From Now On, I, Song Xuan, Make the Rules in This Thousand-Household Office!

Song Xuan surveyed the people in the hall, each harboring their own thoughts. He had already heard what they were discussing while he stood outside the main entrance.

Since they were all plotting how to make him die at the hands of bandits or from failing to acclimate, he naturally had no reason to be polite to them.

He cast a cold glance at the arrogant Thousand-household Officer seated in the center and said flatly, "Do you have the Imperial Prison Pacification Commissioner's seal?"

"Hm? How dare you! Is that how you address your superior? Have you no respect for the rules?"

Fang Cheng's face darkened. This newcomer had no respect whatsoever for official protocol. This was Jiangzhe Prefecture, not the Imperial Capital. Even if he were a dragon, he would have to coil up and submit here!

"The rules?"

Song Xuan chuckled. "I don't know what rules you had here before, but from now on, I, Song Xuan, make the rules in this Thousand-Household Office!

"I'll ask one more time: who has the Pacification Commissioner's seal? Hand it over willingly, or don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"

From the moment he entered the Thousand-Household Office, he had already assessed the situation.

Simply put, among the nearly one hundred people in the hall, not a single expert gave him any sense of danger or oppressive strength.

Song Xuan estimated that the Thousand-household Officer, Fang Cheng, was quite accomplished in body-hardening martial arts and was close to breaking through to the Xiantian Realm.

But as long as he had not truly stepped into that entirely new realm of Xiantian, he was no different from an ordinary martial artist in Song Xuan's eyes.

As his kills accumulated, Song Xuan had gained an increasingly clear understanding of his own strength. Within the Houtian Realm, if he claimed second place, no one would dare claim first!

The Inspection Office primarily investigated cases and was not renowned for martial prowess. Most true experts had been recruited by the Enforcement Office.

This enormous Thousand-Household Office of the Inspection Office did not even have a single Xiantian expert stationed here.

Since there were no powerful experts, Song Xuan simply cast aside all restraint. Whatever rules of officialdom they had, none of them carried any weight with him!

The Black Robe Guard's Hundred-household Officers and Banner Captains in the hall were all dumbfounded. They had seen arrogance before, but never anything like this. Could this man have such powerful backing in the Imperial Capital that he was accustomed to throwing his weight around, and had brought that same attitude to Jiangzhe?

Fang Cheng's face turned livid, and he repeatedly signaled the fat Hundred-household Officer with his eyes.

As Fang Cheng's trusted subordinate, the fat man had no choice but to steel himself and step forward. His face full of anger, he said, "This is the Thousand-Household Office. His Lordship the Thousand-household Officer is in charge here.

"You're merely a lowly Hundred-household Officer. Are you trying to defy your superior?"

Song Xuan gave him a casual glance. "You're so eager to jump out. I take it the Pacification Commissioner's seal is on you?"

"So what if it is?"

The fat Hundred-household Officer glanced at the dense crowd in the hall, immediately gaining confidence.

More than half of the nearly one hundred people here were loyal to the Thousand-household Officer. This was their territory. That brat Song Xuan had only two people on his side. Could he really overturn the heavens?

"Song Xuan, I'll tell you frankly: the Imperial Prison is swamped with work, and I have no time to conduct the handover with you right now. Once I've sorted things out, I'll naturally give you the Pacification Commissioner's seal."

Certain there was nothing wrong with his answer, the fat Hundred-household Officer sneered. "If you're dissatisfied, you can complain to our superiors. Even if you take it all the way to the Black Robe Guard Commander, no one can find fault with what I'm doing."

Song Xuan clapped his hands. "Well said. That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"

Then he glanced at Song Qian, who stood with her sword held against her chest and murder written across her face, and said calmly, "Kill him!"

As his words fell, an afterimage flashed past. The next instant, everyone in the hall felt a hair-raising chill rise through them, followed by the crack of breaking bones.

At some point, Song Qian had appeared behind the fat Hundred-household Officer. With one hand pressed against his head, she had forcibly twisted his neck apart.

"You... you actually..."

The Thousand-household Officer was stunned.

He had seen vicious, ruthless people before, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone dare kill a man in front of everyone inside a Black Robe Guard Thousand-Household Office.

Staring at his trusted subordinate's head, twisted a full hundred and eighty degrees with its eyes still wide in death, Fang Cheng trembled with rage.

What was going on?

Was this how they handled things in the Imperial Capital now-so simply and brutally? Killing someone over a disagreement? Was he really not afraid of punishment from above?

Clang!

Some Hundred-household Officers and Banner Captains in the hall had drawn the sabers at their waists, but every one of them instinctively backed away. Not a single person dared charge forward.

Song Qian's movement technique had thoroughly cowed them. Recklessly sticking their necks out now would only make them the next unfortunate soul to die.

Song Qian searched the dead fat man's body, pulled a large seal from his sleeve, and handed it to Song Xuan with a cheerful grin.

"Brother, he really did have it on him."

Song Xuan glanced at it and put it away with satisfaction, then surveyed the crowd with a smile.

"If any of you are dissatisfied, you can complain to our superiors. Even if you take it all the way to the Black Robe Guard Commander..."

He paused briefly, his tone growing colder and more sinister. "Believe it or not, even if I slaughtered every last one of you today, the Commander would do no more than scold me a little. There would be no real punishment!"

At those words, the already hesitant Hundred-household Officers and Banner Captains of the Black Robe Guard exchanged glances, becoming even less willing to make any rash moves.

At that moment, realization dawned on them all. Song Xuan must have an extraordinary background and deeply rooted connections in the Imperial Capital. Otherwise, he would never dare kill so brazenly.

Considering Song Qian's ghostlike movement technique as well, several men who were not wholly aligned with Fang Cheng immediately sheathed their long sabers. One of them even spoke up.

"Lord Song, we have no part in your dispute with Hundred-household Officer Liu and His Lordship the Thousand-household Officer. Please don't vent your anger on us."

As soon as he spoke, another dozen or so people put away their weapons and kept retreating, adopting the air of spectators watching a show that had nothing to do with them.

Seeing this, Song Xuan couldn't help smiling. "It seems His Lordship the Thousand-household Officer hasn't made this place quite as watertight as an iron barrel!"

Fang Cheng's expression had grown as dark as storm clouds. He had never imagined things would develop like this.

He had thought his word was absolute in the Thousand-Household Office. Who would have expected that, even after all the silver and valuables he had fed these subordinates, he still hadn't brought them completely to heel?

These fence-sitters! Once today's matter was settled, he would dispose of every last one of them sooner or later!

What use was there in keeping disobedient dogs?

"Song Xuan, murdering a fellow officer is a grave crime. Are you trying to rebel?"

Some chose to stand aside, while others stepped forward of their own accord. Now, a man with a Banner Captain Token hanging at his waist held a long saber pointed at Song Xuan from a distance.

"The Black Robe Guard doesn't belong to your Song family! Even if the Commander shields you, do you think the Son of Heaven will spare you?"