Guan Wenyen

Jiang Yun leaped into the air, raising his fist above his head. Lightning flashed, and he slammed his fist towards Yang Qian.

Yang Qian's expression changed drastically in fear, wanting to flee, but it was too late.

This punch landed on Yang Qian, and instantly, a massive amount of lightning power surged into his body.

With a deafening boom, the lightning power blasted Yang Qian into countless fragments.

Inside him, countless gu worms were hidden, but these worms were also scorched by the power of the lightning.

Just like that, Yang Qian, unable to retaliate, was directly blasted into countless fragments by Jiang Yun.

The other two evil individuals trembled, their hearts pounding with fear.

This person could actually summon the power of lightning to aid him?

As the two were still in shock, Jiang Yun, forcing himself, charged forward and threw two punches.

He struck them both on the forehead.

The lightning power instantly annihilated the two, turning them into dust.

In the blink of an eye, three evil individuals were killed by Jiang Yun.

Xu Suwen and Xu Xiaogang, the brother and sister, stared in stunned silence.

Frankly speaking, Xu Suwen knew Jiang Yun's strength would be considerable, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong.

This level of power far exceeded her estimations.

As for Xu Xiaogang, he felt immense envy, wondering when he would be able to display such brilliance in front of others.

Big brother-in-law is a master of showing off!

Jiang Yun, at this moment, was naturally unaware of the siblings' thoughts.

After killing the three, Jiang Yun could no longer hold on.

This body was simply too weak.

It couldn't withstand the immense power of the lightning at all.

"Cough." Jiang Yun coughed heavily, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't hold on any longer, his eyes rolled back, and he completely fainted.

"What do you think?" Xu Suwen stared at the unconscious Jiang Yun on the ground, her heart sinking. She then looked at Xu Xiaogang. "The Thunder Incantation he just used, I'm afraid it represents the strength of a Daoist Fifth-Rank Shouyi Realm."

She and her brother practiced the Martial Dao.

The cultivation systems of the Martial Path, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, while different, were broadly categorized by strength.

From entry-level Ninth Rank to First Rank.

Xu Suwen's heart leaped with joy. It seemed Jiang Yun could be of great help to her!

However, Xu Suwen also found it a bit strange. She had met Fifth-Rank Shouyi Realm Daoists before.

Most of those Daoists were solitary and eccentric, which was quite different from how Jiang Yun behaved.

The next day.

Inside the Prefectural Yamen, Qian Bochou stood respectfully before the Lord Vice-Prefect's desk.

The Lord Vice-Prefect's surname was Guan, and his given name was Wenyen.

He was the Third-Place Scholar of the eighth year of the Zhengde reign.

"Constable Qian, I heard you gave each of the seven constables' families over a hundred taels of silver?" Guan Wenyen frowned, his face showing displeasure.

Qian Bochou bowed and scraped, saying, "Yes, after all, those seven men died in the line of duty, and they died at the hands of Yao. It's only right to compensate them more."

Guan Wenyen said displeased, "Your actions make things difficult for me."

"If you give a hundred taels today, and seven more die tomorrow?"

"Will you also have to compensate each household with a hundred taels?"

"If all hundred constables in our Prefectural Yamen, from top to bottom, were to die, according to your standard, we'd have to compensate over ten thousand taels?"

"Is our Prefectural Yamen an almshouse?"

"Go and collect that money later, and strictly follow the compensation stipulated by the imperial court."

Upon hearing this, Qian Bochou felt discontent but still plastered a smile on his face and flattered, "Lord Vice-Prefect is right to criticize. This matter was my oversight."

"However, I've already told my constables that this money was given by Lord Vice-Prefect. If I take it back, they might misunderstand you."

Guan Wenyen was taken aback. He couldn't help but size up Qian Bochou before taking a deep breath. "Fine, since it's already been distributed, let this be the last time."

"Yes, yes, yes." Qian Bochou bowed his head.

"There's also another matter. Someone from Beihu County has come, claiming that people have been frequently disappearing recently. Take some men and go investigate."

Qian Bochou frowned and couldn't help but say, "Our Prefectural Yamen is already swamped. Why should we go there on official business?"

Guan Wenyen lowered his voice and said, "The county magistrate of Beihu County's concubine has also gone missing. He gave me three hundred taels of silver and asked me to do my utmost to rescue the concubine. If this matter is handled well, you'll also get a hundred taels."

Qian Bochou's eyes lit up, and he quickly thanked him, "Thank you, my lord."

"Furthermore, it's rumored that this matter might be related to Yao, so be extra careful."

"Huh?" Qian Bochou froze, staring at the other person. "Prefectural Magistrate, this matter of... monsters..."

"What are you afraid of?" Guan Wenyen shot Qian Bochou a look. "Didn't you already deal with the Yao hidden within the Prefectural Yamen? They're only coming to you because they value your abilities."

A hint of reluctance flickered across Qian Bochou's face. "Sir, I'm not confident about dealing with Yao."

"Am I? Should I go catch the Yao? You stay and hold down the fort at the Prefectural Yamen?"

"Old Qian, I've always thought highly of you. You're capable, responsible, and meticulous. Perhaps one day, my position as Prefectural Magistrate will be yours to take."

"This matter is settled!"

"We depart tomorrow."

As Qian Bochou walked out of the room, he deeply understood a principle: a higher rank crushes you.

The Prefectural Magistrate was truly greedy. How could he only offer three hundred taels for a matter involving Yao?

That scoundrel must have pocketed a fortune, only giving him a hundred taels of silver, like begging for scraps.

However, since it involved dealing with Yao, Qian Bochou pondered for a moment before heading towards Jiang Yun's house.

Jiang Yun had already woken up from his daze. He felt as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

His body was weak, and he could barely walk steadily.

Xu Suwen and Xu Xiaogang, the siblings, had left last night, telling Jiang Qiaoqiao to take good care of him.

If anything happened, they were to find them at the Nanmanju Inn.

Dragging his weakened body, Jiang Yun and Jiang Qiaoqiao were filling in holes and dismantling traps.

Jiang Qiaoqiao had also curiously asked Jiang Yun what had happened yesterday.

She had only heard the continuous thunder from inside and had been so scared she'd hidden under her covers, sleeping with her head buried.

Jiang Yun had smiled and told her that someone had come looking for trouble yesterday, but the trouble had been resolved, so she didn't need to worry.

As the siblings were busy, a voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard: "Brother Jiang."

Liu Xudong, dressed as a scholar, with a somewhat lecherous expression, walked in from outside the courtyard, his gaze occasionally lingering on Jiang Qiaoqiao.

Seeing the newcomer, Jiang Yun immediately frowned. This person seemed to be called Liu Xudong.

"Brother Jiang, why are you frowning when you see me?" Liu Xudong chuckled. "Are you not welcoming me?"

"I'm indeed not welcoming you," Jiang Yun said calmly.

"Brother Jiang, you jest. How could we brothers not know each other?" Liu Xudong coughed and continued, "Brother Jiang, have you forgotten?"

"You promised to give your sister to me as a concubine. I have the ten taels of silver you asked for ready."

Liu Xudong and Jiang Yun hadn't known each other for very long, but he had discovered that Jiang Yun was a man who cared about appearances, always paying for drinks and entertainment.

When he was out of money, he would even borrow from Peng San to spend on others, truly a first-class fool.

A few days ago, he heard that Jiang Yun had gotten into trouble with Peng San.

Fearing he might be implicated, he hadn't dared to contact Jiang Yun for several days.

Recently, he heard that Peng San had died, and Jiang Yun was also seen interacting closely with Constable Qian in the city.

This guy had found a powerful backer.

Thinking this, Liu Xudong's gaze turned lecherous as he looked at Jiang Qiaoqiao. This little girl, though her figure was still developing, had a cute and charming appearance.

Just as his mind was wandering, Jiang Yun's cold voice came from beside him.

"Where are those dog eyes of yours looking?"