Chapter 645: Chapter 646: The Magistrate was also slashed
 

Li Xiaobai’s eyes twinkled with a sharp gleam.

“Brother Li, you may die now!”

The golden hoop saber raised high in the void traced a beautiful arc, and without the slightest hesitation, it slashed down towards Gui Xuan’s head.

Before he could make a sound, Gui Xuan felt a chill throughout his body, a coolness on the back of his neck, and the next second, a head fell to the ground, and blood spilled across the execution field.

All signs of life gone!

The scene fell silent, save for the rolling head on the ground, still displaying unwilling eyes, as if it was voicing its grievances from its previous life.

“Hahaha, very good, Li Xiaobai, against all expectations, you, who seem so cultured and refined on ordinary days, are decisive in your actions, just like your fellow disciple. You truly do your sect proud!”

“The officer has not misjudged you, you did very well!”

The official behind him laughed heartily. He didn’t like to see blood, so he turned his back to listen to the crisp sounds behind him, feeling quite pleased with himself.

He had chosen the right person, an obedient dog with a ruthless heart, well suited for the Imperial Court’s service.

“Thank you for the praise, sir.”

“Sir, how should I deal with this junior sister of mine?”

Li Xiaobai asked with a grin, making a shushing gesture to Long Xue, who looked at him with puzzled and perplexed eyes.

“Kill her as well, and don’t make the officer repeat himself!”

The official’s expression soured as he spoke coldly; there was no room for mercy for the fairer sex on the execution ground.

“Hehe, understood.”

A hint of mockery laced the voice from behind, raising a bad premonition in the official’s heart. He was just about to turn around when all he saw was a streak of golden light passing by, and then blood burst forth.

He felt the world spin before his eyes, and then he saw his own headless body slowly collapsing on the platform.

The crowd was deathly silent, the people staring blankly at all that had unfolded on the scaffold, their mouths agape, and their pupils involuntarily contracting.

What did they just witness?

The prisoner had counter-killed the executioner?

Without any assistance, one on one, the prisoner had actually killed the officer. Instantly, the crowd’s faces turned to fear and confusion, and like a tidal wave, they began to flood outward in panic.

“Run for it!”

“The Court Hound, the demon head, has been slain!”

“That demon head actually counter-killed the Court Hound!”

“Run, if we’re late, we’ll die too!”

“Who would have thought that this demon head would be so brazen and arrogant, bold enough to attack an official, after today, the Imperial Court will surely be enraged!”

The crowd scattered and sprinted in a frenzy, pushing and shoving to get out of the city, and nobody understood what it felt like to have a close encounter with a demon head better than they did now.

“Do not panic!”

“Everyone get back, remain calm, don’t give the demon head a chance to escape!”

“Those who create chaos will be shown no mercy!”

The guards, who were government officers, shouted angrily and drew their swords, attempting to drive the believers back down below the execution platform.

Too many commoners had gathered to watch the excitement; if they were allowed to panic and create chaos, Li Xiaobai on the platform might very well take this opportunity to escape. Now headless, it would be difficult to capture him once he got away.

Moreover, if they were held accountable afterward, these low-ranking government officers couldn’t escape blame!

Alas, they underestimated the power of the commoners, as well as the fear Li Xiaobai had instilled in everyone. No one heeded their admonitions. Seeing the officers draw their swords, the commoners, too, became desperate and surged forward, breaking through the defensive line and running towards the city outskirts.

“Damn it, these officers have the government as their backing, so naturally, they’re not afraid, but what about us commoners? If we’re in danger, who will stand up for us?”

“Always calculating for their own benefit, but in the end, aren’t they just trying to use us as cannon fodder?”

“To hell with the government officers! Think I’ll let you block my lifeline? Believe me, I’ll drag you down to hell with me!”

The commoners cursed loudly; if they weren’t afraid of attracting the attention of Li Xiaobai, this ‘demon head,’ they would have beaten these officers to a pulp long ago.

Atop the execution platform, Li Xiaobai looked around. The executioners were frozen in place, clueless about what to do next as their superior had suddenly died, leaving them uncertain about how to proceed.

Furthermore, they were unsure of his cultivation level; the scene of him chopping down the government official with a single strike had quite an intimidating effect. For the time being, nobody dared to make a rash move.

Watching everyone proceed with caution, Li Xiaobai grinned, scooped up Long Xue, who was tied up, and turned to run. The Qi Yun Dantian cultivation technique flowed through his veins, naturally unfurling as he fled.

“Hahaha, Court Hounds, if you have the guts, come and kill me!”

“I, Li Xiaobai, beg for death!”

Li Xiaobai let out a long howl to the sky, leaping through the air and swiftly scaling walls; in a blink, he vanished without a trace, leaving the bystanders gaping at each other.

“Big brother, he’s run away!”

After a long silence on the execution platform, a brawny man spoke up to remind them.

“Hmm, I saw it.”

The lead brother nodded in acknowledgment.

“So, are we going after him?”

“Chase him for what? The official is dead; what’s the use of chasing? What if we can’t beat that kid and end up losing our lives?”

“The Yamen’s officers will go after him. Our job is just to execute; we don’t need to worry about the rest.”

The lead brother scolded angrily and with a wave of his hand, he retreated with his men into the towers.

They were only responsible for decapitating those already sentenced; matters of life and death were best left to the government officers.

At the city gate, Li Xiaobai carried Long Xue in his arms, hidden on a rooftop, secretly observing the scene below.

The crowd below moved like waves in a churning sea, panic-stricken and in disarray. Among them, a small, well-trained team of government officers was moving methodically through the crowd, searching for Li Xiaobai’s whereabouts.

He was familiar with these men; they were the same group of officers who, along with Gui Xuan, had captured him and Long Xue. To be cautious, they had remained on the fringes of the execution area. Each of them possessed Essence Refining cultivation levels, which Li Xiaobai wasn’t currently capable of contending with.

“Brother Li, did you have a plan all along? You already knew of Brother Gui Xuan’s actions, didn’t you?”

“Earlier, when you agreed to the Imperial Court’s terms, it was to rescue me, right? I don’t understand why, knowing everything, Brother Li would let Brother Gui Xuan do as he pleased, putting us all in danger?”

Long Xue had a myriad of questions she wanted to erupt with at that moment.

Li Xiaobai’s behavior just now was all very orderly, clearly premeditated rather than impulsive, implying that he had foreseen Gui Xuan’s betrayal. But if that was the case, why hadn’t he confronted Gui Xuan earlier? If they could have taken care of Gui Xuan beforehand, they might not have been captured by the government.

“Heh, junior sister, before you say that, think about how naive you were before. With your silly, sweet nature, would you have believed me if I told you directly?”