Chapter 137: Slapping Faces Left and Right

"These individuals conspired with demonic and ghost spies, stealing and selling the defense intelligence of the secret realm! Master Zheng, are you truly stepping forward to shield them and protect them by force?"

Shang Lu's words caused Zheng Quan's expression to shift slightly.

If Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others had committed any other offenses, he would have had countless ways to keep them safe.

It was not because his relationship with these people was particularly close or that they were of great importance to him.

The only reason he wanted to protect them was to uphold his own prestige!

In Luoshui County, he held absolute sway and his word was law.

If he allowed Shang Lu to arrest people right before his eyes, where would his dignity remain? How would everyone in the yamen, from top to bottom, view him?

Before coming to the Six Offices, Zheng Quan had been calculating in his heart to use this incident to teach Shang Lu a harsh lesson, letting him know that as long as he, Zheng, remained in Luoshui County for a single day, this place bore the surname Zheng!

Even if Shang Lu had managed to curry favor with the shamanic officials, he still had to obey his commands within Luoshui County.

If not, he had plenty of methods to strip Shang Lu of his official position!

A mere constable, even after donning a green robe, what did he understand about political maneuvering?

Manipulating him was as effortless as crushing an ant!

However, upon hearing the grave crimes Shang Lu had fabricated for Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others, Zheng Quan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose.

In present-day Luoshui County, everything revolved around the secret realm.

If Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others truly had colluded with demonic and ghost spies and were plotting against the secret realm, then instead of using this matter to teach Shang Lu a lesson, he needed to quickly find a way to distance himself and avoid being implicated.

Zheng Quan suddenly regretted coming to the Six Offices.

Had he not come, there would have been room for maneuver; even if Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others were taken away by Shang Lu, he would have had ways to minimize the impact.

Meanwhile, upon hearing Shang Lu's words, Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others panicked inwardly.

Treating Zheng Quan as their last straw, they cried out one after another:

"A frame-up! This is a frame-up! My Lord, you must save us!"

"My Lord, don't you know our character? How could we possibly collude with demonic and ghost spies?"

"My Lord, if County Lieutenant Shang dares to make a move against us today, tomorrow he will dare to go even further... You must uphold justice for us!"

The others in the Six Offices also chimed in, pleading and testifying on behalf of Zhao Yuan, Fang Yi, and the others.

Finding himself in a difficult dilemma, Zheng Quan could only maintain his gloomy expression and demand sternly, "You claim they colluded with demons, ghosts, and foreign spies—where is the proof?"

"The human witness, the Blood-Aged God, has already been captured by me and handed over to the shamanic officials for further interrogation.

These individuals are the ones named in the confession of the Blood-Aged God!

In recent days, they used various methods to steal intelligence regarding the secret realm and passed it on to the Blood-Aged God, who in turn colluded with the tomb-robbing secret spies of the Chu State..."

At this point, Shang Lu paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Zheng Quan.

"Master Zheng, there is a matter I wish to consult you about.

These few individuals are merely minor clerks of the Six Offices; why were they able to access the intelligence of the secret realm? Was your security too lax, or did you deliberately use their mouths to leak the information?"

Zheng Quan flew into a rage: "What do you mean? Are you suspecting me?"

Shang Lu met his gaze tit for tat: "Master Zheng's words and actions today leave me no choice but to have suspicions. I will report this to the shamanic officials and ask them to launch an investigation. Right and wrong will be clear upon investigation."

This brat is trying to use the shamanic officials to press down on me! Zheng Quan gnashed his teeth in hatred, yet he could not vent his anger directly.

He could only swallow his fury for the time being and challenge him: "What if the Blood-Aged God is framing them..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Du Feng could not help but let out a snort of laughter.

"Framing? Is the Blood-Aged God so idle that he has nothing better to do than frame a few low-level clerks?"

Zheng Quan's face turned alternately pale and livid. Just as he was about to scold Du Feng and tell him to shut up, Shang Lu spoke up first.

"Master Zheng's concern is not entirely impossible."

Hearing this, Zheng Quan immediately wanted to say something more.

However, Shang Lu changed the subject: "But I found physical evidence on these individuals."

Zheng Quan froze for a moment, once again swallowing the words at the tip of his tongue, and asked instead, "What physical evidence?"

Shang Lu walked up to the clerk named Zhao Yuan, reached out, and pulled an embroidered pouch from his bosom.

Zhao Yuan's expression changed drastically, though he forced himself to maintain his composure.

Shang Lu opened the embroidered pouch, took out an object from inside, and displayed it to everyone.

"Isn't that just an apricot? What kind of physical evidence is that?"

The people in the Six Offices chattered in confusion, and even Zheng Quan voiced his skepticism.

"Master Zheng, if you lack even this bit of discernment, why study Legalism? Why act as a harsh official? No wonder you fail to recognize talent and inspect your subordinates properly—who knows how many wrongful verdicts you've judged in the past."

Shang Lu sneered derisively. Without waiting for Zheng Quan to erupt, he channeled his divine power, causing it to surge from his palm.

The apricot taken from Zhao Yuan's embroidered pouch instantly burst into flames.

When the fire subsided and the illusion shrouded in demonic qi dissipated, its true appearance was revealed.

Only then did everyone realize that what Shang Lu was holding in his hand was not an apricot at all.

Instead, it was a piece of rotting flesh that continuously oozed toxic blood, emitted a foul stench, and was crawling with maggots.

At the sight of this, everyone felt a sudden wave of nausea, and several people even began to retch violently.

Seeing this, Shang Lu immediately ordered Du Feng and Liu and Zhi to seize the ones who had vomited.

Most likely, these individuals had eaten the rotting flesh provided by Zhao Yuan and Fang Yi, which was why they reacted so severely.

Without the interference of demonic qi, Zheng Quan also sensed the evil, demonic aura emanating from the rotting flesh, and his expression grew even uglier.

Yet at this moment, Shang Lu was still questioning him:

"Master Zheng, can you see the problem with this lump of rotting flesh now? Do you still intend to stop me from taking these people away?"

Zheng Quan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

In the end, he could only give a muffled snort: "Since the evidence is conclusive, naturally I will not obstruct you!" After a brief pause, he added to distance himself, "I knew nothing of what they had done; had I known, I certainly would not have let them off lightly!"

The moment these words left his mouth, he felt his authority and momentum plummet instantly. Unwilling to remain there a moment longer, he spun around and walked away.

Shang Lu sneered and instructed Du Feng and Liu Zhi to take Zhao Yuan and the others away.

Before leaving, he swept his gaze across the people in the Six Offices and asked, "Is there anyone else who wishes to stand up for them and obstruct my arrest?"

Everyone stepped back in unison.

Not only did no one dare to obstruct him, but they all swiftly changed their tune:

"County Lieutenant, I've long felt there was something wrong with Zhao Yuan and the others!"

"Yes, yes, me too! I've never gotten along with them!"

"Many thanks, County Lieutenant, for purging the traitor from our Six Offices and eliminating this scourge for us!"

Shang Lu let out a scoff, ignoring these fence-sitters. Escorting Zhao Yuan and the others to the dungeon, he summoned interrogation experts and immediately commenced torture and questioning.

Meanwhile, from the main hall, the County Magistrate had watched everything that transpired in the Six Offices with absolute clarity.

Seeing Zheng Quan repeatedly humiliated and ultimately forced to leave with a dark expression, the County Magistrate could not help but burst into hearty laughter.

He felt that much of the resentment he had accumulated over the past year or two had been vented today.

"Good, good, good! Shang Lu has done well! Zheng Quan, oh Zheng Quan, you finally got a taste of this!"

Shang Lu did not wait in the dungeon for the interrogation results. Leaving Du Feng and Liu Zhi behind to keep watch, he stepped out of the county yamen and headed straight for the Shaman Temple.

Having stripped Zheng Quan of his dignity today, he was bound to incur Zheng Quan's deep-seated hatred.

Rather than waiting for Zheng Quan to retaliate, it was better to proactively up the pressure on him beforehand!