Chapter 8: At the End of One's Rope, Perverse and Oppressive

It is evident that the influence of the Chengtian Sect is truly formidable! It is hardly surprising, considering they have the backing of the current Emperor.

Wang Zhenling sneered inwardly, yet he handed a stack of official documents to Wang Guang, saying, "Magistrate, please take a look at these first..."

Wang Guang, filled with suspicion, took the documents and glanced over them. His expression shifted, and he exclaimed in alarm, "How can there be so many?"

"Yes, and these are only preliminary statistics. Magistrate, do not forget that the Chengtian Sect has a history. If they were to rise up once more... how could my Danling County possibly survive?"

Wang Zhenling knelt and bowed again: "Regarding this matter, I am willing to bear the responsibility entirely. It shall not implicate you, Magistrate!"

Hearing this, Magistrate Wang Guang’s face turned a pale, sickly shade. Finally, he asked, "You have captured so many commoners who believe in the Chengtian Sect; how do you intend to deal with them?"

With over a thousand believers detained, forcing them to renounce their faith was no simple task. Unless one were to execute them all—which was, of course, impossible—the situation would become impossible to manage if handled poorly.

A faint smile touched the corner of Wang Zhenling’s mouth; he had already formulated a plan. He replied respectfully, "That is easy. All those who adhere to these private cults shall be levied with heavy taxes!"

Magistrate Wang Guang was slightly stunned, having not expected such a solution. A faint smile then appeared on his face. He waved his sleeve, returned the documents to Wang Zhenling, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

Wang Zhenling breathed a sigh of relief, bowed once more, and slowly retreated. Matters of faith are the most stubborn; even with a blade at one's throat, they are difficult to change. It is truly the greatest headache for those in power. However, he had found a way through the example of a certain religion from his previous life.

Wang Zhenling walked out of the main hall with steady steps, his head held high. "This Magistrate, Wang Guang, though no great hero or particularly capable official, at least possesses basic integrity..." Wang Zhenling mused. It was precisely because of this that the Danling Magistrate had acquiesced to his request. Had it been someone else—someone unwilling to shoulder any responsibility—they might have ruined his plans entirely.

Now that the Magistrate had tacitly agreed, Wang Zhenling’s expression turned cold and murderous. "Assemble the county guards! We depart!"

Sensing his resolve, the guards surrounding him responded with a fierce, chilling shout: "Understood!"

Soon, hundreds of guards set out, marching aggressively toward the outskirts of the county. The commoners along the way stared in silence, bowing in fear by the roadside. Over the past few days, as a newly appointed official, Wang Zhenling had captured no fewer than a thousand people associated with those heretical rebels. His reputation for ruthless power was well-established. Combined with his earlier fame for curing the plague, he commanded both the awe and the gratitude required to keep the populace in check.

Danling County shared a border with Jiyin County, an area known as the "three-no-man's-land" where jurisdiction was unclear. It was sparsely populated, with no villages, and few travelers passed through except for merchants. Yet, on Dongji Mountain in this very area, a Daoist temple had been built at some unknown time. It was entirely out of place with the local shrines, yet it enjoyed immense popularity. Both the people of Danling and Jiyin often gathered there to listen to scriptures and offer incense to the gods.

Despite the recent crackdown on Chengtian Sect followers in Danling County, the incense offerings at the Chengtian Temple remained largely unaffected.

Inside the quiet chamber of the temple, several Daoists and lay members sat, the atmosphere tense and heated.

"That Wang Zhenling is going too far! I said it before: we should have struck first and killed him. You insisted on trying to recruit him and sending him to the Hongdu Gate Academy—this is preposterous!" the Martial God Envoy said coldly.

"The boy has talent, and our Sect is in need of capable people. As long as he joins us, he will surely serve our great cause. As for those followers, let him arrest them. Does he dare to kill them? In a few days, when an order comes from the Imperial Court, he will have no choice but to release them obediently!" Luo Cheng, the head of the Luo clan of Jiyin and a regional commander of the sect, laughed, showing no signs of anger.

The Martial God Envoy sneered: "I fear he will march straight here and destroy our temple!"

"Though this is a 'three-no-man's-land,' it is close to my Jiyin County. According to the Great Cheng Code, any county official who leaves their jurisdiction without an order from the Commandery or the Court shall be executed! How would this Wang Zhenling dare to lead troops here? Set your mind at ease!" Commander Luo said with calm confidence.

Before he could finish his sentence, someone rushed in, shouting, "Something is wrong! The authorities have led troops here to kill us!"

Everyone was shocked. "Government troops? Are they from the Commandery?"

"I don't know, but they look like they came from Danling County..."

The Martial God Envoy immediately gloated, disregarding the danger: "County officials cannot leave their jurisdiction without cause... Hahahaha!"

Commander Luo looked embarrassed but deeply shocked. "Is this boy truly so bold and reckless?"

"Enough, let us go out and see for ourselves!" another Daoist said with a dark expression; he also carried a Five-Section Staff at his waist.

Dust billowed as hundreds of county guards, surrounding a dozen carriages, arrived from the direction of Danling and surrounded Dongji Mountain. The mountain was not large, barely a mile in circumference, and not very high. Once surrounded, the troops below were clearly visible.

"It really is the Danling garrison, and the one leading them is indeed that Wang Zhenling. How bold, how truly bold!" the messenger with the Five-Section Staff sneered.

"I told you the boy has the heart of a wolf; he is a great enemy of our Sect!" the Martial God Envoy said, his hatred for Wang Zhenling burning bright.

The messenger ignored him. What was the point of empty words now? He had to find a way to deal with the crisis.

"Send the signal! Summon the believers from all around to protect the temple," the messenger commanded with a cold smile. "I want to see if this Wang Zhenling truly dares to kill!"

Following his order, a firework shot into the sky and exploded, forming a cloud of black mist that lingered for a long time—a stark sight in the bright, clear daylight.

Below the mountain, Wang Zhenling stepped out of his carriage just in time to see the firework.

"Magistrate, I fear that is a signal..." Zhu He said, his expression changing. "Could these heretical rebels be calling for reinforcements?"

From the beginning, Wang Zhenling had never claimed they were targeting the Chengtian Sect specifically, always using the pretext of dealing with "heretical rebels practicing qi." This was to ease the concerns of his subordinates. However, close associates like Zhu He knew exactly who Wang Zhenling was targeting. Seeing the people on the mountain signal for help, they could not help but feel a sense of panic.