"What?"

The words had barely left his mouth when everyone present was shocked, their faces turning deathly pale. The Hu family's cousin, however, slowly closed her eyes, as if she had anticipated this scene all along.

"It's not that I wanted to take this step, but I really have no choice..."

Hu Ma looked at them patiently and explained, "I just established the rules in the name of the Zhenchui Bureau. The whole world is watching. And you, you led hungry ghosts into Mingzhou, setting up an altar with the city's people as sacrifices, summoning the Guanzhou Prefecture Deity."

"No matter how you look at it, every single one is a capital offense. If I don't kill you today, how will the world view me? How can I make them willingly believe in my Zhenchui Bureau?"

"To put it simply..."

He smiled, his gaze sweeping across their faces, and said, "I'm just using the heads of these relatives from the Qingyuan Hu family to exchange for the trust of the world. From the Zhenchui Bureau's perspective, it's very appropriate, isn't it?"

"No, how dare you..."

Even after such a thorough explanation, these Hu family uncles jumped up in anger, repeatedly shouting, "How dare you?"

"We are, after all, your elders. If you kill us, do you know what your reputation will be..."

"..."

But before they could finish, Hu Ma's face darkened, and he shouted, "It's all for the sake of the long-term plan, and you're unwilling to make even this small sacrifice? You truly disappoint me."

"Someone come! These demonic beings are causing chaos, and have now confessed their crimes and accepted their punishment. Drag them out and behead them as a warning to others!"

"..."

"Boom!"

With his shout, a gust of wind suddenly swept outside the banners, causing them to rustle violently. The surrounding tents arranged by the Meng family now seemed to be uprooted, filled with the sounds of countless ghosts and deities colliding and attacking.

Even the Meng family's eldest son's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "Cousin, you are, after all, of the same clan and lineage. Why be so ruthless?"

Swish!

At the same time, hearing the chaos outside the banners and the commotion rising, the Hu family members inside also jumped up, some of them rushing towards Hu Ma in desperation.

They were eager to retaliate before they died.

"Sometimes the dead are more useful than the living."

Facing that angry and terrified face, Hu Ma simply reached out and grabbed his neck, twisting his wrist and throwing him out of the banners. At the same time, he smiled coldly at the Meng family's eldest son and said, "Cousin, haven't you heard?"

The Meng family's eldest son was frightened by his grim methods, and his face changed drastically. Before he could say anything, he saw two golden hands forcibly tearing into the banners, tearing the ceremonial tent apart.

The banners desperately tried to stop them from entering.

Unexpectedly, they all exerted force together, directly tearing the banners to shreds. The scorching sun immediately shone down, and the gaunt ghost shadows screamed miserably.

Struggling and trembling, they were scorched into puddles of blood by the sun.

Now that the Zhenchui Bureau was present, the rules for the living and the dead had been established. Yin spirits feared the sun, and without the banners to shield them, their only fate was death.

Immediately after, several golden-armored warriors grabbed Hu family's Second Master, Fourth Master, Hu Xi (the Hu family's cousin), and Hu family's Third Master (whose neck had already been broken by Hu Ma), and pressed them before the Zhenchui Bureau.

"It shouldn't be, it shouldn't be..."

The three Hu family uncles were still filled with resentment, shouting and yelling. On the other hand, the Hu family's cousin smiled bitterly at them and said, "What shouldn't be? Haven't you always hoped for a qualified master of the Zhenchui Bureau? Now look at his ruthlessness, who is more suitable than him?"

The Zhenchui Bureau didn't execute the living, but zougui ren (soul walkers) were an exception.

Now, in front of the Zhenchui Bureau, under the watchful eyes of the four chief officials, the Baoliang Army and the Bushiniu Yiren (Non-Beef-Eating Otherworldlies), the nobles who had flooded onto the city walls of Mingzhou, and the Meng family's eldest son, they took only the most skewed guillotine, pressed them there, and brought the blade down.

Even though it was just the Qingyuan Hu family, who were no longer related to the Zhenchui Bureau, they were still the most prestigious nobles outside the Ten Surnames. Now, they were losing their lives under the guillotine, as if even the sun was stained with blood.

The first living person the reopened Zhenchui Bureau killed was a member of the Hu family.

In the darkness, there was influence. Heaven and earth were silent, and even the bloody aura on the Baoliang Army, who had just experienced a battle, seemed to be suppressed. The rolling baleful aura instantly became several times stronger. Even in broad daylight, it gave people a sense of midnight.

"You... you..."

The heads fell to the ground, and the baleful aura rose, suppressing everyone's voices. Even the Meng family's eldest son, who had been watching the show from the side, was shocked and retreated.

He saw his own ceremonial tent being torn apart, and even the guardian deities beside him were scorched by the sun. He naturally understood that this Hu family's young master was not only ruthless, but had also killed several relatives.

Tearing apart his family's ceremonial tent and killing his guardian deities in public was also a deliberate act of venting his anger.

But because of his methods, the death of the guardian deities was nothing more than a trivial matter. He just looked at Hu Ma seriously, repeatedly trying to speak, but in the end, he first cupped his hands and bowed deeply, sighing, "The Hu family is indeed ruthless."

"Cousin, I only want to say that I admire you. I must admit that I underestimated you before. My Meng family elders also underestimated you. Everyone knew that your Zhenchui lineage was ruthless, but now I know that you are the most ruthless."

"But your methods are too shallow. Blood is thicker than water, and reputation is more important than the sky. Do you really think that killing your relatives and exchanging it for a reputation can get people to help you?"

"..."

"That doesn't need Cousin Meng to worry about."

Looking at the Meng family's eldest son's face, Hu Ma smiled and said, "Cousin Meng traveled thousands of miles to remind me of this. I am extremely grateful."

"However, your Meng family is so concerned about our Hu family's affairs, but I heard that someone from your own family died not far from here in Shima Town. Haven't you bothered to ask about it?"

"..."

The Meng family's young master's face suddenly changed upon hearing this. He was originally extremely concerned about this matter, but the matter in Mingzhou was more urgent. Now, suddenly hearing Hu Ma mention it, he was anxious and said in a deep voice, "Do you know about Sili's matter?"

"Cousin Meng is so enthusiastic, abandoning his own brother's affairs to interfere in my Hu family's affairs, so how can I not return the favor?"

Hu Ma smiled and said to Meng Siliang, "So, when Cousin Meng came to Mingzhou to help our family, I also sent someone to Shima Town to find out the cause of your Second Young Master's death."

At this point, the Meng family's eldest son finally couldn't bear it anymore. His face was ashen as water, and he shouted, "Who harmed him? Cousin, please tell me, my Meng family will definitely repay you handsomely..."

Hu Ma looked at him, the smile on his face disappearing little by little, and then said, "It was me!"

The Meng family's eldest son's face changed drastically, "What?"

Hu Ma said calmly, "He came under my nose and did such insidious things, so I had someone kill him."

"You..."

The Meng family's eldest son had actually guessed a bit, but firstly, there was no evidence, and secondly, he didn't expect Hu Ma to say it in such a situation. His eyes were already full of resentment, burning with anger.

But Hu Ma smiled again, politely and enthusiastically, and said, "Oh, that's right. Not only did I find out who killed him, but I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find the person, so I also brought the head to you. Please accept it, Cousin Meng..."

"This gift must be quite significant. I wonder how Cousin Meng plans to thank me?"

"..."

As he spoke, he gently raised his hand, and Little Red Begonia walked over holding a wooden box, and handed it directly to the Meng family's eldest son, saying, "Here, return it to you!"

"You..."

Even when Hu Ma destroyed his ceremonial tent, this Meng family's eldest son still maintained a detached demeanor. The reason why he couldn't hold back his expression was only because Hu Ma's methods exceeded his expectations.

But at this moment, he truly couldn't hold back his expression, staring fixedly at the box handed over by the red-clothed ghost.

He had infinite anger in his heart, wanting to slap the box away and stomp on it, but seeing Hu Ma standing in the altar, with the Zhenchui Golden Mace in front of him, and even feeling the other party's grim baleful aura.

He finally forcibly endured it, slowly reaching out, took the box from the red-clothed ghost's hand, opened it, and two lines of hot tears flowed down his face involuntarily. He wept for a long time before raising his sleeve to wipe them away, taking a deep breath.

Looking at Hu Ma, he said, "Cousin Hu has given my Meng family such a great gift. I... thank you, and I guarantee that the Meng family will remember your kindness."

"I don't think we'll have to wait too long. When the Yin Gate opens in the seventh month after the New Year, when the Ten Surnames gather again at the Stone Pavilion, the kindness you have bestowed, and the grievances between the Hu family and the Meng family for the past twenty years, will come to an end."

"..."

Hu Ma frowned, "Stone Pavilion?"

"That's right."

The Meng family's young master smiled faintly, a hint of grimness visible in his expression, "Cousin holds the Zhenchui Golden Mace, establishes the rules of the world, and is even more ruthless, cutting off his own relatives. You are indeed capable, admirable."

"But so what?"

"Don't you know that no matter what, since the Zhenchui Hu family has reappeared in the world and the Zhenchui Bureau has opened its doors, it is time for the Ten Surnames to gather again at the Stone Pavilion?"

"This matter was originally agreed upon in the past. If Cousin doesn't come, not only will the other nine surnames be dissatisfied with you, but even Grandma Bai in the ancestral hall will be restless..."

"..."

"Hmm?"

Hu Ma's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this, and he glanced at him coldly. From this person's words, he could vaguely hear the threat against his grandmother, and anger surged in his heart.

Moreover, no one had told him about this before. But, on second thought, wasn't taking the Hu family's token and reopening the Zhenchui Bureau also a preparation to face the Ten Surnames and understand the matters that the previous reincarnators were involved in?

His heart calmed down, and he nodded slowly, "No need to worry, I will go."

"But I also hope that your Meng family is prepared. Our Zhenchui Bureau can restrain gods and slay ghosts, but I don't know..."

"...Can it slay your family's immortal?"

(End of this chapter)