Pleading for the People, Settling Disputes

[You made a bully of a guard who abused his power never dare abuse it again. Merit +21.]

[You made a guard who bullied the good and feared the wicked completely change his attitude. Merit +20.]

[You made an evil servant who fished in troubled waters understand that he could not steal shortcuts and play tricks. Merit +6.]

[You made...]

Dozens of messages flashed past Zhao Zhi's eyes one after another. The Merit earned from each varied in amount.

In the blink of an eye, several hundred Merit had been credited to him.

Such a vast amount of Merit was enough to improve Zhao Zhi's various martial arts once more.

Sure enough.

Punishing evil and promoting good truly was a fast way to earn Merit. These local gentry and great clans, every last one of them was a great hoard of Merit.

Zhao Zhi's thoughts raced, but outwardly, he remained calm as water and cold as ice as he looked indifferently at Fan Youquan.

From the corner of his eye, Fan Youquan glimpsed the bloodstained constable's saber resting on his shoulder. Its warm, sticky touch seeped through his clothes and licked at his shoulder, making his entire body go cold and his scalp tingle.

Corpses lay before him one after another, including more than a few Postnatal Perfection martial artists.

Yet those Postnatal Perfection fighters had been like cabbages and radishes before Zhao Zhi, cut down one by one with a single slash, without even the slightest room to resist.

"Zhao Zhi... Lord Zhao..." Fan Youquan trembled with fear as he hurriedly said, "Please spare my life. This old... this lowly one won't dare again. I truly won't."

"Lord Zhao, please spare us a path to live." Fan Youting also cupped his hands. "Whatever demands Lord Zhao has, our Fan Family will certainly satisfy them."

The corner of Zhao Zhi's mouth curled. "Any demand?"

Fan Youting immediately nodded. "Yes, any demand."

After giving it some thought, Zhao Zhi said, "In that case, copy out your Fan Family's Xiantian martial arts for me. Then set up porridge stalls in the south of the city for ten days. This official will let you leave."

"Thank you, my lord. The Fan Family will certainly do so."

Fan Youting agreed decisively without another word.

He did not understand why Zhao Zhi, whose displayed strength had already completely surpassed the Fan Family's martial artists, still wanted the Fan Family's Xiantian martial arts.

But under the present circumstances, when one was beneath another's roof, one had no choice but to bow one's head.

Fan Youquan cried out, "And my son!"

Fan Youting glanced at Fan Zhenqi, who was tied to the pillar and still unconscious. After choosing his words, he said, "Lord Zhao, might we take this nephew of mine with us?"

Zhao Zhi grinned at this, revealing his stark white teeth. "You two want to end up like him as well?"

"No, no." Fan Youting hurriedly waved his hands. "We'll leave at once."

As he spoke, Fan Youting pulled Fan Youquan away. The badly injured Fan Family guards and servants ignored their wounds, supporting one another as they followed after them in a flustered scramble.

As for the corpses left behind, no one paid them any attention.

Zhao Zhi had shown some restraint in his attacks. He had not killed every single person.

Those who had tried to kill him and struck with vicious, sinister intent were slain with one slash. As for those who had merely fished in troubled waters, stolen shortcuts, and played tricks, giving them a profound lesson was enough.

Fan Youquan had not been killed.

After all, he was the head of the Fan Family, one of Qingfeng County's wealthy gentry.

Qingfeng County did not have only the Fan Family. There were also several great families such as the Su Family and Tao Family, as well as large gangs like the Evergreen Gang. Their overall strength remained formidable.

Zhao Zhi would not have much trouble dealing with a single family alone, but if he had to face every force in Qingfeng County—

With his current strength, that would be somewhat difficult.

After acquiring this great amount of Merit and improving his strength, there should be nothing left to worry about.

Zhao Zhi raised his head slightly and looked at the several hundred Merit on the Merit panel, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. Then his gaze fell upon the bound Fan Zhenqi, and light gathered in his eyes as an idea came to him.

"Brother Luo, trouble yourself to bring over a chair and a table."

"Ah? Oh, oh... Understood. I'll get them right away."

Luo Dashan came back to his senses at the sound of his voice. The shock and disbelief on his face had yet to fade, as though paste had been smeared across it.

The Fan Family?

Just like that, Zhao Zhi had subdued them?

And that Dou Rong—if he remembered correctly, he should have been a Xiantian martial artist.

Even a Xiantian martial artist had not been Zhao Zhi's match. Just what level had Zhao Zhi's strength reached now?

Suddenly.

The words Gray Snake Gang surfaced in Luo Dashan's mind.

He recalled what Zhao Zhi had said that day.

The Gray Snake Gang was quite reasonable.

Perhaps this so-called reason was the reason of the fist.

With his thoughts churning and his mind in a daze, Luo Dashan did not know what he was thinking. He simply followed Zhao Zhi's instructions and brought over a table and chairs.

"Zhao Zhi, what are you planning to do?"

Zhao Zhi sat down in a carefree, uninhibited manner. With a slap, he placed the constable's saber on the table, his smile wild and flamboyant. "Pleading for the people, settling disputes."

"Ah?"

Luo Dashan froze.

In a tavern not far away.

Slap.

A white ceramic wine cup shattered, and fragrant wine splashed onto Constable Chief Chen Qingzhi.

Chen Qingzhi's brows furrowed slightly, his eyelids lowered, and a heavy gloom and solemnity rose on his face.

What strength.

With a single kick, he had severely injured Dou Rong, an Initial Xiantian martial artist.

In ten breaths' time, he had dealt with the Fan Family's guards and servants.

That level of strength?

He was not merely at Initial Xiantian. He might be at Innate Minor Achievement, or even Greater Xiantian.

He had hidden himself so deeply that even Chen Qingzhi, the county yamen's constable chief, had not noticed the slightest trace.

Seeing Zhao Zhi's actions, Chen Qingzhi was puzzled. His hawk-like eyes watched Zhao Zhi from afar. By reading his lips, he learned Zhao Zhi's intentions, and his expression immediately changed as he inwardly cried that this was bad.

This was going to be big trouble.

Chen Qingzhi immediately rose to his feet and hurried out of the tavern.

In the study of Qingfeng County yamen's rear courtyard.

County Magistrate Lu Guangyi listened to Chen Qingzhi's report. His plump face trembled, and his voice was deep. "You are saying that even the Fan Family could do nothing to him, and the Fan Family's martial artists all died by his hand?"

"Yes, my lord." Chen Qingzhi cupped his hands and nodded. "From what this subordinate saw today, Zhao Zhi's strength is likely not Initial Xiantian. He should be at Innate Minor Achievement, or even Greater Xiantian."

"Greater Xiantian?"

Lu Guangyi's pupils suddenly contracted, his voice carrying threads of disbelief.

A Greater Xiantian martial artist was as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns even in the vast Qingfeng County.

Zhao Zhi, a blue-clad constable, was actually such a formidable expert.

"Yes."

Lu Guangyi's face darkened. After a brief silence, he asked, "Can Flying Cloud Stronghold handle him?"

After a brief consideration, Chen Qingzhi said, "Yes. The Flying Cloud Stronghold's chief is a Greater Xiantian martial artist. With our arrangements as well, we can even kill an Innate Perfection martial artist. A Greater Xiantian martial artist will not be a problem."

Lu Guangyi let out a breath of relief. "Good."

"However, my lord." Chen Qingzhi hesitated. "Zhao Zhi is on Great Passage Street..."

Lu Guangyi raised a hand to interrupt him, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "If he wants to plead for the people, then let him plead for the people. What use is gaining the favor of those common folk? His actions will only offend Qingfeng County's great families and major forces. When the time comes, even if this official does not deal with him, others will."

"My lord is wise."