Chapter 542: Person in the Painting

When Li Yi arrived at the entrance of the Xinzhou City government office, he couldn't help but stop his steps.

He looked up and saw that this government office was shrouded by the belief of the masses. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered toward this place, as if turning into a divine light protecting the whole city. Moreover, these belief powers, after accumulating over time, were not only huge in quantity but also nearly spiritual, as if turning into a giant white crane crouching on top.

Li Yi's arrival immediately attracted the attention of this spiritually-conscious white crane. While observing him, it also emitted bursts of chirping sounds, as if warning him not to mess around in this government place.

He didn't indulge it either.

Dragon-tiger Qi was released. The next moment, a silver, colorful tiger soared into the sky, as huge as a mountain. Just by appearing, it pressed down on that giant white crane with one claw. No matter how it struggled, it was to no avail, finally only able to cry out in sorrow, not daring to resist.

The incense belief power was spiritually conscious, but in the end, it only deterred some ordinary ghosts and monsters. In the face of Li Yi, a practitioner of the Dao, and his dragon-tiger Qi, it was not enough to look at.

And as the white crane was suppressed, the entire government office trembled slightly. At the same time, the plaque hanging in the main hall with "Mirror High Hanging" suddenly fell, and even the heavy red-lacquered main gate had cracks for some reason.

Seeming to feel these unusual changes in the government mansion.

Soon.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black official robe, wearing a waist saber and looking much like a constable, had a solemn expression. Leading a team of government office runners, he hurried out of the government office. This middle-aged man's pupils were tinged with blue, appearing to have some supernatural quality. Upon seeing Li Yi standing at the entrance of the office, he immediately moved with wind at his heels, reaching him in just a few steps.

"I am Zhou Jin, the head catcher of the Xinzhou City government office. Greetings, Daoist priest." He bowed respectfully.

The team of government office runners he led, although not knowing why, had the ability to observe people and colors, so they also hurriedly treated him with respect, not daring to have the slightest disrespect.

Li Yi glanced at him and didn't say much, just opening his mouth: "Do you know the Art of Livestock Creation?"

Zhou Jin was also a shrewd person. Looking at the shepherd driving the sheep and the two crying women, he had a guess in his heart. He said respectfully: "I have heard of this magic, which can turn women and children into cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs, and sell them everywhere. It is called selling livestock, but in reality, it is selling people."

"Since you know, why didn't you manage it?" Li Yi asked.

"People and livestock are mixed. I don't have the ability of the Daoist priest to see through it at a glance. I hope the Daoist priest will forgive me." Zhou Jin said hurriedly: "I am sorry to trouble the Daoist priest to run this trip. Please hand over the criminal to me; I will handle it properly."

"There are people selling, so there are people buying. Can you make the decision?" Li Yi asked.

Zhou Jin's expression changed slightly. He glanced at the dozen sheep again, and he understood in his heart that this matter must be of great importance. There were not many people in Xinzhou City who could afford this quantity, and there were likely more than one batch bought. If they followed the clues and investigated, heaven knows who it would lead to.

But he glanced at the top of his head slightly.

He saw the white crane transformed by the incense Qi of the government office being pressed by a mountain-sized colorful tiger. That tiger's mouth was slightly open, its voice like rolling thunder. If this matter was not handled properly, the Daoist priest would overturn the government office today, and if the City God was attracted, it would be another great battle.

"I will go to ask for orders and will definitely give the Daoist priest an explanation." Zhou Jin said immediately.

Li Yi said: "I will give you a quarter of an hour; I will wait here."

Zhou Jin bowed respectfully and then slowly retreated. Then he whispered a low shout to his subordinates: "Serve this Daoist priest well here; don't be half-sloppy, or watch out for your heads."

A group of government office runners hurriedly nodded and agreed.

After Zhou Jin left.

This group of government office runners was quite conscientious. Someone moved a chair for Li Yi to sit and rest, someone sent tea and snacks, and someone waited on the side, waiting for orders at any time. Although they didn't know why Zhou Jin was so polite to this Daoist priest, there must be a reason.

Since they couldn't see through it, they just listened to orders and did as they were told.

Li Yi was not polite either. He sat down and waited patiently. At the same time, he pointed at the shepherd and said: "Change everyone else back; it's time for you to make amends."

"Daoist priest, this, this..." The shepherd was sweating coldly. If he changed the people back, the crime would be confirmed, and he would be skinned.

But if he didn't do as told, the next moment, a lightning bolt would likely strike down and kill him.

Both sides seemed to be death.

Li Yi looked at the government office runners nearby: "Are you willing to listen to my orders?"

"Daoist priest, just speak. We will definitely not refuse what we can do." The government office runner nearby said hurriedly.

"Go and break the shepherd's legs, then take down the water bag from his waist and feed the water inside to all the sheep separately." Li Yi said.

Upon hearing this, the government office runner's eyes turned, and he immediately took the order. Carrying a thick stick, he walked over. He was truly ruthless, and with two strikes, he broke the shepherd's legs. The shepherd screamed in pain, but the government office runner didn't indulge him, pressing him to the ground and subduing him, taking the water bag from his waist and leaving.

Then he poured out the water from the water bag and fed it to the sheep one by one.

In just a short while, these sheep turned into women in front of the government office runners.

These women were all quite beautiful, the older ones nearly thirty, and the younger ones just over ten. After changing back, they were terrified, but seeing that they were at the entrance of the government office, they felt a bit at ease. But thinking of their encounter and situation, they couldn't help but cry.

"What a villain, actually using evil magic to harm people." Only then did these government office runners understand what was going on, and they were furious.

Two government office runners couldn't help but pick up the sticks in their hands and poke the shepherd twice more.

It didn't look heavy, but when it landed on his body, it was bone-breaking and flesh-scattering. The shepherd screamed repeatedly in pain. "He is dead, and everyone in your government office will be buried with him." Li Yi said such a sentence calmly.

Others heard it and were confused, not understanding why this Daoist priest wanted to protect the shepherd's life.

But those with sharp eyes heard the implication.

This was to prevent someone from taking this opportunity to kill him to silence him, knocking the shepherd dead with one stick, leaving no evidence, and making it impossible to investigate this matter, implicating other people. If so, this case must have involved people from the government office.

"Daoist priest, I was just angry and gave him a lesson; I absolutely had no intention of hurting his life." A government office runner hurriedly put down the stick and said respectfully.

Li Yi glanced at him: "It's best if you didn't. I just said it casually to prevent any accidents. If you have no ghosts in your heart, you don't need to care."

The government office runner felt his heart beating fast and cold sweat pouring out, inexplicably feeling a fear, as if the Daoist priest in front of him was not a human, but a god descending to earth, not showing or leaking, but still able to feel the power of thunder occasionally.

At this moment.

That head catcher Zhou Jin hurried to a study inside the government office to seek an audience with the Prefect of Xinzhou City.

The Prefect was named Chen Nian, a middle-aged man in his thirties, who was currently working hard with several colleagues.

"The Tiger-Catching Order still needs to be signed and issued. That mountain lord has attained some climate. Last time the City God went to catch him, not only did he not succeed, but he also suffered heavy losses. This won't do. If that big worm enters the Xinzhou territory one day, I fear I won't even dare to go out."

No mistakes, one read, one send, one content, one look!

"The autumn tax will start to be collected soon. This time the imperial court has reduced the land tax by 30%. The tax should be calculated more slowly. Collect the autumn tax in full first to fill the treasury deficit, and then reduce it by 10% next year as appropriate. Don't be too hasty."

Chen Nian's voice sounded in the room.

Then he glanced at Zhou Jin at the door and asked: "Zhou Jin, did you figure out what happened when the government office shook just now?"

"Back to the adult, a Daoist priest caught a criminal and came to turn himself in..." Zhou Jin briefly told what had happened just now.

"The Art of Livestock Creation, huh. I have heard of it before; it is indeed a vicious magic." Chen Nian frowned: "Since this matter appeared in Xinzhou City, someone must have been engaged in this business for a long time. If you really dig three feet into the ground to investigate, heaven knows how many people will be implicated."

"Catch the evil leader, catch a few more people who are involved, and execute them publicly. Then send the rescued women back to their hometowns. Let this matter end here."

"Adult, that Daoist priest is somewhat unusual." Zhou Jin hesitated and said.

Chen Nian said: "No matter how unusual, he is just a Daoist priest. This matter of catching bandits and thieves shouldn't be managed by such people. These Daoist priests do things entirely according to their own preferences, teaching people a lesson and harming lives, calling it chivalry, but in reality, it is disturbing the peace of one side. If everyone were like this, what would the imperial court be for?"

"Go."

Then he waved his hand, letting Zhou Jin go to work.

"Wait."

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air in the study. Looking at a painting hanging on the wall, it was a young man wearing a long robe. At this moment, accompanied by the shaking of the painting, an illusory person floated out, surrounded by incense Qi.

"Brother Chu." Chen Nian was somewhat surprised and bowed.

This person was named Chu Chu Pingzhi, the night Prefect.

Chen Nian handled human affairs during the day, and Chu Chu Pingzhi handled Yin affairs at night.

"That Daoist priest is indeed extraordinary. Just now, I observed that this person has dragon-tiger Qi coiling around him, and a strand of Qi transformed into a silver, colorful tiger, crouching on top of our heads, pressing the white crane on the government office to cry in sorrow." Chu Chu Pingzhi said.

"Dragon-tiger Qi?" Chen Nian's expression moved: "A mountain Daoist also has the Son of Heaven's Qi? This isn't a joke, is it?"

"How can such a thing be a joke? By night, the City God certainly won't be able to sit still, and I estimate that gods from all directions will come to peek." Chu Chu Pingzhi said.

Chen Nian frowned: "Now that the throne is initially set, today another wild Daoist with the Son of Heaven's Qi has emerged. It is a misfortune, not a blessing. In my opinion, it is better to remove him as soon as possible to avoid trouble. If he is allowed to return, attracting mountain monsters to follow him, he will surely gather people to create chaos in the future."

As the Prefect, he naturally wanted to maintain the imperial court. Seeing such an alien, his first thought was to kill him.

Chu Chu Pingzhi said: "This matter can be big or small. Let me try to see what his background is."

"That's fine," Chen Nian nodded and said, "However, this matter should be reported upward; it must not be concealed, lest we be held accountable when an investigation comes later. Neither of us can afford to bear that responsibility."

"That is natural." Chu Chu Pingzhi nodded.

Then, Chen Nian let Zhou Jin take the portrait to show that Daoist priest.

Not long after.

Zhou Jin held the painting, walked out with long strides, and soon left the government office.

He saw a chair placed beside the main gate of the government office, and sitting on the chair was a young Daoist priest wearing a red-feathered Daoist robe with long hair draped over his shoulders.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 543 =====