Why do I have so many masters?

As Xia Changqing spoke, the expressions of the rangers and martial artists who followed him subtly changed.

Does cleaning house require the approval of Great Qin?

Since they could navigate Jianghu, they naturally weren't so naive as to be easily manipulated, but hearing such statements made them somewhat uncomfortable.

Zhu Jian'an noticed the change in the atmosphere and his expression became slightly tense.

This was a statement meant to pierce hearts.

It was only now that he realized why the scholar had come to the city gate so boldly, some of the Jianghu martial artists were looking to lend a hand, others were merely joining the commotion, but now they had all become the opponent's witnesses.

The corpses in front of them were the culprits of this case.

And Xia Changqing had only entered the city today, behaved himself, and came here solely to eliminate the traitors from his sect.

The scars of the danfeng maples were destroyed on these bodies, which had been there for at least four or five years. With both eyewitness and physical evidence, Zhu Jian'an didn't believe a word the scholar in front of him said, but he had to admit that this move was executed very beautifully and meticulously, and for the moment, he couldn't find any flaws.

Meting out sentences required evidence; that was a rule set by Great Qin itself.

If Great Qin itself did not adhere to it, who else would uphold it?

Under the current circumstances, he could only suppress the discomfort in his heart, preparing to respond when he suddenly remembered the assassin killed by Wang Anfeng earlier and opened his mouth, saying,

"... Protector Xia jests."

"We had previously captured another assassin from Danfeng Valley, who was about to strike an innocent person, and the danfeng mark on him was completely intact."

"How would Protector Xia explain this?"

Xia Changqing's form shifted, placing him before everyone. Since the situation had not yet been clarified, the soldiers had not received explicit orders to release crossbow bolts and no longer had the opportunity to shoot. The scholar in gray stepped forward two paces, furrowing his brows as if casually inquiring,

"Oh? Where is this person now?"

Zhu Jian'an intended to deceive him and did not mention that this man had already died by Wang Anfeng's sword, merely replying,

"He's in my Ministry of Punishment's prison, he has confessed to everything..."

The scholar's frown deepened, and he seemed puzzled,

"Confessed? Confessed what?"

Before Zhu Jian'an could answer, realization dawned upon him and he spoke again, Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"He was a spy sent by my valley. I was wondering why I couldn't find any trace of him; it turns out he was captured by the Ministry of Punishment. The real perpetrators of the crime should be these few traitors. My Danfeng Valley, no matter how rampant in Jianghu, would not dare to provoke the might of Great Qin."

"As long as you hand over my spy, everything at this moment will be written off. What does the Chief Arrestor think?"

His tone sounded very sincere and harmonious, but it caused Zhu Jian'an and the others to feel a chill in their hearts.

Hand him over?

The assassin had already been pierced through the throat by Wang Anfeng's sword and was beyond dead, with the coroner having verified the corpse. How could he possibly be returned?

Seeing him stay silent, the expression on the face of the scholar in gray gradually disappeared, and he said,

"Why does the Deputy Chief Arrestor remain silent?"

"Do you think Danfeng Valley should atone for these traitors' deeds? Or perhaps..."

"My disciple has already been killed by your Excellency!"

The scholar's eyes widened as he took a step forward,

"Did the Prefectural Governor put too much pressure on your Excellency, leading you to kill my sect's disciple and solve this case?!"

"Is this the so-called presenting a pristine record through killing the innocent?!"

"Or do you think, in your eyes, my Jianghu disciples are not lives, not Great Qin's people, that you can kill as you wish without any hesitation!"

His voice rose with each sentence, pressing Zhu Jian'an with accusations that the man killed was a covert agent from Danfeng Valley and not the murderer, stating that Zhu Jian'an's actions were tantamount to killing the innocent to claim merit, completely disregarding the life of a Jianghu disciple.

In a secluded spot, the strange ancient saber in his hand gently tapped the ground, emitting a rhythmic sound that blended into his questioning, reverberating in everyone's ears.

The onlooking Jianghu guests unconsciously had their states of mind shaken, losing their usual composure and reason.

They only felt that the actions of the constable in vermilion clothes, as described by Xia Changqing, were indeed cruel and ruthless, treating the true culprit-seeking disciple of Danfeng Valley as a scapegoat while the misdeeds of Danfeng Valley were unconsciously overlooked at this moment.

The conflicts with the Imperial Court from days past now suddenly all rose from the depths of their hearts, and their gazes towards Zhu Jian'an and his companions grew increasingly displeased.

It was unclear who spoke first, but then questions and accusations followed, echoing continuously,

"Speak up!"

"Did you really do such a thing?"

"Humph! Your hesitating words reveal a lot!"

"This is what Great Qin is all about!"

The friction accumulated from days past was now triggered by the sound emitted by the strange long saber, causing a moment of enraged emotions among the crowd, and they themselves didn't even realize anything was amiss. Just then, the scholar raised his hand and his voice paused.

All eyes fell on him as they saw him take a step back, saw him bow deeply to Zhu Jian'an with utmost sincerity, and heard him earnestly say,

"I ask for nothing else, but please, Deputy Chief Arrestor, tell me.

"Who exactly killed my disciple?!"

Was it the 'victimized' party that made the concession?

As the martial artists around, unknowingly influenced, felt many dark thoughts surfacing in their hearts, Zhu Jian'an's expression changed slightly. He knew the situation at hand; by handing over the young man beside him, this conflict could be shifted to Wang Anfeng, and he himself could escape from it.