Zhu Xiaosuo said:

"I don't need your lives, but how do you account for the harm you've caused others?"

"We'll compensate them double, no, ten times over!"

The head constable immediately replied.

The other constables quickly echoed:

"Yes, we'll compensate them tenfold!"

"Good. Since you've compensated, consider it as buying this shop, and we'll let this matter go."

Hearing this, the constables felt relieved.

Losing money to avoid disaster was the best outcome they could hope for.

But Zhu Xiaosuo continued:

"From now on, just focus wholeheartedly on running your own shop."

The head constable asked:

"What does the Immortal mean?"

"Don't you understand? Focus on running the shop and take off those constable uniforms."

"This..."

Not only did he take their money, but he also wanted to strip them of their official positions.

Everyone was stunned.

In their hearts, they cursed Zhu Xiaosuo and Bao Hui.

But who dared to resist?

"Yes..."

"This Braised Chicken Feet Shop is quite impressive. You be the owner, and let Bao Hui be the shop assistant. It's fitting."

"Yes..."

Zhu Xiaosuo added:

"Although you handled this matter, it's unreasonable that only you came forward to take the blame, without even a head constable appearing. It's as if you don't take me seriously."

"What the Immortal says is true."

The head constable immediately agreed.

These officials were quick to take money, but when trouble arose, they only pushed him forward.

If they were to go down, they should all go down together, dragging as many as possible with them.

"Zhu Sixiu, do you know the County Magistrate of Yellow Dog County? Can Shen Ma handle matters in Yellow Dog County?"

"Returning to the clan leader. County Magistrate Guan Ming has been an official for many years, often exploiting the people. His background is just some local officials, but he has no cultivator backing."

"No cultivator connections, that's good. Shen Zhuo, can Shen Ma handle matters in Yellow Dog County?"

"He can't."

"...Can he still be of any use?"

Although Yellow Dog County and Mountain Chicken County are both counties, Yellow Dog County lacks a cultivator clan and is at most a vassal of Mountain Chicken County.

If Shen Ma can't even handle this, then their connection ends here.

"But if you speak, he can handle it."

Shen Zhuo added.

"Good. Have him find a way to demote everyone from the County Magistrate to the head constable in Yellow Dog County by three ranks. If money is needed, we'll provide it. If effort is needed, have Zhu Qigao put in the effort."

"Yes."

"If any of the Niu, Ma, and Yang families come looking for trouble over Yellow Dog County, tell them the whole story. Ask them to give me some face, and we can compensate their losses here with business in Mountain Chicken County."

"Yes."

Zhu Xiaosuo thought for a moment and then asked Zhu Sixiu:

"I heard Wei Min has been doing well as a head constable in Mountain Chicken County lately?"

Zhu Sixiu understood:

"Yes, very well. Everyone says that since Head Constable Wei took office, people don't lock their doors at night, and no one picks up lost items on the road. It's comparable to..."

"Alright, alright, I get it. In that case, transfer him here as the head constable to clean up this mess."

"Yes."

After settling the old score, Zhu Xiaosuo left with his people.

The autumn wind blew gently, and his mood lightened a bit.

It felt good.

Walking and stopping, he reached the outskirts of the Hundred Beast Ridge.

The forest was still the same.

But Zhu Xiaosuo no longer felt the initial fear.

If it weren't for the fact that none of them were cultivators, he would have liked to cross the Hundred Beast Ridge.

To see another world.

A wild pheasant occasionally darted through the forest.

It was here that he was once shot by a cultivator.

He obtained five spirit stones and a stack of spirit testing papers.

More than two years had passed.

Returning to the old place made him sigh.

He patted Jieku's little bald head and remarked to everyone:

"Remember, it was here that I was shot by a cultivator..."

Before he could finish, Zhu Xiaosuo was suddenly blasted away by a powerful force.

It was an arrow!

Search "pawread.com" for the original.

Zhu Xiaosuo felt that the arrow was entwined with strong spiritual energy.

Far purer than the spiritual energy within him.

The spiritual energy followed the arrow into his body, impacting him, rendering him immobile.

He felt himself being pushed, crashing into several trees before finally stopping.

He didn't know how many bones were broken inside him.

His internal organs were all ruptured.

He recalled that the "Cultivator's Beginner Guide" mentioned that a cultivator's body evolves beyond that of ordinary people.

He hadn't experienced it much before.

Until he was shot again this time.

If he weren't a cultivator, he would probably have died by now.

Unfortunately, even as a cultivator, he wouldn't live much longer.

The injuries were too severe.

He could clearly feel death slowly approaching him.

Images of people and scenes he hadn't recalled in a long time flashed before his eyes.

Zhu Wuhua, Zhu Liucai, He Youfu...

Finally, it settled on the image of himself, full of spirit, in front of the Braised Chicken Feet Shop.

"Clan leader!"

Zhu Sixiu and the others were about to rush over to help.

Their shouts pulled him out of his memories.

He suddenly realized he wasn't alone.

"It's a cultivator, don't come here to die... you all must leave!"

Zhu Xiaosuo shouted with all his might to the others.

This arrow was too powerful.

His chest was pierced through, pinning him to a tree trunk.

The opponent's terror was imaginable.

Completely beyond what a novice at the First Layer of the Rebirth Stage could contend with.

Such skill was likely aimed at killing him.

Blame it on him for offending the three major families and the County Magistrate in Mountain Chicken County; he didn't know who arranged for someone to kill him.

He didn't regret offending them.

To pass the examination, he had no other choice.

"Go!"

Zhu Xiaosuo shouted again to Zhu Sixiu and Shen Zhuo.

These people had some connection with him, more or less.

There was no need for them to lose their lives.

Zhu Sixiu said:

"I can't leave. This is my livelihood. If the clan leader is gone, I can't survive either. Shen Zhuo, you have no ties to the Zhu Clan, nor do you rely on them. Take the Young Monk and the remaining brothers and go."

Zhu Xiaosuo didn't understand why Zhu Sixiu was so stubborn:

"Zhu Sixiu, you should go too! Staying means certain death!"

Zhu Sixiu shook his head:

"If I leave and let you die alone, when we return to the Zhu Clan, we'll all die, and Brother Gao might get implicated too. Only if I also account for myself here, the brothers might have a slim chance of survival, and Brother Gao won't be implicated. You all must leave now, or we'll all die here."

Shen Zhuo nodded:

"Zhu Clan Leader, I don't rely on the Zhu Clan, so I'll take them and go. I hope you'll forgive me!"

"Go."

But the group hesitated, not immediately fleeing.

Shen Zhuo picked up the wailing Jieku and shouted to everyone:

"If you don't want your clan leader and Brother Sixiu to die in vain, leave with me as fast as you can and return in an hour!"

Everyone knew staying was useless.

They had accompanied Zhu Xiaosuo all this way; many had tears in their eyes, and they solemnly cupped their hands to the clan leader and Zhu Sixiu, saying:

"Take care!"

Then they reluctantly withdrew.

Shen Zhuo, carrying Jieku, ran the fastest, and soon Jieku's cries faded away.