https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-617-The-Name-of-the-Pacifying-Evil-Office/12919784/
Chapter 618: Divine Hand Zhao and Curse Breaking Chen
Chapter 618: Divine Hand Zhao and Curse Breaking Chen
"It's finally over..."
Hu Ma, with a blade under his arm, looked at the crowd of commoners bowing and the martial artists who had transformed into heroes. He wore a black cloth robe and a smiling mask, quietly disappearing into the darkness without saying much.
The Wogui Great Swordswoman, as a wandering ghost executioner, needed to maintain an air of mystery.
To kill the Earthbound Snake Spirit, one must act swiftly without hesitation. To execute Yan Laotai, all the evidence of his crimes must be presented, ensuring a clear and just punishment.
Additionally, when arriving, one must not be hindered, and the killing intent must not be disrupted. When leaving, one must also not attract too much attention, allowing people to feel that the executioner appears and disappears mysteriously, as if omnipresent, to truly instill fear.
Of course, there were still many matters to handle in the Yan Family Mansion and Guazhou City.
But that was no longer the executioner's task.
The investigation of the Yan Family required Zhang Agu, the Wogui Questioning Magistrate, Yan Laotai's corpse, and the numerous commoners and martial artists seeking justice. All of this was prepared for her.
If anyone disagreed with her handling of the Yan Family matter, then Qi Gu Nainai, the Reasoning Magistrate, would step in. As for the most practical matters, such as the Yan Family's estate, fields, salt mines, blood nourishing pill, wine shops, and the courtesans they kept outside...
It was time for Hong Deng Niangniang to take action.
There was no need to worry about Hong Deng Niangniang being overwhelmed, as she had many capable people under her command. Moreover, Erguotou currently had nothing urgent to attend to.
Unfortunately, the Yan Family had been officials for seven generations, and their wealth had accumulated over two hundred years. Who knew how much gold, silver, jewels, antiques, paintings, and other treasures were hidden within the mansion? Hu Ma had just noticed that everything had been thoroughly looted...
...Damn it, they had searched every inch, leaving nothing behind!
As for what remained, it was the foundation of Guazhou and its surroundings. Hu Ma didn't need to worry, as Zhou Datong would follow his instructions and appear to seal off the Yan Family's mansion to preserve evidence. He would also send Xiao Hong Tang to notify Miao Shan Immortal in Mingzhou.
Whoever had the heart to turn Iron Threshold King and his two thousand personal guards into a bonsai display? Iron Threshold King, backed by the Yan Family, had a formidable presence and commanded the Iron Threshold Army of thirty to fifty thousand soldiers. But despite his large force, only these two to three thousand soldiers were truly loyal. Now that they had all perished, the entire Iron Threshold Army was leaderless.
If Miao Shan Immortal seized this opportunity, she might be able to secure this vast territory for the Beefless faction.
With the Beefless faction controlling the south, the Grain Guard Army in the north, the White Armor Army in the west, and the Iron Threshold Army in the south, the three armies could unite, coordinate their efforts, and plan for greater endeavors.
However, for Hu Ma, the most pressing matter was the first gathering of reincarnators.
As he thought, Hu Ma transformed into a dead body, unnoticed by the bustling city where people were beating drums and discussing the Yan Family. He quickly made his way west to meet with Lao Suandan, Wu Ya, and others.
He moved swiftly and soon left the lively area, approaching Zhao's mansion.
"Impressive skills..."
Just then, as he hurried along silently, a faint sigh echoed in front of him. He stopped abruptly, narrowing his eyes and looking ahead.
At the alley entrance, two figures emerged, one on each side. One wore a silver robe and a red crown, exuding an air of wealth and fashion, almost to the point of being flamboyant.
The other was wrapped in a black robe, revealing only a beautiful but lifeless face, standing at the alley entrance, staring at Hu Ma. It was the man with the red crown who spoke.
Hu Ma's expression remained unchanged, but his spirit was instantly alert. With three of his manor doors open, he was sensitive to every movement. Yet, these two appeared without warning, like ghosts.
Especially since both of them possessed an extraordinary aura, unlike ordinary people. Hu Ma had encountered them before and thought they were reincarnators. But seeing them blocking his path, he realized that if they were truly reincarnators, they wouldn't be standing in his way.
"Divine Hand Zhao Clan's Zhao Sanyi and Curse Breaking Chen Clan's Chen Abao..."
The two were also examining Hu Ma. With a light sigh, the man in the red crown raised his hand slightly and bowed, "Greetings to the Evil Suppressing Hu of the Pacifying Evil Office, the executioner..."
"Ten Surnames?"
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat.
Only direct descendants of the Ten Surnames' main families could bear the names of Divine Hand Zhao and Curse Breaking Chen. Even the side branches didn't have this qualification. But the Ten Surnames were like dragons, rarely seen. Now, two of them had appeared before him?
The impact of this realization was significant, but Hu Ma remained composed, merely nodding slightly. He also slowly raised his hand and returned the bow, saying indifferently, "What brings you here?"
Hu Ma's identity as the Wogui Executioner Magistrate placed him in a higher position than the Ten Surnames' disciples.
However, the Wogui Executioner Magistrate was the foremost among the magistrates and only acknowledged the main family. When encountering other disciples of the Ten Surnames, there was no need to kowtow or pay respects.
"We just have some questions."
After the exchange of greetings, the man with the red crown, resembling a rooster, spoke with impatience, "We don't find it strange that you came to kill the Earthbound Snake Spirit.
"But within a short time of your arrival, you thoroughly investigated the Yan family, even dealing with the ascended Yan Family Patriarch. Was this planned by your young master, or do you truly possess such abilities?"
"..."
'Indeed!'
Hu Ma listened to their words, his mind racing. He had prepared his response, almost blurting it out, but then thought better of it, remembering his role as the Great Swordswoman. He didn't rush to speak and even showed no intention of answering, only saying indifferently:
"Ascended?"
"Do you also think that old demon of the Yan family is an immortal?"
"..."
"This..."
The Divine Hand Zhao Clan's Zhao Sanyi, who was initially a bit anxious, paused upon hearing Hu Ma's retort. The person beside him, Chen Abao, wrapped in a black robe, shrank back and said, "Well, that's what everyone is saying."
"Whether it's an immortal or not, it's just a title..."
"..."
"Hmph!"
Hu Ma gave a cold hum, holding a blade in his arms, and said coldly, "I don't know what others say or think of Yan Family Patriarch, but the Pacifying Evil Office considers him a malevolent spirit."
"Since it's a malevolent spirit, we won't show mercy. We'll just cut it down without hesitation. What's the big deal?"
"..."
"This..."
With just one question and answer, the situation shifted, making Hu Ma seem a bit more formidable.
Zhao Sanyi of the Divine Hand Zhao Clan scratched his head beside his red crown, his expression carrying a hint of wryness and worry. He lowered his voice and said, "This isn't something to discuss in front of outsiders. You don't need to worry about our intentions. It's just that..."
"Just that your Pacifying Evil Office's actions are truly terrifying. Do you know the consequences of opening the office's doors so widely?"
"You could have handled this trip more elegantly, but have you considered that your actions might have attracted real malevolent spirits?"
"..."
'Hua!'
Hearing this, Hu Ma's heart sank, but he was prepared for such a possibility and maintained his composure. He replied nonchalantly, "What malevolent spirit are you talking about, Young Master Zhao? Why don't you just speak plainly?"
His voice carried a hint of coldness. After all, one of the ten surnames had appeared in Guazhou City and intentionally blocked the road to inquire about malevolent spirits, which warranted caution.
"Understand? Do I need to explain it further?"
Hearing Hu Ma's response, the young master of the Zhao family seemed a bit anxious. He furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, "Although you haven't crossed the bridge yet, since you're following that young master and have become the Great Swordswoman, you must have some understanding."
"Didn't you hear before that there's a most terrifying malevolent spirit in this world, an evil ghost that crawled out from the depths of the underworld? They hide their heads and reveal their tails, acting sinisterly and terrifyingly, with the sole intention of wreaking havoc on the mortal world."
"..."
His words made Hu Ma vigilant, and Chen Abao, who was hiding in the black robe, sighed and said gloomily,
"Your Pacifying Evil Office sure is impressive..."
"You're not like the Zhao family, who only knows how to perform tricks and deceive others, or us, the Chen family, who hide in the mountains and refine ourselves, only to be looked down upon..."
"Sigh, speaking of this, people used to say that at least the Hu family was at the bottom of the ten surnames, and our two families weren't the most disgraced. But after tonight's events spread, who would dare look down on the Hu family of wandering ghosts?"
"In the future, the most disgraced among the ten surnames will be the Zhao family, who only knows tricks, and our Chen family!"
"..."
"?"
Hu Ma was starting to feel a bit lost. What were they trying to say?
Why did it sound like a mix of grievances and complaints?
"You..."
Zhao Sanyi from the Divine Hand Zhao Clan was also a bit flustered. He glared at Chen Abao and whispered, "Why are you starting again? We're still one of the ten surnames, we're not that disgraced..."
"Besides, next time you pity yourself, just talk about the Chen family..."
"Don't drag us, the Zhao family, into it!"
"..."
"Isn't that right?"
Chen Abao immediately showed dissatisfaction and said, "Your Zhao family calls itself Divine Hand Zhao, but others call you Trickster Zhao behind your backs. Our Chen family calls itself Curse Breaking Chen, but others call us Living Ghost Chen..."
"No need to pretend, Brother Zhao. I know you secretly talk about how the Meng family only knows how to bow their heads, and the Hu family is almost extinct. But admit it, the Meng family is now revered, and the Hu family has also gained prestige..."
"Among the ten surnames, the most disgraced is indeed our Chen family, but at least we have the Zhao family at the bottom..."
"..."
"Only you are ashamed of your origins. Our Zhao family is doing just fine..."
Zhao Sanyi was speechless. He muttered something under his breath and smiled awkwardly at Hu Ma. "Never mind her. Let's get back to the matter at hand."
"Magistrate, we're here to give a friendly reminder. We both witnessed the commotion earlier, and we, the two of us, stopped the Governor of Guazhou. Of course, we have to acknowledge that you handled it well."
"But we also want to advise you. It's fine to open the office's doors, but what if those malevolent spirits who want to harm humans infiltrate?"
"Or what if they've already infiltrated?"
(End of Chapter)
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