I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 215 Aristocratic Family
The sun gradually rose, and the sunlight fell on Xie Yuan, casting a long, slanted shadow on the ridge of the field.

Xie Yuan looked at the confused old man holding a stick and snorted coldly:
"They kidnapped people, oppressed the common people, caused the tragic deaths of innocent people, and destroyed countless families! Such heinous crimes deserve to be punished by everyone!"

The old man looked ridiculous after hearing these words:
"Just for this reason, you dare to provoke us? Naive!"

"That's the reason! There will always be people in this world who can't stand you doing evil, no matter what your background is."

Xie Yuan said seriously.

Originally, when he was in Yunzhao, he deeply realized how much harm the collusion between local officials and martial arts gangs would cause to the local area. Countless civilian businesses had been forcibly annexed and occupied by the Vajra Sect. However, the situation in Yunzhao was far less corrupt than that in Wuhe. At least there were the county magistrate and the Longteng Escort Agency to check and balance them.

Now, Wuhe is completely shrouded in a black hand, which can abduct people if it wants or burn people to death if it wants. The local people have nowhere to turn to for help and can only accept it.

Moreover, Xie Yuan could not stand such evils as human trafficking and abduction of women and children, no matter what life he was in. How many originally happy families were broken up because of it!

This has become a big deal here, and Xie Yuan can't stand it. No matter how big the family behind him is, he has to take care of it today.

Anyway, he is already a wanted criminal. He has offended the government, and he is not afraid of offending a noble family. The worst that can happen is that he can go back to being Zhang Shan and hiding in the Jian Sect.

Since it is to punish evil, it is expected that Li Xingtuo will definitely not reject him for this reason, but will praise him instead.

Xie Yuan now has a backer behind him. Besides, his partner next to him is not afraid of the aristocratic family, and she can be said to be the girl who is least afraid of the aristocratic family.

He pointed at the old man and shouted coldly:

"Are you the Mr. Qian? You are very secretive and don't dare to reveal your family background. You just say which family you are from, openly or secretly?

"Jinling Yao, or Yongyang Qian? A thousand-year-old family, how can it be so shameful now!"

The old man's face darkened slightly, and he said slowly:
"You should not be reckless if you know so much. The matter here is very important. If you mess it up, I'm afraid you will have to pay the price no matter which family you belong to."

Xie Yuan sneered:
"It's so confusing and you talk so much nonsense. Forget it, wait until I catch you, then I'll get to the bottom of it and see what you're up to!"

He shook his sword, which turned into a white light, like thick clouds and mist, covering the old man.

Almost at the same time, Situ Qin plucked the strings of his zither from behind, and the invisible energy force arrived first and hit Mr. Qian.

The old man looked stern and raised the iron rod.

He seemed to have tremendous strength in his hands, and his movements were extremely strenuous, raising a strong wind on the flat ground, blocking Situ Qin's arrows and blowing away Xie Yuan's clouds and mist.

Xie Yuan's expression became serious. Seeing that Mr. Qian seemed to be going to use his special move, he activated the Golden Bell Cover with all his strength. It was like a huge upside-down golden bell around him, completely protecting him.

The old man raised the iron rod above his head, and his blood and energy were entangled like a whirlwind, causing ripples everywhere, but it never broke, completely blocking Situ Qin's continuous sonic attacks.

He built up his momentum to the limit, roared loudly, and suddenly smashed the iron rod down with a force like a mountain falling on his head!

Xie Yuan felt that there was no way to avoid this blow, his face was serious, the long sword in his hand instantly shortened and widened, turning into a large Xuanhua axe, holding it with both hands, he let out a "hey", went upstream, cut out a black halo, and attacked fiercely!
The iron rod with strong wind and the axe shining with black light collided with each other, but there was no earth-shattering noise, but it swung far away.

Xie Yuan was surprised, but he saw that the awe-inspiring Mr. Qian took advantage of the situation to retreat suddenly, instantly increasing his speed and escaping back to the manor!

This seemingly unstoppable blow was actually just a feint of retreat?
Xie Yuan cursed the old thief inwardly for being cunning. He had never seen anyone so aggressive just to escape. He raised his leg, unleashed the Cloud Dragon Step, and chased after him fiercely.

Situ Qin waved his hands continuously, the strings of the zither moved rapidly, and one invisible air arrow after another was released, hitting Mr. Qian.

However, all the energy generated by Mr. Qian's stick was wrapped around himself, and not a single bit of it flowed into the iron stick, forming a defense that had no blind spots like a golden bell.

Who would have thought that this was a move to protect oneself and retreat?
Situ Qin frowned, put away her zither, followed Xie Yuan not far behind, and also chased after him towards the manor.

The two men followed Mr. Qian, one in front and one behind. Although they were gradually getting closer, he took advantage of the sudden opportunity to escape and got far away in a moment. He entered the manor before the two men caught up with him.

The manor door then slammed shut.

Seeing this, Xie Yuan did not stop, stepped suddenly on the steps at the door, jumped high, his whole body shining with golden light, and climbed over the wall directly.

"Shhhhh-"

As soon as Xie Yuan showed his figure on the top of the wall, a strong rain of arrows came from below!

Xie Yuan's expression slightly moved. These sharp arrows were accurate and powerful, and were all shot from heavy bows, blocking his surroundings and his forward route, leaving him with no escape.

Obviously, the team of archers below were no weaker than the elite soldiers in the army! This rain of arrows could kill ordinary masters directly.

But Xie Yuan was not afraid.

It was difficult to avoid the rain of arrows, but he was not prepared to dodge. A bright golden light shone around him, blocking all the arrows outside the golden bell, making a tinkling sound.

Xie Yuan landed steadily among the archers, and the mysterious weapon in his hand turned into a moon-cutting axe, which he swung back and slashed, making a full circle.

There were screams all around, blood and broken limbs flying everywhere, most of the archers were killed or injured in an instant, leaving a large open space.

Zhan Yue is fierce and powerful, perfect for group battles!

When Xie Yuan saw Mr. Qian passing through the corridor in front and going far away, his eyes fixed and he rushed towards him. Behind him, Situ Qin stood lightly on the eaves of the wall. She paused, slightly turned sideways, raised her white hand, picked up a sharp arrow, and threw it back without even looking.

With a whoosh, a muffled groan came from the corner, and then there was no movement.

She looked down from above, watching Xie Yuan chasing after Mr. Qian, and silently followed him, leaping between the rooftops.

The steps she used at this time were not like the Yunlong Step, but they were equally superb and swift, flexible and light, and extremely elegant. She floated between the roofs of different heights as if walking on flat ground, chasing the two people closely.

Situ Qin looked around and saw a guard team trying to kill Xie Yuan and block his way. He simply stood on a high place in the middle of the manor, took out the guqin, and played the sound of killing.

As a result, any guard who wanted to get close to Xie Yuan felt their whole body tremble, their eyes turned red and their ears buzzed. Covering their ears was useless. Then they simply fell to the ground one by one, rolled on the ground, and lost their fighting power.

Seeing that all the obstacles blocking his way were subdued by Situ Qin, Xie Yuan became more spirited, exhaled, started to speed up again, and chased after Mr. Qian.

Seeing that the guards of the village were unable to stop Xie Yuan and the other two, the old man glared in anger and swung his stick back as he ran:

"Too deceiving!"

The stick came suddenly and with incredible speed, directly cutting off the beams of the corridor. The corridor instantly tilted down and pressed towards Xie Yuan.

Seeing the corridor roof and the iron rod coming at him together, Xie Yuan dodged to the side and went out of the corridor. He saw the old man leaping out, holding the rod above his head with both hands, and chopping towards him with the force of Mount Tai!
Xie Yuan did not intend to fight the old man head-on, so he dodged the stick again. Then he transformed the axe in his hand into a long sword, and danced with the momentum of clouds and mist, and a hidden dragon, covering the old man's whole body.

Mr. Qian was trapped in the Nine Forms of Cloud Dragon. All he saw was white for a moment. A cold light with extremely oppressive power was passing through the clouds. No one knew when it would show its head, but he kept it in his pocket without releasing it, and it circled around without striking. It moved left and right, and he could see the head but not the tail. This put him under extremely heavy pressure.

It was obvious that his cultivation was far superior to his opponent's, even the difference between being in the late stage of the second transformation of qi and blood and just breaking through, was completely useless under these sword moves. His powerful blood and energy could not do anything to Xie Yuan, so he could only take a defensive stance.

The old man's iron rod barely resisted the Yunlong claws' provocations several times. Feeling the unmatched power, his arm was slightly numb. A light flashed in his mind, and he shouted:

"Nine Styles of Cloud Dragon! You are using the Nine Styles of Cloud Dragon... How is this possible!"

Xie Yuan did not answer, but the sword in his hand flashed faster again, ready to capture Mr. Qian as soon as possible.

The old man looked surprised and doubtful. The Nine Styles of Yunlong was the master-level sword technique of the Yunshan Sword Sect. It was famous, unpredictable, and extremely powerful, which was exactly in line with the characteristics of the sword moves of the person in front of him.

However, he had obviously just broken through to the second level of transformation. How could he have mastered the sword technique of a master so skillfully that he was completely unable to fight back?

The people from Yunshan Sword Sect noticed something was wrong here and came to investigate? But this kid never revealed his identity...

The old man was shocked and doubtful, but he gradually retreated under Xie Yuan's overwhelming attack, his back hitting the wall.

This manor is vast, but its interior structure is horizontal and vertical, with clear divisions, like a prison, heavily guarded and full of guards.

But Situ Qin was stationed in a high place, suppressing the entire village, and was not afraid of his target being conspicuous.

After fighting for so long, the old man still had no help, so he knew that no one would come to save him.

As he realized this, his expression gradually became solemn.

If you fall into the hands of the enemy, you will not survive either. If you say something you shouldn’t say, the outcome will be even worse.

The old man's face gradually turned grim, and suddenly he let out a long laugh. The iron rod rose up like a peak, breaking through the cloud created by Xie Yuan's sword light:

"The Nine Styles of Cloud Dragon are famous far and wide. It is a blessing for me to be able to learn from them before I die!"

Seeing that the old man disregarded his own safety and was attacking him with a fatal move, Xie Yuan did not want to take it head-on, even though he had the Golden Bell Cover to protect him.

He made a mistake in his Yunlong Step and dodged slightly, but the sword in his hand did not stop. He continued to suppress the old man, leaving a shallow wound on his chest and a streak of blood.

The old man managed to retreat and only suffered minor injuries.

If he had been a minute slower or an inch shorter, he would have been ripped open.

However, he was not afraid at all when he narrowly escaped death. He swung the iron rod again and smashed it down hard!

Xie Yuan jumped to the side to avoid the stick, and a big hole suddenly appeared on the ground where he had just stood, with gravel flying and dust flying everywhere.

While Mr. Qian was unable to retract his iron rod, he suddenly thrust out his sword in mid-air, like a dragon extending its claws, looking down from above and stabbing the old man straight in the chest and abdomen!
The old man tried to block the attack with the end of his stick, but he was unable to resist and was stabbed in the abdomen.

Xie Yuan thrust out his sword and then retracted it, leaving a bloody hole. He stood in front of the old man and said:
"If you don't surrender now, when will you surrender?"

The old man covered his stomach, blood oozing out from between his fingers, and smiled faintly:

"Your skills are varied, your swordsmanship is sharp, and your weapons are mysterious. I am ashamed to be inferior to you."

Xie Yuan's expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded:

"Okay, then you..."

"But if you want me to surrender, that is absolutely impossible!"

The old man's hand trembled, and the iron rod suddenly rose up like a poisonous snake and stabbed towards Xie Yuan!
Xie Yuan's brows furrowed, and he swung his sword down instantly, colliding with the iron rod head-on, causing his arm to shake violently!

Two invisible energy forces attacked, one of them pressed down the iron rod together with Xie Yuan, and the other one stabbed directly into the old man's chest.

The old man's chest suddenly broke open and blood gushed out; his eyes were wide open and he wanted to swing the iron rod, but he had no strength left and could only lean on the weapon. Blood was oozing from his lips and he seemed to want to say something, but he finally slowly lowered his head and died.

Although the old man's body was thin and short, he still stood tall after his death, with an unyielding aura.

Situ Qin landed beside Xie Yuan and whispered:
"I was in a hurry..."

Xie Yuan shook his head:
"This opponent is really strong. Is this Mr. Qian from the Yongyang Qian family?"

Situ Qin frowned slightly:
"It's hard to say, but this kind of unyielding attitude is not like Qian's style..."

After hearing her comments, Xie Yuan couldn't help but smile despite his heavy heart.

Situ Qin once said that the Qian family of Yongyang has a tradition of light skills and they are the ones who run away the fastest when encountering trouble.

The old man would rather die than surrender, and in the end he fought with a desperate determination, as if he was seeking death. This made the two men a little puzzled and at the same time felt heavy in their hearts.

How big is the secret that makes him prefer death to revealing a single word?

Xie Yuan sighed:

"The manor is here, you have to go and see it yourself."

Situ Qin nodded, and the two of them searched the manor like a whirlwind.

However, when the two men were fighting with Mr. Qian, the huge manor was on fire everywhere and in chaos. It seemed that some guards wanted to destroy the evidence.

In addition to the manor guards, there were also many servants and maids, who were running around screaming. Cries for help came from many rooms, and Xie Yuan unlocked the iron locks one by one. Many young women and even children escaped from the rooms, all of them with pretty faces and red lips and white teeth.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked solemn as they organized the captured victims to run out of the manor. Any guards who dared to stop them on the way were no match for them. Gradually, the way forward became clear and no one dared to block their way.

After taking everyone out of the manor, Xie Yuan went in to search, but couldn't find anyone else. He also didn't see any of the accounts, lists, etc. They were probably burned long ago.

He frowned slightly, and went out of the village again. He saw Situ Qin gathering the women and children together and asked them in detail.

These people were still in shock, and when they saw that they had escaped, they cried. Xie Yuan roughly counted them, and there were no less than a hundred people!

It’s impossible for so many people to go missing in Wuhe County?
Xie Yuan frowned, Situ Qin came over and whispered:

"I asked a few people, and they found out that there are not only people from Wuhe, but also people from all over Yunzhou, Yanzhou, and even outside the Great Wall!"

Xie Yuan had already seen several people of the Semu race inside. They were graceful and beautiful, and at first glance they were beauties from the Western Regions.

He looked at them one by one and found that there were women of all kinds here. Most of them were pretty and charming, and a few of them could be called stunning beauties. There were also a few who looked alike, as if they were sisters from the same mother.

As for the children, most of them looked smart and clever. Some had tattoos on their foreheads, while some did not. However, they also looked chubby and it was unclear what category they belonged to.

This scene was like a human trafficking market, with all kinds of "goods" available, all of them of top quality, making Xie Yuan and Situ Qin look gloomy.

The noise and fire in the manor had long attracted the attention of the surrounding villagers, and the large number of women and children who ran out made the local villagers in Wuhe think of something. They screamed in fear and ran around to tell each other, and the news gradually spread.

Soon, many people in the county town rushed to the manor, came up to the women and children, and searched for them one by one with hopeful eyes.

It’s a pity that the families of these people have been lost for a long time and are no longer here. They may never be found again.

There are about a hundred people, not too many or too few. It will take some time for me to check them all and know if my family members are there.

But they looked again and again, as if they would not give up, until they confirmed again and again that their wives, daughters and children were not there, the light in their eyes dimmed bit by bit.

Suddenly, someone screamed:
"Lian'er!"

Then the old couple held a young girl in their arms, very excited. This was the Wuhe resident who had recently lost her daughter. Now the family was reunited, and the three of them gathered together, ecstatic.

"Tiger boy!"

"Cui Cui!"

Two more families found their daughters and children, and the local victims in Wuhe who had not yet been transferred away immediately found their relatives.

After surviving the disaster, they felt a mixture of sadness and joy, crying and laughing. The victims whose relatives were lost or far away from their hometowns felt mixed emotions, empathized with the victims, and shed tears silently, but they didn't know where their relatives were.

"Girl, were you kidnapped too? Where are you from? If you have nowhere to go, stay at my aunt's house first. I think you look a lot like my daughter... I will help you get home."

There are also Wuhe residents who cannot find their own relatives and feel very sympathetic towards other victims who have been abducted here, and are prepared to do their best to help.

They may not be a very loving or well-off family, but they just hope that by doing this, their own children will be treated well outside one day.

In the crowd, an old beggar with gray hair and dirty body was pulling the group of women to look at them one by one, and he kept muttering:
"Yu'er, Yu'er, where are you?"

The women were already frightened, and when they saw the old beggar approaching, they all backed away.

But hearing his miserable and anxious cries, the kidnapped women were sad, and many of them wondered if their fathers had become like this. They patiently let the old beggar take a closer look, but they kept shaking their heads and said they didn't know the girl. Seeing the old beggar's hope and then walk away disappointed again and again, many women even sobbed.

Mr. Fan also looked again and again until he was sure that his daughter was not there. His face turned pale and he said nothing.

He looked at the reunited families and felt an inexplicable jealousy and resentment in his heart, but he immediately suppressed the thought and just murmured:
"It's good to find it back, it's good to find it back..."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin were interrogating the captured guards when they heard the noise from over there, some were crying, some were laughing, some were crying with joy, and some were crying on the ground.

They turned their heads and saw some happy and some sad families over there, which was the appearance of all living beings.

"Who is behind you?"

Xie Yuan asked while holding a guard.

"I-I don't know."

The guard was terrified.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked at each other and both frowned.

These guards were very capable, but when I asked a few of them, they all didn't know who they were serving.

Many of them were recruited from other places, brought here, and managed in a closed manner. They only take orders from a few leaders and know very little.

Xie Yuan asked again:

"Did Mr. Qian tell you where he came from? If he lies, his fate will be the same as those people just now."

The guard looked at his companions lying on the ground, swallowed his saliva, and whispered:
"Mr. Qian is a very high-ranking figure and a very mysterious person. We rarely see him, let alone have a chance to talk to him."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin frowned when they heard this, feeling that something was wrong.

When we were chasing Mr. Qian just now, he was commanding the guards along the way, mentioning names, which was obviously inconsistent with what this person said!

Xie Yuan frowned and said:
"Rarely seen? Hardly any communication? Just now I saw him mobilizing you very skillfully, obviously he practices often. You still want to lie to me, are you not afraid of death?"

The guard was stunned and said:

"just……?"

Xie Yuan felt a strange feeling in his heart:
"Didn't you see me killing him just now?"

"Just now... the one who just fought against you was Mr. Liu, not Mr. Qian."

Mr. Liu?
Not Mr. Qian?
Xie Yuan and Situ Qin were stunned for a moment, and their expressions suddenly changed slightly.

They had a preconceived idea, so Mr. Liu didn't comment and actually recognized the wrong person!

After the powerful Mr. Liu, there is actually another master?

The two men felt their vests tighten, stood up suddenly, and looked around, but found nothing.

The victims were still noisy, the guards were still dejected, and nothing seemed to have changed.

But suddenly, both of them turned their heads at the same time and stared at the guards in front of them.

The guard's face flushed red, and he opened his mouth to breathe, but only made a hoarse sound. His face became uglier and uglier, and he clamped his hands around his neck, but it seemed that he couldn't breathe no matter what.

Two streams of black blood suddenly flowed from the guard's nose. He slowly fell to the ground, and then dirty blood flowed out of all his seven orifices. He twisted his body twice and died.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin took two steps back instantly, frowning.

"What a powerful poison!"

Situ Qin's face was tense. This guard was just the beginning. The guards, servants, and maids around him all showed the same symptoms one after another. They were all unable to breathe and bleeding from all seven orifices. It took only a few breaths from the onset of the poison to death.

The two men looked grim, and were somewhat annoyed when they saw that all the captives around them were dead and there were no survivors to interrogate.

"what!"

A scream was heard behind them, and they both turned their heads at the same time, their expressions changed.

This poison is not only on these guards.

The abducted women and children over there also had their faces turned black and blue, with blood oozing from all their orifices. They were all holding their throats and necks, but to no avail.

They struggled for a while, then fell to the ground one after another, like puppets without their strings.

"No! No!"

"Lian'er!"

"Tiger boy, Tiger boy! Don't scare your father!"

The families who had finally found their relatives fell from the sky to the ground in an instant. They looked at their loved ones lying in their arms in agony, their faces black, blood flowing from all seven orifices, unable to make a sound. They could only hold their hands in vain and cry out over and over again.

However, no matter how tightly they held their hands, no matter how deep the red marks on their hands were, they could no longer keep their children.

They had just reunited after a long separation, but now they were completely separated by the Yin and Yang, and in such a painful way.

The ridge of the field where the survivors survived the disaster suddenly turned into a living hell.

The other people scattered in fear, watching this scene with fear and terror, and they didn't know what to feel in their hearts.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin's eyes widened, their fists clenched, and a rage burned in their chests. However, this poison was extremely powerful, and Situ Qin saw that it had been implanted in these people's bodies long ago. Once it broke out, they would die instantly, and even if they wanted to save them, it would be too late.

She asked in a trembling voice:
"If you want to kill them, you can do it right here in the manor. You can't keep any of them alive. Why do you have to do it now?"

Xie Yuan's face was as dark as water, and he said in a deep voice:

"This is Mr. Qian demonstrating to us..."

It was obvious that Mr. Qian, who was nowhere to be found, had already seen everything.

Such behavior has the subtext of mocking that everything Xie Yuan and the other man do is in vain, and also implies that everything is in his control and life and death are determined by him.

Just for the sake of demonstration, they had to give people hope and then shatter it... Looking at those Wuhe residents who ignored the poison and cried heartbreakingly while holding the bodies of their family members, this feeling would probably drive people crazy.

It is a demonstration, but also Mr. Qian’s bad taste.

Is this what a true aristocratic family does?
In their eyes, the common people may not even be considered human beings.

Xie Yuan gritted his teeth, turned his head suddenly, and looked around, trying to find any trace of Mr. Qian. However, apart from the common people standing around, there were only corpses of people who had died of poisoning, and he found nothing.

Maybe it has already disappeared.

Xie Yuan quickly walked around the ridge of the field and found the middle-aged man whose arms he had cut off. As expected, he saw that his eyes were wide open, his body was stiff, and he had died.

He returned to Situ Qin with a gloomy face. He slowly put away his Xuan Bing, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind.

wrong!

The guard they had just interrogated was the first to die from the poison, and then the others died almost at the same time.

In other words, it is very likely that Mr. Qian did not want the guard to say any more, so he activated the poison!

Then he must be close enough to hear the conversation!

Maybe this kind of people just like to enjoy the scene slowly...

Xie Yuan turned his head slightly and looked at Situ Qin. His eyes moved and he glanced at the corpses of the guards lying on the ground in front of him.

Situ Qinben's face turned pale with anger. When she saw Xie Yuan's subtle expression, she was stunned for a moment, then she instantly understood what he meant. She slowly stepped back and took out the zither.

Xie Yuan looked at the corpses of guards and servants in front of him and thought silently:

"If Mr. Qian is very powerful, he should have joined forces with Old Chen and others to stop us. He would not have easily given up this population transfer site that has been run for a long time and spans several states. He hid in the dark, causing Old Chen to despair and die in the end. He did not show up after we destroyed this place, which means that his strength is not much higher than ours..."

Xie Yuan narrowed his eyes, drew out his long sword, and directly transformed it into a giant axe, his aura gradually rising.

The atmosphere in the field suddenly became subtle and quiet.

After a few breaths, a servant with blood all over his face suddenly crawled out from the pile of corpses, rushed out in an instant, and turned into a faint shadow.

Xie Yuan swung his half-charged axe directly out, and a miniature semicircular axe blade chased the man's back; at the same time, Situ Qin pressed down heavily with her slender hand, and a long-awaited explosive force of the piano was released in anger, catching up with the shadow in an instant!

The shadow was hit by two attacks at the same time, and a dazzling light suddenly burst out from its body, as if something was broken.

Then he staggered, accelerated again, and in the blink of an eye only a small figure was left.

So fast?
Xie Yuan opened his eyes, filled his feet with air, and shouted:

"Chase!"

Situ Qin was no slower than him, he had already rushed out with his guqin on his back, and said hurriedly:

"It's Yongyang Qian! This Light Wind Step is their family's unique skill, and the speed of escape is amazing!"

The two of them used their Yunlong Steps with all their might, and chased after him. In the blink of an eye, they were far away.

The local people and farmers looked at the few people in confusion as they turned into black dots and disappeared. They had no idea what had happened from beginning to end.

Fan Xiucai took a quick look and felt that the figure was somewhat familiar, but his old eyes were blurry and he had no skills, so he could not see clearly, so he had to scan the corpses again. Seeing the victims he had just looked at one by one, the life that was still vibrant now froze, and he suddenly felt dizzy.

He was originally resentful and regretful that his daughter was not here, but now he was suddenly glad that she was not here.

But then, Mr. Fan's face slowly turned pale again. He looked at the corpses on the ground without saying a word and went back to Wuhe County in a daze.

He walked to a tavern not far from the city gate, sat down, and heard many people talking about what was happening outside the city. News always spread quickly, and everyone in the city knew about it.

Mr. Fan took out the few pieces of silver from his chest with trembling hands. They were exactly what Xie Yuan had given him.

"Waiter, please bring me a pot of wine and a plate of beef."

Mr. Fan had been going door to door looking for his daughter more than once, and he had long been famous in the city. The waiter recognized him in a daze and was getting impatient, but when he saw that he had money, he smiled and served him wine and meat.

Mr. Fan drank and ate meat after a long time, and gradually he felt stronger, but his heart was still cold.

He walked with roots, left the tavern, quickened his pace, went to the gate of the county government office, took a deep breath, and struck the drum.

"Boom-thump-thump-"

Mr. Fan exerted all his strength, as if he wanted to smash the drum into pieces.

The bailiffs came up to stop them, and it took some effort for the two of them to subdue the skinny old beggar and take him into the hall.

Yao Zhizhang hurriedly put on his officer's hat and sat on a high chair, his expression uncertain.

He had already received the news and was in a state of panic, but now someone came to beat the drum?
Yao Zhizhang had a gloomy face, and was prepared to lock up the common people for two days to wake them up if they couldn't answer.

As a result, when he saw the gray hair and thin face, he was stunned for a moment and frowned:
"Brother Fan, why are you here? I'm busy right now. If you want money..."

"Yao Zhizhang, when did I ever ask for your money?"

Scholar Fan looked up at the county magistrate under the plaque "Serving the People" and pointed at him:
"Yao Zhizhang, you swore to me that the people who beat the beggars were vagrants from Yanzhou. How come those people were less than five miles outside the city, and you, as the county magistrate, couldn't see them?!"

When Yao Zhizhang heard that he came here for this purpose, his face turned ugly, his brows knitted, and he said slowly:

"I just learned about this matter and am investigating it. Please be patient..."

"I just found out! You are a local official, and you just found out about this cancer! I thought you were very capable and honest, but it turns out you can't even control it! How many people have been harmed! Just now, more than a hundred people died, the apples of more than a hundred families' eyes!"

Mr. Fan was so angry that his beard was shaking.

Yao Zhizhang suppressed his temper:

"I told you, I'm investigating..."

"What the hell are you investigating? You've been in Wuhe for so many years, and the boat gangs are getting stronger and stronger. The lives of ordinary boatmen and fishermen are getting harder and harder, and more and more children are missing! I've been speaking up for you and thinking about you. It's not easy for you to be an official from another place and balance the local gentry, but look at what you've done!"

Fan Xiucai spread his hair and beard and roared:
"Let me ask you, they all said that you accepted money from Meng Hesheng, is it true? They also said that you teamed up with the boat gang to traffic in people, is it true?"

Yao Zhizhang's face was as gloomy as water. He looked at Fan Xiucai who was spitting all over the place, his eyes were cold and he said nothing.

When Mr. Fan saw his expression, he understood everything and said in great grief and anger:
"Yao Zhizhang, you were full of vigor and vitality in the academy, united your classmates, and said that you would become a good official who would speak up for the people. Look at what you have become now!"

Yao Zhizhang finally couldn't bear it anymore, he slammed the table and shouted:
"You think I'm... stupid! Naive! Idiot!"

He pointed at Mr. Fan angrily and said:
"Roaring in court, beat him! Twenty strokes of the cane, no, fifty!"

The yamen runners dragged Fan Xiucai away and began to punish him with a cane. How could the frail Fan Xiucai endure so many blows? Before he had been beaten ten times, his head tilted and he died.

However, until his death, his eyes were wide open and he angrily scolded Yao Zhizhang, and never uttered a word of begging for mercy.

"Mr. County Magistrate, he..."

A yamen runner bowed to Yao Zhizhang and whispered.

Yao Zhizhang walked quickly to the courtyard, looked at Fan Xiucai who died with his eyes wide open, gritted his teeth, and growled:
"Untouchables! Carry them away!"

He waved his hands impatiently, took a few deep breaths, and finally calmed down. Then he called over a master:
"Has the boat gang dealt with it?"

"It's already been arranged, all..."

The master made a gesture of wiping his neck, which made Yao Zhizhang's expression relax a little and nodded.

He paced in the yamen, shook his head and said:

"I don't know where these two people come from. Forget it. Everything should be wiped clean."

Yao Zhizhang returned to his study, counted out all the suspicious documents, and burned them completely.

The firelight shone on his face, making it appear bright and dark.

……

“I lost him…”

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stopped in front of a mountain path. They had already chased for dozens of miles, but they did not get closer to Mr. Qian. Instead, they were getting farther and farther away, and he escaped into the mountains.

Xie Yuan punched and slammed his palm, feeling very annoyed:
"It's my fault that I don't have enough strength, otherwise I wouldn't have lost you!"

He fought repeatedly, rushed to the front, used the Nine Styles of Cloud Dragon many times and even swept through thousands of troops. The consumption was huge. After running for dozens of miles, he was somewhat exhausted.

Xie Yuan had just broken through to the second level, and although Mr. Qian had not fought him, his strength should still be above that of Old Liu. Even if he was not at the third level, he must be very close to it. He was not prepared to fight with the two of them, and was determined to escape, so neither Situ Qin nor he could catch up.

Situ Qin shook her head:

"It's not your fault. The Qian family's Light Wind Step has been passed down since ancient times. It is a unique skill for light body movement and is definitely better than the Cloud Dragon Step. If you hadn't been quick to discover it, I'm afraid he would have mixed in with it. Who knows what would have happened next."

Xie Yuan sighed and asked:
"Do you recognize who that person is from the Qian family?"

“I can’t tell… There are many experts in the Qian family, and there are too many experts in the second and third transformation realms.”

Situ Qin said helplessly.

Xie Yuan sighed and nodded:

"Qian Family... I've got it in mind. Well, let's go back to Wuhe first."

Since the two of them had lost the target, they headed back first.

The clues here have been lost, but there is still a Yao Zhizhang in the county. Mr. Qian has already escaped from here, so he will not be killed before the two of them.

The two men hurried all the way back to Wuhe and went straight to the side door of the county government office. Just as they were about to enter, they suddenly saw several yamen runners stealthily carrying a corpse out and placing it on a cart at the side door.

Xie Yuan took a look and suddenly his eyes widened. He showed his figure and moved to the side of the cart to take a closer look. He found that it was the scholar Fan whom he had seen before!
He was shocked and angry, and grabbed a yamen runner by the collar and shouted:

"What happened? How could he die in the county government office?"

"You, who are you..."

"Say it!"

"Well, Mr. Fan roared in court and was ordered by the county magistrate to be caned, but before he could even get a few strokes..."

Xie Yuan stood up suddenly, clenched his fists tightly, and his face was tense.

It was really dark in Wuhe that day.

He dodged and suddenly disappeared from where he was, leaving several yamen runners looking at each other in bewilderment.

Some who reacted quickly changed their expression and rushed into the yamen, but some who reacted even faster had a flickering expression on their faces and slowly pushed their carts out.

In the study, Yao Zhizhang was confirming with his trusted staff whether there was anything left to be done, and he confirmed again and again:

"Have all the passengers from the inn been dealt with by the boat gang?"

"All of them sank, not one was missing. Some of the boat gang knew about it."

Master's vagina.

Yao Zhizhang nodded in satisfaction and was about to say something else when he suddenly saw his master's eyes bulge, a sword tip emerged from his chest, and he fell to the ground, revealing Xie Yuan behind him.

He was horrified, took a step back, and shouted:

"Where did this evil person come from, and what does he want to do?!"

"...You just said that those travelers were still harmed by you?"

Xie Yuan was showing his true self at this time, looking at Yao Zhizhang and speaking in a suppressed manner.

Yao Zhizhang looked at him carefully and said uncertainly:

"Are you Shi Yuan from the Justice Sect...? How dare you come back!"

"Why not? I came back to kill you, the official."

Xie Yuan had a solemn expression on his face. He and Situ Qin stood in front and behind, blocking the exit of the study.

Yao Zhizhang's expression changed and his tone slowed down:

"Young man, let's talk. You don't want to do this."

"Bah! Go and tell the people you harmed about this!"

Xie Yuan felt a tightness in his chest when he thought of those innocent travelers who had been rescued from the sea of ​​fire with great difficulty, only to be sunk into the river again.

Are you blaming yourself for not saving people thoroughly? But there are still so many people on the farm. If you don't cut the Gordian knot quickly...

But in the end, it seemed that it was all in vain and nothing was saved.

Not even one was saved.

He pointed his sword at Yao Zhizhang and said coldly:
"What on earth are you doing here, with all this fuss?"

Yao Zhizhang felt Xie Yuan's strong killing intent, his face turned pale, he was silent for a while, and said lightly:
"Only Mr. Qian knows the details and the real purpose. I am only responsible for coordination. Didn't you ask him?"

Xie Yuan looked at Yao Zhizhang and felt that he didn't seem to be lying, but his patience had reached its limit. He took a breath and said:
"Since you are useless, then go die."

"and many more!"

Seeing Xie Yuan slowly raising his sword, Yao Zhizhang panicked and raised his hand to stop him:

"Do you know who I am? How dare you attack me!"

Yao Zhizhang wanted to wait for Xie Yuan to ask, but seeing that Xie Yuan was unmoved and the sword was about to chop down in the next second, he quickly moved his lips:

"I am a descendant of the Yao family of Jinling!"

Xie Yuanjian paused and said quietly:
"So he is from the Yao family of Jinling."

Yao Zhizhang thought Xie Yuan was hesitating, and immediately became angry and puffed out his chest:

"Let me introduce myself--

"I am a descendant of the Qishui Yao family, a branch of the Jinling Yao family. My surname is Yao, my given name is Zhizhang, and my courtesy name is Shengwen.

"If you make things difficult for me, you will be going against the Yao Clan of Jinling! Think about the consequences!

"Young people are full of energy, and I can understand that. But this matter involves a lot of things, and now that you have ruined it, I can let you off the hook, but you should just run for your lives and stop brandishing swords and guns here. I won't let you off the hook, but I can't guarantee that those big shots in our family will be there. They might already be on their way.

"You are young and inexperienced, and you think that you can fight against a thousand-year-old family with just your passion. I used to... Oh, young people are so naive. You don't know what kind of power is hidden under the surface of a family that can last for a thousand years.

"Go away! Do you dare to touch me? Do you dare to go against the Yao family of Jinling? Don't you even look at your last name?"

He slapped Xie Yuan's hand, trying to knock the sword away, but Xie Yuan just moved slightly and handed the sword over, and Yao Zhizhang's hand slapped the blade.

With two snaps, Yao Zhizhang broke two fingers and fell to the ground.

(End of this chapter)