Chapter 391: Xu Qing's Counterattack

"Lead the way," Xu Qing said calmly.

His demeanor caused the two Disciples of the Bureau of Punishments to narrow their eyes slightly. They scrutinized Xu Qing, hesitation rising in their hearts. After exchanging glances, they gritted their teeth, took out their instruments of punishment, and walked towards Xu Qing.

Xu Qing seemed pensive, while the Captain raised an eyebrow.

At this moment, both of them, seeing this unreasonable scene, fully understood the other party's intentions.

The Captain smiled, a sinister smile.

Xu Qing offered no resistance, allowing the two from the Bureau of Punishments to place the instruments of punishment on him before he began to walk forward.

Because he walked slowly, one of the Bureau of Punishments disciples nearby shouted at him.

Xu Qing turned his head, gave him a deep look, and without a word, continued on with the two men as they departed.

Observing all this, Zi Xuan chose to trust Xu Qing to handle it. Nevertheless, she took out a jade slip and contacted her friends in the county capital, adding a layer of assurance to the situation through her own means.

Chen Tinghao did the same. He wasn't usually a busybody, but he was particularly keen on Sword Holders. At once, he contacted the Sword Holder Palace to report the incident.

"Everyone, no need to panic. It's clear they're trying to frame Little A Qing. The attempt is too obvious and crude."

"If such a crude method still works on Junior Brother, then our many years in the Demon Hunting Department would have been for nothing."

"This matter will be resolved in three to five days at most. When the time comes, just trust me and do as I say." The Captain watched Xu Qing's receding figure, a fire burning in his own heart.

It was the first time he had seen his junior brother taken away like this right before his eyes.

Meanwhile, outside the county capital, within one of the three massive floating palaces, in a side hall of the Bureau of Punishments, Zhang Siyun stood cautiously and submissively to the side, his face tense.

This was a side of him no outsider had ever witnessed.

The usually gloomy, ruthless, and cold Zhang Siyun only displayed such an expression in front of one person: his mother.

His mother was currently seated at a nearby desk, her head bowed as she reviewed the Bureau of Punishments' dossiers.

Though already a mother, her raven-black hair, delicate, porcelain-white skin, and exquisite small face made her appear like a fairy stepping out of a painting into the mortal world.

Her beauty was dazzling, as if untouched by the mundane world.

She looked nothing like Zhang Siyun's mother, but rather more like his elder sister.

She sat with a perfectly straight posture, which accentuated her full bosom and beautiful curves.

Zhang Siyun barely dared to breathe, waiting silently with his head bowed.

After a long wait, a knock came from outside the side hall. As the woman's clear voice sounded, the door opened.

The two cultivators who had taken Xu Qing away respectfully stepped inside and knelt before the woman seated at the head.

"Greetings, Excellency."

"Excellency, Xu Qing has been brought and placed in the cell. Unfortunately, his sect offered no resistance, and Xu Qing did not resist arrest... May I ask how we should proceed?"

"That minor sect isn't entirely brainless. There's no need to 'process' him; just keep him confined." The woman put down the dossier, raised her elegant head, and spoke calmly to her two subordinates.

The two cultivators met the woman's gaze, their minds uncontrollably stirred. Despite seeing her often, each time they saw their superior, a sense of restlessness inevitably arose within them.

Their superior's beauty possessed a deadly allure, yet they were also keenly aware of her ruthlessness. So, with a shiver, they quickly bowed their heads in affirmation and retreated.

Seeing his mother's two subordinates leave, Zhang Siyun could barely conceal his emotional turmoil, looking at his mother with anticipation.

The origin of this matter was his arrival, after which he informed his mother of the reasons behind the Sword Holder Tribunal's failure in Yinghuang Prefecture. This led to the arrest of the Eight Sects Alliance branch members.

His mother orchestrated the entire process: first arresting the branch members, then extracting some vague and misleading information, which led to Xu Qing being targeted.

Now that Xu Qing had also been captured, Zhang Siyun's mind began to scheme.

"Mother, Xu Qing has two life lamps..."

"Silence!" Zhang Siyun's mother said plainly.

At her words, Zhang Siyun's spirit trembled, and he dared not speak.

"Your father was a waste, and I thought you might be better, but you're also useless. You can't even get a Sword Holder Token; you needed your grand-master's special recruitment."

Zhang Siyun lowered his head, a bitter taste in his heart.

Gazing at her son, Yao Yunhui sighed inwardly. She was indeed somewhat disappointed with Zhang Siyun.

"Yun'er, you must take things one step at a time. That Xu Qing shines with immense glory, personally appointed by the Great Emperor. The Dao Bell of the Sword Holder Palace in Fenghai County Capital rang for him once. He's the focus of much attention, with many people observing him, and he represents the prestige of Yinghuang Prefecture. Do you truly believe you can just act against him as you please?"

"Are you trying to fish, Mother?" Zhang Siyun mused.

"You've finally stopped being utterly foolish. Yes, my first purpose in confining him was to see who would speak out to stop it, and who would observe coldly. After all, with his immense glory, I don't believe everyone wishes to see it."

"Someone like Xu Qing can only be targeted when he has just arrived and is still unestablished. Once he officially takes office, who would dare to provoke him lightly?"

"You cannot rush things."

"Besides, this matter can't possibly lead to his conviction. My second purpose in arresting him wasn't even to convict him!"

"In three days at most, I'll release him on the grounds that the investigation needs further time. His branch sect members will also be released."

"But since my investigation won't be officially concluded, his record will henceforth include an entry: 'suspected of overstepping authority'."

"This will partially obscure his immense glory, but it's not enough. This matter needs to be recorded several more times in different ways. After multiple instances, his immense glory will fade in the eyes of the world. At that point, we can make arrangements for him to meet with an 'accident'."

"Then no one will be able to say anything. As for his life lamps, you can't just take them directly. Instead, have them officially submitted, and then you can exchange them using your military merits. That way, you acquire them legitimately."

"Doing things isn't all about fighting and killing. You still need more experience."

Zhang Siyun's mother spoke softly, her voice like a clear spring—except this spring was dark and imbued with venom.

Zhang Siyun, standing nearby, took a deep breath upon hearing this and bowed deeply to his mother.

Meanwhile, in the grand prison of the Bureau of Punishments, Xu Qing sat cross-legged in his cell, calmly observing his surroundings.

These cells were not the county capital's main underground prison, but rather temporary holding cells of the Bureau of Punishments, similar to those once found in the Demon Hunting Department.

There weren't many prisoners around, but due to poor ventilation, a foul smell pervaded the area, accompanied by waves of cold and dampness.

As for his cultivation, it had been completely suppressed by the instruments of punishment. However, this was merely superficial; Xu Qing possessed many methods to restore his cultivation.

Whether it was his shadow, the poison seal within him, or the power of the purple moon, any of these could enable him to do so.

But Xu Qing was not in a hurry.

He had mentally confirmed the entire situation from start to finish: this incident was clearly aimed at him. However, the protective effect of his immense glory was also evident at this moment.

After putting himself in the other party's shoes, Xu Qing's understanding of everything became even clearer.

"Deliberately slandering, leaving vague and unclear stains, thereby eroding the invisible protection of immense glory."

"Good idea, but crude execution."

Xu Qing shook his head.

In his judgment, the other party would likely release him in a few days on the grounds of delaying the investigation. However, since the matter wouldn't be truly resolved, his record would definitely include this entry.

For humans of orthodox lineage who valued their records, his resume would no longer be pristine.

In addition to his immense glory, there would also be an accusation of "suspected of overstepping authority."

Although it was only a "suspicion" and seemed minor, he figured there would be a series of subsequent events to achieve the ultimate goal.

The plan seemed cunning, but in reality, the other party lacked more sophisticated methods.

A cold glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. It would be easy to resolve this matter, but he wanted more than just a resolution. That wasn't his nature; he wanted to retaliate.

Just like in the slums, if he couldn't immediately kill someone who showed hostility after a confrontation, he would find a way to make them suffer.

When the Ancestor of the Vajra Sect pursued him back then, he could have escaped, but he chose to return and burn down the Vajra Sect. This was also due to his nature.

However, in different environments, the methods of retaliation would naturally vary.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing closed his eyes.

He had already devised a plan for retaliation.

Time flowed, and three days quickly passed.

The disciples of the Eight Sects Alliance branch, who had been imprisoned for ten days, were released by the Bureau of Punishments, each carrying a sense of grievance.

During those ten days, although they were interrogated, the questions were vague and lacked concrete content, so much so that they still didn't know the actual reason for their detention.

The moment they walked out of the Bureau of Punishments, they saw Senior Immortal Zi Xuan and her group, who had received the news and were waiting outside.

"Greetings, Senior Immortal!" The leading branch sect master, from the Third Peak, felt a pang of shame the moment he saw Zi Xuan. He quickly stepped forward and bowed with cupped fists.

Zi Xuan nodded as she looked at the branch sect members. She didn't see Xu Qing in the crowd and seemed pensive.

The old woman from the Five Peaks beside her also reacted similarly.

Only the Captain, putting on an anxious facade, secretly winked at Wu Jianwu.

Wu Jianwu quickly took out a recording jade slip.

Besides them, Chen Tinghao was also there to pick up Xu Qing. This time, he hadn't come alone but had brought over a dozen Sword Holders with whom he was on good terms.

"Where's Xu Qing?"

As everyone looked surprised, Xu Qing's figure slowly emerged from within the Bureau of Punishments, pushed along by the two cultivators from the Bureau of Punishments.

"With all your immense glory, you were still suspected of overstepping authority. This time, you got lucky."

"When you go back, I hope you reflect carefully. Your case is merely paused, not concluded."

The two cultivators from the Bureau of Punishments spoke chillingly. After leading out the expressionless Xu Qing, they were about to remove his instruments of punishment.

But just then, Xu Qing's body trembled, his eyes dimmed, and he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

The blood splattered onto the ground, a shocking sight. At the same moment, Xu Qing's entire body erupted in a mist of blood, as wounds appeared all over him.

Every single one of these wounds was horrifying, deep enough to expose bone. They seemed to have been concealed by a spell previously, but now they were perfectly clear.

Countless wounds appeared on Xu Qing's face, neck, and exposed skin. It was easy to imagine that many more lay beneath his clothes.

Blood had already spread, soaking his entire robe.

All of this gave the impression that Xu Qing had endured inhuman torment and brutal abuse during his three days of confinement. The perpetrator seemed utterly depraved, having almost flayed him alive.

Furthermore, at that very moment, his internal organs ruptured, and many of his bones shattered, rendering him unable to support his body. He stumbled forward.

He was on his last breath, in an utterly tragic state, teetering on the brink of death!

This was Xu Qing's method of retaliation.

Just as one strikes a snake at its seven-inch vital point, the principle of counterattacking was to make the opponent uncomfortable, to make what they didn't want to happen actually occur, escalating a minor incident into a major one.

Just as he had, back when he witnessed the incident at the Water Diversion Department, secretly flicked a small stone at Huang Yan, causing Huang Yan to react by spitting out blood and appearing utterly miserable, successfully blowing the matter up.

This time, Xu Qing planned to do the same, though he needed the Captain's cooperation. Xu Qing was completely confident that the Captain would exceed expectations.

"Xu Qing!!" The Captain let out a heartbroken cry, lunging forward to catch Xu Qing's falling body.

Xu Qing's eyes were dim, and he spat out more blood, his body becoming further drenched. His gaze became utterly vacant, dim to the extreme, and his breath was no more than a whisper.

These were real injuries, not feigned ones.

Both the flesh wounds and internal organ damage were genuinely present. His internal cultivation was in disarray, and even his Heavenly Palace showed cracks at this moment.

The instruments of punishment on him possessed the power to seal cultivation.

Under these instruments of punishment, it was impossible to inflict such injuries upon oneself. Therefore, there was only one obvious answer...

"The Bureau of Punishments!"

"What heinous crime did my junior brother Xu Qing commit, that you would torture him so severely, punish him so maliciously, and torment him so ruthlessly!"

The Captain's hair was disheveled as he shrieked in anguish.

"Bureau of Punishments! Tell me, what crime did my junior brother commit?!"

"He's just an ordinary newly appointed Sword Holder, here to report for duty! You took him away on his first day, right in front of us, putting instruments of punishment on him to seal his cultivation! Three days! Only three days, and he's already unrecognizable!!"

The Captain was overcome with grief and indignation. Senior Immortal Zi Xuan was also seething with rage. All the disciples of the Eight Sects Alliance were filled with earth-shattering fury at this moment. Even Chen Tinghao and the other Sword Holders had intense anger in their eyes as they all stepped forward.

This scene instantly caused a commotion at the Bureau of Punishments. The two cultivators from the Bureau of Punishments who had brought Xu Qing out felt their minds reel, utterly bewildered. They hadn't laid a hand on Xu Qing; no one had touched him in these three days.

Yet, the injuries were undeniably real.

As the crowd's fury shook the surroundings, Xu Qing's shadow subtly trembled...

At the same time, the Captain, holding Xu Qing, had veins bulging on his neck. With bloodshot eyes, he let out a tragic, mournful laugh.

"Junior Brother, why aren't you breathing? We promised to protect humanity together, to wield swords for humanity, to shine brightly across the land!"

"Junior Brother, who beat you so cruelly? Why did they do this? Was it because your immense glory made them envious, or did you offend Zhang Siyun?"

"Why were you so foolish? Zhang Siyun's mother works for the Bureau of Punishments! I told you not to come, but you said you believed in human justice, you believed in the glory of the Sword Holders!"

"We spent eight months to get here, just to face this kind of slander and cruel death?!"

"Junior Brother, what good is immense glory if it can't protect you from being cruelly beaten by villains?!"

"What good is being personally appointed by the Great Emperor if it can't protect you from torture by evil people!!"

"Is this how Sword Holders are bullied?"

"Junior Brother, today, even if it means sacrificing my identity as a Sword Holder, your Senior Brother will fight for justice for you!"

"Bureau of Punishments, if my junior brother is truly guilty, show me the evidence, and I'll say nothing. But if my junior brother is clearly innocent yet has been so cruelly harmed and abused by you, then this matter... will never be settled!"

"This is intolerable by heaven's law!"

"This cannot be tolerated by his immense glory!"

"This cannot be tolerated by the Great Emperor's personal appointment!"

The Captain, with bloodshot eyes, roared wildly, his voice so loud that it echoed throughout the Bureau of Punishments and in every direction.

And though it was unknown who cast the spell, thunder instantly erupted in the sky. The earth-shaking rumble and flashing lightning illuminated the face of the Ancient Emperor Xuanyou's statue, making it appear even more majestic.

The sky was raging, and even the Ancient Emperor seemed to be enraged.