National Division

Chapter 44 I've come to capture this fiend! (Please read on, please vote with your monthly tickets!)

County Magistrate Liu left the manor in a hurry and got into his carriage.

At this moment, County Magistrate Liu still thought that it was County Magistrate Lu who had dispatched the troops, and he really didn't want to believe that it was Shen Bin, who was usually the one who was bullied, who dared to dispatch troops.

Meanwhile, Shen Bin led another team to Xu's residence to search for Xu Lin.

Xu Lin did not usually live in Meixiao Villa, but his residence was not far away.

At this moment, Xu Lin was unaware that Jin Chan's assassination attempt on Shen Bin had failed. He was in the room eating and drinking with several leaders, toasting each other, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Xu Lin showed no change in expression, but inwardly he waited anxiously for news.

If Shen Bin dies, and if County Magistrate Liu pushes him forward, he will most likely become County Commandant and rise to an official position.

Just then, a servant rushed into the hall, shouting, "Master, soldiers! A lot of soldiers have arrived outside!"

Xu Lin put down his wine cup, stood up abruptly, his face filled with surprise and uncertainty, and asked, "What soldiers? What exactly is going on?"

The young faces of the other Golden Scale Gang leaders around them also showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

Xu Lin frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I'll go see what's going on."

I had some vague guesses in my mind, but I wasn't very sure.

Shen Bin had already arrived at the gate of the mansion with the county constables, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on the residence.

"Come in!"

Behind them, squads of county constables, wielding steel knives, marched in a mighty force toward the Xu residence.

Upon seeing this, several members of the Golden Scale Gang, though blustering, shouted, "What are you trying to do?"

Shen Bin did not draw his sword. Instead, he clenched his right fist and unleashed a punch infused with innate true energy, producing a series of explosive sounds.

"Boom!"

This punch carried overwhelming force, even faintly producing a sound of air being torn apart, knocking the Golden Scale Gang members back several feet.

Several gang members tilted their heads to the side, coughing up blood; they were clearly going to die.

Shen Bin leaped like a hawk, and in the blink of an eye, he had entered the courtyard of the Xu residence.

Xu Lin emerged from the hall, carrying a long sword and followed by a group of strong men from the Golden Scale Gang. Upon seeing the menacing Shen Bin, his heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that Mr. Kim's plan has failed?
"County Commandant Shen, what brings you here?" Xu Lin asked with a smile, pretending to be nonchalant.

Shen Bin looked coldly at Xu Lin and said, "Xu Lin, how dare you collude with evil spirits to murder me, intending to kill me and rebel?"

"Killing officials and rebelling?" Xu Lin was momentarily dumbfounded.

He could admit to killing officials, but how could he even begin to talk about rebellion?

The gang members behind him also looked puzzled.

Without saying anything else, Shen Bin moved like a galloping horse, rushing forward in an instant, his fist like thunder, striking Xu Lin's face.

Xu Lin was startled and quickly threw a punch to block Shen Bin's incoming blow.

Their fists met, their inner energy clashing.

"boom!"

Xu Lin was caught off guard, and his true energy was indeed not as strong as Shen Bin's. He staggered back more than ten steps, leaning against the flower wall. His face was as pale as paper, and blood was seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"County Commandant Shen, you..."

Xu Lin spoke haltingly, the blood at the corner of his mouth increasing.

Shen Bin shouted, "You colluded with evil people, intending to kill officials and rebel. Who exactly ordered you to do this?"

As he spoke, he flashed forward and rushed in front of Xu Lin, throwing a punch right in his face.

Xu Lin dodged to the side, while the flower wall of the ceremonial gate received a punch from Shen Bin. With a loud "boom," bricks and stones flew up, instantly revealing a large hole.

Xu Lin was terrified and immediately raised his long sword to attack Shen Bin.

The long sword danced like a snake, coiling towards Shen Bin's neck.

Shen Bin remained unfazed and drew his hundred-forged waist knife with a "whoosh," its blade flashing and flickering like a bolt of lightning.

Xu Lin was a mid-stage Innate Realm martial artist, while Shen Bin was a peak late-stage Innate Realm martial artist, with one foot already in the Grandmaster realm.

Although he was injured, his swordsmanship was still skillful and his fierce power remained undiminished.

The blade flashed, and Shen Bin was practically dominating Xu Lin in the fight.

Meanwhile, the constables from Guhe County who had come with Shen Bin were also engaged in battle with twenty or thirty young men from the Xu family. The sounds of clashing swords mingled with the muffled groans of those struck and the shouts of the constables.

Members of the Golden Scale Gang kept falling to the ground.

When Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua arrived, the government troops had already firmly controlled the situation.

Only Shen Bin was fighting Xu Lin.

Shen Bin could kill a mid-stage Innate Realm martial artist, but capturing him alive would be quite difficult.

Especially when you are already injured.

At this moment, Xu Lin was exhausted from Shen Bin's offensive and was covered in blood, suffering serious injuries.

Seeing this, Shen Xian thought to himself that his father was mighty, but at the same time he was worried about his father's injuries.

Upon seeing this, Xue Zhihua's jade-like face turned ashen, and her voice, clear and cold as ice colliding with jade, said, "County Lieutenant Shen, step aside, I will capture this scoundrel!"

With a thought, the Dao soldier, carrying an incomparably awe-inspiring killing intent, rushed towards Xu Lin to annihilate him.

"Whoosh!"

The four-star Dao soldier, like a streak of lightning, transformed into a single line and charged towards Xu Lin.

Xu Lin suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness assail him, clearly indicating that he was facing a life-or-death crisis. He could already hear the whistling of Dao soldiers cutting through the air. He urged his internal energy and true essence to dodge to the side.

"A Qi Refiner!"

In a fleeting glance, Xu Lin clearly saw a Dao weapon that shone with starlight and was as white as frost, and he was astonished.

At that moment, the Dao soldiers arrived with a roar, but it was too late for them to escape.

"Pfft!"

That four-star Dao Soldier Divine Sword pierced Xu Lin's leg with unparalleled precision, pinning him firmly to the wall and rendering him unable to move.

A look of pain appeared on Xu Lin's face.

Shen Bin sheathed his sword, turned to Xue Zhihua, and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your help, Lord Xue."

Xue Zhihua said in a clear voice, "County Commandant Shen, I have crippled this person's cultivation. You must interrogate him quickly and obtain relevant confessions and evidence."

She felt that this matter might involve some officials in the county.

If she can give a statement, she will have something to say even when facing pressure from the Anju authorities.

As she spoke, she stepped forward, raised her slender hand, and struck Xu Lin's dantian with a palm imbued with spiritual power.

Xu Lin was terrified and said, "I'll talk, I'll talk! Don't ruin my dantian!"

The dantian is the foundation of martial arts cultivation. If the dantian is destroyed, one becomes a cripple, a fate worse than death!

Moreover, everyone in Guhe County knows that his backer is Magistrate Liu.

Shen Xian watched from the side and thought to himself, "This Miss Xue looks calm and collected, but her moves are so fierce and ruthless."

Xue Zhihua withdrew her hand and replaced it with a finger wrapped in spiritual energy, forming intricate butterfly-like hand seals. She said coldly, "This finger has imprisoned your cultivation. If you don't confess the truth, I'll destroy your dantian!"

Then, he looked at Shen Bin beside him and said, "County Commandant Shen, get the results of the interrogation as soon as possible."

With a thought, the four-star Dao weapon sword [Azure Frost] transformed back into a silver light and returned to Xue Zhihua's hand.

Shen Bin responded with a "yes," then called over two constables and said, "Carry the person inside."

Xue Zhihua turned her beautiful, bright face to look at Shen Xian and asked, "What do you think is the next step?"

Shen Xian pondered for a moment and said, "This matter involves Magistrate Liu and should also be attributed to Magistrate Lu's indulgence."

Xue Zhihua said in a clear voice, "The current state of chaos in Guhe County is undoubtedly due to the support of that Magistrate Lu. However, dismissing a magistrate requires reporting to the Ministry of Personnel, so this matter needs to be handled with caution."

Shen Xian frowned and asked, "Magistrate Lu is holding a position without doing his job. Doesn't the imperial court care?"

Xue Zhihua sighed softly and said, "There are one or two thousand in Dajing County alone. The Empress really can't take care of them all, but it will be soon. There should be changes in Anzhou in the next month or two. My coming down here now is just to follow the trend."

Shen Xian thought for a moment and said, "We can send censors to the prefectures and counties to inspect and supervise local lawlessness."

“The Censorate is short-staffed, and besides, the prefects and regional inspectors also have the responsibility of conducting inspections,” Xue Zhihua said softly.

Shen Xian thought to himself that the number of supervisory officials in Dajing should be expanded in this situation.

Of course, this involves adjustments to the political structure, and the diva may not have that much experience.

(End of this chapter)