The moment the words left Wu Qianlan’s mouth, she realized something was wrong.

Sure enough, when she looked around, she saw everyone staring at her with strange expressions.

In her anger, she had forgotten her current identity and position for a moment, and those words really should not have come from her mouth.

“Ahem. What I mean is, the laws of the court are useless and cannot restrain these beasts at all.”

She hurriedly added this, half as an explanation, half in feigned indignation.

The bandits of the stronghold found it a bit odd, but apart from Ning Qingtian, who lived with her day and night, no one dared say anything.

They simply assumed their stronghold master had been angered into talking nonsense.

Ning Qingtian also felt something was off, but remembering that his wife’s memory was still hazy, he could accept such a slip and did not dwell on it.

Instead, he echoed, “Exactly. The present Son of Heaven is muddle-headed and incompetent, letting corrupt officials and local bullies run rampant so that even a minor village head can take lives at will. That only makes it all the more time for us to act in Heaven’s name.”

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky.

The night was dark and the wind sharp.

He did not hesitate and ordered directly, “Everyone has eaten their fill. Since that is the case, we will go down the mountain tonight and avenge Brother Zhang Kai. Are you willing?”

““We are willing…””

* * *

An hour later, countless torches suddenly lit up in the dark night sky, gathering along the sandy shore of Jinsha Beach.

The lake at night shimmered under the waning moon, waves slapping against the hulls of dozens of large and small boats moored along the shore with crisp papa sounds.

Hundreds of strong men were quickly boarding the boats.

Soon, once everyone was aboard, the boatmen began to row and the flotilla pushed out in force toward Anqing Prefecture.

After sailing for about an hour, just as the men on board were growing impatient, the boats finally reached the shore.

Ning Qingtian, leading the expedition in person, stood at the bow, watching the riverbank.

At his side stood Zhang Kai.

Seeing the shore, Zhang Kai immediately said, “Master, we get off here. Follow this road forward for ten li and we’ll reach my village.”

Ning Qingtian took a deep breath and glanced at his wife, standing quietly on his left, and finally relaxed a little.

For tonight’s operation, he had brought more than half of the stronghold’s manpower—no fewer than four hundred strong men—leaving the remaining three hundred or so for Luo Youcai to lead in guarding the stronghold.

He had no intention of bringing everyone out at once. If someone took advantage and struck an empty nest, it would be disastrous.

Even if the authorities lacked that ability, it was better to be safe than sorry.

At Ning Qingtian’s command, everyone disembarked and followed Zhang Kai, who knew the area best.

Ten li of road was nothing to these well-fed, well-rested men and they arrived in no time.

Even Ning Qingtian, who had begun cultivating, did not take the distance to heart.

Only Wu Qianlan, keeping close at his side, was silently suffering.

She had never walked this far in her entire life.

Fortunately, this body was extremely strong and she forced herself to endure it through sheer willpower.

When a village appeared in the distance, Ning Qingtian had already ordered everyone to lighten their steps.

The bandits silently halted in front of the village.

Looking ahead, Ning Qingtian heard only a few scattered dog barks.

Aside from that, the village was completely still.

“Master, that high-walled compound is that dog of a village head’s house.”

Following Zhang Kai’s pointing finger, Ning Qingtian saw a tall mansion that stood out from the low houses around it.

Ning Qingtian pointed and ordered, “Go.”

The burly man called Yang Ba immediately charged forward.

With one step on the wall and a flip of his body, he leapt over the high courtyard wall.

Barking had just broken out inside when it suddenly stopped dead.

The dogs had clearly had their necks snapped.

By the time the others reached the high gate, the front doors swung open from within.

The bandits flooded into the courtyard.

Standing outside, Ning Qingtian heard curses and the sounds of fighting from within, but the noise died down in just a moment.

Then came the sounds of women and children crying and a few men begging for mercy.

Soon, Yang Ba came out and cupped his fists before Ning Qingtian and his wife.

“Reporting to Master, the situation inside is under control. Aside from three brothers being cut by those cornered guards, there are no other casualties.”

Ning Qingtian nodded with satisfaction.

He noticed an open space beside the village head’s house that looked like a threshing ground used for drying grain.

He also saw that the commotion had already woken the rest of the villagers.

So he said to Yang Ba, “Go and drag the village head’s entire family to that threshing ground, then politely invite the rest of the villagers over. We are going to hold a ‘public trial assembly’ and then give this man proper, public execution as the law demands.”

“Public trial assembly?”

Yang Ba was puzzled and had no idea what that meant.

However, seeing that Ning Qingtian did not intend to explain, he simply accepted the order and left.

Wu Qianlan, standing behind him, was also curious about this ‘public trial assembly’ coming from her “bandit husband’s” mouth, but she was deeply thoughtful by nature and did not ask immediately, choosing instead to observe.

Soon, the wide threshing ground was filled with trembling villagers.

They stood in their thin clothes, shivering in the autumn chill as they faced the bandits around them, all of whom carried large knives.

None dared resist.

From his place on top of the large millstone in the centre of the threshing ground, Ning Qingtian took in the entire scene and could not help but sigh.

These people did not even dare to resist the village head’s oppression.

How could they possibly stand up to bandits wielding blades?

Even if there were thousands of them, they were nothing more than lambs waiting for slaughter.

Once Zhang Kai had led the villagers over, Ning Qingtian looked at the cowering crowd and shouted, “Fellow villagers, do not be afraid. As the saying goes, every injustice has its source and every debt its owner. We Heroes of Liangshan, have come to Wangxia Village for one purpose only—the evil village head. This has nothing to do with you. We invited you here merely to serve as witnesses and see what becomes of someone who harms his neighbours.”

Hearing this, the villagers slowly relaxed a little, though whether from the cutting autumn wind or from fear, their legs still could not stop trembling.

Seeing this, Ning Qingtian did not say more.

His face turned cold and he shouted, “Bring that village head who has harmed his neighbors, along with his entire family, before me!”

A group of bandits immediately pushed a gaggle of bound, wailing men and women forward and shoved them into place before the villagers.