Merit-based card draws, quickly become a Heavenly Emperor

Inside the inn, at the very moment the corpse puppets were all annihilated, the old man who had been dozing in the corner suddenly opened his eyes.

On the chessboard in front of him, more than a dozen black chess pieces simultaneously shattered into dust.

Noticing the commotion, Taoist Yang quickly walked over.

The old man's face was gloomy. He said a few words in a low voice. After listening, the Taoist priest Yang frowned deeply.

"I've met a master."

But so what? This is Dinghu County, the territory of our White Tiger Society.

No matter how capable a person is, they still have to be honest and upright.

I reckon they won't dare cause any trouble and will most likely continue on their way.

"Ignore them for now; if it doesn't work, create another batch of corpse puppets."

The old man grinned, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth.

"Yes, yes. It's just a dozen or so corpse puppets; we can make more if we run out."

The Taoist priest nodded and was about to turn back when the inn's door was suddenly kicked open from the outside.

With a loud bang, the door slammed against the wall, and the entire inn fell silent instantly as everyone's eyes turned toward the entrance.

Ning Xuejian entered first, sword in hand, her white robes fluttering in the wind, followed closely by Guan Tieyi, knife in hand.

Fang Zheng was the last to step through the door, clutching the corpse-controlling talismans in his hand.

Without even glancing at anyone else, he fixed his gaze on the old man in the corner, recited a mantra, and then suddenly flicked his wrist.

The talisman suddenly burst into flames, transforming into several streaks of light that hurtled straight at the old man's face.

The old man's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly dodged to the side, but a talisman still stuck to his face, immediately burning a scorch mark, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

He screamed and fell off the chair, clutching his face.

Fang Zheng pointed at him and said, "The Daoist cultivator who controls corpses is right here."

Brother Guan, arrest him.

Guan Tieyi drew his sword and stepped forward. Yang Daoshi tried to stop him, but Ning Xuejian thrust out a sword, forcing him back.

Guan Tieyi swept his sword horizontally, and the Taoist priest Yang was unable to dodge in time. He was hit hard on the knee, screamed in pain, and fell to his knees with a thud.

Mo Bing rose from the shadows at Fang Zheng's feet and pinned the old man who controlled the corpse to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

From ramming the door to subduing the two men, it only took a few breaths.

Both of them were ninth-rank cultivators, not insignificant figures, but encountering Fang Zheng was simply bad luck.

However, just as Guan Tieyi was about to tie up the person, something happened.

The people in the inn immediately protested when they saw that Taoist Yang had been beaten.

Several local hunters immediately stood up to stop them, some even cursing loudly, and others actually ran out to call for help.

In an instant, the tavern was thrown into chaos.

Fang Zheng frowned. The White Tiger Society's influence in this area was greater than he had anticipated.

Although Yang the Taoist was pinned to the ground, his eyes were still darting around, and he was trying to break free as the crowd stirred.

Fang Zheng saw it and immediately raised his hand, and the official seal flew out from his waist and hovered in mid-air.

Two streams of light emerged from his fingertips, condensing into shackles in the air, and landing precisely on the necks and wrists of Taoist Yang and the old man who controlled the corpse.

"The net of heaven is vast, it will punish evil and uphold justice, lock him up!"

As soon as the shackles were removed, the two men felt as if they were being crushed by a thousand-pound weight, their bodies suddenly sinking downwards, unable to move any further.

The hunters around him were thrown back several steps by the shockwave from the falling shackles. When they looked up again, the arrogance on their faces had vanished.

Ning Xuejian glanced at Fang Zheng, her rosy lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with obvious surprise.

Clearly, she hadn't expected this handsome scholar to be able to use official tactics; he was obviously a high-ranking official in the court.

At this time, more and more people gathered outside the inn, completely blocking the entrance.

The people who had been brainwashed by the White Tiger Society surrounded him, shouting all at once. Some cursed Fang Zheng for being arrogant and ignorant, while others pressured him to release the people.

An old hunter rushed to the front, pointed at Fang Zheng's nose and shouted: "Young man, you are too young to understand the ways of the world!"

Master Yang is a master of the White Tiger Society. If you dare to harm him, the White Tiger Holy Spirit will bring down calamity. Can you bear the consequences?

An older woman chimed in, "The White Tiger Holy Spirit is enraged! Not only will you be in trouble, but we'll be implicated too! Quickly release Master Yang and kowtow to admit your mistake!"

"Release Master Yang! Don't even think about leaving!"

The crowd tightened its grip, and the shouts grew louder.

Those people, caught up in ignorance and fear, could no longer see that Fang Zheng was using official tactics; they simply thought he was a clueless outsider.

Fang Zheng did not retreat. He raised his hand, and the official talisman fell back into his palm from mid-air. He clenched his fist, gathered his energy, activated the [Head-on Blow] technique, and suddenly spoke.

"quiet!"

In an instant, a wave of sound, like rolling thunder, swept out and swallowed up all the shouts.

Everyone was stunned, and dozens of eyes stared at Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng raised his official seal high: "I am an official of the Imperial Court, hereby enforcing the law to arrest heretics and evil people."

You have been misled, and I will not pursue the matter.

But if anyone obstructs the investigation again, don't blame me for showing no mercy!

At that moment, the people dared not utter a sound.

Clearly, officials held a very high status regardless of location.

Moreover, Fang Zheng's voice, amplified by the official seal, possesses the power to intimidate and deter people, thus naturally able to subdue these individuals.

This is the power of officials.

Just then, a group of constables and yamen runners strode quickly towards the inn, clearly local government officials had arrived.

The leader was a ninth-rank official, dressed in a gray official robe, and walking hurriedly.

He entered with a certain air of authority, about to reprimand Fang Zheng, but upon seeing the official seal in Fang Zheng's hand, he swallowed back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue, quickly stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "How should I address this gentleman?"

Fang Zheng glanced at him but didn't rush to answer.

He knew in his heart that the local officials couldn't possibly be unaware that Baihu dared to preach and deceive people in broad daylight, harming passersby; they would most likely turn a blind eye.

Therefore, he didn't give him a friendly look and tossed the official document over, saying, "See for yourself."

The official hurriedly took it, looked down at it, and his expression immediately changed. He returned the official document with both hands, and his tone changed instantly.

"So it's Lord Zhengfang, the magistrate of Cangwu County!"

"I was unaware that Lord Fang was passing through Chongshan County. I have failed to greet you properly. I have been so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

He exchanged a few polite words, then his gaze fell on the Taoist priest Yang, who was bound by shackles on the ground. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "Lord Fang, what happened here?"

Fang Zheng glanced at him and asked, "What's going on with them? You don't know?"

The official's smile remained unchanged: "This humble official truly does not know, please inform me, sir."

Fang Zheng didn't reply immediately, but just stared at him for a few moments.

The official felt uneasy under his gaze, his heart pounding with apprehension. He thought to himself that this young man, though seemingly young, wielded considerable power.

But he quickly regained his composure.

Chongshan County and Cangwu County are separated by Hanya Mountain. Fang Zheng is only an eighth-rank official in Cangwu County and has no jurisdiction over his territory.

Even if something happens, it won't be traced back to him.

With this in mind, his confidence returned, and he said with a smile, "How about this, let me take these two back for a thorough interrogation?"