Chapter 41: An iron-fisted takeover of the county government; the Zhao family's treacherous scheme unleashes a beast tide!

The wind on the martial arts practice field stopped.

The triangular flag on the flagpole, bearing the word 'Patrol,' lost its momentum and fell.

The scent of blood in the air overpowered the morning chill.

Those fifty-one faces were tense, not even daring to breathe too hard.

Lin Chen stood in front of the two corpses bleeding out.

He didn't look at the faces of those young Bailiffs.

Nor did he pay attention to the trembling legs of the veteran Bailiffs; he simply untied the water skin from his waist.

He pulled out the cork, tilted his head, and took a sip of fresh water.

Then, he hung the water skin back in its place.

“Zhang the Scar and Old Zhou defied military orders and incited a mutiny.”

Lin Chen's voice was neither high nor low, yet his words reached everyone's ears clearly.

“I killed them. If any of you think that was wrong, you can step forward now.”

No one in the ranks dared to respond.

Even the clerk holding the roster buried his head in his chest.

He feared that even one more glance would bring trouble upon himself.

Only one thought remained in their minds—

This young man in the brand-new Chief Constable's official robes truly dared to kill.

Yesterday, he alone slaughtered over three hundred people at Black Pine Stronghold.

Today, he drew his blade and cut down two senior yamen squad leaders.

In the face of his rules, seniority meant absolutely nothing.

He was completely immune to personal favors.

“You, and you.”

Lin Chen pointed his finger forward.

The two young Bailiffs snapped their legs together and immediately shouted their response:

“Here!”

“Drag the corpses on the ground out, roll them in straw mats, and throw them into the mass grave outside the city.”

Lin Chen's gaze swept over the two men's tense faces.

“Wash the blood off the ground with water, and find a carpenter to fix the broken notches on the weapon racks.”

“Yes, sir!”

The two young Bailiffs quickly jogged out of the ranks.

Enduring the pungent smell of blood, they grabbed Zhang the Scar and Old Zhou's ankles from either side.

They exerted all their strength to drag them off the practice field.

The corpses left a long, dark red bloodstain on the blue bricks.

The gaps between the floor tiles were filled with blood.

“Clerk!”

Lin Chen turned his head to look at the thin man holding the roster.

The clerk's knees felt weak, and he nearly fell, but he quickly took two steps forward:

“Your subordinate is here.”

“To fill the vacancies left by these two, pick two clever ones from those who arrived on time today.”

“You prepare the roster and have it on my desk before noon.”

Lin Chen spoke rapidly, without any nonsense.

“Starting today, the three squads of Qingxi County Bailiffs and the Constabulary will be divided into three teams, working day and night shifts.”

“Double the manpower at the city gate checkpoints and strictly inspect passing merchants.”

“Anyone carrying prohibited blades longer than three feet is to be detained immediately.”

“Your subordinate understands!”

The clerk nodded repeatedly, his fingers holding the brush trembling non-stop.

“Also, those gambling dens and brothels of the Black Tiger Gang that were seized.”

“Send people today to take them over and put up sealing strips.”

Lin Chen's fingers tapped against the bronze surface of the scabbard at his waist, making a clicking sound.

“If anyone dares to take this opportunity to reach for dirty money, Zhang the Scar will be their example.”

“Yes, sir!”

A unified roar echoed over the practice field as the fifty-plus men used all their strength.

They were terrified that a quiet voice would provoke a killing blow.

A faint blue glow emerged from the edge of Lin Chen's vision.

Text scrolled rapidly at the bottom:

[Detected that the host has reorganized official conduct with thunderous means, removing the black sheep.]

[Successfully established the absolute authority of the Chief Constable.]

[Behavioral judgment: Excellent!]

[Daily settlement basic extension reward points +500!]

Lin Chen looked at the numbers on the panel.

Currently, the System's accumulated total points had reached four thousand three hundred.

He knew very well that these Bailiffs were only afraid right now.

But as long as they dared to obey orders absolutely, that was enough.

An armed force completely dominated by fear and awe.

Was far more useful than a disorganized mess.

“Training begins! Form up around the field and run!”

Lin Chen issued the command.

Messy and hurried footsteps sounded on the practice field.

Whether they were new recruits or old slackers who had been coasting for years.

All of them gritted their teeth and ran around the field with all their might.

Not far away, at the end of the long corridor.

The aide sent by Magistrate Pei Qingxue to deliver a message took a look at the scene in the field.

He then pulled back his head and jogged all the way back to the rear hall.

This bailiff force of Qingxi County, which had been rotten to the core.

In the span of a single morning, had its atmosphere completely transformed.

The Zhao Family estate, deep within the inner courtyard.

Zhao Tingyuan sat in a large red sandalwood chair in his study.

His fingers gripped the carved patterns on the edge of the desk, his fingertips losing color from the excessive force.

Steward Zhao Fu knelt on the carpet.

His head remained pressed against the floor, and the fabric on his back was soaked with cold sweat.

“What did you say?”

Zhao Tingyuan's voice was low in his throat.

The brief four words were laced with irrepressible anger.

“I saw it with my own eyes.”

Steward Zhao Fu's teeth chattered; he didn't dare to look up at all.

“That Lin Chen was on the practice field, and in front of everyone, he chopped off Zhang the Scar's head with one stroke.”

“Old Zhou tried to run, but he was run through the heart from behind.”

“All the Bailiffs in the county yamen don't even dare to step out the gate now; they're all there training.”

The fingers Zhao Tingyuan had gripped on the edge of the desk exerted force.

The hardwood-carved dragon head made a crisp snapping sound.

He broke it off by force, and wood splinters pierced into his palm, causing blood to seep out.

“County Lieutenant Liu Kun is still locked up in the dungeon.”

“The Left Commandant took several hundred men from the City Defense Battalion to guard the south gate, and they didn't even give us a heads-up.”

Zhao Tingyuan stood up and casually tossed the broken piece of wood onto the floor.

“The rules of officialdom in Qingxi County have been completely torn to shreds by this little wolf cub.”

“Master, the people we sent to the Prefecture won't be back for three days at the earliest.”

“Distant water cannot quench a nearby thirst!”

Steward Zhao Fu's voice took on a sobbing tone.

“That woman Pei Qingxue has already ordered people to copy that ledger.”

“Once the report is sent up, our Zhao family is finished!”

“Shut up.”

Zhao Tingyuan spoke up, interrupting Steward Zhao Fu's words.

He walked to the study window and reached out to push open a crack.

The cold wind rushed in, blowing the hem of his luxurious long robe.

“Conventional methods won't work against a desperate, mad dog.”

Zhao Tingyuan narrowed his eyes, a look of frenzy appearing on his face.

“They think that by seizing the county yamen and controlling the city defenses, my Zhao family can only sit and wait for death. Simply laughable.”

He turned around and walked toward the bookshelf.

He reached out and grabbed an inconspicuous bronze incense burner on the shelf, twisting it hard to the right.

The muffled sound of a mechanism grinding was heard.

The bookshelf slid to both sides, revealing a dark secret passage.

Zhao Tingyuan stood at the entrance of the secret passage.

A strong scent of blood and some kind of medicinal herb wafted out from below.

“Shadow Eight.”

Zhao Tingyuan spoke into the depths of the secret passage.

After only a few breaths, a gaunt figure in night-traveler attire slid out from the darkness.

His movement technique exuded an eerie aura.

This person wore an iron mask on his face that had no features.

Only two small round holes were opened at the position of the eyes.

His breathing was faint, and his heartbeat was very slow.

He was a death warrior leader personally trained by the Zhao Family Patriarch using poisons and torture.

Zhao Tingyuan looked at Shadow Eight.

Even as the head of the family, he was unwilling to deal with such a monster too much.

“Take the beast-luring incense from the inner treasury.”

Zhao Tingyuan walked back to the desk and pulled out a sheepskin map from a hidden compartment, spreading it out.

“Take three men out of the city to the Qingxi Mountain Range and use the secret medicine to lure those low-level Yao Beasts out.”

“Follow the wind and drive them to Zhang Family Village outside the city.”

When Steward Zhao Fu heard the words 'beast-luring incense,' his body couldn't help but tremble.

Qingxi County was built against the mountains, and Yao Beasts often appeared deep in the mountain range.

Once beast-luring incense was used to trigger a small-scale beast tide.

Even if they were only the lowest-tier Body Tempering Yao Beasts, it would be a catastrophic disaster for an ordinary village.

This was to send hundreds of lives to their deaths.

“Master wants to use a beast tide to cause chaos?”

Shadow Eight's voice was dry and harsh, without the slightest modulation in tone.

“Doesn't Lin Chen pride himself on being a great upright official who wants to protect all the county's people?”

Zhao Tingyuan sneered, his face contorted with ruthlessness.

“The people of Zhang Family Village revere him like a god.”

“When Yao Beasts attack the village, as the Chief Constable, he must go out of the city to save them.”

“As long as he leaves the county town, the defense line at the city gate will collapse on its own.”

Zhao Tingyuan paused, his finger tapping twice on the tabletop.

“Once he's gone, have Shadow One lead the remaining death warriors to infiltrate the rear hall of the county yamen.”

Zhao Tingyuan stared at the flickering candlelight.

“Finish off Pei Qingxue for me, and burn that ledger along with all the records to ashes.”

There was no movement in the eye holes behind Shadow Eight's mask.

“Killing an imperial official will have repercussions.”

Shadow Eight dryly stated the fact.

“Yao Beasts were lured to break through the city defenses and charge into the county yamen.”

“County Magistrate Pei Qingxue unfortunately died in the line of duty during the beast disaster, losing her life to the beasts' bellies.”

Zhao Tingyuan turned his head to look at him.

“Do you understand this excuse now?”

Shadow Eight nodded.

“Go, make sure the job is done cleanly.”

Zhao Tingyuan waved his hand.

Shadow Eight retreated into the dark corner outside the door and vanished from the study.

The study fell silent.

Only Steward Zhao Fu's heavy breathing continued.

He knew that after today, Qingxi County would turn into a pile of scorched earth.

This was not a game of political maneuvering; this was a life-and-death meat grinder.

Zhao Tingyuan glanced at Steward Zhao Fu, who was slumped on the floor.

“Stand up and go tell the stewards of each house in the inner residence.”

“Arm all the servants and guards, lock the main gates, and no one is allowed to leave without permission.”

Zhao Tingyuan's eyelid twitched.

“Tonight, Qingxi County will not be peaceful.”

Just after noon.

Lin Chen returned from the practice field to the dossier room used by the constables.

He tossed the newly prepared roster onto the desk.

He took off his cowhide outer armor and sat down with a commanding presence.

A large mass of dark clouds gathered in the sky to the north of the city.

The sky grew gloomy, and the entire Qingxi County was covered in shadows.

A bailiff hurriedly pushed open the door to the dossier room from outside.

“Chief Constable Lin!”

The bailiff ran in, out of breath, and pointed in the direction outside the city.

“Something has happened outside the city.”