The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 70 Shaking Baiyun County

"Not bad! Very well drawn!" Qi Yan said casually.

"My lord, murdering a high-ranking official of the imperial court is a heinous crime punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!" Cao Yongliang exclaimed with delight.

Yang Wu panicked and stepped out from the crowd, shouting, "Sir, Cao Yongliang is settling a personal score. He is colluding with the Luo family of this county to prey on the people. I beg you to investigate!"

Yang Wu didn't care anymore; he was determined to save Han Qing no matter what.

Cao Yongliang sneered: "Squad Leader Yang, Han Qing is your apprentice. Be careful not to get implicated if you protect him like this."

“Lord Cao, I am merely stating the facts. Who is settling personal scores will be revealed in the future,” Yang Wu said calmly.

"Stop! Both of you shut up!" Qi Yan shouted, and the attic fell silent.

"Men, seize Cao Yongliang!" Qi Yan said, tearing Han Qing's portrait to shreds.

"My lord, I'm innocent!" Cao Yongliang's face changed drastically.

"Injustice? Originally, I didn't want to get involved in the messy affairs of your Baiyun County, but since you've brought it up, I'll take care of it and turn Baiyun County upside down."

"The Luo family, Black Cloud Mountain, one by one." Qi Yan sneered.

Cao Yongliang wanted to argue, but Qi Yan's guards stepped forward and dragged him out of the pavilion.

Yang Wu and Qi Chong both breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Yan turned back to her seat, turned to Han Qing with a smile and said, "With me here, this is just a small matter. I already knew the situation in Baiyun County before I came."

"The assessment continues!"

This minor incident did not interrupt the assessment; the competition and sparring continued below.

However, the people in the attic were all restless, especially Cheng Xiu, who was pale and sweating profusely.

Many important figures in other counties were also filled with unease. Qi Yan had just said he would turn Baiyun County upside down. If he were to take action against other counties as well, countless people here would suffer.

An hour later, the last person finished the assessment.

Mu Dachun was disappointed by his defeat and returned to Li Tai's side with a dejected look on his face.

He was indeed physically strong and extraordinary, but his fighting skills were far inferior, and in the end, he was just one move behind.

Li Tai patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "It's alright, you've done your best!"

Mu Dachun nodded slightly. He was a carefree person and let the matter go after being slightly bothered.

At this moment, a burly man in black armor walked out of the attic and loudly announced the final results of the assessment.

"First-class personal guard, Han Qing!"

"Second-class Imperial Guards: Li Tai, Mu Dachun, Wang Song, Tieshan Qiong..."

"The above nine individuals have passed the assessment and will accompany General Qi Yan to Hengshan City within seven days!"

Mu Dachun, who had been utterly disappointed, now showed an expression of great joy.

"Brother Li, I passed too! Class B Imperial Guard!"

"Great news! Excellent news! Although a second-class bodyguard is not as good as a first-class bodyguard, at least they will have a legitimate reason to leave Baiyun County, and they may be able to make a good future!" Li Tai patted Mu Dachun on the shoulder.

The Great Yu Dynasty had rules that prohibited people from traveling between different counties without permission; otherwise, they would become vagrants, and it was normal for them to be arrested and imprisoned if they were discovered.

The reactions of the surrounding martial artists varied, with the vast majority casting admiration and respect at Li Tai and the others, especially Han Qing.

Although the opponents in the Grade A and Grade B assessments were of similar strength, those participating in the Grade A assessment were all young men, and it was extremely difficult for them to defeat veteran soldiers at such a young age.

Such an easy defeat of an opponent by Han Qing is almost unheard of in the history of the Imperial Guard's assessment.

Some people looked indignant, wondering why Mu Dachun could become a second-class bodyguard even though he failed the first-class bodyguard assessment.

The burly man in black armor quickly offered an explanation.

“Those who perform exceptionally well in the Class A bodyguard assessment, even if they fail, still have the opportunity to become Class B bodyguards. This rule has always existed.”

Many people in the crowd nodded, recalling the government's announcement. This rule did exist, but it was rarely used, hence many were unaware of it. (In the attic.)

Qi Yan stood up and put one hand on Han Qing's shoulder.

"Although this Mu Dachun lost, his physical constitution is extraordinary. He is born with superhuman strength, which is a pity to be buried in Baiyun County. Moreover, I think his relationship with you is not ordinary, so I should help him out even more!"

Qi Yan didn't lower her voice when she spoke; her voice was naturally loud, so everyone around could hear her clearly. They were all wondering what was it about Han Qing that made Qi Yan show such special care for him.

For a time, many people developed a sense of awe and a desire to befriend Han Qing.

Such a genius, and with Qi Yan's appreciation, has a limitless future ahead of him.

After Qi Yan finished speaking, she swept her sharp gaze across the crowd: "I will be staying in Baiyun County for a while. I have heard that there is a lot of chaos here. This time, I want to see what kind of monsters are oppressing the people. I will tear them to shreds!"

For a moment, many people in the attic broke out in a cold sweat, and Cheng Xiu's legs went weak, and he had the idea of ​​escaping.

"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have come to Baiyun County to get involved in this mess. Is it too late to run away now?"

Cheng Xiu had also secretly received many benefits from the Luo family, and much of the Luo family's wealth came from illegitimate sources. Once this was discovered, he would naturally be implicated, and his family might even be wiped out.

...

On the day.

The earthquake shook Baiyun County.

Immediately afterwards, the news of the assessment's conclusion spread like wildfire throughout the surrounding thirteen counties.

Baiyun County has had a stroke of good fortune. After several years of no one passing the assessment, this year one person achieved an A grade and two achieved a B grade, much to the delight of the county residents.

Although they won't gain any substantial benefits, in the end, the more powerful people the county produces, the more prestige they will have. If these powerful people take care of them even a little in the future, it will be a huge benefit to them.

However, some people are happy and some are worried.

Before the assessment controversy had subsided, another major upheaval struck Baiyun County.

Qi Yan was decisive and swift in her actions, always keeping her word, and she took the lead in attacking the Luo family.

Early in the morning.

The Luo family compound was completely surrounded, inside and out.

"The Luo family colluded with Black Cloud Mountain and the Yin-Yang Sect to forcibly buy women and exploit the people. Their crimes are heinous!"

"Do it!"

"Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

...

A deafening shout startled all the residents in the surrounding neighborhood.

Many people were still asleep when they heard the loud shout and were suddenly awakened. They hurriedly got up and ran to the front gate, or leaned over the wall to look in the direction of the Luo family mansion.

With a loud crash, the tightly closed double red-lacquered gates of the Luo family collapsed, and numerous black-armored soldiers filed in.

The people in the Luo family mansion would not sit idly by and wait to die. Many of them took up knives and fought back. For a time, shouts and screams echoed throughout the Luo family compound.

At this moment, Qi Yan was riding a tall horse, walking slowly along a street outside the Luo family mansion, squinting as he gazed at the magnificent pavilion in the center of the Luo family mansion.

"Little brother! My style of doing things can be summed up in one word: fast!"

"When dealing with the Luo family, if the evidence is irrefutable, we must not delay. We must wipe them out with lightning speed. Executing them first and reporting later is the right way!"

"From today onwards, the days when the Luo family swaggered around in Baiyun County are gone forever!" Qi Yan said with a smile.

Han Qing nodded slightly, thinking to himself, "That's the right thing to do. However, the Luo family is deeply rooted in Baiyun County, and how to deal with them afterward is a huge problem. It would be best if it didn't affect the lives of the people."

(End of this chapter)