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

Chapter 164 Preservation Law, a small achievement!
Demon Suppression Division, seventh floor.

"What a bunch of beasts!"

After reading a thick stack of testimonies, Zhao Qing'er angrily slammed the table and grabbed the sword beside her. "Brother Chen, I will take my men to destroy the Giant Whale Gang right now."

Perhaps it was because Zhao Qing'er was a woman herself, so she felt more deeply and was more angry about the humiliation of a married woman and young girl.

Chen Tie shouted, "Come back."

Zhao Qing'er's eyes turned red with anger, "Senior Brother Chen, are you going to stop me from doing this?"

"The general manager is here, why are you so anxious!" Chen Tie shouted sternly, "Sit down!"

Perhaps only Chen Tie could order this princess around. She angrily sat back in her seat, suppressing her anger and looking at Xie An.

Xie An already had a plan in mind, but he didn't say it out loud immediately. Instead, he looked at Chen Tie.

Chen Tie first expressed his apology, "I've been here for several years, and I've never heard of the Giant Whale Gang doing anything illegal. I never thought it would grow into such a big cancer."

Xie An stated his own judgment, "The confessions clearly state that many of the families of the wives and girls abused by Li Huwei went to the police to report their cases, but all their reports fell on deaf ears, and they were even maliciously beaten and killed."

Chen Tiening said, "Master General, what you mean is... that the county government is colluding with the Giant Whale Gang?"

Xie An nodded, "That's probably the case."

Chen Tie nodded.

The Demon Suppression Division had only recently been built, and the entire division had only just begun operations. If the county government was helping the Giant Whale Gang, that would explain it.

Wei Haoran suddenly asked, "The Giant Whale Gang is just a small gang in Qingwu County, not even as strong as the Tiger Wolf Sect and the Heavenly Sword Society. Zhou Li is a recent Jinshi from Nanzhou. Why would he collude with a small gang like the Giant Whale Gang?"

Xie An said: "There have been clues since the Tiger Wolf Sect handed over the White Feather Hall to the Giant Whale Gang. I'm afraid there are hidden secrets that we don't know. We need to investigate to find out."

"Master General, your words make sense. This matter must be dealt with strictly!" Chen Tie sorted out his thoughts and then said, "Master General, please make the arrangements. We in the Demon Suppression Division will obey your orders!"

After hearing Chen Tie's statement, Xie An felt relieved.

Xie An had been planning to deal with them harshly from the beginning, but he was new to the Demon Suppression Division and didn't have full control. Before he could act, he needed the support of Chen Tie and the others.

Now that the attitudes of Chen Tie and others have been revealed, Xie An feels relieved.

Xie An sat in the chief seat, looked at the people present, and said solemnly, "Since the county government is involved, it would be inappropriate to continue to hand this case over to the county government. I propose that we take this case over from the county government and have it be handled by our Demon Suppression Division. What do you think?"

Chen Tie readily agreed, "It's only right. Not only should I take over, but I should do it well. After all, this is the first case handled by the Qingwu Town Demon Division since its establishment."

Zhao Qing'er, take your men to the county government office now and take over the case..."

At this point, Chen Tie paused for a moment, then raised his voice, "We must bring He Chunli, the key figure in this case, to the Demon Suppression Division."

Zhao Qing'er agreed immediately, "I know."

Chen Tie was afraid that Zhao Qing'er might do something bad, so he instructed, "To avoid alerting the enemy, if Zhou Li asks, just say someone contacted our Demon Suppression Division to report the case. That's the only formality. And don't act angry."

"understood."

Zhao Qing'er said she knew, but she left in a hurry.

Xie An watched Zhao Qing'er leave and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that as long as he could bring He Chunli to the Demon Suppression Division, his life would be safe for the time being.

But the cancer of the Giant Whale Gang still needs to be eliminated.

So, Xie An said, "Deputy Director Chen, how should we define the nature of the Giant Whale Gang according to the usual practice of the Demon Suppression Division?"

Chen Tie stared at Xie An.

This question is very serious.

The characterization at the level of the Demon Suppression Division directly determines the survival of the Giant Whale Gang.

If a gang is identified as an unforgivable criminal, it can be directly wiped out.

Chen Tie felt what Xie An meant, but the Demon Suppression Division did have its own rules and procedures. Although Chen Tie also felt that the Giant Whale Gang deserved to die, he could not make a decision based solely on his personal likes and dislikes.

"They've raped women, staged robberies, and extorted money in disguise. They're the most heinous criminals. But the confession the General brought only involves the rape of women, which isn't enough. How about this? I'll send someone down tonight to investigate and keep records. Tomorrow morning, I'll give the General a definitive answer. How do you say that?"

"Then it'll be hard work."

……

County government.

Inner house.

The living room was filled with candles, and a slender woman in a dress as thin as a cicada's wing was dancing gracefully. Her skirt fluttered, revealing her skin, and her eyes were sending a charming glance, like a beauty about to bloom.

A refined middle-aged man in white lining sat on a chair nearby, drinking and singing a ditty in an operatic voice. When the song reached a moving part, the middle-aged man stepped down, took the beauty's soft, boneless hand, and danced with her.

The entire living room is filled with the singing of birds and the dancing of swallows, soft tunes, and the boundless beauty of spring.

The opera voice was soft, the beauty's hands were soft, and her body was even softer. As soon as the middle-aged man pulled her, the beauty fell into his arms, her beautiful eyes conveying affection, her eyes as charming as silk.

"Your operatic voice is truly unique in Qingwu County."

"Accompanied by this beauty's dance, it is like the harmonious sound of zither and harp, and the union of mandarin ducks."

The middle-aged man picked up the beauty with great anticipation and entered the inner room.

Then all that was left was the flickering candlelight and the rustling of clothes.

dong dong dong.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted this wonderful scene.

The middle-aged man wanted to drink away the person knocking on the door, but after thinking for a moment, he reluctantly climbed up from the beauty, put on a loose robe and went to open the door.

Zhou Li had been serving as the county magistrate for three years. Because of his proximity to the Southern Province, his behavior was somewhat rough. However, he was still cautious where caution was necessary.

The person knocking on the door late at night must be the chief clerk he brought with him from Nanzhou.

He knew the chief clerk's character and knew that he would never bother him unless it was something important.

After opening the door, Zhou Li glanced at him and said coldly, "What's the matter?"

"Sir, Zhao Qing'er, the messenger from the Demon Suppression Division, is here to see you. It seems like she has something very important to tell you."

"Demon Suppression Division?" Zhou Li couldn't help but frown. "Why aren't the two Lords Zhu and Liu here?"

Zhu Kun and Liu Qian, two sixth-rank officials, had originally come here with Zhou Li from Nanzhou to take up their posts, both on errands for the King of Huainan. It was precisely because of these two men, working in conjunction with Zhou Li in the Demon Suppression Division, that Zhou Li was able to secure his position as county magistrate.

In the past, whenever there was something, Zhu Kun and Liu Qian would come to find him.

Why is it Zhao Qing'er who came today?

This made Zhou Li instinctively feel that something was wrong.

The chief clerk shook his head. "Chairman Zhao didn't say anything. I think Chairman Zhao is quite angry. Your Excellency should go and see him."

"Go to the front hall and wait for them. I'll come after I change my clothes."

Zhou Li dismissed the chief clerk and returned to his bedroom to put on his clothes. The beauty on the bed had a pitiful expression on her face, "My lord~"

hiss.

Zhou Li felt his bones go numb when he heard the beauty's call.

He shivered and said, "My beauty, please warm the bed. I'll be right back."

Arriving at the front hall, Zhou Li saw Zhao Qing'er in uniform and immediately bowed, "Commander Zhao, I'm so sorry for not coming here to greet you."

Zhao Qing'er didn't give Zhou Li a good look and directly took out a document. "Someone came to the Demon Suppression Division to seek justice. There is a hidden story behind He Chunli's stabbing to death of Li Huwei. The Demon Suppression Division will take over this case. And He Chunli needs to be taken away."

Zhou Li took the letter and looked at it, his face suddenly turned pale.

Zhou Li has been an official for more than a year or two, and he knows very well that the Demon Suppression Division usually does not take action, but once it does, it must be a major case.

He suddenly felt guilty, "The whole story of this case is already clear. I personally interrogated He Chunli, and He Chunli confessed everything. The case file has been reported to Nanzhou." Bang!
Zhao Qing'er suddenly stood up and put one foot on the table. "Do you not understand what I'm saying, or do you not recognize the official seal of the Demon Suppression Division?"

Zhou Li, who had originally wanted to try to persuade her, had never expected Zhao Qing'er to be so impulsive. Knowing he couldn't fool her, he asked, "Do Masters Zhu and Liu know?"

Zhao Qing'er said coldly, "Why would you bother asking Liu Qian and Zhu Kun about this document that was personally issued by the General Secretary?"

Zhou Li was shocked.

The Souji-sama has arrived!?

This is a big deal.

Previously, with only Deputy Director General Chen Tie in charge, many things were impossible to decide, and the entire Demon Suppression Division was in a semi-functional, semi-crippled state. After all, the Demon Suppression Division's office had only just been completed.

Now that the Director-General has taken office, he can make the final decision on everything.

This means that the beast-like machine of Qingwu Town Demon Bureau has started to operate.

The nature is completely different.

Although Zhou Li was terrified, he didn't dare to stop them. "I will personally take Zhao Chasi to arrest him."

……

late at night.

Xie An met He Chunli in the prison of the Demon Suppression Division.

His hands and feet were shackled, and he was wearing a thin white prison uniform. His whole body was covered in blood, with deep whip marks visible to the bone, and his face was covered with several scars from being burned by iron blocks.

Although Xie An knew that it was normal for Daqian to torture prisoners, he still felt an indescribable resentment when he saw He Chunli like this.

I just learned from Zhao Qing'er that He Chunli was tortured by the county government early this morning. If Wen Zaiqing hadn't asked someone to look after him, I'm afraid his survival would be in doubt.

"Master, Master, I am an unfilial disciple and have caused you trouble!"

He Chunli was shackled and forced to kneel on the ground, his forehead hitting the ground heavily. "I'm sorry, I just feel sorry for Chunlan..."

Xie An squatted down, helped He Chunli up, and sighed, "Before you make a decision, you should come to see your master first."

He wanted to criticize him harshly, but when he saw his disciple covered in blood, he couldn't bear to say anything.

This disciple has always been introverted and honest, with a straightforward and stubborn character. He doesn't want to burden his master when encountering problems, and wants to handle them alone.

This is a good temper, but the problem is that He Chunli is still young...

Xie An took out a golden pill and said, "Open your mouth."

He Chunli raised his head and looked at Xie An with gritted teeth.

Xie An forced the pill into He Chunli's mouth and said, "This is the Golden Tonic Pill I just got from the Demon Suppression Department's pharmacy. It can help heal your injuries. Take it first, and I'll ask someone to find a doctor to treat your injuries tomorrow."

He Chunli swallowed the pills with tears in his eyes, then kowtowed again, choking up and saying, "Thank you, Master! I will serve you like a slave in my next life to repay your great kindness!"

Xie An felt distressed when he heard this, and without caring about his image, he sat down on the ground covered with straw nearby, "You don't have to be so pessimistic..."

Xie An slowly recounted the events, including his time as the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division. Finally, he said, "I've looked through the Demon Suppression Division's past case files. In a case like yours, we simply need to define the Giant Whale Gang as an unforgivable criminal gang. The death penalty can be waived, but exile is inevitable. This is the law of Daqian, and even I, your teacher, cannot change the ways of the world."

Xie An was telling the truth.

Not to mention in Daqian, even in his previous life... He Chunli's stabbing to death was not considered self-defense because the bandit's harm was already over.

Of course, there was another way in the past life. That was to define He Chunli as mentally ill...

But in Daqian, there is no such thing as mental illness...there is not even a psychiatric department.

"Thank you, Master! I've troubled you again." He Chunli felt extremely guilty, then he remembered something and said, "Congratulations, Master, on becoming a Fifth-Rank General Manager. Master has toiled and lived a difficult life for half his life, but now he's finally made it."

Xie An twitched his lips and stroked He Chunli's head: "It's a good thing that you are passionate, but you must consider the consequences of everything. You must also consider whether you can bear it. But you don't have to give up on yourself. I will find a way."

Xie An left.

He Chunli, who was crawling on the ground, slowly raised his head and looked at his master's departing back, tears bursting out.

……

Xie An did not return home, but settled in the southeastern courtyard of the Demon Suppression Division.

He has been thinking about how to help He Chunli get rid of the crime.

In the end, Yuhe offered an idea. "I've reviewed numerous cases in the Demon Suppression Division's past, and most cases like this resulted in exile. But there's a way... to make amends for the crime."

"To make amends for one's crime?" Xie An's brain circuit suddenly opened up.

Although there was no such thing as making up for one's crime by performing meritorious service in the past, there was a practice of reducing one's sentence by performing meritorious service.

The world is even more brutal towards this area, and merits can be used to offset sins.

Yuhe said, "But to redeem oneself for meritorious service... requires special approval from His Majesty. Only His Majesty has the authority to allow a minister to redeem oneself for meritorious service. Other officials cannot usurp the authority and can only petition His Majesty, and ultimately, His Majesty's approval is still required."

Xie An understood.

The entire Daqian law is based on the supremacy and autocracy of imperial power, and the emperor possesses supreme and absolute power.

All instructions issued in the name of the emperor were given a sacred and inviolable status. "I am the law" and no disobedience was allowed!

But Xie An didn't know His Majesty Jingtai either...

Yu He then said, "Actually... Master can ask the Princess for help. As long as the Princess asks His Majesty, His Majesty will definitely agree!"

Xie An immediately sat up straight and began to think.

Xie An has always been reluctant to get too close to the eldest princess, as he doesn't want to get involved in court struggles.

But at the moment, Xie An also felt that this was He Chunli's only way to survive.

exile?

Is there really a way to survive despite the bitter cold along the way?
Not necessarily.

Although Xie An had thought about not helping here, the image of He Chunli taking care of him wholeheartedly when he was in bed after a stroke kept coming to his mind.

Even a biological son may not be able to fully serve a dying old man in such a way of eating, drinking, defecating and urinating.

In the end, Xie An had no choice but to leave it alone.

If Yuhe hadn't said this, if Xie An hadn't thought of this method...Xie An would have just been like this.

But now I know.

Xie An had no choice but to do it.

I can’t live with my conscience!
"Yuhe, grind the ink."

……

The next morning.

The sky is slightly bright.

Chen Tie arrived at the Southeast Villa early and took out a thick stack of confessions and booklets.

"Thank you, General Manager. After last night's secret investigation, we have irrefutable evidence that the Giant Whale Gang is indeed guilty of heinous crimes. They have undermined the foundation of Daqian and bullied the people of Daqian. This is a major case. They can be classified as an extremely evil gang and can be eliminated."

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, flipping through the booklet and the confessions of countless people, "Thank you, Deputy Director Chen."

Chen Tie, however, felt deeply guilty. "I suspect the Giant Whale Gang is colluding with the two officers, Zhu and Liu, and the county magistrate, Zhou Li. But I still lack crucial evidence. I even feel there's a bigger conspiracy behind their collusion. If we uncover a connection to the Immortal Cult, it could be considered a minor merit."

Xie An was stunned for a moment.

Could this also involve a small merit?
(End of this chapter)