sjar Chapter 706 Under the Prison
Chapter 706 Under the Prison
Chapter 706 Under the Prison
"No... I didn't see anything!" Li Zhonghao denied it outright, his face pale.
He never expected that Han Yi would be so decisive, actually daring to kill the two of them.
Although he initially begged for mercy, it was only because he couldn't endure the torture and was feigning surrender; it wasn't out of genuine sincerity.
He shared Chen Ying's view that Han Yi would at most lock them up for a while, and wouldn't dare to actually take action.
But now, it seems completely different from what I imagined.
"You're so close, and you're saying you didn't see anything? Do you think I'd believe that?" Han Yi walked over slowly, a smile on his face.
"I..." Li Zhonghao was speechless. *Whoosh!*
He gritted his teeth, then suddenly knelt down on the ground.
"I am willing to serve you, sir, and follow you to the death!"
"Oh..." Han Yi stopped in his tracks and looked at him with interest.
Li Zhonghao steeled his resolve and said, "With Chen Ying dead, Wang Yuanshan will surely seek revenge. I am willing to use myself as bait to set a trap and eliminate Wang Yuanshan, thus relieving your worries, sir."
"Really?" Han Yi's expression changed slightly.
“Absolutely true!” Li Zhonghao swore. “Wang Yuanshan is incredibly powerful, wielding the Nine Directions Sword with unparalleled skill throughout Yunzhou, and enjoys a great reputation. If he is determined to take revenge, no one can stop him!”
"I see your sincerity..."
Han Yi's expression softened, and the murderous aura around him gradually dissipated.
"Since that's the case..."
He paused. Li Zhonghao tilted his head back, his expression relaxing somewhat.
In any case, survival is the most important thing.
A true man can bend and stretch; temporarily submitting to others to save his life is nothing to him.
As long as you survive, there will always be a chance to take back everything you've lost.
puff!
A black tentacle suddenly pierced through his chest.
"To save your own life, you're willing to betray your brothers and surrender to the enemy, sacrificing years of brotherhood... So one day, you'll do the same to save your own life, betraying and harming me..."
Han Yi remained indifferent, not even glancing at him, and strode away.
"And... Wang Yuanshan... he's dead..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhonghao's eyes widened suddenly.
Boom. The black tentacles exploded, and he instantly lost his breath, slowly covered by the surging sewage, and disappeared.
The second floor of the prison.
The jailer rubbed his hands together, stomped his feet, craned his neck, and peered intently into the doorway.
"Why has it been so long...? It hasn't come out yet... Could something have happened...?"
He muttered to himself.
"Did you see it too?"
Suddenly, a sound rang out on the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
"What did you see?" The jailer was stunned and immediately froze.
"It's nothing. Close the door and let's go." Han Yi slipped out quietly and walked towards the outside.
Unlike the three people from Lechang Town.
Wang Yuanshan was beaten to death by him. Chen Ying also had a blood feud with him for killing his son.
This is a fundamental contradiction.
He and the Three Mountains Sect had already developed an irreparable rift.
Therefore, no matter how Li Zhonghao tries to surrender, he will never accept it.
This is not being heartless.
Rather, it was a necessary action taken to protect oneself.
……………
……………
Huayang City, Prefectural Governor's Office.
Inside the magnificent, brightly lit, golden hall.
"Gentlemen, please fill your glasses and let us drink to Lord Fan!"
Hu Liuyun, wearing a black official hat and a red official robe, had a flushed face and a beaming smile; his joy was palpable. Indeed, anyone who rises to prominence and receives a promotion would exhibit this behavior.
The arrival of Fan Hongchou, the new commander of the government army.
Overnight, Hu Liuyun rose from a junior clerk to become the highest-ranking official in charge of Huayang City, the Prefect of Huayang.
"Respect to the General, respect to the Prefect!"
The crowd below the stage raised their glasses in unison and shouted loudly.
As the last glass of wine was downed, the welcoming banquet gradually came to an end.
However, the banquet in name only has ended; the real redistribution of interests has only just begun.
Inside a secluded and exquisite little room on the second floor of the prefectural governor's mansion.
Fan Hongchou sat in the main seat, with several of his trusted confidants sitting beside him.
Sitting to his right was the patriarch of the Hu family, Hu Guangxiang, who was in charge of drinking with him.
Hu Liuyun, **, and several high-ranking officials from Huayang City were all seated among them.
However, their status was much lower, and they all sat in the lower positions.
“Huayang is a pilot area for reform. Now that I see it, the people are prosperous and the treasury is full. It truly lives up to its name,” Fan Hongchou exclaimed. “I intend to visit all parts of the government and military, and I will make Huayang the first stop on my itinerary. It will be of great benefit.”
"You flatter me, sir," Hu Guangxiang said obsequiously. "This is all thanks to the government troops. The reform is a long-term and great undertaking. The Huayang area will benefit for a thousand years or even a hundred years, and we will be eternally grateful."
"Grateful? Is that really true?" Fan Hongchou chuckled. "I heard... there was a fire at the grain depot not long ago, and apparently one person was injured or killed?"
Hu Guangxiang's smile froze instantly, but he reacted quickly, coughing twice to salvage the situation. "It is true. But it has been determined that a demon was behind it, deliberately seeking revenge. Liu Yun, you tell us."
He turned his gaze and shifted the topic to his eldest son.
"This was done by the Mingyu Sect, a branch of the Hundred Lineages of the Demon Clan. Because they were mistakenly accused of targeting them during the recent bandit suppression, they deliberately infiltrated the city to seek revenge."
Hu Liuyun immediately understood.
"Our Hu family, in conjunction with several other forces, has wiped out the Mingyu Sect. All of its high-ranking members have been captured, except for the leader, who is one of the hundred lineages of the demon race, whose whereabouts are unknown."
"I see. So that's who dared to attack the government troops." Fan Hongchou was slightly surprised. "These demon thieves are getting more and more rampant! This isn't the North, yet they dare to openly attack government troops. Allow me to go back and report to them; I will make sure the demons give an explanation!"
"Your Excellency is mighty..."
"So domineering..." Immediately, a chorus of flattering and praise erupted.
As a junior, with limited seniority and status, I can only sit in a lower position.
After hearing this, he forced a smile, but inwardly he felt relieved.
Their efforts were ultimately not in vain.
Having gone to great lengths to pin the blame on Mingyu Sect, Fan Hongchou's words have solidified the case, making it undeniable that no one can overturn it.
It's like turning the page.
Those who were deeply entangled with him, Zhen You and Han Yi, were able to extricate themselves from the situation.
Fine wines and delicacies continued, and the banquet went on.
Amidst tentative exchanges, within Huayang City, the original division of interests among the elderly was re-determined and redefined.
Originally, the Hu family was expected to cause trouble here.
When Fan Hongchou first takes office and visits Huayang, he will inevitably favor his own faction and seize benefits.
Unexpectedly, he was surprisingly easy to talk to, and he agreed to many unfavorable conditions without even thinking about them.
This behavior caused even the usually composed and steady Hu Guangxiang to frown slightly.
"Why…..."
The atmosphere was electric.
Fan Hongchou suddenly put down his wine glass and let out a long sigh.
His actions immediately drew everyone's attention, leaving them puzzled.
"I rushed to take up my post on the orders of the governor, intending to reform corruption, revitalize the state, stabilize the external situation, and reform the old ways. However, I did not expect that when I actually visited the site, I found that things were far more complicated than I had anticipated."
"My lord... what do you mean?" Hu Guangxiang asked in a low voice. "A mere branch of the Hundred Veins dared to break into the city and attack vital points. This already shows that the power of Xuan Kingdom is not what it used to be," Fan Hongchou sighed.
"The world is in dire straits now. To the north, the demon race and the Snow Barbarians are eyeing us covetously, and to the south, the barbarian clans are preying on the people. Externally, the demon race is invading and besieging us, and internally, there is factional division and discord. If this continues, the country will cease to exist, the country will cease to exist!"
He tilted his head back and drank a glass of wine in silence, his tone melancholy.
Hu Guangxiang and his men exchanged glances, then said carefully, "It is admirable that you, sir, are so concerned about the country. If there is anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask."
Hu Guangxiang is a shrewd old man; even now, you can see through him.
The person on the other end has something to say.
"If there is internal strife, how can we pacify the world? To repel external enemies, we must first secure internal stability." Fan Hongchou laughed. "Leaving aside other prefectures for the time being, even in our Yunzhou alone, there are many factions mixed together, with unclear division of labor, making it extremely difficult to make any significant moves."
By order of the governor, all small and medium-sized sects within the state shall be eradicated within one year. Regardless of whether they are righteous or demonic, aristocratic families, martial arts academies, or elite schools, forming factions or associations is strictly prohibited without permission.
All meat fields and fertile land resources are to be consolidated and managed uniformly. All martial artists must abide by the rules as usual. Anyone who transgresses will be killed without exception!
"Huayang, since this is my first stop on my inspection tour, let's begin here."
"this…...?!"
Hu Guangxiang was deeply shaken upon hearing this.
All actions of sects and factions must be approved by the government…
All resource allocations must be handed over...
Try to see things from the other person's perspective.
Every word and action must be approved. Even what we eat and drink is decided by others.
They have absolutely no right to independence.
Their status was almost the same as that of servants and underlings. In fact, it was even lower.
After all, those servants and men still receive wages every month.
These forces, however, must also face various harsh conditions to contribute their strength.
It would be a miracle if anyone agreed to such unequal conditions of slavery!
Even a fool would disagree.
They were completely at the mercy of others.
"Isn't this a bit too much? Won't it displease Yuanmiaozong?" Hu Guangxiang asked subconsciously. "Although Yuanmiaozong is not involved in affairs now, there are still people watching him."
In Yunzhou, martial arts are highly valued and freedom is cherished.
He could already foresee how fierce the bloodshed and resistance would be once this order was implemented.
However, if the action is too large and too many people die, it will inevitably involve the true overlord of Yunzhou, Yuanmiao Sect.
Even the imperial guards were no match for them.
"Yuanmiao Sect?" Fan Hongchou smiled. "They'll be dealt with. We just need to focus on our own tasks. Besides..."
He added, "This move is not aimed at the Yuanmiao Sect, but simply aims to standardize and institutionalize martial arts training. From now on, all children of school age, regardless of gender, can go to a martial arts school, choose a direction, and train freely."
"A martial arts school?" Hu Guangxiang was taken aback.
"You don't know?" Fan Hongchou laughed. "I see that your Huayang City is doing quite well. Aren't the Fire Ape, Gale, and Spirit Fox martial arts schools your three families own? Your Hu family's Spirit Fox martial arts school is booming and developing quite well. In the future, all martial arts schools will be under the unified management of the government, which will also provide them with resources. Children of school age can choose the direction they are interested in and join for free."
"Free?!" Even with his shrewdness, Hu Guangxiang was taken aback by the large amount of text information he was presented with.
"It's limited to the first time only," Fan Hongchou explained. "If it's not suitable and you want to change it, you'll have to pay to do so. But even so, compared to the outdated sect inheritance system, there will still be far too many people who can be taught martial arts and embark on the path of martial arts. So why would Yuanmiao Sect have any objections?"
Hu Guangxiang was speechless and couldn't say a word for a moment.
If what Fan Hongchou said is true, and the important figures have reached some kind of agreement, then everything seems to be feasible.
"May I ask, sir, since everyone can choose their own martial arts school, this also brings a problem," Hu Liuyun asked at this moment. "Within the martial arts schools, there is also a ranking order of strength and weakness. Some are strong, some are weak, and the distribution is not even. If students are allowed to choose their own students, I'm afraid that the strong will become stronger and the weak will become weaker, which will eventually lead to an imbalance and one or a few schools becoming dominant. Free choice will become empty talk."
“This is another problem that needs to be solved.” Fan Hongchou clapped his hands. “Of course, there are solutions.”
One of the people next to him understood and quickly took out a small yellow box.