Speaking Frankly on the Strength of One's Position, Unafraid of Blades and Soldiers

Rumble!

The entire hall, together with the Military Governor's Residence, suddenly shook under the crushing pressure of surging force!

Futu and his trusted aide had only just arrived at the residence. As they probed into its true state, they watched the weapons in the surrounding soldiers' hands with faintly envious gazes, secretly making calculations.

Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly. An invisible pressure flashed and vanished, yet it sent a tremendous shock through the hearts of the two Marshfolk. Having lived in the harsh environment of Five Marshes, their instincts were sharper than most; though it had lasted only an instant, they had still sensed the great terror within it!

At once, every thought in their minds scattered, replaced by caution.

In the courtyard's council hall, the brothers Wu Qing and Wu Quan were crushed to the ground by the surging force. Their bodies pressed tightly against the floor, even forcing cracks into the dense wooden boards.

In the blink of an eye, the two had been seized by Qiu Yan from afar without any power to resist, not even a chance to cry out. Only now did they come to their senses, terror bursting forth in their hearts. They raised their heads and shouted at Qiu Yan, "Scholar Qiu! You are an imperial envoy appointed by the court, commanding the military and civil affairs of the southwest. We brothers have never shown you disrespect. Why have you done this?"

Hearing them, Qiu Yan's smile faded. "Why I seized you two, you certainly know better than I do. What were you doing when Qiu spoke those words earlier? What movements did you make? What were you planning? Did you truly think Qiu knew nothing?"

"We..." The Wu brothers' hearts trembled. They knew that at a time like this, they could not