Chapter 74

“The ones sent were experts that serve the County Governor . The Liu family was unable to put up any resistance, so it was probably more than one cultivator,” said Qin Liehu .

Qin Yun nodded .

An official at the county governor level would have six hundred personal guards assigned to him by the imperial government . The government would also assign a personal guard commander at the Connate False Core realm! The county governor himself could naturally hire cultivators, and some itinerant cultivators were willing to pledge their allegiance .

…

The Liu family had been declared guilty .

There were many crimes that they were convicted of, the most grave being ‘colluding with demons!’ There were also crimes like monopolizing the market and committing murder for gain . The news quickly spread throughout Grand Dominance County .

“The Liu family is guilty of the most heinous crimes . The Heavens have shone their light . They have finally been apprehended . “

“My shop has suffered from the Liu family’s price manipulation . A shop that’s worth two thousand taels ended up having its price repressed to eight hundred taels . What despicable people . Now, retribution has befallen them . ” One could hear all sorts of discussions regarding the Liu family in Grand Dominance County’s restaurants and tea shops .

With the Liu family being one of the top three families in Grand Dominance County, their undoing was naturally an important matter .

“Some of the Liu family had engaged in rape and even murdered their victims for fear of being exposed . Such grave injustice has finally been put to a stop . “

“So many people in our Grand Dominance County have been killed by demons . . . so it’s because of their collusion with the Liu family . “

“Lord County Governor has sent silver to the victims . Some of them were truly pitiful . “

“Lord County Governor sure is just . “

In a tea shop along the sides of the street, Qin Yun was drinking his tea and listening to a storyteller inside the tea shop narrating the evil deeds of the Liu family .

They could be heard almost everywhere in Grand Dominance County these past few days .

“Perhaps some of the storytellers are simply idle people in the restaurants and tea shops, but there are some that have been secretly planted by the county governor himself . “

“However, some of the crimes, such as colluding with demons, are likely fabricated . As for crimes such as monopolizing prices, they are likely real . ” Qin Yun agreed as well . After all, a large family clan like the Liu family had County Governor Wen backing it . It would naturally act in an aggressive manner . Furthermore, good and bad always mixed together, so it’s not surprising that some of the Liu family members would murder for gain, considering their background .

“It is a mixture of truth and falsehood . “

“Now that they’ve been declared guilty of the charges, the Liu family has no means of resisting,” Qin Yun thought to himself .

******

In a particular residence .

County Governor Gongye was dressed in ordinary robes as he led the commander of his personal guards and a few subordinates . He looked at an elder in front of him . Beside the elder were three children who clung tightly to his leg .

“Sir, take this silver . Take good care of the children . As long as I remain in Grand Dominance County, I will absolutely stop people from bullying the commoners . If there’s any matter that troubles you, air your grievances in County Governor Manor . I will act on your behalf . ” Gongye placed two silver ingots in the elder’s hands .

The elder’s hands were wrinkled and injured . He trembled as he grabbed the two silver ingots .

The personal guard commander beside him said, “Sir, this is the newly appointed Lord County Governor . If he says he will act on your behalf, he will definitely act on your behalf . “

“Thank you, Lord County Governor! Thank you!” The elder immediately knelt down . He urged the three children to his side to kneel down . “Quick, quickly kowtow to Lord County Governor!”

“Sigh, it was our fault . We allowed the demons to collude with the Liu family to harm the populace . Your family has suffered . ” Gongye sighed and said, “Go on and live peacefully . Take good care of these three children . “

“Yes, yes . ” The elder’s wrinkles were deeply recessed like canyons . His eyes were filled with tears .

Gongye nodded and left the house . The guards placed a basket of fish and grain before departing .

Back at the entrance to the house, the elder looked at the county governor and company’s departing figures . He muttered, “The heavens are just! What just heavens!”

…

Gongye led his subordinates and traveled amid the crowds on the street . Not everyone in the crowd recognized him as the ‘Lord County Governor’ that wielded the highest status in Grand Dominance County .

“How much silver has been given out over the past few days?” Gongye asked in a hushed tone .

A subordinate beside him whispered, “Lord, a total of about eight thousand taels of silver has been given to the victims of the Liu family and the victims of the families that were destroyed by demons . “

“Continue finding victims . Even if it has nothing to do with the Liu family, blame it on the Liu family . Give out a total of ten thousand taels of silver,” Gongye instructed . “This silver is all meant for the victims . Don’t let me catch anyone taking it for himself . Whoever engages in embezzlement shall die . “

After the sack of the Liu family, aside from a portion that entered the county governor’s pockets, most of the silver, restaurants, and shops that belonged to the Liu family had to be recorded officially . They fell under County Governor Manor’s accounts . Gongye naturally appeared generous by using public funds to placate the masses .

“Yes, my lord,” The subordinate answered . Following that, he chuckled softly and said, “Lord, since you have given out so much silver over the past few days, many commoners of Grand Dominance County have been calling you the just lord from heaven . “

The corners of Gongye’s mouth suffused a smile .

Suddenly, a figure rushed towards him from afar . When he came close to Gongye, he reported in hush tones, “Lord, Vice Minister Wang is in County Governor Manor and wishes for an audience . “

“Oh?” Gongye nodded and waved his hand . “Got it . Let him wait . “

“Yes . ” The subordinate quickly retreated .

Gongye chuckled . “There have been so many people seeking an audience with me over the past few days . Have they been frightened?”

He casually strolled through Grand Dominance City and looked at the land under his charge . In the coming years, he would be the emperor of this land! Of course, he still needed to show political results to the imperial government .

“Oh?”

Gongye’s eyes paused as he looked across the river . There, a scholar and a beautiful woman were walking alongside each other .

The subordinates behind him traced his gaze and saw the scene across the river .

“Investigate that woman’s name and place of residence . ” The corners of Gongye’s mouth curled into a deep and meaningful smile .

“Yes, my lord . ” The follower immediately smiled obsequiously .

*****

Late into the night .

Qin Manor .

Qin Yun sat cross-legged on the bed as the silver flying sword floated above a pile of metal-elemental objects . Although most of the precious materials had been expended, and he was now using relatively ordinary materials, Qin Yun continued to cultivate his Intrinsic Flying Sword daily .

“Chi . Chi . Chi . ” A large number of light dots spread out from the pile of metal-elemental objects, constantly flying up and into the silver flying sword .

And at that moment—

High up in Grand Dominance City, a figure flew from afar . Finally, he stopped above a tiny lake . He overlooked Qin Manor that was situated beside the tiny mirror-like lake .

“Qin Manor?” The figure hovered in midair . He had a pair of dark gold wings . At that moment, his face was covered in pale gold feathers .

He was Nine Mountain Island Lord’s fifth disciple—Great Demon Golden Firmament . His true form was that of a golden condor .

“Just a junior that has yet to enter the Connate realm . ” Golden Firmament felt contempt . There were only three of Nine Mountain Island Lord’s disciples that had reached the Connate True Core realm . Golden Firmament was the best at flying and escape arts . Even his master was not his match in those areas . If not for the upper volume of the Sky Demon Mystic Volumes that his master had offered him, he would not have agreed to the mission .

“That human punk named Qin Yun is nothing worth mentioning . But I have to be careful about the sword immortal sect that’s backing him . “

“This is a sword immortal . If the sect backing him has sent a senior to watch over his Qin family, I might fall into an ambush if I’m not careful,” Golden Firmament thought to himself .

Golden Firmament flipped his hand and a golden bracelet appeared in it .

“Go!”

Golden Firmament threw the golden bracelet down . Powered by his demonic powers at the Connate True Core realm, the golden bracelet’s strength was terrifying yet it could stealthily attack from above . This was a seventh-grade Dharma treasure that Golden Firmament was rather famous for . He had named it ‘Immortal Sealing Bracelet’ and although it sounded a little aggressive, he was able to easily deal with typical cultivators at the Connate False Core realm with his Immortal Sealing Bracelet .

…

Back inside Qin Manor .

Qin Yun was cultivating his Intrinsic Flying Sword and his psyche was infused into it . He could easily sense a thousand feet of his surroundings . Although Golden Firmament was high in the sky, he was only six to seven hundred feet above Qin Manor . Qin Yun was shocked when he discovered the great demon . His heart tensed as he secretly used Heaven Man Unity to engage in sword kinesis . He was ready to face the enemy .

Through the Intrinsic Flying Sword, Qin Yun ‘looked’ at the other party’s appearance . “It looks like Great Demon Golden Firmament? The fifth disciple of Nine Mountain Island Lord . Indeed, he hasn’t given up . “

“Oh no, it’s the Immortal Sealing Bracelet!”

When he discovered the golden bracelet Dharma treasure being thrown down, Qin Yun’s expression changed drastically . “I cannot clash with him in Qin Manor or there might be collateral damage…”

He did not dare to hesitate .

Qin Yun commanded with his mind, “Go!”

Sou!

The silver flying sword that was hovering in midair instantly left the room and shot into the sky!

Unlike Golden Firmament’s stealthy attack, the flying sword flew straight into the sky with its speed instantly accelerated to its maximum . It’s strength also reached its apex! After all, he was dealing with a Connate True Core great demon that had made a name for himself… Qin Yun did not dare hold back . This was because he could very well lose, even if he used all his strength! He was a lot stronger than when he killed Water God, but his strength was only at the ordinary Connate True Core realm .

The flying sword tore through the air, leaving two trails in its wake . Even the naked eye could see the distorted airflow being split into two .

“Rumble~” The flying sword was so fast that it generated sonorous thunder . The friction of its movement also created thunderous fire .

The momentum and might were much stronger than when it killed Water God! It was even faster!

“I’ve been discovered?” Higher up, Golden Firmament saw the terrifying flying sword rushing at him . He could not help but be astounded . “Sword beams with thunder? Sword-formed thunderous fire?”

The golden bracelet suddenly expanded and came straight down at the incoming silver flying sword .