https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-255-The-Power-of-the-Celestial-Sight-Eye/13031085/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-257-Establishing-the-White-Tiger-Hall/13031087/
Chapter 256: A Heinous Incident
Chapter 256: A Heinous Incident
September 25, 2017
Compared to the five resource points that were not suitable for mining, there were several mountain villages and refugee camps under Lu HaiKong's Fire Word Regiment that had not been visited before. These could be developed and utilized. Conquering the refugee camps would not only provide abundant resources but also potentially yield talented individuals.
Especially within the refugee camps, those with a population of over five hundred had a higher chance of producing scholars. Zhang Wen and Li Feng were prime examples of this.
In the depths of the mountains, there seemed to be quite a few refugee camps of this size. If things went well, it was estimated that they could gain several scholars. If they could acquire a few scholars every month, it would be of significant importance to the mountain village.
As the village grew larger, more and more matters began to surface. Managing the village with just Wang Jun and a few others was an overwhelming task, and these were all matters that could not be ignored. Having Xi ZhiCai handle such trivial matters was a waste of his talents.
However, Lu HaiKong had just obtained these resource points using the Celestial Sight Eye, and before he could even rejoice, trouble emerged within the village, causing a headache for Lu HaiKong.
Since Xi ZhiCai started negotiating with Qiangyin Shijia, in just around ten days, Qiangyin Shijia exerted their influence and sent nearly ten thousand refugees to the village.
These refugees were all from the vicinity of Qiangyin County. Among them were various types of people, including mountain bandits and robbers. Naturally, there were also many spies planted by the aristocratic families.
With so many people, incidents were bound to occur within the village.
Fortunately, due to Lu HaiKong's efforts over several months to win the hearts of the people, the internal environment of the village remained stable. Although the newly joined refugees had diverse backgrounds, they were mostly simple commoners. For them, joining such a village was a blessing.
So, after they joined the village, they worked diligently and quickly integrated into the community.
Not all refugees were as honest as these farmers, though. Many, after entering the village, soon discovered the lack of lower-level security management, and gradually, their courage grew. Some merely stole things, while others were more outrageous.
The incidents that caught Lu HaiKong's attention were of a magnitude that incited public outrage.
On this day, as Lu HaiKong finished some work, the mountain bandits below reported that a woman-killing criminal had been captured in the village. Hearing this, Lu HaiKong became furious.
Lu HaiKong was aware of the minor thefts and disturbances within the village due to the increase in refugees. Xi ZhiCai was even considering implementing security measures, and Lu HaiKong had proposed a security plan. But before Xi ZhiCai could finalize it, this incident occurred, causing Lu HaiKong's anger.
When Lu HaiKong arrived at the village square with his men, two naked female corpses were displayed. Seeing this, Lu HaiKong's fury intensified.
"Who allowed you to disrespect the deceased like this?" Lu HaiKong spoke as he approached the square. He ordered his men to bring a cloth to cover the naked corpses. Then, Lu HaiKong instructed the villagers to bring forward the captured criminal.
To Lu HaiKong's surprise, the criminal brought forward had a trustworthy and honest appearance, not resembling a murderer at all. Moreover, this man was shouting his innocence, and those who captured him were the newly joined refugees.
Upon seeing this, Lu HaiKong's eyebrows furrowed. He remembered that this man was not from the second batch of refugees but had been in the village for a long time, a very honest fellow.
Upon seeing the farmer being brought out, especially when the new refugees were holding him, Lu HaiKong instinctively felt that something was amiss.
But by this point, the crowd was already riled up, and if Lu HaiKong had arrived a few minutes later, the man would have been beaten to death on the spot.
This incident revealed another issue, or rather, a flaw, to Lu HaiKong. Since the establishment of the mountain fort, there was not only a lack of law enforcement, but also an absence of laws within the fort itself.
When the fort initially had only a few thousand people, Lu HaiKong's prestige was enough to maintain order. However, with the increasing population, various crimes, including criminal cases, were bound to occur. The lack of laws within the fort had become a pressing issue that Lu HaiKong could not afford to ignore.
Of course, both the establishment of laws and the formation of a law enforcement team were matters that Lu HaiKong needed to address in the future. But before that, he had to resolve this heinous case.
The simplest and most direct solution would be to sacrifice this honest and simple-minded farmer, pin all the blame on him, and execute him. This would be the easiest way, and afterward, Lu HaiKong could just fill in the gaps in the fort's management.
But Lu HaiKong had never even considered such a thought.
"Who caught him? Is there anyone who witnessed the entire crime and can come forward as a witness?" Lu HaiKong's words instantly silenced the crowd. A few people in the crowd tried to quietly slip away, but they were stopped by the villagers.
Lu HaiKong's reputation within the mountain fort was akin to the sun at noon. Despite the presence of numerous newcomers, his prestige remained unchallenged. When he gave the order, the few men who had captured the honest farmer were pushed forward.
Lu HaiKong took a look and realized that these men were new refugees. After some interrogation, it was revealed that their occupations were not exactly honorable; some were mountain bandits, others were robbers, and there were even thugs among them.
Upon seeing them, Lu HaiKong had a rough idea of what had transpired.
"You few, did you witness the process of his rape and murder? And did you capture him?" Lu HaiKong's gaze carried the force of a mountain-splitting axe, and under this immense pressure, these men, who didn't even have any martial prowess, immediately knelt down. Their mouths trembled, and it took a while before they could speak.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your admission of guilt. Now, I want to ask you properly: how did he manage to rape and murder these two women? I've just examined their corpses, and the time of death is not far apart. Can you clarify my doubts?"
In truth, the perpetrators of this crime were not the honest farmer but the men standing before Lu HaiKong. The farmer had actually discovered their actions and tried to stop them, but being outnumbered, he was quickly overpowered and knocked down. These men then stripped the farmer of his clothes and summoned a large number of newly arrived refugees to frame him for the crime.
Since the two murdered women were also new refugees, the anger of the villagers was easily ignited. The new refugees naturally formed a united front, initially believing the real culprits.
The real murderers had intended to kill the honest farmer to solidify his guilt, but the first batch of villagers in the fort stepped in to maintain order and called for Lu HaiKong.
(End of Chapter)
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