[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday":3,"chapter-the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday-the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday-chapter-458":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Imperial Hound on an Eight-Hour Shift",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2225516,4113,"Chapter 458: Beheading","the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday-chapter-458",458,"\u003Cp>The next morning, inside Laizhou City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shixiong, come back to your senses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Huanhua Sword Sect youth’s eyes refocused, his body shook, and he saw his *Shimei*’s worried expression, but he had no heart to comfort her, only raising his hand to cover his face and sighing longly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shimei, how many people haven't left yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman bit her lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Five, all *Jianghu* wanderers with no attachments. The others with families or sects have already left, preparing to sell their property and flee for their lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s fine, what about the remaining five?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman replied softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are waiting for your decision, Shixiong... If you decide to leave, they will leave; if you still want to do something, they will do it together... So I came to ask you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth gave a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do what, what else can be done?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A bit of showing off, implicating Brother Li, implicating the sect. Disloyal, unfilial, unrighteous, and unwise—all gathered together. Can't advance, can't retreat, don't even know if I should pay for this life with Brother Li’s or Commander An’s... Where is there any plan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about you, Shimei, what do you want to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman was silent for a while, pulled a package from behind her, and spread it on the table, revealing all kinds of bottles and jars inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are items for disguise, bought secretly this morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to go see, see the result.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The execution ground for General Qi has already been set up, just outside Laizhou City. The commoners have received the news and have already gone there. Execution at noon... I want to go see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth was also silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, he stood up, picked up a bottle, took out a bit of brown pigment, smeared it on his face, and said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We should, see the result.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two silently disguised themselves, took their weapons, came out of the room, told the remaining five *Jianghu* people their plans, and received their silent agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, half an hour later, the seven of them merged into the crowd and headed outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The execution ground was not far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far from Laizhou City, and not far from the seaside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the sound of the waves rolling became clearer, the group finally arrived at their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an open space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the east was a raised cliff, with sea waves constantly rolling beneath it. To the west was a dense forest, with the official road running north and south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the open space stood a wooden platform half a *zhang* high and ten *zhang* in circumference, surrounded by cloth to block the void beneath the platform. On the platform sat a tree stump, and beside the stump stood a ghost-head blade, the blade heavy and the edge flashing with cold light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth was pushed by the crowd to the bottom of the platform, looking up toward the back of the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shed had been set up there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both sides of the shed, several Embroidered Uniform Guards were guarding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the shed, two people were sitting opposite each other drinking tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind lifted the curtain, letting him see the face of one of them—An Ziyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His complexion was still as pale as last night, but there wasn't a single wound, and he was chatting and laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth’s heart turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li, in the end, was defeated after all...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regret, pain, and confusion swallowed his heart instantly, making him fail to see who was sitting opposite An Ziyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman beside him tugged at his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shixiong, over there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up, following the direction the woman indicated, and almost couldn't help but shed tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side of the shed, there was a cage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person in rags, covered in wounds, was curled up in a corner, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commoners beside him began to weep in low voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Qi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Qi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth clenched his hands, biting his lip until it bled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He almost couldn't help but rush over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman forcibly held him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shixiong, don't be impulsive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See General Qi off on his final journey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth nodded reluctantly, forcibly shifting his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning his head, he discovered that not far away, there was another youth with eyes as red as his, almost rushing out, held back by his female companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That youth had a youthful appearance, with a Japanese sword hanging at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His female companion had a beautiful face, slightly older, with a cold expression, holding an infant in her arms, speaking to him in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wu Mingxiao, don't move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Things are not as you think; wait and see, there will definitely be a change.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth turned his head, looking at his companion with red eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Zhao, there’s only half an hour left before the Vice Commander is beheaded; how can you convince me not to move? What change, who will change it, what exactly do you know!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The companion shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know anything, but I know that person gave you a promise, and he will definitely fulfill it... You just need to wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth struggled a few times, but in the end, he gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Huanhua Sword Sect youth gave a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Change?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who can change the mind of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who can save someone An Ziyang wants to kill?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s nothing but... wishful thinking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already disheartened, just waiting to see the result and give up completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commoners gathered more and more, surrounding the execution platform, leaving only the direction of the shed on the east side empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as more people gathered, some emotions gradually accumulated, and bit by bit, they squeezed open the lid of reason, spilling some out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Qi... shouldn't die...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My wife, my child, were all saved by General Qi, my life belongs to General Qi... let me die instead...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn heavens! Dog-shit imperial court! Blind eyes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The resentment of the people boiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing the snow-white blades of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in the end, no one dared to move. \u003C\u002Fp>",1040,"2026-06-17T21:41:17.211Z","2026-06-18T03:13:38.468Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","a6cb36cef6131316680c4ab9182d698454e7f4e4456a5dbf207470e1721bd92c","the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday-chapter-459","the-imperial-enforcer-with-an-eight-hour-workday-chapter-457",647,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-imperial-hound-on-an-eight-hour-shift-cover.jpg"]