Chapter 255 Arriving at the County Government Office

Pfft!

Two sharp knives, each half a meter long, pierced the magistrate's back and went through his chest.

He looked down in disbelief, his eyes wide, staring at the two blood-stained knife tips emerging from his chest. A sharp pain spread throughout his body, and a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him. The passing of his life was all too clear at that moment.

"You...you actually dared...dared to kill me..."

The magistrate, gripping the windowsill with both hands, struggled to turn around, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth. "I...I am...the magistrate...the magistrate..."

Fang Hui said coldly, "This corrupt official has no sense of enlightenment even in death."

The magistrate could no longer hold on, and collapsed to his knees. Then his head lolled to the side, and he fell to the ground at Fang Hui's feet, where he stopped breathing.

"Brother Lihe!" A young man ran in from outside, "Several servants escaped in the chaos!"

Li He asked, "Are there any survivors in the magistrate's residence?"

The boy replied, "That's all, only those three ran away!"

Li He nodded and said, "It's alright. They're definitely going to the county government to get reinforcements. Leave four people here to handle the scene, and the rest of you will come with me to the county government."

"Yes, brother!"

——

The three servants who escaped from the magistrate's mansion were not only terrified, but also injured. They rode their horses straight to the county government office, their minds filled with the idea of ​​asking the officials to come to the magistrate's house for help.

In the past, they wouldn't have needed to go to the county government office themselves; they would encounter patrolling officials on the way.

However, due to the bandit suppression, nine out of ten houses in the county town were empty, so the officials naturally felt there was no need to patrol the streets. In addition, the weather was freezing cold, so everyone naturally slacked off.

The three servants, coughing up blood and cursing the officials, finally arrived at the county government office.

It turned out that the county government office was closed.

The main gate was locked from the outside with a chain.

"Something's happened... Someone help... Something terrible has happened!"

The three dismounted and staggered up the steps.

Due to their injuries, their voices were weak and feeble.

One of them thought of knocking on the road drum next to the gate, so he dragged his bloodied body to the drum, only to find that there were no drumsticks.

Then it dawned on him that the magistrate, not wanting the people to come and beat the drum to lodge complaints, had already thrown away the drumsticks.

He could only pound with his hands and bang his head against the ground.

The other two were leaning against the gate, banging on it and shouting:

"Is anyone there...?"

"Come out quickly... Magistrate... The magistrate's house has been attacked by thugs..."

"..."

Inside the county government office.

A drunken constable went to the outhouse to urinate and, passing by the county government compound, vaguely heard noises outside the gate.

"Hmm? Is someone banging on the door?"

"Who dares to disturb the peace and quiet of the county government office!"

The official walked behind the gate, cursing and swearing, and pressed his ear against the door to listen.

I seemed to hear words like "county magistrate" and "thugs".

"You've run into some thugs? Go report it to the magistrate?" the officer scoffed. "Stop arguing! The magistrate doesn't have time for your petty squabbles! Get out of here, or I'll lock you all up in jail!"

The servant outside the door heard the noise, but realized that the other party had misunderstood, and became furious.

However, they were almost exhausted and could no longer shout, so the three of them worked together to pound on the door.

"Hey? You're getting cocky, aren't you?! I'll teach you a lesson!" The officer also lost his temper, took off the bolt, and was about to open the door.

They found that they could only open the door a crack, just wide enough for a hand to fit, and several chains were clearly visible in front of them.

He was about to burst into a tirade when he suddenly noticed that the three people lying on the ground outside the door looked very familiar.

He crouched down for a closer look and exclaimed in surprise, "You are the county magistrate's servants?! What happened?! Why are you so badly injured?!"

The three finally managed to speak with the officials, and the breath they had been holding in finally dissipated, causing two of them to faint on the spot.

The remaining man stretched out his bloodied hand and grabbed the officer's arm tightly, crying, "Someone... broke into the master's house... and started a massacre... hurry... hurry..."

He managed to finish speaking, but then he couldn't hold on any longer and fell into a coma.

Before the officials could even process why the gate had been chained shut from the outside, they rushed out shouting in a panic, "Everyone, come out quickly! Something's happened to the magistrate!"

Before long, all forty-odd yamen runners, including constables, from the county government office rushed into the courtyard.

The jailer arrived last with five guards and stood outside the crowd, looking around.

The constables tried their best but couldn't break the chains outside the gate; those chains were stronger than any they had ever seen.

They soon discovered that not only the main gate, but all the other doors were blocked by the same chains.

Having no other choice, they used an axe to break a hole in the gate and dragged the three servants of the county magistrate into the yamen.

Two of them, who were seriously injured, have already died.

The remaining unconscious person was awakened by splashing cold water on them.

Only then did they learn that a group of teenagers had suddenly stormed into the magistrate's house. These teenagers were dressed in clothes that were impervious to swords and spears, and the knives they used were like divine weapons. Even the magistrate's henchmen and guards could not withstand them.

"I... before I ran away... I heard... I heard some brats shouting something like... 'Acting on behalf of Heaven, rebelling... destroying... destroying the corrupt officials...'"

The only surviving servant used his last bit of strength to say, "They clearly...came prepared...hurry and rescue...rescue the magistrate, otherwise...we're all doomed..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the servant breathed his last.

The yamen runners and officials were stunned into chaos, as if struck by lightning.

Only the six people in charge of the cells remained calm; instead, each of them had a meaningful look in their eyes.

The jailer who had previously mentioned wanting to smuggle some grain from the county government's warehouse turned his head to look in the direction of the warehouse.

The clerk stepped forward to take control of the situation, shouting, "Everyone, don't panic! They're just a bunch of kids. Even if they have self-defense equipment and powerful weapons, they're no match for dozens of us! In my opinion, they locked all the entrances and exits of the county government office beforehand, which shows that they're quite wary of us!"

Upon hearing this, the constables regained their composure.

The advisor continued, "What bullshit rebellion? A bunch of brats? I think it's just a momentary impulse and stupidity. Teenagers are just at the age where they like to cause trouble! So there's nothing to be afraid of! Now everyone take your weapons and head to the county magistrate's house to wipe out these lawless bastards!"

At a command, the constables sprang into action.

In the past, the officials and constables who were responsible for field duties all carried swords. Some of them were responsible for important security and protecting the yamen, and were even equipped with bows and arrows and leather armor.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the yamen runners were ready.

The clerk waved his hand and said, "I and a few clerical staff will stay here. You all set off immediately!"

The officials began to march.

Several jailers, however, hesitated in a corner.

These six people were not valued in the government office, and no one noticed their unusual behavior at this moment.

"Boss..." a jailer whispered to the cell boss, "This is a good opportunity... how about we..."

The jailer frowned, his expression conflicted.

The older jailer said, "Either you choose to stay secretly and take something from the storeroom while things are in chaos, or you go with the magistrate to his house. Make a decision quickly, or it will be too late."

The jailer, who had already considered staying, decisively said, "I want to stay. Judging from the injuries of those three servants of the magistrate, the magistrate is probably in grave danger. There's no point in us going."

Just as the remaining dozens of officials were about to leave, the clerk was about to turn his gaze away from them. With just a glance, he could spot the few jailers lurking in the corner of the courtyard.

The jailer steeled himself and said, "Quick, hide!"

The six of them quickly crouched down and hid behind the nearest flower bed.

The clerk's gaze happened to sweep over it, but because of the distance, and because the flower beds in the county government courtyard were tall and long and planted with evergreen trees, he did not notice it.

The six men crawled on the ground toward the warehouse.

Dozens of officials had demolished the county government gate. Just as they were about to cross the threshold, they suddenly saw a group of teenagers carrying knives rushing up the steps and charging towards them.

There were too many officials and constables, and they couldn't move around freely at the entrance of the yamen, so they quickly retreated.

"Archers!" someone shouted.

Eight archers immediately raised their bows and nocked their arrows.

Whoosh!

Whoosh whoosh! !

The long arrow flew towards the boys outside the gate.

They did not dodge, but instead lowered their heads, hunched their chests, and crossed their arms to protect their heads.

The bronze arrows pierced their bodies, only managing to pierce the outer layer of fabric fibers, failing to penetrate the thin inner armor.

The archers in the county government office were nearly speechless with astonishment at what they saw.

"We have arrows too!" Li He raised his hand. "Let them see what we've got!"

As soon as the sound faded, several boys holding crossbows stepped forward and fired a burst of shots from the threshold.

The sound of something cutting through the air came one after another.

The crossbow bolts are short, powerful, and extremely fast.

Several officers were hit by arrows before they could react.

"Cover! Save them!" a constable roared. "Archers! Are you all idiots?! Keep firing! What are you standing there for?!"

The officers, clad in leather armor, parried crossbow bolts with their swords while dragging the wounded back. Several quick-reacting officers, not having time to remove their shields, used broken pieces of door panels for cover.

The county archers snapped out of their daze, but before they could fire a second volley, Li He led his group of youths in like wolves, throwing the officials into disarray.

"Look what this is?!"

Li He shouted and threw the sack he was carrying into the yard.

The sack hit the ground, and a bloody human head rolled out with a gurgling sound.

The faces of the yamen runners and officials changed drastically.

"The...the county magistrate?"

"This is the magistrate's head!"

"My lord... he's dead?!"

Exclamations rang out.

The yamen runners and officials all froze on the spot.

Several prison guards were startled by the sound, stopped, and cautiously looked up, peering over the edge of the flower bed.

Holding a sharp knife, Li He arrogantly surveyed the crowd. "That's right, the dog magistrate's head has already been chopped off by us. If you lay down your weapons and surrender, I might spare your lives!"

"Wait... Li He? It's you, kid!" Constable Zhao was utterly shocked. "You...you're insane?! Killing the magistrate and storming the yamen—that's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"

Li He had a somewhat favorable impression of Constable Zhao.

Relatively speaking, this guy is considered one of the more honest officials in Zixian County. He may be greedy, but at least he does his job and keeps his word once he gets paid.

“We have decided to rebel, and there is no turning back once the arrow is released,” Li He said coldly. “Officer Zhao, for the sake of our past relationship, I suggest you set an example and surrender to me.”

Officer Zhao's face turned ashen with rage. "You little brat, I never saw you had the guts to surrender to you? Are you trying to drag us into a rebellion, only to be wiped out by the imperial army together? What kind of trouble can you possibly cause! I advise you to confess your crimes and submit to the law!"

Li He laughed, "Confess? Accept punishment? When has there ever been any law in this county? When the corrupt magistrate oppressed the people, did you confess and accept punishment when you were acting as his accomplices?"

One question made all the yamen runners and officials blush with embarrassment.

Li He continued, “The sky is high and the emperor is far away. As long as you don’t spread the news, it will be difficult for the emperor to know the situation here. Anyway, Ting County is in complete chaos, and the damned magistrate has been killed by us. We can rebuild order and restore the people’s livelihood. You will also have the opportunity to start anew.”

Officer Zhao's face grew increasingly grim.

But then he felt that Li He's words made sense, and these brats were able to break into the magistrate's house and behead him, so they must be extremely difficult to deal with. If he really fought them, he might not have a chance of winning.

But it would be too shameful for an adult, especially a constable, to follow a bunch of young punks in the future.

He hesitated for a moment.

"What an arrogant brat!" another constable sneered. "No matter how much I've done wrong in the past, I'm still a proper government official! If we surrender to you, wouldn't we become traitors of the Great Swamp? Do you think I'm as stupid as you? Brothers! Kill these ignorant little bastards, and we'll have done a great service in quelling the rebellion!"

These words had a significant effect immediately.

A group of yamen runners and constables, carrying knives, charged at the boys.

The chaotic battle has begun.

However, due to his doubts, Officer Zhao quietly retreated a bit and did not rush to participate in the fighting.

Behind the flower bed, several prison guards were deeply shocked.

They never expected Li He to be so bold.

One of the jailers muttered, "When this kid was first put in jail, I felt he wasn't an ordinary person... Now it seems he really is."

Another jailer said, “It makes me feel ashamed. I can only complain a few times, and I have to keep my curses to myself. I never dare to directly confront the magistrate. But this kid just decisively killed the magistrate. Guys, we... are not even as good as children.”

"Do you think Li He and his group of kids can handle this?"

"Lihe has too few people, and they're all just little kids. I think—"

Before they could finish speaking, they saw several officers lying in pools of blood.

The jailer said, "No, wait, did you see that? These kids are practically invulnerable to swords and spears, and the knives they're using are harder and sharper than our official swords! Maybe they really can win?!"

"Then let's..."

"I don't care anymore! I've had enough of this rotten county government!"

As he spoke, a jailer rushed out of the flower bed, swung his knife, and slashed down a constable who had always bullied him from behind, laughing loudly, "Hahaha! That's great! Brother Lihe! I've come to help you too!"