Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 636 The Realm of Law
"Hang in there, everyone. Once we get to the South, we'll have a better life and we'll never have to be bullied again..."

Deep in the mountains, a group of ragged people were supporting each other as they headed south.

They were once slaves, and could no longer endure the humiliation and oppression. When they accidentally learned about Lu Zheng's deeds, they learned that many people had been rescued and were living different lives.

They then conspired to escape from their master's house and head south to that land.

From behind, the faint sound of sharp barking could be heard.

Many people's expressions changed upon hearing that familiar voice.

They recognized the dogs as the master's hunting dogs. In the past, when they accompanied the masters and young masters on hunts, if they couldn't find any prey, slaves like them would be treated as prey and chased away to please their masters.

In such cases, the chosen ones either died from arrows or were torn to shreds by ferocious hunting dogs.

"Quick, hurry up and go..."

Someone urged them on anxiously.

The group quickened their pace, but how fast could they possibly walk in this desolate mountain?

I could hear the barking of dogs getting closer and closer from behind, and I could also faintly hear people shouting.

A group of people on tall horses were chasing after them at a leisurely pace.

The leader was a young man dressed in fine clothes. He had a sinister look on his face and his gaze was fixed on the dense forest ahead.

"Good, well done. I'd like to see how far these animals can run."

"Let's release two of the treasures to scare them."

Upon hearing this, a tall servant nearby removed the restraints from the two smaller hunting dogs.

The hounds, now free, bared their teeth and charged forward, their movements so fast that they became blurry afterimages.

These are all canines that have eaten humans, and are therefore extremely sensitive to human scent.

Two hunting dogs strode nimbly into the dense forest, occasionally letting out eerie howls.

The faces of the fleeing people grew increasingly grim.

A gaunt old man who had fallen behind the group suddenly stopped, leaning against a tree and panting heavily.

A man saw the old man and stopped, wanting to lend a hand.

The old man waved his hand and said, "You guys go ahead, my old bones really can't walk anymore. Those beasts are coming over, I'll hold them off for you."

"Go on, go on, you still have the baby with you, don't worry about me..."

As he spoke, a sense of relief and liberation appeared in the old man's cloudy eyes.

The crowd's expressions grew increasingly grim, but they knew they were no match for the pursuers.

Seeing that the old man was unwilling to leave, everyone had no choice but to continue on their way.

The old man took a few breaths and slowly sat down on the ground.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, bringing a touch of warmth.

The old man tilted his head back, staring blankly at the sky.

"When will this cannibalistic world ever end..."

The undergrowth in the woods rustled violently.

Two figures darted out from the crowd and appeared in front of the old man.

The ferocious hunting dog bared its teeth, its blood-red eyes gleaming uncertainly.

The old man grabbed a rock from beneath him and hurled it with all his might.

The hound nimbly dodged the attack and then pounced straight at the old man.

The old man raised his hand to shield himself and instinctively closed his eyes.

After waiting a few breaths, the old man did not feel anything unusual.

I slightly opened my eyes and saw a figure standing there in front of me. The two hunting dogs were stiff and motionless, as if they had been frozen in place.

Lu Zheng looked at the two canine beasts that were still baring their teeth and flicked his finger.

The two vicious dogs exploded into a bloody mist in the blink of an eye, scattering countless tiny droplets of blood all over the ground.

Then, Lu Zheng walked towards the direction the hunting dogs had come from.

The old man was startled, and watched as Lu Zheng disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"May I ask your honorable name, my benefactor?"

The old man called out in the direction Lu Zheng had left.

"My name is Lu Zheng. Please rest well, old man, and wait a moment."

A gentle breeze blew, and Lu Zheng's voice drifted over.

Upon hearing this, the old man's expression changed. It was the person from the rumors, the young human who dared to kill Huai Jun and challenge many powerful demons.

Outside the woods, a group of people were puzzled when they heard the barking of dogs suddenly disappear.

Soon, they saw a young man emerge from the woods.

"You, who are you?"

Some people immediately became wary.

Lu Zheng's eyes were indifferent as he slowly said, "You are all guilty."

Everyone was taken aback by what he said. Seeing that Lu Zheng didn't say anything more or make any further moves, they were all puzzled.

However, soon a gentle breeze arose, and an invisible force enveloped the group of people.

The young man in brocade robes suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as an overwhelming sense of fear washed over him.

He felt his strength and vitality overflowing wildly, and he couldn't stop it.

Others also sensed their own abnormality and wanted to take action, but were at a loss.

"You, who are you? What have you done to us? What kind of sorcery is this..." The young master held a protective jade talisman and tried to activate it to protect himself, but it had no effect.

The man felt himself growing weaker and weaker, and cried out in terror, "Let me go, I am..."

As if something had choked him, the man suddenly stopped speaking, his eyes widened, then he convulsed a few times before collapsing limply, lifeless, his soul gone.

Everyone else, including the dogs, died on the spot.

Lu Zheng remained calm and composed. According to the Legalist law, anyone guilty within the territory should be executed immediately.

Such power cannot be resisted by just any ordinary amulet.

When he unleashed his full power, even a great demon like Huai Jun couldn't stop him.

Seeing that these people deserved their punishment, Lu Zheng turned around and went into the woods again, where he found all the fleeing people and temporarily settled them in his little world.

Then, Lu Zheng continued on his way, heading towards Inugami City.

Not long after, Lu Zheng arrived outside Quanqiu City.

There were many demon soldiers in armor guarding the city gate, and everyone coming and going had to be checked.

Lu Zheng strode over.

When the demon soldiers saw Lu Zheng, their eyes all changed.

One of the demon soldiers exclaimed in surprise, "You, you are..."

They had recently seen Lu Zheng's portrait, and the person in front of them, if not exactly the same as the portrait, was at least nine-tenths similar.

"Lu Zheng."

Lu Zheng announced the names of the demons.

The demon soldiers all paled, never expecting Lu Zheng to dare to come in his true form.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

They recently learned about this person; he was someone who could kill Huai Jun in front of other forces.

They've recently increased patrols and security here, also because of this person.

Although these monsters felt that such measures were ineffective...

Lu Zheng cut to the chase: "I heard that someone has fled to your territory. Call your city lord over so we can discuss how to find the dangerous fugitive."

Faced with Lu Zheng's request, no one dared to refuse outright.

Some of the demon soldiers hurriedly left, while the other guards looked at Lu Zheng with tense and fearful expressions.

In a short while, a group of people quickly came to greet them.

"Oh dear, what an honor to have you here! I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

A smiling middle-aged man approached Lu Zheng and bowed respectfully, saying, "My name is Di Bai, a relative of the city lord. Since the city lord is currently not at home, all affairs are being handled by me..."

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Since that's the case, then hand over the people and valuables that have escaped here."

Upon hearing this, Di Bai's smile remained unchanged. "If you are looking for any fugitives, we can lend a hand, but we cannot guarantee that we will find them..."

Lu Zheng asked, "Is it hard to find, since it's right here in the City Lord's Mansion?"

Di Bai's expression changed slightly, and he said, "You mustn't be talking nonsense. How could it be possible in the City Lord's mansion..."

Before Di Bai could finish speaking, he felt uneasy under Lu Zheng's gaze.

Lu Zheng said in a slightly cold tone, "What, do you think I, Lu, don't have any real skills? You think I can just find someone to fool you with a few words?"

"Even if you kill all the fugitives now and destroy the evidence, I, Lu, can still produce evidence and find other evidence..."

Lu Zheng slowly raised his hand, and a long sword appeared out of thin air.

The people nearby were all startled, their hair stood on end, and they all became on guard.

Some managed to suppress the urge to run away.

No way! This guy could even kill Huai Jun. If they were standing here, they probably wouldn't even be able to withstand the aftereffects of a single blow.

Di Bai's expression changed slightly, and cold sweat unknowingly appeared on his forehead.

Lu Zheng said coldly, "Don't tell me you don't know what I said before. My things are not so easy to take."

"They did something but dare not admit it. Now that the big shots aren't stepping forward, they're making the small ones take the blame? Call the city lord out!"

Facing the longsword that was so close yet still spewing sword energy, Di Bai was terrified.

The guards beside them didn't even have the courage to draw their weapons.

"Mr. Lu, Young Master Lu, please don't be impulsive, let's talk this out..."

"I really don't know about this matter. I'll send someone to the city lord's mansion to investigate and give you a satisfactory answer."

"If there really is someone hiding in the city, they will definitely be handed over to Young Master Lu for disposal..."

Even if Di Bai knew the truth, he wouldn't dare admit anything now.

As long as things aren't brought to light, everything is fine.

Lu Zheng said, "I can give you fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, what will happen to you will depend on your choices."

Fifteen minutes... Di Bai felt frustrated. How could he have been assigned such a task, forcing him to face Lu Zheng?

Di Bai quickly gave a wink to his trusted confidant, who immediately rushed back to the city.

Seeing that the long sword in front of him had not been sheathed, Di Bai dared not move.

He forced a smile and said, "Is this your first time visiting our Di Kingdom, Young Master Lu? By some accounts, our current King of Di is my cousin. If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll take you to see the capital..."

Lu Zheng remained calm. All Di Bai was saying was to claim that he came from the royal family of Di.

A member of the royal family of a demon kingdom wouldn't let Lu Zheng go easy on him.

He used to dare to confront the royal family of a great dynasty head-on, so how could a small demon kingdom suppress him with its status?
(End of this chapter)