“Although I, a humble commoner, may engage in petty theft and idleness, I have never committed any act that harms human life.”

Zhao Liu's thin face flushed red as he pointed at the dark-skinned man lying on the ground, exclaiming, “But this villain actually kills people for their infants, a heinous act that defies humanity and heaven's law.

I implore the wise magistrate to deliver justice and seek redress for the young mistress of the Xu family!”

“This official will naturally enforce the law impartially.”

Ma Bangde nodded. “Wang Chao, Ma Han, open the suspect Wu Hu's package.”

“Yes.”

Two yamen runners brought over a bulging cloth package of bluish-gray color, untied its fastenings, and placed it on the floor of the yamen hall.

Inside the package were a narrow, sharp dagger, a ceramic jar that was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, several pale yellow incense sticks, a pile of yellow paper talismans covered in strange writing, a palm-sized lotus-shaped bronze token, some copper coins, some oil-paper-wrapped dry rations, a copy of *The Analects*, and an envelope whose wax seal had been broken.

The yamen runners named Wang Chao and Ma Han were very cautious, not touching the contents of the package directly with their hands.

Instead, they used thin wooden sticks to pick out the dagger, ceramic jar, and other items, placing them on the ground.

Ma Bangde's gaze focused on the bronze token, and seeing the character “Human (人)” written in the middle of the lotus pattern on the token, his expression changed slightly. “You are actually a member of the Human Gate?”

Wu Hu smiled confidently. “Indeed.”

Li Ang raised an eyebrow. According to Zhu Xuemin's information, the White Lotus Society in this world always adhered to the principle of “ceaseless life, endless trouble.”

Whether in prosperous times of peace and stability where the people lived in harmony,

or in chaotic times of dynastic change and war,

the White Lotus Society always stirred up trouble everywhere like a turd-roller, misleading the masses with heterodox teachings. Therefore, it was particularly hated and opposed by the governments of successive dynasties, and relentlessly suppressed.

Over hundreds of years, the name of the White Lotus Society had changed several times, its branches and lineages multiplying into hundreds of sects, large and small. Scattered across various regions,

their roots intertwined and complex,

they were extremely complicated.

Not only officials, but even different sects themselves could not clearly understand each other's origins.

Of course, although these sects were scattered and distant, their doctrines, rituals, and activities were mostly the same, and they all accepted the leadership of the White Lotus Society's main branch—the Holy White Lotus.

Under the Holy White Lotus leader were the Holy Son, Holy Daughter, Left and Right Envoys, and Four Guardians,

who jointly assisted the leader in governing the Heaven, Earth, and Human Gates—which were the core strength of the Holy White Lotus, made up of devout believers.

Unlike ordinary believers,

every member of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Gates possessed evil arts and was a huge threat to local security. Wherever they went, they would be relentlessly hunted down by the Wude Guard.

The powers Wu Hu, as a believer of the Human Gate, had displayed seemed only to be invulnerability to blades and fire, and the ability to use sorcery to make victims painless and unaware, willingly offering their necks for slaughter.

Either he had other evil arts that he hadn't used yet,

or he was carrying a very important mission...

Ma Bangde's mind raced. Before taking office, all magistrates in the world would go to the Wude Guard headquarters in the capital for a short training to learn the basic knowledge of the White Lotus Society,

to be more careful, lest they be killed by the White Lotus Society's tricks after taking office, and die in confusion.

Incidentally, it would also make it easier to cooperate with the local Wude Guard soldiers to maintain law and order.

How could Goose City, a remote and poor place, attract people from the Holy White Lotus main branch?

Ma Bangde felt his scalp tingling, and he regretted not insisting on keeping the Wude Guard soldiers in Goose City when they left for Luzhou.

The White Lotus Society was like a cockroach; seeing one meant that in some dark corner, there were a second, a third...

If this Wu Hu was really carrying some important mission for the Holy White Lotus, then there would definitely be other White Lotus Society sorcerers coming to rescue him.

The mere yamen runners and soldiers of a county town could not stop those rebels who possessed strange sorcery, and yet the Wude Guard soldiers were not around.

What a deadly hot potato.

“Hahaha.”

Wu Hu saw the ugly expression on Ma Bangde's face and smiled especially brightly. “Magistrate Ma, now you understand what I meant when I told you to release me quickly, right?

If you don't release me quickly,

and my Holy Society's reinforcements are attracted, flattening the entire county yamen, killing all the yamen runners, burning your mansion to the ground, and sending your family, young and old, to the Yellow Springs together, that would be a bit unfortunate.

Don't be deluded any longer.”

Ma Bangde's beard trembled with anger, but he had to admit that what the other party said was indeed likely to happen.

At present, with the separatist warlords and the declining imperial court, the White Lotus Society's power was steadily expanding, and its actions were becoming increasingly arrogant. Not to mention a small place like Goose City, they even dared to assassinate and massacre high-ranking officials in prefectures and counties.

The bailiffs on both sides of the yamen became somewhat fearful after learning that the other party was a member of the Holy White Lotus Human Gate, and dared not step forward.

Hearing the other party's threat, their faces turned even paler, and they became nervous and uneasy.

Ma Bangde looked at the yamen runners who were shrinking back, and felt a surge of disappointment. He could only look at Li Ang, who was calm and unhurried, and said in a somewhat humble voice, “Daoist Ximenzi...”

“Punishing evil and eliminating evildoers is a matter of righteousness.”

Li Ang opened his narrowed eyes, stood up, walked straight to Wu Hu, and reached out to pull out the cork stopper of the ceramic bottle.

A strong, bloody smell gushed out of the bottle's mouth. With the sunlight, one could vaguely see the objects floating inside.

Li Ang's expression hardened, and he looked at Wu Hu, saying coldly, “The cases of killing and taking infants near Luzhou City in recent months were all your doing?”

Wu Hu chuckled, not answering, but asked, “Daoist doesn't seem to be a cultivator from the Dragon Tiger Mountain? If you don't have real skills, it's best not to get involved, lest you suffer a fatal disaster.”