Cut Him Down!!

The three were stunned by the stern shout and dared not utter a word, bowing their heads in silence.

"Are you deaf? Get out!!" Kuang Liuting's voice rose again from inside the hall. Kang Dabao buried his head in thought for a while, and was about to get up when he heard an angry voice from inside the hall. "Tie Liuyun, do you really not know that I'm talking about you?!"

"Hmm," Sect Leader Kang Da watched as Tie Liuyun turned a deep brown. This burly and fierce man was being scolded so badly that he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single coherent word in his defense.

"Get out! I'm talking about seeing Kang Dabao and Linghu You, what does that have to do with you?! Instead of working hard in the Ding Prefecture camp, you abandoned your military post and ran back to Xuanwei City to become a lawyer?!"

Kuang Liuting's rebuke showed no respect whatsoever to Tie Liuyun, a high-ranking official of the prefecture.

This once imposing commander was utterly humiliated today, resembling an old dog kicked by its owner, too ashamed to utter a whimper, and trembling as he slunk away with his tail between his legs.

"This is..." Linghu You's heart sank even further, his face, already ashen from seeing his enemy Kang Dabao, became even more uneasy.

Before he could even ponder it further, he heard another voice from inside the hall. "Kang Dabao, Linghu You, come in and talk."

This time, Kuang Liuting's voice became much gentler. The two people whose names were called stood up together and stepped into the hall.

The two bowed and entered, greeting each other with salutations.

The slender Daoist priest in the hall still held a scroll in his hand, while the Acting Sima Gun Kang Dabao had not seen for a long time, stood behind him.

Gun Shilu watched as Sect Leader Kang Da entered without saying a word, but gave him a wink, which reassured the latter somewhat.

"Sit," said the Earl of Nan'an, closing his book, his face still bearing that self-satisfied expression that was quite familiar to Sect Leader Kang Da.

After receiving the bows and greetings from Kang and Linghu, Kuang Liuting watched as the two found their places and sat down, then turned his gaze to Linghu You.

"May I ask which esteemed cultivator sits below?"

Linghu You was frozen in place, momentarily at a loss for words.

Kang Dabao showed no surprise on his face, but was inwardly terrified. He certainly didn't think that Kuang Liuting had misspoke. Could it be that Linghu You was really a cultivator in disguise?!

Our third master actually injured a Golden Core cultivator earlier?!

A fleeting look of surprise crossed Acting Sima Gun's eyes, but his face remained as calm as still water, unchanged.

"May I ask which esteemed cultivator is seated below?" Kuang Liuting, seeing that Linghu You remained silent, persisted and continued to inquire.

Linghu You all, a self-made man of great talent. Even if he has become somewhat decadent over the years, he certainly cannot be called mediocre.

Upon hearing Kuang Liuting's stern questioning again, he knew he could not avoid it. So, in just a few breaths, he calmed himself, prepared his response, performed a half-bow, and respectfully replied:

"My lord, you are wise. I am Linghu You, and I have always cultivated only at the Mystic Moon Sect in Ding Prefecture. Due to my dull aptitude, I am now over two hundred years old and have only obtained False Core, thus my path to immortality has been severed. Therefore, I can no longer aspire to the so-called True-Grade Golden Core, and I dare not answer your question about cultivation."

"Ha, so it turns out I misjudged you and wronged you. Please don't hold this unintentional mistake against me," Kuang Liuting said calmly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I dare not!!" Linghu You, quick-witted as ever, immediately bowed and said.

"So you really are not Golden Core cultivator. I am quite curious," Kuang Liuting paused, a cold glint in his eyes.

The lord stared intently at Linghu You's slightly flushed handsome face, then asked loudly, "And where did your family get the audacity to harm a high-ranking official of the Immortal Dynasty who was personally appointed by this lord?!"

Kuang Liuting recited the short twenty or thirty words very slowly, his eyes never leaving Linghu You's face for even a moment, which terrified the latter, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"This old man, this old man, dare not!!" Linghu You's seemingly young body was filled with fear, he bowed deeply and his words were weak and feeble.

Meanwhile, Sect Leader Kang Da felt relieved. Judging from the situation, the Earl of Nan'an seemed to know right from wrong, so he shouldn't have to suffer any consequences.

"Since you can't risk Feng Wan's life, what makes you say you wouldn't dare?!" Earl of Nan'an sneered.

"I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't dare. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy on my family."

Kuang Liuting was annoyed that Linghu You looked so pitiful. If Linghu You had been more assertive now, he might have gained some respect from Kuang Liuting, but now...

The Earl of Nan'an then took out a pair of rings that shimmered with Linghu You in place. After he was unable to move or make a sound, he ignored the Mystic Moon Sect leader, who was now limp and lifeless.

He simply turned and instructed, "Gun Shilu, go and summon Tie Liuyun."

"Lord." Acting Sima Gun had been silent ever since Sect Leader Kang Da entered the hall, hesitated to speak.

"Go!" Kuang Liuting, ignoring Gun Shilu, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Acting Sima Gun dared not speak further and bowed his head before leaving. Kang Dabao, however, became more cautious and slightly raised the half of his buttocks that had been resting on the spirit wood chair.

Tie Liuyun quickly followed Gun Shilu into the hall with a look of fear on his face.

He was as quick-witted as ever, and had grasped Kuang Liuting's intentions. As soon as he entered the hall, he bowed deeply and said urgently, "This humble official failed in his duty of supervision, allowing the general of Ding Prefecture to commit a grave error. I am guilty! I am guilty!"

But the expected improvement in Kuang Liuting's expression did not occur. The Earl of Nan'an remained stern, his tone icy. "Tie Liuyun, do I really need to concern myself with such matters?!"

"The officials are guilty, guilty!"

"Don't you know the laws of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty by heart? Do I need to explain to you what the crime of harming the Immortal Dynasty is?!" Kuang Liuting's thin face was full of anger.

Although both were harshly questioned by the Earl of Nan'an, Tie Liuyun's performance was much better than Linghu You's.

He knelt up, straightened his clothes and composed himself, and said solemnly, "I believe that the people of Shannan Circuit are not as virtuous as they used to be. This coldness has not been formed overnight. Now is a time of great turmoil, and it is rare to find a sect like Mystic Moon Sect that has some understanding of loyalty and righteousness. They should be set as a model for Shannan Circuit."

Therefore, even if Mystic Moon Sect occasionally committed rebellious acts, the lower officials only thought of temporarily suspending punishment and giving him a lesson, so as not to let those with ulterior motives add fuel to the fire and push the people's hearts that had been hard-won for the Lord back into the arms of others.

This will ensure that the Mystic Moon Sect remembers this and continues to serve the state court, the Lord, and the Immortal Dynasty wholeheartedly!

Only after Tie Liuyun's words reached his ears did Kuang Liuting's expression lighten, Gun Shilu's expression also relaxed somewhat.

Only Sect Leader Kang Da, with only half his backside on the chair, remained expressionless, inwardly thinking, "It seems the Earl's habit of being so easily swayed is incurable. He loves loyalty above all else, even if it's feigned. If one can grasp this principle, it will be easy to become an official in Cloud Horn Prefecture Court."

Kang Dabao cursed Tie Liuyun, that treacherous official who always knew how to say nice things, in his heart again, while muttering to himself, "Such a high-sounding speech, you've used up all the good and bad words."

Kuang Liuting made no move in response, but Gun Shilu glared at Kang Dabao, showing some dissatisfaction.

Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat confused, but Kuang Liuting spoke up again, "What you say makes sense, so I'll believe you. But..."

The Marquis of Earl of Nan'an's expression turned solemn. He pointed his halberd at Linghu You, who was now a lamb to the slaughter, and said in a deep voice, "The official of my Great Wei Immortal Dynasty cannot die in vain. I cannot use this man. Execute him!"

"Lord!" Tie Liuyun exclaimed in surprise, clearly not expecting that his impassioned speech would fail to change Kuang Liuting's mind.

"What are you yelling about?! Execute him!" The Earl of Nan'an's tone remained unchanged as he spoke again in a deep voice.

Tie Liuyun immediately shook his head. He had thought before he came that Kuang Liuting would be angry because Feng Wan had been killed by Linghu Rong, but he never expected that Kuang Liuting would be so angry that he wanted to take Linghu You's life.

"Just a lowly cultivator with Five Spirit Roots, worthless as weeds!! This is False Core! False Core with over a thousand disciples and followers, enough to influence the war situation of an entire state!" Tie Liuyun almost shouted out his thoughts in front of Kuang Liuting.

He could no longer feign pitifulness; he immediately rose and went to Kuang Liuting's side, offering another remonstrance. "This... this sinful subject begs Your Excellency to reconsider! If this matter comes to light, the good families who responded to my Ding Prefecture camp will surely be alarmed."

With morale shattered, we will lose a major general and allow the Hongyi Sect to gain an advantage. The favorable situation in Ding Prefecture might be ruined, and Lord Earl's efforts will be in vain!

To be fair, Tie Liuyun's words were not entirely unfounded.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da had to admit that Linghu You, as the only False Core Sect leader in Ding Prefecture who sided with the state court, could indeed play such a role.

To outsiders, killing someone for nothing, just because of a minor Qi Refinement, seems like a futile act.

But to everyone's surprise, after hearing Tie Liuyun and Chen Qing's assessment, Kuang Liuting's tone remained unchanged, extremely indifferent. "Kill them!!"

Tie Liuyun knew he couldn't persuade him anymore, so he sighed and was about to turn away when he heard Gun Shilu, who had been silent until now, speak up again to persuade him:

"My lord, please forgive me! What the Assistant Commissioner Tie said is true. I have just returned from White Sand County. With the help of the Two Instruments Sect Yuan Household, the Yuan family has made little progress. However, the situation is different in Ding Prefecture."

Now that the Hongyi Sect is producing no Golden Core and Yue Lin's guest elders far surpass their peers, if all the local cultivators of Ding Prefecture, like Linghu You, were to follow his example and abandon darkness for light, Ding Prefecture would surely be captured! At that time, the people of Ding Prefecture would be overjoyed, the Prince of the South's Palace would be bathed in glory, and the entire Great Wei Kingdom would be shaken."

Upon hearing this, Chief Tie Liuyun breathed a sigh of relief, while Kang Dabao's gaze toward the Acting Sima Gun showed disgust for the first time.

"Has that old man secretly sided with the Yue Household as well? Once my uncle comes out of the pass, I'm afraid he'll have to purge that Capital Region Faction!"

Sect Leader Kang Da wondered if Zhu Tong, who was currently engaged in a fierce battle with Yuan Buwen on the front lines in White Sand County, would jump up and down upon hearing Gun Shilu's words.

"That's not how you play partisan politics! Regardless of right or wrong, the essence of partisan politics is to agree with what you oppose and oppose what you agree with!"

Gun Shilu's advice was clearly more convincing to Kuang Liuting than Tie Liuyun's, and after so long of discussion, a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes for the first time.

He was still hesitating when Tie Liuyun dared not speak further, while Gun Shilu simply bowed deeply without raising his head.

"Kang Dabao, I didn't call you here just to have tea. Tell me what happened."

Only after being called upon by Kuang Liuting did Sect Leader Kang Da rise without flinching, "This humble official, though lacking in knowledge, dares to offer some foolish insights and limited perspectives."

"Enough with the nonsense, speak!" The Earl, not one to mince words, urged him on.

Kang Dabao hurriedly replied, "These are some of the belongings of Feng Wan, the Jin County Linghu was so generous in picking them up that I've gathered them up. Please take a look, Your Excellency."

A stack of multicolored Jade Slip was taken out of the Storage Bag by the Sect Leader Kang Da. They were obviously the cheapest and most desirable items favored by impoverished rogue Rogue Cultivator, but they piqued Kuang Liuting's curiosity, so he took one to examine it.

"Records of the People of Jin County, Compiled in the 440th Year of Qianfeng", "Jin County Leisure", "On Food and Medicine", "Jin County Gazetteer: Immortals, Buddhist and Daoist Techniques, Chastity, Righteousness, Filial Piety, Friendship, and Recluses, Elections and Instructions, Local Customs and Morality, Water Conservancy of the Yeqing Canal, Auspicious and Strange Customs, Stars, Mountains and Rivers, Territorial Geography."

Kuang Liuting's expression grew increasingly somber as he read, and Tie and Gun's faces also darkened.

As soon as Kuang Liuting finished reading through the stacks of multicolored Jade Slips, the hall fell completely silent. Indeed, where in the history of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty could one find such a dedicated official? This very rarity was enough to silence everyone.

After a long while, Sect Leader Kang Da finally spoke at the opportune moment:

"Lord Bo entrusted the affairs of Jin County to me, but I have failed to do so well. I apologize for this. I did not expect that the Jin County was also a Foundation Establishment who could not handle trivial matters. It is a pity that such a mediocre person as Feng Wan has been in charge of the county affairs for so many years."

Even the lower-ranking officials were unaware that he had done so many things. These Jade Slip were, of course, worthless. But for over a thousand years, no one in the counties of Cloud Horn Prefecture had done such things.

Feng Wan was a rather unremarkable person, with extremely poor aptitude, unable to even reach the Late Qi Refinement, and thus unable to offer the Earl any significant help.

But since being granted the position of county magistrate by the Earl, he has done a decent job of pacifying the region and suppressing injustices. He has never hidden himself behind enemy lines, even when he has suffered multiple wounds and charged into battle to seize enemy camps.

He wanted to do it well, and he was doing it well.

After saying this, Kang Dabao fell silent, bowing deeply to Gun Shilu. He could feel Acting Sima Gun beside him struggling to suppress his surging emotions, yet remaining silent.

He seemed to have truly stopped caring about Linghu You's life or death, and was now acting like an outsider.

Acting Sima Gun knew that Kang Dabao had won this time. In the matter of taking the pulse of the Earl of Nan'an, the latter was not necessarily any worse than these state officials.

Tie Liuyun closed his eyes, not thinking anything further, and silently waited for Kuang Liuting to speak.

With a "bang," the three of them felt a jolt in their hearts and dared not look.

The black ring that had originally been on Linghu You's body was now covered in blood and mud. In mid-air, it flashed with a magical light, annihilating all the flesh and bone fragments on his body into vapor before finally falling back into Kuang Liuting's hand, radiating precious light.

The Earl of Nan'an seemed to be in low spirits. He sat down and returned to his seat, calmly stating, "Linghu You the Mystic Moon Sect, the Immortal Dynasty Sect has been harming officials of our Immortal Dynasty. Their intentions are wicked, and their crimes deserve to be punished!"

Considering the family's meritorious service in the uprising, the collective punishment is suspended. All cultivators of the Xuan Yue Sect above the Mystic Moon Sect Foundation Establishment must be carefully vetted; anyone involved in the murder of Jin County Feng Wan will be executed Linghu You to the laws of Linghu You, with no leniency permitted.

The remaining disciples of the Mystic Moon Sect are devoted to the king's affairs and of pure nature; none of them have defected to the enemy, which greatly pleases me. I hereby order the relevant officials to draft rewards and bestow them upon them within ten days, spreading the word far and wide. All of them shall remain in the Ding Prefecture camp to serve, and must not flinch in the slightest.

"Your Excellency is wise!" the three replied loudly.

"Tie Liuyun, Kang Dabao, you have a long way to go. Go back and focus on your work."

"Yes." Kang Dabao immediately felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly withdrew, ignoring Tie Liuyun who had asked him to stay, and rushed towards the Chongming Sect. At this moment, he still had troublesome matters to deal with at home, so he had no time to listen to Tie Liuyun's insincere and high-sounding words.

After the two had left, Kuang Liuting finally sighed and said, "This kid doesn't resemble you at all; he Fei Nanying."

Gun Shilu did not respond, so Kuang Liuting continued, "He is more soft-hearted than you, but more Fei Nanying, and he is also capable. I must continue to use him."

"However, the only one I, Kuang Liuting, can truly rely on is you."