Chapter 373: Not Enough Deaths

Directly across from the prefectural yamen was the busiest vegetable market in Xiangfeng Prefectural Capital.

Today, all the vegetable vendors had been herded off to one side.

Wang Zhi knelt on the ground, an executioner standing behind him.

He already knew his fate, and he also knew the rest of the Wang family had not been implicated.

Wang Zhi felt gratified.

But beside him, He Dongqing wore a look of utter despair, his eyes filled with resentment.

Various shopkeepers and owners from the major medicinal shops had also come to the scene.

They simply didn't dare approach, standing far away instead, their expressions either grave, blank, or gloating.

Zhao Chonghong was today's supervising executioner. He glanced at the sky, then tossed a red-tipped tally stick to the ground.

"Execute them."

Wang Zhi chuckled, "Zhao Chonghong, did this old man say anything wrong?

You cannot change this world."

Zhao Chonghong's face was expressionless, and he didn't reply.

It was then that He Dongqing suddenly roared:

"Yang Ling! Yang Ling, you bastard! Get out here!"

"Stop cursing. From the day you sold me out, you should have known this would be your fate."

Wang Zhi's eyes narrowed slightly:

"Even if you weren't beheaded today, how could I possibly spare you?"

"Uncle! I really didn't betray you! I have no idea how Yang Ling found out about that matter!"

Tears streamed down He Dongqing's face:

"Please, Uncle, say something to Lord Zhao! None of this has anything to do with me! I don't want to lose my head!"

Wang Zhi's lips curled upward as he watched the scene. He was thoroughly pleased.

Chop chop—

The two executioners swung their blades, and the heads of Wang Zhi and He Dongqing hit the ground in an instant.

No one from the Wangzhi Medicinal Shop came to the scene today. They simply didn't dare.

The shopkeepers of the major medicinal shops who had once relied on the Wangzhi Medicinal Shop suddenly felt a thought stir within them.

Now that the Wangzhi Medicinal Shop had lost its pillar, could they take its place?

That thought was like a single spark landing on a haystack in their hearts, instantly igniting a blazing inferno.

At the city gate tower in the distance, Xu Wenjun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching silently.

Behind him stood Wang Xingsu and his father.

"Brother-in-law..."

Wang Xingsu's father's eyes were pained, his voice tinged with hoarseness and fury:

"All of this is Yang Ling's doing. Please, Brother-in-law..."

"Yang Ling is a Sixth-Rank Ironclad agent, an official of the Imperial Court. You want me to personally kill him?"

"And even if killing him were easy, what about me?"

Xu Wenjun's face was expressionless.

The father and son pair faltered, looking utterly lost.

"This case, Yang Ling handled it beautifully. In just a single day, he managed to find every loose thread."

Xu Wenjun murmured to himself:

"Truly beautiful. I joined the Ironclad Department at fifteen, and I've never seen an agent handle a case this well."

"It's a pity, a pity that I wasn't the one who recommended him into the Ironclad Department. Instead, that Yun Buchuan got the easy credit..."

The Wang father and son felt uneasy and uncertain.

Hong Ruohai and the others exchanged furtive glances, not daring to voice any opinion, but inwardly they were deeply shaken.

This was the first time they had ever heard Xu Wenjun give such heartfelt praise to a lower-ranking Ironclad agent.

"Tell me, how did he manage to flip He Dongqing? I questioned him personally, and He Dongqing claimed he never betrayed the Wang family."

Xu Wenjun seemed to be asking, yet also talking to himself.

"That old dog He Dongqing! I won't let the He family off the hook!"

Wang Zhi's son gritted his teeth.

"Why do you keep shifting the blame onto others?"

Xu Wenjun suddenly laughed:

"The Wang family clearly had my patronage, and business flourished because of it.

Do you know how much you brought in every year? What you earned in a single day was enough for most people to live comfortably for a lifetime.

So why were you so greedy? Why did you have to get tangled up with those people and do their bidding?

And why didn't anyone give me a heads-up before I came?

If someone had, I certainly wouldn't have come to Xiangfeng Prefectural Capital, and I wouldn't have lost my position as Director of the Third Division in the Command Division."

"You probably don't realize that once you step down from this position, a stain follows you. To climb back up, I'd have to put in twice the effort I did before."

Hong Ruohai and the others were also secretly lamenting this.

They were probably unable to stay in the Command Division either, likely to be transferred to the Bandit Apprehension Division.

Though their rank remained the same, the power in their hands would diminish drastically.

In a place like the Capital, the weight of authority in the Bandit Apprehension Division wasn't even comparable to local branches.

Wang Xingsu and his father were deathly silent, not daring to utter a word.

"For the return trip this time, we're taking the water route. How many days until the boat arrives?"

Xu Wenjun tossed a question to Hong Ruohai in the distance.

"Sir, even with the Water Transport Guild's fast boat, it'll take at least three days to arrive."

Hong Ruohai said in a low voice.

"Mm."

...

"Not enough deaths. How can killing just one Wang Zhi and one He Dongqing be enough?"

"Hundreds of players were burned to death so casually by them. At the very least, a few more should die."

"Luo Kai is one. That Zhao Fu bastard was also the mastermind behind this, so he deserves to die too..."

"And that academy head of Star Observation Academy. How did he manage to raise such a batch of disciples?

And he went and accepted Luo Kai as his closed-door disciple at that. Clearly, they're birds of a feather, cut from the same cloth. He deserves to die as well."

Yang Ling watched quietly in the direction of the execution ground.

Lu Yunchen withdrew his gaze and smiled at him:

"Wang Zhi and He Dongqing have been executed. As far as the higher-ups are concerned, this case is closed."

He paused for a moment. "What are you thinking about? Losing the Prefectural Capital Director position is no big deal. There will always be a chance to make a comeback."

"Director Lu, even our Ironclad Department can't do anything about something like this?"

Yang Ling suddenly asked.

Lu Yunchen was silent for a few breaths, then gave a wry smile:

"No way around it. The Ironclad Department belongs to Zhao State. Whatever the higher-ups say, we do.

But there's still a chance. Look at how Xu Wenjun's past slip-ups were buried back then, yet now, because of this incident, they've all been dug up again.

This case might be reopened someday, but it'll take time. It won't happen that fast."

Behind them, Yun Ruo's expression relaxed slightly. Suddenly reminded of something, she said in a low voice:

"Uncle, you and Director Yang heading to the Capital for your report this time might be somewhat perilous. Director Yang has never been to the Capital..."

"Don't worry. Your father is also in the Capital, and I'll look after Yang Ling a bit. Once he arrives in the Capital, he'll stay at my Lu residence."

Lu Yunchen's eyes held a hint of deep meaning.

Yun Ruo nodded and said to Yang Ling:

"Director Yang, just follow my uncle when the time comes.

The Capital is full of influential figures, so when it comes to your conduct... it's best to keep a low profile."

"I understand."

Yang Ling gave a slight nod.

He'd been in the Divine Realm for this long now. He'd stayed in Green Mountain City, spent time in the Prefectural Capital, and even visited the Yunwen Provincial Capital.

And now, he was finally about to enter the Capital and see the sights of Zhao State.

Though this trip might be to get scolded, and there might be other dangers as well.

Still, he was looking forward to it.

He hoped Luo Kai would be even more arrogant, waiting for him right there in the Capital.

Yang Ling: "Director Lu, that boat Xu Wenjun requisitioned won't arrive that soon. I'll head to the Blazing Gold Mine first to settle some matters."

Lu Yunchen smiled: "Fine. From now on, that Blazing Gold Mine will be under Lord Zhao's management. Getting everything in order would be doing His Majesty a favor."