That shout, let alone the yamen, even the surrounding common people heard it clearly.
In just a moment, a group of officials ran out of the yamen, and upon seeing the waist token in Li Miao's hand, their expressions changed, and they knelt down in a hurry to greet him: “Sir!”
Li Miao waited for a while, and seeing that no one else was coming, he then spoke: “Why are there only these people?”
One of the officials trembled as he replied: “Sir, Eunuch Cheng came this morning, and several sirs have been tortured. They are all in jail now…”
“Most of the yamen runners and soldiers have been taken by the Patrol Commander, following Eunuch Cheng to handle official business…”
“Right now, there are only this many people in the yamen…”
Li Miao nodded: “You seem to be quick-witted. What is your position?”
“Replying to Sir, this humble official is the Clerk of Tai'an Prefecture, Jiao Qingfeng…”
“Good, Clerk Jiao, listen carefully now,” Li Miao said to everyone.
“I am here to handle official business by imperial decree. His Majesty has granted me the authority to act expediently. From now on, everyone will follow my command. You, Clerk Jiao, will be in charge.”
“Now, the lives of tens of thousands of common people in Tai'an Prefecture all depend on you alone.”
Jiao Qingfeng held a low official position, usually only managing documents. When had he ever heard such words or borne such a responsibility?
Suddenly hearing Li Miao's words, he immediately trembled like a sieve, stammering: “S-Sir, I, I…”
He trembled for a long time, unable to speak clearly.
Li Miao had no time to listen to his rambling now. He reached out and struck with an empty palm, which was the unique skill “Ice Soul Palm.” It drew a cold qi in the air and struck Jiao Qingfeng's body.
This palm was, of course, not meant to kill. Jiao Qingfeng only felt a chill spread from his chest throughout his body, and he immediately calmed down.
“Is your mind clear now?” Li Miao asked.
“Yes, yes. Sir, this humble official is clear,” Jiao Qingfeng replied.
Li Miao said: “Everyone listen carefully. This is an urgent matter, and this official will only say it once.”
“You all heard it just now. It concerns the lives and property of tens of thousands of common people in Tai'an City. If anything goes wrong, not to mention you subordinate officials of Tai'an Prefecture, even the Prefect of Jinan Prefecture and the Governor of Qilu will have to take a trip to the gates of hell!”
“This official will state it here first: If this disaster can be overcome, I, Jinyi (Embroidered Clothing), will submit a memorial to the Emperor to commend all of you! The reward money will be taken directly from the Prefect's home!”
“If it cannot be overcome—those who neglect their duties, kill! Those who flee their posts, exterminate their families!”
“Is that clear enough!?”
“It's clear! Sir!” everyone responded in unison.
“Good!” Li Miao immediately ordered: “All of you divide into five groups, bring the remaining soldiers, and guard outside the city gates.”
“From now on, no one is allowed to enter or exit Tai'an City. If even one person escapes, all of you will go to the Jinyi (Imperial Guards) prison together.”
Tai'an City has four city gates in total: Jingxuan Gate, Yueyan Gate, Tai'an Gate, and Yangsheng Gate.
Li Miao first divided four groups of people and sent them to the four city gates, then he said to Jiao Qingfeng: “Clerk Jiao, where is the hall of your Tai'an Prefecture's Patrol Commander? Take me there.”
Jiao Qingfeng led Li Miao to a room. Li Miao walked in and looked around, then went to a corner and stomped his foot.
Clang—
The floor tile collapsed, revealing a box inside.
Li Miao reached out, grabbed the box, opened it, and took out a set of Jinyi (Imperial Guards) uniform, an embroidered spring blade, a copper sunflower belt, and a pair of black patterned boots.
He handed this pile of items to Jiao Qingfeng: “Put them on, put them on now.”
Jiao Qingfeng tremblingly put on the clothes in front of Li Miao.
His figure was thin and weak, and the clothes hung loosely on him, making him look like a monkey stealing clothes. He had none of the Jinyi (Imperial Guards)'s prestige.
Li Miao stepped forward, tugged at the back collar of the clothes, tightened the belt, and only then did he look less comical.
Then Li Miao handed the Jinyiwei Commander's waist token from his waist to Jiao Qingfeng: “Hold it tight, Clerk Jiao. From now on, you are a Jinyiwei Commander.”
“Ah? Sir, I, I…” Jiao Qingfeng started to stammer again.
“You take the remaining soldiers, equip yourselves with weapons, mount horses, and patrol back and forth outside the four city gates.”
“Among the officials, if anyone is lazy or tries to escape, directly behead him with this embroidered spring blade.”
“If there are martial artists causing trouble outside the city, you use this official uniform and waist token to scare him away.”
“This is not a trivial matter like your usual roll call and work. It concerns the lives of all the common people in the city.”
Li Miao looked directly into Jiao Qingfeng's eyes.
“You are also an official. Officials have two mouths. Above them is a carrying pole, and on that carrying pole are human lives.”
“I don't care how much you two mouths have eaten on a daily basis. Now that the matter has fallen upon us, you must carry this pole well for me.”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes…” Jiao Qingfeng instinctively flinched, looked at Li Miao's stern eyes, and couldn't help but shiver: “Yes! Sir!”
“Go.”
Li Miao gave the order, and Jiao Qingfeng left to obey.
Only then did he turn back outside and find the waiter he had brought.
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“Little brother, you heard it just now.”
“Now, I ask and you answer. No concealment is allowed, understand?”
The waiter cowered and replied: “Yes, yes.”
Li Miao meticulously questioned the waiter about where he had been these past few days, whom he had met, where his food and drink came from, and whether he had encountered anyone with a non-local accent, and similar questions.
After Li Miao finished asking, he directly pointed a finger at the waiter's neck, and the waiter fell down in response.
Li Miao picked up the waiter, threw him into a room, and closed the door.
At this time, there was danger everywhere in the city, and staying inside this yamen was the safest place.
Li Miao turned and walked back into the Patrol Commander's room.
This Patrol Commander was a secret agent planted here by the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), precisely to monitor the actions of the Mount Tai Sect. When Li Miao first arrived in Tai'an City, it was he who handed the official uniform to Li Miao.
After all, Li Miao was traveling light, so some items that were difficult to carry or not immediately needed had been sent to Tai'an City in advance, to be given to him upon his arrival.
At that time, Li Miao did not take all the items.
He reached into the box and took out a pair of dark black gloves, putting them on his hands.
These were his weapons.
In Li Miao's hands, no divine weapon or sharp tool could withstand his abuse; they were even less sturdy than his own flesh. Therefore, ordinary weapons were, for him, a limitation.
Only these gloves woven from silkworm silk could barely withstand his violent true qi.
Li Miao used his Qinggong, moving like a dark shadow, leaving the yamen and arriving outside a civilian house.
With one palm strike, he blasted a large hole in the wall.
Li Miao quickly walked in, directly pressing his hand on the chest of a man inside the room who looked terrified, injecting true qi into him.
“Wah—”
The man retched in response, spitting out a pile of crimson insanity worms.
Li Miao did not even look at him, flashing out onto the street, and activating his ear-listening skill, he listened to the sounds around him.
He ignored coughing, but wherever there was a sound of vomiting, Li Miao would directly break through the wall and inject true qi.
The Ming Cult was actually so deranged; this had already gone beyond the scope of martial arts disputes, and even court struggles!
This was not a time of chaos.
They were preparing to refine all the common people in this city into hosts for the insanity worms!