Chapter 159: Mercy Has No Place in Command—Zhao Xing's Decision

Xier Prefecture City, Inspectorate.

Chen Shijie parked the Swordfish Airship in the square of the Inspectorate.

The first stop wasn't at the Shennong Division, but the Inspectorate. This was Zhao Xing's request.

Since he was tasked with a patrol mission, he had to go through the Inspectorate. Additionally, given the sheer number of people involved, Zhao Xing couldn't handle it alone—he needed the Inspectorate's support.

As they disembarked, both Chen Shijie and Long Xiao had grim expressions. The fact that Zhao Xing chose to come here first suggested that this mission wasn't going to be a simple one.

If the number of offenders had been in the dozens or even hundreds, and if their ranks were not too high, Zhao Xing and Long Xiao could have handled it without involving the Inspectorate.

"Are you really sure about coming here first?" Long Xiao couldn't help but ask as they were about to step into the Inspectorate. "Can't we at least inform the Marquis first?"

"Long Xiao!" Chen Shijie said sternly, "Don't interfere with his mission. The Marquis will understand."

Inside the Inspectorate, the chief inspector, Qiu Mingyi, held the rank of fifth grade.

This position was independent of Marquis Boping, Yang An. The Inspectorate existed to monitor the military internally.

While the Inspectorate couldn't take action against Yang An, they had the authority to arrest and prosecute any other military officers for crimes. During wartime, they also acted as an enforcement team.

Of course, unless it was a crime of treason, the Inspectorate still needed Yang An's opinion before punishing a military leader.

Naturally, the Inspectorate was unpopular with the soldiers. Every few years, the staff had to be replaced, and they usually had to leave in secret to avoid being attacked by disgruntled soldiers.

Qiu Mingyi had only been in his position for a year, and his relationship with Yang An was relatively smooth. Most of the internal clean-up had been handled by Yang An himself, with Qiu Mingyi only assisting with interrogations and investigations.

Upon hearing that Zhao Xing had come directly to the Inspectorate, Qiu Mingyi immediately came out to meet him personally.

After all, Zhao Xing's Swordfish Airship bore the Army Realm's Ten Sun flag. A genius tasked with such a mission represented not only the Army Realm but also, in a larger sense, the will of Emperor Jing.

"Bring Zhao Xing to the main hall for reception," Qiu Mingyi ordered. "Summon all inspectors of the third rank and above to return to the prefecture at once."

"Additionally, notify Lord Ma Dezhong of the Military Temple to bring a team of priests and the statues of the enforcement deities Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an."

"Prepare my Kirin Armor and the Celestial Sparrow Plume Hat. I need to bathe and change into formal attire."

Qiu Mingyi's eyes gleamed with excitement as he gave these orders to his subordinates.

He had been leisurely drinking wine under the grape trellis when he heard Zhao Xing was coming, and suddenly, he was brimming with energy, unconsciously licking his lips.

He fully understood what it meant for Zhao Xing to visit the Inspectorate first.

"Kill, kill, kill—let the blood flow like a river!" A glint of excitement flickered in Qiu Mingyi's eyes. "I've prepared all the tools for you, boy. Don't let me down."

Since his appointment a year ago, Qiu Mingyi had mostly spent his time drinking. With Yang An reinstated as the general, there was little Qiu could do but watch. In his view, Yang An hadn't been ruthless enough in cutting away the corruption; if the Inspectorate had been allowed to investigate thoroughly, more heads would have rolled.

Now that Zhao Xing was here, he must have solid evidence in hand, and the scope and scale of the crimes must be significant.

Two quarters of an hour later, in the main hall of the Inspectorate.

"Your subordinate Zhao Xing greets Lord Qiu," Zhao Xing saluted Qiu Mingyi. As the chief inspector, Qiu Mingyi was also one of the evaluators for Zhao Xing's first mission.

After Zhao Xing completed this first task, Qiu Mingyi's assessment would carry substantial weight.

"Zhao Xing, why have you come to the Inspectorate to see me?" Qiu Mingyi asked.

"By the order of the Army Realm, I have come to purge the illegal activities in Xier Prefecture," Zhao Xing stated directly. "I request the assistance of the Inspectorate."

"Oh? How many men do you need, and how many offenders are involved?" Qiu Mingyi inquired.

Although he had already received the intelligence the moment Zhao Xing entered the building, he was testing to see how much Zhao Xing was willing to disclose.

Zhao Xing understood this well. As long as Yang An didn't intervene, those involved were doomed. The only question was whether Zhao Xing would personally carry out the punishment or delegate it to the Inspectorate.

"There are a total of 1,423 offenders. I require the full mobilization of the Inspectorate and, if possible, the assistance of the Military Temple." Zhao Xing handed over a list. "These are the offenders."

"Very well. Arresting criminals is the duty of the Inspectorate. I will ensure that all personnel are under your command, and I will also seal the information to prevent any leaks." Qiu Mingyi handed Zhao Xing a command order. "This is the Chief Inspector's token. With this, all members of the Inspectorate will follow your orders."

"Additionally, Lord Ma Dezhong of the Military Temple will arrive within the hour to assist you."

"Thank you, my lord." Zhao Xing bowed, accepting the Chief Inspector's token and leaving the hall.

Outside, Chen Shijie and Long Xiao were waiting. When they saw Zhao Xing emerge holding the Chief Inspector's token, they both stiffened, even Chen Shijie's eyes narrowing.

Zhao Xing wasted no time, issuing orders to the various departments of the Inspectorate, organizing the arrest plans.

"First Division, arrest Changshui Captain Hong Tai and Zhonglei Captain Qi Shan."

"Second Division, arrest Fan Geng and He Cheng."

"Third Division..."

Long Xiao, as Zhao Xing's protector, followed closely by his side, while Chen Shijie remained in the side hall of the Inspectorate, drinking tea to avoid any appearance of bias.

As Zhao Xing recited the long list of names, Long Xiao's eyes widened in shock.

Once all the orders were issued, figures from the Inspectorate soared into the night sky, swiftly dispersing in all directions.

Seeing Long Xiao's reaction, Zhao Xing asked, "Why don't you go rest?"

Long Xiao laughed bitterly. "How could I sleep now? Several of the people you just named were brothers-in-arms with me and Chen Shijie. We fought and bled together."

"That was six years ago," Zhao Xing said calmly. "Now, are you sure they're still your brothers? Do you not sense a difference when you meet them again?"

Long Xiao fell silent. As a sword cultivator with a clear heart, he had indeed sensed a change in his old comrades when he saw them over the past year. But he hadn't wanted to face that truth.

"Can you tell me—is there still hope for them?" Long Xiao asked quietly.

Zhao Xing remained silent.

His decision to come here first was already a clear statement—there would be no compromise, no half-measures.

Killing one or killing a thousand still meant making enemies.

Once he embarked on this path, there would be no perfect solution.

Unless Zhao Xing was willing to destroy his own future by giving light sentences to all.

But that was impossible.

Zhao Xing had no reason to ruin his future for the sake of scum like these.

"Let me be honest with you."

"Even without me, they're dead," Zhao Xing said bluntly. "The Army Realm has been collecting evidence on these men for a long time. It's only now that they have enough to act. Unless..."

"Unless the Marquis protects them, right?" Long Xiao said hopefully. "Yes, of course! No matter how powerful Qiu Mingyi is, he's no match for the Marquis."

Zhao Xing shook his head and said, "Hong Tai, current Changshui Captain of the Shenwei Army, ranked seventh-grade lower. Formerly served five years as Agricultural Officer of Tao County, Xier Prefecture, before returning to the Shenwei Army after its reorganization. Crimes: Raped 14 individuals, leading to the deaths of five. After Marquis Boping's reinstatement, he murdered the families of the 14 victims to cover his tracks."

"Qi Shan, current Zhonglei Captain of the Shenwei Army, ranked seventh-grade upper. Formerly served three years as Tax Officer of Fubu County, Xier Prefecture. Crimes: Set up illegal tolls and took bribes totaling 3,420,000 taels from merchant guilds."

Long Xiao's face went pale, his eyes blazing with fury. "How could those bastards do such things, such horrible—"

Zhao Xing stopped reading, seeing Long Xiao's reaction.

Yes, Marquis Boping could protect these men, but if he did, it would prove that he was too lenient.

Mercy has no place in command, and strict discipline is the foundation of Zhao Xing's approach to military governance.

If Yang An truly tried to shield these corrupt individuals, Zhao Xing would leave, even if it meant paying a price. He'd find another place to belong.

Because that would mean Yang An had fundamentally changed from the person who had once earned great renown. Something had gone wrong, or Zhao Xing's understanding of him had been mistaken all along.

In short, it wasn't just the court and the Shenwei Army evaluating Zhao Xing through this mission.

Zhao Xing was also evaluating the Shenwei Army, weighing whether it was worth staying with them.

Though he admired Chen Shijie and found him like-minded, the Shenwei Army was ultimately led by Yang An.

Xier Prefecture, Changshui Military Camp.

Hong Tai, dressed in armor and holding his command staff, patrolled the camp.

A night patrol wasn't something a captain like him should be doing, but for some reason, he felt particularly uneasy tonight.

"Is something happening in the Lan River? But I haven't noticed any anomalies in the seasonal qi or the weather patterns—everything seems normal for this time of year."

"Liu Ming, prepare a ship for me. I'm going to patrol the Lan River myself!"

Hong Tai called out to his guard.

But there was no response.

The night was silent, and a full moon rose in the sky—but the moonlight shone behind a dark golden figure.

"Judiciary Deity Fan Wujiu?!"

Hong Tai broke out in goosebumps, his heart pounding with a sense of impending doom.

Sure enough, a ship approached—but it wasn't his own. It came from the outside.

"The Inspectorate... and they've brought the Judiciary Deities from the Military Temple!" By now, Hong Tai's unease had reached its peak.

It was a feeling of his guilt being completely exposed, making him want to flee.

But he forced himself to stay put.

"Changshui Captain Hong Tai greets the Judiciary Deity and the esteemed inspectors. May I ask what brings you to the Changshui Camp?"

"Hong Tai, you are charged with rape and murder, specifically the massacre of 14 individuals and their families," an inspector declared coldly. "By order of the Chief Inspector, you are to be arrested. Surrender yourself."

Hong Tai's heart sank. When they mentioned the exact number of victims, he knew he couldn't escape this.

"Who dares slander me? I demand to see the Marquis!"

"You'll see the Marquis at the Inspectorate."

Meanwhile, at the Zhonglei Military Camp.

Qi Shan lay on the ground, struggling against a golden rope that bound him.

"This is slander, slander! I demand to see the Marquis!"

Throughout the night, the Inspectorate's teams struck simultaneously at various military camps across Xier Prefecture.

Some tried to deny their crimes, while others calmly admitted their guilt.

"I only embezzled some military rations, and that was back in the 13th year of Jingxin! I'll confess to the Marquis and pay the fines!"

"I'm carrying out official duties! The Inspectorate can wait three days—what? The Chief Inspector's command?!"

And some tried to escape.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

Zhao Xing stood on the Swordfish Airship, pulling back his hand after casting his spell. In front of him, a figure fell from the sky—it was a Jietong Commander.

He had accompanied one of the teams to a military camp, and when the Inspectorate announced the arrest, the commander had pretended to surrender but then attempted to escape by burrowing underground.

Perhaps due to the smoothness of the previous operations or the weaker strength of this team, they had been caught off guard and allowed the man to get underground.

But Zhao Xing immediately used the Boundless Earth Palace technique to eject him back to the surface, breaking his escape method.

Then Zhao Xing killed him with a Drop of Rain technique.

"Commander Zhang Ze of the Fire Camp refused to comply and has been executed. Vice Commander Huang Ming will take over command of the Fire Camp."

Zhao Xing's voice echoed around the camp.

Then, he wrapped the corpse and brought it back onto the airship.

The accompanying inspector, drenched in sweat, bowed to Zhao Xing. "Forgive me, my lord. I was negligent in my duties."

"It's fine," Zhao Xing said calmly. "The intelligence was off—he had grown stronger. Let's return to the prefecture."

"Yes, sir."

The operation had begun at night and ended by the time the sun rose.

By mid-morning, Zhao Xing sat in the Inspectorate's main hall, occupying the first seat on the left, listening to a report from an inspector.

"Reporting to the lord: all divisions returned by dawn. Of the 1,423 offenders, none escaped capture. Fifty-seven resisted and were executed on the spot."

"After joint interrogations by the Military Temple and the Inspectorate, the remaining 1,366 have all confessed to their crimes."

Zhao Xing nodded slightly.

The intelligence provided by the Army Realm had proven reliable. While there were minor discrepancies in strength, the evidence of their crimes was undeniable. Whether they confessed or not made no difference.

Qiu Mingyi looked at Zhao Xing. "Zhao Xing, now that these men have all confessed, their punishment is up to you. You can take into account their past merits and deal with them leniently. After all, you are part of the Shenwei Army."

Zhao Xing remained expressionless. The Chief Inspector was testing him again. This was clearly a large-scale crackdown, not limited to the Shenwei Army—the same actions were being taken across all the military divisions. Yet here Qiu was, suggesting leniency.

Zhao Xing rose and saluted Qiu Mingyi. "Thank you for the reminder, my lord."

He then took the list of offenders from the inspector. The remaining 1,366 individuals had been categorized according to the severity of their crimes and laid out before Zhao Xing.

All he had to do was mark the list, and their fates would be sealed.

Zhao Xing glanced through the list one more time, pretending to contemplate.

"Of the remaining 1,366, all are guilty of serious crimes, worthy of death," Zhao Xing said firmly. "Given the current circumstances, harsh punishment is necessary—serious crimes demand the death penalty."

With that, he paused, then, under Qiu Mingyi's surprised gaze, he sealed the document.

He signed the order with the character for "execution" across the front of the document.

"All 1,366 are to be executed immediately!"