These words were like a red‑hot steel needle, viciously stabbing into Zhao Shanhe’s heart.

Because what Fang Che had just said was the most realistic problem there was; some Demons, by virtue of their formidable martial arts, had gone on committing evil for hundreds, thousands, even several thousand years.

Most of the people they had poisoned were already long gone.

"Then what do you want to do?" Zhao Shanhe said.

"Kill!"

Fang Che took a deep breath, then suddenly switched to sound transmission: "This Life and Death Order comes from exactly this. General Zhao, since the law can no longer punish them, and yet their sins have filled the heavens. Since that’s the case, this boundless karmic blood‑debt has to be borne by someone, so that the countless wronged souls throughout the ages can be given a measure of fairness, a measure of justice."

"General Zhao naturally cannot grant this kind of justice, because of the demands of your duty. A Guardian must maintain the appearance of fairness and the awe of the law. So you cannot overstep your authority."

"But I can!"

Fang Che said, "Besides, this is a case I handled."

He looked at Zhao Shanhe, his transmitted voice low and heavy as well: "The law must preserve its dignity, the Guardians must protect fairness, but the cancers of the Continent, the scum within, must also be eradicated. General Zhao, that is the true meaning of Ninth lord instituting the Life and Death Order."

Zhao Shanhe’s mind trembled. He softly transmitted: "Fang Che, you know what kind of impact killing this many people in one go will have on your own blessed Fortune, don’t you?"

"I do. I feel my Fortune has grown stronger. Because what I’m doing is Slaying Demons and Guarding the Dao!"

Fang Che said.

Zhao Shanhe’s eyes bulged. There was even such a way to put it?

"Then do it as you said."

Zhao Shanhe sighed. "If one day you find you can’t hold on anymore, tell me anytime. I’ll report it to those above."

"If that day comes, I will."

Fang Che gave a faint smile.

Zhao Shanhe sighed, and said softly: "In fact, Ninth lord has been brewing this Life and Death Order for many years, but it has never truly been enforced. Yet the whole world knows that Lord Dao and Lord Jian hold Life and Death Orders in their hands, and have been building momentum for the Life and Death Order all along. I knew Ninth lord hadn’t given up. But I didn’t expect that the first time the Life and Death Order would truly appear would be in the Southeast."

He gave a bitter smile. "So from now on, I’ll still have to keep arguing with you?"

"Yes."

Fang Che couldn’t help laughing.

In the eyes of outsiders, President Zhao and Captain Fang were locked in a dispute.

The two of them were quarreling fiercely.

After they’d had a big row, as if they’d run up against something that couldn’t be spoken aloud, they switched to sound transmission again.

But their expressions made it clear they were both full of indignation, each refusing to yield an inch!

After a while of silent transmission,

they suddenly saw Captain Fang’s expression grow intense, and he flashed out the Life and Death Token in one move.

Jin Guang burst forth in ten thousand rays.

President Zhao stared at this Life and Death Order for a long time without speaking. After quite a while, his lips trembled as he said, "They must die?"

"They must die."

Captain Fang enunciated every word.

These two sentences were no longer transmitted; clearly, all the quarrel had ended within the sound transmissions.

"Then... what about these children?" Zhao Shanhe’s voice was shaking. "They’re all disabled, too many of them disfigured beyond recognition... tens of thousands!!"

Fang Che was silent for a moment. "First, have them claimed."

"Claimed?" Zhao Shanhe sneered. "Do you not know what such children mean to an ordinary family? Those who still have hope of recovery might be claimed and taken home... but those who are doomed to be disabled..."

Zhao Shanhe did not go on.

But Fang Che understood all too well.

Human nature. Still human nature!

A father’s love and a mother’s love are naturally the greatest loves in the world; when a child goes missing, they truly will search for them from Tiannan to the South Sea. But when they’re faced with brutal reality, when they realize that bringing back the missing child might drag the entire family down to the point where they can’t survive...

Especially when the family already has other children...

Especially those children whose tongues have been cut out, whose spines have been smashed, whose legs have been chopped off, whose eyes have been gouged out... their future...

Fang Che didn’t even dare to think about it.

"Let it take its course."

Fang Che was deeply troubled, because this problem had no solution!

Of course he wanted the parents to claim them all back, and use boundless love to Slowly heal their children’s scarred souls.

But he himself knew that wasn’t realistic.

Perhaps many parents would do so, but those who chose to forgo claiming them and simply walk away... would likely not be few either.

This had to be faced, and it was bound to happen.

"Keep a larger portion of the Silver Tael we seized."

Fang Che said in a low voice: "After the claiming is finished... I’ll take another look at the situation, and we’ll decide then, how about it?"

He took a deep breath, heavy with prayer. "Maybe... all the children will be taken home."

Zhao Shanhe also fell silent for a long time before he revealed an equally bitter smile, and, with the same note of supplication, said, "Let’s hope so."

"Yes, let’s hope so."

Fang Che said quietly.

Then he said, "There’s plenty of official business here. We’re the ones doing the killing, so we won’t delay General Zhao’s Kung Fu practice. We’ll go back and wash up, then head to the prison to bring people out and clear the cells."

"I also hope General Zhao can give advance orders and have everything prepared."

Fang Che said coolly, with a touch of mockery: "Just don’t go killing the ones General Zhao doesn’t want killed!"

Zhao Shanhe’s face went black as he cursed angrily: "Get lost!"

Fang Che and the other three turned and left.

They went straight toward the Inspection Hall.

They hadn’t gone there in three days.

Fang Che hadn’t even gone to see Ye Meng off on her first day at work.

As he walked, he was practicing, evaporating the bloodstains on his body, trying hard to make himself clean and spotless; but some things could not be removed. Especially that Killing Aura clinging to him.