I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 139: Violent Resistance to the Law
It was late at night. In the side hall of the Ning family villa, the stove glowed faintly red, and the tea was gently bubbling.

The wind and snow outside the eaves brushed against the roof tiles, making a soft whistling sound.

King Bodang, the ninth lord of Canaan County, sat at the lower seat wearing a fox fur coat, his gaze calm: "Brother Boping, Qianjun is indeed extraordinary, but he is just a commoner and has never even worn a bronze flying fish badge. Even if I had three heads and six arms, I would not let him be a squad leader."

Moreover, he's the head of the Spiritual Property Clearing Room.

Sitting opposite him was Ning Boping, who was thirty-nine years old. He was the person in charge of the Ning family in the outside world and also Ning Qianjun's third uncle.

Ning Boping was handsome and dashing. Despite being rejected by Wang Bodang, he was not annoyed. He rubbed the rim of his cup with his fingertips and smiled gently, "Whether I am a commoner or not, Brother Wang can go to the second hall and check, and we'll know."

"How to say?"

Wang Bodang exclaimed in shock, "You bribed the second secretary and forged the official records?"

Ning Boping said sternly, "That's a really harsh thing to say. Besides, my Ning family is such an upright and honest clan. How could we knowingly break the law?"

Several years ago, Qianjun had been assigned to a post in the county, but his health prevented him from doing so, so he had been holding onto the post.

But at least it's considered experience.

Wang Bodang was a man of great stature, and he immediately knew what was going on.

The term "挂差" (guà chā) is a euphemism for falsifying official records.

Upon careful consideration, he realized that if the forgery was done well and all the necessary documents were completed, it would be very difficult to expose the forgery.

After all, even though he was the head of the department, he had not yet reached the rank of official, did not possess any talismans, and his file had not been entered into the central government.

There is a great deal of room for maneuver at the local level.

Moreover, it is not difficult to reissue an official registration.

"But I still don't understand."

Wang Bodang frowned, "You, the dignified Ning family, are striving for a bright future for Qianjun. Why can't you go anywhere else?"
As a newly promoted student of the Imperial Academy, one can immediately obtain a high-grade immortal talisman upon going north.

Why focus specifically on Xue Xiang's thankless and demanding position?

Ning Boping's smile faded slightly, but his tone became even lighter: "Brother Wang, whether it's a thankless task depends on who's in this position."

It depends on who is doing this job.

Now that the country is in trouble, how can we stand idly by?

Shouldn't those small businesses that seize domestic products think about serving the country?

My Ning family is willing to take power for the country and firmly grasp the scepter of clearing away spiritual property.

"hiss!"

Wang Bodang gasped in shock; he suddenly understood Ning Boping's strategy.

Upon closer examination, the potential profits are enormous.

If Ning Qianjun were to seize the power to manage the spiritual property, he could actually succeed.

"Brother Wang, would you be willing to invest?"

Ning Boping smiled and said.

Wang Bodang waved his hand, "Brother Boping is joking. I am an official, how could I dare to talk about personal gain?"

Qianjun is good; I have high hopes for him.

Ning Boping smiled and said, "Qianjun is a wise man, Brother Wang. In the future, when you are alone together, Qianjun will not let you down."

Wang Bodang knew the significance of the phrase "a wise man," and laughed heartily. The two then drank a cup of tea instead of wine.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and the villa's steward knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling, "Third Master, Young Master Qianjun, he, he... he's dead!"

"nonsense!"

Ning Boping angrily rebuked, causing the teacup to tremble and the water ripples inside to break apart.

Wang Bodang's eyes narrowed, and his knuckles tapped on the armrest of the chair. "Who said that?"

The steward kowtowed repeatedly: "The ancestral hall just sent word that Young Master Qianjun's life tablet has been shattered."

Not only that, the Blood Pact Stone in the Beast Garden was also shattered.

Clearly, both the Golden-Feathered Flame Eagle and Young Master Qianjun perished at the same moment!

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the crackling of the charcoal fire.

Ning Boping jumped up and paced around the room, shouting, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
With a thousand troops and wild beasts, how could there possibly be any problems blocking Xue Xiang?

You probably don't know the strength of wild beasts. By the way, could it be that the formation in the life tablet has become ineffective over time and something went wrong...?

Wang Bodang and his steward remained silent.

Everyone knows that the possibility Ning Boping mentioned is basically non-existent.

"Xue Xiang is truly unfathomable."

Wang Bodang clenched his brows, secretly feeling a toothache.

Ning Qianjun's downfall indirectly proves that Xue Xiang's plan has succeeded.

He had made the bet with Xue Xiang during the day.

Now things are different; they can no longer interfere with the operations of the Spiritual Property Cleaning Room.

"Wait, no, we need to replenish the personnel. The Spiritual Property Cleanup Room is basically empty now. How to replenish the personnel is up to me. As long as we control the personnel in the Spiritual Property Cleanup Room, Xue Xiang won't be able to fly into the sky."

Wang Bodang found it difficult to empathize with Ning Boping regarding Ning Qianjun's death.

On the contrary, he felt that his conversation with Ning Boping today was extremely valuable.

Previously, he always thought that setting up the spiritual cleansing room in the Ninth Hall was a huge problem and a huge disaster.

When Xue Xiang got involved, he suddenly discovered enormous power and business opportunities.

At this moment, he appeared to be grieving over Ning Qianjun's death with a gloomy face, but in reality, he was already plotting how to take control of the Spiritual Property Clearing Office, a powerful government agency.

………………

The night was deep, and the courtyard of the Xue residence was quiet.

Inside the underground refinery, a single lamp was lit.

Xue Xiang sat cross-legged, his palms resting on his dantian, his breath flowing endlessly like a long river.

On the nebula box in front of him, the spirit stones transformed into surging mist under the influence of the Spirit Guiding Technique.

Under the influence of the blessed spiritual domain emanating from the holy statue, everything was absorbed into Xue Xiang's body.

The Nebula Overlord Body Technique circulates its profound power, drawing in spiritual energy through all eight extraordinary meridians.

The spiritual energy surged into his body along his meridians, transforming into fine, warm streams of light that cleansed his meridians and acupoints.

One breath, two breaths...

Suddenly, his back trembled slightly, and the spiritual energy in his body surged back to his lower abdomen like a tide, converging with a roar.

A series of fine, silky crackling sounds emanated from the meridians, a sign that the intertwining of Qi and blood with spiritual energy had reached its limit.

Xue Xiang slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which transformed into a white streak that shot straight through three feet before dissipating.

He opened his eyes, his pupils clear and bright, the light in his eyes even clearer than a luminous pearl.

He lifted his robe, revealing his well-defined abs, with nine dazzling points of light, like lit stars, arranged around his navel.

The brightness of the topmost spot finally matched that of the other eight spots.

This means that he has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Next, one can attempt to reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, also known as the Nine Stars Alignment, to cultivate the rudimentary form of a spiritual root.

He waited patiently for many days and finally got nine full bars, so he wouldn't waste any more time.

With a thought, he entered the Wenxu Blessed Land.

He sat directly on the Wenxu Platform, laid out the Nebula Box, placed the spirit stones, and unfolded the portrait of the sage.

Immediately afterwards, Xue Xiang activated the breakthrough ability of the Wenxu Platform.

As the three Wenxu Pearls vanished, a clear light emanated from the Wenxu Platform, enveloping him completely.

In an instant, the spirit stone on the Nebula Box transformed into spiritual energy and surged into Xue Xiang's body.

Immediately afterwards, Xue placed the second and third coins.

A large amount of spiritual energy surged in, instantly filling the meridians and limbs, intertwining with the blood and qi, transforming into a long river of clear and crimson colors, rushing and roaring within the body.

Xue Xiang felt as if every acupoint in his body had been cleansed and made clear, and his lower abdomen was getting hotter and hotter.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound came from my lower abdomen, like a thunderbolt!

boom!
Blood and energy exploded, tearing apart an invisible barrier.

Amidst the roar, Xue Xiang felt his mind go blank, and a vast and incomparable new force surged out from his lower abdomen, surging and turbulent like a mountain torrent breaking through a dam, thoroughly cleansing his internal organs.

With a single thought, he could see into the lower abdomen as clearly as he could see into the Wen Palace.

He was overjoyed, knowing that the Pill Palace had been established.

Upon closer inspection, the nine dazzling spots above the navel were no longer isolated, but were strung together by a line of clear light.

It was like a spiritual tree root, embedded in the body.

From then on, he finally achieved perfection in his Qi cultivation.

………………

Early in the morning, before the frost had completely melted, a warm feeling already permeated the front yard of the Xue residence.

A few snowflakes lingered on the old locust tree in the courtyard, the stone steps were swept clean, the kitchen door was half-closed, and a wisp of the aroma of cooking wafted out, warm and inviting, especially on a winter morning.

Inside the main room, the red clay stove burned brightly. Liu Zhiwei (her name was changed earlier; she had originally thought that calling her Liu Mei would be fine at home, but that turned out to be troublesome, so she was renamed Liu Zhiwei in the following text. After all, only if the Xue family got into the habit of calling her Liu Zhiwei would it prevent any slip-ups in the future)
With his blue cloth sleeves rolled up, he skillfully served baskets of hot buns to the table. The fried dough sticks that Xue Xiang had just bought were also fresh out of the fryer, crispy but not greasy.

The white porridge in the pot was thick and glistening, with tiny bubbles rising to the surface.

Xiao Shi sat on the stool, swinging her legs, her little face flushed red, holding a meat bun and eating it politely.

She was already ten years old. After arriving in Canaan County, Xue Xiang found her a school library that only accepted female students.

The little girl has been studying at home for the past two years and has a good foundation. She is highly praised by the female librarians in the school library.

Xue Xiang took a bite of a fried dough stick and asked Xiao Wan, who was adding firewood to the stove, if she had received a letter from Fan Youyi.

Three days ago, Fan Youyi needed to sign some contracts and documents at Suiyangdu, which covered a long period of time, so he stayed there.

Xiao Wan replied that Fan Youyi had sent a letter back through someone, and Xue Xiang was finally relieved.

After hastily drinking a couple of mouthfuls of porridge, Xue's mother returned to her room to worship Buddha.

Last time, when the ghost uncle attacked the Xue family at night, Xue Xiang lied to Xiao Shi, saying it was a shadow puppet show, but he couldn't fool Xue's mother.

Xue's mother was greatly shocked, and Liu Zhiwei has been sleeping with her these past few days.

Xue Xiang then thought that he should find an opportunity to invite his aunt Zhang to come over as a guest. After a few rounds of mahjong, he believed that it would be enough to cure his mother's ailments.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Wan took the little guy to the school library, Liu Zhiwei tidied up the room, Xue Xiang chopped over a thousand catties of firewood in the courtyard, stacked it up, washed up, and then prepared to go to the yamen.

Liu Zhiwei stepped forward and straightened his collar, "The matter of the Joyful Sect was indeed handled beautifully."

But we must be even more careful.

As the saying goes, barren land goes uncultivated, but cultivated land is sought after by many.

Cleansing spiritual property is an incredibly difficult task.

It may be difficult to handle in various places, but to successfully handle even one case is a great achievement.

Who knows what opportunity that Master Wang might see in this?

"My lord, be careful."

She has always had an amazing ability to make connections; she was already alert even before the autumn winds had blown.

Xue Xiang nodded in agreement and immediately went out to head straight for Lengcui Peak.

………………

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Ninth Hall was bustling with visitors every day.

The Third Hospital was also extremely busy, but Xue Xiang was neglected in the Spiritual Property Cleaning Room.

It seems that his achievements have benefited everyone else, but he alone has not enjoyed any glory.

Xue Xiang saw it all, and understood it perfectly.

Early that morning, he arrived at the Third Courtyard government office, pushed open the door, and found the stove inside still warm.

A half-rolled bamboo curtain hangs by the window at the back of the hall. A person sits leaning against a bamboo couch, holding a tattered scroll in his hands. His posture is relaxed, and his old blue robe appears white in the sunlight.

This gentleman was none other than Zhao Pu, the head of the Third Academy and Xue Xiang's superior.

When Zhao Pu saw Xue Xiang enter, he turned his gaze, put down the book in his hand, and spoke in a gentle tone, but with a newly added air of superiority, "Oh, it's Vice Dean Xue. What brings you here today?"

He did not get up, his expression arrogant, displaying the demeanor of a superior.

Xue Xiang still remembers that when he first met Zhao Pu, he was under immense pressure from the Prefect to clear out the spiritual property. He looked dejected and spoke with an air of "seeing through the officialdom and being indifferent to it," as if he were about to retire into seclusion.

Upon seeing him again today, his demeanor had drastically changed; he now exuded an air of great ambition, ready to make a big splash.

"I came here to ask when staff will be reassigned since the spiritual goods clearing room is almost empty."

Xue Xiang knew that in the past two days, the Ninth Hall and the Third Courtyard had been bustling with activity, all busy clearing out vacancies in the spiritual property office.

At the deputy director and director level, the authority to make personnel arrangements rests with the second-in-command.

The authority to dispatch the remaining deacons, clerks, and secretaries rests entirely with the Ninth Hall.

Wang Bodang and Zhao Pu both made a lot of money in the past day or two, while it seems that only Xue Xiang was busy for nothing.

Zhao Pu stroked his beard and smiled, "There's no need to worry about that, we've already made progress."

Wang Tangzun took this matter very seriously and was going to hold a small meeting this morning to discuss personnel arrangements for the spiritual property clearing room.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the side hall.

A clerk wearing a gold flying fish emblem strode in; it was Cao Yongji, the personal clerk of the Ninth Hall's Venerable King Bodang.

Cao Yongji bowed respectfully, "Honorary Dean Zhao, Vice Dean Xue."

The Venerable Master convened a meeting to discuss personnel arrangements for the Spiritual Property Cleaning Room. The meeting was held in the small hall of the Spiritual Property Cleaning Room.

Please move to the next position.

"Understood. Please proceed, Vice Dean Xue."

Zhao Pu stood up, put his hands behind his back, hummed a little tune, and swayed as he walked toward the spiritual product cleaning room.

Xue Xiang followed Zhao Pu and arrived at the small hall of the spiritual product cleaning room.

The council chamber, usually covered in dust, is now completely transformed.

It was daytime, yet the interior was brightly lit.

When the two entered, everyone in the hall was already seated.

At the head of the oval-shaped nanmu conference table in the center, Wang Bodang sat confidently. Dressed in a dark white official robe, he was full of vigor and a faint smile played on his lips as he called out loudly, "Our great hero has arrived! Everyone, please give him a round of applause!"

As he spoke, he took the lead in applauding.

A series of slapping sounds filled the air.

Xue Xiang responded with a smile, but was secretly alarmed.

This time the event was quite grand; even the officials from the Ninth Hall who possessed the Immortal Talisman were present.

Includes:

The Ninth Hall's Deputy Hall Master, Zun Qian Shaoyong, was a middle-aged man with a smiling face but a ruthless nature.
The head of the First Academy is Liu Yinshan, who is known for his prudence and composure.

Cao Yuanzheng, the vice president of the First Academy, is a young man who looks even younger than Xue Xiang.
The head of the Second Court, Zhu Hongyuan, was a man in his early thirties with a muscular build, a leopard-like head, and piercing eyes; he looked like someone not to be trifled with.
The Second Academy's Vice President, Zun Jiang Guanlan, was introduced by Meng De, who said that Wang Bodang had personally requested him to come.
Besides the aforementioned individuals, there were also Zhao Pu, the head of the Third Academy, and Xue Xiang, the deputy head.

Xue Xiang knew that Wang Bodang was making such a big move for two reasons: first, to establish his authority;
Secondly, today's personnel arrangements must be finalized.

Besides the officials with talismans and the clerks in charge of recording, there were also some people sitting in the outer circle.

These people, whether old or young, showed signs of cultivation, but their strength was clearly weak. They all met Xue Xiang's gaze with fawning smiles.

Xue Xiang's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that these oddballs were the ones who would be added to the spiritual property cleaning room?

"Luckily, I calculated one step ahead." Xue Xiang sneered inwardly.

"Alright, everyone, now that we're all here, let's have a quick meeting."

Wang Bodang raised his hand, coughed lightly, and said, "First of all, we still have to commend Vice Dean Xue."

Thanks to his active efforts, the work of clearing away spiritual property has finally taken a big step forward.

Earlier, others said that spiritual cleansing was destined to be fruitless.

In my opinion, it all depends on human effort.

If everyone were as dedicated and conscientious as Vice President Xue, I believe there would be no difficult problem in the world.

On the other hand, sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood; a craftsman must first have the right tools if he wants to do his job well.

The spiritual property clearing room is short-staffed; relying solely on Vice Dean Xue, who is as tough as iron, is hardly capable of hammering a few nails.

The Venerable One has always kept the staffing arrangements for the Spiritual Property Cleansing Room in mind.

The deputy director will be sent over later in the second session, but the magistrate has finally managed to assign the grassroots deacons, clerks, and secretaries after several sleepless nights.

"Come on, all of you, give an affirmation to your immediate supervisor."

Wang Bodang waved his hand, and the group of people at the back of the hall immediately bowed and shouted in unison, "Gentlemen, please give us your guidance. We are willing to serve the Spiritual Property Cleaning Room with utmost loyalty!"

"Your troops are truly strong and well-equipped; it must be difficult for you, Master."

Vice Hall Master Qian Shaoyong said with a smile, "I heard that some of them have already reached the third level of Qi Refining, they are all formidable experts."

"Vice President Xue, with these elite troops, you must hurry up and achieve even greater success!"

Xue Xiang smiled and said, "I'm just afraid that the furnace of the Spiritual Product Cleaning Room is too hot for ordinary people to stand in."

"To get things done, you have to go through fire and blood three times. What, is Vice President Xue not satisfied?"

Wang Bodang stared at Xue Xiang with a smile, waiting for Xue Xiang to express his dissatisfaction so that he could immediately unleash the thunder and smoke cannons.

"Satisfied, extremely satisfied."

Xue Xiang said, "I'm afraid the esteemed officials will be dissatisfied later."

"What does Vice President Xue mean by this? Why are you being so sarcastic?"

Jiang Guanlan, the vice president of the Second Academy, said coldly.

He was Wang Bodang's confidant, and usually acted as Wang Bodang's eyes and ears and lackey in the Ninth Hall.

Just as Xue Xiang was about to respond, a loud bang was heard.

The heavy nanmu wood door was violently thrown away by a brute force, crashing into the wall and splitting into two pieces.

The scholars in the hall all paled. Immediately, an extremely fierce aura surged in from outside the door, like an armored beast charging in!

A tall, middle-aged man strode in. His features were sharp and cold, with thick, upright eyebrows and dark red sideburns. He wore a dark blue robe and carried a broad-bladed bronze halberd on his back. With a single glance, he intimidated several officials of low cultivation level, who dared not meet his gaze.

He threw an official document on the ground and roared angrily, "Who wrote this document? Step forward!"

The sound was deafening, causing the lamps in the room to tremble and paper rolls to fly everywhere!

In a flash, the document sticker flew onto the conference table and landed precisely in the center.

Everyone immediately noticed the official seal of the Spiritual Property Clearing Room on the side of the document. Looking at the contents...
"The ownership of the thousand acres of spiritual land in Luozechong under the name of the Shen family is in doubt. We need to send someone to conduct on-site measurements in the latter half of the month. Please make preparations as soon as possible."

The signature at the end reads: Spiritual Property Cleaning Room.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.

Everyone stared at Xue Xiang in disbelief, and Wang Bodang was so shocked that he stood up.

The Shen family is a powerful family that consistently ranks among the top three in the entire Canaan region.

For over a thousand years, the Shen family has consistently produced officials, and three hundred years ago, one of them even held a high-ranking official position of the third rank.

The Baishui Academy under his name is a famous academy in Canaan County, from which many Confucian scholars have embarked on their official careers.

Even the current Prefect once studied at Baishui Academy and had to address the Shen family patriarch as "teacher".

The Shen family has a profound background; they are both wealthy and noble.

Putting aside everything else, there's this person who's come knocking on our door.

Apart from Xue Xiang, everyone in the room recognized him.

This man's name is Shen Ao, and he is the second steward of the Shen family.

This man once escorted Shen Nansheng, the third young master of the Shen family, into a secret place. On the way back, he single-handedly killed more than ten three-headed demon wolves, thus developing a body of copper skin and iron bones.

This person is in charge of the Shen family's external social interactions and maintaining order in public. He is notoriously domineering and ruthless.

Normally, even someone of Wang Bodang's caliber would have to exchange a few words and put on a smiling face when he encountered Shen Ao.

Today, he personally barged in and acted arrogantly, which is tantamount to publicly declaring: The Shen family is untouchable!
Zhao Pu's face froze instantly, Wang Bodang's eyes also tightened, and Vice Hall Master Qian Shaoyong seemed to be frozen in place. All the officials in the hall showed expressions of surprise and doubt, already knowing what was going on.

Xue Xiang remained calm and walked steadily forward. He picked up the name card, gently brushed away the dust, turned to look at Shen Ao, and said in a clear and neither humble nor arrogant voice, "I sent the card."

The Spiritual Property Clearance Office, acting on orders from the central government, is tasked with investigating illegally occupied spiritual property.

According to investigations, the Shen family's sacred land in the county was only 1,000 mu, but according to a report, it actually exceeded 3,000 mu.

As for whether the report is true or false, I will find out once I go and measure the area.

Starting with the Shen family was a well-thought-out decision by Xue Xiang.

For no other reason than to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, he had to take this gamble.

Xue Xiang deeply agreed with Zhao Huanhuan's argument; to establish the authority of the Spiritual Property Clearing Room, they had to tackle the tough challenges.

If Xue Xiang wanted to establish absolute authority, he had to tackle the toughest challenges.

He went through all the information, and the Shen family was the first among them.

This was because he had secretly counted the spiritual fields occupied by the Shen family, and could tell at a glance that they exceeded a thousand acres.

Shen Jiahao was used to being arrogant and didn't even bother to hide it.

Since that's the case, Xue Xiang naturally didn't hold back.

Originally, Xue Xiang wanted to wait until after the New Year to take action.

But Wang Bodang, Zhao Pu, and their ilk couldn't resist stuffing the spiritual property cleaning room, which he had just painstakingly cleaned, back into full of garbage.

Xue Xiang decided to act ahead of time, and sent an official document directly to the Shen family.

The call to action to tackle the tough challenges, sounded by the Shen family, was far more impactful than if it had been sounded by Xue himself.

At this moment, the expressions on Wang Bodang's and others' faces undoubtedly proved that his decision was correct.

Shen Ao's eyes widened, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he shouted in a deep voice, "You think you're qualified to measure my family's spiritual fields?"

"You ignorant brat, if you don't know the social standing of the Shen family, go and consult the local gazetteer."

"Brother Shen, please calm down, please calm down."

Wang Bo stepped forward and gently patted Shen Ao's shoulder, "This matter is not yet settled, it is not yet settled."

He hated Xue Xiang to the core. How could that kid not know how to look up and see where he was going, and just blindly rush headlong into things?

What kind of entity is the Shen family? To dare to touch the Shen family is tantamount to suicide.

The key issue is that Xue Xiang's blunder completely disrupted his own plans.

“Lord Wang, I am not unreasonable. I want to see how you came to this conclusion.”

Normally, Shen Ao wouldn't be so sharp and outspoken.

But today, he represents the Shen family, conveying their authority and anger, so naturally he won't give face to anyone.

The atmosphere in the hall was as stiff as still water, and no one uttered a sound.

Only Xue Xiang slowly put the name card back into his sleeve, looked at Shen Ao, and calmly said, "It has been decided. The Spiritual Property Cleaning Room will be in charge."

Measuring the Shen family's sacred land was legal, compliant, and reasonable.

If the Shen family is dissatisfied, they can appeal to higher authorities.

Shen Ao laughed in anger, slamming his bronze halberd heavily onto the floor with a dull thud that startled everyone in the hall.

He gave Xue Xiang a cold look and said in a low voice, "Fine, very well!"

You, a mere lowly official, dare to measure the sacred fields of my Shen family?
I, Shen Ao, will be waiting in the field to see how you got here!

Having said that, he suddenly flicked his sleeve, his eyes fixed on Xue Xiang.

Wang Bodang was so angry that his face turned pale. He stood up abruptly and slammed his hand on the table: "Insolence! Xue Xiang, who gave you the right to post things recklessly? Do you even have any respect for your superiors?"

Xue Xiang looked directly at Wang Bodang and asked, "Don't lower-ranking officials in charge of the property clearing office have the authority to investigate the case and issue notices to the parties involved?"

If this humble official truly lacks this authority, then we request that Your Excellency issue a written statement directly to clarify the matter.

I will personally go to the Prefect to inquire what power I, as the head of the Spiritual Property Cleaning Office, still have.

If the Prefect does not answer, I will go to the prefecture and the central government to inquire.

"you!"

Wang Bodang was so angry that his beard trembled, his chest heaved like a drum, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. "Rebellion! Rebellion!"

"How dare you, Xue Xiang, defy me in court..."

Jiang Guanlan, the vice president of the Second Academy, slammed his hand on the table and was about to shout when Xue Xiangyi's sharp gaze swept over him. Jiang Guanlan felt a chill in his heart and immediately shut his mouth.

"As expected of a madman, Venerable Wang, I don't blame you, so you don't need to get involved in this matter."

Where in the desolate mountains are bones not buried?

The moment Shen Ao uttered those words, his murderous intent was fully revealed!
Having said that, he turned to leave, but just as he was about to step out the door, a figure flashed and blocked his way.

It was indeed Xue Xiang.

"Do you have anything else?"

Shen Ao raised his eyebrows, a murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

Xue Xiang slowly took two steps and stood in the hall. His voice was clear and resonant, shaking the four walls. "What does Steward Shen think this place is?"
"Breaking down the door, damaging communist property, storming the meeting hall—you, a mere commoner, certainly have quite the nerve!"

"I'll do it, what are you going to do about it?"

Shen Ao narrowed his eyes, releasing a murderous aura that instantly turned the room into a frosty atmosphere.

“You will be dealt with according to the law. I have already calculated it for you. Your sins are not small. First, put on shackles and stand outside the clean room of the spiritual property for three days as a public display.”

"The remaining crimes will be punished concurrently, with a minimum exile of three years."

Upon hearing this, the entire room froze.

"Hahaha……"

Shen Ao laughed loudly, as if he had heard the best joke in the world.

After laughing, he suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze like a sword piercing Xue Xiang, "Punish me? You think you're worthy?"

Who do you think you are? If we weren't here, you'd be kneeling on the ground begging me by now.

"Xue Xiang, apologize to Brother Shen immediately."

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Wang Bodang suppressed his displeasure and offered Xue Xiang a way out.

He certainly didn't want to cause a big stir on his own turf today.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ao's aura intensified. He stepped forward, spoke proudly, and said in a voice as clear as a bell, "The glory of my Shen family for a thousand years is not something a mere minor official like you can comprehend!"

Young man, ignorance will kill you.

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and left the small hall.

The next instant, a dark figure flashed out and blocked his path.

On the vast green plain, the wind and snow suddenly intensified.

"Are you really looking for death?"

Shen Ao was puzzled. He really didn't understand what this guy was up to.
As the second steward of the prestigious Shen family, it was perfectly normal for him to come to this shabby government office to issue a warning and make the Shen family's voice heard.

Why is this ignorant child so persistent? Is he really not afraid of death?
However, he was stopped by Xue Xiang as soon as he took a step.

"The law has been read to you by this official."

Xue Xiang frowned. "You have now submitted to the law, and there is still room for forgiveness."

If one ignores this warning, according to the law, it will be considered an act of escaping the law.

"You talk like it's the truth, kid. Once we get out of here, I'll see how arrogant you are."

Before Shen Ao could finish speaking, he was about to slip away.

Xue Xiang, however, rushed towards him like a gust of wind.

"court death!"

Shen Ao was furious. His bronze halberd trembled, and a burst of spiritual light swept across Xue Xiang.

Xue Xiang was sent flying backward, spitting out blood.

Wang Bodang and the others who chased after them were startled.

Shen Ao said coldly, "Ignorant brat, do you understand the consequences now?"

"Brother Shen, please show mercy?"

Wang Bodang shouted.

He wasn't worried about Xue Xiang's safety, but rather that Shen Ao might mishandle Xue Xiang and cripple him, which would be difficult to handle later.

"I'm giving face to your brother Wang, otherwise I would have crushed him like a bug."

Shen Ao turned to leave.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the arena suddenly changed.

boom!
The air suddenly exploded, and a golden aura of literary energy suddenly spread out.

A flurry of ideas swirled and mechanisms whirred, and with a muffled "click," a colossal mechanical object appeared from the void:
Six tubes linked together, cast in bronze, with spiritual energy patterns that seem to pulse and pulsate!

It's a Gatling gun!
A powerful and magnificent weapon imbued with literary energy, almost completely solidified!
Everyone was shocked and speechless, and Shen Ao was also dumbfounded.

The next moment, the six tubes spun rapidly, as fast as thunder and lightning, and sparks exploded!

Da da da da
Gunfire roared like a torrential rain, like war drums, like a stampede of ten thousand troops!

One after another, beams of literary energy bullets, carrying a cold metallic gleam, shot out in an instant, heading straight for Shen Ao!

Shen Ao's pupils shrank drastically. Before he could react, he roared, his bronze halberd stood upright on the ground, and his spiritual power surged, forming a thick, mountain-like barrier of qi!

"Break it for me!!!"

boom!
The first volley of bullets, like thunderbolts, pierced through three layers of protective aura in the blink of an eye!
Shen Ao's bronze armor, which was powerful enough to block a demonic beast's claw attack, was as fragile as paper under the metal storm!
Click! Click!

A volley of bullets shattered his bronze halberd!

Bang bang bang bang! ! !

The second volley followed immediately, striking his chest like a comet falling to earth!
His already forged body of steel couldn't withstand even the slightest resistance.

Shen Ao's body trembled violently, blood gushed from his chest, and he was blasted back three steps!

He was terrified and roared as he tried to gather his remaining spiritual power to escape, but he hadn't taken a single step!

Gatling's rage has reached its climax!
Boom! Boom boom boom boom boom!
The third volley of bullets was like a thousand arrows piercing the heart, penetrating from the forehead, chest, neck, abdomen, limbs... all at once!
Shen Ao was like a tattered puppet, blasted into a living sieve!
Blood mist filled the sky, shattered bones flew everywhere, fragments of bronze halberds splattered and smashed the walls, and floor tiles cracked, turning the hall into a battlefield of carnage!
In the end, the famous and domineering second steward of the Shen family died on the spot before he could even let out a scream!

The Gatling gun's six barrels slowly came to a stop spinning, the sparks still lingering, the killing intent still present!
Xue Xiang slowly withdrew his hand, expressionless, and said calmly, "Shen Ao violently resisted the law, deserving of divine punishment. You are all witnesses to this."

The entire Qingping area was deathly silent.

Only Shen Ao's mangled corpse lay on the ground, blood mixed with copper oil and bullet casings, slowly flowing over the conference table in the spiritual product cleaning room.

No one dared to make a move.

No one was breathing loudly.

"What, what kind of monster did they send me from above?!"

Wang Bodang's chest tightened in waves.

(End of this chapter)