Chapter 282: Undying Witch Soldiers, Refining Form by the Great Yin

In the eighth month, the weather had turned cool, and the entire Linjiang County was filled with drizzling rain, making the execution ground at the vegetable market appear even more murderous.

Only the familiar red cloth banners and the colorful small flags strung together with ropes gave this gray execution ground a bit more vitality.

It was just that the lively banners were written with various funeral discount promotions.

The small, colorful wind-horse flags hanging in front of the execution ground were also marked with the "anti-counterfeiting watermark" of the mortuary.

As the most loyal spectator of the annual autumn execution, Xu Qing was not absent this year either.

He stood at the best viewing spot for the execution, silently calculating the number of death-row prisoners for this year's autumn beheading.

Over the past few years, Xu Qing had kept statistics and found that the number of autumn executions was increasing every year. Especially in the last two years, the Cangyi Group and the Red Robe Sect had been stirring up trouble in the open and in the dark, and those villains who liked to fish in troubled waters took the opportunity to loot the burning house. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the crime rate of the Great Yong Dynasty wasn't high!

At this moment, on the autumn execution ground.

Even though the rebellious partisans of the Cangyi Group had their tongues cut out, some still roared incoherently—

"The dog Emperor is licentious and lawless, unable to distinguish between loyal and treacherous! Today, though we die, by tomorrow, thousands upon thousands will stand up!"

"Dog officials! I would rather die than swear to sweep away the filth and awaken the masses!"

Xu Qing looked at the death-row prisoner who was shouting the loudest and found that when this person spoke, his mouth didn't move, but his belly heaved and bulged.

Could it be that he specifically learned ventriloquism just for the day he went to the execution ground to spout harsh words?

Xu Qing clicked his tongue; he didn't expect there to be such talent in the Cangyi Group.

Just as the execution supervisor ordered the bailiffs to block the mouths of these thieves, rebels hidden among the crowd suddenly echoed and shouted—

"The imperial court is lawless, wasting money and labor without caring for the people's feelings! Only the Cangyi Group has stepped forward; this is the Great Righteousness!"

As soon as the former's voice fell, someone else shouted, "Those who carry firewood for the masses must not be allowed to freeze to death in the wind and snow. How can we sit idly by? Everyone, listen to me, why don't we just rebel against this Great Yong Dynasty along with the Cangyi Group and change to a new sky!"

Xu Qing looked in the direction of the sound, only to see those few people who made the noise disappear into the crowd after shouting a few slogans, never showing their faces again.

Zhao Zhonghe ordered five or six government office runners, along with the soldiers under the Military Commandant, to go into the crowd to search for and capture the troublemakers.

On the execution ground, the supervisor roared, "Spreading rumors to confuse the public! You colluded with foreign thieves and invited the Southern barbarian tribes to invade our land, yet you dare to claim you are acting on behalf of Heaven? Executioners, the time of the Horse (noon) has arrived, execute!"

Xu Qing looked up at the overcast and rainy weather. Although it was difficult to tell the specific time in this weather, it was definitely not noon.

It was only because the mortuary was there to back things up; if it were any other time, I'm afraid the people collecting the bodies today would have met with disaster.

Xu Qing looked at the resentment and evil spirits gathering on the execution ground and was somewhat dissatisfied with this supervisor.

According to the Great Yong penal code, all heavy prisoners executed after autumn must wait until noon, when the Yang energy is at its peak, to be executed.

This act is in accordance with the principles of Yin and Yang in nature. At noon, the sun is directly overhead, the shadows on the ground are shortest, and the Yang is blazing while the Yin is extinguished.

Executing heinous criminals at this time can cause their Yin souls to dissipate immediately, leaving them no reason to haunt.

In addition, if the weather changes and the sky remains dim or rainy at noon, the execution should be stopped immediately and rescheduled for a sunny day.

This system follows the old chapters of ancient dynasties, conforming to the way of the four seasons, similar to executions after the Autumn Equinox and before the Beginning of Spring; any other time violates the harmony of Heaven.

Xu Qing couldn't understand why the supervisor in front of him would violate the regulations and choose to execute today.

On the execution platform, Chen Guangrui, who was accompanying Prefect Lu in supervising the execution, couldn't help but advise again:

"Prefect Lu, according to the autumn execution regulations of this dynasty, any execution official who executes without waiting for noon shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane. If the execution continues during rain, causing strange phenomena, the supervisor shall be stripped of his position and investigated..."

"County Chen Xianzun, are you the supervisor or am I?"

Seeing Chen Guangrui remain silent, Prefect Lu snorted coldly, immediately threw down the execution token, and shouted, "Continue the execution!"

Another row of heads of rebel partisans fell, and the gloomy atmosphere on the execution ground became even thicker.

Xu Qing realized something was wrong. He quickly walked to the row of corpses just lifted off the execution ground and, without a word, tore open the ochre prison uniform of a prisoner. He saw that the prisoner's chest, abdomen, and back were all drawn with strange runes, and now those runes were constantly emitting an eerie aura that was different from the Yin evil spirits.

Zhao Zhonghe noticed the abnormality and stepped forward to ask, "Is there something wrong?"

Xu Qing tore open the ochre clothes of three people in succession, and finally, he turned his head to look at Zhao Zhonghe, who had a black face and thick beard, looking like a god of plague.

"Chief Zhao should know about the Cangyi Group colluding with the Southern barbarians. This Southern witchcraft is prevalent, and they are most skilled in evil witchcraft."

Xu Qing pointed to the corpses covered in strange runes and said, "Chief Zhao can touch these corpses with your hand."

Zhao Zhonghe subconsciously reached out to probe, and then he discovered the problem.

"Why are these corpses that were just executed so ice-cold?"

Although the weather was cool today, ordinary corpses shouldn't be this cold to the touch after being left for two days, let alone corpses just lifted from the execution ground.

Even in the dead of winter, a new corpse would still be warm to the touch as long as it hadn't been more than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

But the corpses in front of him clearly hadn't even passed half a cup of tea, so how did they become like they had been hit by frost?

When things are abnormal, there must be demons. Zhao Zhonghe frowned and said, "This matter is indeed strange..."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhonghe, who really couldn't figure it out, simply shook his head and said, "Shopkeeper Xu, don't overthink it. They weren't my match when they were alive; could they really turn the world upside down after death?"

Xu Qing looked at the rough-and-tumble Zhao Zhonghe and said bluntly, "Our dynasty's penal code clearly states that if an execution is carried out during continuous rain, causing the corpses to become demonic, both the main official and the accompanying officials will be stripped of their positions and investigated."

"Chief Zhao wouldn't want County Chen Xianzun to be dismissed and investigated because of some corpses becoming abnormal, right?"

"..."

Zhao Zhonghe was just about to say something when he heard a government office runner not far behind him exclaim, "It moved, it moved!"

"What are you shouting about!"

"Boss, this corpse just sat up..."

Xu Qing silently put away the hand he was using to pinch the corpse-driving spell in his sleeve and watched quietly.

"Even a chicken that has just died will flutter a few times; what does it matter if a dead person sits up? Don't be so surprised!"

Although he said this, Zhao Zhonghe didn't dare to be careless in his heart. Chen Guangrui was a rare good official in these years. If the County Magistrate were dismissed because of this, he would feel uneasy.

Zhao Zhonghe turned his head to look at Xu Qing and frowned, "The Demon-Hunting Captain of Jinmen Prefecture doesn't come to Linjiang easily, and I don't know how to drive away evil..."

Xu Qing smiled, "Chief, have you forgotten that I am a Yin-profession master who deals with the dead?"

"Brother Xu knows how to drive away evil?"

"No!"

Xu Qing shook his head and denied it, but then he added, "Although I don't know how to drive away evil, I have heard of some folk methods for suppressing corpses."

"It's just that this method requires someone like Chief Zhao, who has vigorous blood and is naturally fierce and courageous, to perform it!"

Zhao Zhonghe grinned upon hearing this, "What kind of method is it? Tell me about it!"

Xu Qing signaled for Zhao Zhonghe to lean in.

After hearing Xu Qing's words, Zhao Zhonghe shook his head decisively, "I'm not the type to jump around like a shaman; this matter definitely won't work!"

Xu Qing grabbed Zhao Zhonghe, who wanted to escape, and reminded him again, "Chief Zhao, do you really have the heart to gamble with County Chen Xianzun's future?" ===== CHAPTER 283 =====