Chapter 44
Slaying Old Foes and Breaking Through to the Profound Realm!
The Shiyang County government office was overflowing with people, both inside and outside.
Inside the main hall, a plaque with the inscription "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" hangs prominently, while Gu Lin sits upright at a three-foot-high desk.
Bang!
He slammed the gavel.
Amidst the horrified gazes of many, the once-glorious and dignified Magistrate Zhao has been reduced to a prisoner.
County Magistrate Zhao struggled desperately to break free of his shackles, his face covered in blood, and roared mournfully:
"Gu Lin, you dare to bully others and seek revenge for personal reasons! If you return to Chuzhou, the Holy Land will not forgive you!"
Gu Lin coldly glanced at him:
"Bullying others with your power? How amusing. If I hadn't joined Dongsi, I would have been reduced to ashes by your Zhao family by now."
"Today, regardless of personal grudges, we are acting on the orders of the Divine Court, fulfilling the duties of the Eastern Temple, and handling this case impartially!"
After saying that, he took out an official document.
The county magistrate, registrar, and clerk all bowed their heads in silence.
This official document, from the handwriting to the stamp, was entirely written by Lord Gu.
But so what?
It is no different from the official arrest warrant issued by the Divine Dynasty.
Because Dongsi Temple represents the central government's inspection tour of Chuzhou.
Lord Gu's actions were reasonable and legal.
Gu Lin opened his palm, and a stack of files was handed to him by a ghostwriter. He said unhurriedly:
"Zhao Hou, former assistant magistrate of Shiyang County, took nine beautiful concubines, and forcibly married six of them by abusing his power. He was greedy for women and bullied the people. This is his first crime."
"Instructing the steward of the Zhao family to accept bribes is the second crime."
"Three years ago, Li Mantang, the younger brother of Concubine Li, indiscriminately killed eighteen civilians on a boat for his own selfish desires. Zhao Hou deliberately protected him, and Li Mantang is still living a carefree life. This is the third crime."
"Two years ago, I instructed the county constable Li to massacre the Tiger Head Gang under the pretext of suppressing bandits. This was because the gang leader refused to hand over the three-hundred-year-old ginseng. This abuse of power and indiscriminate killing constitutes the fourth crime."
Below the hall, Zhao Hou stared intently at Magistrate Lu with bloodshot eyes, like a vengeful ghost.
Magistrate Lu felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't afraid of Zhao Hou, but rather his eldest son, Zhao Can.
Gu Lin asked in a solemn voice:
Do you plead guilty?
Zhao Hou laughed hysterically and roared:
"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. How could a despicable person like you be allowed to work at the East Temple? You have acted recklessly and arrogantly. Can'er will not let you get away with this, and the Divine Dynasty will not tolerate you..."
He only said half of what he meant.
Gu Lin leaped up from his three-foot-long desk.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zhao Hou, his left hand gripping Zhao Hou's neck like an iron clamp.
The surrounding officials and gentry were all terrified.
The government office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the air seemed to freeze.
Only Zhao Hou's heavy breathing remained.
In just a few breaths, Zhao Hou's face turned reddish-purple, and his entire face was covered with bulging veins.
Gu Lin remained expressionless and continued to exert force.
Click.
Zhao Hou's eyes bulged out, and he died instantly.
Looking at the state of Magistrate Zhao's death, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and everyone felt suffocated.
No one could have imagined that Lord Gu would be so forceful!
Isn't he afraid of Lord Zhao Can? After all, Lord Zhao joined the Martial Peak Hall six years ago, and in terms of connections and resources, he definitely far surpasses Lord Gu.
The hatred for killing his brother, combined with the hatred for killing his father, was so intense it reached all the way to the underworld!
Gu Lin slowly stood up and calmly said:
"Gu Lin of Dongsi Temple was ordered to punish the wicked, and Zhao Hou, a criminal who disregarded the emperor's grace, has been executed."
After saying this, he strode towards the county jail.
Compassion?
No.
He felt only pleasure!
If I had lost the selection competition, my whole family would probably be dead in the wilderness by now.
They arrived at the prison cell.
Four people were being held in one of the cells.
Li Jisheng and his daughter, along with the second and third leaders of the fishing gang.
Upon seeing this figure, Li Qingwu convulsed. She frantically threw back the curtains, revealing a horribly disfigured face, and cried out in a shrill voice:
"I've already fallen to this state, and you still won't let me go? My Li family will repay you three thousand taels, five thousand taels of silver in this lifetime, is that enough?"
Gu Lin smiled silently.
After a long silence, he said in an icy voice:
"That night, it must have been you who led me to the wicked woman from the Hehuan Sect, which nearly cost me my life."
Li Qingwu trembled like a leaf, then suddenly knelt down with a pleading expression.
Gu Lin's fingertips moved slightly between his sleeves.
call out--
Each of the four men had a bloody gash on their neck and died on the spot.
Not to mention the traces of internal energy flow, the entire movement was invisible and silent, which was truly terrifying.
This is just the first glimpse. If we were to truly unleash our full power, how terrifying would a fully-leveled Six Meridians Divine Sword be?
Gu Lin glanced at Li Qingwu's corpse, then walked expressionlessly to the next cell.
Inside were Li Mantang, the younger brother of Zhao Hou's concubine, and Constable Li.
Gu Lin knew very well that he could harvest a lot of merit points from these two people.
Without saying a word, they slaughtered them all.
Finally, they arrived at a prison cell where a burly young man was being held, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.
If it weren't for the chubby Wang Mu reminding him, he wouldn't even remember this person's name.
All that is known is that at the Wilderness Academy, this person made provocative remarks, saying he would cripple him, and even showed murderous intent.
Zhuang Wei, his face filled with fear, cried out:
"Lord Gu, now that you hold a high position and great power, just treat me like a snarling wild dog. Give me two slaps, but don't kill me."
Gu Lin shook his head and chuckled:
"The thought of you, you stray dog, barking at me like that, makes me want to kill you."
Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and killed him with a single claw strike.
A moment later, golden specks of light appeared in my mind, eventually coalescing into the three large characters "Book of Merit".
[Kill a C-level 7th-star villain, kill a C-level 6th-star villain, kill a C-level 1st-star villain, kill a D-level 6th-star villain, kill a D-level 3rd-star villain... Reward: Max level Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms]
[Martial Arts Merit Points: 896/10000]
[Confucian and Taoist Merit Points: 359/1000]
[Merit Points in Taoist Arts: 0/1000]
[Witchcraft Merit Points: 0/1000]
In an instant, the acupoints in his body hummed, his dantian gradually expanded, and the mist slowly liquefied until the seven meridians and eight extraordinary vessels felt cool. Then, his dantian erupted with a loud rumble.
Break through the first level of Dongxuan Realm!
Gu Lin smiled broadly; this was one of the reasons he had returned to Shiyang County.
"The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, a palm technique of extreme power and ferocity, combined with the Six Meridian Divine Sword, what is my true combat strength?"
He muttered to himself, his anticipation growing stronger.
Of course, I am not satisfied with just the first level of the Profound Realm, I must continue to break through!
Upon arriving at the Eastern Temple in Chuzhou, the primary goal is to improve one's Confucian and Taoist cultivation, and to see if there is an opportunity to explore the arts of magic and witchcraft.
In particular, those who practice witchcraft and sorcery do not need spirit stones to cultivate, but they can accumulate spirit stones to purchase and feed sorcery creatures. They can then manipulate these creatures through their sorcery skills, making them impossible for enemies to defend against!
As for magic and strategy, they certainly cannot be neglected. Magic and strategy can be used to refine weapons, pills, and formations, and the most suitable thing for battle is to set up formations before battle.
It's impossible to establish these two cultivation paths in a small place like a county, but it's different once you step into Chuzhou.
The Chuzhou Grand Competition is also a set goal!
Gu Lin dismissed his thoughts, glanced at the cell, and slowly left.
The county jail only held petty thieves and thieves, who didn't have any merit points. Besides, their crimes didn't warrant the death penalty, and Gu Lin didn't want to leave a reputation for indiscriminate killing.
He led his group of swordsmen back to the Gu residence, packed their bags, and sent a letter to Chief Escort Lin of the Tongxing Escort Agency. The letter was simple: if he wanted to develop his career in Chuzhou, the Gu family could provide him with assistance.
After all, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) had done my father many favors when we were in Shiyang County.
Inside the main hall, a plaque with the inscription "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" hangs prominently, while Gu Lin sits upright at a three-foot-high desk.
Bang!
He slammed the gavel.
Amidst the horrified gazes of many, the once-glorious and dignified Magistrate Zhao has been reduced to a prisoner.
County Magistrate Zhao struggled desperately to break free of his shackles, his face covered in blood, and roared mournfully:
"Gu Lin, you dare to bully others and seek revenge for personal reasons! If you return to Chuzhou, the Holy Land will not forgive you!"
Gu Lin coldly glanced at him:
"Bullying others with your power? How amusing. If I hadn't joined Dongsi, I would have been reduced to ashes by your Zhao family by now."
"Today, regardless of personal grudges, we are acting on the orders of the Divine Court, fulfilling the duties of the Eastern Temple, and handling this case impartially!"
After saying that, he took out an official document.
The county magistrate, registrar, and clerk all bowed their heads in silence.
This official document, from the handwriting to the stamp, was entirely written by Lord Gu.
But so what?
It is no different from the official arrest warrant issued by the Divine Dynasty.
Because Dongsi Temple represents the central government's inspection tour of Chuzhou.
Lord Gu's actions were reasonable and legal.
Gu Lin opened his palm, and a stack of files was handed to him by a ghostwriter. He said unhurriedly:
"Zhao Hou, former assistant magistrate of Shiyang County, took nine beautiful concubines, and forcibly married six of them by abusing his power. He was greedy for women and bullied the people. This is his first crime."
"Instructing the steward of the Zhao family to accept bribes is the second crime."
"Three years ago, Li Mantang, the younger brother of Concubine Li, indiscriminately killed eighteen civilians on a boat for his own selfish desires. Zhao Hou deliberately protected him, and Li Mantang is still living a carefree life. This is the third crime."
"Two years ago, I instructed the county constable Li to massacre the Tiger Head Gang under the pretext of suppressing bandits. This was because the gang leader refused to hand over the three-hundred-year-old ginseng. This abuse of power and indiscriminate killing constitutes the fourth crime."
Below the hall, Zhao Hou stared intently at Magistrate Lu with bloodshot eyes, like a vengeful ghost.
Magistrate Lu felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't afraid of Zhao Hou, but rather his eldest son, Zhao Can.
Gu Lin asked in a solemn voice:
Do you plead guilty?
Zhao Hou laughed hysterically and roared:
"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. How could a despicable person like you be allowed to work at the East Temple? You have acted recklessly and arrogantly. Can'er will not let you get away with this, and the Divine Dynasty will not tolerate you..."
He only said half of what he meant.
Gu Lin leaped up from his three-foot-long desk.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zhao Hou, his left hand gripping Zhao Hou's neck like an iron clamp.
The surrounding officials and gentry were all terrified.
The government office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the air seemed to freeze.
Only Zhao Hou's heavy breathing remained.
In just a few breaths, Zhao Hou's face turned reddish-purple, and his entire face was covered with bulging veins.
Gu Lin remained expressionless and continued to exert force.
Click.
Zhao Hou's eyes bulged out, and he died instantly.
Looking at the state of Magistrate Zhao's death, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and everyone felt suffocated.
No one could have imagined that Lord Gu would be so forceful!
Isn't he afraid of Lord Zhao Can? After all, Lord Zhao joined the Martial Peak Hall six years ago, and in terms of connections and resources, he definitely far surpasses Lord Gu.
The hatred for killing his brother, combined with the hatred for killing his father, was so intense it reached all the way to the underworld!
Gu Lin slowly stood up and calmly said:
"Gu Lin of Dongsi Temple was ordered to punish the wicked, and Zhao Hou, a criminal who disregarded the emperor's grace, has been executed."
After saying this, he strode towards the county jail.
Compassion?
No.
He felt only pleasure!
If I had lost the selection competition, my whole family would probably be dead in the wilderness by now.
They arrived at the prison cell.
Four people were being held in one of the cells.
Li Jisheng and his daughter, along with the second and third leaders of the fishing gang.
Upon seeing this figure, Li Qingwu convulsed. She frantically threw back the curtains, revealing a horribly disfigured face, and cried out in a shrill voice:
"I've already fallen to this state, and you still won't let me go? My Li family will repay you three thousand taels, five thousand taels of silver in this lifetime, is that enough?"
Gu Lin smiled silently.
After a long silence, he said in an icy voice:
"That night, it must have been you who led me to the wicked woman from the Hehuan Sect, which nearly cost me my life."
Li Qingwu trembled like a leaf, then suddenly knelt down with a pleading expression.
Gu Lin's fingertips moved slightly between his sleeves.
call out--
Each of the four men had a bloody gash on their neck and died on the spot.
Not to mention the traces of internal energy flow, the entire movement was invisible and silent, which was truly terrifying.
This is just the first glimpse. If we were to truly unleash our full power, how terrifying would a fully-leveled Six Meridians Divine Sword be?
Gu Lin glanced at Li Qingwu's corpse, then walked expressionlessly to the next cell.
Inside were Li Mantang, the younger brother of Zhao Hou's concubine, and Constable Li.
Gu Lin knew very well that he could harvest a lot of merit points from these two people.
Without saying a word, they slaughtered them all.
Finally, they arrived at a prison cell where a burly young man was being held, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.
If it weren't for the chubby Wang Mu reminding him, he wouldn't even remember this person's name.
All that is known is that at the Wilderness Academy, this person made provocative remarks, saying he would cripple him, and even showed murderous intent.
Zhuang Wei, his face filled with fear, cried out:
"Lord Gu, now that you hold a high position and great power, just treat me like a snarling wild dog. Give me two slaps, but don't kill me."
Gu Lin shook his head and chuckled:
"The thought of you, you stray dog, barking at me like that, makes me want to kill you."
Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and killed him with a single claw strike.
A moment later, golden specks of light appeared in my mind, eventually coalescing into the three large characters "Book of Merit".
[Kill a C-level 7th-star villain, kill a C-level 6th-star villain, kill a C-level 1st-star villain, kill a D-level 6th-star villain, kill a D-level 3rd-star villain... Reward: Max level Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms]
[Martial Arts Merit Points: 896/10000]
[Confucian and Taoist Merit Points: 359/1000]
[Merit Points in Taoist Arts: 0/1000]
[Witchcraft Merit Points: 0/1000]
In an instant, the acupoints in his body hummed, his dantian gradually expanded, and the mist slowly liquefied until the seven meridians and eight extraordinary vessels felt cool. Then, his dantian erupted with a loud rumble.
Break through the first level of Dongxuan Realm!
Gu Lin smiled broadly; this was one of the reasons he had returned to Shiyang County.
"The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, a palm technique of extreme power and ferocity, combined with the Six Meridian Divine Sword, what is my true combat strength?"
He muttered to himself, his anticipation growing stronger.
Of course, I am not satisfied with just the first level of the Profound Realm, I must continue to break through!
Upon arriving at the Eastern Temple in Chuzhou, the primary goal is to improve one's Confucian and Taoist cultivation, and to see if there is an opportunity to explore the arts of magic and witchcraft.
In particular, those who practice witchcraft and sorcery do not need spirit stones to cultivate, but they can accumulate spirit stones to purchase and feed sorcery creatures. They can then manipulate these creatures through their sorcery skills, making them impossible for enemies to defend against!
As for magic and strategy, they certainly cannot be neglected. Magic and strategy can be used to refine weapons, pills, and formations, and the most suitable thing for battle is to set up formations before battle.
It's impossible to establish these two cultivation paths in a small place like a county, but it's different once you step into Chuzhou.
The Chuzhou Grand Competition is also a set goal!
Gu Lin dismissed his thoughts, glanced at the cell, and slowly left.
The county jail only held petty thieves and thieves, who didn't have any merit points. Besides, their crimes didn't warrant the death penalty, and Gu Lin didn't want to leave a reputation for indiscriminate killing.
He led his group of swordsmen back to the Gu residence, packed their bags, and sent a letter to Chief Escort Lin of the Tongxing Escort Agency. The letter was simple: if he wanted to develop his career in Chuzhou, the Gu family could provide him with assistance.
After all, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) had done my father many favors when we were in Shiyang County.