153: Follow-up

The constables present were not fools; they all knew what a grave crime it would be to be deemed a rebel. One misstep, and not only themselves but even their families would likely not escape death.

They were unwilling to be buried alongside Wu Shude and his son.

After laying down their weapons, none of the constables dared to block the path of this killing god again. They all scattered, leaving only Wu Shude and his son, who were clearly stunned and hadn't anticipated this.

Lu Ming first intimidated them with the brutal execution of over a dozen young men, then immediately revealed the fact that the Golden Lotus Sect Holy Maiden was a demon in a cruel manner. These two consecutive scenes directly shocked everyone present.

What's more, Lu Ming was dressed in Demon Suppression Division attire and held a Chiliarch's token. With multiple factors at play, how could the constables present dare to resist?

Even if Lu Ming hadn't been genuinely dispatched from the Silver Feather City Demon Suppression Division, but was a fake, in the face of absolute power, no one would likely dare to resist.

After all, life is singular, who would dare to gamble with their own life, and from what they saw, this man truly dared to kill, without the slightest hesitation.

"You seem to want to use the people of Xianshui Town as your shield, but unfortunately, Lord Wu, it seems no one is on your side," Lu Ming said coldly, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at the pale, trembling Wu Shude.

"You..." Wu Shude also realized that his power was gone. As the chief official of Xianshui Town, he held considerable authority, but it was clearly insufficient in the face of absolute power. This was his greatest weakness; how could a mere mortal be a match for an Extremity Realm martial artist?

"What are you doing? Attack him! My Wu family has fed you dogs, and now you dare to betray us? Do none of you want to live?" Wu Yaozu, standing nearby, appeared even more deranged. He was so close, just a hair's breadth away from achieving eternal life, yet everything was shattered.

"Eternal life? How laughable. You actually believed in the eternal life mentioned by a mere Limit Realm snake demon, even at the cost of the lives of the people of Xianshui Town. Forget it, you won't have time for regrets anyway," Lu Ming shook his head helplessly.

A cold glint suddenly erupted, and in a flash, the deranged Wu Yaozu stood motionless.

His vision suddenly spun, until he saw a headless corpse collapse to the ground. Only then did he seem to realize something, his eyes widening, his pupils quickly losing their luster.

"Lord Wu, you're next," Lu Ming said indifferently.

He had no intention of interrogating the two. After all, as a member of the Demon Suppression Division, he had already fulfilled his duty of slaying demons and devils. Killing the two now was merely an incidental act. As for the subsequent matters, he would leave them for the government to trouble themselves with.

"Lu Ming, no, Lord Lu, I know many things. The Golden Lotus Sect is just a branch here in Xianshui Town; its true power lies in Tianshi City. You must know that the Golden Lotus Sect is controlled by demons, right? I can tell you everything I know. This would be a great merit."

His son's tragic death before his eyes made Wu Shude's heart pound with terror. This young man was a killing god, killing without hesitation or delay. Thinking of the blade about to fall on his own neck, Wu Shude's legs went soft. He forced a strained smile, stumbling backward while desperately trying to convey his value to Lu Ming.

He still wanted to live, even if it was just to cling to life.

"Lord Wu, it's time to go," Lu Ming had no intention of conversing with the other party. He knew that although the other party was colluding with the Golden Lotus Sect, what he knew was probably not as much as what the Red-Robed Priest knew. Besides the Saintess and the Red-Robed Priest, the Golden Lotus Sect also had many core cult members, and they likely knew more than Wu Shude!

"Wait..." Wu Shude's face showed despair. Just as he was about to speak to stop him, the long blade swung, and a line of blood at his neck rapidly expanded.

Wu Shude let out a hoarse, indistinguishable sound. Blood gushed from the blade mark, quickly soaking his official robes. After a few twitches, he soon became as silent as the beheaded Wu Yaozu beside him.

With the consecutive killings of Wu Shude and his son, everyone present was as silent as cicadas in winter. After all, for the people of Xianshui Town, Wu Shude was the highest-ranking official they could ever see, a being they had to look up to.

But such a being was simply killed by the Xuan-clothed youth as easily as slaughtering chickens and sheep. At this moment, the awe in everyone's hearts reached its peak.

In the silence, a rapid hoofbeat sounded, and a rough roar came from outside.

"Move aside, all of you, move aside!" Dozens of mounted Demon Slayer Guards arrived at this moment. The people in the square frantically dodged, and a path was forcibly cleared.

Just when they thought the situation was dire, they saw the corpses of Wu Shude and his son on the ground and immediately froze.

Seeing the changes in the square, those who were waiting in the distance rushed to support them at the first opportunity. Who would have thought that less than fifteen minutes later, everything would have come to an end?

"Lord, what should we do now?" Wu Lei asked cautiously.

In his daily interactions with Lu Ming, the latter always maintained a benevolent attitude, which led him to subconsciously believe that this Chiliarch was very approachable. But it wasn't until today, witnessing Lu Ming's cruel methods firsthand, that he finally saw another side of Lu Ming—no mercy for demons or those who colluded with them.

Although such methods could be considered radical even within the Demon Suppression Division, it had to be said that the results were excellent. Instilling fear is far easier than gaining trust. If the people of Xianshui Town had truly been incited by Wu Shude to charge at them today, it would have been difficult to resolve the situation.

"You leave half your men to capture all the remaining high-ranking members of the Golden Lotus Sect. All the government constables will also be under your command. As for the rest of the people, take the injured and return to the government office together," Lu Ming immediately ordered.

Then he looked expressionlessly at the restless government constables.

"From now on, this Xianshui Town will be temporarily taken over by us. You all will be under my command. As long as you do your duties honestly, I guarantee your safety."

Hearing these words, all the constables present breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to atone for their sins and having the other party's promise, their anxious hearts gradually settled down.

"Let's go!" Lu Ming waved his hand, mounted a warhorse, and took the injured towards the government office.

Although he had only brought over a hundred men this time, with these forces, Lu Ming steadily took temporary control of the local government.

Returning to the government office, Zeng Cheng and many officials who had been tortured were taken away for treatment. It was believed that they would recover some Origin Qi before long.

As for Lu Ming himself, he returned directly to his temporary residence in the small courtyard. He knew that although the matter in Xianshui Town was resolved, it had led to another major issue.

"Tianshi City?" Lu Ming frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

If just a branch of the Golden Lotus Sect had a Saintess disguised as a Peak Realm Demon, what would the situation be like in Tianshi City, a large city with a population of over a million?