The stolen magic is a bit magical

High mountains and dense forests, floating clouds and rosy hues, a mighty river flowing amidst white mist, bluebirds flying across the sky, undisturbed by the surrounding landscape, ancient city and high pavilions, tranquil and serene.

This is the norm in this era and in this region.

Mountains resemble mountains, water resembles water, and cities resemble cities.

“My lord, the Jiangnan region is divided by the Chu River, and Fuyou Prefecture is the northern gateway to Jiangnan, under the jurisdiction of Huzhou.” Zhang Tao said, “Should we first go to the prefectural seat of Huzhou, three hundred miles away, to meet with Prefect Song, or go straight to Dongxuan Sect?”

Lin Xiaosu said, "All those above the Enlightenment Realm, gather together!"

With a whoosh, a hundred Enlightenment Realm experts simultaneously appeared before him. This included all the squad leaders from the other forty-nine warships.

Lin Xiaosu said, “Generals, I know that under General Kuanglang’s training, you are all battlefield warriors who can take on a hundred men each, and your lifelong belief is that as long as there is an enemy, you will not stop killing. However, war is an art. This time when I go to Jiangnan, I will let you truly appreciate the art of battle and let you know that there are no fixed rules in warfare.”

All eyes turned to Mad Wolf.

Mad Wolf frowned slightly.

She liked the first few words Lin Xiaosu said.

But why didn't she like what was said after that?
What does it mean to truly grasp the art of combat?
Although she didn't understand what art was, she still understood the meaning: it was referring to her past battles as crude and vulgar.

Lin Xiaosu seemed to sense her displeasure and turned her gaze to her: "Mad Wolf, don't rush to express your opinion. First, follow the route I set and execute the battle orders three times without missing a single step. If it doesn't work even once, you'll have the final say on leading the troops afterwards! How about that?"

Mad Wolf clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Alright!"

"Alright! The battle against the Dongxuan Sect will be arranged as follows..."

After making these arrangements, the generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Captain Zhang!"

"exist!"

"You shall come with me to Fuyou City!"

"Yes!"

With a soft whoosh, the two... no, the three of them took flight from the flagship, soaring through the clouds and mist straight into Fuyou City.

These three people—Zhang Tao, Lin Xiaosu, and their personal teddy bear… oh, not in the form of a teddy bear, but Fufu, the pageboy in blue—entered Fuyou City.

The rest of the group remained hidden high in the sky, awaiting orders.

Fuyou City is the capital of Fuyou Prefecture.

The city is ancient and extremely prosperous.

The streets were bustling with people: peddlers, wandering martial arts practitioners, horse-drawn carriages, and oxcarts.

On both sides of the street, there were restaurants, brothels, and street vendors hawking their wares.

On the surface, it appears to be a picture of a prosperous era.

Zhang Tao said softly, "Sir, are you coming into the city incognito to see how Prefect He Zhang is governing?"

Lin Xiaosu nodded slightly: "Although the sects in various places are powerful, they need a means to extend their influence into the common people. The most common means is the local government."

Zhang Tao looked around and said, "This city seems peaceful, with all industries running smoothly. It doesn't seem like there are many Jianghu forces involved."

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "So in your opinion, this prefect has governed quite well?"

"This is not just my opinion. Every time court officials go to the south of the Yangtze River, they bring back their views on the governance of the various prefectures in the south. He Zhang's evaluation has always been quite good."

"This is the tragedy of our times. Officials paint a rosy picture, and superiors learn about the people's conditions through officialdom. What everyone sees is always the carefully prepared side of things," Lin Xiaosu said. "I'll give you a few figures, and you'll be moved!"

"My lord please!"

Lin Xiaosu said, "Half of the businesses on this street you see are directly or indirectly controlled by the Dongxuan Sect!"

Huh? Zhang Tao planted his foot firmly on the street, his face showing intense shock.

"It's not just the merchants; half of the fertile fields along the river outside the city are also under the control of the Dongxuan Sect."

Zhang Tao's scalp tingled: "Sir, where did you get this data from?"

"The source is in the case file of He Fei, the Holy Son of Dongxuan Sect, who destroyed Green Leaf Manor. This shocking information has actually been submitted to the Ministry of Justice. However, everyone only focuses on whether He Fei can be arrested for his crime, and does not pay attention to the terrible situation that sects occupy half of the city's resources."

A great storm raged in Zhang Tao's heart.

He had been following this case.

But his focus remained on He Fei.

This man destroyed Green Leaf Manor, killing 170 people. He deserved to be executed by slow slicing, but he was the Holy Son of the Cave Profound Realm. After committing the crime, he returned to his sect. The government came to the mountain several times, but each time the result was the same: the Holy Son was traveling the world and his whereabouts were unknown.

We couldn't get it out by forcing it, and we couldn't find it by searching, so we had to let it go.

But that holy son was an arrogant fellow who would often run down the mountain on his own, wandering around under everyone's noses. When the Ministry of Justice pressed him down and the officials came to his door again, he would go off to travel again.

This mockery made Zhang Tao, who was on official business, grit his teeth in anger, and he kept agonizing over how to catch him red-handed.

Because his focus was entirely on this, he overlooked another terrifying thing that Lin Xiaosu mentioned: the Dongxuan Sect had effectively occupied half of the Fuyou Mansion.

Looking at the city from this perspective again, Zhang Tao suddenly felt a little ridiculous.

The city seems to be safe because the Dongxuan Sect has taken over half of it. Half of the city is Dongxuan's backyard, so why would they cause trouble?
If people from the martial arts world are honest, then that makes it even easier to explain. When someone from the martial arts world breaks into someone's backyard, how could they not behave?

Every day, I see the city bustling with activity and all businesses thriving, but in reality, half of the money I earn goes into the Dongxuan Warehouse…

Lin Xiaosu sighed softly: "The governance of any region becomes a dead end when a sect controls half of the country. The government can't collect taxes from the sect, so it can only desperately exploit the common people. The common people can't even raise enough money by selling their fields, land, or their children, so they can only become the sect's dogs. As a result, the sect expands more and more, and the vicious cycle can't be broken."

Zhang Tao let out a long sigh, speechless.

If he were just an official in the capital, he might think that Lord Su was exaggerating. The world looks peaceful and prosperous, how could it be so scary?
However, having collected so much information, he knew perfectly well that what the adults said was all true.

This is the common predicament of this land.

This is a dilemma shared by both sects and dynasties.

If a dynasty is powerful, the common people still have a chance to survive. But the dynasties here are not so powerful; in some ways, the sects are more powerful than the dynasties.

Because the imperial court has laws and regulations, while the sect does not.

The imperial dynasty needs to consider its appearance, but the sects don't have that concern.

The strong are respected!
Two millstones intertwine and compete in this vast world. The people caught between them are ground down layer by layer, and every turn brings a deadly crisis. How can they expect anything good?
"Isn't the government office just ahead?" Lin Xiaosu pointed ahead with a slight lift of her finger.

"Is... um? Is someone causing trouble?" Zhang Tao asked.

"Go and see!"

The three walked quickly forward.

In any world, if someone causes trouble on the street, it will attract onlookers, and the same is true here.

A large crowd was gathered around a place that was right in front of the government office.

Lin Xiaosu and her group squeezed into the crowd and saw the two sides facing off.

On one side were two people, a man and a woman, dressed in fairly luxurious clothes, like children from a wealthy family. The man was a cultivator; Lin Xiaosu could tell at a glance that his cultivation realm was at the peak of the Earth-Gazing stage, probably only one step away from the Heaven-Gazing stage. The woman had no cultivation; at this moment, she was tightly gripping the man's sleeve, her face showing panic, and she was quite pretty.

The other side consisted of three people, all dressed in the uniform attire of disciples of the Dongxuan Sect.

Their cultivation levels are similar to that of the wealthy young master.

"Boy, be smart and release my concubine right now!" said a disciple of the Dongxuan sect.

The wealthy young master was furious: "This is my wife! How dare you insult the Cui family of Dongcheng?"

Fufu's eyes widened: "Brother Su, are you fighting over a wife?!"

He seemed quite excited.

Someone next to them said, "The people from Dongxuan Sect have gone too far. This young couple really is the second young master of the Cui family in Dongcheng and his wife. I went to deliver tofu to their house the day their master passed away, and I saw the couple with my own eyes."

"Do the facts matter?" someone nearby said. "When has the Dongxuan Sect ever occupied people's shops or seized their land without fabricating facts?"

"Don't talk nonsense..." someone quickly reminded.

The Dongxuan disciple shouted, "You are the one who insults Dongxuan! This woman is a concubine I just bought a few days ago. You want to take her away after only playing with her for a few days? There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you don't believe me, I have solid evidence. My concubine has a black mole on her left breast and another mole on her genitals. You can tell at a glance."

A shout came from the crowd: "Now it'll be easy to verify if it's true or not. Let her untie those two places so everyone can see clearly!"

The lady was so angry that she was trembling all over.

The young master of the Cui family turned pale: "You...you've gone too far!"

"How can you deceive people in broad daylight, in front of the government office?" The Dongxuan disciple stepped forward: "I act with integrity and uprightness, and I will let everyone see the truth!"

This step took him directly to the young master of the Cui family, and he reached out to grab the woman's clothes.

Enraged, the young master of the Cui family drew his sword from his waist and thrust it out.

puff!
The sword struck the disciple squarely in the waist, and the disciple's eyes widened in disbelief.

The young master of the Cui family also changed his expression. His hand suddenly trembled, and he drew his long sword, spurting blood. The Dongxuan disciple's fingers trembled wildly as he pointed at him before falling backward.

"Murder!" The onlookers all retreated in unison.

Two disciples of the Dongxuan sect roared, "How dare you kill someone in public!"

With a whoosh, a disciple slashed forward with his sword. Young Master Cui raised his sword to block, but at this moment, he lacked confidence and hadn't channeled his true energy into his sword. His sword was sent flying, and he was thrown more than three zhang away. A black shadow flashed in front of him, and the disciple's second slash came down on his head. It seemed that his head would be separated from his body...

"My lord..." came Zhang Tao's voice.

He was asking for instructions on whether or not to take action!

Lin Xiaosu suddenly raised her eyes and stared at the government office.

"Stop!" An official suddenly appeared at the entrance of the government office, stretched out his hand, and an official seal appeared in his palm. On the seal were two large characters: Tongzhi (Assistant Magistrate).

The Assistant Prefectural Magistrate (府衙同知) was an official position below the Prefectural Magistrate (知府), a fifth-rank official.

In a prefecture, he was considered a high-ranking official, second only to the emperor.

The official seal carried an inexplicable sense of oppression.

The disciple's broadsword was about to sever Young Master Cui's head when it paused slightly. Young Master Cui escaped the blade, catching the falling sword with a swift movement. But as his gaze shifted, his heart raced. His wife was being choked by another disciple.

“Li Yi, the Assistant Magistrate of Fuyao,” Zhang Tao exhaled softly, reporting the man’s identity to Lin Xiaosu.

Behind Lin Xiaosu came an old man's voice: "The Assistant Magistrate is the most capable person in the entire Fuyou Prefecture who advocates for the people's autonomy. It's good that he has arrived."

“Yes, if there’s anyone in Fuyou Prefecture who dares to go against Dongxuan, it’s probably only him,” another person said.

Both of their voices were extremely soft.

"My Lord!" The Dongxuan disciple bowed slightly. "Your arrival is just in time. This madman first stole a disciple's concubine and then killed a disciple. Such a madman should be brought to justice!"

“Exactly!” another disciple said, “In broad daylight, under the clear sky, to forcibly abduct a woman and even dare to kill her is simply outrageous. How can Fuyou Manor tolerate such madmen running rampant?”

On the periphery, a crowd echoed... and suddenly, chaos erupted...

Young Master Cui cried out, "My lord, this woman is my wife. She was unjustly insulted, and in a moment of panic, I stepped in to protect her. This is only right and proper, my lord..."

Tongzhi Li Yi's sharp gaze swept across the entire room, and he had a general idea of ​​the situation. He then turned his gaze to the woman and said, "This woman can tell right from wrong in a single word! Tell me, are you this young master's first wife?"

The woman was about to speak, but the pressure in her throat suddenly tightened, and she managed to utter only one word: "I..."

That's all.

The magistrate was furious: "Let go!"

Suddenly, a loud shout erupted from the crowd: "This magistrate is maliciously biased towards the wicked Cui family. Why should right and wrong be decided by a mere woman's word?"

"Indeed, there are indeed wicked and ignorant women who are passionately lustful. Could the lies they fabricated to escape their masters also serve as evidence?"

"I had long heard that this magistrate was old and blind, and could not understand things well. Today I have seen it for myself."

In an instant, an outburst erupted from the crowd.

Numerous voices emerged, criticizing this clerk.

Li Yi, the Assistant Magistrate, suddenly frowned and shouted, "Shut up!"

As he shouted this, the official seal in his hand suddenly shone with golden light.

An incredibly powerful force swept over him, and the Dongxuan disciple in front of him had to take three steps back.

Just then, a golden light shot into the sky from within the government office.

As soon as the golden light appeared, the golden light emanating from the official seal of the magistrate suddenly vanished in wisps, and the golden light trembled, like a bridge!

An official dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank official walked across the bridge and stood atop the gate of the mansion.

"Your Excellency the Prefect!" Dozens of people knelt down at the same time.

These dozens of people, dressed in clothes from all walks of life, seemed to have nothing to do with the Dongxuan Sect. However, Lin Xiaosu's sharp eyes swept over them and he knew clearly that these people were all connected to the Dongxuan Sect. They were the ones who had been leading the crowd earlier.

"My lord!" Li Yi, the assistant prefect, bowed slightly.

"Speak! What happened?" Prefect He Zhang's voice was calm and steady. He spoke five words, and the prefect's official seal shone with five golden rays, making him appear like a celestial being.

The disciple of Dongxuan stepped forward and knelt down with a thud: "My lord, my senior brother took a concubine, but only three days later, this scoundrel snatched her away. My senior brother chased after him to demand her return, but this scoundrel was extremely vicious and murdered my senior brother in public..."

"Forcibly abducting a woman and killing her in public!" the prefect roared. "This is utterly outrageous! Seize him!"

With a loud bang, a group of constables rushed in front of Young Master Cui, their chains rattling.

Young Master Cui's expression changed drastically, and the long sword in his hand trembled slightly.

He was a spiritual practitioner, and the principle of a spiritual practitioner is to draw their sword when faced with a crisis.

However, this is a secular world. If you dare to refuse arrest when facing government officials and constables, then you are making an enemy of the government.

"Your Honor!" The Assistant Magistrate turned around abruptly: "How can Your Honor be so biased in judging cases, listening to only one side?"

“Indeed, Your Excellency, these thieves are Dongxuan people, they…” Young Master Cui was furious.

"Shut up!" the prefect said. "Put him in jail, then you'll have your turn to speak!"

With a whoosh, four chains were fastened around Young Master Cui's body. He didn't move, letting the chains bind him. He slowly raised his head and said, "Your Excellency, you may imprison me as you please, but I have a question! How can my wife be protected?"

The prefect coldly replied, "Other people's concubines naturally go home with their sect members! Why should you worry about it?"

Young Master Cui took a deep breath: "My beloved wife, following these beasts into the den of wolves and tigers? What are your intentions? You corrupt official, today I, Cui Hao... rid the people of this scourge!"

There was a loud bang!
The chains binding him broke inch by inch.

With a roar, Cui Hao's long sword transformed into a sword beam, pointing directly at the prefect in the air.

The power of this sword strike was truly comparable to that of the former Bloodstained Heavenly King.

However, this strike made everyone's eyes light up!

This is an effect they deliberately created.

They knew, of course, that Cui Hao would never allow the people of Dongxuan Sect to take his wife away. His wife had no cultivation whatsoever, and anyone with a brain would know what would happen if she fell into the hands of these beasts.

How can a spiritual practitioner endure?

He will definitely resist arrest!

This resistance to arrest gave the authorities a reason to kill him.

No one expected that Cui Hao's sudden outburst was not just about resisting arrest; he wanted to kill the prefect. That would be perfect.

It looked like this strike was about to hit the prefect.

The official seal in Prefect He Zhang's hand suddenly gleamed brightly.

This sudden light filled the sky with golden light.

Golden light pierced straight into the sky.

From the depths of the sky came a deep dragon's roar.

As the dragon roared, an immense force pierced through the sky and descended, boom!

The sword in Cui Hao's hand broke into pieces, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, falling freely from the air...

"Anyone who dares to kill an official shall be killed without exception!"

As soon as the eight words were spoken, the official seal transformed into a sword, and a beam of sword light shot straight for Cui Hao's forehead.

The assistant prefect was shocked and stepped forward, holding his official seal in his hand, trying to block the sword. Unfortunately, the power of his seal was far less than that of the prefect.

His official seal flew out of his hand the moment it touched the sword light.

The sword bearing the official seal aimed straight for Cui Hao's forehead, yet it did not miss by even a fraction.

Cui Hao's eyes were wide open, filled with anger and resentment.

His wife struggled violently, but to this Dongxuan disciple, her struggles were like a tiny earthworm being tightly clamped by steel pincers.

It seemed that this sword strike was about to end Cui Hao's life.

Suddenly, a sword shadow came from behind him, grazed his shoulder, and blocked one of the prefect's official seals.

Two sword shadows intertwined in the air, and the prefect's official seal trembled violently as he was struck hard.

His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes were fixed on Cui Hao's back.

Behind Cui Hao, a handsome young man held a strange official token in his hand. This token was different from his official seal; it was shaped like a sword and was half a foot long.

"How dare you!" the constables on both sides shouted angrily and rushed over at the same time.

With a whoosh, two figures landed almost simultaneously in front of the constable.

boom!
The constable team took flight.

Half of the venue was completely cleared.

All eyes turned to the young man's face.

The prefect frowned slightly: "You are...?"

This young master is none other than Lin Xiaosu.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, the token in his palm shone brightly, transforming into the shape of a long sword.

Two large characters are clearly visible: "Master of Investigation".

Lord, please investigate!

It's also an inspection, only at a higher level.

The chief inspector is a fourth-rank official!
They were of the same rank as the prefect, but the chief inspector, being a fourth-rank official, was a Beijing official, and among officials of the same rank, Beijing officials held more power than local officials.

The prefect was taken aback, landed abruptly, and bowed deeply: "Your humble servant, Prefect He Zhang, pays his respects to Your Excellency the Chief Inspector of the Capital!"

Lin Xiaosu didn't look at him, but at Cui Hao beside her.

Cui Hao looked up and stared at him.

"Cui Hao, is it?" Lin Xiaosu said, "I am here on His Majesty's orders to inspect Jiangnan. I can uphold justice for you. You can tell me what you were saying earlier!"

Cui Hao's eyes finally lit up with excitement: "My lord, there is a reason why the Dongxuan Sect is targeting my husband and me. They killed my father and two brothers in the early stages, intending to seize my Cui family's hundred acres of orchards and hundred acres of fertile land. After I returned from my sect and took over these assets, I became a thorn in their side. Therefore, they created trouble."

The crowd erupted in uproar...

"My lord, you are a high-ranking official in the capital; you must distinguish right from wrong!" said the Dongxuan disciple who had been choking the woman. "This woman is clearly..."

"Let go!" Lin Xiaosu interrupted him.

The Dongxuan disciple stared at him blankly.

"This man is hard of hearing and cannot understand my respectful words! Zhang Tao!"

"exist!"

"Help him save face!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Tao took a step forward, and with a soft hiss, the Dongxuan disciple's two arms disappeared.

Before a scream could even escape his lips, Zhang Tao's clothes trembled slightly, and the one-armed disciple suddenly leaped off the ground, flying towards the government office before crashing heavily against the courtyard wall.

The woman finally broke free, ran a few steps towards Cui Hao, buried her face in his arms, and burst into tears.

"My lord!" someone in the crowd shouted, "My lord, you must be discerning! This woman is the concubine of that Dongxuan disciple. He even described the characteristics of her most private parts clearly. How could it be false?"

The voice was ethereal and lost in the crowd, so no one could hear who it came from.

However, Lin Xiaosu suddenly raised her hand!
With a wave of his hand, he grabbed a figure out of thin air amidst a scream and slammed it to the ground with a thud.

The man let out a loud shout, and his face changed completely.

Lin Xiaosu said coldly, "Your Excellency, order the yamen runners to bring all the women in this man's family here, strip them naked, and let everyone see them!"

He Zhang suddenly looked up, his eyes showing surprise.

Lin Xiaosu stared at him: "Does the Prefect find this inappropriate?"

He Zhang took a deep breath: "My lord, how can a high-ranking official in the capital do such a thing?"

"So even you, sir, know that we cannot tear off women's clothes in public and expose their privacy!" Lin Xiaosu said, "From this moment on, no one is allowed to mention the two black moles on your private parts. But if anyone does, I will have to bring your female relatives here first so I can demonstrate to you on the spot what it means to do unto others what you would not have them do unto you!"

The entire room was deathly silent. (End of Chapter)