Chapter 146: The Greatest Principle

"What is the meaning of this, Prefect? Are you going to bring in soldiers to arrest people just because we don't agree?"

At this moment, the Xu Family Head appeared very nervous; the killing intent faintly emanating from across the table made his whole body tremble slightly. This person had truly developed a murderous intent toward him!

Relying on himself alone, let alone facing this unfathomable Prefect, he might not even be able to defeat the swordsman by the Prefect's side. The only strategy now was to find a way to pull in some teammates!

Looking back at his surroundings, the Xu Family Head took a deep breath and then began to speak passionately, "Everyone, today he can arrest me, and tomorrow he can arrest you. Are we just going to become meat on the chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered?"

"The Prefecture Office acting like this is simply going too far. Let's all leave together. I don't believe he can keep all of us here!"

This moment did indeed make everyone feel restless, but just then, the terrifying aura on Shen Yu across from them suddenly erupted. The ruthless killing intent was released without restraint, and that bone-chilling coldness made everyone involuntarily shiver.

Especially after feeling that terrifying aura, which was as bottomless as an abyss, everyone couldn't help but tremble. The buttocks that had just lifted off their seats very sensibly sat back down.

Gamble? Did they dare to gamble? This person was someone who truly dared to kill!

"You, you all!" He had just been prepared to stride forward and lead the way, but when he turned back, not a single person had stood up. Even his closest ally, the He Family, had quietly sat back down.

Big brother, you are truly treacherous; you're leaving me to take the fall for everything!

The reason he had clashed with this Prefect just now was merely to provoke and intensify the conflict, to aggravate the friction between these families and the Prefecture Office, and to make everyone unite against a common enemy. To put it bluntly, he just wanted to stir up trouble, not get himself dragged into it.

Who would have thought these families would be so useless? Even with him leading the charge, not a single one was willing to step up. A bunch of trash—what is one to do when they can't be led!

"Shout, keep shouting!" With a light snort, Shen Yu waved his hand indifferently. "Men, drag him out and behead him!"

"Wait!" This posture meant he was really going to kill. At this moment, the Xu Family Head admitted he was indeed panicking. How could someone just kill like that!

"Killing someone is just a matter of a head falling to the ground, but Prefect, you must at least have a justification. Just because my Xu Family doesn't agree to the land rent you set, you want to kill? I don't accept this!"

"You don't accept it? Xu Zhanghai, Executive of the Thousand Blood Sect, tell me why I should take you down!"

"What Thousand Blood Sect? I don't understand what you are talking about, my lord!" With fine beads of sweat already on his forehead, Xu Zhanghai braced himself and shouted, "My lord, can you just make false accusations for your own selfish interests?"

"What a joke. I am not suspecting you; I am certain it is you!" Casually pulling out a stack of case files and throwing them beside him, the killing intent on Shen Yu was already exceptionally obvious, his cold gaze like the freezing wind of midwinter.

"Not just you, your entire family are members of the Thousand Blood Sect. Every single detail here is ironclad evidence. Take a good look yourself; what else do you have to say?"

"You!" Picking them up, he only took one look, and the Xu Family Head's face turned pale. If this evidence were fake, he could naturally quibble and make a scene. But these were real, and they were the kind of ironclad evidence that could not be refuted!

"Drag him out and behead him!"

"Run!" Seeing the gleaming blade about to fall upon him, Xu Zhanghai finally couldn't hold on any longer and immediately turned to run. With the evidence ironclad, he had no way to argue and could only flee for his life!

"Want to run!" With a cold snort, Shen Yu beckoned lightly, and countless strands of Sword Qi condensed before him. Each of the dense, packed strands of Sword Qi radiated a terrifying aura, making one's scalp tingle just to look at them.

It was hard to imagine what the scene would be like under a barrage of ten thousand swords; I fear even an iron man would be pierced through with holes all over. No wonder he dared to be so arrogant; he had the capital to be arrogant!

"Bad!" Feeling the fear and threat coming from behind, Xu Zhanghai's expression changed, and his True Qi erupted, his blood circulating rapidly; from afar, he looked like a mass of crimson red.

At this moment, he couldn't care about anything else, even using the secret technique meant for life-or-death struggles. No matter what, he had to escape; even if he had to sacrifice himself, he had to protect his family. Otherwise, their Xu Family would truly be wiped out.

"Blood Evil Technique, and you still say you aren't a member of the Thousand Blood Sect!" The dense Sword Qi arrived in an instant, catching up to the desperately fleeing Xu Zhanghai almost immediately.

The crimson True Qi desperately blocked in front of him, forming a sturdy defense. Yet, it couldn't even hold for a moment against this wave of Sword Qi, and in an instant, his body was pierced through by the strands of Sword Qi. A large amount of blood spilled out, dyeing the ground completely red.

This scene made the people from the surrounding families tremble uncontrollably. The dignified Xu Family Head, an expert nearing Xiantian Perfection, was killed just like that, with such ease? Although it was someone else who died, it inevitably made everyone feel a sense of "the rabbit dying and the fox grieving."

"He Family Head, seeing the Xu Family Head's fate, do you have nothing to say?"

Suddenly being named, the He Family Head felt a jolt of shock in his heart, but on the surface, he still tried his best to maintain calm, pausing before saying, "The Xu Family colluded with the Thousand Blood Sect, and Xu Zhanghai even fled in fear of punishment after being exposed; he deserves to die!"

"My lord killed well! This act is deeply satisfying to the people, and we should thank you, my lord!"

"Good, good. The He Family Head truly has awareness, but I still cannot spare you!" With a cold smile, Shen Yu waved his hand lightly. "Men, drag him out and kill him!"

"My lord, my He Family is willing to support your decision. The land rent can be lowered to thirty percent—no, twenty percent!"

"Too late! He Family Head, you are an Executive of the Thousand Blood Sect just like the Xu Family Head. Now that things have reached this point, why continue the act? Drag him out!"

"You!" Even a rabbit will bite when pushed to the limit; do you think I won't get angry?

"Hm?" A cold gaze looked over, and that gaze filled with killing intent caused the anger in the He Family Head's heart to instantly dissipate. The gap in cultivation between him and Xu Zhanghai was not large; it wasn't that he didn't want to resist, but he truly couldn't win.

"Hmph!" With a light snort, before the He Family Head could react, that terrifying Sword Qi had already submerged him. He was ready to kneel and beg for mercy—could you at least give him a chance!

"The Xu Family and He Family are to have their homes raided, their assets confiscated, and all their farmland distributed to the commoners. Now, the commoners won't have to pay a single copper in land rent; this is what is truly satisfying to the people!"

After finishing, Shen Yu turned back to look at the others present. Everyone was sitting uneasily; another one had been killed, and right before their eyes, with the blood still flowing.

"My lord, I agree to your requirements. The land rent will be handled as you said!"

"Indeed, I agree as well. My lord loves the people like his own children; we naturally cannot let you down!"

"Good, you are all truly understanding of the greater good. However, I think we can add one more point: once this land rent is set, it shall never be increased!"

"Hiss!" They gasped in cold air. Never increasing the rent—this wasn't a matter of one or two years; this was asking them to cut off a piece of their flesh every single year.

"What, it seems you are not willing? If you are not willing, I will not force you!"

Casually pulling out a small booklet from somewhere, Shen Yu flipped through it while saying, "Over these years, the Thousand Blood Sect has colluded with quite a few families in Songnan Prefecture. Come, I will call names, and none of you are to run!"

"Wait, my lord, we are willing, we are willing!"

"Good, good. You all truly consider the big picture; I am not forcing you!"

"My lord is right, we are all doing this voluntarily. Over these years, the commoners have lived in hardship due to high land rents, and we have felt uneasy in our hearts, so we voluntarily lower the rent!"

"Very good!" He nodded with satisfaction; it seemed these people were quite sensible after all.

"Come, the Luo Family, the Chang Family, and you other families—you people have privately grown Bliss Flower, and because of this, I don't know how many people have been harmed. Men, take them down for me!"

"What?" This scene left them stunned. We agreed to all your demands; what is this for? Burning bridges after crossing the river?

"What are you standing there for? Take them down!" Glancing at them, Shen Yu smiled faintly. You thought that by doing this you could avoid punishment? What are you thinking!

If you commit a wrong, you must be punished; that is the greatest principle. Here, there is no such thing as offsetting merits with faults!