Chapter 94: Reasonable! Lawful! And compliant!

North Cloud City Pacification Office.

In the public hall.

The scholar stood beside Shen Qing, holding several files and reporting.

"So, boss, the situation in North Cloud City is like this: it originally had a population of one million, but over these years, due to the Japanese pirates' invasion, and North Cloud City frequently experiences violent murder incidents by the Japanese pirates, the population has now dropped below six hundred thousand."

"Of course, this does not count the refugees at the city gate."

Shen Qing took the files from the scholar, glanced at them, and in just a short month, North Cloud City had already seen five incidents of murder and disturbance caused by Japanese pirates.

There are also several murder cases suspected to be the work of Japanese pirates.

Over the years, they amount to over a hundred incidents.

Yet the number of solved cases is extremely low, and the Japanese pirates captured are also extremely few.

Shen Qing looked toward Xu Dashan and the assembled Company Commanders.

"So this is how you work?"

One Company Commander seemed dissatisfied, stepped forward and said: "Reporting to Pacification Commissioner Shen, there is a reason for this; over these years, the public order within North Cloud City has been under the charge of Lin Ru and Liu Wei, and if we were to take over..."

He hadn't finished speaking when Shen Qing cut him off.

Shen Qing snorted, tossing the files in front of them.

"You've figured it out, huh? Should I give you an award?"

"Letting two Japanese pirate collaborators go catch Japanese pirates?"

"Even if you don't know they are internal traitors."

"Then, over these years, those two have barely caught any Japanese pirates—don't you have any suspicion at all?"

Several Company Commanders, upon hearing this, lowered their heads.

Shen Qing turned to look at the scholar: "Scholar, later pass the order to Pan Ruoyuan and the others."

"Have them, three hundred strong, disguise themselves and hide throughout North Cloud City, specifically to search for suspicious individuals."

"Remember, upon discovering traces of Japanese pirates, do not rush to act; first make a record. These past few years, they have been pampered by Lin Ru and Liu Wei to the point of arrogance, so their everyday disguises are surely not that meticulous."

"If that's the case, then if we are to capture, we should take a big one—take their lives all at once."

The scholar nodded: "Yes!"

Afterward, Shen Qing turned to Xu Dashan and the others: "As for you, strip off your clothes and follow me."

"Whenever you have captured three Japanese pirates, you may return; if you cannot capture any, you need not come back."

"Any objections?"

Xu Dashan and the others exchanged glances, their faces full of bitterness, but they could not speak, merely clasping their hands.

"We dare not."

Just then, Zhang Shan entered the public hall.

"Reporting to the Pacification Commissioner! Those two collaborators have confessed, and they have also confessed how to evade the Heart-Inquiry Test."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room pricked up their ears.

Only see Zhang Shan producing from his bosom a ring inlaid with a black jade stone.

"They said they relied on this to evade the Heart-Inquiry Test."

Shen Qing extended a strand of true Qi, directly drawing the ring into his hand.

The ring is made entirely of silver; Shen Qing sensed nothing abnormal, so the problem must lie in that black jade stone.

Shen Qing lightly inhaled, a faint fragrance came, refreshing his whole spirit.

The Supervisory Bureau's Heart-Inquiry uses special techniques; though it sounds mysterious, it is actually a special cultivation method that has a dazing effect—in modern terms, it is hypnosis.

Then it slowly guides the subject to answer the desired questions.

But if this jade stone can prevent one from falling into a hypnotic state, then it can also evade the external Heart-Inquiry Test.

Shen Qing turned to look at the scholar: "Scholar, how did the White Dragon Sect's Wei Jing evade the Heart-Inquiry Test last time?"

The scholar pondered a moment: "I have read the files; Wei Jing cultivated a special technique, so long as the Supervisory Bureau's cultivators do not suppress his cultivation too much, he can remain clear-headed."

Shen Qing chuckled: "These Japanese pirates' methods are not as clever as those of the White Dragon Sect."

Then he shoved the ring into the scholar's hand: "Go back and write a letter to Qingzhou, informing them of this."

"Yes."

Zhang Shan seemed to think of something, then added: "By the way, Pacification Commissioner, Xu Han has also confessed, but he keeps clamoring to see you."

Shen Qing raised his eyebrows: "Bring him up."

Not long after, Xu Han, with his pipa bones locked, was brought up in a disheveled state.

Shen Qing looked down at Xu Han: "You've been shouting to see me? Do you have something to say?"

Xu Han lifted his head, staring straight at Shen Qing.

"Shen Qing, do you know why I want to kill you?"

"I hate it—I have held the position of Pacification Commissioner since a hundred years ago, and after a hundred years of diligent service, I may lack merit but have toil, yet I never imagined that in the court's eyes I would still be inferior to you, a twenty-year-old..."

He hadn't finished speaking when Shen Qing turned into a phantom and appeared before Xu Han, his voice icy.

"As for your past, I don't want to know; if you came just to say these things, you can shut up."

"As for merit and toil? In three years, the Japanese pirates have committed a hundred atrocities, yet you have captured only a few of them."

"Moreover, I see in the files that those collaborators Lin Ru and Liu Wei were promoted by you personally, right?"

At this moment, the scholar also added a sentence.

"Old fogey, how dare you compare yourself to our boss?"

"You've lived three hundred years, yet you can't catch any Japanese pirates, and those collaborators are still your own protégés!"

"And as soon as our boss arrived, he captured two collaborators and even arrested you, a treasonous Regiment Commander—have you ever achieved such a great feat?"

The two exchanged words, and Xu Han's eyes were about to split.

This really is a great achievement, but it came at the cost of Xu Han's life.

Xu Han gritted his teeth: "Shen Qing! You won't even leave me any dignity?"

Shen Qing seemed to have heard a joke and burst out laughing.

"Are you trying to make me laugh?"

"Please, it's the Japanese pirates you hired to kill me! Now you want me to spare you any face?"

Shen Qing turned to Zhang Shan: "Captain Zhang, has Xu Han's testimony been signed and sealed?"

"Reporting to the Commandant! The testimony has already been signed and sealed."

As soon as the words fell, a surge of overbearing true qi erupted.

Xu Han seemed to realize something and let out a frantic roar.

"You can't kill me!!! I'm a Thousand Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!!! I should be sent to the capital for trial!!! You can't!!! This is against the rules!!! You can't..."

The shouting stopped abruptly, and Shen Qing's overbearing true qi exploded Xu Han's head.

【Congratulations on slaying a Grandmaster Realm martial practitioner, looted trait: Weak Spirit (White)】

Weak Spirit: Spirit stronger than an ordinary martial practitioner, but only limitedly so.

Shen Qing withdrew his hand and walked back to his seat: "Finally, it's quiet."

All the Captains of North Cloud City swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

They had all heard of Shen Qing's efficiency, but isn't this a bit too efficient?

If a Thousand Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were to break the law, he would indeed have to be sent back to the capital for trial.

According to this rule, killing Xu Han like this is indeed against the regulations.

But if you bring this up with Shen Qing and talk about the rules, he'll just shrug and respond.

"Sorry, the Third Young Master of the Shen family judged and executed the Zhenfu Si Thousand Commander who colluded with the enemy."

"Reasonable! Lawful! And compliant!"

Shen Qing glanced at the silent Captains below and shouted.

Wasn't what I just said clear enough? Go change your clothes and then go find the wokou for me!

As soon as those words were spoken, all the hundred-household officers strode out of the hall in big steps, afraid they would be too slow.

Shen Qing handed a slip of paper back to the scholar.

"Scholar, I still have something that needs your help; these few days you need to run around more in North Cloud City."

"Help me buy some medicinal herbs."

"By the way, check if they have those two precious medicines, the vajra fruit and the liuli flower, for sale."

Shen Qing felt that his Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill could continue to improve, and moreover, the Vajra Liuli Body he had obtained last time had not yet been refined, so he happened to refine it all at once.

In this great martial world where evil people roam everywhere.

Only by continually increasing his strength could Shen Qing gain a sense of safety.