txolops Chapter 85 A Sudden Change at Midnight, Heads Used to Make Wine
Chapter 85 A Sudden Change at Midnight, Heads Used to Make Wine
Chapter 85 A Sudden Change at Midnight, Heads Used to Make Wine
Inside the back hall of the Changning County government office, a large flower formed on the wick of the ever-burning lamp, making a crackling sound.
Wu Decai dismissed all his servants, including his personal advisor, and sent him to the front yard.
He sat alone in a grand chair, with a pot of warm pear blossom wine and two empty wine cups in front of him.
He is waiting.
He was waiting for the assassin who would return with Gu Changsheng's head, waiting for the good news that would allow him to finally rest easy.
"Gu Changsheng, Gu Changsheng, you shouldn't have blocked my path to wealth."
Wu Decai picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and the spicy wine went down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the heat and excitement in his heart.
He could almost see the young monk with the honest smile lying in the box, his head severed from his body.
As long as Gu Changsheng dies, he can pin the blame for the Zhao family's granary being opened last night entirely on the late commander's indulgence of the demonic cultivators.
At that time, the sky over Changning County will truly belong to Wu Decai.
"call"
A gust of wind swept through the room, and the candlelight on the table suddenly dimmed, turning a faint green.
That familiar stench of blood filled the air once more.
This time, Wu Decai was not afraid at all; instead, he stood up excitedly, his fat face covered with a distorted smile.
"Your Excellency! You're back!"
He looked into the shadows, where a man in black wearing a demon mask had appeared out of nowhere.
This is the high-level paper doll "Seven Kills" controlled by Gu Yan.
One of the seven assassins was carrying a round cloth bag that was still dripping blood; judging from its shape, it was a human head.
"Hahaha! Great! Excellent!"
Wu Decai rubbed his hands excitedly, his small eyes, squeezed shut by his fat, gleaming with greed. His voice was excited: "I knew it! There's nothing money can't buy! And no one the Blood River Sect can't kill!"
He couldn't wait to step forward, wanting to take the cloth bag and see for himself the state of his nemesis's death.
"Your Excellency, you've had a long journey! Please, have a seat! Let me pour you some wine!"
However, Qi Sha did not give him the cloth bag, but instead casually threw it on the table.
"Thump."
A dull thud made the wine pot on the table jump, and a few drops of leftover wine splashed onto the table, like tears of blood.
"Lord Wu, I have brought what you requested."
Qi Sha's voice remained hoarse, tinged with a hint of mockery: "However, before that, we still need to settle a few accounts."
Wu Decai was taken aback, his smile freezing on his face: "Account? What account? Didn't I already give you the meteorite iron and the blood spirit mushroom?"
"That's a deposit."
Qi Sha walked to the grand chair, sat down with an air of authority, and stared intently at Wu Decai with his green eyes. "The price for Gu Changsheng's life was indeed enough. But the problem is, someone has offered a higher price for your life."
"What?!"
Wu Decai swallowed hard, his blood freezing. "Who?! Who dares to buy the life of an official appointed by the imperial court?!"
This is impossible! I am an ally of the Blood River Sect! You cannot betray our trust—"
"ally?"
Qi Sha chuckled, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "In the face of self-interest, there are no allies. Lord Wu, after all these years of navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, don't you even understand this most basic principle?"
"No—no—"
Wu Decai retreated step by step until he was backed into a corner with his back against the wall, only then realizing that there was nowhere left to retreat.
He looked at the figure sitting in the shadows, like a judge of hell, and his legs trembled, his crotch became wet.
"How much did that person offer? I'll give double! No! Triple!" Wu Decai roared hysterically.
He frantically rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a thick wad of silver notes. "I have money! I still have money! Here, take it all!"
Qi Sha shook his head, his tone filled with pity and mockery.
"Lord Wu, some things cannot be measured by money."
"The price that person offered was called — the will of the people."
Before he finished speaking, Qi Sha's figure disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, a cold, frosty glint flashed across Wu Decai's neck.
Wu Decai's shouting stopped.
His eyes widened, and he clutched his neck tightly with both hands, trying to stop the gushing blood.
But the warm red liquid continued to overflow from between his fingers, staining his prized official robes.
"Heh ————·————"
He wanted to speak, to beg for mercy, to ask who the person who bought his life was.
But his trachea had been cut off, and he could only make this kind of leaky bellows sound.
Before he died, he caught a glimpse of the cloth bag on the table that was still dripping blood.
One corner of the cloth bag came undone, revealing what was inside.
That's not Gu Changsheng's head.
It was a straw head made of rice straw, with a piece of yellow paper pasted on it, on which his name was written:
Wu Decai.
It turns out that from the very beginning, the one who was going to die was himself.
"Thump."
Wu Decai's obese body fell heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Qi Sha stood beside the corpse, took out a clean white silk handkerchief from his bosom, and wiped the bloodstains from the short blade.
"This strike is for the 1,432 wronged souls in Guanyao Town."
"This strike is for the 300,000 people of Changning County who have been exploited to the bone by you."
"Since hell is empty and demons are on earth, then I will borrow your blood to cleanse this filthy world."
After wiping the short blade clean, Qi Sha took out a blood-red token from his pocket.
That was a token used by Blood River Sect disciples to create panic after killing someone, which he casually threw next to the corpse.
With everything settled, Qi Sha picked up the pot of warm pear blossom wine from the table, walked to the door, and glanced at the starry sky.
He poured a glass of water onto the corpse on the ground, then spilled the rest onto the ground.
"Human heads are used to make wine, to commemorate the common people. Rest in peace, everyone."
Half an hour later.
"Fire! The county government office is on fire!"
The even more piercing sound of the gong once again shattered the tranquility of Changning County.
Flames shot into the sky like a crimson dragon, engulfing the back hall of the county government office and illuminating half the night sky as if it were daytime.
When Gu Yan arrived with Xiao Chen and Song Hong, the fire had already been mostly extinguished by the water fire brigade that had rushed to the scene. Only a few charred beams remained standing forlornly, emitting wisps of smoke.
"Quickly! Put out the fire! We must rescue Lord Wu!"
Gu Yan looked anxious, wearing only a bathrobe, his hair disheveled, as if he had just crawled out of bed, as he directed the captains of the Demon Suppression Division to rush into the ruins.
Soon, Wu Decai's body was carried out.
Although it had been burned beyond recognition by smoke and fire, its iconic official robes and its large, imposing figure were unique in the entire county, making it easily recognizable.
Beside the corpse, the blood-red token stood out starkly.
"Blood River Sect!"
Xiao Chen reacted swiftly, using the tip of his sword to pick up the token. His expression changed drastically. "This is the token of an inner disciple of the Blood River Sect! Could it be that a demonic cultivator killed him to cover it up?"
"Murder to silence them?"
Upon hearing this, the clerk standing nearby felt his legs go weak and collapsed to the ground.
He recalled the message Wu Decai had sent to that official last night, and then, thinking about the tragedy that had occurred tonight, a terrifying thought formed in his mind: Wu Decai had failed in his duties and embezzled the supplies intended for the Blood River Sect, so he had been dealt with by the devil above!
"Oh my god—oh my god—" the advisor muttered to himself, his teeth chattering.
Gu Yan keenly noticed the advisor's reaction.
He walked up to the clerk, looking down at the terrified man, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Clerk, tell me everything you know."
"I—I—" The advisor raised his head and met Gu Yan's deep, unfathomable eyes, and his mental defenses completely collapsed.
He knew very well that with Wu Decai dead, the landscape of Changning County had changed.
If he wants to live, he must cling to this new powerful figure.
"Lord Gu! This humble official—no, this lowly one—understands!"
The advisor scrambled to his knees at Gu Yan's feet, pointing at Wu Decai's corpse, and tearfully accused him: "Wu Decai—he colluded with the Demonic Sect! He conspired with the Blood River Sect to traffic people, embezzle and accept bribes! This is retribution; he was double-crossed by the Demonic Sect!"
These words caused an uproar among the surrounding constables, police officers, and onlookers.
Although everyone knew in their hearts that Wu Decai was no good, the fact that his crime of colluding with the evil cult was exposed in public completely changed the nature of the matter.
"Oh? Colluding with the Demonic Sect?"
Gu Yan's face displayed a perfectly measured expression of shock and heartbreak, and he gasped, "I never imagined that the officials of our Great Wei would dance with demons and prey on the people! This is truly a misfortune for the nation and its people!"
He turned to face the crowd, his voice firm and resolute: "Since the advisor has testified against us, and we have the Blood River Sect token as proof, the evidence is irrefutable! Wu Decai deserves to die!"
"By order of this official! Immediately seize all of Wu Decai's property and verify his accounts! All embezzled funds shall be confiscated and used for water conservancy repairs and to provide relief to orphans and widows!"
"Furthermore, martial law is declared throughout the city, and a manhunt is underway for the Blood River Sect's wicked members! We cannot allow such criminals to escape justice!"
"yes!"
The captains of the Demon Suppression Division responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
The people looked at the young man who stood in front of the ruins and gave orders with even greater awe.
First, they opened up the granary of that tyrant Zhao Yuanwai, and now they've exposed the true face of the corrupt official and are going to distribute his assets to everyone.
This is simply a living Bodhisattva descended to earth!
The City God's Seal in Gu Yan's arms once again felt warm, and he would soon be able to establish his foundation in the Divine Path.
He glanced at Wu Decai's corpse on the ground and sneered inwardly.
In this cannibalistic world, if you want to be a good person, you have to be more ruthless and decisive than the evil people.
Wu Decai's death not only eliminated a potential threat for Gu Yan, but also became a stepping stone for him to control Changning County and establish absolute prestige.
"Lord Gu."
At this moment, the clerk cautiously approached, his face full of obsequiousness, "Now that the county magistrate is dead and the county clerk has resigned due to illness and returned to his hometown, Changning County cannot be without a leader for even a day. In my humble opinion, why don't you temporarily assume the position of county magistrate and take charge of the overall situation?"
Gu Yan gave him a half-smile.
That advisor is a good dog; he's a master at changing his tune depending on the situation.
However, Gu Yan did not intend to refuse.
After all, only by seizing administrative power could he more legitimately implement his plans and collect the incense offerings from all directions.
"Since that's the case, for the sake of the people of Changning, I will do my duty without hesitation."
Gu Yan nodded slightly and accepted the county magistrate's seal, which was covered in ashes, from the clerk.
The seal was heavy in my hand; it carried the weight of power.
Gu Yan gripped the seal tightly, his gaze passing through the bustling crowd, looking towards the distant east where the sky was gradually turning a pale white.
Its daybreak.
In the end, he changed the fate of Changning County.
In that deserted corner, a paper figure without facial features stood in the shadows, blending into the darkness.
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