The Hour Had Come

"Still trying to argue!"

The Imperial Physician couldn't get anything out of Xiangxiang and was also scolded by the Prefect. Feeling bad, he was about to draw his sword against the weak.

He strode out of the teahouse, walked to the instruments of torture in the front hall, grabbed a court rod, and resolved to beat the female prisoner to death to vent his anger.

"Useless trash!"

The left and right guards of the Prefect's Mansion, the chief of the ceremonial guard, the County Assistant, and the music director stood aside, not daring to speak up and stop them. Although these officials dressed as beasts all had real power, the Grand Master of Ceremonies was the prefect's favorite—if the Grand Master of Ceremonies wanted to beat this criminal woman to death, it would be the prefect's will. They couldn't interfere in this matter.

"The Superintendent has arrived!" shouted the constable in charge outside the door.

Li Kunhai raised his hand, signaling the Grand Master to show mercy. "Lord Feng is here, stop!"

But how can a swung stick retain its power?

With a single blow from the Imperial Physician, Xiangxiang blood-soaked trousers suffered another new wound. She screamed hoarsely, her breath growing weaker and weaker, and it seemed she was about to die.

When the Prefect of Taiye Prefecture entered, he led Zhao Jianxiong and Wu Xiuwen across the one-foot-high threshold to pay their respects to Li Kunhai, and then recounted the whole story of Zhang Congfeng.

Seeing Xiangxiang's pitiful state, Jianxiong finally understood—

His elder brother was indeed dead, right there in this cold, blood-soaked city.

Li Kunhai grew increasingly angry and furious as he listened to his subordinate's report. He glanced at Wu Xiuwen more than once—the prefect still cared about the friendship and interests of Zhuzhou, but how could this kid be so clueless?

Where did this Zhang Congfeng come from?

What exactly is Black Wind Ridge?

Is Kunwu currently in his master's hands? Or has he been captured by a foreigner?

"Wu Xiuwen! Come up here!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Kunhai ordered the guards on either side to escort Brother Xiuwen forward and force him to kneel down.

Xiuwen refused to kneel and retorted, "You dare ask me to kneel? I came with an imperial edict!"

Li Kunhai was originally a local tyrant. With the backing of the Lingguang Buddha, he didn't take the emperor seriously. If the Lingguang Buddha had the ability to help him, and Taiye swallowed up the land of Nanliang, he would be the ruler of Taiye.

"Ha! How could Wu Cheng Zhang have raised such a son? He even dares to forge an imperial edict!"

As he said this, the prefect leisurely poured himself a drink, stroking his beard with a sinister expression.

"If you don't repent, you won't even be able to save your own life, and your entire Wu family will be executed along with nine generations of your clan."

Hearing Li Kunhai say this, Wu Xiuwen became even braver and more determined to remain stubborn.

--If you become afraid at this moment, you are handing the butcher's knife to the enemy.

To falsely convey an imperial edict is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family! Most of the officials of Taiye Prefecture were standing in the hall. If this charge were proven, Wu Xiuwen would not live a minute.

"Bullshit! You and that Kunwu sorcerer are in cahoots! You don't respect the emperor at all! Whose entire family should be executed?!"

"The officials outside the gate are the Provincial Governor, the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Music Commissioner, and the Chief of the Imperial Kitchen."

"The priests' office, the county magistrate's registrar, the morning keeper, the patrol inspector, and the postmaster."

"A hundred or so local officials, and the villagers from the border region were all present and heard it clearly!"

"I, Wu Xiuwen, hereby present the imperial decree, recommending Zhang Congfeng and his disciple Zhao Jianxiong to travel to the capital to meet His Majesty!"

"It bears the signature of Hongfa Temple and the imperial seal of the Emperor!"

"Li Kunhai! Do you even want your head anymore?!"

Upon hearing this, the guards on both sides involuntarily released their grip and stopped forcing Wu Xiuwen to kneel.

Li Kunhai's face grew increasingly grim. Looking at the bustling group of officials outside the door, he saw them all harboring their own secrets and whispering amongst themselves.

In this power structure, anyone can be a wolf, and anyone can be meat.

If a weakness is exposed, the Emperor will use his moral sword against it.

"Wu Xiuwen, let's talk about your Imperial Physician Zhang Congfeng— "

Li Kunhai took a different route.

"--Even if he is the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor and Imperial Physician of the Great Xia Imperial Hospital."

"But the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. He committed murder and kidnapped Kunwu in Zhuzhou City. His Majesty cannot protect such a ruthless bandit."

"Bullshit!" Xiangxiang, barely clinging to life, shouted, "That damned bastard! He tried to harm my husband! He took advantage of us, a couple who were helpless and alone! I don't know what kind of evil magic he used! He made my husband terminally ill!"

"He colluded with the pharmacist at Xiangxiang's Shop, demanding that I go to the restaurant to find him, threatening my husband's life and forcing me to submit to him!"

"Not only do I have to give in to him! I also want to have sex in front of my husband!"

Xiangxiang dropped all pretenses and told everyone what was going on.

He said that perhaps by doing this, Jianying could absorb some of the [divine energy] --

"--Hahahaha! Aura of immortality?!"

"You corrupt official! Don't you have a heart?! Are you blind?! Have you taken some kind of elixir of immortality?! Have you been poisoned to the point of losing your mind?! Who exactly is the ruthless bandit?!"

"Zhang Congfeng came to save me, but he was no match for this evil Daoist! My husband risked his life to save me, and only then did Lord Zhang Congfeng have a chance to defeat this evil Daoist!"

"Pooh!"

Xiangxiang spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, which landed in front of the tea room door of the meeting hall.

"You don't dare sit in the position of authority to interrogate me! Are you afraid of me?!"

"Are you feeling guilty?! You corrupt official!"

"Give me back my husband's life! Give me back my husband's life!"

Xiangxiang may have really died, but Jianying promised her that she would come back to life as a wife and mother.

She had caused the deaths of those two brothers in Zhuzhou, and she had always felt a lingering fear in her heart. This fear wasn't limited to that time; she had lived in fear and shackles since childhood—how could she possibly have the right to talk about love?

When Jianying talked about the future, about her children and family, she felt that this brute was both pitiful and laughable.

Leaving aside Southeast Asia, even in Xiabang, or the entire Shambhala —no woman would dare to confidently say that she brought about a marriage because of love.

Having crossed Black Wind Ridge and survived life-or-death ordeals, she was killed by Jianying with a knife, threatened by Jianxiong, teased by Wu Xiuwen, and used as a tool by Zhang Congfeng. She didn't care or hold grudges—she knew she was in the right and had no right to complain.

But she still couldn't bear to let go, because she had tasted love, even if only for a fleeting moment. There was only a sliver of hope, just a tiny glimmer.

"Sister-in-law." Zhao Jianxiong was still somewhat dazed; he didn't know what had happened between Xiangxiang and Brother Jianying.

--But when this prostitute cried out for Jianying, the deep love and hate she felt were undeniable.

She was nearly dead; her face was deathly pale, her eyes were sunken and bulging, her body was covered in blood, her femur seemed to be cracked, her lower body was covered in dark red scabs, and her ten fingers were crooked and twisted, making her look like a human.

"What are you waiting for?! What are you waiting for?! Zhao Jianxiong!"

"What are you waiting for?! These corrupt officials harmed your elder brother! They're going to harm you too!"

"You can cry out to heaven and earth, but no one will answer!"

Xiangxiang roared--

"--Aren't you going to take revenge? Don't you have the strength to take revenge?!"

Jianxiong was indeed incompetent. In addition to fifty or sixty civil officials, there were also border army officers in the prefectural office. There were at least three hundred people serving the prefect. If you include the retainers and other talented people, as well as the patrol soldiers guarding the area around the prefectural office, the armed forces around the Prefect's Mansion numbered over a thousand.

Should Zhao Jianxiong resort to violence? He didn't have the strength. At this moment, he was empty-handed. The magic weapon his master left him was still in his luggage. Even if he had it in his hand, he couldn't leave the city with his senior brother and sister-in-law. Even if his master broke out of the city empty-handed, he would be injured.

Li Kunhai sneered, "Heh, I can't touch you."

Wu Xiuwen tensed up.

"Can't we even touch this criminal?" The prefect pointed to the door. "Since there are new witnesses, guards!"

Wu Xiuwen asked even more nervously, "What are you doing?!"

Li Kunhai: "Drag the criminal Xiangxiang out and behead her!"

Wu Xiuwen hurriedly ran out of the tea room, but was grabbed tightly by the military officers on both sides. No matter how powerful his spiritual energy was, he could not break through the shackles of his physical body—he didn't even have a chance to transform, and he didn't even have enough primordial essence to obtain the power to change his fate.

As Zhao Jianxiong watched his sister-in-law being taken away, he wanted to follow and try to save her, but he immediately felt a burning pain in his palm!

Two burly men came forward with knives in their ranks. One was a newly appointed officer of the Loyal and Brave School, and the other was a promoted officer of the Loyal and Tranquil School. Their faces were full of fierce flesh and they were indeed two brave and valiant men.

The two men outnumbered Zhao Jianxiong. One grabbed Zhao Jianxiong by the shoulders, while the other used a knife to try and sever Jianxiong tendons. However, Jianxiong dodged in time and only felt a cut on his palm—blood splattered everywhere. He could no longer pursue and pressure him, or he would be killed!

"Oh! He likes to watch it! Let him watch it!" Li Kunhai laughed.

The two captains immediately changed their stance, using brute force to force Zhao Jianxiong out of the courtyard.

After passing the pavilions and towers of the Prefect's Mansion and stepping out of the main gate, Jianxiong finally saw a Human Hell under the old crooked tree in front of the gate.

Before Xiangxiang could even be put on the guillotine, there were still twelve neighbors from Xiangxiang's Shop ahead of her in line.

The prefectural magistrate, in charge of criminal cases, carried the indictment documents and called out names one by one.

"--Prisoner Zhao Dalong, knowing the truth but failing to report it, illegally disobeying orders, beheaded!"

Then I saw a five or six-year-old child. His father had just been beheaded, cut in two, and his body was still writhing on the ground. His mother was tied to a tree, and a pair of scalding hot tongs was stuffed into her genitals. She would be tortured after her husband and son were both beheaded.

The screams of agony filled Xiangxiang's ears, driving her to the brink of madness.

These were all the elders and fellow villagers from Xiangxiang's Shop who had helped her with her marriage. Li Kunhai also treated them as informants in the case and had them all kidnapped and killed.

"Hiding criminals and failing to report them—execution by guillotine!"

Water was sprinkled on the two stone platforms, and new, unjustly killed ghosts were stuffed under the two guillotines, then pressed down with all their might.

--This is followed by screams and cries of pain, wailing for their parents, and they might crawl a few feet before dying completely.

The prefectural magistrate sneered, "Xiangxiang, you criminal! You falsely accused Kunwu! You colluded with the wanted fugitive Zhang Congfeng! You deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

"Fellow villagers of Xiangxiang's Shop, elders, keep a close eye on this shameless whore!"

"If you remember anything! If you know anything! Tell us the whereabouts of Kunwu, and the person who provides the clues will be spared the death penalty!"

A commotion broke out in the execution procession. The people, who had been despondent, did not resist but instead began to hurl insults at Xiangxiang.

"You'll die a horrible death!" roared the bricklayer who was helping renovate the new house. "You'll die a horrible death, you wretched woman!"

The uncle who had recently arranged a marriage between Zhao Jianying and his child cursed, "It's all your fault! How could I have gotten to this?! How could I have gotten to this!"

"My lord! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I really don't know anything... Ugh!! Ahhhhhh!"

Another life was lost. More than fifty corpses lay sprawled by the roadside, young and old, all killed with a single blow. Women suffered an even more tragic fate, first being tied to trees and tortured by officials, watching their loved ones die before finally being executed.

This applies not only to Taiye, not only to the Southeast, but also to the Xiabang joint liability system when it comes to major cases.

--This method of investigation is not some kind of inhumane or cruel, because in the eyes of the officials, the common people who are executed are not human beings, but meat dogs and beasts, so there is no question of humanity.

When Xiangxiang saw that the villagers who had once taken good care of her family were suffering and being insulted and blamed, she immediately burst into tears.

"Shedding tears only after seeing the coffin?" The prefectural magistrate sneered, "Too late!"

Xiangxiang pleaded tearfully, "Please, behead me! Behead me! You can chop me to pieces, just don't kill them!"

When Zhao Jianxiong came out, he saw this Human Hell for the first time.

He had only been to the city twice in his life, once to Zhuzhou and once to Taiye.

In Zhao Family Zhao Family Village Taiguang County, there were local thugs who stole chickens and dogs and raped women, but they were only punished by having their hands or feet chopped off or their heads cut off. He had never seen such a scene of people lining up to be beheaded.

He almost vomited and nearly fainted from fright.

Then, an old man repairing furniture, who was in front of Xiangxiang, was dragged to the side of the guillotine by Government Soldiers covered in blood.

"I'll kill you!" Zhao Jianxiong finally woke up and tried to resist, raising his fist to strike Zhong Yongxiao's face beside him.

But it was no use; he still had no power to change his fate. Even when his spirit and spirit threads escaped, they were forced back into his body by the soldier's vigorous blood energy.

"I'll kill you all! I'll kill you all! I'll kill your whole family! You're worse than animals!" Jianxiong lost his mind and almost became a demon, but even becoming a demon didn't help. Willpower cannot change the body and cannot bring more strength.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see any of this; fear took over his mind.

On the other side, Zhongjingxiao came and pried open his eyelids, urging him to look carefully.

His eyes were forced open by the thick fingers and widened.

The fierce winds of the night made his head ache, unable to break free from the chains of fate.

--Until the wind stopped for a while.

A dark cloud fell from the sky.

Immediately following was the cutting of the parachute cords, and the dark shadows moving swiftly forward.

The torches outside the courtyard dimmed, their flames threatening to go out at any moment, as the biting cold wind blew past.

The two butchers carrying the guillotine were shirtless; their once glistening, blood-stained arms were now covered in a layer of frost.

"Who goes there?!" The messenger, a Blood-giving Monster, immediately sensed a surge of true energy as his eyes turned red. He reached for his weapon.

The shadowy figure split in two, transforming into two brilliant golden orbs that, beneath the flickering torch, unleashed a fierce and dazzling display of flames and thunder.

When a gunshot rings out, someone will die.

Zhongyong's mouth was still stiff, revealing his yellowish-black teeth, and a cluster of pink flowers had already burst from the top of his head.

Zhongjing was still holding Jianxiong back, blood gushing from his temples from left to right. Before his body could collapse, his soul had already vanished.

Then, the executioner frantically tried to dodge, but as soon as he took a step, a gunshot rang out, and he was reduced to two limp, red, soft, and mangled pieces of flesh.

The deputy soldier felt the gunsmith's spiritual pressure, his two legs trembled and his mind collapsed. His abdomen swelled up instantly, and blood butterflies sprouted from his navel. Before the demon could reveal its true form, it was hit by a scalding bullet, which cracked its skull and killed it on the spot!

The soldiers escorting the prisoner jeered and cursed, drawing their swords and retreating. Only after two captains died did they realize—this was a magical artifact of an immortal.

In that instant, morale collapsed.

The prefectural magistrate shouted sternly, "You audacious scoundrel! How dare you rob me!"

Before he finished speaking, the torch, which was about to go out, was rekindled.

The firelight illuminated the Butterfly Armor, and a "deity" descended from the sky and took a knife from the corpse.

The captain's comrades and fellow soldiers from the barracks were about to come to avenge him. Upon seeing Fan Tie's weapons, they seemed to gain courage and charged forward using their battle formation sword techniques.

In the blink of an eye, clumps of flesh and severed limbs rolled in all directions, and a crimson mist rose up in the dust. In the time it takes to breathe, the two figures, like black dragons, worked together flawlessly, like two grappling hooks, tearing the army formation to pieces. There was not a single living person left on the long street.

When the immortals stormed to the prefectural magistrate's feet, they placed the official in charge of criminal justice on the guillotine.

--Before the brothers in the surrounding barracks could even beg for mercy!

It started almost from the toes! Xue Ming and Xiao Qi worked together to pull and chop the executioner into a human meat platter, piece by piece!

One person chopped the intestines while the other fed them. The colorful intestines were exposed. The couple waited a while, until the bandit leader was in enough pain, his heart was dead, he was numb, and his cries had weakened before they chopped him up!

Instead of retreating, Xiao Qi charged forward, charging through the horde of soldiers.

The men outside the Prefect's Mansion were terrified and fled towards the street corner.

"Trying to escape?"

Bai Ziqing, her eyes bloodshot with rage, grabbed the weapons scattered by the deserters and threw them out. Each throw was met with a scream. With nothing left to throw, she used the base of the wall to leap onto the roof tiles, then swiftly and low across the courtyard walls, breaking off tiles and stones to throw. Hitting one group wasn't enough; she chased after a group of fifty or sixty men, determined to capture all these beasts and kill them!

Jiang Xueming lifted his helmet and placed a bottle of Universal Elixir on the execution platform.

"--Sword Jianxiong."

Xiangxiang fainted and collapsed by the roadside. Xue Ming took the poor woman to Jianxiong's side.

Zhao Jianxiong recognized his master, and tears streamed down his face without him even realizing it.

He was filled with fear, anger, hatred, and shock.

Jiang Xueming pointed at the guillotine.

"Every time your master's wife brings one back, you behead him. Don't worry about how many cuts you make; as long as he doesn't cry out in pain, make another cut to remind him that he's still alive and should endure the pain a little longer."

"I'll heal your sister-in-law, then I'll go to the mansion to kill someone and reason with the prefect."

Xue Ming left Jingguang behind, along with two magazines.

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm late."

The helmet fell off, revealing two blood-red eyes shining from the titanium-plated steel stamp.

"But it's not too late yet."