Executing Heaven's Justice!

The night was dark and the wind fierce. Clear, deathly pale moonlight bathed all of Black Kui Ridge in an eerie glow.

A few dark clouds drifted in from afar, covering the moon.

At once, Black Kui Ridge grew so dark that one could not see a hand held before one's face. An uncanny air hung over it, deepening the stillness before the storm.

The people from the Qingzhou Branch had arrived travel-worn to join them, without so much as a place to rest.

Black Kui Stronghold became the ideal campsite.

Ning Que and Yin Jiuyou entered with Qi Shanhe, Qiao Musheng, Mu Yuwei, and the others from the Qingzhou Branch.

Before they could even sit down, Qi Shanhe asked eagerly, "Juzi, what you said earlier... about the weapons. You have a solution?"

With a thought, Ning Que opened the Spatial Ring and took out all the weapons stored inside.

Looking at the broadswords, spears, and bows and arrows before them, Qi Shanhe, Qiao Musheng, and the others were stunned speechless.

Even Yin Jiuyou's face filled with astonishment.

They had encountered a flood along the way, and weapons and cloth armor were their most pressing problems.

Yet the Juzi had simply solved it for them?

"Is this enough? I have more if it isn't."

Ning Que asked.

Having just wiped out an entire stronghold of bandits, he now had nearly two thousand karma points.

That was enough to draw weapons and armor.

Only then did Qi Shanhe and the others recover, excitement spreading across their faces.

"Enough! More than enough!"

There were just over a hundred of them altogether. Whether they wanted swords, spears, bows, or crossbows, there were enough for everyone.

Judging by the craftsmanship, they were all fine weapons forged by master smiths!

"Juzi, where did you get so many weapons?"

Qiao Musheng asked excitedly.

With these weapons, they could put up a fight against the county office's troops!

"These bandits had made quite a fortune. It's hardly strange that they stockpiled some weapons."

Ning Que could only use Qian Kuidou as a shield. He could hardly tell them he had taken all these weapons out of the Spatial Ring, could he?

"Qian Taizhong is Qian Kuidou and Qian Zhao's father. With officials and bandits colluding to prey upon the locals, he's practically Lotus Town's uncrowned emperor."

"Normally, he wouldn't need to get involved personally. But now that both his sons are dead, he certainly won't turn a blind eye."

"Rather than wait for them to surround and wipe us out, why don't we strike first?"

Ning Que proposed.

Yin Jiuyou, Qi Shanhe, and the others nodded in agreement. "Juzi, that's exactly what we were thinking!"

Their faces were filled with delight.

Originally, they would have been perfectly content just to find the former Juzi's son.

Whatever sort of person he was, they would have supported him wholeheartedly.

At the very least, they could ensure he enjoyed wealth and honor for the rest of his life.

They had never expected the Juzi to wield such command over the board. He had truly exceeded their expectations!

"Our Little Juzi really does have something of the former Juzi's bearing!"

Mu Yuwei's lovely eyes danced as she giggled.

Dawn was just breaking.

County Magistrate Qian was jolted awake.

His adviser's face was filled with terror. "Sir, wake up! Something terrible has happened!"

"What is it? Can't a man get some sleep?"

Qian Taizhong put on his magistrate's hat, his face displeased. "Have those two fugitives been caught?"

"Quite the opposite. Black Kui Stronghold has been slaughtered to the last man, and Young Master Kuidou's head was thrown outside the county office!"

"What?!"

At those words, Qian Taizhong completely lost his composure.

He rushed to the county office like a madman.

Both stone lions outside the entrance had been splashed with human blood.

Qian Kuidou's head hung right above the county office's main entrance.

Beneath it, four large, blood-drenched characters had been written:

"Executing Heaven's Justice!"

Thud!

Qian Taizhong collapsed onto his backside, his face deathly white.

"How could this happen? How could this happen? My son..."

Qian Taizhong broke down sobbing.

Now both his sons were dead!

Yet beyond the pain of losing his sons, what baffled him was how two fugitives, however formidable, could possibly slaughter all the bandits in Black Kui Stronghold.

Black Kui Stronghold claimed to have five hundred bandits!

And under Kuidou's command, it had its "four beams and eight pillars," with clearly defined positions.

To put it bluntly, it was a little kingdom within Lotus Town!

Yet every last man had been slaughtered!

"Sir, it's clear that there aren't just two of them. They have an organization behind them!"

The adviser's voice was trembling too.

"Sir, this matter is beyond our ability to handle. Notify the local military command!"

He urged him further.

Qian Taizhong sighed. "It seems we have no other choice..."

Before, they had kept everything hidden, afraid that if the matter escalated, the local military command would launch a thorough investigation. They would never withstand that scrutiny.

But now they too realized the gravity of the situation and could no longer afford to worry about that!

Huang Tong commanded the local forces stationed in Qingzhou. He had come to track down two fugitives involved in a prison break in Li Province.

His superior's superior was none other than Wang Yong, the Minister of Personnel!

With the weighty task of tracking down the two fugitives falling on his shoulders, he was under immense pressure.

One misstep could cost him his head...

Thus, when the two fugitives fled into Qingzhou, he ordered the entire city sealed off.

From wealthy households to common folk, every home was searched.

Yet they still failed to find the pair.

Just as he was at his wits' end, an urgent dispatch arrived from Lotus Town's county magistrate.

The dispatch described the conjecture that the two fugitives most likely were not acting alone, as well as the slaughter of Black Kui Stronghold.

"Good! Finally, a lead!"

Reading the dispatch, Huang Tong was delighted rather than alarmed, his eyes flashing with brilliant light.

"Whether it's those two fugitives who raided the execution ground or the organization behind them, I'll catch them all in one net!"

"Commander Huang, should we request more troops from Qingzhou? I'm afraid these rebels may be no ordinary foes..."

His deputy suggested cautiously.

"No need!"

Huang Tong waved a hand and refused. "They're just a pack of rebels. A hundred elite soldiers will suffice!"

In his younger years, Huang Tong had followed Great Li's State-Guarding Great General on campaigns across the land. Only after committing a mistake had he been transferred to Qingzhou to serve in the local military command.

All these years, he had been searching for a chance to earn merit and return to the Capital City.

Unfortunately, Qingzhou was peaceful, without any major warfare.

But the appearance of these rebels had given him hope!

Three days later.

More troops from the Local Garrison were stationed in Lotus Town.

A grim, murderous air hung over the entire town.

Fewer hawkers set up stalls and called out their wares on the streets.

Most people kept their doors and windows tightly shut, lest they become fish caught in someone else's calamity.

Yet a new porridge stall had appeared at the end of the street.

The white rice porridge could hardly be called delicious, but it was certainly fresh from the pot.

The seller was a pretty young woman with a five-year-old younger sister in tow.

After her debt to Treasure Abundance Hall was wiped clean, He Hua had opened a porridge stall.

Besides making porridge for her customers, she spent most of each day standing in front of the stall, gazing blankly toward the end of the road.

People asked her why she still set up shop when the times were so dangerous.

Her answer was always the same. "I'm waiting to catch sight of a benefactor..."

She knew her two benefactors were still in Lotus Town.

"Black Kui Stronghold was wiped out. Young Master Ning, was that your doing...?"

He Hua murmured to herself.