Chapter 612 - 395: Chunhe Building

Chunhe Building is a teahouse, and naturally, the teahouses of the Prefecture City are far more impressive than those in Xianggu County. On the plaque at the entrance, the four characters of "Chunhe Jingming" are vigorous and graceful, like floating clouds and startling dragons.

The mere sight of these four characters made Duan Rong stop and admire them for quite a while.

When he took a seat at a window-side table on the second floor of the teahouse, it was already close to noon. He ordered two plates of dried fruits and a pot of tea, slowly savoring them.

From this spot, when he turned his head to look, on a temporary execution ground at the entrance of the street market, more than twenty death row prisoners, dressed in prisoner’s garb, were already kneeling there.

Armored soldiers had surrounded the entrance of the street.

The executioners, with hands gripping the thick-backed guillotine, were already standing at the edge of the execution ground. The noon sun shone on the row of blades, reflecting a chilling gleam.

Chunhe Building is actually some distance from the execution ground, not really a good place for watching the execution.

However, Duan Rong liked the tranquility of this place. The teahouses and taverns closer to the execution ground, where the windows faced the scene, were already packed with people, no different from the crowd around the execution ground.

As soon as Duan Rong sat down, his Divine Sense suddenly enveloped the execution ground.

Under the Divine Sense investigation, he could see that archers and death warriors in tight clothing were ambushed on the rooftops around the execution ground and within the alleys, with four True Qi Realm experts guarding the four corners.

Duan Rong was using Divine Sense to investigate the execution ground when he suddenly frowned, turning his head to look towards the stairway. He saw a slender figure dressed as a clerk, wearing a square scarf, slowly walking up from the stairway.

This newcomer was actually the Mansion Master of Ruyang Prefecture, Chen Xun.

At this time, there were originally only a few tables of guests on the second floor of the teahouse, and among those sitting by the window, there was only Duan Rong.

When Chen Xun walked to the window, he glanced slightly at Duan Rong, who was a few tables away. Seeing a young man with a dark complexion, he didn’t think much of it, as Duan Rong was sitting with his back towards the execution ground.

Chen Xun sat down, drinking his tea while looking intently towards the execution ground.

He knew that Shen Mizi had already entered the city this morning, accompanied by another Outer Disciple, making it two True Qi Realm experts.

He had already placed his strongest forces to guard the execution ground, and with Yang Ji and Li Hong also there, there were six True Qi Realm experts in all, plus strong bows and crossbows. He wasn’t afraid of Shen Mizi taking action but was instead worried that despite having a trap laid, she might refuse to step into it.

Chen Xun leisurely gazed at the execution ground, indeed looking like a scholar appreciating the clear breeze and bright moon.

The drums of noon have begun to beat!

The one presiding over the case of Shen Yanliu, serving as the overseer of the execution, was the Governor of Ruyang Prefecture, Yang Ji.

When the noon drums sounded, he glanced at a clerk beside him and said, "It’s noon, verify the identities, execute in three quarters of an hour!"

The man picked up a stack of documents, cupped his fist, and responded, "Yes, sir!"

The most important accused in this case was, of course, Shen Yanliu, the former Inspector General.

The clerk first walked to the front of the row of prisoners, where Shen Yanliu was.

At this time, it had been several hours since Duan Rong had scattered the drug, and these prisoners were mostly awakened, with clear minds.

However, that "Shen Yanliu" seemed to still be in a daze.

This was because, in addition to being affected by the drug Duan Rong scattered, he had also ingested a medicine pill. At this time, his mind was in a blank state, feeling very fatigued, and he couldn’t stop yawning.

When the clerk grabbed his hair and lifted his head, his gaze was noticeably vacant.

The clerk looked at him, then glanced at the portrait in his hand and loudly declared, "Shen Yanliu, identity verified, correct!"

With that, he released his head, took two steps over, and grabbed the hair of Ma Chunmin, who was kneeling next to him, lifting Ma Chunmin’s face to the sky.

When the clerk called out, Tang Wanhong’s heart gave a slight jolt.

He seemed to hear the clerk call out Shen Yanliu, but he was too sleepy. As soon as his mind began to function, it fell into a deeper drowsiness, so much so that he almost fell, if it weren’t for the chains holding him.

After the clerk finished verifying the twenty-some death row prisoners, and reported back to Yang Ji, he stepped aside.

Suddenly, someone clad in mourning clothes rushed in from the outskirts of the execution ground, carrying a food box— this was Shen Mizi.

Shen Mizi was in plain white, dressed in mourning, with her face full of tear streaks.

The armored warriors wanted to stop her, but after all, she was a True Qi Realm expert, and with a slight exertion, she broke in.

Those armored warriors wanted to pursue and expel her, but Li Hong immediately came over, blocking them. He stood there, watching the back of Shen Mizi rushing forward, eyes flickering.

Shen Mizi’s arrival stirred up a commotion among the onlooking crowd.

Sitting behind the supervisory execution table, Yang Ji naturally noticed this as well. He turned his head to exchange a look with Li Hong, who was not far away.

They were not afraid of Shen Mizi coming; rather, they feared she wouldn’t come!

The four True Qi Realm experts hiding inconspicuously on the rooftops immediately focused, attuned to the surrounding movements.

Shen Mizi, holding the food box, threw herself in front of "Shen Yanliu," crying out tearfully, "Father."

But the "Shen Yanliu" kneeling before her was in a state of stupor, unable to even open his eyes.

Shen Mizi took out a pot of wine from the food box, poured a cup, supported "Shen Yanliu," and raised the cup in front of him.

"Father, Mizhi serves you a cup of wine! To send you off!"

Seeing the face in front of her with even the eyes half-closed, Shen Mizi, despite being mentally prepared, was still startled.