Chapter 298 - 284: I Wonder Which Hero Is Here? Would You Appear for a Meeting?
CLANG!
The teacup slipped from the Advisor’s hand, shattering on the floor!
Zhao Decang jumped, so startled that the vermilion brush flew from his grasp, leaving a streak of red ink in the air!
"Wh-what’s happening?!" Zhao Decang’s face was ashen. He darted behind a support pillar and shouted, "Who goes there?!"
The Advisor scrambled under a desk, peeking out with half his head while trembling. "Wh-who’s causing such a ruckus outside?! How dare you act so insolently before the Government Office!"
Zhao Decang’s panic subsided slightly, but a flame of anger ignited in his heart. He clenched his fists tightly.
’Is it one of those jianghu ruffians here for the Heaven-Ascending Run?! Is there no law and order left?! Do they really think this Anhe Government Office is their private training ground?!’
When there was no response, the City Lord’s mind eased. ’It seems they’re not here to kill me,’ he thought.
"Let’s go! We’ll see what’s going on!" Zhao Decang straightened his robes and hurried toward the main gate of the Government Office with his Advisor.
Before they even reached the entrance, they saw a crowd of government officials and guards gathered outside, all staring dumbfounded and pointing at something in front of the gate.
Zhao Decang pushed through the crowd and looked. Even for a man of his experience, he couldn’t help but draw a sharp, cold breath.
Right before the imposing stone lions at the entrance, a "human mountain" had appeared out of thin air!
A dozen or so men were bound hand and foot with thick hemp ropes like rice dumplings. Bruised and swollen, some unconscious and others groaning, they were piled haphazardly on top of one another.
One man’s face was beaten into a swollen pulp, and another’s arm was broken.
HISS—! ’What kind of jianghu master is this? So ruthless!’
The man on top of the pile was none other than Ma Tietou, the Hall Master of the Masterless Hall. A dirty rag was stuffed in his mouth.
Pinned to Ma Tietou’s chest by a small dart was a neatly folded piece of paper.
The Advisor, having sharp eyes, hurried forward. He carefully removed the paper, unfolded it, and his expression changed dramatically. He rushed to present it to Zhao Decang. "M-My Lord... please look..."
Zhao Decang took the note. On it, written in a script that was both elegant and forceful enough to seem to pierce the very paper, were the following words:
"To the esteemed City Lord: These are the villains of the ’Masterless Hall’ from the west side of the city. This group has long infested Anhe, bullying the weak, and exploiting beggars to amass wealth. Their dark deeds are too numerous to count. They may be backed by a powerful and deeply rooted criminal syndicate, bringing harm to the entire region."
"Today, I have captured them and delivered them to the authorities. I hope the City Lord will investigate thoroughly and punish them without mercy, restoring justice and peace to Anhe City. —A humble knight-errant."
Zhao Decang held the thin piece of paper, but it felt as heavy as a mountain.
He slowly raised his head, looking at the troublesome "gift" before him. Then he glanced back at the two words, "knight-errant," written with such casual flair at the end of the note. He could already feel a massive headache coming on.
...
Zhao Decang and his Advisor exchanged a look. They both knew the answer almost instantly.
’It’s that bastard Ma Tietou again... Didn’t I tell you to keep your head down lately? Why couldn’t you just lay low! Now look at you, wiped out by some powerful outsider! If it weren’t for the faction backing you, I’d have thrown the book at you myself!’
’The problem now... is that I don’t know how much they’ve uncovered. More importantly, I have no idea who this helpful ’knight-errant’ is... or what powerful entity they represent.’
The Advisor, his face also etched with worry, leaned in and whispered, "My Lord, what should we do...?"
His gaze swept over the "human mountain," then moved furtively to Zhao Decang. His eyes sent a clear message: ’My Lord, these men... do we lock them up or let them go? Do we "entertain" them in the Government Office’s guest rooms, or do we throw them directly into the sunless dungeons?’
Zhao Decang’s mind raced.
’Let them go? Absolutely not!’
’I still haven’t figured out the Guixi Sect’s game plan, and the city is already flooded with powerful, unknown individuals because of the Heaven-Ascending Run. Who knows what kind of background this sudden ’knight-errant’ has? What if they’re backed by someone I can’t afford to offend?’
’At this critical juncture, any rash move could bring disaster upon me. But just throwing Ma Tietou into prison... that doesn’t seem right either.’
Zhao Decang mulled it over for a moment and came to a decision.
’Lock them up first! If there’s anything to discuss, I’ll go to the prison myself late at night and have a chat with Ma Tietou! The most urgent task is to figure out the identity and background of this ’knight-errant.’ Only by knowing both myself and my enemy can I decide on the next step.’
With this in mind, Zhao Decang decided to test the waters. He cleared his throat, took a step forward, and cupped his fist to the empty surroundings, his voice booming, "I am Zhao Decang, the City Lord of Anhe City! Thank you, Your Excellency, for your righteous action in capturing these suspects and delivering them to the authorities! Your Excellency is a model of Gao Yi, and this official is deeply impressed!"
He deliberately used the word "suspects," which both affirmed the other party’s actions and left himself room to conduct a "fair investigation."
"I wonder which great hero is present? Would you be willing to show yourself? If the matter is as you say, your actions have helped the Anhe Government Office maintain peace in the city. This official is willing to offer you the position of ’Guest Minister of Anhe.’ Whatever you may need in the city, the Government Office will fully support! Furthermore, I offer one thousand taels of silver as a reward!"
Half of his offer was flattery, the other half was a tangible lure. The position of "Guest Minister" offered fame and social status; the one thousand taels of silver offered real profit. With fame and fortune on the table, he refused to believe the person wouldn’t be tempted.
However, the surrounding streets were dead silent, with only the sound of the evening wind whistling past the eaves. Not even a ghost of a shadow could be seen. Zhao Decang waited for a long time, but still, no one answered. He couldn’t help but click his tongue in his mind.
’Heh, now this is interesting. They don’t want fame, and they’re not after profit... Could they really be some hot-blooded, naive youth acting out of sheer chivalry? Do people like that still exist these days?’
The more Zhao Decang thought about it, the stranger the situation seemed. Since the soft approach didn’t work, he could only put on a stern, businesslike expression. He cupped his hands to the empty air once more. "Since Your Excellency is unwilling to show yourself, this official will not insist."
"Rest assured, Your Excellency. This official will thoroughly investigate the matters described in the note. Regardless of who is implicated, I will show no mercy and will ensure that justice is served for the people of Anhe City, and for you!"
With that, he hesitated no longer. He flicked his sleeve and roared at the dumbstruck government officials behind him, "What are you standing around for?! Take all these suspects into custody, lock them in the dungeons, guard them closely, and await interrogation!"
A few of the government officials who knew a little of the inside story stood frozen, trembling with hesitation. ’After all,’ they thought, ’this... this isn’t how we used to handle things...’
Seeing this, the Advisor rushed forward, kicked one of the officials squarely in the rear, and cursed, "Are you deaf?! Didn’t you hear the City Lord’s command?! Get a move on! Arrest them! Lock them in the dungeons!!"
Meanwhile, Su Ling’er, who had dropped off the villains, was already on her way to Qingxu Temple via Sword Control.