Apart from those children, Xi Qingyue had also rescued over a dozen women who had been imprisoned. These women were common folk of Liang City, captured by Chen Tai.
Not knowing who had saved them, they bowed in thanks to all directions, then wiped away their tears and quickly fled the government office.
Xi Qingyue killed everyone in the county office, packed up everything worth taking, and found a rope. She tied Chen Tai’s hair with the rope and hung his head above the entrance of the government office.
After hanging it, she frowned slightly. It didn’t seem grand enough.
So she took the head down again and ran toward the city gate.
Xi Qingyue hung Chen Tai’s head atop the city gate. Beside it, she unfurled a massive banner with bold, flowing calligraphy that read: “I am guilty! I conspired with bandit chieftains to torture and kill children. I allowed city soldiers to send children to the bandits as food. I imprisoned innocent women. I am worse than a beast. I deserve a thousand deaths!”
She stood beneath the city wall, admired her handiwork, and nodded in satisfaction. “Well, this looks much better.”
After all her efforts, Xi Qingyue was quite pleased. Killing corrupt officials, looting treasuries, and ridding the people of a scourge—she had come out ahead.
She retraced her steps through the small path. She decided not to burn the bodies. When morning came, the people of Liang City would take care of them.
She released Gale from her portable space, mounted it, and sped forward. Gale’s speed surpassed that of an ordinary horse. After about an hour, Xi Qingyue spotted a faint light ahead. She harnessed the mule cart and slowly advanced.
Manager Fang and the others hadn’t slept, fearing anyone else might come to kill them in the night.
When they heard a sound approaching, everyone became alert. Recognizing the figure as Xi Qingyue, Manager Fang grew emotional.
“Miss, where did you go just now? Thanks to your timely warning, we owe you our lives.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and waved a hand. “No need for thanks. I just happened to notice. I found a place to hide, where my little sister and the cart were. After I felt it was safe, I continued on the road.”
“Miss, you have remarkable courage. I admire that!” Seeing a young woman driving a cart alone at night, Manager Fang was deeply impressed.
Xi Qingyue waved him off. “I need to go a bit farther. Let’s part ways here.”
Watching her receding silhouette, Manager Fang sighed with emotion. A single young woman was braver than their entire group.
Xi Qingyue traveled for a while until she was out of sight of Manager Fang and the others, then stopped.
She could help people within her ability, but she also had to be cautious. Appearing briefly before Manager Fang’s group and then leaving was a calculated decision. Not showing up at all would have been suspicious.
She stored the mule cart in her space and entered it, tidied up, and lay down to rest.
Xi Weilan, still drowsy, felt someone beside her, rolled over, and hugged Xi Qingyue, murmuring, “Big Sister.”
Xi Qingyue patted her back gently, her voice soft. “Big Sister is here. Sleep.”
The next day, while Xi Qingyue was still sleeping in her space, Liang City erupted into chaos.
The women and children who had returned home the previous night tearfully recounted their experiences in the county office to their families, who wept bitterly.
At dawn, they went out to gather news. When they saw Chen Tai’s head hanging from the city gate, they felt immense relief.
Fearing future repercussions, they dared not openly reveal that their family members had been rescued the night before. Instead, they blended into the crowd and virulently denounced the magistrate’s crimes in other ways.
“No wonder our Liang City kept losing children! It was all that cursed dog official! Corrupt officials colluding with bandits—he deserved to die!”
“Exactly! Those who left Liang City before might not have left at all. They were probably killed by this dog official, silenced after discovering his schemes.”
“Damned beast! That scoundrel was worse than an animal! Thank goodness someone brought him to justice, or children would keep disappearing.”
Many people in Liang City had lost children. Those who hadn’t already lived in constant fear. Seeing Chen Tai beheaded, they grew bold. Armed with handy tools, they stormed the county office.
The already nearly emptied government building was smashed to pieces by the enraged citizens. The previous night’s fire had only destroyed the treasury; now the entire office was reduced to rubble.
Guards at the other gates, hearing the news, were stunned. Before they could flee, they were surrounded by the furious citizens of Liang City.
The outcome was inevitable. Some guards confessed and begged for mercy, but the crowd only grew more frenzied, beating them to death.
All the bodies of Liang City’s soldiers were gathered by the people, who even sought to mutilate them further.
Someone suggested, “What about that dog official’s body? A head isn’t enough! Let’s find his corpse, hack him to pieces, burn him to ash, and use him as flower fertilizer!”
“Right! Find his body! He left the city last night—let’s go look for it!”
A massive procession poured out of the city. Kind-hearted refugees pointed them toward the right spot. With a general direction, they soon found where Chen Tai and his men had died.
“God! Heaven has shown signs! Did the earth tremble here last night? Heaven must have taken them—how else could so many have been killed?”
Some fell to their knees in gratitude, worshipping heaven. The whole crowd joined in, a lively scene of thanks.
The tireless citizens of Liang City transported all the bodies back. Someone even rallied the entire city to collectively punish the corpses.
With the magistrate and soldiers gone, the city was ripe for chaos. Some refugees considered taking advantage, but the sight of the citizens’ ferocity made them shrink back, daring not to act.
Frightened, some refugees hurried out of the city, fearing the mob might lose control and start killing indiscriminately.
The once empty and grim Liang City had come alive, galvanized by Chen Tai’s death. The lifeless citizens suddenly radiated vitality.
When Xi Qingyue woke up in her space, it was nearly noon. Xi Weilan had already risen, washed, eaten, and was outside riding her small electric cart.
“Big Sister, you’re awake!” Noticing Xi Qingyue’s figure in front of the villa, Xi Weilan ran over happily.
Xi Qingyue smiled warmly and ruffled her sister’s hair. “Your hair is a mess, and your clothes are crooked. Come on, let me comb your hair, and then I’ll show you something wonderful.”
She led Xi Weilan toward the villa. There was no rush to leave. Spending half the day in the space would be fine.
Xi Weilan tilted her head, her bright eyes curious. “Big Sister, what wonderful thing?”
“If I tell you now, it won’t be a surprise. You’re sure to love it.”
Xi Weilan’s face lit up with joy. She tugged Xi Qingyue inside. “Big Sister, hurry! I want to see the wonderful thing!”
A quarter of an hour later, Xi Qingyue led Xi Weilan to a corner of the warehouse.
She pointed at the gleaming golden objects and laughed. "So, is this something good? If you like, you could lie here and sleep in it every single day."
Xi Weilan happily ran over, picked up a gold ingot, and bit down on it. Then she turned around curiously and asked, "Big Sister, where did you steal all this from?"
Xi Qingyue's face darkened. "Lan'er, this is not stealing. This is a gift from the heavens."
