Colluding with Demons and Evil Spirits Shall Never Be Forgiven

Lin'an City was far livelier today than it had been in the past.

Because today was the day the Zhao Family would be beheaded.

The Zhao Family.

It could be considered one of Lin'an City's prominent and influential clans.

During Zhao Fang's twenty years in office, the Zhao Family had gained no small amount of benefit, and its influence had expanded at an astonishing pace.

In the eyes of Lin'an City's common folk.

The Zhao Family was heaven itself.

But things were different now.

The Zhao Family had been raided and exterminated, its former grandeur gone forever.

When the people saw numerous bailiffs escorting members of the Zhao Family toward the execution ground in prison carts, countless eyes immediately turned to watch.

Among the crowd.

There were also some martial artists who silently observed everything.

"That newly appointed county magistrate is no simple man!"

Cui Cheng suddenly let out a sigh.

Zhao Yue, standing beside him, wore a puzzled look on her pretty face. "Why do you say that, Senior Brother?"

"The commotion last night was no small matter. Today, the yamen carried out several bodies, so quite a few people must have died. If I'm not mistaken, the ones who attacked the yamen last night should have been experts from the Eternal Life Alliance.

"Zhao Fang belonged to the Eternal Life Alliance. Now that the Zhao Family is being raided and exterminated, the Eternal Life Alliance would not possibly do nothing.

"If the Eternal Life Alliance had truly succeeded yesterday, there would absolutely not be any Zhao Family members facing beheading today."

Cui Cheng's expression was calm as he watched the prison carts carrying the Zhao Family members.

"A demon or evil spirit capable of wiping out an entire village was likely at the middle or late stage of the Meridian Unblocking Realm. Yet even such a creature perished at that man's hands. The Eternal Life Alliance has demons and evil spirits standing behind it, but the ones controlling it now are demon-men.

"They are not fools. Since a demon or evil spirit comparable to the middle or late stage of the Meridian Unblocking Realm was lost, the experts they sent this time would be at least at the late stage of the Meridian Unblocking Realm, perhaps even at the Innate Realm.

"Even so, they still failed to break out the prisoners.

"This Lord County Magistrate's strength is far from as simple as it appears."

From these scattered details.

Cui Cheng could infer even more.

If he himself were one of the Eternal Life Alliance's demon-men, then after learning of Shen Changqing's strength, he would certainly not send weaklings to their deaths.

With that in mind.

Shen Changqing's strength was easy enough to imagine.

Zhao Yue looked at Shen Changqing, who rode at the very front, her eyes filled with shock.

"You mean, Senior Brother, that Lord Shen might be an Innate Realm expert?"

"Even if he is not Innate, he cannot be far from it. I had thought that the Demon Suppression Bureau was tied down by demons and evil spirits across the land and could not possibly dispatch too many experts to a small place like Lin'an City.

"Now it seems I was wrong.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau's foundations are beyond comparison with those of martial sects."

Cui Cheng's face was filled with emotion.

The strongest expert in the Origin-Returning Sword Sect, where he belonged, was merely at the Innate Realm.

Though he was already at the late stage of the Meridian Unblocking Realm, breaking through to Innate would certainly take no short amount of time.

Moreover, it also involved a matter of opportunity.

In the martial world.

There were quite a few Meridian Unblocking Realm martial artists when counted together, but once one reached the Innate level, their numbers plummeted sharply.

Any Innate Realm expert possessed considerable status in the martial world.

Thus, after realizing Shen Changqing might be an Innate Realm expert, Cui Cheng's inner vigilance rose several levels.

At those words.

Zhao Yue nodded in understanding. As she looked at Shen Changqing's back, her gaze seemed to have changed somewhat as well.

The eastern district, execution ground.

A sunshade had already been erected at the front of the execution ground. Shen Changqing sat beneath it, while Shi Qingsheng waited at his side.

The prison carts escorting the Zhao Family had stopped beside the execution ground.

There were over twenty prison carts, each crammed with six or seven people.

There was no helping it.

The yamen had only so many prison carts, so they could only squeeze everyone together.

"Bring them down!"

Shen Changqing waved a hand and issued the order.

At the command.

The bailiffs before the prison carts immediately opened several of them and forcibly dragged the people inside out. Some wailed and refused to come out no matter what, while others had numb expressions and allowed themselves to be dragged away.

Standing upon the execution ground with shackles around him, Zhao Li suddenly caught sight of Cui Cheng among the crowd, and a sliver of hope rose in his heart.

But when he noticed Cui Cheng avoiding his gaze, that hope, which had only just arisen, vanished without a trace.

After glancing toward the prison carts, Zhao Li turned to face the canopy.

"Lord Shen, the Zhao Family knows that our sins are grave, and we have no objection to the court's judgment. But some members of the clan are innocent. Could you show mercy and spare their lives?"

After speaking, Zhao Li decisively fell to his knees.

Shen Changqing's expression was indifferent. "This official acts according to the law. The court's verdict states that nine generations shall be implicated, so nine generations shall be implicated.

"Presumably, it is not only those present here who will be beheaded today. The Zhao Family's branch lines in other places will meet the same fate.

"You must understand: the crime of colluding with demons and evil spirits is unforgivable."

"If you must blame someone—blame Zhao Fang for colluding with demons and evil spirits and betraying humanity!"

"If you must blame someone—blame the fact that they are members of the Zhao Family!"

"My lord—"

Zhao Li looked frantic and wanted to say more.

Shen Changqing simply waved a hand and cut him off. "Noon has arrived. Execute them!"

The moment the order was given.

Bailiffs immediately stepped forward and forcibly held Zhao Li down. The executioner, who had long been prepared, took a mouthful of wine and sprayed it over the gleaming blade. Then he brought it down.

Slash—

The long blade fell, and head separated from body.

The bloody scene drew screams from the watching commoners and drained all color from the Zhao Family members' faces.

"Father!"

Zhao Mingye cried out in grief and fury. Even now, he could not believe that the Zhao Family, once in its full glory, would one day be forced onto an execution ground and beheaded one after another.

Zhao Li's death.

Made Zhao Mingye struggle to rush forward.

But the moment he took a step, the bailiffs on either side pinned him down and forced him to kneel.

"Execute more!"

Shen Changqing's face was ice-cold as he gave the next order.

The executioners carried out the sentence.

At once, more heads fell.

"No, I don't want to die—"

"Why? Zhao Fang was the one who colluded with demons and evil spirits, so why kill us? I refuse to accept this!"

"I'm only a servant of the Zhao Family! I'm innocent!"

One after another, they wept and shouted, begging to live, but it was all useless.

When the long blades fell.

Heads rolled like rain.

For a time, blood dyed the execution platform red.

Whenever someone was beheaded, bailiffs carried the body away and tossed it aside.

The thick stench of blood made many people feel intensely ill.

"This Lord Shen is truly ruthless!"

Watching the Zhao Family members beheaded without end, even Cui Cheng felt somewhat nauseated. Yet Shen Changqing, seated beneath the canopy, showed no change in expression from beginning to end. Even his eyes were like a pool of stagnant water.

From this, it was clear.

This Lord County Magistrate held life in utter contempt.

Zhao Yue, standing beside him, had already gone pale.

The sight of falling heads and the thick smell of blood made her stomach churn like storm-tossed seas, and she felt an urge to vomit.

"S-Senior Brother, why don't we go back?"

Zhao Yue tugged at Cui Cheng's sleeve, and she could barely speak properly.

Cui Cheng looked at his junior sister's deathly pale face and shook his head. "Watch. If you want to travel the martial world, you will have to face such things sooner or later. Getting used to it now will benefit you."

Though he too felt uncomfortable, he had no intention of leaving.

In these chaotic times.

Corpses could be seen everywhere.

If one could not even endure such scenes, how would one walk the martial world in the future?

Hearing Cui Cheng's words, Zhao Yue could only force down the discomfort in her heart.

On the other side of the crowd, two young men were likewise watching the scene at the execution ground.

"After we return, investigate this Lord Shen properly. He may prove to be a formidable obstacle to our acquisition of demon blood essence!"

Xiao Bo spoke in a low voice, his expression solemn.

"Senior Brother, what does our Heavenly Blade Gate's acquisition of demon blood essence have to do with him? Could it be that the court intends to interfere as well?" Xiao Qu, standing beside him, looked confused.

"Whether the court interferes or not, there is no guarantee that this Lord Shen will not have designs on the demon blood essence. Last night, the Eternal Life Alliance's experts only managed to stir up a small commotion in the yamen, yet this man's strength is unfathomable.

"As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will emerge victorious from every battle. Learning more cannot hurt."

Xiao Bo shook his head slightly and patiently explained.

In his estimation.

The battle at the yamen last night should have ended with the Eternal Life Alliance slaughtering everyone in the yamen.

After all, having failed the first time, the Eternal Life Alliance would certainly have come prepared for its second attempt.

Yet even so.

The Eternal Life Alliance had still failed.

Though some people in the yamen had died, the Zhao Family members being beheaded now was enough to explain everything.

Upon the execution ground.

The Zhao Family members were beheaded one after another.

Some were direct descendants of the Zhao Family, while others were merely the Zhao Family's servants. No matter how they cried and screamed, none could escape the fate of losing their heads.

Shen Changqing sat there and silently watched it all.

In his eyes, no one from the Zhao Family was innocent.

Those servants and guards had all signed contracts of servitude. In principle, they too counted as members of the Zhao Family.

When the Zhao Family had flourished, they had served it and enjoyed no small amount of benefit. Now that the Zhao Family had fallen, they naturally had to bear the corresponding consequences.

Time trickled by.

One Zhao Family member after another was dragged onto the execution ground and beheaded.

There were only a few executioners, and ensuring that every stroke severed a head required no small expenditure of strength.

For this reason.

Some executioners had to take brief rests.

Nearly two hours passed before every member of the Zhao Family had finally been beheaded.

A vast number of corpses were piled together, a horrifying sight to behold.

Blood drenched the execution ground so thoroughly that it was no different from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Reporting to my lord, all one hundred and eighty-seven members of the Zhao Family have been beheaded. What should we do next?"

Shi Qingsheng reported in a low voice. Looking closely, one could see that his face was pale as well.

Shen Changqing nodded slightly, rose from his seat, and walked out from beneath the canopy to look at the heap of corpses.

"The Zhao Family colluded with demons and evil spirits and betrayed humanity. In accordance with Great Qin law, they have all been beheaded before the public.

"Now pass on my order: bury every Zhao Family corpse in the mass grave outside the city. No one is permitted to visit their graves or offer sacrifice."

"At the same time, let this serve as a warning to all others."

"Anyone who colludes with demons and evil spirits and betrays humanity shall have nine generations implicated, with absolutely no mercy shown!"