Xie Qi’s words hit like a boulder crashing into water, sending ripples in a thousand directions. The magistrate was stunned, frozen in place as if turned to stone. But he soon recovered, his face flushed with undisguised excitement as he asked in a trembling voice, "You… are you truly capable of wiping out those bandits?"
The magistrate then seemed to recall something. His face reddened slightly with shame as he added, "Young man, those bandits are cunning and vicious to the extreme. The magistrate’s office has spent years trying to deal with them, yet we have never been able to eradicate them… Sigh…" He let out a long, heavy sigh, his face filled with helplessness and frustration.
However, Xie Qi cleared his throat, then looked toward the crowd of townspeople gathered at the entrance of the magistrate’s office with a resolute gaze and said in a clear, loud voice, "Citizens, in all my years wandering the pugilistic world and acting for justice, I have never encountered such wicked scoundrels! I killed the second-in-command with my own hands; this matter has nothing to do with any of you. I, Xie Qi, am a man who takes responsibility for his actions. Today, I shall go to that mountain alone to completely annihilate these bandits and ensure the safety of this region!"
Chapter 196