National Division

Chapter 32 is nothing more than fish on a chopping board, at his mercy!

County government office, back hall

After Shen Bin and the others left, County Magistrate Liu's chubby face suddenly darkened.

This Shen Bin is truly lucky!

“Prefect Zan, please calm down. As the saying goes, a clay pot is bound to break near a well, and a general is bound to die on the battlefield.” The registrar said from the side, “There will be many demonic incidents in the future, and we can’t be so lucky every time.”

Magistrate Liu put down his teacup and said, "Let's be patient with him for a while longer. Men, prepare the carriage; I'm going to see the Prefect."

With that, he left the county government office.

Meanwhile, in the next office, Pei Renjing, who was working at his desk, heard the clerk report that County Magistrate Liu had left. His eyes flickered, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

Lu Residence, Outer Study
Magistrate Lu wore a wide-sleeved robe and a piece of jade. He held a writing brush in his hand and was writing on the paper. His calligraphy showed the elegance and beauty of a scion of a noble family.

"Your Excellency, Magistrate Liu has arrived," a servant approached and whispered.

Magistrate Lu didn't even look up: "Let him come over."

A short while later, County Magistrate Liu entered the study, a broad smile on his chubby face, and said, "Your Excellency."

"You've arrived." Magistrate Lu put down his pen, a faint smile on his face befitting a scion of a prominent family, and greeted, "Sit down, I've finished writing this calligraphy."

County Magistrate Liu said, "Your Excellency, County Lieutenant Shen has returned."

Magistrate Lu paused slightly in his hand holding the writing brush, and said, "Shen Bin's martial arts are superb, so it's not surprising that he was able to return. Have you eliminated the evil spirits that were causing trouble?"

Magistrate Liu said, "It is said that a three-headed snake demon caused trouble. Two of its heads have already been cut off, and the evil spirit, wounded, has fled."

Magistrate Lu remained silent for a moment, then said, "It must have been difficult for him."

Although she said she was sorry to trouble him, her expression remained unchanged.

Magistrate Liu asked, "Your Excellency, what should we do next?"

Magistrate Lu raised his wrist and placed it on the Duan inkstone beside him, saying, "Let nature take its course. Now the world is a land of rising demons and declining righteousness. In the future, there will inevitably be more demons causing trouble. Since he is capable, then let the capable do more work."

As he spoke, he took the damp towel handed to him by the maid, wiped his hands, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip.

His every move exuded the refined elegance of a scion of a prominent family.

When Magistrate Liu saw this scene, he was filled with envy.

This is the composure of a scion of a prominent family; he could never learn it in a lifetime.

Magistrate Lu invited, "You should try some too. It's a pre-Qingming Longjing tea, and it took me a lot of effort to prepare it."

Magistrate Liu said, "Thanks to the Prefect's blessing, this is indeed fine tea."

He took a sip and exclaimed that it was excellent tea.

Magistrate Lu smiled and said, "Why don't you calm down and savor it carefully?"

"I can't compare to Your Excellency's carefree and unrestrained lifestyle," Magistrate Liu complimented. "I see that the security in Guhe County is deteriorating day by day, with demons running rampant. Shouldn't we change the person in charge of maintaining order?"

After a moment's thought, Magistrate Lu said, "Shen Bin is still a useful person. Martial artists at the Innate Realm are relatively rare. It's not impossible for him to suppress the situation."

Guhe County can be slightly chaotic, but it cannot be in complete chaos; the whole situation must be kept under control.

During this time, we are waiting for news from the capital.

Magistrate Liu said, "Your Excellency, if he is a Xiantian martial artist, I also know other Xiantian martial artists with such skills. I can do my best for you."

"Also from a prominent family?" Magistrate Lu raised an eyebrow and asked.

Although Shen Bin was a son of a collateral branch from a fallen noble family, in this era that valued lineage, he still earned a slightly higher regard from Magistrate Lu.

“No, that’s not it.” Magistrate Liu smiled awkwardly and said, “Your Excellency also knows this man. He is Xu Lin, the leader of the Golden Scale Gang. He has always admired the majesty of the imperial court and wanted to serve it, but he has never been able to get in. It is rare to find someone with such a sincere heart. Please give him a chance, Your Excellency.”

“These江湖人 (jianghu people) come from the bottom of society and have the strongest sense of violence. They can be used, but not heavily.” Magistrate Lu picked up his teacup and casually commented, “Although the county lieutenant is only a ninth-rank official, he is not someone that can be coveted by such lowly people.”

Disappointed, Magistrate Liu tried his best to speak well of them, saying, "The Golden Scale Gang is a canal transport gang that pays a lot of money to the county every year and provides a livelihood for many people."

Magistrate Lu said, "However, I will report your previous suggestion to add a county lieutenant to the court. After all, there are more and more demonic matters in the county, so it is necessary to add another county lieutenant to handle worldly affairs."

He tapped his fingers on the small table and said, "Then arrange for them to meet in the next couple of days."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu expressed his deepest gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much, Your Excellency." Magistrate Lu thought for a moment and then added, "You must take good care of the affairs of the county and make sure nothing serious happens."

County Magistrate Liu repeatedly agreed.

Afterwards, Magistrate Liu left the Lu residence and did not send the carriage back home. Instead, he went to a manor that was adjacent to the Guhe River and surrounded by mountains, with lush willows, warbling birds, and a tranquil atmosphere.

When Magistrate Liu's carriage stopped in front of the manor, several servants returned to the courtyard to report.

"The master is back."

Inside the room, a slender and graceful woman was talking to a tall and handsome young man in a blue shirt.

The young man from Blue Mountain had short eyebrows, a hooked nose, and slightly thin lips. He was drinking tea from a teacup.

The man was Xu Lin, the leader of the Golden Scale Gang.

The Golden Scale Gang was a gang on the Caohe River, controlling almost half of the gambling dens and brothels of all sizes along both banks of the river.

The remaining 30% is in the hands of the Sands Gang.

Another 20% are under the Sihai Gang.

The latter two were not without people; both had connections with officials in the county government.

The woman was beautiful, dressed in a light green dress with a lotus-colored undergarment. She had a plump and lovely figure, and a smile bloomed on her face, which resembled a hibiscus flower. She said, "Brother, Master is back."

The young man in the blue shirt stood up, his figure as imposing and majestic as a mountain. He said with delight, "There must be some progress in the county's affairs."

The brother and sister talked as they went to the front hall.

"Master." Xu Lin's sister, Xu Dan, approached with a smile and immediately took Liu County Magistrate's arm. Her two full breasts made Liu County Magistrate feel happy.

Xu Lin asked expectantly, "Sir, what did the county magistrate say?"

At this moment, Magistrate Liu picked up the teacup that Xu Dan handed him, took a sip, and said, "The Magistrate does not object and agrees to see you, but for the sake of the stability of the county, he seems to have some hesitation."

Xu Lin asked, "Sir, is there any progress on the matter of adding county lieutenants?"

“The magistrate has already made his move.” Magistrate Liu put down his teacup and said coldly, “The main issue is this Shen Bin. We will not be at peace until he is eliminated!”

Xu Lin said, "Sir, the Jinsha Gang has been making frequent moves lately, seemingly intending to join forces with the Sihai Gang."

The three gangs stood in a tripartite balance of power in the small town of Guhe.

It truly lives up to the saying: "A small temple has a lot of evil spirits, and a shallow pond has many turtles."

County Magistrate Liu accepted the fragrant tea offered by Xu Dan and said, "The Jinsha Gang is backed by the Pei family, so we must not act rashly. Now, let's concentrate our efforts on helping you secure the position of County Commandant. When the time comes, we will use the righteousness of the imperial court to wipe out the Jinsha Gang and the Sihai Gang. Even the Pei family will not dare to make any comments."

Xu Lin nodded and asked, "Didn't Shen Bin go out of the city to exorcise demons today? Didn't he die at the hands of a second-realm demon?"

County Magistrate Liu sneered and said, "I heard that Shen Bin used the essence blood of a Xiantian martial artist to exorcise the demon. I didn't believe it at first, but seeing his listless appearance today, I'm afraid he has damaged his own essence."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Xu Lin's eyes as he lowered his voice and said, "How about I find the right opportunity, kill him, and then frame the demons? Anyway, demons are causing chaos in the world right now. If a county magistrate is killed by evil spirits, then so be it."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu's expression changed slightly, and he said, "We must not act rashly! It wouldn't make sense if it wasn't a demon who made the move."

Xu Lin said, "If we do it carefully, no one will find out."

“Don’t underestimate the imperial court. If the court really investigates thoroughly, it will be as clear as reading the lines on the palm of your hand whether the death was caused by human hands or by demons.” County Magistrate Liu said solemnly, waving his hand to stop Xu Lin: “Let me think about this matter some more.”

Having spent so long in the officialdom of the Great Jing Dynasty, Magistrate Liu was somewhat hesitant to commit such a blatant act of trampling on the imperial system as assassinating a high-ranking official.

Xu Lin's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything more, though he had made up his mind.

Execute first, then report later!

As fellow innate martial artists, no one knew better than him what it meant to lose one's innate essence and blood.

Depleted vital energy, martial arts cultivation regressed!

Shen Bin is nothing but fish on a chopping board, at his mercy!
……

……

(End of this chapter)