The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

At this moment, Tuoba Yu had a smug look on his face, as if he was excited to witness the county magistrate in such an embarrassed state.

When the county magistrate heard Tuoba Yu's sarcasm, his face became even uglier, but he dared to remain silent, lowered his head, and silently endured her ridicule.

The assassins appeared like ghosts. They moved quickly and agilely, and soon took the old monk away quietly.

Although the old monk is very old, his expression is still as calm as water.

They came to a hidden cave, where the flickering candlelight illuminated everyone's face.

The old monk sat on a rock, his face calm, his eyes gentle as he looked at the assassin in front of him, and slowly asked, "Dear donors, why did you bring me here?"

One of the assassins had a fierce look in his eyes, but facing the calmness of the old monk, his momentum inexplicably weakened a bit. He gritted his teeth and said, "Humph, someone wants your life!"

After hearing this, the old monk smiled slightly. There was no fear in his smile, but a kind of detached indifference. He said softly: "I have never fought with the world in my life. I don't know who I have offended to suffer this disaster."

Another assassin shouted impatiently: "Stop talking nonsense! Today is the day you die!"

The old monk still looked at them calmly, as if everything had nothing to do with him. He just shook his head gently and sighed.

The old monk looked at the assassins with a determined gaze and said slowly, "Even if you just want me to die, can you let me die knowingly?"

The assassins looked at each other, one of them snorted coldly, took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and threw it in front of the old monk.

The old monk picked up the paper in confusion, unfolded it and was immediately shocked. A look of astonishment appeared on his face and the paper in his hand almost slipped.

His eyes were fixed on the portrait, his lips trembling slightly, and he murmured in disbelief: "This... How is this possible..."

His eyes were full of surprise and confusion, as if he had seen something extremely incredible.

The assassins looked at the old monk's reaction with indifference. One of them sneered and said, "Now you should know why you are going to die."

The old monk raised his head, shifted his gaze away from the portrait, and looked at the assassins. There were complex emotions in his eyes, including shock, confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible sadness.

The old monk suddenly started crying like a child.

Tears flowed down his old face, and he choked up and said, "I deserve to die. I regret it!"

His voice was filled with pain and regret, his shoulders kept shaking, and his sorrowful look made people feel pity for him.

An assassin frowned and said, "Humph, you regret it now? Why didn't you do it earlier?"

The old monk raised his tearful eyes, looked at the assassins, and said with self-blame: "It is my fault, I am sorry..."

His words came out in a halting manner, as if he had used up all his strength to pronounce each word.

"I thought the past was over, but I didn't expect that I couldn't escape this disaster after all."

The old monk cried and said, "I really know I was wrong, but it's too late..."

His eyes were full of despair and sorrow. His sad expression filled the entire cave with a heavy atmosphere, making people feel moved by his experience.

The assassins around were somewhat moved when they saw the old monk like this, and the fierceness on their faces eased a little.

The old monk stopped crying and slowly raised his head, tears still lingering on his face. He said sadly, "Forget it, forget it. I really deserve to die. Go ahead and kill me."

After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes, looking as if ready to be killed.

After hearing what the old monk said, the assassins looked at each other with surprise on their faces.

One of the assassins frowned and asked in confusion, "Why did this old monk suddenly accept his fate so well?"

They looked at each other, and for a moment they were a little at a loss.

After a while, the leading assassin said hesitantly: "Is this old monk playing some tricks?"

But looking at the old monk's calm and resolute look, it didn't seem like he was pretending.

They were full of doubts, but didn't know what to do. Their originally firm murderous intention was now shaken, and the atmosphere in the cave became particularly weird.

The old monk sat there quietly for a long time, and then slowly opened his eyes, revealing a trace of determination and indifference. He looked straight at the assassins and asked calmly: "Why don't you do it?"

The assassins were somewhat surprised by the old monk's sudden action and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The old monk smiled bitterly, shook his head, and muttered, "Forget it, forget it. Since you can't do it, I'll do it myself."

After saying this, a determined look appeared on his face. He suddenly opened his mouth and put his tongue between his teeth.

There was no hesitation or fear in his expression, only a sense of detachment and relief.

Just as he was about to bite down, an assassin couldn't help but shout, "Master, wait a minute!"

However, the old monk seemed not to hear anything. His teeth had already tightly clenched his tongue. Blood instantly flowed out from the corner of his mouth, and his body slowly collapsed.

The assassins opened their eyes wide, their faces full of shock and disbelief. They stared blankly at the scene before them, as if time had frozen at this moment.

The assassins stared blankly at the old monk who slowly collapsed, and for a moment they were at a loss as to what to do.

"This...how could this happen..." one of the assassins muttered to himself.

The leading assassin stepped forward quickly, squatted down, and looked at the blood that kept flowing out of the old monk's mouth.

However, the old monk was no longer able to answer him at this time. His eyes began to become blurred, but his face still seemed to have a hint of calmness after being relieved.

"Did we... do something wrong..." another assassin whispered, with a hint of regret in his voice.

There was a depressing atmosphere in the cave, and the candlelight seemed to become much dimmer at this moment.

Several assassins stood there for a long time without saying anything. They just looked quietly at the old monk who had no breath left, with a myriad of thoughts in their minds.

They were originally just tools to carry out the mission, but at this moment they were deeply shocked by the old monk's actions, as if something was quietly touched deep in their hearts.

Several assassins looked at each other, their faces full of panic.

"What should we do? The master just wants him to confess his guilt, not to die!" An assassin said anxiously, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead and his eyes full of panic.

Another assassin stamped his feet fiercely and said in annoyance: "It's all our fault. Why didn't we stop him earlier? We are done for now. The master will definitely not let us off easily!"

His face turned pale and his lips trembled slightly.

The leading assassin frowned and tried to calm himself down.

He took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry. Now that things have come to this, we have to find a solution quickly." There was a hint of thought in his eyes.

"What else can we do? Everyone is dead!" an assassin cried out in a crying voice, his face full of despair.

"Shut up!" The leading assassin glared at him. "Let's clean up here first, then go back and report to the master and wait for his punishment."

He sighed helplessly, his face full of worry, looking at the old monk's body, his eyes full of regret and self-blame.

They began to clean up the scene in a panic, their movements were flustered and awkward, and they were all worried about what kind of punishment they would face when they returned.

In the dark and damp cell, Xi Yu sat quietly against the wall. There was not much expression on his face, but his eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he was thinking about something.

The county magistrate's face was full of anxiety, and he said urgently: "Prime Minister, please leave immediately!"

Xi Yu slowly raised his head, glanced at the county magistrate, then shook his head firmly and said lightly: "I won't leave."

When the county magistrate heard this, his eyes widened, his face full of surprise, his mouth slightly open, as if he couldn't believe that Xi Yu would answer like that.

"Prime Minister, why are you doing this?" His voice was trembling.

Xi Yu looked at him expressionlessly and said in a deep voice: "I have my reasons."

The county magistrate stamped his feet in anxiety, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He quickly admitted his fault again and said, "It's all my fault. I didn't do my job well and you have been wronged. Please get out!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed continuously, "bang bang bang", and the ground made a slight sound.

His face was full of fear and earnestness, his eyes were full of pleading, and he kowtowed while saying, "Prime Minister, please spare me. I will do anything as long as you get out!" In the dark cell, Xi Yu still sat quietly against the wall, his expression as calm as water.

The county magistrate continued to kowtow, and his forehead became red and swollen.

Xi Yu raised his lips slightly, and finally said, "Humph, I've been waiting for you to say this. Then let me ask you, how are you going to deal with the Lizheng matter?"

When the county magistrate heard this, he was stunned at first, then he looked up as if he had suddenly realized something. A trace of panic flashed in his eyes, and he said hastily: "Don't worry, Prime Minister. I will arrest the head of the village right away and give you an explanation!"

His face was full of flattery and a hint of relief.

Xi Yu snorted softly, with a hint of disdain in his expression, "Good to know, then why don't you go quickly."

The county magistrate nodded repeatedly, as if he had been granted amnesty, and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I will go right away, right away."

As he said this, he stood up hurriedly and prepared to go out.

At this time, Xi Yu waved his hand impatiently and said coldly: "Get out of here, don't bother me here."

The county magistrate quickly bowed and saluted, then left quickly with his men. The cell returned to silence, leaving Xi Yu alone.

He closed his eyes slightly, as if thinking about what to do next.

In the cell, Tuoba Yu frowned and accused Xi Yu, "Why don't you get out first? What's the point of staying here!"

Xi Yu sat on the haystack, a smile on his face, and replied leisurely: "I think this place is not bad, it's quite quiet."

Tuoba Yu stared at him with eyes wide open, looking at him in disbelief, and said anxiously: "Stop it! This place is dirty and smelly, how can it be nice?"

Xi Yu raised his head and looked at Tuoba Yu, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly: "I have my own ideas, you don't have to worry about me."

Tuoba Yu sighed helplessly, shook his head, and said: "You are such a weirdo, I don't understand what you are thinking."

Xi Yu smiled and did not answer. He just looked at the wall of the cell quietly, as if thinking about something.

Night fell over the village, and bright moonlight poured down, illuminating the angry or confused faces of the gathered villagers.

"Why did the headman call us here so late in the night?" a villager shouted angrily, frowning and his face full of impatience.

"That's right, it's so late and we still can't rest." Another villager echoed, stamping his feet.

After a while, the village head came and stood in front of everyone, his face looking terribly gloomy.

He glanced at everyone coldly, and that look seemed to be able to freeze people.

He said sinisterly, "Be quiet! I called you here tonight to tell you that if anyone dares to go against me in the future, the consequences will be disastrous! Be obedient!"

His voice was cold and threatening.

When the villagers heard this, some showed fear on their faces, while others gritted their teeth with unwillingness in their eyes, but under the fierce gaze of the headman, they dared not say anything more.

The head of the village looked at the reactions of the crowd, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a smug and cold smile, as if he was very satisfied with his own deterrence.

Under the moonlight, his figure looked particularly eerie, making people feel chilly.

In this tense atmosphere, a burst of hurried footsteps were heard coming from far away.

Many yamen runners walked quickly towards them with neat and powerful steps.

Their faces were serious, with knives and sticks tightly grasped in their hands. Behind them, the county magistrate was following slowly.

When the village head saw this scene, he laughed triumphantly, and his laughter was particularly harsh in the silent night.

He shouted at the villagers brazenly: "Did you see that? This is what happens when you go against me! Anyone who doesn't behave will be arrested!"

His face was full of arrogance and domineering, and his eyes were flashing with cunning, as if everything was under his control.

When many villagers heard this, they immediately showed a look of horror on their faces.

Some villagers bit their lips, clenched the corners of their clothes tightly with their hands, and felt full of anxiety.

For a moment, an atmosphere of fear filled the crowd, and under the bright moonlight, these frightened expressions appeared particularly clear.

The county magistrate watched all this with dignity, his expression was unfathomable, and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

The head of the village had a flattering smile on his face. He trotted all the way to the county magistrate, bent very low, and saluted respectfully, saying, "County magistrate, why are you here at this time?"

The county magistrate looked at him coldly with an expressionless face, his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate his heart.

Then, the county magistrate's cold voice rang out: "Arrest the village head!"

When the village head heard this, he was shocked. His eyes widened and his face was full of disbelief. He asked in a trembling voice, "County Magistrate, what are you doing? What have I done wrong?"

His face turned pale instantly, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his body was trembling slightly, and his previous arrogance disappeared without a trace in an instant.

The county magistrate still looked at him coldly without saying a word.

The yamen runners around quickly stepped forward, grabbed the head of the village arm without saying a word, and held him firmly under control.

The headman struggled, still shouting, "County Magistrate, this is unfair! You can't do this to me!"

But the county magistrate was not moved at all, only a hint of barely perceptible disgust flashed in his eyes.

The head of the village struggled hard, his face flushed red, and shouted loudly: "County magistrate, even if you want to arrest me, you must give me a reason!" His eyes were full of unwillingness and anger.

The county magistrate snorted and said coldly: "You embezzled the money from above to build the bridge. Shouldn't you be arrested for this?"

When the village head heard this, he was shocked, his face was full of astonishment and his mouth was wide open.

But then, as if he had given up everything, he showed a ferocious look on his face and cursed: "County Magistrate, you are destroying the bridge after crossing the river! Didn't you do the same thing?"

There was a gleam of resentment in his eyes and his voice became particularly sharp.

The county magistrate's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. He glared at the magistrate and shouted, "How dare you! Stop talking nonsense! Someone, take him away!"

The surrounding yamen runners immediately dragged the village head with force, but the village head continued to yell and curse, and his crazy look was completely different from before.

The village head was dragged away roughly by the yamen runners. He struggled and shouted, but was eventually taken away from people's sight.

People in the crowd looked at each other with surprise on their faces.

"What's going on?" a villager muttered in a low voice, frowning tightly.

"Yes, haven't the village head and the county magistrate always been in cahoots? How could he be arrested by the county magistrate?" another villager said with a puzzled look on his face.

Just when everyone was talking about it.

At this moment, a gray-haired old man in the crowd suddenly burst into laughter.

The wrinkles on his face were squeezed together and his eyes were narrowed into slits.

"Look, he was just saying that everyone should not offend him or else they would be arrested, but in the end, he was the first one to be arrested!"

The surrounding villagers were stunned at first, but then they all reacted and started laughing.

"Haha, that's right, this is really retribution in this life!" A young villager held his stomach and laughed so hard that he fell backwards, with an expression of gloating on his face.

"He has finally gotten what he deserves. He used to be so domineering, but now he's getting what he deserves." Another villager curled his lips with a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Oh my, I can't believe it." A woman laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back and tears welled up in her eyes.

Everyone's laughter echoed in the night sky, as if diluting the tense atmosphere just now.

At this moment, everyone was immersed in this sudden joy. (End of this chapter)