Why do I have so many masters?

The pillars of the Great Qin Country protect its lands.

So they must be, and indeed are, the most rule-abiding people under Heaven.

Even with an imperial edict, they could not make rash moves unless the stability of the state was at stake.

These seventy-two individuals were the colossal pillars that anchored the Great Qin Dynasty's landscape, hence called the National Pillars. Though they held a status above tens of thousands, they did not have any real power. Various affairs were naturally handled by the Ministry of Punishment, Ministry of Personnel, Military Family, and Legalists.

Otherwise, with their martial might, if they amassed various powers in one hand, how would that be different from a Vassal King dividing his rule?

Even the most sagacious and Divine Martial sovereign would struggle to rest easy in such a situation.

Yu Wenze closed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping on the armrest.

Using great numbers to strike at the few, using great numbers to strike at the few...

Only after sitting in this position did he understand what the term 'numerous forces' meant.

He had just begun to grasp from where the concept of 'numerous' originated.

As one of the Great Qin's top experts, he was the least entitled person to strike and kill Xia Changqing, for that would only further sour the already tense atmosphere between the Great Qin Imperial Court and the Jianghu.

If conflicts arose between the two, it was always the innocent common folk who would suffer.

Yu Wenze sat back in his seat, his eyes slightly closed, his expression as emotionless as a stone statue.

............

Outside the stronghold of Danfeng Valley.

Wu Xiong and others evacuated the surrounding residents. After a report had been made to the authorities, the army tasked with protecting Fufeng, due to their duty to not leave their posts, still sent auxiliary soldiers from the barracks to help civilians leave the area.

Although Xia Changqing had entered the County City, the Chief Arrestor of the Ministry of Punishment had not yet issued a related ban.

But they, who guarded the County City, were somewhat ashamed in their hearts.

In a short while, the surroundings were evacuated, because when true experts fought, the Qi Force that emanated from them could have far-reaching impacts. Just when Wu Xiong breathed a slight sigh of relief, a sharp howl suddenly came from a courtyard, and the intricately carved windows shattered instantly, a streak of cold light shooting out.

In front of it were the scattering residents.

Almost instinctively, Wu Xiong lunged forward, pushing the child, who looked no older than ten, out of the way. As the cold light descended towards him, preparing to use his External Cultivation to withstand the attack, a wooden sword appeared out of the corner of his eye, and the cold light suddenly came to a halt.

The edge of the blade and the sword tip of the wooden sword were firmly against each other, the force upon them effectively dissipated.

The wind created by the blow tore his clothes.

The youth in blue clothes advanced and lifted his wrist, flicking the cold light aside.

The sword spun in the air, curving and firmly embedding backward into the stone slab, vibrating and humming. The blade was very long, identical to that of the Danfeng Valley martial artist's weapon previously encountered. Wu Xiong turned to look at the youth who should not have appeared here, his expression slightly astonished, and said:

"Brother Wang?"

The youth, holding the longsword, felt his palm slightly numb. The earlier move was a desperate strike, and with his swordsmanship skills, neutralizing the Vigorous Qi was indeed somewhat forced. Hearing the words, his expression stalled a moment, and he gave Wu Xiong a dry laugh, not yet having explained why he was here when suddenly a whooshing sound came from the sky.

A figure swiftly descended, dressed in crimson brocade, with the Bi'an Golden Order at his waist and a long blade in hand. It was the same person they had seen before, the Deputy Chief Arrestor of Fufeng, Zhu Jian'an. Upon seeing Wang Anfeng, confusion flickered in his eyes, and then a hint of irritation arose inside him—clearly, not pleased that Wang Anfeng had disregarded warnings and come here.

Wu Xiong's heart skipped a beat.

Unaware that the two had previously met, he assumed that the Deputy Chief Arrestor, seeing an unfamiliar face on the scene, was annoyed. He hurriedly moved forward to report the current situation and briefly explained Wang Anfeng's actions in a few words.

After learning that the only capture during this period came from this young man before him, Zhu Jian'an's brows relaxed slightly. There was no more time to send Wang Anfeng away, and with a grave voice, he said:

"Stay here, and don't cause any more trouble."

Wang Anfeng nodded in agreement.

He had sensed something wrong and had followed it all the way here, careful not to come too close to the ground. He hadn't intended to intervene, but his body had reacted faster and more faithfully than his brain in that critical moment.

And in this brief interval, figures had already appeared in the sky, their Qi Force vast, all Masters above the Middle Third Rank wielding long blades, positioned to the left and right. Worried about an ambush, they did not rashly enter the courtyard, but exchanged a glance, taking positions at six points. All at once, they drew their swords from their sheaths, and with a loud shout, slashed fiercely.

In an instant, six long beams of sword light, each over ten zhang tall, cleaved out in Formation, instantly dividing the courtyard and simultaneously slashing into the main house.

A moment of silence followed, then the meticulously constructed wooden house exploded with a bang.

The Qi Force mingled with the broken furniture, turned into a thick qi surge, moving towards all directions, but was blocked by the six Masters of the Middle Third Rank surrounding it, unable to escape the blockade and damage the nearby houses.

The once serene courtyard, filled with red maple trees, was now a deep pit, as if only a meteorite from the Nine Heavens could have caused such a scene—a sight truly horrifying.

Zhu Jian'an picked up the Bi'an Golden Order from his waist with his left hand, and tossed it outhand.

The Golden Order spun through the air, tearing the thick qi surge apart and shooting straight through.

The Deputy Chief Arrestor from Fufeng County City proclaimed loudly,

"Xia Changqing, I am the Deputy Chief Arrestor of Fufeng."

"After investigation, it is related to the annihilation of your Danfeng Valley today. If you have been wrongfully accused, explain yourself at once, and accompany us to the Ministry of Punishment for inquiry."

This action was also a result of the special relationship between Jianghu and the Imperial Court, a safeguard to prevent Great Qin from resorting to torture for confessions. At this moment, the Qin iron troops had already moved powerful crossbows, designed specifically to break martial artists' True Qi, from the arsenal. They formed two rows, completely surrounding the house.

The sharp crossbow bolts were lifted and uniformly aimed at the center of the turbulence.

Waiting for a command, they would unleash thousands of bolts at once. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

The Ministry of Punishment's patrol officers are not allowed to kill at will, but since they held evidence in hand, it was only natural to require his cooperation.

And if he resisted...

He had better resist.

Zhu Jian'an's eyes narrowed slightly, the blade in his hand trembling.

The crossbow bolts were made from rather rare materials, forged by secret methods of the Imperial Court, designed to absorb Inner Qi. With thousands of bolts fired at once, even if Xia Changqing could remain unscathed under the blade light released by six Middle Third Rank experts, these specially made bolts would still significantly deplete his protective True Qi, reducing his combat strength by seventy percent.

At that moment, amidst the rolling Qi waves, Xia Changqing, clad in grey, raised his right hand which held the broken, strange sword slightly.

The sword edge, like a flood dragon wagging its tail, probed into the Qi storm.

This patch of Heaven and Earth experienced a subtle change.

Then suddenly he twisted his body and raised his arm.

The sticky Qi storm that had not yet dissipated was shredded in an instant; a wild wind raged, turning the Qi into a tornado that soared into the sky, disturbing the clouds above. Since the Qi was originally sticky, it instantly cooled as it rose, unexpectedly turning into a light rain falling down.

Within the pattering rain, a ringing sound echoed in everyone's ears.

Chilling and sinister, as if the Ghost King were striking a bone.

At this moment, everyone's vision was unobstructed, and they instinctively looked in that direction.

In the center of that courtyard, half of a house remained unbroken, revealing the figure of a middle-aged man in grey seated in luxury. Holding the broken sword, he tapped it on the ground, appearing relaxed and unconcerned, with not a trace of anger in his brows, only amiability.

At his feet lay the bodies of four assassins.

By their appearance, they were all from Danfeng Valley, sought by the Ministry of Punishment.

Zhu Jian'an's expression changed slightly as he stepped forward and shouted,

"Xia Changqing, what are you doing?!"

The greyclad scholar lifted his face and ceased his actions, the repetitive tapping sound stopping, leaving an eerie silence that lingered in the hearts of everyone present.

Without seeing any movement, a shadow burst forth, and everyone promptly drew their swords. But before they could raise them, an object wrapped in a strong breeze flew over Zhu Jian'an's shoulder and embedded itself directly into the wall behind him, gleaming pale gold with an elaborately depicted Bi'an beast head, fierce and majestic.

The entire bluestone wall crumbled into dust in an instant, and the force applied was uniform throughout.

The Bi'an Golden Order, representing the Deputy Chief Arrestor, clattered to the ground.

Zhu Jian'an's pupils contracted.

The ties broken, his black hair spilled down.

Xia Changqing, on the other hand, did not reply but stood up, his sleeves fluttering.

The four corpses on the ground were swept up by the strong breeze, traveling over a ten-meter distance and landing in front of the crowd, lined up with their robes undone.

Below their collarbones, where the red maple leaf insignia of their sect should be, were now scars covered by years, at least five to six years old. Everyone present was a martial artist with keen eyesight; they saw clearly and their expressions changed, understanding what had happened.

In Jianghu, one's martial arts are traditionally passed down by one's master; regardless of morality, the relationship of teacher-student lineage is highly regarded, capturing the saying that once someone is your teacher, they are like a parent for life.

The act of defacing the sect insignia seen now was in Jianghu a sign of expulsion or betrayal, an extremely decisive action to sever ties with the past, which usually culminates in the sect's warriors pursuing and killing the betrayer relentlessly.

The scholar, still seated, did not act in a way that might provoke an excessive reaction from the crossbow-wielding forces.

Yet his voice, magnified by his Inner Strength, resonated in an instant in the ears of Zhu Jian'an, Wang Anfeng, and the curious martial artists who had followed them there, calmly saying,

"What am I doing? Clearing the sect..."

"How is it, even though my Danfeng Valley may not be of the orthodox path, do I need the Deputy Chief Arrestor's permission to clean up my own house?"

PS: The second update.