Justice in the Mortal Realm

Justice in the Mortal World

The demons had been eliminated.

Lin Wen stepped forward, pulled out the iron rod, and shook off the bloodstains. He was not particularly satisfied.

The iron rod was simply too low-class; it damaged his image.

And killing those four demons had earned him only 12 points of karmic fortune. [Spirit Cat's Swiftness] could not be used with Primordial Spirit power, only karmic fortune, and had cost 13 points.

He had actually lost 1 point.

Of course, they had to be killed. Lin Wen only regretted abusing his Primordial Spirit before, using [Immortal's Guide] to solve even minor problems when he could clearly have relied on his own wits. That had left his Primordial Spirit power perpetually stretched to the limit, forcing him to frequently expend karmic fortune on spells.

It could have been saved.

But this was not the time to think about that. Lin Wen tossed aside the iron rod and walked toward the refugees.

The dense black mass of people on the mountain had long since fallen silent. They watched this young man who called himself the commandery governor approach. There was fear and wariness in their eyes, gratitude and confusion as well.

"Compatriots."

Lin Wen stopped less than a hundred paces away and said in a ringing voice:

"I am Lin Wen, the newly appointed commandery governor of Long Mountain Commandery. I know what you have suffered. I came here this time to seek justice for you."

His voice blanketed the entire crowd; even the refugees farthest away could hear him clearly.

A disturbance swept through the crowd. Some cursed loudly, some burst into tears, some wavered in doubt. A middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader shouted:

"What's the use of killing a few dog officials? We're all going to starve to death anyway—if not starvation, then disease or freezing."

"Seeking justice is all bullshit! It's all lies meant to fool us!"

"Our supplies were definitely embezzled by this dog official! Beat him to death!"

"Beat him to death!"

The voices in the crowd rose unevenly. Some echoed the call, while others remained silent, and still more took the lead in questioning him.

"What's the use of beating him to death? Can we survive that way?"

"Dog officials don't kill their own kind. I don't believe it."

"He says he's the new commandery governor—the Empire's hero!"

"He was the one who held the great dike!"

"Bullshit, that's all a lie to fool you!"

"But he killed all those dog bastards!"

"That's all fake! They're tricking you!"

A cold smile appeared on Lin Wen's face. Utterly unafraid of the mixed crowd, he continued forward. At that moment, a ray of sunlight broke through the leaden gray clouds overhead and shone directly upon him, like a miracle.

[Paper Moon Hangs in the Sky]

This was the spell left over from when he had killed Zhang Fatty. Its main purpose was to raise a paper moon and create illusions.

Naturally, it was not some profound spell. The so-called paper moon was nothing more than any stiff sheet of cardboard, and Lin Wen had one tucked inside his clothes right now.

The illusion could only cover a few meters around the paper moon.

Moreover, this so-called illusion was really just a few effects of light and shadow. Any ordinary person could see through it by staring carefully, let alone someone with sharp powers of observation.

But it was extremely useful for adding special effects. The effects truly existed, so there was no need to worry about them being exposed.

Lin Wen added a tracking spotlight effect to himself, surrounding his body with a faint wash of sunlight. After all, it was an overcast day; light that was too intense might produce the opposite effect.

In truth, the light only extended a few meters, yet it gave people the sensation that it was shining straight down from the heavens.

Standing beneath the spotlight, Lin Wen instantly became the brightest guy in the crowd.

Amid the gloomy sky, that golden radiance carried an indescribable sacredness. Though faint, as it flowed and scattered, it seemed like the golden justice they had long hoped for.

As he moved, specks of light trailed behind him in a fleeting tail.

He walked toward the refugees as though a god were descending upon the mortal world, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

He raised a hand and shouted:

"My heart and deeds are clear as a polished mirror; all that I do is justice!"

The sound waves trembled like an evening drum and morning bell, like immortal music from a divine court, blanketing the entire mountain in an instant.

Then, as though struck by an infection, a great many people around him suddenly fell to their knees.

"It's a great immortal!"

"It must be a great immortal!"

Someone cried out, fear, shock, and joy mingling together.

Even more people wept so hard they could not speak. "Great Immortal, if only you had come sooner."

Lin Wen shouted, "I am Lin Wen! I am the defender of the Changpai Village dike! I am an Empire hero! I am the commandery governor of Long Mountain Commandery! I will seek justice for you!"

His voice boomed like a great bell, echoing through the valley.

"Get up! You kneel to Heaven and Earth, not to gods!"

"That's what I said!"

Lin Wen walked up to one man and stopped before him.

The man looked flustered, glancing everywhere. He seemed to want to run, yet also wanted to pretend he was an ignorant villager, making him look especially awkward.

But in Lin Wen's eyes, the man's qi fluctuated violently, contracting overall. Its state was strange and abnormal, proving that he was deeply terrified, fearful, and harboring an enormous secret he could not reveal.

More importantly, more than half of his qi had turned black. Amid the mingled azure and green qi all around, it stood out glaringly.

Suddenly, he turned to run. Lin Wen kicked him flat, stepped forward, and planted his foot on the man's head. The man thrashed desperately like a fish flung onto shore, but could never turn himself over.

He shouted, "The County Chief is killing people! The County Chief is coming to kill us! It's all fake—he's not some great immortal at all! You—you hurry up and beat him to death! Beat him to death!"

No one paid him any attention.

Lin Wen reached down and tore at his ragged clothes. With a ripping sound, they split apart, revealing his smooth bare back—and a small silk undershirt embroidered with patterns.

Lin Wen sneered. "Everyone, take a look. Is this one of you?"

There was an approachable warmth in Lin Wen's cold manner, making people unconsciously lower their guard and regard him as one of their own.

Those nearby crowded forward to look, and the closest ones immediately burst into laughter.

"That soft, tender skin—he ain't one of us."

"Even my old woman doesn't wear a little vest like that."

Lin Wen stomped down hard, knocking the man unconscious at once, then shouted, "These people deliberately hid among you to sow discord! The dog officials aren't good people, and neither are they! All they want is for you to die!"

"There are more people like this! Keep your eyes open—don't let a single one get away!"

"I'll find them one by one."

"Alright!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd. "Beat the dog officials to death! Beat the human traitors to death!"

A man took the lead, standing atop a rock and shouting, "Everyone else stays put! Whoever runs is a human traitor!"

"Right, right, right! Whoever moves gets beaten to death on the spot—the great immortal said so!"

By now, fervor had replaced the despair and rage within the crowd, expanding a hundred times faster than either.

Tens of thousands stood solemnly where they were, coated in dust like terracotta warriors. Only when Lin Wen approached would they part of their own accord, as though he were the Qin Shi Huang of legend who had attained immortality, employing immortal arts within his mausoleum.

No one blocked his path wherever he went, and after he passed, the gaps closed on their own.

Before long, Lin Wen dug out more than a dozen agents. No matter what, these agents could not understand what he was relying on to identify them so precisely among so many people.

At first, they had tried to hide amid the crowd, taking advantage of their numbers. But Lin Wen plucked them out one after another like pulling up radishes.

Every time he uncovered one, cheers rang out. Lin Wen did not pause in the slightest, and the cheering became unceasing.

By the time they realized something was wrong, only one or two were left.

It was already too late for regret.

Lin Wen knocked them all unconscious, stripped them, and tossed them together. Quite a few valuable personal belongings even fell out from among them.

When they saw exquisite tiger-pattern brocade handkerchiefs, jade and ivory towels—things refugees could never possess—no one had the slightest doubt about Lin Wen anymore.

Lin Wen raised his voice, his words booming like a great bell.

"Now, everyone, please settle down and return to the camp. I will bring you food, tents, hot water, and medicine. I will bring you fairness and justice. I will organize everyone to build a home together."

"Please spread this news to everyone. Have them stop making a commotion for now. If there are any disputes, conflicts, or injustices, tell me. I will sweep every pest from this world of men."