Chapter 426: Cheap Life

At this point, everything was basically clear.

The perpetrator was the defendant mentioned by Li Dabao, the person who had come to Kangfu County a year ago: Huang Jiulang.

As for the subsequent events, they could be easily connected.

The people's final resistance was bloodily suppressed, and the infants and women disappeared into the Huang residence. The women remained missing to this day, while the infants were all abandoned in the wilderness and taken in by the wild man.

Afterward, the wild man traded with Zhao Wuji, who used the wild man's martial power to expand rapidly, while colluding with the County Magistrate who had already been co-opted by Huang Jiulang. One controlled the inside, one controlled the outside, one blocked the imperial court, and one blocked the Wu Lin, together building Kangfu County into a completely isolated island.

To raise the city's children, the wild man traded with Zhao Wuji; Zhao Wuji plundered the people, intercepted heroes, blocked news for Huang Jiulang, and drowned the children born in the stronghold to supply milk to the wild man. Huang Jiulang ordered the County Magistrate to block any official trouble for Zhao Wuji.

Thus, the closed loop was formed.

Zhao Wuji's ambition, the wild man's kindness, the County Magistrate's greed, and Huang Jiulang's malice together built this city that devoured countless lives and innocent infants.

Now, only three questions remained.

Where were the women kidnapped from the city?

Who exactly was Huang Jiulang, and what was his intention?

And where did the wild man's Yang family bloodline come from?

The answers to these questions would all be revealed by one person.

Huang Jiulang.

After Li Dabao finished speaking, he collapsed to the ground, crying and wiping his tears. He didn't know how many heroes he had told this story to over the past year; now that he had finished, he had completely lost his spirit.

Li Miao, after listening, twisted his fingers and said nothing.

It had been about half an hour since the County Magistrate sent someone to invite Huang Jiulang.

The office was silent.

The County Magistrate on the hall and the yamen runners below looked solemn and majestic. But if one looked closely, one could see the sweat dripping from their temples and their fingers trembling slightly from stiffness.

Official robes couldn't give them a shred of security.

Even now, the County Magistrate didn't know why Li Miao didn't just kill him, but instead grabbed a "plaintiff" and put on a show of really wanting to hold a trial.

He didn't think Li Miao was really a "law-abiding citizen."

Every time Li Miao looked up and smiled at him, he felt like a lamb stared at by a fierce tiger, breaking out in a cold sweat all over, his hands and feet turning cold.

No matter how fierce he looked, he was a civil official.

How could he withstand Li Miao's killing intent?

His reactions were all symptoms of terror. If no one came in another hour or so, he would probably be "stared to death" by Li Miao.

Fortunately, footsteps finally came from outside.

A yamen runner ran in and consciously stood to one side.

Then, a boisterous laugh approached from afar.

"What is it, Magistrate? Where did this thief come from, that you had to ask my Master to come out and deal with him personally?"

As he spoke, a burly man with a full beard, wearing a luxurious long gown, stepped in. His words were directed at the County Magistrate, but his gaze was fixed on Li Miao.

He looked Li Miao up and down and sneered.

"You bunch of useless trash, one by one, scared by someone who doesn't know Wu Gong?"

Then, as if no one else were there, he walked into the hall, glanced sideways at Li Dabao, and his mouth curled up.

"So you're the one who wants to accuse my Master?"

Li Dabao shuddered and scrambled to his feet.

"Master Qu, Master Qu, no, I didn't—"

"I, I."

He tugged at Li Miao's sleeve.

"I won't accuse him anymore, I won't, I'm leaving, I'm leaving right now."

He tugged a few times, but couldn't move him.

He became even more frantic and trembling.

"Great Hero, Great Hero, I beg you, I beg you."

"Master Qu is the instructor at Master Huang's residence; he has countless lives on his hands. Several heroes were beaten to death by him before, don't be stubborn... We are just unlucky, we accept it, don't throw your own life away..."