The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 167 - 97: Kill! (Request for Guaranteed Monthly Tickets at the Beginning of the Month)_4

Chapter 167: Chapter 97: Kill! (Request for Guaranteed Monthly Tickets at the Beginning of the Month)_4

Xu Qing’s mood improved.

After giving some instructions to Su Lianqing, he went straight to Li Mansion, to his room, and slept soundly.

This sleep lasted until noon the next day.

The daylight was bright, just like Xu Qing’s mood at the moment.

After having his meal, he went to the Punishment Room at the County Government.

Guo Zhuang respectfully handed over a stack of papers, saying, "Young Master, these are his confessions."

After Xu Qing glanced through them, he tapped on the table and said, "He hasn’t confessed who’s behind this?"

Guo Zhuang replied, "This man knows the Turtle Breath Technique; whenever we ask about something he doesn’t want to reveal, he simply feigns death. I’m afraid of killing him and ruining your important business, so I dared not use severe torture."

Xu Qing nodded, telling Guo Zhuang to bring the person out.

This Sect Leader of the Eagle Claw Sect had been tortured to the point of being barely human, all his fingernails pulled out, his body branded with iron marks. If it weren’t for his ability to feign death using the Turtle Breath Technique, even his strong will couldn’t withstand this; he would have confessed everything.

Guo Zhuang, after all, is a professional. Although the other party looked so miserable, he had no life-threatening injuries; the wounds had been treated to both inflict pain and facilitate healing.

Xu Qing asked everyone else to leave, keeping only Guo Zhuang.

He sat in front of the Sect Leader of the Eagle Claw Sect, "Xue Ying, born in the thirteenth year of Wanshou, known in the worldly society as the Eagle King, that’s you, right?"

"You already know, so why ask more?" Xue Ying answered with a pain-laden voice.

Xu Qing smiled faintly, "Then I want to know something I don’t know, can you cooperate?"

He pointed to the pile of papers in front of him, and the top sheet suddenly flew up by itself.

Xue Ying was startled, "Exorcism?"

He had experienced Xu Qing’s kung fu the previous night, knowing that the other party’s martial arts were very formidable, and even if he tried again, he wouldn’t be a match.

But he still couldn’t believe that the other’s Divine Soul had reached the level of Exorcism.

"Correct."

Xue Ying scoffed, "It’s a pity, with your talent, you could have gone far in martial arts, yet you indulged in petty spirituality, destined to achieve limited success in this life."

Xu Qing replied, "You need not worry about that. Do you recognize this?"

He patted the sword hilt at his waist.

Having seen it clearly, Xue Ying’s expression changed drastically, "Is Bai Rujing dead?"

He knew that it was the Holy Artifact of the Lotus Sect; the sword is intact as long as the person lives.

Since this sword has now fallen into Xu Qing’s hands, Elder Bai’s fate is imaginable.

Xu Qing said indifferently, "Since you already know, why ask?"

Unable to help himself, Xue Ying shuddered from deep within; no matter how Bai Rujing died, his death was definitely related to Xu Qing, especially since the latter was also a Divine Soul Expert.

"Sect Leader Xue, you are a man of valor. I, Xu, have always admired people with strong backbone like yours and also know how to deal with you."

He picked up the Peach Wood Sword and tapped Xue Ying’s face with it.

"There’s a saying among scholars, that a gentleman can be killed, but not insulted. You insult me like this, it’s not becoming of a scholarly gentleman."

"Then you might have also heard, repay kindness with kindness, and grievance with righteousness. Do you say I am repaying you with kindness, or with grievance?"

"What are you trying to do?"

Xu Qing leaned closer and calmly said, "Sect Leader Xue, my patience is limited. If you don’t cooperate with me, when I say I will exterminate your entire sect, then I will exterminate your entire sect."

Having finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair.

Guo Zhuang added, "Everyone in Jiangning Prefecture, both the under and above worlds, knows our Young Master always keeps his word."

He followed up, "When he says he will kill your entire family, it means the whole family, all neat and tidy, without missing a single person."

Xue Ying replied, "Xu Gongming, don’t take things too far."

Xu Qing sneered, "Guo Zhuang, bring the confession."

Guo Zhuang immediately obeyed, and Xu Qing then dictated. It was about the Eagle Claw Sect colluding with mountain bandits, water bandits, and members of the Lotus Sect. The details were so rich, the content so detailed, that even Xue Ying wondered if he himself had confessed.

"The Court is establishing tax customs to suppress bandits. Your Eagle Claw Sect is not far from Jiangning Prefecture, right beside Yingtian Prefecture, colluding with banditry, the evidence is irrefutable. What do you think, will Wu Xun’an of Yingtian Prefecture believe this confession when submitted? Do you say your Eagle Claw Sect has colluded with bandits? Is there a single word on this that wrongs you?"

Xu Qing’s every word struck at the heart.

Guo Zhuang couldn’t help but be greatly shaken in spirit.

At this moment, Xu Qing’s divine soul escaped and invaded Guo Zhuang’s mind; the Yaksha King also charged in wielding a steel trident.

Even as a martial arts expert with a firm will, Guo Zhuang’s defenses were breached under Xu Qing’s relentless assault. His divine soul was intimidated into submission, and he honestly confessed everything.

After Xu Qing got the full story, he withdrew his divine soul and allowed Guo Zhuang to sign and stamp his confession, then restored his senses.

Looking at the confession he had stamped, Guo Zhuang’s expression showed immense shock, especially because he had disclosed the mastermind he least wanted to betray.

"Just kill me," Guo Zhuang said with a distorted face.

Xu Qing stood up, turned around, and said in a low voice, "Guo Zhuang, grant him a swift end."

"As you command."

Hearing this, Guo Zhuang displayed a look of relief.

"Master, your disciple is coming to see you."

Guo Zhuang gripped his head and with a twist of the neck, Guo Zhuang breathed his last. He whispered, "In your next life, don’t think about revenge. Otherwise, I’ll kill you again."

He closed Guo Zhuang’s eyelids.

Guo Zhuang felt indescribably excited inside.

The leader of the Eagle Claw Sect was a notable figure in the martial world of South Zhili, yet now he lay dead by his hand.

A year ago, he couldn’t have even imagined such a thing.

Following his young master, he had seen the vast world, no longer the frog in the well.

As for who might take issue with this, Guo Zhuang didn’t care at all.

A true man should live to feast grandly, and if he should die, to be cooked in a grand feast!

Xu Qing waited at the entrance of the punishment room for Guo Zhuang to come out.

"Young Master, he is dead. What should we do with the body?"

"Clean him up and have someone send him back to the Eagle Claw Sect."

"As you command." Guo Zhuang complied, then hesitated before adding, "I heard that the new County Master will arrive in two days."

"Have you found out about him?"

"I only know he’s from North Zhili, but not the specifics of his background."

"Where is his hometown in North Zhili?"

"Jinyang Prefecture." Xu Qing nodded.

Qingshui County was his stronghold, and with Magistrate He present, the new county magistrate wouldn’t trouble him, but surely Magistrate He would leave before him.

This matter needed careful consideration.

Inspector Wu only had a one-year term, and several months have already passed; by next September at the latest, he would be promoted to another place or directly enter the capital.

Xu Qing pondered over this.

Inspector Wu, having been an Imperial Censor in South Zhili, naturally wouldn’t stay on as an official there; otherwise, after losing his Imperial Censor status, the gap in prestige would be significant in South Zhili.

What if we arrange for him to be stationed in Jinyang Prefecture?

Jinyang Prefecture is close to the Divine Capital; performing well there could easily attract attention from above.

If he were to directly enter the capital, the waters are too deep; Inspector Wu might not be able to navigate them.

Xu Qing’s thoughts were meticulous, and he always felt that this new county magistrate would not be easy to deal with, hence he started making preparations for a rainy day.

"All these are trifles. I never expected that behind the Xu Family from Songzhou is the Duke Wei Mansion. This is akin to the uncrowned East South King, the top aristocratic and powerful family in South Zhili."

Xu Qing felt the situation becoming more complicated.

So far, he saw no possibility of shaking such a powerful and influential aristocracy.

Old Wu, this time we’ve got a big problem.