Chapter 402 - 239: The Water Recedes

Chapter 402: Chapter 239: The Water Recedes

"Su Mu, you’re treating human lives like grass! Release them at once!"

"A disgrace to the scholarly arts!"

"It is a God-given right for scholars to participate in politics and discuss state affairs! Even His Majesty the Emperor does not punish people for their words, so what gives you the right?"

"You’re abusing your power! This old man will definitely submit a memorial to impeach you!"

The moment Su Mu appeared at the gates of Songjiang Prefecture City, a crowd of people swarmed him, pointing and launching into a tirade.

These people were clearly in their seventies or eighties, but now they were acting as if they’d been injected with chicken blood, their voices full of vigor.

One of them, an old man with a full head of white hair, jabbed a finger so close it nearly touched Su Mu’s nose.

"Su Mu, the Imperial Court appointed you to the position of Governor, not so you could do as you please and treat human lives like grass!"

Su Mu glanced at the man and said coolly, "I am merely carrying out my duties."

The white-haired elder scoffed and laughed out loud. "The Taiping Bureau’s duty is to slay demons and exorcise devils, not to bully the masses and oppress the weak!"

"Are you talking about them?"

Su Mu pointed to the scholars being publicly displayed in cangues.

A full day and night had passed. Nearly half of them could no longer endure it and had fainted.

The ones who remained were also starting to sway on their feet.

"That’s right. They are all well-read pillars of the state. How dare you humiliate them like this?"

The white-haired elder said with a nod.

"Su Mu, if you release them immediately and publicly apologize, you might just be able to save your own life. Otherwise, not only will you lose your position as Governor, but you will also be dealt with according to the law, and your life will be forfeit!"

Su Mu’s expression was impassive as he said coldly, "I had thought that as the Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for Da Xuan, you might have some profound insights. I didn’t expect you to just spout nonsense."

The white-haired elder’s face fell.

Su Mu continued, "The men of my Taiping Bureau charge into danger one after another, shedding their blood and laying down their lives to protect the peace of Da Xuan. And what are *they* doing?

Composing poems, indulging in romance and frippery!

If they are the pillars of the state, then what does that make my Taiping Bureau?

Lu Lang, as the Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, what did you do for Da Xuan?

You were born into poverty. The Imperial Court saw past your humble origins and entrusted you with great responsibility. You should have advised the sovereign, assisted the state, and brought prosperity to Da Xuan!

But in your ten years as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Da Xuan’s finances declined day by day, while your Lu Family went from being commoners to a great and powerful house in Xiangzhou, second only to the Wenren Family! You are a parasite on the nation, your sins are grave, and you are unforgivable by heaven and earth!"

"You... Su Mu, you uncouth Martial Artist! How dare you insult me like this?"

The white-haired elder, flustered and enraged, pointed at Su Mu and shouted.

"Silence!"

Su Mu roared, his voice overpowering the surrounding clamor.

"Shameless old thief! Do you think the people of Xiangzhou don’t wish they could eat your flesh and drink your blood?

And you still dare to run your mouth in front of me?

If I were you, I would have found a place to hide long ago, never daring to show my face in public again!

You white-headed fool! You gray-bearded scoundrel!

You’ve wasted seventy years of life! You’ve done nothing for the country, only taken bribes, bent the law, and lined your own pockets!

You’re nothing but a fat rat! When you die and go to the Nine Springs, what face will you have to meet the past emperors of Da Xuan!"

The white-haired old man, Lu Lang, trembled, his beard shaking. "I... I..."

"I have never seen such a brazenly shameless person!"

Su Mu bellowed.

Lu Lang’s face turned deathly pale. He staggered back several steps, let out a cry, and spat a mouthful of fresh blood before falling backward.

"Elder Lu!"

The surrounding crowd cried out in alarm.

Lu Lang lay on his back, his face the color of joss paper, no longer breathing.

"Su Mu, you killed Elder Lu—"

Li Dangsen’s face was chalk-white. He subconsciously took a step back, not daring to get any closer to Su Mu.

"Killing him would only dirty my hands."

Su Mu said disdainfully.

Li Dangsen was speechless. Su Mu hadn’t physically attacked him; he had literally scolded Lu Lang to death.

Scolded to death...

Li Dangsen’s face was drained of all color.

The rest of the crowd was dumbfounded.

They could never have imagined that someone could actually scold a man to death.

"Inspector Wu, you saw everything! Su Mu, he—"

Li Dangsen turned his head, saw Wu Yiqi, and shouted as if he had just grasped a life-saving straw.

"I didn’t see anything!"

Wu Yiqi said with a serious expression, "The Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lu Lang, is suspected of embezzling enormous wealth. The Inspection Bureau will investigate this matter to the very end!"

Li Dangsen: "..."

The rest of the crowd: "..."

’Aren’t we on the same side?’

’You’re supposed to be investigating Su Mu.’

’Why are you investigating Lu Lang instead?’

’Su Mu scolded him to death! He’s the victim here!’

Su Mu’s gaze swept over the crowd, his face showing contempt.

He walked straight forward.

Li Dangsen and the others scrambled to clear a path. Not a single person dared to block Su Mu.

They had witnessed his combat prowess with their own eyes, and none of them wanted to be the next Lu Lang.

"Uncle Shi, did you figure it out?"

Su Mu walked up to the people displayed in cangues and spoke slowly.

"Nine times out of ten!"

Shi Ziran said confidently.

"Apprehend them."

Su Mu said coolly.

Shi Ziran nodded, his figure darting out like a bolt of lightning.

WHAP!

WHAP!

WHAP!

Shi Ziran moved like lightning, and in no time, he had thrown four or five people in front of Su Mu.

The four or five of them tried to struggle, but against Shi Ziran, a True Essence Realm master, they didn’t stand a chance.

This scene left the other scholars in cangues with expressions of confusion.

Li Dangsen and the others were also stunned, not understanding what Su Mu was trying to do.

"What is your position in the Pure Land Sect?"

Just as the crowd was wondering, Su Mu had already walked up to one of the men and slowly asked his question.

’Pure Land Sect?’

Everyone was startled.

"What Pure Land Sect? I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

The man simply raised his head and shouted.

PFFT!

Before he could even finish speaking, the flash of a blade streaked past.