Chapter 114: Great Massacre, the Meticulous Old Bureaucrat

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Great Massacre, the Meticulous Old Bureaucrat

"Speak," Pei Shaoqing spat out a single, cold word.

The Li Zheng’s eldest son cried and wailed, "Tian Erni serves a Fox Immortal! The Fox Immortal wants to eat human hearts! Over the past two years, she’s tricked countless people into coming to the village. We helped kill them, helped bury the bodies, and in return, she’d regularly send silver to the village."

Upon hearing this, the Jing’an Guards were first stunned, but then became ecstatic, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

"There’s really a Fox Demon! I hear a demon’s body is a treasure trove. If we catch it, we’ll be rich!"

"Watch your mouth! It’s our lord who will get rich!"

"Hey! You’re the one who doesn’t know how to talk. If our lord gets rich, doesn’t that mean we get rich too? Honestly."

"It’s over! It’s over! It’s all over!" the Li Zheng wailed, his face as white as a sheet as he broke down in tears.

Pei Shaoqing gave the order, "Stop everyone!"

"Yes, sir!" A dozen or so Jing’an Guards immediately spurred their horses forward, fanning out like a wolfpack on a hunt. They brandished their riding crops or sabers as they pursued the fleeing villagers.

"Don’t run! Halt! Get back here!"

"Aah! Don’t take me! I don’t want to die!"

"My lord, please let me go! I just wanted to earn more money to support my family! I never killed anyone! I only helped dismember the bodies! Spare me, please spare me!"

A cacophony of shouts, screams, and cries erupted behind him. Pei Shaoqing looked down from his horse at the Li Zheng’s eldest son. "Where is Tian Erni now?" he asked.

"I honestly don’t know. The last time she came back was three days ago." The Li Zheng’s eldest son shook his head again and again.

Pei Shaoqing frowned and asked another question. "How often did she used to come back?"

"It wasn’t regular. A year ago, she returned quite frequently. But for the past year, it’s been about once a month." The Li Zheng’s son told him everything.

Pei Shaoqing let out a slow breath. "How many bodies have you helped her dispose of in the past two years?"

"Too many to count. Definitely over a hundred. They were all chopped up and buried in the fields," the Li Zheng’s eldest son answered.

Wang Peng muttered, "No wonder the crops in the fields are so lush. No wonder you’re all so prosperous. It’s all blood money."

The entire village had participated in the killing and burying, or at the very least, knew about it. The thought was chilling enough to make one’s skin crawl.

"My lord, how do you plan to deal with us?" Just then, the Li Zheng stood up and asked in a hoarse voice.

Pei Shaoqing said flatly, "You villagers have aided evil. Your crime is unforgivable. It must be paid for with your lives."

"There are three to four hundred people in Tian Family Dam. Besides the old, the weak, and the women, the remaining two hundred-odd men all took part! Does my lord intend to kill them all?" the Li Zheng said, pointing a finger behind Pei Shaoqing and laughing maniacally.

Pei Shaoqing glanced back. The villagers had all been rounded up. They formed a dark, dense crowd, their faces etched with fear, anxiety, and a myriad of other emotions.

He turned back to the Li Zheng. "What do you mean?"

"My lord, are you aware of the principle that the law does not concern itself with the masses?" The Li Zheng’s chest heaved. He pointed to himself. "If you spare the villagers, my lord, I am willing to bear the responsibility for this alone. If not, then we are not simply lambs for the slaughter. Does my lord truly wish to force us, your obedient subjects, into rebellion?"

The words were a mix of pleading and threats, heavy with warning.

"Father!" the Li Zheng’s eldest son exclaimed in shock.

"Silence! You’ve doomed the entire village! I will use my life to pay for this!" the Li Zheng roared, his voice cracking.

The Li Zheng’s eldest son clutched his head, crying in anguish.

"That’s right! If it comes to that, we’ll fucking revolt!"

"Exactly! You officials kill people as if they were dogs. So what if we killed a few?"

"There are more of us! We’re not afraid of them!"

Emboldened, some of the villagers began to shout in agreement.

"My lord, Tian Erni is not here. We haven’t seen so much as a shadow of this Fox Immortal. What proof do you have that my son’s words were anything more than delirious rambling?

Do you dare kill everyone on his word alone? Can you bear the responsibility of forcing us into rebellion? I am willing to offer my own worthless life to resolve this matter. I urge you to reconsider, my lord." Leaning on his cane, his body trembling, the Li Zheng’s words were firm and resonant.

"Excellent! Just excellent!" Pei Shaoqing suddenly roared with laughter. With a sharp CLANG, he drew the Mo Tan Treasure Sword from his waist. Reining in his horse, he scanned the crowd and bellowed, "So, not only have you aided evil and allowed a demon to feast on humans, you also harbor the intent to rebel! You deserve execution! All of you deserve execution! Men, on my command! Kill every able-bodied adult! Suppress the rebellion!"

’Fucking old bastard dares to threaten me.’

’So you’ve never met someone truly ruthless, have you?’

The Li Zheng froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

"Kill!"

"Follow the Hundred Households Commander! Annihilate the rebels!"

Wielding his saber, Chen Zhongyi immediately spurred his horse into the fray.

Three to five mounted Jing’an Guards patrolled the perimeter, responsible for cutting off any who tried to slip through the net. The remaining ten or so guards followed Chen Zhongyi, charging into the crowd to begin the massacre.

SQUELCH!

Blades flashed and blood flowed.

The villagers were caught completely by surprise. Besides, even if they had been prepared, they would be no match for the Jing’an Guard.

"Aaaargh!"

"Don’t kill me! Please! I confe—Aaargh!"

"My lord, spare me! Spare my life! I never meant to rebel, I know I was wrong... Aaaargh!"

Blood sprayed and limbs flew. Body after body fell, like rows of crops reaped by a scythe.

Wang Peng was completely dumbfounded.

’Wait, is Lord Pei really this ruthless?’

"Stop! Stop! My lord, make them stop!" the Li Zheng screamed, snapping out of his stupor. He threw himself to the ground, desperately clinging to General Hei’s leg and pleading.

Pei Shaoqing sneered, using the tip of his sword to lift the Li Zheng’s chin. "A hundred murders, and you’ll bear the responsibility alone? An old fossil like you with one foot in the grave, you think you’re worthy? And you dared to threaten me? You’re courting death!"

"My lord, I was wrong! Please, my lord, tell them to stop! I’ll convince them to confess, I’ll convince them!" the Li Zheng blubbered, snot and tears covering his face.

’He’d seen that Pei Shaoqing was young and figured a little intimidation, followed by the sacrifice of his own life, would be enough. The young lord could close the case, claim the credit, and that would be the end of it. He never expected he was dealing with a god of slaughter.’

Pei Shaoqing glanced back, his gaze cold as he watched the slaughter. Only when he judged that enough had been killed—that the remaining few would be easy to control—did he shout, "Halt!"

"The lord has given the order! Halt!"

The Jing’an Guards sheathed their sabers. By now, more than a hundred bodies lay strewn across the ground. The dirt path was dyed red, and the stench of blood choked the air.

"My husband! Sob... sob..."

"My son! Oh, my son!"

The heart-wrenching wails of the dead men’s families filled the air.

Their cries of grief were as loud now as their laughter had been when they were spending the silver earned from murder and mayhem.

Pei Shaoqing looked at Wang Peng. "Go at once and inform Hundred Households Commander Zhou. Tell him to send men to take these miscreants to the prison for interrogation. Also, have him arrange an ambush around the village outskirts to see if Tian Erni comes back."

This way, he could share some of the merit with Hundred Households Commander Zhou.

He’d been promoted too quickly anyway; even if he took sole credit for this achievement, another promotion was unlikely. He might as well do Hundred Households Commander Zhou a favor to compensate for poaching his best man.

And just as Hundred Households Commander Zhou suspected, Pei Shaoqing’s "borrowing" of Wang Peng was akin to Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou—a loan with no intention of repayment.

"As you command!" Wang Peng’s face was filled with awe. He accepted the order, then activated his Lightweight Skill, flying across the rooftops and out of the village.

The ground, after all, was now covered in corpses and blood.

Pei Shaoqing turned to Chen Zhongyi. "Arrange for a few men to stay and guard the prisoners until Hundred Households Commander Zhou’s men arrive. The rest of you will accompany me to the Iron Sword Sect."

With Tian Erni absent, there was no reason for him to stay. He trusted that Hundred Households Commander Zhou would handle the rest perfectly.

"Yes, sir!" Chen Zhongyi immediately left to make the arrangements.

Pei Shaoqing glanced down at the Li Zheng, his tone indifferent. "Once you’re in prison, don’t forget to confess that you were bewitched by a Fox Demon and intended to rebel."

’Otherwise, did I kill all those people for nothing?’

"Yes, yes, of course," the Li Zheng answered, wiping his tears, his face a mask of grief. He had used the threat of rebellion to force a compromise, but now, they had truly been branded as rebels.

Pei Shaoqing smiled contemptuously. He pulled the reins, turning his horse, and gently spurred its sides with his heels. "Let’s go, General Hei."

"NEIGH!" General Hei reared up on its hind legs with a cry, then broke into a frantic gallop.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD... The rapid hoofbeats pounded the blood-soaked dirt, kicking up crimson sprays.

...

Before Pei Shaoqing could reach the Iron Sword Sect, Hundred Households Commander Zhou arrived at Tian Family Dam with his men.

Everyone was profoundly shocked by the sight of the ground covered in corpses and blood. It was rare, even for the Jing’an Guard, to witness a scene of such carnage.

They weren’t an army clashing on a battlefield, after all.

"Lord Pingyang is a bit... heavy-handed with the killing," a Standard-Bearer managed to say, swallowing hard, his throat suddenly dry.

Although Wang Peng had briefed them on the situation before they arrived, seeing it firsthand was something else entirely.

Zhou Li took a deep breath. The image of Pei Shaoqing’s cheerful smile flashed through his mind, and an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. "Do exactly as Lord Pingyang said."

"As you command!" The two Standard-Bearers left to give orders.

Zhou Li then said, "Wang Tiqi, stay for a moment."

"My lord!" Wang Peng stepped forward and bowed.

Zhou Li dismounted, clapped Wang Peng on the shoulder, and chuckled. "I was already planning to assign you the recent, frequent disappearance cases. The idea was to promote you to Squad Leader once you’d solved them. Now, it seems this case is inextricably linked to these miscreants, so we can consider it solved by you. This very night, I will send a commendation report on your behalf to the Thousand Households."

Wang Peng’s face was a mask of disbelief. Zhou Li had been dangling the Squad Leader promotion in front of him for two years, and now it was actually happening!

"I thank you for your patronage, my lord!" Once it sank in, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed, his face flushing red with excitement.

"Quickly, get up." Hundred Households Commander Zhou bent down with a pleasant smile and helped him up, amiably brushing the dust from his clothes. "In my eyes, you have always been a valiant warrior. I have high hopes for you.

It’s a pity Lord Pingyang has taken a liking to you. Though I am loath to part with you, I cannot stand in the way of your future. I intend to petition the Lord Thousand Households to have you transferred to the Tongzhou Hundred Households. Serve Lord Pingyang well from now on."

It finally dawned on Wang Peng. The one he should be thanking for this promotion wasn’t Zhou Li, but Lord Pingyang! The true reason for Zhou Li’s sudden generosity was to curry favor with Lord Pingyang.

"Yes, my lord. Rest assured, I will not bring you shame in Tongzhou, nor will I disappoint Lord Pingyang’s high esteem. I will not forget where I came from," Wang Peng replied.

’Lord Pingyang is truly my benefactor! A true judge of character!’

’It would be no exaggeration to say I would die for him!’

Zhou Li was very pleased with this response. "A man can’t be without a good horse," he said cheerfully. "I’ve prepared one for you. It certainly can’t compare to Lord Pingyang’s Dragon-Blood Steed, a gift from His Majesty, but it is an exceptional horse. I guarantee you will like it, Wang Tiqi."

"My lord..." Wang Peng began, instinctively wanting to refuse.

"Hear me out." Zhou Li raised a hand, cutting him off. "Your mother is getting old, and her eyesight is failing. The older people get, the more attached they become to home.

Don’t make her travel all over with you. I’ve already had people move her into a private villa and arranged for servants to care for her. You just focus on doing a good job in Tongzhou. With me looking after things on this end, you have nothing to worry about."

Wang Peng was filled with a mix of emotions. He had always resented Zhou Li for deliberately holding him back. Even with the promotion to Squad Leader, that resentment had only slightly abated.

But in this moment, he found it truly difficult to hate the fat bastard standing before him.

After all, while Zhou Li had always taken credit for his achievements, he had also offered small compensations; it wasn’t a complete rip-off. And now, on top of the promotion, he was getting a horse, a house, and servants to care for his aging mother.

He was even proactively sending him off to Pei Shaoqing for a better future, without making any trouble.

He wasn’t an extremist or a venomous person by nature, so how could he possibly hate the man?

"Go on, get to work." Seeing Wang Peng standing there in a daze, Zhou Li didn’t say a word about remembering this favor or repaying him. He just smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked away.

’Now that was a master-class in bureaucracy.’

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, Pei Shaoqing, having traveled through the night, finally arrived at the Iron Sword Sect.