Chapter 454: Local Tyrant

Before leaving, Li Qingge actually stuffed him with a formula.

The upgrade formula for the Golden Armored Bronze Guard, which was different from the one He Lingchuan had obtained in Panlong City.

Songyang Mansion was best at casting.

Clearly, after hearing about the transaction between He Lingchuan and Fu Shanyue, she immediately understood what he needed.

This woman was truly remarkable.

Now that He Lingchuan had taken Fu Shanyue's reward, he had to help him find the whereabouts of the Lingxu City messenger—the clue obtained from Tai'an City pointed here.

Just at this moment, the sound of ringing bells came from ahead.

This sound seemed to have magic; the residents who heard it all put down their work and rushed to where the sound came from.

He Lingchuan even saw several shopkeepers leave their shops unattended, stretching their necks and running in small steps all the way.

"What's the excitement ahead?" This scene looked familiar.

The tiger demon Jiaoyu had long been used to this kind of sound and licked its lips, saying: "Executing a criminal."

That's right, He Lingchuan remembered it at once; he had also seen that scene of executing a criminal when he first entered the Baoshu Nation, where men, women, old, and young all scrambled for the best viewing spot in the front row, and the town was as lively as the New Year.

It seemed it was the same here.

He Lingchuan followed the crowd and walked leisurely, seeing a high platform built at the entrance of the vegetable market, the audience below was already crowded, and on the platform, two government office runners were holding a prisoner waiting for punishment, while another was reading the charges.

Although he arrived late, there was a fierce tiger following him step by step, and the townspeople and demons on the side all automatically retreated a zhang away, no one daring to get close.

The government office runners on the platform also saw them, staring at them for a few moments but not daring to speak.

He Lingchuan listened, and the charges were incredible:

Stealing from official medicinal fields and killing the demons guarding the fields? The prisoner on the platform had a pockmarked face, a sharp mouth, and shriveled cheeks, with shifty eyes; he looked like a social drifter, and the most daring thing he could do was tease the big girls and young wives on the side of the road.

Did this kind of person dare to kill the government's demons? Could it be that one really shouldn't judge a book by its cover? He Lingchuan walked a few steps to the side and asked an old man who was standing with his hands behind his back, stretching his neck to watch the excitement: "Old man, is this prisoner from your town?"

"No."

He Lingchuan thought the clue was broken, but the old man continued: "This is the 'Perch Eel' from Bai Yang Township, surnamed Wang, everyone calls him Wang the Pockmarked."

"Perch Eel?"

"Oh, it's our local slang, specifically for a loafer or a hoodlum." The old man coughed and spat on the ground. "This kid's guts have grown fat, daring to pick official fields and kill the demon of Lord Ling's family?"

Lord Ling? "What did he do before?"

"Stealing chickens and dogs, doing nothing but useless things." The old man laughed. "He's over thirty, I heard he can't even marry a wife." At this moment, the government office runner on the platform finished reading the charges and announced the sentence: Chisel punishment.

In the demon nation, stealing from official fields and mines, and stealing military rations were all serious crimes, and local officials didn't need to report level by level, they could dispose of them themselves. The higher-ups would only come down to review the files after a year or half a year.

When Wang the Pockmarked heard this, his legs went soft, and he shouted: "I'm wronged, I'm wronged!"

But where would it be useful? He was soon tied to the pillar in the center of the high platform.

Above the vegetable market entrance came the sound of flapping wings, He Lingchuan looked up and saw hundreds of crows circling.

Just at this moment, a deep voice rang out from under the platform:

"Seven or eight of my clansmen have disappeared inexplicably, and the county government uses such a wretch to take the blame, thinking they can dismiss us?"

He Lingchuan looked at the sound and saw five or six giant sheep pushing through the crowd.

These were not the small mountain sheep raised by farmers in the back mountains, bone-fragrant and meat-tender, but large blocks of meat as big as tall horses, cyan all over, with only a black arc on their sides. Especially the giant sheep leading the way, which was over a zhang tall, with well-proportioned muscle lines faintly visible all over its body.

He Lingchuan knew at a glance that this thing was probably good at agility and speed, so the offensive weapon was the spiral long horn on its head. This pair of large horns stretched forward, the tips as sharp as daggers, with a small fork in the middle, which looked like it was used to bleed opponents.

This was the first time He Lingchuan had seen such a ferocious-looking sheep. Anyone hit by this kind of monster was truly having eight lifetimes of bad luck.

"Medieval Strange Tales" records that this demon is named "Drilling Wind Beast," good at killing in the wind, no, killing in the wind. Its talent is "Lingering Wind," which can summon wind to speed up and reduce its own weight.

This thing, like the Bo beast, can eat meat.

He Lingchuan remembered the book saying that the Drilling Wind Beast had a very bad temper, and even fierce beasts often died under its horns. Looking at the giant sheep leading the way, it stepped forward a few steps and tilted its head, hitting the platform pillar, almost smashing the pillar.

The government office runners and the prisoner on the platform screamed together.

The government office runner was not only not angry but immediately accompanied with a smile: "Lord Ling, why be angry? The county didn't say this case was closed."

The giant sheep said in a muffled voice: "Case not closed?"

"This is what you said, or what the County Magistrate said?"

The government office runner didn't dare to take the blame, only saying: "This one will be executed according to the law, and then if evidence is found, it will be handled again!"

Such perfunctory words were unbearable even for He Lingchuan, let alone the Drilling Wind Beast? "The government's mouth, a ghost that deceives people! I've been patient with you for many days, now hand the person over, I'll take him back to interrogate and pursue the murderer myself!"

"Ah, this?" The government office runner was startled. "Lord Ling, you are robbing a death row prisoner, this is a great crime!"

The Drilling Wind Beast hit the platform pillar with another headbutt, clearly turning on the "I'm not listening, I'm not listening" mode.

With a "ka la" sound, the platform collapsed, and dust flew.

The crowd and other demons around scattered one after another, and no one dared to touch the bad luck of these giant sheep.

The government office runners and the prisoner rolled down like gourds.

He Lingchuan stood far away and asked the old man beside him in a low voice: "Do Drilling Wind Beasts also live here?"

"No."

He Lingchuan thought the clue was broken, but the old man continued: "This is the Perch Eel from Bai Yang Township, surnamed Wang, everyone calls him Wang the Pockmarked."

"Perch Eel?"

"Oh, it's our local slang, specifically for a loafer or a hoodlum." The old man coughed and spat on the ground. "This kid's guts have grown fat, daring to pick official fields and kill the demon of Lord Ling's family?"

Lord Ling? "What did he do before?"

"Stealing chickens and dogs, doing nothing but useless things." The old man laughed. "He's over thirty, I heard he can't even marry a wife." At this moment, the government office runner on the platform finished reading the charges and announced the sentence: Chisel punishment.

In the demon nation, stealing from official fields and mines, and stealing military rations were all serious crimes, and local officials didn't need to report level by level, they could dispose of them themselves. The higher-ups would only come down to review the files after a year or half a year.

When Wang the Pockmarked heard this, his legs went soft, and he shouted: "I'm wronged, I'm wronged!"

But where would it be useful? He was soon tied to the pillar in the center of the high platform.

Above the vegetable market entrance came the sound of flapping wings, He Lingchuan looked up and saw hundreds of crows circling.

Just at this moment, a deep voice rang out from under the platform:

"Seven or eight of my clansmen have disappeared inexplicably, and the county government uses such a wretch to take the blame, thinking they can dismiss us?"

He Lingchuan looked at the sound and saw five or six giant sheep pushing through the crowd.

These were not the small mountain sheep raised by farmers in the back mountains, bone-fragrant and meat-tender, but large blocks of meat as big as tall horses, cyan all over, with only a black arc on their sides. Especially the giant sheep leading the way, which was over a zhang tall, with well-proportioned muscle lines faintly visible all over its body.

He Lingchuan knew at a glance that this thing was probably good at agility and speed, so the offensive weapon was the spiral long horn on its head. This pair of large horns stretched forward, the tips as sharp as daggers, with a small fork in the middle, which looked like it was used to bleed opponents.

This was the first time He Lingchuan had seen such a ferocious-looking sheep. Anyone hit by this kind of monster was truly having eight lifetimes of bad luck.

"Medieval Strange Tales" records that this demon is named "Drilling Wind Beast," good at killing in the wind, no, killing in the wind. Its talent is "Lingering Wind," which can summon wind to speed up and reduce its own weight.

This thing, like the Bo beast, can eat meat.

He Lingchuan remembered the book saying that the Drilling Wind Beast had a very bad temper, and even fierce beasts often died under its horns. Looking at the giant sheep leading the way, it stepped forward a few steps and tilted its head, hitting the platform pillar, almost smashing the pillar.

The government office runners and the prisoner on the platform screamed together.

He Lingchuan stood far away and asked the old man beside him in a low voice: "Do Drilling Wind Beasts also live here?"

"The large territory at the east end of the county is all theirs." The old man knew the roots and the bottom. "Lord Ling is a general in the court, and when he is not fighting, he returns to his hometown to recuperate. The Drilling Wind Beast clan has a loud voice here—"

He lowered his voice: "They are local tyrants, even the government is afraid of them. Even the largest and most valuable medicinal field in the county is handed over to them to manage and guard."

The government office runner had just crawled up and was coughing incessantly, another Drilling Wind Beast lowered its head and rushed toward the prisoner.

But it didn't kill the prisoner, but bit the rope binding his hands and pulled the person over.

The prey was robbed, the crows screamed, unhappy.

At this moment, people discovered that the crows circled several times in the sky but didn't land, because on the roof beside the high platform, there was still a black-headed gray-backed goshawk.

Taking this opportunity, the prisoner shouted: "I'm really wronged, the few spirit beasts disappeared on their own, it has nothing to do with me! I'm already lame, how could I harm them!"

He limped as he walked, and sure enough, his legs were not agile.

He Lingchuan had long learned not to mind other people's business, but his heart stirred when he heard the word "disappeared."

He stepped forward and asked: "How did they disappear?"

Wang the Pockmarked was afraid that outsiders would be numb and unresponsive, and he would be acting alone until death, but now that there was feedback, he was so excited that he had caught a life-saving straw: "There was light on the mountainside, they chased after it and then they were gone! There must be a more powerful demon there!"

The Drilling Wind Beast didn't allow him to quibble and was about to pull him away.

At this moment, two crows couldn't resist the desire and landed, stretching their beaks to peck at Wang the Pockmarked's face.

They originally wanted to peck out his eyeballs, but unfortunately, Wang the Pockmarked turned left and right and didn't cooperate, so they only chiseled two bloody holes in his face.

He Lingchuan only then understood that "chisel punishment" originally meant this.

There were still a hundred crows above, if they all landed, Wang the Pockmarked would really be chiseled to death alive.

The demon nation's punishment was truly creative, and this crime was not much different from being cut into a thousand pieces.

He whistled, and the goshawk on the roof changed from its leisurely watching mode and swooped down diagonally.

It passed by the high platform and scared the two crows back into the sky.

Then this goshawk stood on the large horns of He Lingchuan's mount—the Rock Sheep.

The government office runner who reacted patted the dust off his body and rushed over, shouting: "Lord Ling, don't be confused, let go of the prisoner!"