Chapter 144: You say, is it laughable or not?

In the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, the whip sounds in the courtyard never stopped.

The lashing shattered every bone in Zhou Yun's body.

Meanwhile, the scholar also found several dozen problematic files.

At that moment, Commandant Wu Zhirong emerged from the great prison of the Imperial Court of Justice, holding a person.

"Sir Shen, Lin Chang has been brought."

Shen Qing looked at this 'Lin Chang'—his whole body was skin and bone, his clothes were in tatters, his cheeks were gaunt, his eyes dull, and two prominent sutures ran along his legs.

Shen Qing stepped forward and looked at the man.

"Where are your wife and daughter?"

The man shook his head, his eyes empty.

Shen Qing knew at first glance that this man was the one whose legs Lin Chang had chopped off in the street.

Shen Qing extended his hand; a warm true qi flowed into the man's body, clearing out his residual true qi. He then lightly tapped the man's neck, knocking him unconscious, and a gentle true qi lifted him and set him down on the ground.

Shen Qing turned and burst into loud laughter.

"Do you find this laughable or not?"

"The esteemed young master of the Lin family actually had his legs cut off, and the esteemed young master of the Lin family is now nothing but skin and bone."

Shen Qing stepped up to Qin Chuan.

"Qin Chuan, do you find this laughable or not?"

"To lock Lin Chang away, you were bullied, beaten, nearly killed—yet it turns out Lin Chang had already been swapped out by someone at some point."

"Moreover, the one who took his place is none other than a person Lin Chang had harmed."

Qin Chuan lowered his head, unable to speak, his fists clenched tight.

Shen Qing then turned to the surrounding officials: "What about you? Do you find this laughable or not?"

The surrounding officials all lowered their heads, not daring to meet Shen Qing's gaze.

Shen Qing finally stepped before Zhou Yun: "And you? What do you think?"

Zhou Yun could not speak, his eyes filled with dead ash.

"Not speaking? Could it be that the mouth your mother gave you is just for show?"

"If it's just for show, then don't keep it!"

Shen Qing grabbed Zhou Yun's left cheek, pulled hard, and tore open a bloody gash.

"Ahhh!" Zhou Yun screamed like a madman.

Shen Qing's eyes icy: "So you can make a sound—why didn't you answer my question just now?"

"Did you not hear?"

"Then your ears are just for show too!"

Shen Qing seized Zhou Yun's ears with both hands; a domineering true qi lashed out like a garrote, swiftly twisting his ears. After an unknown number of turns, he wrenched them free, tearing both ears off.

Zhou Yun wailed: "I know I was wrong; I'm sorry to them."

"You don't just know you were wrong—you know you're going to die!"

Shen Qing's hands flashed with brilliant golden light as he fiercely gripped Zhou Yun's head, steadily increasing the pressure, deforming his head—but he didn't use full force from the start; he wanted Zhou Yun to feel endless pain.

Zhou Yun's screams echoed throughout the Imperial Court of Justice.

Only after his wails grew faint did Shen Qing crush Zhou Yun's head into fragments, blood spattering all over him.

Shen Qing turned his gaze to the assembled officials.

"I've only just arrived in Azure Province, and you've already given me a great surprise!"

"But we still have plenty of time—don't let me catch you."

Shen Qing looked at the several Embroidered Uniform Guard commandants, his voice fiery: "Send out the signal now! Let all Embroidered Uniform Guard in Heaven Star City assemble immediately!"

At this, everyone around panicked—what's the point of assembling the Embroidered Uniform Guard now?

That's obvious—it's to wipe out the Lin family!

"Sir Shen, that won't do! The Lin family has a daughter who married into the palace, a favored consort of the former emperor!"

In the next instant, Shen Qing stepped forward and stood before the speaking commandant, his slap raining down like rain on the commandant's face.

"You fear that consort? Then you don't fear me?"

"I'll say it one last time! Assemble the entire city's Embroidered Uniform Guard! Level the Lin family!"

"Do you understand?"

"This is the first and only time you have a chance to question my order; if there's a next time, you'll go with the Lin family."

At this moment, everyone around felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

They had long heard that Shen Qing had earned the nickname 'World-crossing Yama,' but all of that was mere hearsay.

Today they truly experienced it.

Something bad is about to happen.

Meanwhile, at a manor outside Heaven Star City, the Lin family estate is not inside the city but was granted a manor by the former emperor, located just outside Heaven Star City.

Over these years they have prospered, committing countless misdeeds.

At the gate of the Lin manor.

The young master Lin Chang walked out of the manor gate, twisted his neck, his face full of displeasure.

"Damn, those few days in prison were pure torture—why did it take so long to get me out this time?"

"Young master, that Qin Chuan is really tough to deal with, always guarding the prison gate; we've had no chance."

"Not until yesterday, when Commandant Huang Qianhu nearly crippled Qin Chuan, did we get the chance to rescue you, young master."

Lin Chang spat and said: "Damn, Qin Chuan, right? I'm not done with him."

And what about that bastard whose leg I chopped off?

The black-clad servant chuckled: "Young master, guess who's taking the blame for you this time? It's that bastard."

Lin Chang laughed heartily: "Good, good, good!"

What about his wife and daughter? I haven't had enough fun yet.

Young master, rest assured: although they escaped Heaven Star City, I've been sending people to watch them.

Lin Chang gave a cold smile: "Those two women had better obey, or else..."

Before his words faded, several shadows appeared on the ground, and Shen Qing slowly descended from the sky.

Or else what?

Lin Chang frowned at Shen Qing: "Who are you? Do you know what place this is? Do you know who I am?"

The surrounding servants were still a little afraid, but seeing their young master so tough, they gained confidence and straightened their necks.

Or else, let them wish they were dead.

Shen Qing flicked his finger, releasing over a hundred blade auras, directly stripping the flesh from the limbs of several servants, revealing stark white bone.

They kept screaming; this truly was a fate worse than death.

Lin Chang panicked: "What do you want, what do you want... what are you doing? I am the young master of the Lin family!"

Shen Qing's eyes were indifferent; he casually grabbed, and his domineering true qi seized Lin Chang and lifted him into midair; his fingers clenched tightly, and a crisp explosion sounded.

Lin Chang's lower body was torn into bloody mist by the domineering true qi.

Lin Chang let out a heart-rending howl.

Shen Qing unhurriedly walked toward the Lin manor.

So now you know what I'm going to do?

At that moment, a commotion was heard inside the Lin manor; a middle-aged man suddenly rushed out from the high wall.

Who dares! Release Lin Chang!

As he spoke, he charged at Shen Qing with fierce speed.

Shen Qing didn't even look back; he flicked a finger, sending out several blade auras that cut the middle-aged man and the Lin manor's high wall behind him into fragments.

Shen Qing stepped onto the ruins and walked in slowly, his cold voice echoing throughout the Lin manor.

The Lin family colluded with the Ministry of Justice, bribed the Embroidered Uniform Guard, threatened the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, massacred and raped the populace, harmed Heaven Star City for a hundred years—numerous crimes, punished together. I, Shen Qing, Commander of the Qingzhou Embroidered Uniform Guard, hereby sentence the entire Lin family to death!

Carry it out immediately!