The afternoon sun streamed onto Xie An's face, warm and comforting.
Although he wore a brocade robe, the bandages on his neck and wrists were still clearly visible, stained with blood.
However, as a martial artist at the Great Accomplishment of the Blood Charging Realm, such minor injuries were not a major concern, especially since Liu Chun had applied the Secret Golden Wound Medicine from the Demon Suppression Bureau, which would allow him to recover in just a few days.
Walking through the corridor, past the half-closed door of the inner courtyard, around the screen wall, he advanced step by step, his eyes gradually becoming firm.
For the thirty-four years he had lived in this world, Xie An had only ever thought of himself.
Previously, when the Silver Corpse slaughtered a hundred cavalrymen, Xie An felt that this was simply the way of the chaotic world.
After all, the cavalry camp's mission was to defend against the demonic people of the Great Yin Mountain.
They blocked someone's path, and were wiped out… that was due to their lack of strength, and no one could be blamed.
Later, when he learned that the mastermind behind it was Young Master Li, Xie An was only angry.
Young Master Li colluded with the Corpse Refining Hall of the Great Yin Mountain to attack White Feather Hall.
That could also be said to be a conflict of interest.
But this time, Young Master Li, in order to force him out… turned his butcher's knife towards innocent, unarmed civilians!
This was no longer a conflict of interest, but a blatant disregard for life!
Wasn't Xie An also a citizen of Nan Zhou?
How could he truly stand by and do nothing?
He wanted to ignore it, to forget all of this, but every time he closed his eyes… the great fire and the tragically deceased lives would appear in his mind.
If the Eldest Princess was not here, Xie An would definitely force himself to forget.
But the existence of the Eldest Princess allowed Xie An to see a glimmer of hope, a possibility.
Xie An felt that he wanted to try, and should try.
Since he had come to this world, he could not escape it.
Xie An did not want to live in such a repressed, dark, and hopeless world.
He also hoped that someone could bring a ray of light, a ray of hope to this world.
Even if it was just a ray, it would be comforting.
Entering the backyard, he saw Su Yuqing still sitting at the desk, brewing tea and reading as usual.
Earlier, she had rushed into the most intense part of the burning school, rescuing forty-two people, and then quietly left, without attracting too much attention.
But Xie An had seen it; at that time, Su Yuqing was not injured, but her clothes were scorched, and her face was covered in dirt, which was very unsightly.
Huff!
Xie An took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and cupped his fist towards Su Yuqing, "Thank you, Chief Su, for saving forty-two precious lives."
Su Yuqing seemed to have seen too many such tragic scenes, and did not feel anything, she pointed her finger, "It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning. Sit down."
Xie An sat down opposite her.
The Huai River is four miles away from here.
I was also powerless.
You are very brave, a model for our dynasty."
Xie An took the teacup, took a light sip, and handed the letter to Su Yuqing, "This was arson."
Su Yuqing read the letter, not feeling surprised, "Cuiwei Residence… Li Xiaoting, is he so impatient…"
"Li Xiaoting?"
"Yes, the seventh son of the Prince of Huainan."
So it was the seventh son…
"The county town just came with people from the yamen, drawing a conclusion, saying it was an accidental fire.
Some family members of the deceased used blood letters to appeal for justice, but were beaten by the yamen runners.
Now the streets are full of blood."
While saying this, Xie An stared closely at Su Yuqing opposite him, paying attention to every micro-expression of this Eldest Princess.
However, Su Yuqing remained calm after hearing this, "Li Xiaoting should have communicated with the county yamen.
The Prince of Huainan is inherently cruel.
His sons inherited this trait, especially the heir and Li Xiaoting, who regard the common people as fish and meat."
Xie An originally thought that the Eldest Princess would show some anger after hearing this, or convey the information of taking action.
However, there was none.
So, Xie An stood up.
The abrupt action surprised Su Yuqing slightly, "What are you doing?"
Xie An bowed and saluted, "I, Xie An of Wuchiao Town… want to seek justice from the Eldest Princess for the innocent villagers who died!"
After speaking, Xie An bowed deeply.
Su Yuqing sat quietly, staring blankly at Xie An opposite her, without expressing her position.
Although she was born into the royal family, she was not a flower growing in a greenhouse.
Otherwise, she would not have become a martial arts grandmaster.
Holding a sword for fifty years, she had traveled across most of the Da Qian's territory, and had seen much of the people's suffering.
Plague, natural disasters, war…
The deaths of dozens of people were nothing more than normal.
Therefore, Su Yuqing did not feel too much about this arson.
Su Yuqing did not speak, and Xie An kept bowing.
After a long time, Su Yuqing finally could not bear to hurt Xie An's sincerity, and said, "I am here to break the century-old deadlock of the Great Yin Mountain, with the aim of seeking peace for millions of people in Qingwu County and even Nanyang Prefecture.
If I rashly take action for these dozens of villagers, people will guess that I have arrived here, which will disrupt my plan for the Corpse Refining Hall."
Xie An said, "Xie An admires the Eldest Princess for her compassion for the people and her concern for the world, and her ambition to clear the universe.
There are not many villagers who died, but… are they not people?
Are they not citizens of the Da Qian Dynasty?
I remember that Zhan Princess said in the county town's martial arts hall — the root of Da Qian is in the wild, not in the court.
The monarch is only entrusted by the people to manage the country.
The power of the monarch is granted by the people.
I implore the Eldest Princess to seek justice for the seventy-six lives in Shuideng Town!"
Hearing this, Su Yuqing's hands trembled, and her face was distorted.
That sentence "There are few villagers who died, are they not citizens of the Da Qian Dynasty?" was like a sharp needle, deeply inserted into Su Yuqing's heart.
Even more, it caused this Eldest Princess to produce an indescribable resonance.
Unconsciously, Su Yuqing's eyes became slightly red.
After being stunned for a long time, Su Yuqing's emotions calmed down, "Xie An, seeking justice is different from killing people.
I am the Eldest Princess of the royal family, so the Prince of Huainan naturally dare not do anything to me.
But you…"
"Earlier, the Eldest Princess asked me if I was willing to be the sharp sword in the Eldest Princess's hand to split the century-old deadlock of the Great Yin Mountain.
If it is an Eldest Princess who only knows how to weigh the pros and cons, I am not willing.
If it is an Eldest Princess who can uphold justice for this world, I… am willing!"
Su Yuqing was already moved, and slowly stood up, looking at the setting sun in the distance, "I can protect you for a while, but I can't protect you for a lifetime."
Xie An said, "After I help the Eldest Princess smash the bronze bell… I will naturally leave Nanzhou, living in the open air, making the four seas my home."
When he said this, Xie An felt extremely relaxed.
He couldn't help but recall Wei Dian's figure riding away that day.
Riding freely and singing…
Suddenly, Xie An felt Wei Dian's state of mind that day.
True freedom has never been physical.
But internal.
Xie An, who said these words and made this decision… felt relieved all over.
People are also free.
And Su Yuqing also felt Xie An's emotional changes… suddenly felt that Xie An was free.
She stared blankly at Xie An, who was relaxed, and was very touched.
"I can't appear publicly in public.
I came in a hurry and didn't bring followers.
Although Liu Chun is a fourth-level martial master, he doesn't have the courage."
"I'll go."
Su Yuqing's eyes suddenly became hot, and she raised her hand, "Stand up straight."
Xie An, "Then this justice…"
"Granted!"
…
Xie An left.
Su Yuqing sat behind the desk, watching Xie An leave.
This was not in her plan.
But because of the conversation with Xie An, she changed her mind.
Perhaps she was moved by Xie An's words, or perhaps she was infected by Xie An himself… Or perhaps, she and Xie An were the same kind of person to begin with.
Lost in thought for a long time, Su Yuqing returned to her bedroom.
She took off her clothes, stepped into the bath, and washed herself.
When she came out, she no longer dressed as a man, but put on women's clothing.
A water-blue, form-fitting silk dress, cloud-patterned boots, a waist belt, her hair in a bun, a jade hairpin, and she even took out rouge paper, placed it between her lips, and gently pressed it with her jade-like lips.
The whole process was very slow and gentle.
Compared to the usual attire of young women, it had a bit more solemnity.
After completing all this, Su Yuqing went out and called for Liu Chun.
When Liu Chun saw the woman in front of him, he was dumbfounded.
He had never seen such a stunningly beautiful woman in his life, and he couldn't believe it for a moment. "Su, Lord Su?"
Su Yuqing nodded slightly and said, "Yes."
Hiss!
Liu Chun gasped in his heart, feeling his scalp tingle. He suddenly realized how insignificant he was. Brother Xie didn't have any special preferences, but… he was hiding it so well.
Su Yuqing naturally didn't know the strange thoughts in Liu Chun's mind. She took out the token of the Chief and handed it to Liu Chun, "Take this token and go to the county yamen. Bring all the yamen runners and constables from the county yamen to Shuideng Town. Also, bring all the people from the Demon Suppression Division here. And go to the garrison, all military officers above the centurion… They all need to arrive at Shuideng Wharf before dusk tomorrow to await orders.
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Also, build a guillotine at the wharf. Tomorrow at dusk, announce to the villagers to come. The reason is… the Nanyang Demon Suppression Prefecture has a major case to handle!"
Liu Chun was confused, but he also knew that the matter was important. He took the token with both hands, "This subordinate will go and do it."
After saying that, Liu Chun hurriedly left.
…
Xie An returned to his room.
As usual, he tried to regulate his breathing and practice his health-preserving exercises.
Perhaps it was because of the Princess's final "Yes" that Xie An felt much relieved.
At least, the world he lived in was not without hope.
Although Xie An was an old man, he was open-minded about many things. But… no one wants their country and society to be hopeless.
Just like in his previous life, if there were urban management officers arbitrarily beating and scolding vendors everywhere, and the police wantonly shielding criminals and oppressing the common people… even an office worker who was not involved would feel very uncomfortable.
Everyone yearns to live in a hopeful and friendly country. Everyone hopes that if they are wronged, they can seek redress and punish evildoers.
Indeed, Xie An even more hoped that one day he could wield omnipotent power, be in charge of his own life, and do what he wanted to do.
Now that his strength was insufficient, Xie An felt lucky to have met the Princess.
In this chaotic world, strength is fundamental.
Xie An's thoughts were clear, and his cultivation became smoother.
One night of regulating his breathing with the Bright Jade Skill unexpectedly increased by two points.
[Current Longevity Destiny: Level 1. Fusion: ]
[Bright Jade Skill: Spring Breeze 17/100]
[Remaining Years: 48 years]
Huff!
Xie An let out a long breath, put on his inner lining, came to the courtyard, found an ordinary broadsword, and began to practice the Heavy Mountain Saber.
An ordinary broadsword obviously couldn't withstand the force of the Heavy Mountain Saber. It shattered after only practicing the eighth stance.
Looking at the scattered metal fragments on the ground, Xie An smiled wryly, "It seems that I need to forge the black iron given by Third Brother into a saber. But I need to find a blacksmith who is also a martial artist, which is not easy to find…"
Without a precious saber, he couldn't unleash the power of the Heavy Mountain Saber, which was always unsatisfactory.
Suddenly, Xie An felt a gaze. He turned his head sharply and saw Su Yuqing, who had changed into women's clothing, standing under the eaves at the door, watching him from afar.
Xie An hurried forward, "Lord Su."
Su Yuqing nodded, "Come with me."
Following Su Yuqing to her bedroom, she pointed to a rectangular wooden brocade box on the Eight Immortals table, "Open it."
The brocade box was made of very good wood, with a layer of leather wrapped around the outside. It was not locked, and Xie An easily opened it. Inside was a saber.
Four feet long, the saber was straight, half a finger wide, and silvery white. The handle was brown.
Even with just one glance, Xie An felt a dazzling sharpness coming towards him, making him dare not look directly at it.
"Good saber."
Xie An couldn't help but praise, then looked up at Su Yuqing, full of curiosity.
He had just said that he lacked a good saber.
Could it be…
But Xie An also knew that this kind of precious saber… others could give it, but he couldn't take it.
"Does this saber have a name?"
Su Yuqing said, "This saber was jointly forged by the Daoist sect and the royal family. Only the Chief of the Prefecture can use it. It is called Demon Queller. It was the saber specially equipped for me when I took office as the Chief of the Nanyang Demon Suppression Prefecture."
Xie An felt a bit disappointed.
The saber was a good saber.
But unfortunately, it was the exclusive saber of the Chief of the Demon Suppression Prefecture, so it seemed to have nothing to do with him.
However, Su Yuqing suddenly changed her tone, "This saber represents the will of the Demon Suppression Division. It also represents the responsibility and ambition of the Daoist sect and the royal family.
It can slay demons, quell devils, and also… intimidate officials and kill princes!
I have already had people set up a guillotine at the wharf in Shuideng Town. Justice is what you asked me for. Then, tonight, you will use this saber on the guillotine to kill the seventh son of the Prince of Huainan and return justice to the people here."
Xie An didn't feel too surprised.
He had already considered it clearly.
He slowly reached out his hand and gently stroked the blade. The blade actually emitted a slight humming sound, which was very pleasant.
Xie An gripped the hilt and slowly raised it.
Heavy!
Very heavy!
Only a little monster like Xie An could wield it.
Five fingers, clenched tightly.
Starting stance.
Buzz!
The blade vibrated and hummed.
Xie An activated the Heavy Mountain Saber Technique and added the Bright Jade Skill to barely suppress the runaway blade. He casually waved it a few times and immediately felt like it was an extension of his arm, cutting iron like mud, and as heavy as a mountain.
Not to mention bearing the ninth level of the Heavy Mountain Saber, even if the Heavy Mountain Saber had eighteen levels, it could easily withstand it.
"Good saber! How much does this weigh?"
Su Yuqing said: "Ninety-five pounds, symbolizing the supreme power. It also means that the Emperor has high hopes for the Demon Suppression Division."
After enjoying the saber to his heart's content, Xie An took out the scabbard from below the brocade box, and with a "clang," the long saber entered the scabbard, "I wonder what kind of weapon Lord Su uses?"
Su Yuqing suddenly smiled, "I am used to using a sword. This saber… is not very useful to me. I have never used it until now."
Xie An widened his eyes.
Su Yuqing smiled and said: "If you are used to using it, then you can keep using it. If… you help me smash the Big Bronze Bell, I will give you this saber, and it is also not a problem."
Xie An was overjoyed, "Lord Su is generous."
Su Yuqing was very open-minded, "This saber was originally used to slay demons and eliminate evil, and to punish traitors. It does not necessarily have to be used by the Chief of the Prefecture. Anyone with this heart can use it."
Xie An thanked her again, but felt that this Princess was truly magnanimous.
Su Yuqing said: "It is already dusk, let's go, to Cuiwei Residence."
Xie An also restrained his thoughts and followed Su Yuqing out.
On the way, Xie An couldn't help but ask: "Where is your sword?"
She didn't even like the Demon Queller Saber, and Xie An really wanted to see what her sword looked like.
Su Yuqing pointed to a thumb-sized spherical metal ornament hanging around her neck, "This is it."
Xie An: "?"
This… is a sword?
