Chapter 1026: Chapter 862: Blood Spilled on the Spot

Gu Chengyu drew the bow in his hand to a full moon; the arrow left the string with a sonic crack, howling toward several people.

"Ah!" In just a few breaths, three people let out simultaneous screams.

The remaining disaster victims saw this and their hearts sank. They glanced at the three lying in pools of blood before the city gate, and a chill rose from the bottom of their hearts.

They hadn’t expected this exquisitely handsome, luxuriously dressed youth to strike the moment he said he would.

Everyone was startled by Gu Chengyu’s ruthless move and hurriedly backed up a few steps.

Gu Chengyu didn’t look at the three men lying on the ground. He knew exactly how heavy his own hand had been; those three were still far from death! At most the arrows had pierced their shoulder blades or abdomens—there was no way their lives were in danger.

He had already judged the spots, and his archery had always been accurate to the hair.

The reason they lay motionless was probably unbearable pain that had made them faint. Or perhaps days of hunger and hardship had weakened their bodies so much that they simply couldn’t endure it.

Ming Yan raised the longsword in his hand that flashed with cold light and took a stride to come stand beside Gu Chengyu.

Taking advantage of everyone’s stunned daze, Gu Chengyu swiftly stowed the bow and arrow and pulled out the Emperor’s Imperial Gold Medal from his robe.

"The Emperor’s Imperial Gold Medal is here. I’d like to see who dares act rashly. If you won’t heed my warning, you’ll share the same fate as these three."

He held the gold medal aloft and looked toward Yang Chaoying on the city tower. Still stunned and unable to recover, Yang Chaoying’s expression changed the instant he saw the medal.

He leaned forward in a hurry, trying to see it more clearly.

No, that’s not right! He’d heard the imperial envoy was a man around forty, yet this person was a youth in his prime—there was no way that matched.

Besides, Hu Maoshen was a Standard Second Rank Official of the court. This youth was so young; it was impossible he could have risen to Standard Second Rank so quickly.

Yang Chaoying froze, not knowing how to respond for the moment. If this gold medal was fake, what then? What was this person’s purpose in impersonating an imperial envoy?

This youth was vicious and ruthless; he had killed four people as soon as he arrived in Hangtian Prefecture, three of whom were disaster victims.

The disaster victims were certainly detestable, but they weren’t criminals of the worst kind. This person’s nature was far too cruel.

Yang Chaoying felt some fear of him. With such unerring arrows, wouldn’t everyone present become his living targets?

Seeing that Yang Chaoying did not react at all, Gu Chengyu frowned and barked again: "To see the gold medal is as if the Emperor himself were present. Yang Chaoying, why are you not kneeling? Do you mean to rebel?"

Yang Chaoying, however, was not intimidated by Gu Chengyu. He had just been about to ask for the official seal and the envoy’s documents, to confirm that this person was not a fake imperial envoy.

On the other side, Hu Maoshen suddenly fell to his knees, crying out loudly, "Long live Our Emperor, long live, long, long live!"

Hearing this, Yang Chaoying immediately knelt down. A glance told him that the one shouting "long live" was in fact Mr. Hu, Hu Maoshen.

He had seen the portrait of the imperial envoy Mr. Hu. Though he had never met Hu in person, the features in the portrait matched this man very closely.

Since even Hu Maoshen had knelt, the authenticity of the gold medal was beyond question.

Only, why would the court send two imperial envoys here? And judging from this person’s appearance, he should have just arrived in Jiangnan.

Could it be that the Emperor did not fully trust Mr. Hu’s ability, and had therefore sent another imperial envoy?

But to send such a young fellow—what was the meaning of that? Could this youth be more capable than Mr. Hu? How was that possible?

The disaster victims and commoners around them, upon hearing Hu Maoshen shout "long live," also scrambled to kneel. In an imperial society, class rule had already sunk deep into people’s bones.

The commoners, once they heard this man was sent by the Emperor and held the gold medal in his hand, no longer dared harbor the slightest discontent.

Unless they intended to rebel, they had to kneel upon seeing the gold medal.

Just then, Ding Shiliu and the others who had previously given chase also returned. Their hands were empty, it seemed they had gained nothing.

Gu Chengyu’s heart sank. He cut off Ding Shiliu’s report with a hand gesture; this was not the time to discuss that. The matter before them had to be resolved first.

"Prefect Yang, I order you to withdraw the archers!"

As soon as Gu Chengyu shouted this, Ding Shiliu and the others raised the swords in their hands and positioned themselves behind Gu Chengyu, glaring like tigers at the disaster victims and commoners all around.

Yang Chaoying hesitated for a moment, then waved back the Government Officials holding bows and arrows.

Now that two imperial envoys had arrived in Hangtian Prefecture, there was no fear that the Prefecture lacked someone to take charge.

No matter what their original rank was, any minister personally appointed as imperial envoy was undoubtedly one most highly valued by the Emperor; he truly could not afford to offend them.

Besides, the other party had killed four people upon arrival, and such a cold and ruthless style had already struck terror into the hearts of the disaster victims.

That was indeed the case. The disaster victims looked at the three who’d been shot and were now lying on the ground and couldn’t help swallowing. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Everyone stood rooted in place, not daring to move. They snuck glances at the few men holding swords over there, afraid this Lord Imperial Envoy might, on a whim, take them as the next targets.

At this point, no one dared look down on the youth just because his face was tender. His entrance was simply too shocking—his first move had demanded lives.

The village head of River Village narrowed his eyes and watched the situation at the city gate from afar. Seeing the chaos seemingly start to turn around, he finally relaxed.

Neither the disaster victims nor the commoners of Hangtian Prefecture were evil people. They had merely been bewitched and used by others.

Casualties were not what he wanted to see. All he could do was try his best to protect the lives and property of the villagers of River Village; as for the others, he was powerless.

The village head had just seen several men with superb martial arts chasing that fat lordly fellow, and knew immediately that the fat lord couldn’t be simple either.

And a man so observant and sharp-eyed would surely be a capable minister! He had naturally heard that thunderous shout just now, and from that it was clear the other party’s Inner Strength was deep—an imperial envoy?

Judging from his voice, he wasn’t very old. Who could he be?

"Good thing we retreated here. Otherwise, if we’d been killed by mistake, that would’ve been a senseless death!"

A villager from River Village sighed endlessly, now filled with lingering fear.

"The village head is the insightful one. Otherwise, who knows if we’d have made it through today!"

These words made the man who had previously wanted to join the riot blush to the roots of his ears. He had even complained about the village head earlier.

Thinking back, he realized he had truly lost his head in that moment, and couldn’t help finding it strange.

He wasn’t usually such a bold and hot-blooded person—why had he wanted to wade into it?

Besides, when had the village head ever been wrong? How could he have doubted the village head’s decision?

Gu Chengyu swept his gaze around and discovered that the local commoners had already voluntarily retreated to stand on the other side.

The disaster victims, however, all gazed at him expectantly, their eyes full of fear and hope.

Gu Chengyu knew what they were afraid of—nothing more than thinking he killed without batting an eye and fearing that their lives might end in his hands at any moment.

As for hope, that was naturally for good news of disaster relief from the court. Gu Chengyu was the imperial envoy; since he had come to Jiangnan, he would inevitably bring with him the court’s orders.