Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 384 - 21 Confrontation in the Courtroom
Chapter 384: Chapter 21 Confrontation in the Courtroom
Chapter 384: Chapter 21 Confrontation in the Courtroom
The black fog no longer revealed Chang Tianzai’s figure, replaced instead by a blood-eyed black python large enough to encircle the entire courtyard!
With the flickering of the cigarette butt at the corner of Cha Xiaodao’s mouth, the massive snake led countless heretics in a biting frenzy towards him!
Clang!
The Owl Kiss Twin Blades scraped out eye-blinding sparks on the purple scales, and Cha Xiaodao, like a live carp leaping out of the sea, broke free from the grip of the purple giant snake.
“All at once!”
A number of twisted evil shadows rushed forward, men and women, old and young, lame and blind dwarfs, each with a fierce and bizarre appearance. The only thing they had in common was the nauseating, sticky stench emanating from their bodies, which made Cha Xiaodao extremely uncomfortable.
His blades sliced through the air, spraying black blood that Cha couldn’t distinguish whose it was. He rolled up his sleeves just like he would when cooking, the muscles on his arms rippling like a stream over rocky terrain, and his silver knife shadows, mixed with flames, carried the explosive power of flowing magma with every slash.
His twin blades cut through these goblins and monsters like slicing through vegetables, his movements sharp and decisive, facing a host without fear. By the time Cha Xiaodao landed on the ground like a wild beast pouncing, the area he had crossed was already littered with corpses.
In just those ten-odd seconds of fierce struggle, Cha Xiaodao had demonstrated a level of strength that would make over eighty percent of the Nine Luminaries Peak Walkers feel ashamed.
Cha Xiaodao felt that joining forces with Li Yan was a promising choice; conversely, Li Yan wouldn’t bet his capital on a fellow traveler not worth the investment, right?
The python body of Chang Tianzai twisted in mid-air, and a tail like black lightning descended from the black fog, colliding head-on with the edge of the Owl Kiss Knife.
The blood-eyed black python let out a skyward howl, its force plowing through Cha Xiaodao’s feet for a good four to five meters before leaping up to bite his head!
The moonlight illuminated the snow, casting the entire courtyard in a silvery light, with numerous shadows of varying sizes leaping and entangling, reminding one vividly of the brisk rhythm of a jingju (Chinese opera) performance.
Suddenly, an enormous white figure burst from the ground, overshadowing all the darting shadows large and small.
Culinary Skill: Heavenly Dusk Fire Lotus.
…
Ten minutes earlier.
The Dragon Tiger Office and the County Office were only separated by two streets; both were government offices, yet the former was far more imposing and resplendent than the latter.
Hiss!
Li Yan rode a startled horse past the “Silence” and “Step Aside” placards, framed by drum platforms and embroidered lions, barging straight in, and only reined in his horse upon hearing noises from the backyard.
About five minutes later, a loud roar erupted, “Who dares to intrude upon the sacred government premises!”
Hu la, scores of figures emerged, each clad in dark blue uniforms, but with red auspicious clouds on the sleeves and tall crowns upon their heads.
These men were known in officialdom as “Dragon Tiger Servants,” not included in the generational lineage of the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples, but rather as the servants and attendants of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Taoists, mostly descendants of farmers in charge of cultivating the Heavenly Master Tao’s properties.
Such Dragon Tiger Servants were spread throughout the offices of Great Ming, numbering nearly twenty thousand.
It’s worth mentioning that these servants, also a part of the Heavenly Master Taoist hierarchy, could call upon the immense power of the Dragon and Tiger qi and included many with significant magical talents. Tasked with capturing demons and heretics, these Dragon Tiger Servants served as the main force.
Li Yan didn’t answer; instead, he threw a head from his waist towards the crowd, “By the order of Qian County’s ninth-rank Supervisor, I have executed him on the spot for knowing the law but breaking it, defying the Emperor’s command. If any of you are his accomplices, confess your crimes; you may yet be spared for past misdeeds.”
No sooner had he finished, than the government officials under Li Wuyi also arrived, each with a Goose Feather Sword hanging at the waist, trampling the threshold of the Dragon Tiger Office, which was originally more prestigious than their own. They flocked around Li Yan.
“Li Wuyi sure knows how to play his cards right decisively.”
As Li Yan thought this, he heard the distant sound of horse hooves. After executing Supervisor Guo and leaving the office, he had sent his Governor’s plaque to the local guard commander, using the same rhetoric as before, ordering the soldiers armed with bows, crossbows, and spears to surround the Dragon Tiger Office!
The rolling head stopped after tumbling a few times, and someone with sharp eyes recognized it, “Supervisor Guo!”
Some immediately saw red, but many more remained calm, holding back their comrades who wanted to charge forward. In just a moment, the guard soldiers and those under Li Wuyi’s command had all arrived.
The leading General Zheng came from a military family. The soldiers spread out behind him, brandishing longbows and powerful crossbows as they entered. “Where is Governor Li?” he asked.
No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw Li Yan sitting on his horse and hurried over with a bow, “Is this Lord Governor?”
Li Yan dismounted and approached the other party with respectful salutations, “Mr. Zheng, I appreciate your efforts.”
“Not at all,” said General Zheng. “We are all men of General Li. This little matter is nothing.”
General Zheng was quite forthright in his speech.
“County Magistrate Li, General Zheng, you have committed murder and stormed the government office, akin to rebellion! Aren’t you afraid of implicating your entire family line?”
A Dragon Tiger Judicial Assistant spoke out forcefully.
Li Yan turned his head, “Did you hear what I just said?”
“Even if I heard…”
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
With a reverse grip, Li Yan hurled the Jumu Great Sword. The sword’s fierce wind forced the man to stagger backward repeatedly. The sword tip pierced through a pillar. At first glance, it seemed as if it had impaled the man, who opened his mouth wide; it took a while for him to realize that the sword had only pierced the clothing under his armpit.
“Taoist Guo rashly handled a National Instrument, attempting to undermine the foundation of Great Ming. That is true rebellion! That is what warrants punishment for the entire family line.”
Li Yan’s voice boomed like a great bell, “Are all of you accomplices as well?”
His last word exploded forth, sending a chill sweeping through everyone nearby. Even General Zheng and the others were lost in a daze for several seconds, unable to extricate themselves.
After the enhancement by Destiny Yak, Li Yan’s aura of lethality had undergone a complete transformation. It was no longer the previously invisible and intangible skill; it was virtually unstoppable!
Even Eight Extremes Walker Zhang Cai almost fell for it by accident, let alone these ordinary people.
When they regained their senses, General Zheng looked at Li Yan in shock.
He only knew that a formidable man had effortlessly repelled the tough generals of Liaodong Town, intending to escort an important document out. General Li had ordered all regions to provide assistance, but he did not know that this man had the same awe-inspiring presence as legendary heroes like Dian Wei and Zhang Fei from the story.
After a long time, a sigh emerged from the midst of the many Dragon Tiger Servants.
“Lord Governor bears a National Instrument; if Supervisor Guo truly caused the conflict, and Lord Governor had no choice but to kill him, we of Dragon Tiger Mountain have nothing to say. However, with no evidence of his death, and now that Lord Governor has come knocking with troops, isn’t this a bit too much?”
A white-haired Judicial Assistant with a gray coat, red sleeves, a goatee beard, and only one left arm, stepped out from the crowd. He took a deep look at the red sword box behind Li Yan and gently twirled his beard.
As soon as he appeared, the other Judicial Assistants immediately quieted down, showing the authority of this elder.
Li Yan stepped forward, “If Taoist Guo had not interfered with the National Instrument, why would I have killed him? If he did, then coming to arrest his associates is to eradicate evil! What is excessive about that? As for the truth, doesn’t Dragon Tiger Mountain have a thousand ways to ascertain it?”
The white-haired Judicial Assistant pondered, “Indeed so. May I ask for your name, Lord Governor?”
“I am Li Yan, Governor of the Left Bureau, Daning Guard. And what about you, master?”
“I’m just a farmer, Zhang Shouhan.”
After Zhang Shouhan responded, he continued inquiring in a leisurely manner, “Would Lord Governor be willing to explain the whole story to this old man?”
Li Yan, not inclined to waste words, simply gestured with his eyes towards Li Wuyi.
County Magistrate Li sighed, “Mr. Zhang, let me explain.”
He recounted the previous events, including the encounters with Supervisor Guo and the banquet, in detail. He did not exaggerate Supervisor Guo’s arrogant and presumptuous behavior, although he did not embellish; the recounting was exceptionally detailed.
As for Li Yan’s side, he simply mentioned that they conversed over the banquet and occasionally discussed the escort of a precious treasure, emphasizing phrases like “devoting life and limb” and “Supervisor should not” that Li Yan had said. However, he did not mention the teasing tone Li Yan had while talking nor his coaxing demeanor at the banquet, which always circled back to the treasure.
Zhang Shouhan’s frown deepened as he listened, and he couldn’t help but interrupt, “County Magistrate Li, is everything you said true?”
Li Wuyi replied solemnly, “If there is even half a lie, I’d be unworthy of my position as a government official and the honor of my ten years of scholarly pursuit.”
Indeed, he did not lie; he hadn’t added any details, only omitted some.
Unworthy of an official’s honor?
After ten years of arduous study, splitting my cold rice porridge in half, overcoming every threshold, it was like leaping through the dragon’s gate. And yet it does not compare to you, posing as Taoists and tricksters. If I don’t trick you all, I’d be unworthy of this uniform I wear.
