I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 204: Officials Like Bandits

Duan Rong still remembers, the first time he stepped into this courtyard, Hei Wa was very shy, hiding behind the door and not daring to come out, only half of his face peeking out at him.

Later, they became familiar, and each time Duan Rong came, Hei Wa would smile at him, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

Last time he came, Hei Wa even stuffed two bird eggs into his hand, saying he should roast them and eat...

Looking at the wooden post, with Hei Wa’s head hanging down, his smiling face showing white teeth kept flashing in Duan Rong’s mind...

Tears in Duan Rong’s eyes could no longer be held back, pouring out uncontrollably...

His Divine Sense swept into the house, where there were three more corpses; Old Qin had been cut in half and died, intestines scattered all over the floor.

His son was beheaded, daughter-in-law naked, her chest pierced and mangled...

Duan Rong wiped away the tears on his face, and suddenly his heart calmed down because he heard the sound of horses neighing not far away.

This world is unsettled; the weak being preyed upon might be happening in many corners.

Though he wanted to seek justice for Old Qin’s family, it depended on the opponent’s strength. If too strong, he would turn and leave!

Duan Rong opened the path with his Divine Sense and performed the Cloud Serpent Step of Minor Success Realm, using the courtyard walls and trees to conceal his figure, heading towards the direction of the horse’s neighing.

Duan Rong hid behind a phoenix tree at a farm house, looking towards a large manor not far away.

The manor belonged to a prominent family in the village, the Patriarch’s surname was Quan, the village chief of several nearby villages.

The family owned quite a bit of farmland and also maintained a group of Martial Artists.

Quan Lizheng was quite benevolent, often helping the poor households in the village. In years of famine, he would lend grain to the villagers, with interest only half the market rate, thus enjoying a good reputation in the village.

But at this moment, there were more than a dozen fine horses stopped at the gate of Quan’s manor, their coats shiny and eyes spirited, evidently sturdy steeds.

At the gate, two people stood, bandanas tied on their heads, holding knives. Duan Rong swept over them with his Divine Sense; both were at the First Level of the Inner Breath Realm, faces splattered with blood marks.

At their feet lay three corpses with severed hands and heads, death quite tragic, and they were all wearing strong suits, armed with weapons. Duan Rong’s Divine Sense brushed past, above the handle of a chopping knife was inscribed a Quan character.

The three corpses lying at the gate were clearly guards of Quan’s manor.

Those two at the gate were only of Inner Breath Realm First Level, a raise of Duan Rong’s hand would end them!

But he did not act, not wanting to alert the people inside the manor!

It’s not yet clear the cultivation realms of those inside the manor; acting rashly could alert them, possibly putting himself in a passive position.

Duan Rong slipped into the farmyard behind, circled to the side, and from another alley, flashed out, standing outside a section of Quan’s manor courtyard wall.

The courtyard wall of Quan’s manor was tall and thick, but Duan Rong tread cliffs as if on flat ground; such heights were just a leap to him.

But Duan Rong did not leap directly in but circled around the wall, starting to display his form, while his released Divine Sense penetrated the wall, scanning into the manor.

After a display, Duan Rong had swept over a large span of area near the courtyard wall within the manor.

He found no living person.

Duan Rong’s expression changed, choosing a secluded position, flashed and leapt over the wall.

Duan Rong descended gracefully, almost silent; he landed beside a tall banana tree, its leaves like giant fans...

Duan Rong hid behind the banana tree, scanning around the broad courtyard, where his gaze exceeded the range of his Divine Sense.

But, except for occasional fallen corpses, Duan Rong did not find a single living person within the courtyard.

Duan Rong’s form flashed, sometimes rising, sometimes crouching, using the woods, pavilion, houses, and corridor pillars to conceal himself, continuously exploring the courtyard with Divine Sense and gaze.

However, after Duan Rong nearly swept through the entire manor, he still did not find a single living person.

"Impossible!" Duan Rong frowned. "Since there are more than a dozen fine steeds at the manor gate and two guys with bandanas guarding, there must be people inside the manor!"

Duan Rong’s eyes flickered, his mind stirred, suddenly saying: "There is a hidden chamber!"

The probing of Divine Sense can penetrate walls and courtyards; a hidden chamber inside the house cannot elude his Divine Sense. The hidden chamber must be where his Divine Sense hasn’t scanned but his gaze has shot past. Duan Rong suddenly turned, staring at the rockery in the middle of the courtyard.

Duan Rong’s form flickered, Divine Sense expanded, as he got closer to the rockery, Duan Rong’s Divine Sense already enveloped the rockery.

Duan Rong’s expression changed, at the vacant spot of the rockery ground, there was a dark cave entrance.

Inside the entrance, stone steps were faintly visible!

That place seems to be the entrance to the secret chamber.

Duan Rong quickly took a few steps closer, enveloping it with his Divine Sense...

Duan Rong stood not far from the entrance of the cave, his eyes flickering with light. He did not step in but hid behind a rock garden, extending his Divine Sense underground...

No matter how deep the secret chamber was dug, it couldn’t possibly be more than a hundred meters deep.

Standing behind the rock garden, Duan Rong’s Divine Sense swept across, nearly exhausting the entire space of the underground secret chamber.

In fact, the space of the secret chamber wasn’t too large, and it was merely one room, just a hidden warehouse of the Quan Family.

Inside the secret chamber stood more than ten people, and on the ground lay two corpses—one was an elderly man with grizzled hair, the other a burly middle-aged man. Both were clad in refined attire, and their facial and bodily features were quite similar, seeming to be a father and son pair.

Duan Rong speculated that the deceased were the Quan Family father and son. Clearly, they had been held captive in the secret chamber, and after the robbers found the treasures, they killed them to silence them.

In the middle of the secret chamber, there was a large box with its lid flipped open, filled with gold, jewels, and silver notes...

Duan Rong concentrated his Divine Sense, penetrating each of these people, seeing through the Inner Breath Realm within their bodies clearly.

There were twelve people here.

One of them, about forty years old, was burly, with a long, thin face, and was at the Great Success Realm of the Inner Breath Fourth Level.

Additionally, there were five at the Inner Breath Second Level, and six at the Inner Breath First Level.

Among them was a skinny man holding a steel knife, blood dripping from the blade. He cast a greedy glance at the open box, but quickly suppressed it, speaking hoarsely, "Shen, this Quan Family merely owns a lot of farmland and collects rents. How can their wealth be so vast?"

The burly middle-aged man, referred to as Shen and evidently the leader of this group, was the Martial Artist at the Inner Breath Great Success Realm.

This person glared at the skinny man and said, "Do you take Tang Wanhong for a vegetarian?! If it were an ordinary manor, would he have let us rob it?"

Hearing Tang Wanhong’s name, Duan Rong’s heart suddenly tightened.

These people were actually instructed by Tang Wanhong!

But Tang Wanhong was Shen Yanliu’s man!

Upon thinking of this, Duan Rong felt a chill all over his body.

Shen Yanliu, for the sake of his political achievements and reputation, had not levied taxes unjustly since taking office, and never clashed with the people, thus maintaining a good reputation.

But this person evidently had grand ambitions and always wanted to climb higher. The case of Xu Ruhu and Jie Lei was evidence of this. Fearful of the impact unsolved cases could have on his performance review, he sent Tang Wanhong personally to the Prefecture City to make connections with the Inspector General.

Though Shen Yanliu did not rely on levying excessive taxes to exploit the people, he needed a large amount of silver coins to navigate the officialdom.

Where did this money come from?

The powerful forces within Xianggu City were difficult to shake, so the plan targeted the manor owners outside the city!

Moreover, they colluded with bandits, resorting even to village slaughter!

Truly deserving a thousand cuts, not worth sparing!

"Officials acting as thieves!" A flash of revulsion and resentment crossed Duan Rong’s eyes!

Shen Yanliu was even more despicable than those corrupt officials who gathered wealth through false pretenses!

He sought a reputation for integrity as a stepping stone for his ascent.

Yet he colluded with bandits to rob the gentry, even going so far as to slaughter villages.

An official without and a thief within!

Human outwardly with a beastly heart within!

Duan Rong stood by the rock garden, murder intent surging within. He wished to behead Shen Yanliu, this beastly official with a human face, and hang his head on Xianggu County’s city gate for public display!

But Duan Rong also knew that Shen Yanliu was not someone he could confront at this time.

Not only because he was the County Magistrate of Xianggu and an outer disciple of the Taiyi Sect, but his True Qi Realm cultivation alone was beyond what Duan Rong could handle.

Nevertheless, although he couldn’t kill Shen Yanliu, he didn’t intend to let any of these lackeys escape.

"Let you all be sacrifices for the souls of this village!"