Chapter 913: Only Character Matters
Li Daoxuan: “Oh!”
The Prince of Fu, seeing Li Daoxuan’s expression seemingly improve, quickly continued, “Besides compensation, these fellows must, of course, be handed over to Xiao Qixia. They should undergo Labor Reform if they deserve it, or even be beaten to death if that’s what’s required...”
“Beaten to death?” Li Daoxuan said. “Eating without paying and engaging in brawling hardly warrant the death penalty. Sentencing must be appropriate and standardized. One cannot arbitrarily lighten or stiffen penalties based on personal whims or emotions.”
The Prince of Fu hastily replied, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, you are absolutely right. Sentencing must have standards and not be based on personal preference. Labor Reform, it must be Labor Reform...”
Li Daoxuan nodded. “Finally, there is the matter of your lax discipline over your subordinates.”
Eunuch Zheng quickly stepped forward. “These men were hired by me. I have already cut off one of my own arms to demonstrate my self-punishment.”
The Prince of Fu also quickly pointed to the blood on his face. “Eunuch Zheng was sent out by me, and I have punished myself as well.”
Li Daoxuan’s lips curled to the side in a mocking smirk, like a caricature of a secretly powerful lord. “Wow? How utterly brutal! Bloodied heads and severed hands—must you be so cruel?”
The Prince of Fu and Eunuch Zheng hastily replied, “It’s what we deserve, it’s what we deserve.”
While he uttered “you’ve gone too far,” inside, he was laughing uncontrollably, silently cursing: *Serves you right!*
Modern people, in fact, hold two sets of legal standards in their hearts. One is what he had just said aloud: that sentencing should be standardized, neither too light nor too severe.
But beyond this standard, modern people possess another: they wish to see those who commit wrongdoing pay a far heavier price. Hence the saying, “Online sentencing starts with the death penalty.”
These two standards coexist without conflict!
The former ensures legal fairness, while the latter serves emotional release.
Li Daoxuan had now upheld legal impartiality and vented his emotions—a win-win situation.
He feigned an expression of utter innocence. “Just now, I was thinking the Prince of Fu might be an unreasonable big shot. I didn’t expect the Prince of Fu to be quite reasonable, tsk, tsk, not bad at all. The matter is perfectly resolved, so I’ll take my leave.”
The Prince of Fu hastily said, “I am the most reasonable of men, Xiao Qixia. Take care. I’ll have these lawless martial artists sent to you for Labor Reform later. Take care... I won’t see you out... Do come again next time, won’t you?”
Li Daoxuan slowly sauntered around the street corner, turned, and disappeared from sight.
Only then did the Prince of Fu completely relax, his legs turning to jelly. A man of his immense size, once his legs gave out, simply could not remain standing; he plopped onto the ground with a thud.
“Someone! A doctor! Quick, summon a physician!”
The Prince of Fu’s residence instantly erupted into chaos—
While the Prince of Fu’s residence was in disarray, Luoyang City had found peace.
All the common people gathered in small groups, chatting.
“Just which immortal being helped us?”
“No idea, they didn’t show their face at all.”
“That venerable elder didn’t even leave a name or title. Who should I burn incense for?”
“Look, the Governor’s carriage is coming out.”
Henan Governor Fan Shangzheng, accompanied by a large retinue of officials, took to the streets, looking utterly bewildered as he inspected Luoyang City.
When the locust plague struck earlier, they had all believed Luoyang City would be beyond recovery. They feared it would remain chaotic for a long time, with looting, arson, and riots—a complete free-for-all—all likely to occur.
Yet, to their astonishment, in the blink of an eye, everything was fine.
Forget about looting and arson; with an immortal being having just manifested divine power, not even a petty thief dared to operate in Luoyang City.
“The heavens are watching” was no longer an empty saying, but a tangible reality unfolding above their very heads. Who would dare cause trouble at such a moment?
Fan Shangzheng walked through the streets, unable to help but sigh with emotion. “Truly incredible! With the arrival of this immortal being, my Luoyang has taken on an entirely new aura.”
“Governor, I’ve caught an escaped locust!” a constable exclaimed, running over excitedly.
Fan Shangzheng commanded, “Break its wings and throw it to the ground!”
The constable immediately complied.
Fan Shangzheng, watching the wingless locust crawl around on the ground, let out a huff, lifted his foot, stomped down on it, and then twisted his shoe back and forth on the ground twice.
His actions were utterly arrogant.
Just then, a figure flashed in a nearby street, and Bai Yuan approached with a large unit of Gao Family Village Militia soldiers.
Fan Shangzheng’s spirits lifted. “Instructor Bai!”
Bai Yuan clasped his hands in a respectful salute. “Governor!”
Fan Shangzheng asked, “Did you see it just now? An immortal being came to our Luoyang City, used their divine powers, and swept the locust swarm into the heavens.”
Bai Yuan smiled faintly. “Of course, I saw it.”
Fan Shangzheng frowned. “Hm? You don’t seem particularly excited?”
Bai Yuan chuckled. “What are you talking about? I’m quite excited, alright. This divine ability of the Heavenly Lord is also something I’ve witnessed for the first time.”
Fan Shangzheng detected something unusual in his tone. How did Bai Yuan seem so familiar with this immortal being? Had he seen him perform other divine miracles before?
His suspicious gaze fell upon Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan laughed. “Governor, you probably don’t know yet, do you? The immortal being who just intervened to clear the locust swarm is named Dao Xuan Tian Zun.”
Fan Shangzheng mused, “Oh? I seem to have heard that name a few times. Merchants arriving from Shaanxi and Shanxi have mentioned it to me, speaking of a prevalent Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect there, whose adherents worship this very immortal being.”
Bai Yuan pointed to the golden-threaded Heavenly Lord emblem on his chest. “It is he.”
Fan Shangzheng gasped, “Ah? So, you...”
Bai Yuan burst into laughter. “Indeed, I have always been under the protection of Dao Xuan Tian Zun.”
The Gao Family Village Militia soldiers behind him also laughed arrogantly in unison. “We, too, have always been under the Heavenly Lord’s protection! This time, with the locust plague causing trouble for us, the Heavenly Lord must have acted to protect us, that’s why he intervened.”
Bai Yuan turned his head and scolded with a laugh, “Don’t flatter yourselves! The Heavenly Lord acts for the common folk of Luoyang City, not for you lot.”
The militia soldiers all laughed. “We are the common folk’s soldiers, aren’t we still common folk? So the Heavenly Lord protects us too; no problem there.”
The entire Gao Family Village Militia was permeated with a joyful atmosphere.
Fan Shangzheng looked up at the sky, then down at the corpse of the locust he had just crushed, and after staring at the golden-threaded Heavenly Lord emblem on Bai Yuan’s chest for a long moment, he suddenly spoke. “Um... if I may humbly ask... if... if I were also to embroider an image of Dao Xuan Tian Zun on my chest, would that venerable elder also offer me his protection?”
Bai Yuan flung open his folding fan with a flourish, revealing the characters “Gentleman,” and laughed. “The Heavenly Lord protects all people, but *only character matters*. Gentlemen of good character receive the Heavenly Lord’s protection. As for scoundrels of poor character, even if they embroider the Heavenly Lord’s image on their chest, that venerable elder will never favor them.”
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