The ledger is in hand

The hall was filled with the stench of blood and an indescribable foul smell.

Master Jingchen's plump body slumped on the brocade-covered armchair, her head drooping at an odd angle.

Her eyes were wide open, her pupils dilated to their maximum, frozen in the extreme fear before death.

Her face was contorted, white foam remained at the corners of her mouth, and her lower body was a mess, clearly indicating that she had lost control of her bladder in shock.

This horrific death silently speaks of the despair and torment she endured in the final moments of her life.

Yang Sijian, courtesy name Tingxuan, a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Works, supported by Xuan Chenzi and several Shura Guards, helped Zhou Wenqing, a Hanlin lecturer who had just been rescued and was walking with difficulty but still had a straight back, as well as several survivors of the "Jade Register Case" in slightly better condition, to the main hall.

Looking at the disgusting state of Master Jingchen's death, Yang Sijian's old eyes filled with tears.

It evokes both the satisfaction of seeing the guilty punished and the grief of past tragedies.

He bowed deeply to Ling Zhan, who stood with his sword sheathed and exuded a cold aura, and to Shen Yan, who stood beside him with a deep gaze.

Her voice choked with emotion yet filled with unwavering hatred: "Madam! Young Master! This villain deserves to be executed! What she revealed... is irrefutable evidence! Liu Yuanlang of the Ministry of Works... this traitor was one of the vanguards who framed the Crown Prince back then! This Ciyun Nunnery must be a den of iniquity where he colluded with certain people in the palace!"

Xuan Chenzi's gaze swept over Jing Chen's dark and twisted corpse.

Then it slowly moved toward the families of the officials who had been rescued and suffered greatly because of the "Imperial Genealogy Case".

They were emaciated, with either dull or frightened eyes.

He flicked his whisk and said in a deep voice, "Amitabha! The demon leader has been slain, and the demon's lair has been destroyed. This deep-seated blood feud will one day be settled!"

His gaze met Shen Yan's again, filled with silent affirmation and expectation.

His weary gaze swept over Jing Chen's corpse, then he walked to the little boy curled up beside Zhou Wenqing, his eyes vacant as if he were dead. He knelt down and said in a gentle yet incredibly firm voice, "Don't be afraid, it's all over. From now on... no one will be able to lock you up in a place like this again. I promise."

The boy's empty eyes seemed to twitch very slightly.

He turned blankly toward the source of the irritating sound.

Shen Yan reached out and patted the boy's thin, bony shoulder very gently, then stood up and walked out of the hall.

The sky gradually brightened with the first light of dawn.

Yang Sijian looked at the group of rescued people in front of him, his heart aching.

The artisan families were still able to embrace each other and weep, comforting one another.

The families of officials implicated in these "Imperial Genealogy Cases" suffered even more tragic fates.

The young man with the broken leg leaned silently against the wall, the blind woman groped for the child beside her, the woman holding the baby stared blankly at the ground, and many others were trapped in an abyss of fear and despair, unresponsive to the outside world, like shells with their souls ripped out.

Uncle Zhang's widow, even wrapped in a clean blanket, still had her hands trembling uncontrollably, unable to even hold a rough bowl steadily.

The boy's empty eyes beside Zhou Wenqing were like a thorn, deeply embedded in Shen Yan's heart.

May you enjoy boundless longevity and happiness.

Xuan Chenzi chanted a long sigh, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and gravity. "The believers are physically and mentally damaged, their wounds are extremely deep, and cannot be healed quickly by medicine alone. They need time and peace. This place is filthy and bloody, and the evil aura has not yet dissipated. It is definitely not a place for them to stay and heal for long. We need to find a safe and quiet place as soon as possible, invite a good doctor to treat their external injuries and chronic illnesses, and supplement them with methods to calm their minds and soothe their hearts, so as to gradually resolve the depression and fear in their hearts."

Ling Zhan's gaze swept over these ravaged souls.

He said in a deep voice, "What the Daoist says is absolutely right."

She turned to Chen Yan, her gaze filled with inquiry and determination.

"Ciyun Nunnery has been destroyed and the main culprits have been executed, but there are still countless things to deal with. The resettlement of these poor people and the handling of the mountain of irrefutable evidence all need to be done properly."

His weary gaze withdrew from those numb and terrified faces.

He glanced at the heavy wooden crates piled up in the corner of the hall, which had been searched from various parts of the Jingchen Secret Chamber and the temple.

The box lid had been pried open, revealing, in the gradually brightening daylight, a full stack of account books, files, secret correspondence, as well as mountains of gold and silver ingots, jewelry, stacks of banknotes, and thick land deeds and property deeds!

Their sheer quantity and staggering value far exceed imagination.

This is irrefutable evidence that Abbess Jingchen colluded with powerful figures, framed loyal officials, and operated a black prison!

"Thank goodness! The irrefutable evidence is right here!"

Yang Sijian's spirits lifted, and he strode to the box. Enduring the stench emanating from Jing Chen's corpse, he picked up the top thick ledger with special symbols on the cover with trembling hands. He hurriedly flipped through a few pages, and his eyes, those of this former expert in the Ministry of Works' finances and expenditures, immediately flashed with a sharp, hawk-like light.

He strode back to Ling Zhan and Shen Yan, lowered his voice, and said excitedly, "Lady Ling, Master! This scoundrel has been entrenched for years, sucking the marrow from the bones, and engaging in the sordid human trafficking, amassing a fortune of immense wealth! These ledgers and registers are not only evidence of his crimes, but also the key to tracing the whereabouts of his wealth and uncovering the network behind him! I have been immersed in this business for many years, and perhaps I can piece together the threads and find the location of his hidden treasury! Now we are compensating the wounded and the dead, resettling the refugees, and raising elite troops. Where do we not need huge sums of money? This is a windfall from heaven, taken from evil, and should be used for righteousness! We must not let it be buried!"

Ling Zhan nodded decisively: "What Elder Yang said is exactly what I think. We should find these ill-gotten gains and use them as funds for the aftermath! I will trouble Elder Yang and Ling Feng to take charge of this matter together, to count and catalog them, to dig deep and find every single blood-stained copper coin, and use them as funds for the aftermath!"

"I will certainly do my utmost to live up to your trust!"

Yang Sijian seemed to have instantly become several years younger, having found a new battlefield and mission.

At this time, the rescued people had been gradually gathered in several relatively clean and well-ventilated side rooms in the front yard.

Ling Zhan's gaze slowly swept over the wounds, knowing that while physical injuries could heal, the shackles on his mind were heavy and difficult to untangle.

Shen Yan walked to her side, his voice low and serious, his gaze sweeping over Aunt Zhang's trembling hands and the boy's empty eyes.

“My lady, we’ve rescued them. But you see… this is just the beginning. Freedom and food cannot fill the void in their hearts, nor can they drive away the nightmares that haunt them.”

Ling Zhan looked at him, his eyes scrutinizing: "You have ideas?"

Shen Yan took a deep breath, turned his gaze toward Qixia'ao in the distance, and his mind became clear.

“We must divert patients, we must heal, not just physically, but also mentally.” He pointed to his heart.

“Deep in Qixia Pass, our newly established campsite is secluded, tranquil, and well-stocked with food. I think we should have Daoist Xuanchen take Chen Hong there to receive those who still have the will to live and are on the verge of recovery. Daoist Xuanchen is well-versed in medicine and can help heal those suffering from serious illnesses; Chen Hong is a pure and innocent child, and perhaps… he can have a calming effect on those who have been traumatized; the mountains are quiet and far from the hustle and bustle of the world, which is perfect for them to slowly lick their wounds and calm their minds.”

He paused, his tone heavy with responsibility: "As for those who are old and frail, severely injured, or... whose spirits have been completely broken, and who only seek a peaceful place to spend the rest of their lives," his gaze shifted to the path leading to Linshan Town and Kaoshan Village, "Kaoshan Village is not far from here, and the people there are still quite honest and simple. We have a foothold in the village, and the village head is reliable. Plus, with the 'windfall' that Old Yang is about to unearth! We'll use this money to buy them enough good land and houses in Kaoshan Village, settle them down securely, hire trustworthy people to take good care of them, and let them truly take root and live a peaceful life. This can also be considered... an explanation to those who died unjustly."

Finally, Chen Yan's gaze sharpened like a knife, and his voice was cold and unyielding.

"This operation is quite significant. Although Ciyun Nunnery is remote, it's hard to guarantee that there aren't any escapees, or... those with ulterior motives infiltrated among them! Everyone we bring back, whether they're sent to Qixia'ao or Kaoshan Village, must undergo rigorous screening by Ling Feng and the Shura Guards! We must thoroughly investigate their backgrounds, distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous, and if anyone harbors malicious intentions... we will show absolutely no leniency!"

The decisiveness in his eyes was a sharpness that the once flamboyant Shen Yan would never have possessed.

Ling Zhan listened quietly. Shen Yan's thoughts were thorough and well-organized, showing that he had already begun to grasp the overall situation.

She nodded slightly, then decisively approved: "Good. Proceed accordingly. Heal at Qixia'ao, resettle in Kaoshan Village, conduct internal screening. Elder Yang is responsible for inventorying the assets, to be used for resettlement and troop maintenance. Daoist Xuanchen and Shen Hong are responsible for receiving and initially treating the Qixia'ao camp. Ling Feng is responsible for personnel screening and resettlement in Kaoshan Village. Shen Yan,"

Her gaze locked onto him. "Let me handle the cleanup here. After that, we need to discuss the next steps in detail."

Shen Yan met her gaze without flinching, his expression unwavering: "Okay."

Just then, Ling Feng returned quickly with several Shura Guards, carrying several large stacks of particularly heavy account books and rosters, his face showing both excitement and solemnity.

"Madam! Master! The core ledgers and registers are all here! In addition, a secret box was found in a hidden compartment, containing a large box of gold leaves, a large box of gold bars, several large-denomination banknotes from the Jingtong Bank, and three land deeds from the prefecture and the outskirts of the capital! Old Master Yang is urgently verifying and estimating them!"

Yang Sijian followed closely behind, stroking his beard, his eyes gleaming.

He spoke rapidly: "Reporting to Lady Ling and Master! A preliminary estimate shows that the cash, goldware, and silver notes alone amount to no less than 50,000 taels of silver! The three land deeds, two of which are located in the bustling areas of the prefecture, and one adjacent to the imperial estate on the outskirts of the capital, are of immeasurable value! And these loan agreements... This demoness has amassed an outrageous fortune by extorting money from the ground up! With this money, we can settle our personnel, expand the Asura Guard, and purchase provisions. For at least a few years, we will no longer need to worry about money and provisions!"

This windfall is undoubtedly a timely help.

Ling Zhan took the thick register with its special markings and opened it. It was filled with the names, hometowns, characteristics, and origins of those who had been bought and sold. Many of them were marked "intercepted during exile" or "family members of criminals," their destinations (mostly mansions of nobles or secret locations), and the exorbitant "payments" they had received. It was shocking, every word was written in blood and tears, but it was also a deadly clue pointing directly to the mastermind behind the scenes.

Yang Sijian pointed to several key entries in the ledger, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

“Tingxuan sees it clearly! These huge sums of money transactions are mostly categorized as ‘construction donations’ and ‘materials converted into silver,’ but their source and destination both point to the Construction Department of the Ministry of Works! Look at the seal format; it’s the private seal that Liu Yuanlang, the head of the Construction Department, usually uses! And these few strokes, look at the secret markings; they’re the secret seals of the Procurement Office of the Imperial Household Department! The time, amount, and people involved in these transactions are all recorded, and the evidence is irrefutable! It’s enough to be the key to bringing down Liu Yuanlang, this mastermind, and even to uncover the ‘palace benefactor’ behind him!”

"very good."

Ling Zhan closed the register; the cold booklet seemed to weigh a ton.

She looked at the rising sun, which had completely risen above the horizon, its golden rays piercing through the gloom.

"Seal all valuables, safeguard all ledgers and registers, assign specific personnel to oversee them, and ensure no loss occurs. Immediately proceed with the planned screening and relocation of personnel! This place is rife with bloodshed; delay could lead to unforeseen consequences. Evacuate completely within two hours!"

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone responded in unison, and like precise gears, they immediately began to operate efficiently.

Not long after, deep in Qixia'ao.

A relatively open clearing in the woods became a temporary shelter. Several makeshift tents surrounded a few crackling campfires, trying to dispel the damp chill of the forest and the lingering shadow of bloodshed in the survivors' hearts.

The air was filled with the unique bittersweet fragrance of herbs.

That was Xuan Chenzi instructing Shen Hong and several nimble craftsmen as they simmered a calming and soothing medicine in a large earthenware pot.

Most of the artisan families were placed in the center of the camp near the campfire, where it was relatively warm.

Aunt Zhang was wrapped in a thick, coarse blanket. Although her hands were still trembling slightly, the deathly stillness in her eyes had faded considerably, replaced by a bewildered look and a sense of relief after surviving a close call. Shen Hong squatted down beside her, his long, slender hand gently covering her calloused, trembling hands. A pure, gentle warmth, like the spring sunshine, slowly and carefully entered Aunt Zhang's body.

Aunt Zhang's tense shoulders and neck visibly relaxed a little.

His tightly pursed lips relaxed slightly, and he let out a long, silent breath.

The boy with the empty eyes was placed in a relatively quiet corner, curled up on a thick animal hide.

He was holding a steaming hot sesame seed cake in his arms, taking small, mechanical bites. Although he remained as silent as a statue and his eyes lacked any sparkle, at least he no longer resisted food, which was a small but crucial step forward.

Master Xuan Chenzi, holding a whisk, moved steadily between the tents, quietly inquiring about the condition of the rescued, patiently handing them bowls of dark medicine, and gently comforting the still-shaken people.

Although the camp was simple, it was filled with a resilient atmosphere of surviving a disaster and striving to live.

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