Chapter 238: No Way, Right?

"Do you know why this official has summoned you here?"

After taking Lu Chengnian into custody, Shen Yu immediately summoned all the subordinate officials of the entire Prefecture Government, ordering them to arrive with the utmost speed.

At this moment, everyone was trembling with fear; they had already heard about what happened here on their way over. To execute a local chief official just like that—the new imperial envoy was not just ordinarily ruthless!

The most critical point was that anyone could understand that it was absolutely impossible for Lu Chengnian to embezzle grain alone without being discovered; someone must have been cooperating with him.

Therefore, when they came, they were terrified that once they arrived, they wouldn't be able to leave!

Young people, after all, are hot-blooded and have the privilege of executing first and reporting later. If he were to have a sudden whim and draw his sword to kill, they would be crying to death.

However, they dared not refuse to come. If they came, there was a possibility they wouldn't return, but if they didn't come, they believed this young man certainly wouldn't mind killing a chicken to warn the monkeys!

While everyone was on pins and needles, Shen Yu spoke, and his very first words made them tremble uncontrollably.

"This official wants to know, the grain was transported here yesterday, so why has it not been distributed to the starving people today?"

"This..." They exchanged glances; for a moment, no one knew how to answer. It wasn't that they weren't prepared; their direct superior hadn't given the word, so how could they dare to prepare haphazardly?

"My Lord, this, we need a little time to prepare!"

"Time? Do you know that every quarter of an hour, starving people might fall down dead? Will you pay for their lives with your own?"

Looking coldly at these people—if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be askew; among those before him, how many could be completely clean?

However, Shen Yu also knew clearly that if he wanted to provide disaster relief to the starving people as quickly as possible, he could only rely on them for the time being. But this did not mean he had to give them a pleasant look.

Killing Lu Chengnian was exactly to kill the monkey to warn the chickens; it was to make them afraid, to make them dare not reach out recklessly. At the same time, it was also to hang a sword over their heads.

Of course, if they did things in a way that left him unsatisfied, he truly wouldn't mind killing a few more to give them some stimulation!

"You yourselves should already be clear why Lu Chengnian was executed by this official. The matter of embezzling disaster relief grain was absolutely not done by Lu Chengnian alone; anyone could have participated in it."

"This official can let bygones be bygones regarding these matters, but if anyone dares to have even half a point of negligence in providing relief to the disaster victims, this official also wouldn't mind punishing multiple crimes together and sending them to join Magistrate Lu Chengnian!"

Speaking to this point, the killing intent on Shen Yu's body was released with full force without reservation. Since he arrived in this World, the number of bandits and thieves he had killed was far more than thousands; his killing intent had long since condensed into substance.

Coupled with the Hao Ran Qi he possessed, his entire person was awe-inspiring without anger, making people look upon him with fear. Ordinary people didn't even have the courage to meet his gaze, let alone quibble.

"Yes, we understand, we will go do it immediately!"

Wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads, it was truly because the suddenly erupting killing intent of this Lord Shen, and that inexplicable majestic aura on his body, made people feel as if they were on pins and needles.

Their backs were already unconsciously soaked with cold sweat, and their bodies felt as heavy as if they were carrying a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain, pressing them so hard they could barely breathe.

To tell the truth, just from this initial contact, everyone had already been stunned.

For some reason, they always felt that every word Lord Shen said was like a great bell or drum, striking directly at their hearts, as if it unconsciously made people convinced and awestruck!

"Then go do it for this official immediately. This official does not ask about the process, I only look at the results! This official will be watching among the starving people, watching all of you!"

"One hour!" Extending one finger, Shen Yu looked coldly at everyone. "Within one hour, if this grain has not started being distributed into the hands of the starving people, then this official will be killing people!"

"And whoever dares to line their own pockets..."

Pointing in the direction of Lu Chengnian, Shen Yu then turned back and said indifferently, "That is your fate!"

"Bah, shameless, only knowing how to coerce; this is squeezing labor!"

Although their hearts were full of complaints, no one dared to be negligent. Since he dared to say it in front of so many people, he would definitely dare to do it!

One hour, this was going to cost them their lives! Say no more, just do it!

"Who are those?" After sending everyone away, Shen Yu also truly walked toward the place where the starving people were gathered. He wanted to watch right here; he wasn't afraid these people would slack off.

But just as Shen Yu walked to the place where the starving people were gathered, he discovered people fighting in the crowd.

To be precise, it was seven or eight women dressed in plain clothes besieging a man. The scene was extremely intense, with Sword Qi overflowing and great momentum.

Among these women, the two older ones leading should be experts of the Grandmaster Realm, while the other young girls were all of the Innate Realm.

And the man being besieged should also be an expert of the Grandmaster Realm. He was handling himself with ease among these women, and even had the interest to tease them a few times.

However, what made Shen Yu's killing intent rise was that these people were fighting in the crowd with almost no avoidance. The terrifying aftermath rippled out, and countless people were affected, with screams rising one after another.

One must know that the True Qi of an Innate Expert can already be projected externally. And for a Grandmaster Realm expert, every move they make carries immense power.

The aftermath formed by their exchange, even if an ordinary person were just grazed by a little bit, could result in them losing their lives on the spot. Not to mention that these people were fighting in a crowd.

Those women seemed to still have some considerations, being extremely restrained when attacking, seemingly avoiding harming the innocent. But that man didn't have so many scruples; he fought completely unrestrainedly, without any regard.

It was precisely because of this that this man could be so at ease under the siege. As for the surrounding commoners affected, he didn't take them to heart at all.

They were just a group of ordinary commoners; what did they count for to these high-and-mighty martial arts experts? Moreover, these were starving people in a year of famine; did their lives even count as lives?

In such a year of famine, these starving people who were too hungry to walk could have their lives bought for just a peck of millet.

It could be said that they didn't even have the most basic human rights; they died unknown by the roadside, and piles of white bones were almost everywhere.

Human life is like grass; besides these starving people themselves struggling desperately to live, who else would care about their Life and Death?

If you haven't truly seen it, you will never know what kind of scene that is!

The battles of these experts, every move and every style, all had terrifying power, and the horrific aftermath rippled everywhere.

These starving people were so hungry they could barely walk; where would they have the strength to dodge? They could only let the aftermath of these forces hit their bodies, and then struggle in pain amidst shrill screams and wails.

"Hmph!" Seeing this scene, Shen Yu let out a cold snort. They were just a few experts at most at the Grandmaster Realm; they couldn't stir up any waves in front of him.

Walking slowly toward these people, the invisible aura released from Shen Yu's body seemed to freeze even the surrounding air. The few people who were originally fighting instantly changed their expressions and immediately stopped their hands and feet.

Such an aura was definitely an expert above the Grandmaster Realm. They were not sure whether this suddenly appearing expert was an enemy or a friend; the only thing they could be certain of was that the person before them was definitely not someone they could defeat.

"Who gave you the nerve to actually fight in the crowd? Do you know how many people you have affected!"

"Senior, please calm your anger. We are here to capture Chixin Gongzi, so we had no choice but to do this. We ask for Senior's understanding!"

"Chixin Gongzi?" His brows furrowed slightly. He was not very familiar with the martial arts world of the Northern Region, and this title was also the first time he had heard it. It's just that this title, it's quite flamboyant!

"I have heard of this one; he is a flower-plucking thief who claims to be 'lovestruck' but in reality commits all kinds of evil!"

Mo Yu, who had walked out from the city, happened to see this scene and immediately came to Shen Yu's side, explaining to him as he did so.

"Chixin Gongzi is also somewhat famous in the Northern Region's martial arts world. He is ever-changing, and no one knows his true appearance!"

"Martial arts rumors say that what he likes most is playing various roles. Either a chivalrous and righteous young hero of the martial arts world, or a scholar full of talent, all to deceive the hearts of women!"

"After deceiving the women, he uses a Cultivation Method of 'plucking yin to supplement yang' to drain them to death. Over these years, I don't know how many innocent young girls have been harmed by him!"

"Are you General Mo?" Seeming to recognize Mo Yu, the expressions of several women turned to great joy the moment Mo Yu appeared.

At this moment, Mo Yu also looked over in the direction of the voices, his expression changing slightly, "People from Suxin Pavilion?"

"It's over! They know each other!" Seeing this scene, Chixin Gongzi's heart skipped a beat; it was obvious they knew each other, so hadn't he just walked right into the lion's den?

"Wait, General Mo, which General Mo?"

"Chixin Gongzi, you are dead meat!"

Flashing a mocking smile at Chixin Gongzi, the leading woman said triumphantly, "At this age, a General Mo who is still called General, who else do you think it could be?"

"This, could this be... no way, right?"