“Yao ren (demon)?”

Li Ang immediately perked up, “Is it the three-headed, six-armed, blue-faced, fanged kind, or the effeminate, charming and alluring kind?”

“Ah?”

Butler Zhao was stunned for a moment, stammering, “Neither. That yao ren (demon) is ruthless and has a special identity…”

Li Ang looked at him and knew he was concerned about the surrounding merchant caravans.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Xing Hechou, “Fellow Daoist Ge Li, you should set off with the caravan first. I’ll catch up with you after I deal with that yao ren (demon).”

Xing Hechou frowned slightly, “Are you sure you’ll be alright alone, Fellow Daoist?”

Li Ang waved his hand, “It’s just a small E’cheng City. What terrifying monsters could there be? If it really comes down to it, I’ll have a messenger inform you.”

The so-called messenger referred to the reconnaissance bee soldiers flying at extremely high altitudes—they could dive down and dance in circles to notify Xing Hechou and the others of danger ahead.

They could also buzz to tell Xing Hechou and the others that Li Ang was in trouble.

One arrow pierces the clouds, and thousands of troops and horses come to the rescue.

“Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Li Ang pulled the reins, turned his horse around, and followed the butler towards the county government office.

————

Inside the E’cheng County Government Office, the air was oppressive, filled with murderous intent.

In the middle of the yamen (government office), there were two people, one standing and one lying prone.

The one standing had shifty eyes, and his body was swaying slightly, looking uneasy.

The one lying prone had dark skin, an ugly face, and was wearing handcuffs and shackles, with an arrogant look of invincibility.

On both sides of the yamen (government office), there were two rows of bailiffs, each holding a shui huo gun (fire and water baton) about eyebrow height, black on top and red on the bottom.

As the saying goes, it’s easier to see King Yama than to deal with the little devils.

What the people feared most were these tyrannical and unreasonable government yamen (government office) bailiffs, fearing that they would carry fire warrants and summons, wear sabers at their waists, and use iron chains and handcuffs to arrest people at will, killing good people and claiming credit.

But now, the faces of these two rows of bailiffs were pale, fearful, and uneasy. Although they were holding shui huo guns (fire and water baton) symbolizing the yamen’s (government office) authority, their palms were trembling slightly.

The source of their fear was precisely the dark-skinned man lying on the ground, in a state of disarray, but still with an arrogant expression.

The noisy cries of men, women, old and young, came through the heavy door into the hall, making Ma Bangde even more furious.

“Beat him!”

Magistrate Ma slammed the table of the court, causing the official seal documents, case files, vermilion inkstone, gavel, and other items on the table to shift by an inch.

The bailiffs looked at each other. An older bailiff hesitated and whispered, “Your Honor, he’s already been given eighty strokes…”

“This official said, continue beating him.”

Ma Bangde gritted his teeth, his tone grim.

This world also had the five punishments of “chi (bamboo strip beating), zhang (baton beating), tu (imprisonment), liu (exile), and si (death).”

Chi (bamboo strip beating) was whipping prisoners with bamboo or thorn sticks, while zhang (baton beating) was beating prisoners’ backs, buttocks, and legs with shui huo guns (fire and water baton) made of solid wood.

Shui huo guns (fire and water baton) were very heavy. If the suspects hadn’t bribed enough money, and the bailiffs deliberately used heavy hands, only twenty strokes would be enough to beat a strong man half to death.

Even with ordinary force, forty strokes would be enough to keep a person from recovering for several months.

Eighty strokes… more than enough to beat a person to death.

The older bailiff heard the magistrate’s order and had no choice but to turn to his subordinates and raise his chin at the dark-skinned man.

Two bailiffs reluctantly and slowly walked forward, holding the shui huo guns (fire and water baton) and continuing to beat the dark-skinned man’s back.

Pa,

Pa,

Pa.

The sound of the shui huo guns (fire and water baton) was dull and loud, seemingly full of force.

But the dark-skinned man not only didn’t cry and beg for mercy like previous suspects, but instead turned his head leisurely, picked his ears,

Looked at Ma Bangde, who had just sat behind the court table, and said with a smile, “Magistrate Ma, are you really not considering letting me go?

With your little tricks, don’t even think about beating me to death with the zhang (baton beating). It’s hard to even make it hurt.”

“Still spouting nonsense when death is imminent!”

Ma Bangde sneered, “Wang Chao, Ma Han, quickly bring the water tank! I want to see if you yao ren (demon) can still be so tough when speaking underwater.”

“Heh.”

The dark-skinned man shook his head, “County magistrate, oh county magistrate, since I haven’t knelt down and begged for mercy, I naturally have my ways. Don’t even mention drowning me with water. Even if you lock me in a furnace, I can still be content and at ease.

It’s you…”

The man stared at Ma Bangde and said gloomily, “If you keep me locked up and delay the Holy Church’s affairs, and incur the blame of the church elders in the future.

Not only you, but the entire population of E’cheng City will die in disaster.”

Ma Bangde sneered, “What Holy Church? Isn’t it just the White Lotus Cult, which confuses people, creates trouble, and incites ignorant people!”

“Mud originates from the beginning of chaos, the White Lotus appears and a prosperous age rises.”

The dark-skinned man sighed, “The world is bewitched by the government and misunderstands my Holy White Lotus greatly, only saying that we spread rumors to mislead the public.

But they don’t know that in the eyes of my Holy White Lotus believers, the world is like a burning house, everywhere is purgatory.

We can only do everything we can to save the world.”

“Humph!”

Ma Bangde slammed the table and shouted, “You White Lotus cultists kill people and take infants. You’ve committed several cases in Nanjun in the past few months. Now, both the person and the stolen goods have been seized, and the evidence is complete.

Even if this official can’t deal with you, the Wude Guard and the Dragon Tiger Mountain daoists can deal with you!”

“Wude Guard, Dragon Tiger Mountain?”

The dark-skinned man’s face revealed a somewhat strange smile, “Your E’cheng City is just a remote and poor place.

Don’t even mention Dragon Tiger Mountain. Even the Wude Guard, which patrols the world, only has a temporary stronghold in the city.

They send a few Wude Guard soldiers with extremely low magic power to take turns guarding the surrounding counties.

Besides, even those few Wude Guard soldiers have already followed orders and gone to Luzhou City.

Even if you notify them with paper talismans now and let them rush back with divine speed talismans, it will take a day or two.

Naturally, believers will come to rescue me.”

After saying that, the man paused, looked at the bailiffs on both sides, and said with a soft smile, “If I were County Magistrate you, I would definitely tie you down at the street entrance of the downtown area, rather than lock you down in the dungeon.

Save the trouble of having to kill a few guarding bailiffs when the congregants come to rescue me.”

The bailiffs on both sides of the hall turned even paler when they heard this.

The White Lotus demons were unscrupulous, and each of them had evil magic.

In front of those yao ren (demons), the government bailiffs, who were still just ordinary mortals, had no resistance.

Ma Bangde looked at the fearful expressions of his subordinates, listened to the sorrowful cries of the victims’ families outside the yamen (government office),

Looked at the arrogant expression of the yao ren (demon) in the hall,

His beard trembled with anger, his eyes widened, and his fists clenched without any blood.

He couldn’t wait to jump down from the hall, pick up a broadsword, and kill this yao ren (demon) on the spot.

In the midst of the stalemate, a figure in cloth came in from the side hall of the county government office. It was Butler Zhao from his mansion.

Butler Zhao ran closer in three or two steps and whispered in his ear, “Master, Daoist Ximenzi has arrived.”

“Arrived?”

Ma Bangde said with joy, “Quick, invite the daoist in!”