Constable Ding led his men toward the main gate and saw a crowd gathered there, including several scholars in long robes.
Parting the crowd, Constable Ding left.
Before long, Constable Ding and his men returned to the county office, pushing several handcarts.
Charred corpses lay on the carts, and the Divine Sword Sect's family members cursed under their breath.
The crowd outside the gate grew larger and larger. Many were filled with righteous indignation, glaring at the members of the Divine Bow Sect.
Several scholars discussed the matter in low voices.
"Do you think these people were murdered by the Divine Bow Sect?"
"Hard to say. You and I both know the Divine Sword Sect's reputation. By contrast, the Divine Bow Sect doesn't have much of a bad name."
"They had no bad name because they weren't powerful back then. Now that they're strong, naturally they'll start doing evil. Those martial cultivator brutes are often like that..."
Lu Jinshi said, "Your Honor, look! Those are the old, young, sick, and disabled people killed by the Divine Bow Sect. There are seventy-year-old elders and children only a few years old. They're beasts!"
The crowd outside grew even more outraged.
The Divine Bow Sect members looked uncomfortable at the sight. They had indeed used both Fire Talismans and poisonous mist at the time, without thinking everything through.
Li Qingxian carefully examined the bodies.
Some were charred all over, while others were not blackened but swollen from poisoning. They certainly looked as though they had died during the sect challenge.
Soon, however, Li Qingxian noticed several abnormalities. He secretly began using Fate Observation and Qi Gazing, divining who these people had been in life.
After a long while, once everyone had cursed their fill, Magistrate Wen Siyan looked at Li Qingxian and declared