Chapter 264: The Bloody Execution Ground

This major Filthy Blood Case in Xiangu County was naturally no small matter, and any case involving the Filthy Blood Sect, whether to the Sect or the local authorities, had always been treated with great importance.

But Xiangu County, after all, was located in a remote area.

Although the County Office had concluded the case before the New Year and Shen Yanliu had rushed the case files to the Sect and the Prefecture before the year-end deadline,

by the time the Sect Emissary arrived in Xiangu County to review the case, it was already the beginning of the second lunar month.

Shen Yanliu and Tang Wanhong had long since deduced the ins and outs of the case very clearly, never letting a single clue slip by.

The chain of evidence was also deduced to be seamless!

When the Sect Emissary arrived, he naturally found no issues, and even highly praised Shen Yanliu for his capable handling of the case!

On the third day of the second lunar month, the spring chill was biting; this wave of late spring cold in Xiangu County was even colder than in the twelfth lunar month!

At the si hour of this day, a large crowd had gathered at a street corner on West Street, and the constables held their water-and-fire staves horizontally to push the crowd back!

In the center of the street corner was a temporary execution ground!

At the southernmost position, a small table and a master's chair were set up.

Five burly executioners holding large broadswords, their faces full of ferocity, stood not far in front of the table.

Following a shout, the group of prisoners from the Filthy Blood Case were brought in by the constables, wearing shackles.

The miscellaneous servants and maids from the residences of Luan Bao, Su Di, and Wei Yutian, along with the miscellaneous servants and maids from Luan Jingfu's residence, a dark, dense mass, knelt in the center of the street corner!

As the prisoners entered, a wave of agitation and whispering broke out among the crowd!

Killing so many people all at once, such a huge number—how many years had it been since such a sensational case had occurred in Xiangu County!

Xie Daohan walked into the execution ground with a cold, gloomy face; he had no credit for the case, yet he still had to do the dirty work of killing.

Xie Daohan spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground and looked up at the winter sun, which held little warmth; there was still about an hour until the noon hour. No rush!

West Street was the widest and most prosperous street in Xiangu, and setting up the execution ground on West Street was to facilitate the public's viewing of the execution, serving the purpose of education and deterrence.

The men, women, and children of Xiangu County surrounded the execution ground three layers deep inside and out, making it completely impassable.

Killing so many people at once—just hearing about it made one's heart feel cold...

Not far from the impassable crowd, Duan Rong sat alone in a small tavern at the mouth of an alley. He had the shopkeeper heat a pot of yellow wine and ordered a plate of peanuts and a plate of spicy tofu, sitting there and eating and drinking slowly.

Inside the tavern, there was no one; everyone had gone to watch the beheadings, who had time to drink here?

Duan Rong sipped a cup of scalding yellow wine, swallowed it down, and his Divine Sense suddenly expanded, passing through people and alleys, taking in everything inside and outside the execution ground.

When Duan Rong's Divine Sense swept over Su Di's dim and listless face, his heart stirred slightly.

Back then, in order to save Xiao Yu, he had acted in desperation and used Su Di to stir up this Filthy Blood Case, drawing Shen Yanliu into action. But this stirring was like churning up a pool of sludge; in Duan Rong's view, the water in this pond of Xiangu County was becoming increasingly murky.

And whether intentional or not, the location chosen for this execution ground was only one alley away from the Yuanshun Escort Agency...

At this time, in the flower hall of the County Government Office's back courtyard.

Shen Yanliu, wearing loose scholar's robes, sat there drinking tea with someone.

That person had a burly build and a resolute face; it was none other than Chu Ming, the Sect Emissary who had come to Xiangu County to review the Filthy Blood Case.

Chu Ming took a sip of tea and said, "Magistrate Shen, destroying such an important stronghold of the Filthy Blood Sect this time is truly a great contribution to the Sect!"

Chu Ming had personally seen the Secret Chamber Mandala in the back courtyard of Wei Yutian's residence; the layout was not small and the craftsmanship was excellent, clearly having taken much effort, far better than the other two Mandalas he had seen.

Shen Yanliu said, "Since I receive a salary and hold this position, sharing the burdens of the Sect is my duty."

Chu Ming nodded and said, "It's just that after reading the case files, I have a faint feeling that the Tainted Blood Remnants within Xiangu County have perhaps not been completely cleared out yet."

Shen Yanliu's heart skipped a beat; he had not expected Chu Ming to be so sharp.

"What the Emissary says is exactly what I have been thinking," Shen Yanliu said. "Emissary, rest assured, I have operated in the territory of Xiangu County for many years and have cultivated many trusted secret agents. This Filthy Blood Case also stirred up some clues, and these people have already followed them."

Hearing this, Chu Ming smiled slightly and said, "It seems Magistrate Shen has long had a plan. Then, I shall use tea in place of wine to wish Magistrate Shen further great achievements!"

Shen Yanliu raised his teacup and said, "I accept your kind words, Emissary!"

At the execution ground, it was almost the noon hour.

The five executioners had already stood behind the first row of prisoners, waiting for the order!

The clerk nearby glanced at the sundial and cupped his hands to Xie Daohan, saying, "Head Constable Xie, the noon hour has arrived!"

Hearing this, Xie Daohan immediately jumped up from his chair, stood before the table, and roared, "Executioners! Carry out the sentence!"

As Xie Daohan's roar left his throat, Su Di's lips trembled visibly, and the next moment, a cold blade of light severed her delicate neck...

Su Di's head flew up, the various faces of the onlookers flashed by, and her head rolled onto the ground. The last scene in Su Di's eyes was a crack in the bluestone slab, where there was still a glob of thick phlegm...

After the executioners finished one row, they stepped back steadily and proceeded to behead the second row. Heads rolled down one by one, fresh blood flowed, and a heavy, bloody stench permeated the cold air...

Many of the onlookers in the crowd no longer dared to watch, covering their eyes with deathly pale faces...

Duan Rong sat alone in the small tavern; the thick, bloody stench drifted over with the wind, and even the aroma of the yellow wine could not suppress it.

The bloody stench was too heavy; Duan Rong no longer had the heart to eat, and simply drank the pot of yellow wine cup after cup.

Six rows of prisoners, thirty heads—in a few breaths, they were all decapitated.

Many of these prisoners still had relatives and family members, but not a single one dared to come to see them off; this was the Filthy Blood Case, and if one got involved, they risked being implicated by association.

They were too busy trying to distance themselves; who would dare to come to see them off?

Amidst the thick, bloody stench, thirty people instantly became lonely ghosts...

The crowd slowly dispersed, and the bodies were hauled away by the constables to the Chaos Burial Mound!

As the constables dispersed, people from nearby shops and homes brought out buckets of water to wash the street.

The blood of thirty people had seeped into the cracks of the bluestone slabs; even if washed clean, this faint, bloody stench would be hard to dissipate for months...

Duan Rong walked out of the small tavern, stepped on the wet bluestone slabs, and walked back to the Yuanshun Escort Agency...

Duan Rong had recently been in seclusion, trying to break through that final layer of the Inner Breath Realm Great Perfection. But breaking through to Great Perfection was more difficult than he had anticipated.

It was as if you clearly saw the mountain peak, and you tried to climb up from different slopes, sides, and paths.

The result was always getting stuck in the same position; you just couldn't reach it.

Unable to land that final kick to break through, Duan Rong finally tasted a hint of what it felt like to be trapped.

He gradually gained some insight; perhaps his inability to reach the Inner Breath Realm Great Perfection was still due to the issue of Mental Power.

If his Mental Power did not break through, it would be like an invisible barrier covering the top of his head; it was impossible for him to break through!

In the blink of an eye, the cold second month had slipped away, and the weather gradually began to grow warm.

There were not many days left until the Sect Registered Disciple selection examination on the third day of the third month.

At the entrance of the County Office, the Martial Selection Zeying Tai had already been erected, and there were viewing seats on both sides of the martial platform.

This Martial Selection Zeying Tai was erected once every three years, and on the square in front of the County Office, there were ready-made gaps left for inserting the wooden stakes.

The Ya Men runners carried large round logs out from the warehouse.

The large wooden stakes, which had been sealed in dust for three years and were covered in cobwebs and grime, were skillfully hammered into the gaps by the Ya Men runners.

The martial platform was not a flat surface, but rather a series of round wooden stakes; the candidates participating in the examination would conduct their duels while stepping on these round wooden stakes.

Sitting on the viewing seats on both sides were the Gentry of this county, and the power-holders of various major factions would also attend, but these people were merely foils.

Those who held the true power of inspection over the examination were, first, the County Magistrate of this county, then the five Sect Emissaries from the Taiyi Sect, and finally the Principal dispatched by the Administration Commissioner Office at the prefecture level.

With the Sect, the prefecture level, and the county level—the three parties converging—the examination results would be valid!

On this day, Duan Rong was sitting quietly in meditation in the pavilion of the Liu Lu courtyard when suddenly, a knocking sound came from the courtyard gate.

Duan Rong frowned, and his Divine Sense swept over; it was actually Guan Kui, a clerk from Guyue Studio, who had come to visit.

Duan Rong stood up to open the door. When Guan Kui saw Duan Rong, he immediately smiled and bowed, saying, "I have come to bother Escort Duan again."

Duan Rong's bearing and expression had changed greatly since then; every time Guan Kui saw Duan Rong, the string in his heart was always taut.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "It is Brother Guan Kui. It has been a while."

Guan Kui said, "My Manager has two items he cannot quite gauge. He would like to invite Escort Duan to come over and help take a look."

Duan Rong readily agreed, "Easy enough. I have nothing to do at the moment anyway, let us go now."

Guan Kui was overjoyed. Duan Rong closed the courtyard gate and followed Guan Kui toward Guyue Studio.

Duan Rong thought to himself: With the examination imminent and all parties gathering, it seems this Shen Yanliu is again going to use these antiques and paintings to curry favor with someone.

On the Official Road twenty li away from the Xiangu County seat, a rather magnificent and imposing carriage was traveling at a steady pace. The person driving the carriage had a burly figure and was wearing black-soled official shoes; he was clearly a runner from the Ya Men.

Moreover, the magnificent and imposing carriage had a black flag with gold-threaded edges fluttering on its roof, with a bear embroidered in the center of the black flag; this was the flag of a prefecture-level Ya Men.

This carriage was a regulated official vehicle from the Yuanyang Prefecture Administration Commissioner Office.

Inside the spacious carriage, the interior was grand, and seven people were sitting around on three sides: Li Xianjiang, Fan Yuanhai, Zhu Qunxiang, Lu Qingfeng, Wang Shanshan, Lv Qingzhu, and A Mo.

Li Xianjiang was a Principal of the Yuanyang Prefecture Administration Commissioner Office.

Fan Yuanhai, Zhu Qunxiang, Lu Qingfeng, Wang Shanshan, and Lv Qingzhu were Outer Sect Disciples of the Taiyi Sect, and also the Sect Emissaries for this Xiangu County Registered Disciple selection examination.

And A Mo was the maidservant that Lv Qingzhu kept by her side.

These five Sect Emissaries, Fan Yuanhai, Zhu Qunxiang, Lu Qingfeng, Wang Shanshan, and Lv Qingzhu, came from different places. They had each reported to the Yuanyang Prefecture Administration Commissioner Office a few days ago, and only after verifying their Sect Documents were they dispatched with a carriage, along with the Principal from the Ya Men, to rush to their respective examination locations.

Fan Yuanhai really did not expect that he would be dispatched to this Xiangu County again. The local customs here were quite good, and the produce was abundant, but it was located in a remote area with inconvenient transportation.

Because of the case involving Xu Ruhu, he had wasted nearly half a year here previously and returned empty-handed; this place could be considered a place of heartbreak for him.

He really did not expect that he would set foot in this place a second time in his life; it was truly the irony of fate!

As Fan Yuanhai sat there, the corner of his eye would secretly glance at Lv Qingzhu and A Mo, this pair of mistress and servant, not far away.

It was not that Fan Yuanhai was dishonest; this pair of mistress and servant was truly somewhat bizarre—one exquisitely beautiful, one bizarrely ugly—anyone who saw them could not help but take a few extra looks.

Lv Qingzhu had a head of dark, snail-like hair, her eyebrows were faint as if non-existent, and her skin was like a peeled lychee. Moreover, her waist was straight, her temperament was clear and cold, and she sat there pursing her lips, seemingly thinking about something, her brows slightly furrowed.

As for A Mo, who sat beside Lv Qingzhu, her bones were large and her stature was unusually tall. Sitting in the carriage, she was like a small mountain; she, a mere maid, actually occupied the space of two men.

Although A Mo was ugly in appearance, no one dared to show a mocking expression toward her.

Because her hands, with their large finger joints, shimmered with a faint bronze luster.

The people sitting in the carriage were all quite knowledgeable, so they naturally knew what that meant.

This A Mo clearly possessed a body of hard-training martial arts, and looking at her stature and bones, it seemed she was also a person of innate divine strength; who would dare to provoke her?

It was just that with such a maid following by her side, the people in the carriage could not help but secretly speculate about Lv Qingzhu's identity.

When the few of them first entered the carriage, they exchanged names, but they had not communicated much along the way.

The five Sect Emissaries were of similar age and occasionally chatted a few words, but Li Xianjiang, the Principal of the Yuanyang Prefecture Administration Commissioner Office, had sat in the corner with his eyes closed to rest his mind ever since he boarded the carriage, and from beginning to end, he had not said a single word.

Li Xianjiang was already over forty years old this year, with a tuft of goat-like beard on his chin; he was not tall and had a stout figure.

Li Xianjiang was not a Martial Artist, but rather came from a background as an accountant. Being able to reach the position of Principal in the Administration Commissioner Office, which managed the money and grain of an entire prefecture, he naturally had his connections and a set of methods.

At the end of the Si hour in the morning, the carriage drove into the east gate of Xiangu County. The head of the city-guarding Ya Men runners, upon seeing the regulation of the carriage, immediately knew the visitors were extraordinary. After asking about the purpose of their visit, he immediately rode off to report to the County Office.

When the carriage rumbled to a stop at the entrance of the County Government Office, Shen Yanliu was already dressed in official robes, waiting at the foot of the steps.

As soon as everyone got off the carriage, Shen Yanliu cupped his hands and said, "Principal Li, honored Emissaries! I, Shen, failed to welcome you in time, please forgive me!"

Li Xianjiang returned the salute with cupped hands and said with a warm smile, "Magistrate Shen, come to think of it, we only met two months ago. However, having passed the New Year, it feels as if we haven't seen each other for a long time."

"Hahaha..." Shen Yanliu laughed and said, "It seems Principal Li has missed me!"

Li Xianjiang was a Principal of the Administration Commissioner Office in charge of money and grain, managing the finances of both Xiangu County and Tanghe County. When Shen Yanliu handed over taxes to the Administration Commissioner Office, he often dealt with him, and the two were already old acquaintances.

"Principal Li, honored Emissaries! I, Shen, have already prepared a banquet to wash away the dust for you all!"

"Please!"

"Please!"

As Shen Yanliu smiled and gestured for them to enter, his gaze seemed to glance over Fan Yuanhai's face inadvertently.

(End of chapter)