Chapter 63: If one is to have a son, he should be just like this!

Not long after.

Everyone who heard the explosion hurried over, only to freeze in their tracks the next moment.

Countless severed limbs and broken arms were scattered everywhere.

Blood followed the cracks in the ground, gathering into trickling streams.

And there was the mountain, looking as though it could collapse at any second...

At that exact moment, the same two words flashed unanimously through everyone's minds—Divine Punishment!

"Just how immense is this kind of power?"

"Even an earthquake could hardly surpass this, right?"

"Such a miraculous skill, is this truly something humanly possible?"

Seeing the dazed and bewildered looks on everyone's faces, Cheng An suddenly had a reckless thought...

If he dared to utter even a single sentence right now: "My divine skill was bestowed by immortals!" he was certain that most of them would drop to their knees on the spot and worship him like a deity!

The price of those words, however, would be...

He would inevitably suffer endless suppression from those in power!

No one likes a variable they cannot control!

Especially those high-and-mighty officials; compared to talent and ability, they far preferred obedience and submission!

"My lord, there is no need to be astonished..."

Cheng An could only offer a bitter smile as he explained once more, "This is merely a technique within the Hundred Schools of Thought, and by no means succeeds every time!"

"Just a bag of flour and a flicker of flame?"

Wang Shan drew a deep breath, his expression complex as he asked, "Could it really be that simple?"

"It is not to say it is simple..."

Cheng An scratched his head with a naive and bewildered look. "It requires specific environments and materials, and the success rate is extremely low! This student has only managed to research the most superficial surface of it."

"Enough..."

"The surface is more than enough!"

Liu Qi waved his hand in flabbergasted agitation. "To be this wise at the age of only eight, even an imperial prince would..."

"My lord!"

Cheng An shivered in fright.

Damn it!

Daring to utter such words out loud—were they trying to see how fast he could get himself killed?

Only then did Liu Qi snap back to his senses, offering an awkward, fawning smile. "This old man lost his composure."

"Though such words carry certain taboos, still..."

Wang Shan said, looking somewhat absent-minded, "If one is to have a son, he should be like this!"

For a moment.

Countless gazes converged upon Cheng Dashan's face.

Envy, jealousy...

And even a trace of worship!

Yet Cheng Dashan was currently in a daze.

He stared infatuatedly at his son, as though looking at a very familiar stranger!

Is this truly my son?

Can I, Cheng Dashan, genuinely sire a son gifted by the heavens like this?

Cheng An could only smile helplessly and bitterly.

From the day he was born, he had known that once things too astonishing for the world were brought to light, they would inevitably invite all sorts of suspicion!

Relying merely on the title of a "child prodigy" was far from enough...

Take this explosion, for instance.

Forget being a prodigy; even if an immortal descended, they would still have to explain the whys and hows.

"My two lords!"

Cheng An said with a pure and innocent expression, "This time was purely a stroke of luck. I beg you to take into account this student's minuscule and accidental contribution, and suppress word of this matter for now!"

Making a name for oneself was a good thing.

However, if one's reputation outgrew one's strength, it would become a calamity!

"This..."

"Is this truly not a divine skill?"

Wang Shan stared fixedly at Cheng An, ignoring the question as his expression shifted wildly.

"It is not!"

"..."

After a brief moment.

Wang Shan recovered his composure and said flatly, "As for what happened here, should anyone dare to leak it outside, this official will relentlessly pursue them to the bitter end!"

"Yes!"

"Understood..."

The few bailiffs who knew the inside story hastily bowed, too terrified to even draw a full breath.

The "relentless pursuit to the bitter end" of a county vice-prefect...

Who would dare not to fear it?

Then, a shout broke the heavy atmosphere of the scene.

"My lord..."

"There are still a few living ones over here!"

Unable to resist their curiosity, the crowd crowded around.

To survive an explosion of such magnitude—it was hard to tell whether that was fortune or misfortune.

Before long.

Working together, the men dug out the surviving bandits one by one.

In Wang Shan's eyes at that moment.

These were no longer bandits, but walking, breathing merits and promotions!

"Reporting to my lord!"

Xing Yusen stepped forward to report, "In this bandit suppression, we killed a total of seventeen enemies, captured twenty-six outlaws, and seized a considerable amount of enemy assets!"

"Good!"

Wang Shan clenched his fists tightly, his face flushed with passionate excitement, his eyes slightly bloodshot.

And not just him!

Every single person present rejoiced, cheers instantly boiling over.

They had won!

A band of loafing, slacking bailiffs, coupled with a hundred or so villagers, had completely eradicated the entire Black Wind Stronghold. What kind of military feat was this?

No one would dare believe it if word got out!

Even more impressive was...

Aside from a few unlucky fools who sustained minor injuries during the search operations, this battle could practically be called zero casualties!

"Many thanks to my lord!"

Someone among the commonfolk shouted out.

More than a hundred villagers echoed the cry in unison, their praises ringing through the valley!

"Many thanks for my lord's boundless grace!"

"My lord came here alone with supreme courage to suppress the bandits and rescue us common folk from the fires of suffering. The two hundred and twelve households of East Village will never, across generations, dare to forget this kindness!"

"My lord Wang is a living Buddha to thousands of families!"

"..."

Not just Wang Shan.

Even Cheng An, who had been playing the ostrich nearby, lost his focus for a split second.

He imagined—if the one standing at the very front right now were himself, what kind of high-spirited grandeur would that be?

To serve as an official to this degree.

To die would hold no regrets!

Regardless of how many selfish desires and calculations Wang Shan had harbored in his heart previously, at this very moment...

He was undeniably moved!

No matter what the future held, at this moment, he would undoubtedly be willing to lay down his life for these villagers!

What is burning passion?

It is the emotion that wells up spontaneously when the deepest sense of justice within your soul is awakened!

And what is the sentiment of the common people?

The heartfelt expressions of these villagers at this very moment surpassed any act of pretense!

Even words like "a living Buddha to thousands of families" had been shouted out. If Zhou Heng were present right now, what expression would he wear?

Would he bash his head against the rocks of these Cool Breeze Mountains in sheer shame and anger right on the spot?!

As the chief official of a county, unable to enforce the law impartially below, and unable to protect the borders and comfort the people above—what kind of official were you even acting as?

It was entirely predictable that...

After this battle, the name Zhou Heng would be forever nailed to the pillar of shame in Pinggu County, impossible to pry loose!

"Arise..."

Wang Shan swallowed his dry throat and walked toward the crowd with a floating, unsteady step.

With reddened eye rims, he bowed slightly and made a gesture of lifting them up.

His voice trembled slightly, "Quickly rise, fellow villagers. This official... this official has done nothing to deserve this. I cannot accept such praise..."

"My lord, you deserve it!"

"You more than deserve it!"

Instead, the villagers grew even more emotional, raising their voices in loud acclamation.

Indeed.

To the people of East Village, Wang Shan was absolutely a peerlessly good official!

So what if that had not been his original intention?

In this world, how many people would truly quibble over the process?

"My lord..."

After the scene had continued for a long time, Cheng An could not help reminding him, "The mountain looks somewhat unstable! We should withdraw the troops first!"

"Ah..."

"Right!"

Wang Shan nodded somewhat reluctantly, then cast a somewhat resentful glance at him.

Cheng An smiled bitterly in silence.

Only to hear Wang Shan continue, "You are not going back yet. Return to Pinggu with this old man, and we can discuss things further after this case is concluded."

"But my mother..."

Cheng An felt that if he did not go back today, his mother would probably worry herself to death.

"What is so difficult about that?"

"Xing Yusen..."

Wang Shan's excitement clearly had not worn off yet, as he commanded loudly, "Dispatch men immediately—no! You lead men personally to go back with this young brother Cheng, and explain everything clearly to Madam Cheng!"

"Yes!"

Xing Yusen subconsciously glanced at Cheng An one more time, and followed Cheng Dashan back to Hexi Village.