Chapter 625: Chapter 191: The Collapsing World! The Legendary Daoist Fan Wu! (10,000-word mega Chapter, please subscribe)_5
This group of emaciated-looking people didn’t seem like bandits at all. After all, why would bandits come to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?
A Chief Flag Officer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau couldn’t help but furrow his bushy eyebrows. He asked the group of withered citizens, "What’s all this about? Why have you captured these monks for no reason?"
The citizens, once imprisoned, all chimed in with their accounts, each telling of their experiences.
The words they spoke were worthy of scrutiny, flawless without any holes and certainly no fabrication. They sounded... incredibly sincere.
And with every word they uttered, the members of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau were struck with horror, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Could such a thing really have happened at the Longhe Temple, so close to their station?
And they had no idea!
Hiss!
"Is everything these citizens are saying true?" the Chief Flag Officer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau grabbed a monk, his eyes flashing with danger as he said sternly, "You had better tell the truth. If I find any lies in your answers, you’ll get a taste of the methods of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau!"
How could a monk, who was no Cultivator, withstand such intimidation from a Chief Flag Officer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?
The monk’s legs turned to jelly with fear, and he stammered out, "Sir... sir, it really wasn’t our business. We were merely low-ranking soldiers."
"It... it was all done by the Abbot and a few elders! We were simply coerced into doing these things. In truth, we too were victims!"
At this point, if the Chief Flag Officer still did not understand what had happened, then he most certainly had a problem with his brains.
This made his expression turn extremely ugly, and he could not help but curse, "A bunch of evil monks!!!"
"Seize these evil monks and take them away! Make sure to properly settle these citizens!" the Chief Flag Officer commanded.
"Yes, sir!!"
Watching his subordinates lock the damned monks into the prison, the Chief Flag Officer’s face was unsightly. He finally let out a breath of satisfaction.
Then, turning to the withered citizens with a face full of shame, he clasped his hands and apologized, "I never imagined such a thing could happen so close by. It is my negligence, and our Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s lack of responsibility."
"We will prepare some carriages for you so that you can return to your homes safely. We will also provide you with some money and provisions for the journey."
"By the way..." the Chief Flag Officer was extremely curious, "Was it you who captured these monks?"
"Sir, you’re overestimating us. How could people like us possibly capture those monks who are well-fed and corpulent?" An elderly man among the group of emaciated citizens opened his mouth and said, "Someone else caught them for us."
The elder began to describe in greater detail their experiences inside Longhe Temple.
He included how they were captured, how they were imprisoned, and just how miserable their imprisonment was.
And how Daoist Fan Wu and others appeared and rescued them, becoming the great benefactors for whom every one of them was immensely grateful.
Each word spoken was articulate and logical, very sound.
There was no nonsense spoken.
It was evident... that this elder must have had some education.
After listening to the elder’s account,
The Chief Flag Officer murmured to himself, "Fan Wu... Daoist Fan Wu? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
Suddenly!
A flash of insight streaked through his mind, leaving him thoroughly stunned. The Chief Flag Officer’s face was full of disbelief as he hurriedly asked the elder, "The Daoist Fan Wu you spoke of, is he a tall and sturdy man about eight feet tall, with a young Taoist and a very beautiful woman accompanying him?"
The elder was also taken aback, "Ah... Sir, you know of Daoist Fan Wu as well?"
Know of him? His name was thunderous!
News of the turmoil in the Imperial City had also reached here, and as a Chief Flag Officer of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, he naturally could not be unaware of this news.
He even knew some of the more detailed specifics.
For instance, how the Crown Prince had been in grave danger, even on the brink of death, and then it was Daoist Fan Wu who had saved the Crown Prince and consequently protected the Imperial Palace.
Moreover, this same Daoist Fan Wu had rounded up all the Sect Disciples of the Blood Gu Sect who were causing chaos within the Imperial City.
He had seen all sorts of deeds connected to Fan Wu in the reports.
If these hadn’t been reports from the Imperial City, he would have thought they might just be rumors spread by someone spouting nonsense.
But these were from the Imperial City’s dispatch, which pretty much confirmed the authenticity of these affairs.
That Daoist Fan Wu really was incredibly powerful!
He didn’t know whether to say these people were fortunate or unfortunate.
Unfortunate because they had been captured by a group of monks and imprisoned for such a long time.
