Myriad Immortals

Not long after.

A large crowd gathered under the Shenming Pavilion.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle, I'm innocent!"

When Ma San saw one of the village elders, he immediately started crying and begging to kneel down.

The old man named Ma Fu immediately frowned slightly.

Although they are the village elders and have the power to judge right and wrong, Ma San, that blind fool, actually called him Second Uncle in public. Wouldn't that mean that even if he acted impartially, he would be accused of favoritism and bending the law in the future?

To become a village elder, face is very important.

Or rather, prestige.

Otherwise, how can we win people's hearts?

Wouldn't that make the neighbors think that the village chief is protecting greedy people?

Once this trend spreads, Xiahe Village will definitely descend into chaos.

As the village elder, he was most reluctant to see the villagers' hearts fall apart, which would lead to disaster. After all, the village was practically their property, and no one wanted to see their own bowl smashed.

At least not on the surface.

"Ma San, you good-for-nothing, what outrageous thing have you done now?"

Ma Fu put on a stern face and scolded him.

As he spoke, he glanced at the Ma brothers standing in the crowd.

The Ma family is one of the three major surnames in Xiahe Village.

Even the brothers of the Ma family are his nephews and nieces in terms of seniority.

If this isn't handled properly, not only will those few rascals from the Ma family cause trouble, but other families in the village might also think that the Ma family is easy to bully.

Village council meetings are never simply about fairness; they involve too many considerations.

Thinking about this...

Having already been tipped off and knowing the ins and outs of the matter, Ma Fu had basically made up his mind.

"Let's give them a small punishment as a warning."

But before he could speak, Zhong Xuan spoke first: "Old Xu, Old Ma, these three black-faced men are disrespectful to filial piety, actually attacking this old man with weapons. According to the laws of Qing Kingdom, how should they be punished?"

Upon hearing this...

Xu Tian and Ma Fu, who were inside the Shenming Pavilion, both changed their expressions.

Emperor Shizu of Qingguo promoted the rule of the country through filial piety, which is why these village elders emerged.

in other words.

They were not capable of becoming village chiefs when they were young; they only became qualified to discuss matters with the village chiefs when they grew older. In some important village affairs, the elder village chief's seat was even ahead of the village chief's.

All of this power must be based on respect for the elderly.

Although Li Lao must have a background and ability, Zhong Xuan's words were truly devastating.

If today's verdict is inappropriate.

If these villagers think they can attack the village elders at will, wouldn't someone else dare to stab them with a knife in the future?

"A scholar's words are like poison."

Ma Fu felt a chill in his heart.

This is putting him on the fire to roast.

He cursed the old pedantic scholar.

The chattering of the villagers watching the commotion in front of Shenming Pavilion annoyed him.

At this time.

Old Xu Tian coughed and said, "Ma San disregards village rules and national laws. Xiahe Village cannot tolerate such a person. I will discuss with the village chief to expel Ma San and his family from Xiahe Village. Old Ma, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this...

Ma San's face turned deathly pale.

In the Qing Kingdom, being expelled from a village is equivalent to losing one's land and becoming a vagrant, where survival is not easy.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle."

"I know I was wrong."

"Please let me go this time."

Ma San looked at Ma Fu, who was standing next to Xu Tian, ​​as if he had grasped at a straw.

This time.

Ma Fu didn't even glance at Ma San, but coldly said, "I agree with Elder Xu's opinion."

He's no fool to have risen to the position of village elder.

If he dares to say no at this moment, the crowd will be in a frenzy, and he might even lose his position as the village elder.

There's no need to choose which is more important.

Ma San is not worth risking losing his old position to protect.

Seeing Ma Fu's state, Ma San was utterly desperate.

He sat slumped on the ground, his eyes lifeless, while Ma Liushi and the boy with the pigtails hugged him and cried.

Zhong Xuan looked at him without a trace of pity.

This is why there's always something hateful about a pitiful person.

Having lived so long and read so many books, he has long understood one principle: kindness is often taken advantage of.

Especially in villages.

To achieve peace and tranquility, authority must be established.

He used to be old and frail, unable to do what he wanted, but now it's different. He also intended to use this incident to deter those who wanted to profit from the family's wealth.

After saying this, Ma Fu turned and left without another word, his face dark.

Xu Tian, ​​on the other hand, came to Zhong Xuan's side with great interest.

"Brother Zhong, it's been a long time. You seem to be in much better health."

Xu Tian looked at Zhong Xuan with curiosity.

The two were about the same age and even played together when they were young. However, they went their separate ways after the flood. Later, the Zhong family fell into ruin, while the Xu family was luckier. Xu himself became a village elder, and the two almost lost contact.

In Xu Tian's memory, Zhong Xuan should have been a weak and pedantic old scholar.

"Brother Xu, thank you very much for today."

Zhong Xuan cupped his hands in greeting.

Xu Tian smiled and waved his hand: "I was just acting in accordance with the law, there's no need to thank me."

That being said.

But both of them knew that Xu Tian's verdict was clearly biased towards Zhong Xuan.

There aren't many literate people in the village, and how many of them understand the law?

It's all just a matter of the neighborhood chief and the village elders talking.

Xu Tian had secretly helped the Ma family get expelled from Xiahe Village today, and Zhong Xuan, with his wealth of experience, naturally noticed it.

After Xu Tian and the others had mostly left, he asked, "Brother Zhong, were you practicing martial arts?"

Unlike the ignorant villagers of Xiahe Village, he had seen martial artists before, and even his own grandchildren were learning martial arts at a martial arts school in the city.

There's only one possibility that an elderly man in his sixties could subdue a young man—Zhong Xuan was a martial artist.

Therefore, he helped for two reasons.

Firstly, it was a deliberate attempt to use the situation to suppress the Ma family.

Secondly, he admired Zhong Xuan's martial arts skills and wanted to befriend him.

Zhong Xuan's expression remained unchanged: "Indeed, I have learned some martial arts techniques for health preservation."

He made his move today with the intention of demonstrating his strength.

This is Xiahe Village. Hiding your shortcomings will only keep you in trouble.

Xu Tian's eyes lit up:

"He really is a brute!"

"Brother Zhong, what kind of martial arts do you practice? If you are willing to teach me, I can exchange my land for it."

His age was similar to that of Zhong Xuan.

If Zhong Xuan can practice it, then can't he too?

Zhong Xuan pondered for a moment: "It's just a basic version of the Eight Pieces of Brocade."

Xu Tian heard that it was Baduanjin, and although he was doubtful, he was willing to go out and buy it, just to give it a try.

Seeing that Xu Tian insisted on buying it.

Zhong Xuan had no choice but to agree.

Half an hour later.

He gained half an acre of land, which, together with his original half acre, made up a full acre.

Based on the current market situation in Xiahe Village.

One mu of land is worth ten taels of silver, so half a mu is worth five taels. He bought the Eight Pieces of Brocade from Pei Yong for three taels.

Do nothing.

I made a net profit of two taels.

Zhong Xuan couldn't help but smile:

"That's enough to buy several more doses of this health-strengthening powder."