Chapter 263: Chapter 183 Sword Roaring, Meeting with Water Monarch 2

Translator: 549690339

There were already spirits and ghosts waiting here. Before entering the county government office of South Shao Prefecture, Feng Qing’an first parked by the City God Temple to alert the Underworld.

After observing, he realized it would be more efficient for Sen Miao to expend demon power to extinguish the corrupt officials and let their souls fall into the hands of the gods and ghosts than to punish them through human laws. The Underworld’s methods of punishment were far more plentiful.

“What a boldness you have!”

Upon witnessing Feng Qing’an decapitate Commissioner with a single stroke, the Prefecture Judge of South Shao furiously reprimanded.

It was a case of the death of a comparable species evoking sorrow from the other’s heart. Although they primarily contended for power and profit, their rivalry preserved a superficial cordiality. To have the Commissioner, whose rank was just below his, beheaded at the gate of the Official Residence today was outrageous!

A decade of painstaking study, two decades of tireless management, and hard-earned status, all taken away with a single sword stroke!

It was absurd!

“Is there something wrong with your ears, or is your memory faulty? I just read his list of crimes. What, do you need me to repeat them again?

“Even if he has committed a crime, he should be held accountable by the court, not you with your arrogant display of power!”

The Prefecture Judge was furious, apparently deeply provoked by Feng Qing’an’s actions.

“A swift execution, endorsed by the imperial power. Do you refuse to accept this?”

Feng Qing’an pointed to the golden badge he’d thrown on the ground.

“Imperial power? I see no respect or reverence for imperial power or the court in your eyes!”

The Prefecture Judge glanced at the door of the Yamen Runners that had been smashed to smithereens. His face was an awful sight.

“Do you corrupt officials who exploit the people, you parasites, also deserve respect? You must be joking!”

“You disrespectful boy!”

“There’s a saying: ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. If the junior official was such a character, how good could this Prefecture Judge be?”

Feng Qing’an laughed scornfully. The junior official had accepted bribes and brought Pingwu County to its knees. Could this Prefecture Judge truly be unaware? What nonsense! Could corrupt officials mix with pristine high-ranking officials without taking even a penny?

“How dare you slander me!”

“Enough. I’m on a tight schedule and don’t have much time to waste on you parasites, so let’s get straight to it.”

Feng Qing’an turned to the respectful high-ranking official standing to one side. Behind this figure were Yakshas and ghost runners, with one of the ghost runners holding an iron chain restraining a struggling old man. This was the junior official.

“How long has this Prefecture Judge been in office?”

“Six years!”

“Are there any incidents of corruption?”

“Of course there are!”

He sighed softly. Despite the fact there were gods and ghosts all over Da Jin, people rarely thought about how they accumulated over the years. There were even city god temples in some county towns with no gods and ghosts in charge.

“Who are you talking to?”

Seeing Feng Qing’an seemingly communicating with an invisible entity, the Prefecture Judge was stunned. He knew about the existence of gods and ghosts, but his encounters with them had been extremely rare, usually occurring in dreams.

“Who else could I be speaking with? The saying goes: ‘As the gods are three feet above one’s head’. The gods and ghosts always see your actions.”

Feng Qing’an glanced at them, their fear evident. The officials were utterly panicked.

Normally, even if the gods and ghosts witnessed their actions, they wouldn’t be able to influence them because these entities didn’t have the power to sanction human officials. They couldn’t even make formal complaints.

But now an audacious and outrageous man appeared who could summon gods and ghosts, then punish the corrupt officials. The junior officer had just been beheaded, and they were chilled to the bone.

“You’re becoming too presumptuous, disrupting the order of Yin and Yang!”

“Are you done? If you’ve said your piece, start preparing your resignation. It’s time you vacated your position!”

Feng Qing’an, who had learned about the Prefecture Judge’s life from the gods and ghosts, spoke without a hint of emotion, making no attempt to draw his sword.

Because the Prefecture Judge had some worthy accomplishments. He had frequently undertaken endeavors such as bridge-repairing, road-building, and even innovatively establishing a home for orphans and the elderly, providing shelter for abandoned babies and the elderly who didn’t have anyone to care for them. These were actions that benefitted the common people.

However, the problems that plague government officials were no less prevalent in him. Though he did not directly solicit bribes, he certainly did accept a considerable amount. Moreover, he turned a blind eye when his subordinates took bribes. He was not aware of the specifics of the situation in Pingwu County either.

He simply knew that the already-sent-to-the-underworld county magistrate had privately levied extra taxes, the majority of which he used to curry favor with the Prefecture Judge. Yet he turned a blind eye to this issue as well.

From the perspective of this Prefecture Judge, corruption among government officials is all too common. There was no such thing as an official who did not engage in corruption, and demanding subordinates to abstain from it was impossible. He only asked that they continue to manage their areas of responsibility efficiently while they took their share.

“Are you asking me to resign?

The Prefecture Judge, his hair as white as snow, looked incredulous.

“Do you perhaps believe you have been a good Prefecture Judge? Your officials have driven the people under your administration to such desperation that they sell their sons and daughters. Do you still think you are a good official?”

“Selling sons and daughters? Impossible!”

The Prefecture Judge instinctively refuted.

“There’s nothing impossible about it, Wu Qilang. Take our esteemed Prefecture Judge to Pingwu County. Let him lower his head and see first-hand the suffering of the people.”

“Yes, sir!”

Wu Qilang went out, disregarding the resistance of the old man, and hoisting him up in one move, he carried him out of the county government office.

“Young Master, would you prefer to deal with the problem of River Water Monarch before looking into the issue of these corrupt officials?”

Seeing the Prefecture Judge forcibly taken to experience the hardships of the people, the cooperative, respectful, and even subservient deity asked humbly.

“Show me around the banks of the Wave River!”

“Yes, sir!”

The spirits were overjoyed. In their view, this young master must have the ability to put the River Water Monarch in his place.

They did not expect much; they only hoped that the River Water Monarch would perform his duty as he used to, bring rains regularly, and restore agricultural production.

Under the guidance of the spirits, Feng Qing’an and his party, having already caused quite the stir in the city, left the Official Residence. In the twinkling of an eye after they left, someone took over the Official Residence with an order plate, quelling the disturbance in a very short time and returning everything to normal.

“This place has barely been affected!”

By the Wave River, Feng Qing’an saw lush wheat fields. The view of the ethereal wind blows through the wheat fields was pleasing to the eye. But even so, Feng Qing’an frowned upon observing this.

“Yes, this place is near the river, it’s extremely convenient to irrigate, whether it rains or not doesn’t affect much. But the further away it is from the river, the heavier the reliance on rainfall, some counties depend entirely on rain!” The spirits detailed the situation to Feng Qing’an.

“The rice fields near the river are almost unaffected, but the total grain output of Nanshao Prefecture last year decreased by nearly 20%. As a result, some counties’ grain production was averaged, and in reality, compared to previous years, their output was nearly halved?”

Feng Qing’an’s expression turned serious, some places’ situation was more severe than he had imagined. Their dire circumstances were concealed by the seemingly not so severe total output.

The natural distribution of water vapor has never been uniform; some places have so much that floods can occur, while in other places, it’s so dry that not even a single drop of liquid could be seen.

It is precisely because of the uneven distribution of water vapor that the importance of a responsible Water Monarch becomes manifest.

“Yes, in some places, the grain output is almost halved, just as you said, Young

Master. The situation has become even more severe this year!”

“Some places can’t even grow grains anymore!”

Feng Qing’an looked towards the Wave River, its waves surging with abundant flows. He recalled the dried wheat fields he saw in Pingwu County, the elder rural woman who, upon meeting a noble, could not wait to pull her children into the road, begging them to buy her children out of desperation.

Zing-

The soft sound of a sword hummed through the air. Feng Qing’an concentrated his mind and with a wave of his hand, an ancient looking longsword that he had barely used appeared in his hand.

This plain-looking longsword was currently emitting a faint red glow. Dark red, it resembled a crimson dragon coiled around the scabbard, making it emit the sound of a dragon’s chant.

“Young Master, what are you…”

Seeing the sword in Feng Qing’an’s hand, the spirits could not help but retreat several steps, and felt extremely uncomfortable.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry. Can you call upon the Wave River Water Monarch?

I’d like to have a chat with him!”

Clutching the God Smiting Dragon Slaying Sword, Feng Qing’an displayed a gentle smile. He felt more confident now that he could unsheath this sword,