I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 163 The master is the mountain, the Giant Whale Gang can’t stay!

After being scolded by Xie An, Han Li slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of tearful eyes, and his voice was choked with sobs, "He Zi was arrested by the constables from the county government."

Xie An's brain circuit didn't react for a moment, "Did Xiao He get into trouble?"

How could He Chunli, who has always been honest and introverted, get into trouble?

This made Xie An feel unbelievable.

Han Li wiped his tears and said, "This afternoon, he stabbed to death the son of the second leader of the Giant Whale Gang in Wuqiao Town..."

After listening to Han Li's story, Xie An finally understood the general course of events:

Ever since the Giant Whale Gang took over the Baiyu Hall from Meng Hu, they have placed their gang headquarters at the former Baiyu Hall in Shuideng Town.

Li Fushan, the second-in-command of the Giant Whale Gang, has a son named Li Huwei, a man in his early twenties, at the second level of the Jingrou realm. He oversees the waterway and shipping operations in Shuideng Town, and is entangled with a group of wealthy young men. He indulges in drinking, gambling, and bullying, leading to the downfall of many attractive wives and young women in the surrounding area.

However, Qingwu County did not arrange yamen runners in Shuideng Town. Even though the husbands of some of the wives who suffered tried to go to the county town to report to the authorities, there was no response.

Over time, the villagers felt hopeless and dared not speak out.

This morning, a clerk from the Li's Pawn Shop in Wuqiao Town came to Weisheng Martial Arts School to look for He Chunli, saying that when Chunlan went to Shuideng Town to buy medicine for Madam Li, she was spotted by Li Huwei because of her pretty appearance.

Then... Chunlan was humiliated by Li Huwei.

Chunlan felt ashamed to live in this world, so she jumped into the river to commit suicide. Fortunately, she was rescued by nearby fishermen.

After He Chunli learned about it, he went straight to Wuqiao Town with a knife and stabbed Li Huwei to death.

At the end of the story, Han Li couldn't hold back his tears. "He Zi was completely crazy at the time, and I couldn't stop him. I tried to subdue him, but I couldn't win. Finally, I wanted to go with He Zi, but He Zi refused to let me go. He knelt on the ground and begged me to stay.

He said that it was his fault for not taking good care of Chunlan, and that if he died, he would entrust me to take care of the master until his death. He also left a suicide note.

At the end of his speech, Han Li took out a wrinkled, yellowed envelope from his arms and handed it to Xie An.

Xie An took it in his hand and opened it to take a look.

A few lines of very sloppy handwriting came into view.

—Master, meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me, He Chunli. It was you who raised me, taught me to read and write, and taught me how to be a good person. It was you who redeemed my indenture, giving me the chance to live a normal life.

My master often told me that we should be grateful.

Chunlan has treated me very well in the past few years. I vowed to take care of her, marry her, and never let her be bullied.

I'm sorry. I may have to go first and won't be able to take care of you until the end of your life.

Master, I’m sorry.

Master, I’m sorry!

sorry! !

The three consecutive "I'm sorry" made Xie An's nose sore and his eyes a little hot.

The thin rice paper was covered in wrinkled circular spots. It was obvious that He Chunli was crying while writing the letter. The tears fell on the rice paper, spreading and forming circular wrinkles as the paper dried.

Xie An also came from poverty, and could understand the despair and entanglement that He Chunli felt when he wrote the letter.

Although Xie An felt that He Chunli's behavior was too impulsive, he appreciated the decision made by He Chunli.

After all, He Chunli is a passionate young man in his twenties.

When he saw his beloved woman being humiliated, he did not choose to swallow his anger, but chose to stand up in the most violent way.

If it were eight years ago, Xie An would definitely have cursed He Chunli and even kicked him hard.

But now, Xie An admires it very much.

After being stunned for a long time, Xie An put down the letter and said, "Xiao He, you are a good disciple of the master."

Putting away the letter, Xie An asked, "Han Li, is He Chunli currently imprisoned in the county government office?"

Han Li nodded tearfully, "Yes. I wanted to visit him before, but Captain Liu from the county government wouldn't let me. He said it was a life-for-life procedure, and he'll be executed in about half a month."

Xie An was not in a hurry, but stood at the gate of the courtyard and thought carefully.

First of all, he must take care of this matter.

Since the government was involved, even if Xie An was a fifth-rank general, he couldn't use force. The government had its own rules, and to save people, he naturally had to use them. Otherwise, it would be counterproductive.

Moreover, Xie An had learned during his time at the Demon Suppression Division that Wen Zai had resigned from his position as county magistrate long ago and was currently unemployed in the county seat. The new county magistrate was named Zhou Li, who was sent from Nanzhou.

Naturally, he is the King of Huainan’s man.

After a little consideration, Xie An made a decision.

"Han Li, grind the ink."

Seeing that his master was about to take action, Han Li suddenly became very excited. He followed Xie An to the study and took the initiative to grind ink for Xie An.

Xie An wrote a letter to Wen Zaiqing, asking him to ask his old subordinates in the county government to take care of He Chunli in prison so that he would not suffer from punishment.

Xie An sealed the letter and handed it to Han Li. "Go to Wen Zaiqing's house quickly and give him this letter. Then wait for me at the gate of the Demon Suppression Division."

"Yes."

Han Li took the envelope and rushed out.

Xie An then went out and headed towards the Demon Suppression Division.

Wen Zaiqing had been the magistrate for over a decade, and his former subordinates were all his confidants. Asking Wen Zaiqing to release the man was definitely out of the question, as He Chunli's murder was a fact. However, asking Wen Zaiqing to intervene and have his former subordinates look after He Chunli in prison was not a problem.

As long as He Chunli doesn't die in prison, Xie An will have time to arrange other things.

Xie An hurried to the southeastern courtyard of the Demon Suppression Division, changed into his official uniform, and then found Liu Chun, "Brother Chun, bring a few people and follow me to Shuideng Town."

Hearing Xie An call him Chun Ge, Liu Chun was frightened out of his wits and hurriedly bowed: "Master General, please don't call me Chun Ge, just call me Liu Chun."

Xie An nodded, "Then hurry up, I'll wait for you at the door."

After giving the instructions, Xie An came to the door and saw Han Li waiting there. "Did the letter arrive?"

Han Li nodded. "It's been delivered. Lord Wen said he would take care of this matter. But he said it would be very difficult to rescue He Zi."

Xie An said: "Master, I am now the chief of the Demon Suppression Division. This matter is not difficult to handle."

hiss!
Han Li took a deep breath and looked at his master in disbelief.

He knew that the officials in the Demon Suppression Division respected Xie An very much, but he never expected that... Xie An would become the chief director of the Demon Suppression Division, a high-ranking official of the fifth rank.

Looking at the entire Qingwu County, only the captain of Wanhu Mansion can surpass Xie An.

These are things that Han Li dared not even think about.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Han Li finally came to his senses and bowed deeply: "Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master!"

Xie An nodded slightly, "There's no need for this between you and me."

Han Li grinned from ear to ear, "The Giant Whale Gang never dreamed that our master, having become a fifth-rank official, could destroy them with just one word. He Zi is safe now."

Xie An shook his head. "Although I am a fifth-rank general, I cannot act recklessly. Officialdom has its own rules. If I act too impulsively, not only will I fail to save Xiao He, but I will cause even greater disasters."

Should he directly take people to the county government office to rob him? Then Xie An would be attacked and impeached by officials in a matter of minutes, which would be suicide.

Go to the new magistrate in private, give him gifts, and use his power to get him to release the person?
If the new leader criticized him a few times, Xie An would be dead.

Han Li was very intelligent and immediately realized the problem. He asked, "Then what do you plan to do, Master?"

Xie An did not hide his intentions. "Li Huwei abused Chunlan, causing her to jump into the river and commit suicide. This is a common case and should be handled by the county government. But you also said that Li Huwei bullied the wives and girls in the Shuideng Town area. This is a big deal. It gives my Demon Suppression Division reason to intervene.

I'll take some people to Shuideng Town later to take statements from the wives of the victims and gather some evidence. Then, I'll take this evidence to the county government to bring the suspects to justice, and my Demon Suppression Division will take over.

As long as the case falls into the hands of my Demon Suppression Division, it will be easy to handle."

Han Li was deeply impressed after hearing this. "Master is really thoughtful. He has considered so many aspects and may even be able to clear He Zi's name."

Xie An was not so optimistic. "It will probably be difficult to completely clear Xiao He's name. But saving his life will definitely be no problem. It depends on the specific circumstances of the case."

Daqian does have laws regarding the elimination of evil and legitimate self-defense. For example, if you encounter a robber who breaks into your home and robs you, it's not against the law to kill him. If He Chunli kills Li Huwei when he's insulting Chunlan, that's not against the law either.

But he killed people afterwards.

This is quite difficult.

Xie An was also unsure.

Soon, Liu Chun took Abin and Huzi out, leading the horses.

"Set off."

Xie An waved his hand and took the lead.

The BMW of the Demon Suppression Bureau is very useful. It only took an hour to reach Shuideng Town.

Today, Water Lantern Town is much more prosperous than before. There are endless merchant ships docked at the pier, and there are also large merchant ships with four or five floors, which are flourishing.

Xie An instructed Liu Chun to question the wives and girls who were harmed by Li Huwei in the name of the Demon Suppression Division and to make sure to record their statements.

Xie An brought Han Li to the home of the village elder Zheng Bingxiang.

If you want to know the details of Shuideng Town, it is most appropriate to ask Mr. Zheng.

Zheng Bingxiang personally went out to greet Xie An on crutches. Seeing Xie An from a distance, he quickened his pace and limped over to greet him, "Mr. Xie...Mr. Xie. I'm so glad to see you're safe and sound. Come in and talk."

When they met again after four or five years, Xie An was filled with emotion when he saw that Zheng Bingxiang looked much older, with wrinkles and yellow spots all over his face, and he even walked with a shaky hand. He even stepped forward to support him.

"Mr. Zheng, be careful where you step."

Entering the hall, Old Zheng warmly invited him to sit down and even asked his granddaughter-in-law to make tea for Xie An. He kept praising him, "This is the once righteous Master Xie. The only school in our town was funded by Master Xie, and it has benefited countless people."

The grandson's wife was beautiful, graceful, and well-mannered. She bowed to Xie An and said, "Hello, Master Xie. I hadn't married yet at that time, so I hadn't witnessed Master Xie's righteous deeds. But I often heard the villagers talk about Master Xie. Master Xie is a truly upright and great master."

Xie An exchanged a few pleasantries and finally asked, "Mr. Zheng, why don't you see any men in your family?"

Zheng Bingxiang sighed, "Ah, a few years ago, there was a monster in town, and my sons were all eaten by the monster."

At this point, Old Zheng looked at his grandson's wife with pity, his face filled with sorrow. "My grandson was also killed by the Giant Whale Gang."

Xie An was shocked when he heard this. "Mr. Zheng, please tell me in detail."

Zheng Bingxiang burst into tears. "Master Xie, you don't know that six months after you disappeared four years ago, Baiyutang was taken over by the Giant Whale Gang. They changed the style of Baiyutang before and oppressed the villagers everywhere. Not only did they close the school, but they also staged a bandit invasion, robbing the gentry and not even sparing ordinary people. Then, under the pretext of suppressing the bandits, they demanded that every household pay for the suppression. The villagers in several nearby towns were miserable, and many families were forced to sell their children.

Even the shops in the town had to pay them protection fees every month, under the pretext that they were spending manpower and resources to suppress bandits.

Yet, they are incredibly kind to foreign merchants, which is why the Shuideng Town docks are so prosperous. They're truly ruthless to their own people. Li Huwei, the second-in-command's son, has women kidnapped for his own pleasure. If they refuse, he persecutes their families. My grandson's wife was also... raped by that beast, Li Huwei. My grandson went to the county seat to file a complaint, but it was useless. Finally, he was murdered on the way to the provincial capital to file a complaint. It must have been the work of the Giant Whale Gang.

These people are worse than animals. Our lives are ruined.”

At the end of his speech, Mr. Zheng burst into tears, and his granddaughter-in-law beside him also sobbed.

Xie An was deeply moved after hearing this.

Things have changed and people have changed. I never expected that the once peaceful Shui Deng Town has fallen into such a state.

He Chunli's experience is not an isolated case.

Xie An sighed slightly and turned to look at his granddaughter-in-law. "Do you know how many wives and girls in this town have been harmed by Li Huwei?"

The granddaughter-in-law hung her head and wiped away her tears, "If not a hundred, then eighty."

"Do you know them all?"

“I know most of them.”

Xie An nodded slightly, "Then I'll have to trouble you to take Han Li to visit every household.

"Han Li, bring your writing brush and ink and go door to door to take notes. The more detailed the better, and they will need signatures and fingerprints. If someone doesn't want to, don't force them."

The grandson's wife was very surprised, "Thank you, Master, what are you doing..."

Xie An knew that women in this chaotic world were very reserved and old-fashioned, and they cared more about their reputation and integrity. They would never tell anyone about being humiliated. Many women who could accept it would just endure it. Those who couldn't accept it were like Chunlan...

To reassure his grandson's wife, Xie An said, "I'm the chief of the Qingwu Town Demon Division. I'll take care of this matter. As long as we get the confession, our Demon Division can take over the Giant Whale Gang's case."

Upon hearing this, the granddaughter-in-law was overjoyed and quickly knelt on the ground, almost bursting into tears. "Thank you very much, sir! I will take care of this matter."

Xie An asked Han Li to help her up, "Go quickly. I'll wait for you here and talk to Mr. Zheng."

After Han Li and his grandson's wife left, Zheng Bingxiang also stood up tremblingly and was about to kneel down to thank Xie An, but Xie An helped him up and said, "There's no need to do this, Mr. Zheng. This is the duty of my Demon Suppression Division."

After Zheng Bingxiang took his seat, tears could not help but flow down his face. "Great, great. With General Xie here, the villagers around here can get on with their lives!"

Xie An felt very uncomfortable after hearing this.

Xie An had lived in this place for many years, and he had also spent many years with the surrounding villagers.

A radius of ten miles was the radius of Xie An's life for the past eight years.

It's unrealistic to say there's no emotion at all.

At dusk, Liu Chun, Han Li and others returned.

Holding a thick confession in his hand.

With the lobbying of the grandson's wife, many wives and young girls who were reluctant to reveal their scandals were willing to speak out. Moreover, when they heard that Xie An was going to make the decision for them, they were even more willing to speak out.

The good reputation that Xie An had accumulated here came into play.

Xie An frowned as he looked at the confession with his fingerprints and signature.

The confessions listed as victims a total of 108 married women and young girls. Xie An knew many of them, some of whom had attended the academy. Others were survivors of the previous fire.

Thirty-six family members were forced to death by Li Hu.

This is just what we have collected, there are still many that we have not collected.

Absolutely outrageous!
"Mr. Zheng, please wait a moment. I'm going to the county town." Xie An accepted the testimony, stood up and left. When he reached the door, Xie An suddenly thought of something and instructed Liu Chun, "Liu Chun, to prevent the giant whale from doing evil tonight, you stay here."

Liu Chun immediately agreed, "Don't worry, leave it to me. I'm a seventh-rank captain after all. As long as I reveal my identity first, the Giant Whale Gang won't dare to act recklessly."

Xie An held his forehead, feeling that Liu Chun was too straightforward, so he called Liu Chun to his side and whispered, "You don't need to reveal your identity first."

Liu Chun was puzzled. "Master General, what is this..."

Xie An whispered, "What's the crime for attacking a seventh-rank captain of the Demon Suppression Division?"

hiss.

Liu Chun took a deep breath and then said, "Your Excellency has been very thoughtful. Since the Giant Whale Gang is so evil, why not add fuel to the fire? Don't worry, my Lord, I know what to do. Simply attacking them isn't enough. We must also severely injure the Seventh-Rank Captain of the Demon Suppression Division, which will be an even greater crime."

Xie An raised his eyebrows.

This Liu Chun is good.

"Then I'm sorry to trouble Captain Liu. I will go back to the Demon Suppression Division to make some arrangements. I will probably be here tomorrow." Xie An stated his plan and then left with Han Li.

When I walked out of the house, it was already dark.

Han Li wanted to follow Xie An to the county town, but Xie An said, "Han Li, go to the Li Mansion in Wuqiao Town, comfort Chunlan, and take care of Madam Li."

Han Li asked, "What about the master?"

Xie An said, "I'll go back to the Demon Suppression Division to make arrangements. This time, I want more than just to handle Li Huwei's case. I want... to make the entire Giant Whale Gang disappear from this world."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie An had already jumped on his horse and said, "The Giant Whale Gang can't be left here."

drive!
The sound of horses' hooves galloped down the street.

Han Li stood on the street in the twilight, watching his master's receding back, and suddenly tears fell.

He suddenly felt that his master would always be the mountain in his heart.

(End of this chapter)