Chapter 24 The county magistrate was actually at the Meridian Opening Realm! One palm strike silenced the entire arena!

Zhao Tingyuan's right palm, enveloped in the thick blood and qi of the Late Stage Blood Refining Realm, broke through the wind.

It lunged straight toward Lin Chen's face.

A dark red glow of blood and qi condensed into a sharp edge along the rim of his palm.

The pressure forced the airflow within a three-foot radius to scatter in all directions.

The wooden pillars on both sides of the hall emitted a dull thud under the impact of this blood and qi.

Two copper lamps on the walls fell to the ground with a crash.

Their copper bases struck the golden bricks, bouncing half a foot high.

Several scribes kneeling on the floor could not withstand the pressure of the aftershocks.

They collapsed completely, prostrating themselves on the ground.

With their mouths and noses pressed against the cold golden bricks, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The long saber in Lin Chen's hand was already unsheathed to meet the enemy.

The blade, forged from Ten-Refined Fine Steel, was held diagonally across his chest.

The thick True Qi from the first layer Perfection of his Xuanhuang Immovable Body was poured entirely into his arms.

It traveled from his palms to the hilt and then straight to the edge of the blade.

A faint yellowish light began to circulate across the surface of the saber.

The blade and the palm print collided in the center of the hall.

A dull sound of impact rippled outward through the beams of the county yamen.

Lin Chen was forced to slide back three steps across the golden bricks.

With every step back, he crushed a square brick.

Flying stone chips and debris scattered wildly from beneath his boots.

A tearing pain radiated from the web of his hand holding the saber.

Blood began to seep out slowly through his fingers.

He forced himself to stop, refusing to take a fourth step back.

The long saber held before him showed no sign of faltering.

The yellowish halo on the blade continued to circulate incessantly.

Zhao Tingyuan's right palm, suspended in mid-air, was knocked two inches aside by the counter-shock force.

He spread his five fingers wide before clenching them back into a fist.

A series of cracking sounds erupted from between his knuckles.

“Blood Refining Realm?”

A flash of doubt and surprise crossed Zhao Tingyuan's eyes.

His gaze was locked firmly onto Lin Chen's right hand.

The surface of that hand was flowing with a thick True Qi far beyond what a Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist should possess.

“It seems this old man underestimated you.”

He stepped forward, closing in once again.

The golden bricks beneath his feet cracked into a dense web of fine lines.

“But do you truly believe that with an Early Stage Blood Refining cultivation, you can withstand this old man's second palm?”

Zhao Tingyuan's blood and qi surged once more.

The dark red halo became increasingly dense and piercing.

He raised his right arm and pushed his palm forward.

His five fingers curved into the staggered stance of an eagle's claw.

Blood and qi coursed through the Meridians of his entire body.

It created a dull, low humming sound.

Lin Chen slowly raised the long saber in his hand.

The tip of the blade pointed directly at Zhao Tingyuan's chest.

His breathing was long and steady.

Xuanhuang True Qi circulated through the channels of his body.

It kept his muscles tensed and ready to strike at any moment.

“We'll see about that.”

Lin Chen pressed his thumb against the protruding edge of the saber's crossguard.

The pad of his finger slowly rubbed half a circle along the cold copper surface.

Zhao Tingyuan's right palm pressed forward three inches.

The sharp wind from his palm compressed the space between them, creating a series of muffled booms.

A loud slapping sound echoed from the direction of the magistrate's desk.

It drowned out all other noise in the hall.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue's right hand slammed heavily onto the Gavel on her desk.

The red sandalwood Gavel could not withstand the immense force and cracked instantly.

A long fissure extended from the center of the wood all the way to its base.

Splinters of wood flew over the desk and landed on the floor tiles three feet away.

“Presumptuous!”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue braced herself against the table and stood up from behind the desk.

The wide sleeves of her scarlet official robe slid back as she raised her arm.

Revealing a pair of slender, fair forearms.

“Zhao Tingyuan.”

Her voice echoed through the empty hall.

Every word was laced with authority.

“This is the county yamen hall, not your Zhao family's private residence.”

Zhao Tingyuan did not immediately withdraw his right palm suspended in the air.

However, the dark red glow in his palm began to show signs of instability.

He turned his head and glanced toward Magistrate Pei Qingxue out of the corner of his eye.

“Does Magistrate Pei intend to stop me?”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue stepped out from behind the desk.

The hem of her scarlet robe followed her steady pace, cutting a sharp silhouette in the air.

She walked to a position just to the left of the center of the hall and stopped.

Less than four steps remained between her and Zhao Tingyuan.

A surging pressure emanated from her seemingly slender body.

This was not the externalized blood and qi unique to Blood Refining Realm Martial Artists.

Nor was it the raw, reckless physical strength of the Body Tempering Realm.

This was an endless torrent of True Qi surging from within.

With all twelve main meridians fully opened.

A thin white qi shield formed around her body.

She was actually at the Early Stage of the Tongmai Realm.

Everyone in the hall changed expression upon sensing this aura.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun was so shocked he stood up directly from his chair.

He scrambled to grab the edge of the side table to steady himself.

His already sallow face was now completely devoid of color.

His face was filled with unconcealable terror.

He had operated in Qingxi County for many years.

Yet he had no idea that this young female magistrate was secretly hiding such profound cultivation in the Tongmai Realm.

Zhao Tingyuan's outstretched right palm finally stopped in place.

He slowly withdrew his arm and stepped back to his original position.

His gaze fell once more on the young woman in the scarlet official robe.

The True Qi pressure of the Tongmai Realm clashed with his Late Stage Blood Refining blood and qi from a distance.

The two forces crushed and pulled against each other in the open space between them.

The floor tiles where the two powers collided could not withstand the pressure.

Fine cracks began to splinter across the surface.

“Tongmai Realm.”

Zhao Tingyuan muttered these three words to himself.

He gritted his teeth, producing a faint grinding sound.

“Magistrate Pei, you certainly have hidden yourself well.”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue acted as if she hadn't heard the probe.

She took another step forward, closing in by a foot.

“As a local power, you led hundreds of armed Martial Artists to storm the county yamen and threaten an official of the imperial court.”

“You even attacked this county's captain in public with intent to kill.”

She spoke very slowly.

She emphasized every single word.

“Zhao Tingyuan, do you intend to rebel?”

The weight of the accusation of rebellion was far heavier.

It was more terrifying than having a sword pressed against one's throat.

Zhao Tingyuan's face fluctuated between dark red and ashen gray.

His fists hanging at his sides were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His fingernails dug deep into the flesh of his palms.

His chest was full of fury, but he couldn't force out a single word of rebuttal.

Once a charge of treason was established in court.

The case would be sent directly to the Prefecture.

No matter how much influence the Zhao family had in Qingxi County.

They would never dare to risk the lives of their entire clan by challenging the iron laws of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue looked at his grim face.

She raised her right hand and pointed toward the open vermilion gates of the hall.

The noon sun fell upon the bluestone steps outside.

The light glinted off the weapons held by the hundreds of Zhao family guards.

“Order those armed men outside your gates to withdraw.”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue withdrew her arm.

She tucked her hands back into the wide sleeves of her scarlet robe.

“Otherwise, this Magistrate will arrest you on the spot for treason today.”

“And have you escorted directly to the Prefecture court for trial.”

Zhao Tingyuan's chest heaved several times with heavy breaths.

His gaze swept back and forth between the faces of Magistrate Pei Qingxue and Lin Chen.

Finally, he stared fixedly at the Xichi Bird Patch on the chest of Magistrate Pei Qingxue's official robe, which represented her rank.

The rank of a seventh-grade county magistrate might not be very high.

But the imperial court standing behind this official robe.

Was not something a mere local clan could contend with.

Furthermore, the woman before him was a genuine Tongmai Realm expert.

In all of Qingxi County, where the highest combat power was only the Tongmai Realm.

She alone, with her martial cultivation, was enough to suppress all the local powers in the city.

Zhao Tingyuan gritted his teeth and slowly unclenched his fists.

As his nails left his flesh, they left several crimson blood marks in his palms.

“Magistrate Pei, that's quite a heavy accusation of rebellion you've leveled.”

He took a deep breath of the cool air.

He forced his boiling killing intent back down into his stomach.

“This old man merely came to seek an explanation.”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue did not back down; instead, she increased her Tongmai Realm pressure even further.

Wisps of white True Qi continuously drifted out from the edges of her scarlet sleeves.

“An explanation?”

Her gaze moved past Zhao Tingyuan's shoulder.

It fell upon the pale-faced County Lieutenant Liu Kun nearby.

“Every single action taken by Lin Chen was within the bounds permitted by the laws of the Great Qian.”

She reached out her right hand.

Her index finger pointed at the stack of old case files that had just been opened on the desk.

“Sihai Pawnshop harbored wanted criminals and protected thieves by receiving stolen goods.”

“The order to raid the pawnshop was a search warrant personally issued by this Magistrate.”

As she spoke, her finger turned to point at the open space outside the hall's doors.

“Second Young Master Zhao Hu led more than thirty armed Martial Artists to storm the county yamen and was subdued on the spot.”

“That was also at this Magistrate's behest.”

She withdrew her hand into her sleeve once more.

“Those killed by his blade were all desperate bandits who violently resisted the law.”

Magistrate Pei Qingxue's gaze locked back onto Zhao Tingyuan's extremely unsightly face.

“The one he personally crippled was the ringleader who gathered a crowd to assault the government.”

She paused for a moment.

Her voice took on a tone of indisputable decisiveness.

“This Magistrate will not only not punish him, but will reward him heavily.”

Zhao Tingyuan's body leaned forward uncontrollably by half an inch.

The veins on the side of his neck throbbed violently.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue took another step toward him.

Less than three steps of space remained between them.

Her protective True Qi of the Tongmai Realm forcibly maintained an insurmountable barrier between the two.

“If Head of the Zhao Family wishes to seek revenge today, you may come directly at this Magistrate.”

As soon as these words were spoken.

The entire hall became so quiet that only the rustling of the wind outside blowing through fallen leaves could be heard.

Zhao Tingyuan stared into those clear and transparent eyes for a long time.

His mind was racing to calculate a way to retreat safely.

He desperately needed to find a reason that would both preserve the Zhao family's face.

And avoid an immediate confrontation with this Tongmai Realm imperial official.

Lin Chen flicked his wrist and returned the long saber to its scabbard.

The brass crossguard struck the wooden mouth of the scabbard with a crisp ring.

He took the opportunity to step back half a pace.

He stood steadily and securely behind Magistrate Pei Qingxue's right side.

He knew perfectly well in his heart.

That the current confrontation no longer relied on the blades in their hands.

The imperial law represented by Magistrate Pei Qingxue's official robe.

Was far more deterrent than the Ten-Refined Fine Steel at his waist.

Hiding in the back, County Lieutenant Liu Kun slumped against the wooden armrest of his chair.

His two legs were still shaking uncontrollably.

However, after his triangular eyes darted around in their sockets a few times.

The light of calculation slowly reappeared in his eyes.

He reached out and smoothed the wrinkled fabric of his official robe at the collar.

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He cleared his dry throat, putting on an act.

"Magistrate Pei is right to reprimand me; I accept the lesson."

He gripped the back of the chair and moved his feet sluggishly.

He walked to the right side of the main hall and stood about three paces away from Zhao Tingyuan.

"However, since Captain Lin is an able officer personally promoted by Magistrate Pei, breaking protocol..."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun cupped his hands together, his face plastered with a smile.

The sandalwood prayer beads hidden in his sleeves knocked against each other, emitting a dull, wooden sound.

"I happen to have a tricky official matter here that requires someone with Captain Lin's skills to handle."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue shifted her gaze slightly to glance at him.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun took the opportunity to tuck his hands back into his sleeves.

His face fell instantly, feigning a look of sorrow and concern for the country and the people.

"The Black Tiger Gang headquarters outside the city has been entrenched at the entrance of the Qingxi Mountain Range for several years."

"This gang of bandits plunders and commits every evil; they are truly a major tumor on Qingxi County."

As he spoke, he extended his index finger.

And pointed forcefully in the direction of the city outskirts twice.

"As the County Lieutenant of this county, I worry day and night about the scourge of these mountain bandits."

"I know well that if these thieves are not eradicated, the common people will have no peace."

"Now, Captain Lin is brave and peerless, having single-handedly taken down the Black Tiger Gang's branch in South City Lane."

"Even Zhou Dabiao became a soul under his blade; it is truly a feat that has shaken the whole city."

The fat on County Lieutenant Liu Kun's face bunched up.

Beneath that seemingly respectful exterior lay the most vicious scheming.

"I boldly propose that Captain Lin personally lead a team out of the city to eradicate the Black Tiger Gang headquarters in one fell swoop."

He unhurriedly fished out a pre-prepared official document from his wide sleeve.

He held it up to his chest with both hands.

"With a seven-day limit."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun respectfully extended his hands holding the document toward Magistrate Pei Qingxue.

"If the bandit nest can be razed within seven days, the controversies caused by Captain Lin yesterday will naturally vanish."

"The county government will certainly reward him accordingly."

He paused on purpose.

And pressed the second half of his words down, making them heavy and deep.

"But if the seven days pass and the mountain bandits have not been eradicated, then we can only punish him severely for dereliction of duty and missing the deadline."

He made no mention of what exactly the rules for dereliction of duty and missing the deadline were.

But everyone in the main hall who worked for the government knew full well the implications of a military order under the Great Qian Dynasty law.

Those who failed to complete the task by the deadline would be executed immediately without exception.

There was a hint of probing in the way Magistrate Pei Qingxue looked at County Lieutenant Liu Kun.

The Black Tiger Gang headquarters outside the city was by no means comparable to that small-time branch in South City Lane.

The gang leader, Ma Biao, was a genuine Blood Refining Realm Middle Stage expert.

He kept several hundred cold-blooded desperadoes under his command.

This was clearly a death trap with no return.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun had forcefully packaged this murderous business as an official matter of eliminating harm for the people.

And placed it openly on the table of the public court.

Zhao Tingyuan, standing to the side, had not interjected from beginning to end.

Only when he heard the four words "seven-day limit."

Did his tense facial muscles relax for a fleeting moment.

This subtle change happened extremely quickly.

But it was all seen by Lin Chen, who was standing in the back.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue turned around.

And cast her gaze toward Lin Chen's face.

Her clear eyes held worry and hesitation.

And were mixed with a bit of unspeakable guilt.

She was waiting for this young man to make up his own mind.

Lin Chen looked up and met that complicated gaze.

His right hand rested casually on the hilt of his blade.

His thumb stroked back and forth along the carved patterns on the brass guard.

His movements were unhurried.

He nodded lightly in the direction of Magistrate Pei Qingxue.

This nodding motion was extremely slight.

So slight that only Magistrate Pei Qingxue, who was facing him directly, could see it clearly.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue slowly unclenched her fingers, which she had been gripping tightly.

Several deep crescent-shaped marks remained on her fair palms.

She turned back around to face County Lieutenant Liu Kun directly.

"Granted."

These two light words landed in the main hall.

But they carried a sense of determination to burn one's bridges.

"However, I, as Magistrate, must add one condition to this."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue lifted her skirt and walked back to the center of the official desk.

She sat down properly next to the cracked Gavel.

"All weapons and provisions required for the bandit suppression within these seven days will be fully allocated by the county government."

"Captain Lin has the right to recruit personnel on his own throughout the county."

"Anyone in the county government departments who dares to secretly cause trouble will be severely punished."

The flesh at the corner of County Lieutenant Liu Kun's eye twitched uncontrollably twice.

"That is only natural; I have no objections."

He respectfully placed the official document on the outermost edge of the official desk.

Then he walked backward to stand beside Zhao Tingyuan.

Zhao Tingyuan lowered his eyelids and stopped looking at Lin Chen.

He kept his gaze fixed on the broken fragments of gold bricks on the floor.

"Magistrate Pei handles affairs so fairly; I am truly impressed."

His tone sounded calm again.

But between the lines, a lingering chill remained.

"It's just that my good-for-nothing son is currently locked up in the county jail."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue reached out and picked up the freshly brewed hot tea on the official desk.

She used the lid to push aside the tea leaves floating on the surface.

"The case of Second Young Master Zhao Hu gathering a mob to attack the government office has not yet been fully closed; according to the rules of the Great Qian Dynasty, he must naturally be detained in prison to await trial."

She placed the teacup back in its place lightly.

"If you, Patriarch Zhao, wish to visit, you may submit a request according to the yamen's procedures, and I, as Magistrate, will naturally review and approve it at my discretion."

Zhao Tingyuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

He lifted the hem of his black robe and turned around.

The wide fabric dragged across the floor.

Sweeping up a fine cloud of dust.

When he walked to a spot just two steps away from the threshold of the main gate.

His footsteps suddenly stopped.

He did not even turn his head back.

With his back to the crowd, he threw out a sentence.

"Seven days."

Zhao Tingyuan's right hand, hanging empty at his side, clenched tightly into a fist.

The sound of bones rubbing against each other clearly reached deep into the main hall.

"I will be waiting in the mansion to see the result."

After speaking, he stepped over the high threshold.

His whole person disappeared into the blinding sunlight outside.

The hundreds of guards waiting at the bottom of the steps turned in unison.

Their weapons and armor rubbed and collided, creating a noisy clatter.

The dull sound of footsteps grew more and more distant along the long street.

The fierce and murderous aura that had been blocking the entrance of the county government office finally dissipated completely.

Bright light spread across the entire main hall once again.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun raised his sleeve and wiped the cold sweat seeping from his forehead haphazardly.

He also rubbed his cheeks heavily twice.

Only then did he plaster a fawning smile on his face toward the official desk.

"Magistrate Pei is truly wise."

He bowed repeatedly with his waist bent.

And retreated quickly through the side door of the main hall.

In the large main hall, only Magistrate Pei Qingxue and Lin Chen remained at this moment.

Along with a few clerical petty officials in the corner who had just climbed up from the floor.

And two terrified maids.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue reached out to touch the Gavel on the edge of the official desk.

Her fingertips traced back and forth along the newly added crack on the wooden block.

"Lin Chen."

Lin Chen stepped forward as instructed.

He cupped his hands.

"This subordinate awaits your orders."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue raised her face.

Her gaze swept over his black clothes, which were stained with a bit of dust.

"You should be clear in your heart about how deep the danger is buried in this errand from County Lieutenant Liu Kun."

Lin Chen lowered his hands from the salute.

He habitually touched the hilt of his blade at his waist.

"The Black Tiger Gang leader, Ma Biao, is already at the Middle Stage of the Blood Refining Realm."

"He also keeps three or four hundred lackeys under his command."

"They have been entrenched in the Black Pine Stronghold at the entrance of the Qingxi Mountain Range for years."

When he spoke of this deadly intelligence.

It was as commonplace as chatting about trivial neighborhood matters in the Patrol Division.

"This subordinate is aware of it."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue withdrew her fingers from stroking the Gavel.

She folded both hands neatly in front of her.

"Since you knew the danger, why did you nod and accept it just now?"

Lin Chen looked directly into the young Magistrate's eyes.

He could read a bit of unwillingness in those eyes.

And a hint of helplessness after compromising with powerful forces.

"Because this tumor of the Black Tiger Gang was already due to be removed."

He curled his finger and tapped the edge of the blade guard lightly.

Emitting a crisp metallic clinking sound.

"No matter who takes the lead on this matter, the result is the same."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue looked at him steadily for a long while.

She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to offer some words of comfort.

But the words reached her lips and were swallowed back.

She turned, picked up the goat-hair brush from the brush rack.

And dipped it fully into the ink in the inkstone.

She pulled out a blank document and quickly wrote down a few lines.

"The weapon requisition order from the county government arsenal, plus the coordination document for the City Defense Battalion."

"I will send someone to deliver them to your duty room shortly."

She held the two corners of the document and blew the ink dry.

After folding it carefully, she handed it to the maid beside her.

"For the next seven days, whatever you need, come directly to the back hall of the county government to ask me for it."

Lin Chen took the document smelling of ink from the maid's hand.

He carefully tucked it into his inner garment to keep it safe.

He stepped back and performed a solemn cupped-hand salute again.

Then he turned and walked toward the main gate.

As he approached the threshold, his footsteps slowed.

"Magistrate Pei."

Magistrate Pei Qingxue looked up at the sound.

Lin Chen stood with his back to the public court, not turning around.

"Thank you for your righteous words and for protecting me just now."

"Lin Chen will remember this favor."

He stepped over the high threshold and walked down the steps.

His black-clad silhouette was stretched into a long outline in the autumn light and shadow.

Spreading all the way down along the bluestone slabs.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue's fingers stroked back and forth on the empty desk for a while.

She picked up the cup of cold, leftover tea.

And took a small sip.

The cold tea slid down her throat into her stomach.

Finally washing away most of the frustration that had been pent up in her chest all morning.

She stood up, holding the edge of the desk.

The hem of her crimson skirt brushed against the wooden edge of the official desk.

"Send someone immediately to invite the Left Commandant of the City Defense Battalion to the back hall to see me."

The maid lowered her head and accepted the task in a hurry.

Lifting her skirt, she hurried out of the main hall.

Magistrate Pei Qingxue stood alone directly beneath the plaque inscribed with "Bright Mirror Hanging High."

Her gaze crossed the bright open gate.

Following the black figure that was gradually moving further away at the end of the steps.

On the stone steps outside, dark red bloodstains from yesterday that had not been washed away still remained.

Under the scorching midday sun, they emitted a lingering smell of rust.