Chapter 75: The Imperial Envoy Arrives

Liaochen had no reason to fear a few mere street thugs. He stood motionless as the burly men brought down their short, thick cudgels—each as heavy as a child’s arm—directly onto his head. Just as the surrounding crowd let out gasps, expecting to see the Taoist’s head split open and blood flowing, the scene took a bizarre turn. The thugs suddenly let out agonizing screams, as if the cudgels had struck their own skulls rather than his. They collapsed onto the ground, blood streaming from their heads, writhing and wailing in sheer terror.

This uncanny spectacle left the onlookers stunned. Not only were the "relatives" of the supposed deceased pale and trembling, unable to utter a sound, but the entire crowd held their breath in collective fear.

Liaochen swept his gaze across the onlookers and let out a cold laugh. The crowd recoiled instantly. Those who had been most boisterous in stirring up trouble moments ago suddenly turned ashen, as if their seats had caught fire. They could no longer stand still; without a second thought, they scrambled to flee for their lives. Yet, once they had fallen under Liaochen’s gaze, how could they possibly escape?

"Come back!" Liaochen commanded sharply. Though the fleeing men were sprinting forward with all their might, their bodies were dragged backward inch by inch. The scene was utterly surreal, leaving the men so terrified that they were colorless, their spirits shattered, on the verge of tears.

"Infinite Life and Boundless Blessing! Speak now: who sent you? I am not a man of violence; I only wish to ask a few questions. But if you refuse to speak, then as a man of the mountains, unburdened by worldly karma, I shall hand you over to the magistrate. While I am a man of mercy, others may not be so kind. I give you a count of three. If you exceed it, bear the consequences yourself!" Liaochen smiled with a relaxed and gentle air, yet it sent a chill to the very marrow of the captives. The Taoist’s methods were too strange, his powers too unfathomable. Who knew what kind of being he really was?

"Three," Liaochen said, extending three fingers. The men trembled violently, yet they kept their heads bowed low, stubbornly refusing to speak.

"Two," Liaochen curled one finger. Still, there was no response.

"One," Liaochen flicked his final finger, the smile slowly fading from his face. The captives opened their mouths, but the thought of their masters forced them to swallow the words back down.

"Sigh." Liaochen let out a long breath and curled his last finger. "Infinite Taiyi, Boundless Blessing! Since you will not speak, so be it. When your masters sent you out, they surely did not expect me to pluck you from the crowd. Master Huang, Master Zhang, Boss Li, and Young Master Wei—even if you do not speak, I already know. But your masters will not save you just because you are loyal. When they find themselves in danger, they will be too busy silencing you to care! Heaven’s sins may be forgiven, but those who bring disaster upon themselves cannot survive. Since you were bought to take the life of an innocent, let this be your retribution."

With that, Liaochen ignored the terrified men on the ground. He turned toward the street outside the crowd and called out in a low, resonant voice, "You have been waiting to charge in and make arrests, have you not? You may act now. If you continue to pretend you are not there, do not blame me."

No sooner had his voice fallen than a large group of yamen runners surged out from a shop less than ten meters away. Leading them was Constable Liang, who was already drenched in cold sweat. Seeing Liaochen, he hurried over, bowing and scraping with a sycophantic grin. "Great Immortal, please, have mercy! I was merely following orders. Had I known it was you, I wouldn't have dared to disturb you, even if I had the courage of a bear! Please, overlook this small slight and show us some leniency."

Liaochen did not answer. In truth, these runners had indeed been sent by the provincial governor’s secretary, specifically to back the extortionists. If the extortion failed or a fight broke out, these men were meant to swoop in and drag everyone to the magistrate’s office, where the outcome would be decided by those who pulled the strings.

"Sigh," Liaochen finally let out a long sigh. The corruption in the Guizhou officialdom was so deep—who knew how many heads would have to roll before the people of Guizhou could see a clear sky again?

"Infinite Taiyi, Boundless Blessing! Take these men away. Look after that little girl; she was abducted. If you can help her find her parents, it will count as a virtuous deed. Handle it as you see fit." Having said this, Liaochen returned to the Yuewei Grass Hall. Only then did Constable Liang and his men breathe a sigh of relief. They immediately turned their backs on their former "acquaintances" on the ground and began locking them up one by one. The governor’s office knew full well who this "Great Immortal" was, but the matter was too sensitive to be spread. Offending the people behind these thugs meant, at worst, returning home to farm. Offending this Immortal meant perhaps losing the chance to farm altogether. Besides, after today, it was uncertain how much longer those behind the scenes would even remain in power.

"Little girl, do you remember where your home is?" With Liaochen’s guidance, Constable Liang was eager to comply. If an immortal of the world points you toward a virtuous deed and you refuse to do it, are you tired of your own life?

The runners dragged the murderous extortionists off to the magistrate’s office for interrogation, and Liaochen returned to his grass hall to continue selling medicine. The commotion outside had been resolved, and peace was restored. The stream of customers returned, more vigorous than before. A while later, the couple Mo Mo and his wife arrived, breathless from running. Seeing that all was calm, they heaved a sigh of relief. Being clever, they asked no questions and immediately set to work helping.

Around noon, when the three were taking a break to eat, Liaochen suddenly looked toward the southeast and sighed heavily. "They have finally arrived."

The couple was baffled. "Who has arrived?"

Liaochen smiled but did not answer. Instead, he asked Mo Mo, "Young Master Mo, do you still harbor hopes for the imperial examinations?"

Mo Mo gave a bitter laugh. "As a student, I am good for nothing else. If not for the exams, what else could I do?"

Liaochen nodded. Mo Mo had the aura of a scholar, though it was very faint. Without intervention, he would likely waste his life as a mere licentiate. However, if he possessed merit, his fate might be changed. Once the plague was dealt with, even if Mo Mo did not ask, Liaochen intended to help him seek the blessing of the Wenchang Star to bolster his academic fortune. It would be a fitting return for Mo Mo’s kind assistance.

Just as the three were speaking in the Yuewei Grass Hall, a troop of cavalry appeared outside the gates of Guiyang. They bore the banners of an Imperial Envoy, traveling with the authority of the Emperor himself, and rode openly into the city. In an instant, the local officials were thrown into a state of panic. Some wailed, "Disaster is upon us," while others fainted on the spot. Some scrambled to gather their wealth to flee, while others plotted to pull strings and bribe their way out. The officials were a chaotic tapestry of fear and desperation.

There was no mystery to it. An Imperial Envoy appearing without warning clearly meant they had come with ill intent.