Chapter 107: Self-Awareness, Heads Roll, Jianghu Heroes

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Self-Awareness, Heads Roll, Jianghu Heroes

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Don’t block the road!"

"Ah! You damn beggars, watch where you’re going!"

"Stop! You can’t escape!"

On the street, two beggars in ragged clothes, with disheveled hair and terrified expressions, were fleeing through the crowd.

Behind them, two Jing’an Guards in black robes with white masks pursued them relentlessly, swords in hand. Their feet seemed to ride the wind, their movements like ghosts.

Suddenly, one of them leaped onto a rooftop. While continuing the frantic chase, he loaded an arrow into his Breaking Gang Crossbow and pulled the trigger.

WHOOSH!

A crossbow arrow shot out, instantly piercing one of the beggars’ throats and killing him on the spot.

The other beggar froze for a moment at the sight.

In that brief moment of distraction, the Jing’an Guard from behind had already caught up, forcing him, who had been focused solely on escaping, to brace himself and fight back.

The two of them began to fight violently in the street.

The surrounding passersby screamed and scattered.

The Jing’an Guard on the roof leaped down and joined the fray.

In the end, the beggar was defeated. One of his legs was brutally broken on the spot, and he was dragged away toward the Hundred Households garrison by the two Jing’an Guards like a dead dog.

"What’s going on? Why are the Jing’an Guard suddenly targeting the Beggar Gang?" In a tavern overlooking the street, a group of martial arts practitioners, who were eating and drinking, broke into discussion at the sight.

"Hmph! What other reason could there be? Those lowlifes do nothing but vile, cursed deeds."

"It’s got to be kidnapping. Ptooey! And they have the nerve to call themselves martial artists. I’m ashamed to be associated with them!"

"These beggars are really bold. Yesterday at the inn, I ran into my father’s killer, but I didn’t dare make a move in the city because of the Great Zhou’s laws. Yet they act with no restraint whatsoever."

The martial artists either sneered, watched coldly from the sidelines, or felt a pang of sympathy as if seeing a fox mourn a dead rabbit, but not a single one stepped forward to righteously help fight the Jing’an Guard.

The Jing’an Guard mobilized in full force. With the city sealed, it was like trapping dogs in a locked yard. By nightfall, every surviving beggar—man or woman, old or young, maimed or whole—had been thrown into the dungeons of the Hundred Households garrison.

Normally at this time, Pei Shaoqing would have long been home, cuddling with Zhao Zilan or Xie Qingwu.

But today, he was still working overtime.

Inside the office, behind his desk, he sat silently in his black robes, his face as grim as still water. The orange candlelight flickered, making his expression shift between light and shadow.

Ye Hanshuang stood quietly behind him, her sword in her arms.

TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP!

A series of footsteps broke the silence.

Sun Youliang walked in quickly to report, "My lord, all the beggars have been interrogated. Only a small fraction are actual beggars. The majority of the young beggars, whether maimed or whole, are under the control of the Beggar Gang.

"In two days, they kidnapped five children and one adult woman in Tongzhou. They’ve confessed the location where they’re being held, and I’ve already sent men. Yesterday, they brought in a special batch of young beggars from neighboring Bazhou to lure other children. They were planning to stop after today."

"The women they kidnap are first violated by them, then sold to brothels to serve clients. Pretty young girls are also sold to brothels or to families as maids and child brides. Some of the boys have their limbs broken and are poisoned to become deaf and mute so they can beg. A smaller portion are kept to lure other children. They do this everywhere they go."

Sun Youliang had naturally heard of the Beggar Gang’s methods, but for it to happen right under his own nose was another feeling entirely.

A fire of rage was burning inside him now.

"How many Beggar Gang members are there?" Pei Shaoqing leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on his legs for support.

Sun Youliang replied, "There are 37 official Beggar Gang disciples in total, all from the Shu State Branch. The Sub-Squad Leader who brought them here went to Star-picking Mountain today. He arranged to meet up with them tomorrow after the birthday celebration ends."

"Have those 37 people beheaded tomorrow morning. I will carry out the execution myself. After it’s done, I’m going to Star-picking Mountain to take that Sub-Squad Leader’s head. As long as I’m in charge of Tongzhou, there will be no air for the Beggar Gang to breathe here," Pei Shaoqing said coldly.

Sun Youliang cupped his fist and replied, "Yes, my lord."

Pei Shaoqing stood up and strode past Sun Youliang, heading home with Ye Hanshuang.

Upon arriving home, he first went to bathe. While sitting in the tub, he told Xie Qingwu about the day’s events and his plans for tomorrow.

As Xie Qingwu gently scrubbed his back, she said softly, "I’ve always said you still have a conscience."

"I think it’s more that I’m not thoroughly evil," Pei Shaoqing let out a breath, summarizing himself.

He never considered himself a good person.

Nor did he think he had much of a conscience.

It was just that, as long as his own interests weren’t at stake, there were some things he couldn’t stand to see, so he felt compelled to intervene.

It also just so happened to be part of his duties.

It would help with his year-end evaluation.

Xie Qingwu smiled and didn’t argue with him. She changed the subject to the Beggar Gang. "I’ve never interacted with beggars, but I’ve read about their practices in books. To think that after all these years, they’re still doing the same things."

"A dog will always return to its vomit. It’s become an ingrained habit over thousands of years. If I were in charge, things like this wouldn’t happen," Pei Shaoqing said with his eyes closed.

Xie Qingwu whispered, "Because you would bring prosperity to the people, so there would be no more beggars in the world, and thus no soil for the Beggar Gang to grow in, right?"

"My dear, you overestimate me. I don’t have that kind of ability." Pei Shaoqing shook his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I have an easier method. Kill every last member of the Beggar Gang. If one appears, kill one. Keep killing until no one dares to do this kind of thing again."

...

「The next morning.」

The Jing’an Guard went through the streets and alleys, beating gongs and drums.

They loudly proclaimed the evil deeds the Beggar Gang had committed in the city over the past two days, and announced that they were about to be beheaded at the city gates.

This attracted countless common folk to come and watch.

The 37 Beggar Gang disciples were escorted to the execution ground. The surrounding crowd, filled with righteous indignation, began throwing stones at them.

There were no vegetable leaves or eggs to be had.

How many people couldn’t even afford to eat?

"Stone them to death! Death to these sons of bitches!"

"They’re the ones who took my son! Thank heavens for Lord Pei! Thank heavens for the Jing’an Guard!"

"A bunch of bastards who deserve to be struck by lightning! Weren’t they born from a mother and father? How can they do such wicked things!"

By the time they were brought onto the execution platform, the 37 of them were already bruised, battered, and bleeding from the head. Combined with their tattered clothes, they all looked pathetic.

Pei Shaoqing, who had specifically worn his Qilin Robe for the occasion, casually drew the sword from Song Youcai’s waist. With a cold expression, he strode onto the execution platform, walked up to the first man, ignored his terrified gaze, and decisively brought the blade down.

SQUELCH!

A head hit the ground, and blood sprayed forth.

Pei Shaoqing’s face and body were splattered with blood.

"Yes!"

"A good kill, Lord Pei!"

The common folk all applauded, roaring their approval.

No one from the martial arts world was there to watch the spectacle. Even the latest of them had already set off for Star-picking Mountain that morning to attend the birthday celebration.

"Don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!"

"Spare me, Lord Pei! I’ll pay taxes! I’m willing to pay one hundred taels! Those kids aren’t worth that much, are they?"

"I’m begging you, please don’t kill me..."

The remaining men all panicked and begged for their lives.

Pei Shaoqing turned a deaf ear. He swung the sword as if chopping vegetables, felling them one after another with each stroke.

Head after head rolled to the ground.

Every swing of the blade was like opening a faucet, only what poured out was blood.

When all 37 men were dead, 37 headless corpses slumped forward, their heads having all rolled off the execution platform.

Their faces were frozen in expressions of terror or despair.

Pei Shaoqing stood with the sword in one hand, bathed in blood like a god of slaughter, stunning the crowd into silence.

The Qilin on his robe, in particular, seemed to come alive once covered in blood, a soul-stealing sight.

He casually tossed the sword back to Song Youcai and wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. He then glanced at the dark sea of people and said to Chen Zhongyi, "Take the heads of those mongrels on the ground. We’re leaving for Star-picking Mountain."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he leaped into the air and landed on General Hei’s back. He pulled the Faceless Mask from his robes, put it on, and spurred the horse’s flanks with his legs, heading for the city gate.

’Only 37. I haven’t had my fill of killing yet.’

"Giddy-up!" "Giddy-up!" "Giddy-up!"

Behind him, more than seventy men spurred their horses and followed.

"Victory to Lord Pei!"

Someone in the crowd, snapping out of their stupor, shouted.

"Victory!" "Victory!" "Victory!"

Everyone eagerly joined in, the sound like a tide, each wave higher than the last, echoing for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, the usually quiet Star-Picking Sect was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. It was bustling with extraordinary excitement, guests as numerous as the clouds.

Inside the main hall, the man of the hour, the Star-Picking Elder, was dressed in festive clothing and chatting with the guests who had come to wish him a long life.

The hall was packed with guests, but seats were limited.

Therefore, those qualified to be seated here were all people of some status and renown among those present.

Or people who were close personal friends with the Star-Picking Elder.

For example, Chen Qizhi, the Sub-Squad Leader of the Beggar Gang’s Shu State Branch.

Chen Qizhi was in his early forties. He wore magnificent robes that didn’t fit the "corporate image" of the Beggar Gang. He looked short but was sturdily built, with fair skin and a beard.

Only two fingers remained on his left hand.

"Captain Chen, you seem to be in the mood to leisurely sip tea. Your disciples have caused a huge disaster in Tongzhou City!" a martial artist who had just arrived on the mountain this morning said, gloating.

As soon as he spoke, the entire hall fell silent.

Chen Qizhi clearly recognized the man. His expression changed as he stood up and asked, "Brother Zhu, what do you mean by that?"

"Your men were kidnapping children in the city and got caught by the Jing’an Guard. They searched the whole city yesterday. Your men are either dead or captured. They might even be coming up the mountain to find you today," the man surnamed Zhu said with a chuckle.

WHOOSH! The whole hall erupted in an uproar, with everyone talking at once.

Chen Qizhi’s face was extremely ugly. He cursed with uncontrollable rage, "Those bastards! I was only gone for two days! I told them to wait for me in the city, and they went behind my back to commit such evil deeds! How outrageous!"

As his voice fell, he turned his head to the Star-Picking Elder, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother Zhao, the Jing’an Guard are always tyrannical and unreasonable. They certainly won’t listen to my explanation. Today is your joyous occasion, so I won’t bring that trouble here to ruin the mood. My well wishes have been delivered, so I’ll take my leave now."

With that, he made a show of leaving in a hurry.

"Brother Chen, wait a moment." The Star-Picking Elder, a man in his early sixties with a radiant face, stood up and said, "Since your subordinates acted on their own, what does it have to do with you, Brother Chen? The Jing’an Guard may usually be unreasonable, but today, we have so many great heroes of the Jianghu gathered here. I’m sure they’ll be willing to listen to reason."

"Besides, you came a thousand miles to celebrate my birthday. If I can’t even protect a friend, what face would I have to invite everyone here? So, Brother Chen, please, set your mind at ease."

"Well said! Damn it, the Jing’an Guard acts like no one else matters. We’re all here today. If they try to act recklessly, we’re not to be trifled with!"

"That’s right! I’ve been sick of those hounds of the Court for a long time! With so many of us here today, are we really going to be intimidated by a mere Hundred Households garrison?"

"Captain Chen, what are you afraid of? You have us!"

Many people stepped forward on their own initiative, expressing their willingness to back Chen Qizhi and denouncing the hounds of the Court.

But a portion of the guests remained silent.

"Thank you, Brother Zhao! Thank you, fellow martial artists! Since you all support me so strongly, I can’t just run away. That would make it seem like my Beggar Gang is cowardly," Chen Qizhi said, his face filled with gratitude.

The Star-Picking Elder laughed heartily. "Come, come, everyone, let’s keep drinking! We won’t stop until we’re all drunk today! Don’t even talk about the Jing’an Guard—it wouldn’t matter even if the old Emperor himself came!"

"That’s right! Drink!"

"Cheers!"

The crowd was filled with heroic bravado, their spirits seemingly unstoppable.

One of the most notable characteristics of a mob is that as soon as their numbers swell, every single one of them becomes full of courage.

At least, that’s how it is before disaster actually strikes.