Chapter 137: Chapter 122: Yiyang County Yamen, Mystical Technique_2

Moreover, what Zhang Qi presented was not just the method. According to the agreement between Zhang Qi and Hao Chong, Zhang Qi would select some pretty ones among the refugees and let Magistrate Hao take them in, so that the Mystical Technique could advance further.

And this Magistrate Hao, that was what he was anxious about.

Bu Shen now understood that Magistrate Hao indeed had a legitimate reason to be anxious.

"Anyway, Yiyang County has been peaceful for a long time, and there’s nothing important to deal with. So why not use the time to practice diligently and improve oneself?"

Seeing that the advisor finally understood his intention, Magistrate Hao Chong sat down and talked openly.

"With the nomads invading from the north, the world may fall into chaos again. And in such times, what is most important? It’s strength!"

Saying this, Hao Chong rolled up his sleeves, showing the advisor Bu Shen the hint of muscles flexing on his thin arms.

"This is the benefit brought by the Mystical Technique. I have practiced day and night, and my physique indeed became stronger! If I continue to train, when the technique is fully mastered, I might be able to single-handedly block thousands of nomads... Who’s beating the drum?"

"I don’t know."

The advisor Bu Shen also stood up, listening intently.

Just as they said there was nothing important, something important came up.

The drum that was sounding outside the yamen was the Injustice Bell, which is usually not to be beaten. If people had something to report, they should enter the yamen directly—only a major case or a severe injustice would someone beat the Injustice Bell to signify its importance.

But Yiyang County had long been peaceful, where could such a major case come from?

"Let me go out and see."

With these words, Magistrate Hao Chong had Bu Shen call the government constables, and the group headed to the county yamen’s main hall.

But as soon as they reached the main hall, Magistrate Hao Chong was so shocked that he nearly fell to the ground.

The hall, originally swept clean, was now filled with corpses. Looking over, there were no less than a hundred, all their bodies bearing marks of swords and axes, even signs of being burned by fire. Clearly, these young men in plain clothes had been through a fierce battle before their deaths.

But what truly horrified Magistrate Hao Chong was not this.

It was the corpse brought to the forefront.

Although the corpse had been crushed beyond recognition, the clothes and some hidden markings on the limbs allowed Hao Chong to recognize who it was.

It was his recent confidant, the Immortal who had guided him in the Mystical Technique, the person in charge of the Taiyin Mountain God Temple.

That is, the one who promised to help him acquire a Tripod Furnace, Zhang Qi.

"This, this this..."

Magistrate Hao Chong opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a complete sentence for a moment.

"How did he die? Why did he die?"

"Of course, because he deserved to die!"

In Magistrate Hao Chong’s view, a tall and sturdy man stepped across the corpses and emerged.

After hearing the account from this strong man named Du Chengfeng, Magistrate Hao Chong roughly understood the situation.

According to Du Chengfeng, the Taiyin Mountain God Temple was not benevolent in sheltering refugees but had murder in mind. These young cultivators, under the cover of night, wielded magic swords and struck indiscriminately—so as the leader of these refugees, this strong man named Du Chengfeng led a counterattack, killing everyone from the Taiyin Mountain God Temple.

"That’s about it."

After finishing, Du Chengfeng cupped his hands towards Magistrate Hao Chong.

"These villains were insidious, launched a midnight assault. If I hadn’t practiced some martial arts, they would have killed me... So what do you think should be done about this? How about giving their place to me? After all, the Mountain God Temple is in the mountains, whether they manage it or we do, there’s not much difference."

"You, you you you..."

Pointing his finger at this strong man named Du Chengfeng, Magistrate Hao Chong trembled for a long time.

"You’re the rogue!"

"...Huh?"

Du Chengfeng was dumbfounded.

"I was clearly the one attacked..."

"Nonsense! Immortal Zhang has lived in Taiyin Mountain for generations, his family quite wealthy, why would he attack you?"

With a slap on the gavel, Magistrate Hao Chong became angrier as he thought about it.

Impossible, he knew Zhang Qi’s family’s wealth very well. As a local magnate holding the Taiyin Mountain God Temple, the Zhang family was quite prosperous, often kind and charitable, aiding his magistracy in times of need. How could they commit such heinous acts?

It must be these refugees! It must be these outsiders! They saw Zhang Qi’s family’s wealth, so they conspired to wipe out the entire Taiyin Mountain God Temple, and now they even frame Zhang Qi, plotting to seize the Zhang family’s unclaimed properties!

"Yes! That’s it!"

In an instant, Hao Chong felt he understood everything.

If not for him, the magistrate with keen insight, seeing through the schemes of these rogues, who knows how much injustice the Immortal would have suffered!

"Bold rogue, daring to deceive this official!"

Thinking this, Magistrate Hao Chong struck the gavel again and pointed his finger at Du Chengfeng.

"Guards! Arrest this insolent rogue for me!"

Upon the order, the prepared government constables pounced like wolves and tigers, their Water and Fire Staffs raised, intending to subdue the rogue to his knees first!

Yet soon, the staffs stopped in mid-air.

Because right in front of them, the strong man named Du Chengfeng held up a seal.

"No, I already said, I was the one attacked."

Du Chengfeng scratched his head.

"I am the Chief of Armaments of Jizhou. I temporarily substituted in Yanzhou before, and these refugees were all led out by me. This Zhang Qi was assaulting an official of the court... What, you still don’t believe? Alright, I also have the official documents and the transfer order from the Governor of Yanzhou."

Seeing the seal and related documents being presented, Magistrate Hao Chong started trembling again.

But this time, not from anger, but from shock, knowing that he was merely a county magistrate, whereas the person before him was a prefectural official, though not the main officer, his rank was higher than his.

Thus, this situation...

"Fake."

Glancing at Zhang Qi’s corpse on the ground, Magistrate Hao Chong gritted his teeth.

"Fake! Yanzhou City is already fallen, information unclear. You claim to be the Chief of Armaments, then why didn’t you fight at the frontline, but instead fled to my Southern Mountain Dao?"

"I... Wasn’t the battle over already?"

Du Chengfeng scratched his head more vigorously.

"Qi Jinshan was killed in action, Yanzhou City was destroyed, the battle’s over, why not leave?"

"Killed in action? I think it was you people who got him killed!"

Magistrate Hao Chong sneered.

Of course, he knew that someone who could serve as a commander of a province would not lack martial skills, such a person could indeed die in battle, to say he was murdered was unlikely—but it didn’t matter, he simply needed a reason to apprehend this rogue.

Regardless of whether he was truly the Chief of Armaments, he had already thoroughly offended him. If not taking this chance to quickly eliminate him, should he wait for him to retaliate and strip him of his official robes?

"As the Chief of Armaments, you dare desert your post, and even roar in the court!"

Magistrate Hao Chong struck the gavel once more.

"Guards! Seize this treasonous criminal who caused the death of his superior for me!"

The constables raised their staffs again and charged, Magistrate Hao Chong squinted his eyes.

Indeed, just as he thought, the expression on this strong man named Du Chengfeng’s face was of shock, disbelief, and even a bit puzzled—puzzled indeed, because the accusation was forcibly pinned on him, just like how the strong man had pinned an accusation on Zhang Qi earlier, after all, no evidence would prove this charge false, even if the Capturers from the court came, no one could prove the accusation false.

"So how did you know?"

While Magistrate Hao Chong was waiting for the constables to subdue the strong man named Du Chengfeng with their staffs.

The strong man named Du Chengfeng suddenly spoke.

"No one should know... how did you know I committed treason and killed an official?"

"Haha, me with keen insight, how could I not know... uh?"

Halfway through his sentence, Magistrate Hao Chong suddenly realized something seemed off.

"What did you just say?"

"No matter."

Du Chengfeng sighed.

"Since you’ve found out, today you cannot be spared."