground his teeth, recalling the ambush from before. Nine times out of ten, Yang Wu had tipped them off, nearly getting him killed outside the city.

"And you dare talk to me about the law? You hurt my Adoptive Father—no one can save you today!"

"Your Adoptive Father? Him?" Yang Wu pretended not to know.

He raised his voice: "Don't twist things around. Your Adoptive Father fell on his own. I never touched him—"

Boom!

Shen Zhui moved like Lightning Bolt, landing a straightforward kick to Yang Wu's chest that bent him double in pain.

"Still trying to lie? Kneel!" Shen Zhui grabbed Yang Wu by the throat and delivered two more kicks to the backs of his knees.

Crack, crack~ A faint grinding of bones sounded. Yang Wu's legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees, facing the direction of Shen Zhui's Adoptive Father.

"I, I..." Yang Wu's throat was clamped, his breathing labored. He couldn't get a word out.

Shen Zhui's chest heaved violently. In his fury, he tightened his grip, on the verge of strangling Yang Wu to death.

"Shen Zhui, let him go!"

A furious shout came from a distance. A dozen men from the Martial Arts Department, led by a dark-faced, thick-browed old man, hurried over.

Shen Zhui glanced sideways. The man at the front was none other than He Tong, the Deputy Head of Department.

In his early years, He Tong had once broken through to the Xiantian Realm, but for reasons unknown, he had fallen back to Peak Houtian.

His strength was even more fearsome than an ordinary Peak Houtian's. He ranked among the top experts in the Martial Arts Department, truly the strongest below the Xiantian Realm.

"How dare you, Shen Zhui? Let him go!" He Tong bellowed. "The County Magistrate already knows of this. Don't bring ruin upon yourself!"

Shen Zhui's heart stirred. After a moment's hesitation, he snorted coldly and tossed Yang Wu aside.

"Arrest him!" He Tong waved his hand, relieved. A dozen men immediately surrounded Shen Zhui, pinning his shoulders, then bound his hands with an iron chain as thick as a wrist.

"Shen Zhui, sorry about this." The one restraining him was Zhao Hu, who spoke softly.

"No matter, Brother Hu. Please send someone to take my Adoptive Father to see a doctor first. He might be injured," Shen Zhui instructed.

When matters in the city reached the County Magistrate's ears, the entire sequence of events was already clear.

There was no need for interrogation. The verdict would be passed directly according to the law, and testimony would be filled in afterward, with records filed for reference.

For now, Shen Zhui was more worried about his Adoptive Father Shen Shan's injuries.

"Good, I'll arrange it." Zhao Hu nodded.

"Zhui'er, will you be alright?" Shen Shan also walked over anxiously.

"Adoptive Father, rest assured. Just focus on healing your injuries—I'll be back to see you soon." Shen Zhui smiled reassuringly. This matter had its reasons. He would certainly be punished, but the County Magistrate wouldn't go so far as to heavily penalize him for someone like Yang Wu.

"Bannerman He, I, I didn't do anything! This Shen Zhui injured me for no reason—this is a grave crime, a grave crime!!" Yang Wu, supported by others, could barely stand, yet still miserably tried to sling mud at Shen Zhui.

He Tong frowned, casting a disgusted glance at him.

"How this case is judged is for the County Magistrate to decide. You needn't worry about it. Take them all away!"

"Yes." The constables of the Martial Arts Department acknowledged in unison.

Shen Zhui glanced at Yang Wu, then drew a hand across his own throat, the threat unmistakable.

"Shen Zhui." Yang Wu's heart trembled as he lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze, roaring inwardly. "Shen Zhui, you actually came back alive, but you won't escape—you definitely won't escape!"

"Just wait. The master's household will avenge me. You're dead!"

County Office, Law Enforcement Hall.

Waiting for them were the stern-faced Steward Liu and Wang Long of the Martial Arts Department.

Steward Liu wasted no words and directly announced the verdict:

"Yang Wu of the Martial Arts Department, for oppressing the common people, engaging in armed brawls in the streets, and flouting the law—thirty strokes of the rod and six months' imprisonment!

"Accomplices Liu Er, Zhang Si, and Li Sang, for participating in the assault—twenty strokes of the rod and three months' imprisonment!

"Shen Zhui of the Martial Arts Department, for engaging in a private armed brawl, but given that his Adoptive Father was injured and there were extenuating circumstances—one month's imprisonment and ten strokes of the rod, as a warning to others!"

"What?!" Yang Wu heard the judgment and seethed with resentment. "Why is Shen Zhui's sentence so light?!"

After all, earlier his nephew Yang Cheng had beaten a servant to death and only received a one-year sentence.

It was clear that the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not particularly harsh. Especially toward martial artists, who were essentially a privileged class.

Six months' imprisonment and thirty strokes of the rod was already considered an extremely heavy punishment.

If it had ended there, so be it, but Shen Zhui only got one month!

"This subordinate accepts the punishment." Shen Zhui obediently submitted.

"This subordinate... accepts the punishment." With things as they were, Yang Wu and the others, no matter how unwilling, gritted their teeth and accepted.

In the county town, the County Magistrate was the ultimate authority. They dared not resist, nor even voice complaints.

Many of the constables nearby exchanged glances at the verdict, their expressions varied.

In such situations, whether the sentence was light or heavy depended entirely on the Magistrate's whim, but they hadn't expected Shen Zhui to get off so lightly.

Yet upon hearing that Yang Wu had bullied and injured Shen Zhui's Adoptive Father, they immediately felt Yang Wu had it coming.

Many knew of the bad blood between Yang Wu and Shen Zhui, but grudges shouldn't extend to family—especially using an Eighth Stage of Acquired Realm martial artist's status to bully a frail old man. That was utterly inhuman.

"Bring the rod!" Wang Long snorted and waved his hand.

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