Iron Horse Manor

Fan Family residence.

Fan Youquan's expression was gloomy, his gaze cold and sharp as he said viciously, "Second Brother, you must act. Kill that Zhao Zhi. Today, he humiliated our Fan Family in public and tied Qi'er up at Minggu Tea House's Dream Tower for everyone to mock. If we do not kill him, the Fan Family will have no prestige left in Qingfeng County.

Second Brother was the Fan Family's second master, Fan Youlin.

Among the Fan Family's three brothers, Fan Youlin possessed the greatest martial talent. A month ago, he had already entered the Greater Xiantian Realm, yet had kept it secret.

Therefore.

No one in Qingfeng County knew Fan Youlin's true strength. They merely believed he was still a martial artist at Innate Minor Achievement.

Fan Youlin stood eight chi tall and possessed a strikingly handsome appearance.

He glanced at Fan Youquan without answering directly. Instead, he sized up Dou Rong from head to toe, carefully examining his injuries.

After pondering for a moment.

Fan Youlin tilted his head slightly toward Fan Youting. "Did you clearly see Zhao Zhi make his move?"

"I saw it clearly. Clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation." Fan Youting nodded, then recounted every detail of what had happened before Minggu Tea House.

Fan Youlin stroked his chin, his tone carrying a trace of speculation. "This Zhao Zhi has likely stepped into Greater Xiantian."

"Greater Xiantian?" A flicker passed through Fan Youting's eyes as he said in surprise, "A mere blue-clad constable has reached Greater Xiantian? With Greater Xiantian cultivation, he could become a county yamen chief constable."

Fan Youlin curled his lips, his eyes revealing a meaningful look. "Our county magistrate does not promote people based solely on strength. There are other considerations as well."

Fan Youting understood and promptly asked, "Second Brother, then what should we do now?"

Fan Youlin said, "Do as Zhao Zhi said. Copy out all the Fan Family's Xiantian martial arts for him, and compensate him for everything else as well."

"Compensate him for everything?!"

Fan Youquan's eyes widened. "Second Brother, if our Fan Family truly compensates Zhao Zhi, our reputation will be utterly ruined. Besides, he is a Greater Xiantian martial artist, and so are you. Could it be that you are afraid of him?"

Seeing his elder brother like this, Fan Youlin could not help sighing inwardly. Helplessly, he said, "Elder Brother, I have not personally seen Zhao Zhi fight, so I cannot judge which of us is stronger. It would be fine if I won, but if I lost, then the Fan Family would truly lose all face—and disaster would follow."

Fan Youquan paced back and forth, clenching his fists. "Then are we supposed to let a petty blue-clad constable humiliate our Fan Family?"

"The Fan Family will not be humiliated." Fan Youlin reminded him, "I may not necessarily be Zhao Zhi's match, but isn't your son still here? I heard he will return in some time."

"Yes, yes, yes. Once Yu'er returns, dealing with a mere Zhao Zhi will be beneath him." Fan Youquan slapped his palm, and all the worry vanished from his face, replaced by delight. "Second Brother, you truly are clever. I will write a letter at once and have Yu'er return as quickly as possible."

As he spoke, Fan Youquan hurried away.

Fan Youlin watched his impetuous elder brother and shook his head helplessly.

This elder brother truly was not suited to be the Fan Family's patriarch.

But he himself was immersed in martial arts, while his third brother, Fan Youting, often left Qingfeng County. Neither wished to manage the Lineage. Moreover, Elder Brother had produced an excellent son. With Elder Brother as patriarch, none of the Fan Family elders would raise any objections.

Yu'er truly needed to return and properly rein in his father.

Fan Youlin gathered his thoughts and looked toward his third brother, Fan Youting. "Third Brother, give some money and grain to the families of the guards and servants injured or killed this time. Make sure they are properly comforted. Also, inform everyone in the Fan Family that they must never provoke Zhao Zhi again."

"Understood, Second Brother."

Fan Youting answered.

Over the following days.

Zhao Zhi set up stations throughout Qingfeng County, speaking for the common people and settling their disputes. His reputation soared, spreading among countless residents of Qingfeng County.

In particular, he had injured and killed many Fan Family guards and servants, then tied Fan Zhenqi—the notorious wastrel known as the Little Overlord—to a pillar before Minggu Tea House for an entire day and night. The impact of that was even greater.

Commoners did not fight officials, nor did they fight the wealthy.

Several local gentry clans and great powers in Qingfeng County were like mountains pressing over everyone's heads, crushing the breath from countless common folk.

As for County Magistrate Lu Guangyi, he acted only when paid and paid no heed to the affairs of ordinary people. As a result, most of Qingfeng County's people had nowhere to air their grievances.

Zhao Zhi's sudden emergence tore a huge gash through Qingfeng County's bizarre and absurd state of affairs.

Therefore.

During the days Zhao Zhi had set up his stations, common people continuously came to seek redress.

Zhao Zhi sat casually, lifting his head slightly as light flickered in his eyes. He watched the information on the Merit Panel.

[Martial Arts: Innate Unity Qi Technique (Perfected), Giant Que Palm (Perfected), Wild Wind Saber Technique (Perfected), Diamond Force (Perfected), Moon-Treading Step (Perfected)...]

[Merit: 72]

After obtaining a large amount of Merit, Zhao Zhi had scarcely held anything back, raising one Xiantian martial art after another to the perfected realm.

For a time.

His martial strength rose enormously.

With his Innate Completion Realm cultivation, paired with one perfected Xiantian martial art after another, he had already stepped into Qingfeng County's highest tier. Even if he lacked the makings of the foremost, he was still qualified to contend for the top three.

The Merit Panel dissipated like misty rain.

Zhao Zhi picked up a ledger and flipped through it idly. It recorded the cases he had handled during this period.

Though they were called cases, most were merely trivial matters of chicken feathers and garlic skins.

Not a single case involved Qingfeng County's local gentry or great powers.

Even with his earlier feat of suppressing the Fan Family, Zhao Zhi still could not lift the layers of oppression hanging over Qingfeng County's people beneath the local gentry and great powers. He still could not kindle the hot blood in these ordinary folk.

The local gentry and great powers possessed countless methods; they were not something ordinary people could withstand.

Zhao Zhi sighed helplessly in his heart.

Without a reason, he could not simply go and decisively cause trouble for those local gentry and great powers.

"Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao." A ragged middle-aged woman with a face full of sorrow knelt before the table and cried loudly. "Please, Lord Zhao, uphold justice for me."

Zhao Zhi spoke calmly. "Tell me. What is the matter?"

The middle-aged woman said, "This humble woman's son went to Iron Horse Manor to work, and never returned. When this humble woman went to ask a few days ago, Iron Horse Manor said my son had already died. This humble woman wished to retrieve his body, but Iron Horse Manor said the corpse had long been gnawed clean. They even beat this humble woman out of Iron Horse Manor. I beg you, my lord, uphold justice for me."

"Iron Horse Manor?"

Zhao Zhi murmured the name, swiftly picked up a ledger beside him, and quickly flipped through it.

Some of the earlier cases had indeed involved Iron Horse Manor, but because the complainants had been unwilling to go there, those matters could only be left unresolved.

He immediately rose to his feet and looked down at the middle-aged woman. "Are you willing to accompany me to Iron Horse Manor?"

"This humble woman is willing."