Chapter 176: My Lord, I Am the One Reporting the Case

"Lord Shen, I wonder if you have heard of the Black Fire Tribe's treasure?"

After Ye Feng sat cross-legged beside Shen Yu, everyone fell into a silence for a moment. After all, they were not familiar with each other, and with no one taking the initiative to speak, it was inevitably a bit awkward sitting together.

Yet at this moment, Ye Feng took the initiative to speak, and his form of address had also changed from "Hero Shen" to "Lord Shen."

"The Black Fire Tribe's treasure?" Turning his head to glance at Mr. Chen beside him, then looking at Ye Feng, he wondered just how many people were involved in this Black Fire Tribe treasure.

"I have heard a little. Why, do you want this treasure too?"

"No, quite the opposite!" Shaking his head, Ye Feng said slowly, "I have absolutely no interest in this treasure. Only what one earns through one's own hard work is truly suitable for oneself."

"So-called inheritances and so-called treasures are all other people's things; they are far inferior to one's own diligent efforts. It is just that while I can see this clearly, some people cannot!"

Sighing softly, Ye Feng then said with a hint of pleading, "Many people have been wanting to seize this treasure during this time, and my Chuyun Sword Sect has also sent people. I hope Lord Shen can show mercy when the time comes!"

"Oh? The Chuyun Sword Sect has also sent people?" Narrowing his eyes slightly, Ye Feng seemed to have hidden meaning in his words. I fear that his coming to challenge me this time was not just his own intention.

There is likely someone behind the scenes instigating this, all to test just how strong he is. After all, this so-called treasure is on the territory of Songnan Prefecture, and as the Prefect of Songnan Prefecture, Shen Yu cannot shake it off even if he wanted to.

With such a powerful person intervening, one cannot be too cautious. The Chuyun Sword Sect has certainly calculated well!

"My Lord, Prefect!"

At this moment, a hurried figure rushed over from the direction of the County Government Office; the person running and drenched in sweat was the County Assistant of Beize County.

Upon arriving here, he took a few deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his forehead before nervously stepping forward to pay his respects.

He carefully looked at Du Xizhou, who was hanging there with barely a breath left. Hanging up there was not only the County Magistrate of Beize County, but also the County Lieutenant and their Beize County head constable.

One must know that Shen Yu had not been idle these past few days; having stayed here for a few days, he had spent them thoroughly cleaning house. Aside from this County Assistant, the rest of the upper echelon of Beize County had been almost completely wiped out.

So when he saw these colleagues hanging there, the County Assistant's legs felt weak; even now, he felt as if he had narrowly escaped death.

Fortunately, he was a rather cowardly person; even if he had accepted gifts in the past, he never dared to actually do anything, which was why he had survived this wave of crackdowns.

However, this Prefect was truly ruthless; he said he would take people down, and he did so without any hesitation, acting with cold-blooded severity.

He looked again at the handsome young man who had arrived at some unknown time and was sitting cross-legged on the ground; a sword like autumn water was thrust into the ground beside him, and his whole body exuded a coldness that kept others at a distance—he looked like someone not to be trifled with.

As for the middle-aged man sitting beside the Prefect, he looked ordinary, but the County Assistant had been in official circles for more than a day or two and still had an eye for these things; this aura was one only possessed by someone in a high position.

"County Assistant Gao, what is the matter with you? Has some major event occurred?"

"This... Prefect, a homicide has occurred, and someone has come to report the case. Since the Prefect is here, this subordinate dared not overstep, so I have come specifically to report it!"

"Understood!" Waving his hand, Shen Yu signaled that he understood. Although he had taken down the County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, and others of Beize County, he had also temporarily appointed a County Lieutenant, so general matters could still be maintained.

But now that someone had come to report a case, and a homicide at that, it could be said to be a matter of great importance. Homicides were always quite troublesome; if one was not careful and judged it poorly or incorrectly, it would implicate oneself.

With the Prefect right here in Beize County, the people in the County Government Office naturally dared not make decisions easily on such a major matter. Moreover, they were more than happy to pass the buck.

"Let's go, let's take a look!"

By the time Shen Yu arrived at the Public Hall of the County Government Office, a crowd had already gathered three layers deep, all anxiously waiting for something.

Among these people, most were ordinary commoners in rags. Looking at their sallow and emaciated faces, one could tell at a glance that their daily lives were not easy.

Yet nearby, there was a small group of people who were very eye-catching, standing distinctly apart from these ordinary commoners. These people were dressed as servants and were busy massaging the shoulders and pounding the backs of a middle-aged man in silk robes who wore an arrogant expression.

In the very center of the Public Hall, a thin, elderly man was kneeling, his whole body trembling, and he seemed to be muttering something to himself in a faltering voice.

After glancing at them, Shen Yu walked straight up, sat down, struck the Gavel, and shouted loudly, "Court is in session!"

Following the shouts of "Majesty" from the Yamen Runners, the arrogant middle-aged man walked up with a haughty expression and stood quietly below.

"Who is below the court, and why do you not kneel?"

"I have the status of a scholar, so naturally I do not need to kneel!" Looking at Shen Yu with suspicious eyes, the middle-aged man asked with a hint of arrogance, "Who are you? You have great audacity to dare to sit there. Where is the County Magistrate?"

"Presumptuous! This is the Prefect! You have great audacity!!"

Hearing how arrogant the middle-aged man was, the County Assistant immediately became anxious. As soon as he heard there was a homicide, he had rushed to report it to the Prefect and had not yet had time to explain certain things.

He recognized this person before him: Wan Sanli, a famous local squire who was as thick as thieves with the previous County Magistrate Du and the County Lieutenant. According to rumors, County Magistrate Du had often cleaned up messes for him.

Now that the County Lieutenant, the County Magistrate, and even the head constable had all been taken down, you are still this arrogant—do you not know who is in front of you?

Besides, this Prefect is not easy to serve; if you are courting death, don't drag us down with you!

"Prefect?" His legs went weak and he almost knelt; Wan Sanli had not expected the Prefect to come to Beize County, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.

After all, he was not familiar with this young Prefect and did not know how much money it would take to satisfy such a high-ranking official.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort at him, Shen Yu then looked at the old man kneeling there and asked, "Old man, are you the one reporting the case? Rest assured, this official will uphold justice for you!"

"My Lord, you are mistaken, I am the one reporting the case!" Standing below, Wan Sanli was truly unsettled now. Why did this Prefect's attitude seem so biased toward these peasants? Could it be an illusion?

"My Lord, I want to report him for killing my steward. Many people saw this with their own eyes!"

"That's right, My Lord!" The servants outside also chimed in one after another, "These are all things we saw with our own eyes; we can testify!"

"Silence!" Striking the Gavel, Shen Yu frowned slightly and then looked at the old man and asked, "Old man, is what they say true?"

"Yes, I killed someone, I killed someone!" Mumbling incessantly, the old man trembled all over, as if he had not yet recovered from the shock.

"Old man, can you tell this official why you killed someone?"

"I didn't want to, I didn't want to! They wanted to take my granddaughter away and sell her to a Brothel. Our family are all decent, honest people; how could we push our own granddaughter into a pit of fire!"

"Debts must be repaid; if you can't pay the money, you must use your granddaughter to settle the debt!"

"Shut up!" With a soft snort, the killing intent on Shen Yu flashed and vanished, making Wan Sanli feel for a moment as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, his whole body involuntarily breaking out in a cold sweat.

"I begged them, but they wouldn't agree; I begged them, but they just wouldn't agree. I... in a fit of rage, I grabbed a sickle..."

By the end, the thin, elderly man was actually crying loudly in the Public Hall.

"I didn't want to, but I had no other choice!"