Chapter 176: Shameless

Seizing the city defenses with overwhelming force!

Damn it, this means someone has rebelled!

General Gao, who had not seen war for years, felt a chill in his heart—then excitement surged through him!

“All troops, hear my command! Shanyang County has rebelled!”

“As soon as we approach, we will storm the city!”

The moment his words fell, the dark red tide of steel let out a roar filled with killing intent!

In this era of peace, these elite cavalrymen had kept their ‘sharpness’ hidden for too long!

Now that a battle was at hand, each of them was as energized as if they had been injected with adrenaline!

Not far away, Mao Cuicui watched these “enthusiastic” cavalry and muttered, “Imperial Preceptor… I don’t think Shanyang County has actually reached the point of rebellion…”

“Uh…” Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment before replying, “They may have misunderstood… but it’s no great harm.”

“I’ll find you a carriage so we can all return together.”

Upon hearing this, Mao Cuicui quickly waved her hands. “No need, no need! It’s just a half-hour walk—I can get back on my own.”

Wasn’t it supposed to take two days…?

Qi Yuan paused, then seemed to realize something. “In that case, please lead the way for us.”

Mao Cuicui responded at once, “Of course!”

Noon, at the Gates of Shanyang County

Hundreds of bandits, all mounted on tall warhorses, had gathered before the city gate.

Each of them carried an imposing aura, their eyes brimming with murderous intent, and all wore a strip of white cloth on their heads.

At the front of the group sat a middle-aged man with an ugly face, disheveled hair, and a full, bushy beard. His sharp, blade-like eyes were locked onto the city guards stationed atop the walls.

“Old Dog Lu! Hand over the murderer who killed my younger brother! Otherwise, I will break down these gates and send you to the grave alongside him!”

Atop the city walls, Magistrate Lu stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He cupped his hands toward the man below.

“Master Zheng, please remain calm. The culprit has already been captured. If you step back from the gates, I will personally deliver him to you, along with Zheng Er’s body.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Wuwei raised his hand, and the bandits behind him immediately retreated several hundred meters in unison.

Magistrate Lu, true to his “word,” wasted no time. Once the bandits had moved to a safe distance, he ordered the gates to be opened slightly and had the prisoner escorted out.

Leading the group of captives was Captain Zhao, along with several other constables.

Among those bound and handed over were Zhao Quan, the old constable, and a young constable who was only eighteen years old.

Zhao Quan and the young constable knew the truth of the matter. They were rebellious at heart, and since they insisted on being heroes, it was only natural that they would be sent to their deaths.

The old constable, however, was somewhat unjustly caught up in this.

First, he had been enchanted by Gu Ning’an’s spell, causing him to wander the snowy wilderness for half a day. When he was finally discovered by Magistrate Lu’s men, the spell was dispelled.

But the moment he returned to the county office and reported what had happened—

His status plummeted from a soon-to-be-promoted trusted constable to a prisoner in shackles!

When Magistrate Lu sent people to capture Gu Ning’an and his companions, the De Ping Manor was already deserted.

To Magistrate Lu, if things were truly as the old constable claimed—if Gu Ning’an really possessed supernatural abilities—then why would he flee?

Wouldn’t he have simply stayed behind and humiliated them instead?

Moreover, the city gate guards he had stationed in advance reported that no one matching Gu Ning’an’s description had been seen leaving the city.

Thus, he naturally concluded that the old constable was lying—just like Zhao Quan.

In his mind, the old constable was just another fool who wanted to play the hero.

He had likely brainwashed the other constables who accompanied him and hidden Gu Ning’an and his people away somewhere.

The most crucial part was that Magistrate Lu had assumed Zheng Wuwei would only learn of his younger brother’s death by nightfall.

Yet, unexpectedly, Zheng Wuwei had found out that very morning—and had immediately mobilized his entire force to lay siege to the city!

With no time to devise a better response, Magistrate Lu once again embraced the philosophy of better you than me to deal with the enraged bandits. His solution? Hand over all twenty-something constables, including Zhao Quan, to appease them!

Before long, Zheng Wuwei’s men had taken custody of the “criminals” delivered to them.

Seeing that there were more than twenty captives, all of whom were bruised and battered from a severe beating, Zheng Wuwei’s rage subsided—if only slightly.

After all, he was a bandit, and they were the law.

Yet now, the authorities had handed over all their captives—who were, in fact, constables themselves!

Given the situation, he couldn’t push his luck too far—especially since he was aware that the Imperial Preceptor was on his way.

For years, Zheng Wuwei had been able to dominate Shanyang County partly because he immediately brought every new magistrate to heel, and partly because he knew when to advance and when to retreat.

He understood when to act recklessly and when to lie low.

If he pushed things too far today, then once the Imperial Preceptor arrived, his own demise would not be far off.

Against a properly trained army, his bandit forces would not stand a chance.

The only question was how much effort the authorities were willing to put into the extermination.

“Magistrate Lu, as I understand it, this whole matter started with a courtesan and a man who’s a stone broker.”

“The stone broker is dead, but that courtesan should still be alive, no?”

“If you hand her over to me, I will let this matter rest…”

At the mention of Mao Cuicui, Magistrate Lu’s expression tensed.

“Master Zheng, to tell you the truth, Mao Cuicui disappeared last night. I have searched the entire city, but I cannot find any trace of her.”

“Why don’t you return for now and wait a few days? Once the Imperial Preceptor has left, I will conduct a thorough search for you.”

Where could a mere courtesan possibly hide?

Zheng Wuwei’s voice grew cold. “You jest, Magistrate Lu. Where could a courtesan possibly hide?”

“I’ll give you one hour. If you fail to find her, then send out the wives and daughters of these men as compensation.”

On the city wall, the guards who overheard Zheng Wuwei’s outrageous demand all looked grim.

But none of them dared to speak out.

After all, they had all witnessed what had happened to Zhao Quan and the others.

Even if they didn’t know the full story, they understood that those men had been handed over as scapegoats by Magistrate Lu.

Magistrate Lu feigned hesitation, then let out a sigh.

“That courtesan… I truly cannot find her…”

Then, his tone suddenly shifted—

“But I will send out their wives and daughters. It won’t even take an hour—half an hour will do!”

“Haha! Excellent, excellent, excellent!” Zheng Wuwei laughed loudly.

“I never imagined that Magistrate Lu would be so shameless as to say such a thing in broad daylight.”

“They call me Zheng Wuwei—a ruthless, heartless man who will do anything to achieve his goals.”

“But today, it seems you are no better than me!”

Faced with such mockery, Magistrate Lu remained calm, his tone indifferent.

“They made mistakes, and their wives and children suffering alongside them is only natural.”