Chapter 45: No Kneeling Allowed!

Two hours have passed since Feng Zi entered the Sun Family residence.

During the first half-hour, people could still hear intense shouting and sounds of fighting coming from within.

After that, the interior of the large residence fell into an unbearable, deathly silence.

During this time, the entire area surrounding the Sun Family residence had long been crowded with the people of Daishan County.

Especially the street facing the main gate of the residence; it was packed with a dense crowd of people.

What's more, with the permission of some shopkeepers who opened early, people located further away even climbed onto rooftops, watching the Sun Family residence with uneasy hearts.

This silence was truly too long and too hard to endure; for the common folk of the county, it was no different from torture.

But when some bold members of the public bypassed the residence's spirit wall, they only saw the tragic sight of corpses strewn everywhere and blood flowing like a river!

When these bold people scrambled out, the people of Daishan County could only wait patiently.

Yet this time was always difficult to endure; every so often, a burst of low-voiced discussion would erupt among the crowd—

"I wonder... can that legendary 'Cun Xin' really topple the Sun Family that has been pressing down on our heads?"

"Hard to say. They say the Sun Family's eldest young master is some kind of Martial Master, very formidable, and the Sun Family has so many people. It's difficult!"

"Rather than thinking about this and that, it's better to pray that the Sun Family is truly wiped out. Otherwise... with them suffering such heavy losses this time, our days ahead won't be easy either."

"But if the Sun Family is really gone, and we lose our protective umbrella, our days ahead won't necessarily be easy either."

The direction of such discussions was always like this; in the end, people could only close their mouths in unease and wait quietly for the outcome from within the residence.

As for what Feng Zi was actually doing?

The answer is simple: he spent half an hour searching the Sun Family's Fu Ku, as well as the rooms of Sun Min and other family members.

Afterward, he spent nearly an hour organizing the "spoils of war" from this battle.

Of course, Feng Zi did not take a single bit of the various gold, silver, and jewelry in the Sun Family's Fu Ku:

Firstly, these treasures were wealth extorted from the common people, so they naturally had to be used for the right path, such as maintaining local order and repairing water conservancy projects;

Secondly, he could make a living through hunting and did not care much for these hard-to-carry valuables; as long as the money he carried on him was enough, that was fine.

For Feng Zi, who was a Martial Artist, the only things that could interest him were herbs used to improve Qi and Blood and Martial Arts Techniques for martial cultivation.

But after searching the entire Sun Family residence, Feng Zi discovered with disappointment that there were not many herbs used to replenish Qi and Blood Power.

As for those great nourishing items similar to the Blood Vine that the Lu Family had once gifted him, there wasn't even one!

Upon careful thought, Feng Zi understood the crux of the matter:

Under the Sun Family's torment, Daishan County was already not very wealthy, and besides, the Blood Vine was a specialty of Cuiyun Mountain; it was normal for there to be no similar items here.

Furthermore, as the only Martial Master in the Sun Family, and one not skilled in cultivation, the Sun Family must have had to provide him with a constant supply of herbs to maintain and improve his strength!

"Oh well, it is my fortune to obtain it, and my fate to lose it." Feng Zi accepted this result calmly, only smiling helplessly.

Having said that, he went to browse through the Sun Family's Martial Arts Techniques.

It did not take much time for Feng Zi to commit those techniques to memory, but he did not decide to practice them.

The reason... was still the same as his attitude toward the techniques of the Black Bamboo Stronghold:

On one hand, these techniques could not further develop his existing system of techniques; on the other hand, these were merely low-grade techniques, not even worth much for cultivation!

"Even if it is just a Human Grade Technique, it is an extremely precious existence. This time, I have truly experienced this point."

Feng Zi put down the techniques in his hand and sighed in his heart.

But besides this, he also kept an eye out for evidence of the Sun Family's collusion with the Black Bamboo Stronghold—

A single piece of evidence is hard to prove on its own; if there were corroborating examples, it would naturally have higher credibility.

But unfortunately, for the Sun Family, they naturally could not leave behind clues related to the Black Bamboo Stronghold:

The so-called "dirty gloves" can only ever maintain a single-line, one-way connection; one must absolutely never let the dirty gloves implicate oneself!

"Although the Sun Family members aren't smart, they do have some basic common sense..." Regarding this, although Feng Zi felt some regret in his heart, he could accept it.

Since the matter here was finished, he should face the people of Daishan County.

The sun gradually rose to the center of the high sky. Amidst the anxious and expectant gazes of the people of Daishan County, Feng Zi, covered in blood, walked calmly out of the main gate of the residence.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, he slowly raised his hand, held up Sun Min's head, and said in a deep voice:

"The Sun Family oppressed the people of Daishan County and colluded with mountain bandits; the evidence is conclusive. I have slaughtered all the members of the Sun Family, and this person's head is the clear proof!"

Having said that, he tossed the head in his hand out and said in a loud voice:

"Pass it on, let everyone see clearly—the bullies who oppressed you are gone."

Although he said this, the crowd only looked at him in silence, their eyes full of worry.

Finally, a middle-aged man gathered his courage and asked the question everyone cared about most: "But, without the Sun Family, how are we ordinary people supposed to survive in this world?"

Feng Zi really wanted to say, why do you always think about relying on the protection of others instead of seeking your own strength?

But he also understood very well that this was just empty talk:

This world is unequal; in the eyes of the strong, the weak are no different from ants.

If not for the fact that Feng Zi came from a farming family and his values were established in his previous life, he might also have lost his original heart due to such powerful violence.

Looking at the worried people, he said calmly: "Since I have already leveled the Sun Family, I naturally will not leave things unattended.

"Before I leave, I will do three things for you, so that all of you can live in peace!

"First, I want to establish a three-point agreement with you: those who kill must pay with their lives, those who injure others will be punished, and those who steal or engage in fraud must provide compensation.

"During the time I stay here, everyone must abide by this agreement—if someone commits a wrong, the victim can report it to me personally, and I will certainly handle it impartially.

"Second, I will teach all of you martial arts. If anyone has great talent, they can continue to practice martial arts and protect their hometown.

"Third, I will have you establish contact with Wutai County to the north to rebuild the order and rules here!"

His voice was not loud, but through some "small tricks," he still made sure everyone in Daishan County heard it clearly.

And these three points were the limit of what Feng Zi could do in the short term.

He naturally understood that this arrangement had many loopholes, but being able to cope with short-term difficulties was already enough; moreover, he still had to continue south and could not stay here for long.

Hearing Feng Zi make such arrangements, the commoners were moved to tears, and they actually knelt down to him one after another: "Many thanks, Master Cun Xin."

Feng Zi did not like this kind of reaction at all and shouted: "You yourselves are the pillars of Daishan County; all of you stand up, kneeling is not allowed!"