Wei Ming executed the Prefect Yu Yang on the spot, much to the satisfaction of everyone.
But Lu Ling Feng was confused and asked Su Wu Ming with his head bowed: "I'll say it first, I'm not jealous of Wei Xiong for stealing my thunder, I just don't understand, what's the difference between me killing Yu Yang and Wei Xiong beheading him?"
Su Wu Ming replied: "Of course there's a difference. First, you have no official position and are a commoner, you have no right to enforce the law. Second, you came to Chang'an as a convict, and you have been wronged, your heart is filled with suppressed anger and frustration."
"If you vent your inner bitterness and dissatisfaction and go on a killing spree, what will you do in the future? Will you have a future? Once you draw the bow, there's no turning back. My junior brother is worried about this."
"Of course, you, Lu Ling Feng, are not afraid of death, you are not afraid of prison for your righteous belief, but have you ever thought that this will bring shame to the Fan Yang Lu clan?"
"You keep mentioning the Fan Yang Lu clan, my junior brother is doing this for your future career and the glory of the family."
"Finally, my junior brother is the Mountain South Western Road Inspector, he is specially granted the authority to act without authorization, since our master died ten years ago, he is the second person to be given this authority, besides my junior brother Wei Ming!"
"So-called acting without authorization simply means that the emperor has granted him the special power to kill first and report later, to be exempt from killing, it's quite powerful!"
After listening to Su Wu Ming's words, Lu Ling Feng bowed respectfully to Wei Ming again and sighed: "Wei Xiong, you are a man of great righteousness, I, Lu Ling Feng, am so lucky to have met you!"
Su Wu Ming looked at the group of man-eating pythons, he felt increasingly strange and took out a yellow talisman from his bosom: "Your doubts have been resolved, but mine have grown."
"My junior brother gave each of us a yellow talisman, specially instructing us to keep it close to our bodies, it can prevent mosquito bites and drive away snakes and ants. It seems that from the very beginning, my junior brother knew that Gan Tang Post was a snake's den."
"And Xue Huan, upon arriving at Gan Tang Post, was sent by my junior brother to hide in the carriage, then he took advantage of everyone's unguarded moment and rode to the Gan Tang County Office to invite the Gan Tang Magistrate Wang Nai Ling."
"Now that I think about it, it seems that everything happened according to my junior brother's plan."
"My junior brother is truly a divine being!"
Hearing this, everyone took out the talisman from their bosom. Fei Ji Shi was surprised and said: "These pythons didn't attack us because of this talisman? That's too far-fetched, isn't it?"
Then he put it under his nose and sniffed carefully: "There is only cinnabar, pine resin and ink, no realgar or other snake-repelling substances. Hey, it's truly strange!"
Su Wu Ming hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Although I don't know how my junior brother did it, it's the truth, it's hard to deny."
After the pythons devoured Yu Yang and the others, they dispersed and disappeared.
Wei Ming bowed to Wang Nai Ling: "Wang Magistrate, please testify about what happened in Gan Tang Post, record it in the register, and we must report the crimes of Prefect Yu Yang to the Ministry of Justice and the Three Departments."
Wang Nai Ling immediately agreed: "I will report it truthfully."
Wei Ming nodded and smiled, then turned to Song A Mi: "You have avenged your revenge, do you have any plans for the future?"
Song A Mi first bowed, then knelt down. Wei Ming quickly grabbed her arm: "You don't have to say thank you. I saved you, and avenged you and Zhu Ling Ling, it's for you, it's also to prevent other women from being harmed by this villain in the future, and it's also to uphold justice for the Tang Dynasty!"
Song A Mi looked at Wei Ming deeply and said gratefully: "Wei Lord, you saved me, I have no way to repay you, I can only…"
Before Song A Mi could finish, Pei Xi Jun stepped forward and took Wei Ming's arm, as if declaring sovereignty: "Wei Lang, this sister is very beautiful, it's a good thing she wasn't insulted by the villain."
A glimmer of disappointment flashed across Song A Mi's eyes, but it quickly disappeared: "I can only serve you like a cow or a horse to repay you."
Wei Ming waved his hand: "Don't do that, your intentions are good."
While they were talking, a group of people came rushing in from outside the post.
The leader was wearing an official robe, his expression was flustered and his steps were hasty.
"Hurry! Hurry!"
The man urged his trusted confidants, rushing into the post gate, but when he looked inside, he found Magistrate Wang Nai Ling there. His expression became even more panicked.
"Su County Captain, why are you here?"
Su County Captain quickly responded: "I saw the movement of the Gan Tang Garrison and thought something big happened, so I brought people here to help."
Wang Nai Ling didn't suspect anything, he just nodded and didn't pay any attention to it.
Gan Tang County was not big, and any commotion would be known throughout the county. As one of the main officials in the county, it was normal for Su County Captain to know that something happened at Gan Tang Post in the first place.
However, Wei Ming walked over and scrutinized Su County Captain, then laughed: "Not really, Su County Captain!"
Su County Captain frowned, unhappy: "Who are you, why are you criticizing me?"
Wang Nai Ling shouted: "Bold! This is Wei Ming, the Mountain South Western Road Inspector, Wei Lord! Quickly apologize!"
Hearing Wei Ming's identity, Su County Captain was startled, his eyes flashed with fear, and there was a hint of ruthlessness in his expression.
"I'm sorry, I'm blind, I didn't recognize you, please forgive me." Su County Captain bowed deeply, with a very low posture.
Wei Ming flicked his sleeve, stood with his hands behind his back, and said coldly: "Forget it, I can't accept your great courtesy, Su County Captain."
Su County Captain's eyes flashed with coldness. Everyone else, including Wang Nai Ling, Song A Mi and others who had just met Wei Ming, were surprised and puzzled.
Why did Wei Ming have such a strong opinion of this Su County Captain? Could it be just because of Su County Captain's disrespectful words?
Wang Nai Ling was about to say something to ease the situation, but Wei Ming spoke first: "Su County Captain, I have a question for you."
"Do you know Liu Shi Ba? Do you know Liu Shi Qi and Liu Shi Jiu?"
Su County Captain was stunned, his eyes darted frantically, his heart was filled with doubts, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.
Could it be that his dealings with the Liu brothers over the years have been discovered by this Inspector?
"I... I don't know them!"
"You're lying!"
Wei Ming sneered: "In the Tang Dynasty, the opening of any post station requires the approval of the local county captain. The Liu brothers have lived in Gan Tang Post for several years, how can you say you don't know them?"
"Also, the father of the Liu brothers is your close confidant, don't you recognize him?"
Fear flashed in Su County Captain's eyes, but he still refused to admit it: "Wei Inspector, I don't understand what you're saying. This Gan Tang Post has been abandoned for a long time, the new post is ten miles away, I have never heard of any Liu Shi Qi or Liu Shi Ba."
"As for my subordinates... I do have a subordinate surnamed Liu, he is a catcher, but he just got married and has not had any children, where are the three brothers?"
Wei Ming ignored Su County Captain's forced denial, and immediately shouted: "Xue Huan!"
Xue Huan jumped out and handed him a document: "Sir, this is Liu San, the catcher of Gan Tang Government Office, his discharge record from three years ago."
In the end, Xue Huan added: "Sir, you are truly a divine being!"
Everyone was puzzled. Su Wu Ming stepped forward and asked: "Junior brother, what's going on? I, your senior brother, am completely clueless."
Wang Nai Ling and the others were also baffled: "What's in Wei Inspector's gourd?"
Wei Ming walked up to Su County Captain and patted him on the shoulder: "You should ask this Su County Captain what's going on."
"Confucius said that human nature is inherently good; Xun Zi said that human nature is inherently bad. The thoughts of both sages are not wrong."
"One starts from education, and the other starts from the source."
"But it's undeniable that there are people who are born bad, right, Su County Captain?"
Su County Captain's eyes were filled with killing intent, and he said coldly: "Wei Lord is powerful and influential, whatever you say is right. I have nothing to say."
"Don't worry, we'll have a good chat later." Wei Ming's smile faded, and he shouted: "Lu Ling Feng, where are you?"
"Lu Ling Feng is here!"
"Go to the kitchen and bring Liu Shi Ba, and Liu Shi Jiu in the secret room under the kitchen!"
Soon, Lu Ling Feng, with a very unpleasant expression, carried a person in each hand and threw them into the courtyard.
Liu Shi Ba didn't need to be said, everyone had seen him, as for Liu Shi Jiu, he was wearing a blood-red robe, his eyes were bloodshot and his pupils were vertical, his fingertips were sharp, his appearance was almost identical to Liu Shi Ba, as if they were carved from the same mold.
"Hiss!!"
Liu Shi Jiu let out a hissing sound like a snake, roaring at everyone, looking as if he was about to devour them alive.
Lu Ling Feng said with disgust: "This Liu Shi Ba actually steamed..."
"Go and see for yourselves."
Except for Wei Ming and Su County Captain, everyone else went to the kitchen to take a look, and they all vomited when they came out.
"Who is the person in the pot?" Su Wu Ming asked.
Liu Shi Ba lowered his head and replied: "Cui Wu Ji of the Qing He Cui clan... If you hadn't killed Prefect Yu Yang, then the other half of the pot would have been him now."
"Such good meat! It's all such good meat! My brother and Xiaobai love to eat them!"
Ugh... Everyone vomited when they heard that.
It's a good thing Yu Yang died, otherwise, knowing that the so-called good meat he ate was just... he would have exploded on the spot.