Chapter 157

The Flying Bear Iron Cavalry quickly controlled the three large ships, and those who dared to resist were killed immediately.

In fact, the efficiency was still slow; if it had been infantry instead of cavalry, the process would have been much more appropriate.

However, Chu Danqing did not value the process; as long as the result was achieved, it was fine.

The people in charge of the three large ships were brought over, shaken and terrified; anyone would be afraid to see cavalry charging onto a ship, let alone heavy cavalry.

"Two lords, this... this, I don't know what this is for?" Xue Yong showed a forced smile, his tone full of flattery.

The good news was that there were only the funds being sent back on his ship; a series of military supplies, grain, wine, etc., had already been dumped, so he didn't have to worry about being caught red-handed.

It was just that he really didn't recognize these two people, and he was very panicked inside.

Being able to mobilize such elite cavalry, they were definitely not ordinary people.

Just this hundred-man team of heavy cavalry, with such fine equipment, could scatter a thousand infantrymen if they charged; he couldn't even imagine the casualties.

Yet such powerful cavalry had actually come to capture him; he doubted whether the various masters of Linyuan City could protect him.

"I have no intention of beating around the bush with you; confess honestly, and you might be able to save the lives of your family." As Xiong Zhigang spoke, the pressure he formed made the cold sweat on Xue Yong's forehead drip down.

After taking the position of Army Lord, the aura of Xiong Zhigang, who was already in a high position, began to manifest externally.

If he himself were not capable, how could he suppress proud soldiers and fierce generals? Previously, he was relatively restrained, but now he no longer hid it.

Xue Yong was startled and said with a smile uglier than crying: "I don't understand what the lord is saying."

"The small one is an honest and law-abiding merchant, this... this..." Xue Yong could not say it.

This business not only had shares from the masters of Linyuan City, but even the masters in the capital had a share.

In fact, he had thought about bribery, but he could see that the person in charge right now was not Xiong Zhigang in civil and military sleeves, but Chu Danqing, who was standing on the side without saying a word.

The other party was clearly aiming at his smuggling, not to extort money; money could not solve the problem.

"It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin." When Xiong Zhigang heard the answer, his expression immediately turned cold.

"Drag him down and give him ten strokes."

After he finished speaking, Xue Yong was carried down.

Immediately, screams rang out.

After only two strokes, Xue Yong couldn't take it anymore and shouted with a crying voice: "Lord, I'll say it, I'll say it..."

These ten strokes were not hitting the buttocks, but the spine.

With the Flying Bear Iron Cavalry's talents, attributes, and skills, if they didn't hold back, he would die before ten strokes were finished.

Even if they held back, Xue Yong knew when he received the second stroke that he would become a cripple lying in bed even if he didn't die after ten strokes.

This was the most terrifying result; after he lost his value, whether it was Linyuan City or the capital, they would abandon him.

The result would only be that the rabbit is killed when the dog is no longer needed.

After receiving Xiong Zhigang's instructions, Xue Yong was dragged over.

"The small one was ordered by the Linyuan Provincial Governor; this line also has..." Xue Yong spilled everything he knew like beans.

"Where are the account books and the list?" Chu Danqing asked.

"No... none." Xue Yong took a deep breath and said while enduring the pain: "These things are in the hands of the Provincial Governor."

This was his lifeline; how could he possibly hand it over to a white-glove merchant like him?

Xiong Zhigang was about to say something when a Flying Bear Iron Cavalryman came to report.

"General, a group of people is approaching, suspected to be smuggling goods." The Flying Bear Iron Cavalryman said.

This made Xiong Zhigang smile: "Mr. Chu, our luck is good; I thought we had alerted the enemy, but I didn't expect them to be so lax."

"Detain them all." Xiong Zhigang turned his head and said to the Flying Bear Iron Cavalry.

The next moment, dozens of Flying Bear Iron Cavalrymen took action, and the capture was completed in less than a quarter of an hour.

In fact, it triggered a conflict, but in front of the Flying Bear Iron Cavalry, it was not a threat at all.

"Lord Qiao is truly diligent; working for the country and the people even in the middle of the night." Chu Danqing saw Qiao Huaiyuan among the detained people.

When Qiao Huaiyuan saw Chu Danqing, his expression became extremely ugly.

In an instant, many guesses surfaced in his mind.

"Young Master Chu came from the capital, aiming at my Linyuan City, right?" Qiao Huaiyuan no longer had the flattery he had during the day.

Investigating during the day and arresting people at night; he didn't believe it wasn't planned long ago.

"Then I'll be blunt." Qiao Huaiyuan glanced at Xue Yong; he could guess that the other party had likely already spoken: "This line is the private money of the Empress Dowager."

"We are just running errands for the Empress Dowager; even if you report us to the capital, Young Master Chu, it will just mean replacing us with others."

"This line must still be run; you can't stop it." Qiao Huaiyuan directly exposed his backing.

When Chu Danqing heard this, his eyes narrowed; this was very reasonable.

"I see; then what is going on with Yang Wenju and Bai Xiaohe?" Chu Danqing was not very concerned about the Empress Dowager's private money problem.

At the current stage, his assessment mission was more important.

"Ah?" Qiao Huaiyuan was a bit at a loss when asked by Chu Danqing.

In his view, these two people were just irrelevant.

"Speak quickly!" Xiong Zhigang scolded.

Qiao Huaiyuan then hurriedly replied: "Bai Xiaohe's husband, Ge Da, was a night watchman; last month, while on duty, he bumped into our smuggling."

"We had no choice but to kill him to silence him."

"Yang Wenju is the scapegoat."

When Chu Danqing heard this, he didn't believe it at all and said two words: "Sea chart."

Qiao Huaiyuan's face changed abruptly; he couldn't understand why Chu Danqing had only been in Linyuan City for two days and had already found out so much.

"It is the Sea-Suppressing Chart drawn by the founding emperor, which was later lost."

"If one obtains this chart, one can open up several more river and sea routes."

"There is news that this chart is in the hands of Yang Wenju, but this matter has not yet been confirmed." Qiao Huaiyuan said.

When Chu Danqing heard this, he was thinking in his mind about what to do next.

This matter had blown up too big; it would be hard to wrap up.

He couldn't kill everyone, could he? That didn't seem impossible either.

Chu Danqing looked at this group of people, corrupt officials who scraped the fat of the people and gang members who preyed on the villagers.

Not a single one of them was a good thing.

As for the possibility of innocent people? Innocent people participating in smuggling—these few words together seemed contradictory.

Did they really think this group of people could pull off a "I Am Not a Medicine God" scenario?

"Mr. Chu, what do you say?" Xiong Zhigang keenly sensed Chu Danqing's change.

"You take the goods, and deal with the people."

"Then interrogate how many high-level members of the Azure Dragon Society are in here."

"We will... forget it, I will go and deal with the Azure Dragon Society myself." Chu Danqing had originally thought about letting Xiong Zhigang go together.

But entering the city with the Flying Bear Iron Cavalry would change the nature of the matter.

It would turn from exterminating a sect into attacking a city, and it might trigger a rebellion side quest next.

If Xiong Zhigang could bring all his troops over, Chu Danqing naturally wouldn't be afraid, but unfortunately, there were only 176 Flying Bear Iron Cavalrymen; rebelling was still a bit difficult.

"Fine, I will follow Mr. Chu's lead." After Xiong Zhigang finished speaking, he signaled with his command flag, and the Flying Bear Iron Cavalry took action immediately.

"Wait, I am a high-ranking official of the imperial court; even if you want to kill me, it must be tried by the three judicial offices and executed in the capital." Qiao Huaiyuan didn't expect Chu Danqing to take action directly.

His confidence lay in his official position and connections; at most, he could only be dismissed from office.

Qiao Huaiyuan's plan was actually fine, but he ignored the fact that Chu Danqing was not an official of Dashuo at all.

So he didn't hesitate at all when taking action.

The Flying Bear Iron Cavalry raised their blades and dropped them, and Qiao Huaiyuan's head was cut off just like that.

Some of the detained people saw this scene and tried to escape, but they didn't make it two steps before being pierced through the heart by an arrow and dying.

The personnel were cleared out, and the grain and wine that were originally smuggling goods were collected.

The scene also began to be cleaned up, and all the corpses were moved onto the smuggling ships and piled up.

"I always feel like there was no harvest tonight." Chu Danqing said distressingly.

As for the truth, he had indeed found it.

But the problem was that the side quest was to have him overturn the case in the yamen and clear Yang Wenju and Bai Xiaohe's names.

It was equivalent to skipping this plot to settle, but the side quest wasn't completed, so he couldn't settle, leaving him in an awkward position.

"Actually, it's easy; you take the heads of these two and put them on the bedside of the Linyuan Provincial Governor, and he will naturally know the rest." Xiong Zhigang said, bringing the heads of Qiao Huaiyuan and Xue Yong.

"Evidence is not important; interests are." Xiong Zhigang analyzed for Chu Danqing: "What you need to do is overturn the case in the yamen and clear a name."

"It didn't mention needing evidence; actually, you could let Brother Guo hold his sword and kill a hundred or so high-level members, and then tell them directly that you just want fairness."

"Presumably, they won't go against their own lives."

When Chu Danqing heard this, he thought again: "Then if I add the head of the Azure Dragon Society leader, would the effect be better?"

Xiong Zhigang's words were not wrong, but the problem was that it would cause greater chaos.

He was thinking with the mindset of treating enemies; naturally, all is fair in war, and he would use whatever means were effective.

He couldn't talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality with enemies.

But Chu Danqing was different; his thinking logic was more inclined toward the common people.

"That's for sure, but Mr. Chu, you will have to make another trip." Xiong Zhigang acknowledged Chu Danqing's statement.

"No matter, anyway, it's still early before dawn, and I have to wait for the Son of Heaven to return before I can act." Chu Danqing said: "Since things are mostly packed up, I'll send you back."

Chu Danqing looked at the smuggled goods that had been packed up and activated the covenant, intending to send Xiong Zhigang back.

"Next time Mr. Chu summons Xiong, it's best to do it a quarter of an hour in advance; it takes time for Xiong to mobilize troops." Xiong Zhigang reminded him.

"I have it in mind." After Chu Danqing finished speaking, he sent them back.

【Detected that the covenant object is carrying unowned, unranked items; you can choose to pay a handling fee to complete the transfer or give up the transfer】

【1. Handling fee: Paradise Points ×10】

【2. Give up the transfer; it will remain in place】

——

【You have sent back the covenant object; repatriation cognition rationalization modification complete; this duration: 3 hours; consumption: Paradise Points ×3】

Xiong Zhigang didn't take the military equipment, only the grain and wine, so the handling fee was not expensive.

(End of chapter)