The Beautiful CEO’s Dragon Blood Bodyguard
Chapter 1380: Beast in Clothes

Chapter 1380: Chapter 1380: Beast in Clothes

In the Great Xia Country, there are two types of military systems.

One is the regular Great Xia Army, stationed in several important prefectural government offices, which can only be mobilized with a direct order from the Emperor.

The other is the City Defense Camp, also known as the garrison defending the city.

They consume the grain allocated by the local official residence, and the right to deploy them is in the hands of the local governing officer.

The troops of the City Defense Camp vary greatly, with larger city contingents having greater configurations and smaller ones having lesser configurations.

Like Linjiang City, which was recently seized and plundered by water bandits, the City Defense Camp only had fewer than a thousand soldiers.

Southern Capital City is the largest city in South Yangtze, with a registered force of one hundred thousand soldiers in its City Defense Camp alone.

There are infantry, cavalry, and naval soldiers among them.

This count doesn’t include the various auxiliary defense forces, which are essentially militia organizations.

They engage in trade and agriculture during peacetime and are only mobilized during wartime.

Sima Yan returned to the camp and immediately summoned the military leaders of each division.

Five thousand naval soldiers are responsible for blocking all key waterways, enacting strict defenses on the water.

Fifty thousand infantry are responsible for dealing with the refugees outside the city, and thirty thousand for the rioting merchants and students inside the city.

Five thousand cavalry serve as a mobile force to support all divisions.

Ten thousand infantry are tasked with guarding the Governor’s Mansion, as well as the shops and residences of the major official families.

As soon as the military orders were given, a murderous aura filled the air.

These soldiers were all cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Realm or beyond, each donned in silver armor, wielding black bintie spears, marching in orderly formations along two routes.

One route advanced inside the city, while the other proceeded outside.

The entire prefecture city was thrown into chaos, with ghostly wails and wolfish howls, pandemonium and turmoil everywhere.

The students of the Southern Capital Academy were not just a group of weak scholars.

They possessed cultivation levels and practiced cultivation even in the academy, with some students having significant levels of cultivation.

Sparks flew immediately once the two sides clashed, as the tough stance of the official residence ignited everyone’s pent-up anger.

Some students quickly organized resistance forces, wielding longswords to engage in fierce battles with the City Defense Camp’s soldiers.

The city echoed with continuous booming sounds.

The chaos lasted from day into night, with an entire street of shops set ablaze, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

The citizens of Linjiang City outside were not easy to bully either, as many were merchants or farmers with Foundation Establishment cultivation levels.

The officers didn’t go after the water bandits but instead targeted the citizens.

Everyone’s mindset became unbalanced, burning with anger, and without hesitation, they fought back against the City Defense Camp’s soldiers.

The situation spiraled out of control, and the Southern Capital City went sleepless that entire night.

Thugs, gangs, major cultivation dojos, and mischievous people took advantage of the chaos to stir up trouble, looting everywhere.

By dawn, more than a dozen streets had been reduced to ashes by the fires.

Although there was resistance, they still faced formal city defense forces.

These forces were completely suppressed by dawn.

Over a thousand students and merchants inside the city were captured, along with three thousand citizens from Linjiang City outside.

These people were all tied up and escorted by the City Defense Camp to the top of the city wall.

According to Yi Zhongcheng’s words, he wanted to sweep away all troublemakers with the Power of Thunder.

These people were not subjected to any trials, and they were all prepared for execution.

The public resentment was boiling over; although it was temporarily quelled, it continued to accumulate.

As noon approached, over a million people had gathered inside and outside the city wall where the execution was to take place.

This city wall was not like ordinary walls in the outside world.

It was a hundred meters tall, resembling a small mountain.

The streets inside the wall, and the rooftops of the shops, were densely packed with people, making it impossible to see individual figures.

Yi Zhongcheng, with the posture of a victor, rode in a sedan, clanging a gong to clear the path, and was carried out of the mansion and up the city wall.

Military Governor Sima Yan followed closely behind him, ox-horn long knife in hand, full of vigor as he provided escort.

As soon as they appeared, the citizens below erupted in uproar.

Someone shouted, "There they are, they are the accomplices of the water bandits!"

Others cursed, "Down with the corrupt officials, liberate the people."

People cried out, "Why aren’t you fighting the water bandits? What kind of skill is it to kill your own people?"

The shouts to fight and kill rose and fell, shaking the heavens.

Yi Zhongcheng stood on the city wall, feeling a chill run through his body, wondering if these normally sheepish citizens had gone mad.

Standing on the high platform, he cleared his throat and spoke with spiritual power, "Everyone, please calm down and let me say a few words."

The atmosphere turned solemn, with everyone staring at Yi Zhongcheng with burning anger.

Yi Zhongcheng straightened his attire and said, "I understand everyone’s sentiment. I am already preparing to eliminate the water bandits and return to you a clear and bright world. However, some people continue to obstruct, incited by certain schemers, and gather to cause trouble inside and outside the city. As the Governor of Wuzhou, overseeing all matters of Wuzhou, how could I stand idly by while Wuzhou descends into chaos?

After a night of investigation, I have identified the main culprits behind the unrest. They have confessed to their crimes and have signed and sealed the confessions. I have decided to execute them first and report later, to purge these unruly citizens who broke the law and caused disturbances, so that Southern Capital City, Wuzhou, and South Yangtze can return to a peaceful state. I believe the Imperial Court will support me, and the citizens will understand me. Even if you don’t understand now, you will in the future."

He gestured with a wave to the people below, instructing, "Bring up all the leaders of last night’s disturbances."

The silver armor glinted and the spears were like a forest.

Soldiers stood ready, bringing forth the four thousand who had been captured without trial, yet had signed and sealed their confessions on the records.

They were all bound hand and foot, with signs reading ’Execution Decree’ hanging from their backs.

Under the fists and kicks of the officers, they were forced to kneel on the ground, facing each side of the city wall.

Yi Zhongcheng, Governor of Wuzhou, pointed at them and cursed, "Look at them carefully, these are the unruly citizens. Instead of living peaceful lives, they spur others to take advantage and cause trouble. As long as these scoundrels are not eliminated, Wuzhou will not be at peace, and Southern Capital City will not be at peace. If anyone else acts like them, I will not hesitate to deal with them harshly next time. For the sake of the Great Xia Country, for Wuzhou, I am willing to bear the name of a butcher!"

Inside and outside the city wall was a solemn silence, as the citizens clenched their fists in anger, wishing they could tear apart this hypocrite in official’s clothing.

Some close friends, relatives, parents, and siblings cried out, "My son, you’re only eighteen!"

"How can this be? My son is a student of the Southern Capital Academy, destined to become an official! How can you kill him? He cannot die!"

"Release my brother, Brother Wang was only selling tofu pudding in the city last night, he did nothing wrong—what crime did he commit?"

"Release them, don’t kill! If you have the guts, go fight the water bandits instead. You shameless, corrupt officials!"

Someone took the lead, raising their arm and shouting, "Release them!"

"Release them!"

"Release them!"

"..."

The crowd erupted into chaotic shouts.

Governor Yi Zhongcheng’s face turned cold, secretly thinking that these unruly citizens were truly incorrigible; without executing some, how could he establish authority!

"Executioners, prepare!"

He raised his hand and lifted the execution token.

A group of burly executioners, nearly all the executioners from Southern Capital City, took the stage, each hoisting their large knives, drinking a mouthful of strong alcohol, and spraying it onto the blades.