Chapter 280: The Bloodthirsty “Jianghu People”

Just as the group of constables was about ten steps away from the noodle stall, they suddenly stopped. The leader tugged at his belt and let out a lewd chuckle.

“Damn, just woke up, and my stomach ain’t hungry yet—but this thing sure is!”

At his words, the constables beside him immediately chimed in.

“Yeah, yeah! We stuffed ourselves at supper last night, no appetite now—but our little brother here is starving!”

“Brother Sun, where should we go? East or west? That concubine of Master Wang’s in the west ain’t bad—obedient and well-mannered.”

“Bah! What’s fun about a half-aged woman? The two daughters of that gardener in the east are fresh and tender!”

“You know nothing! That concubine isn’t just ‘half-aged’; she’s still full of charm—those little girls from the gardener’s place can’t compare!”

In broad daylight, the constables shamelessly discussed the city’s women as if they were picking out goods at a market, spewing filthy words without restraint.

The lead constable, a fat, pig-faced man with lust written all over his features, was easily riled up by the vulgar banter. The heat in his body surged at once.

He waved a hand at the middle-aged stall owner, who was busy preparing noodles.

“Old Deng, stop cooking for now. Wait until we get back to make our food.”

“Oh, and—”

“Cover the toppings with a bowl. If they’re not fresh when we return, you’ll suffer for it!”

The middle-aged stall owner quickly cupped his hands in a submissive gesture. His stiff face forced out a smile that was uglier than crying.

At that moment, the lead constable squinted his eyes at Gu Ning’an, who was quietly eating his noodles.

“Huh? Where’d this scholar come from?”

He called out arrogantly, “Hey, scholar! Where are you from? You see us and don’t even bow? And you dare to sit here eating?”

Gu Ning’an ignored the constable’s filthy words and simply continued eating his noodles.

From the middle-aged stall owner’s attitude, it wasn’t hard for him to see why the people here seemed so numb and lifeless.

The root of the problem likely lay with the local magistrate.

When those at the top are corrupt, those below follow suit. If mere constables acted with such unchecked arrogance, their superiors were bound to be even worse.

Seeing himself ignored, the lead constable’s fleshy face twitched in anger. But he didn’t even need to get angry himself—his lackeys, eager to please, were already stepping forward, cracking their knuckles, ready to teach this scholar a lesson.

But before they could get close—

“Kill them!”

From all directions, the sound of battle cries erupted!

Shops that had been tightly shut, alleys at the street corners—dark figures surged out like a tide!

A huge mob of Jianghu fighters swarmed the street, each wielding weapons of all kinds, rushing toward the corrupt constables!

Leading the charge was a lame but powerfully built man wielding a woodcutter’s hatchet.

With a single swing—he sent the lead constable straight to the afterlife!

In mere moments, the overwhelming killing intent of these fighters turned the street into a slaughterhouse. The corrupt constables were swiftly cut down where they stood.

These people dressed like ordinary townsfolk, but the murderous aura they exuded was more like that of mountain bandits. They killed without the slightest hesitation.

And they weren’t done.

As soon as the constables were dealt with, someone kicked open the county office gates, shouting “Kill the corrupt magistrate!” as they stormed inside.

However, something unexpected happened.

Inside the county office, a large force of hidden guards had been lying in wait. The commotion outside had given them ample time to prepare.

Two Jianghu fighters who charged in first were immediately struck by multiple crossbow bolts, staggering back as their companions dragged them out.

The street was so packed with fighters that only the area around the noodle stall had some space left.

So, the injured were brought there.

The lame warrior pushed through the crowd and examined the wounded men. Seeing them bleeding profusely, barely clinging to life, he gritted his teeth.

“They’re done for… Keep charging!”

“They can still be saved,” Gu Ning’an suddenly said. “There’s a Bai Family Medicine Hall in the east. An old doctor there has excellent skills. If you hurry, you can still save them.”

The warrior glanced at Gu Ning’an before nodding.

“Thanks!”

He quickly ordered his men to take the injured for treatment.

But in the midst of all this chaos—

Someone was still calmly eating his noodles?!

Was the food really that good?

The lame warrior stared at Gu Ning’an for a moment, then grabbed his axe and rushed into battle, clashing with the county office guards.

The hidden guards had superior weapons, but years of indulging in wine and women had drained their strength.

They were no match for these hardened Jianghu fighters.

The battle lasted less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and all the constables who had rushed out lay dead.

The air was thick with a dense mist of blood, its sickly sweetness making people nauseous.

Meanwhile, the lame warrior who had slaughtered countless enemies reappeared at the county office gates.

He was drenched in blood, his woodcutter’s axe in one hand, and in the other, he dragged out a portly middle-aged man from within the county office.

Seeing this, the Jianghu fighters who had been surrounding the county office quickly melted back into the nearby shops and alleyways, leaving only a dozen men to stand guard.

The portly county magistrate was screaming hysterically.

“Rebellion! This is outright rebellion, you bastards!”

“Assaulting an imperial official and slaughtering constables—these are capital crimes!”

“Once the imperial court finds out, you will all be executed—your entire families will be wiped out!”

“No! Not just nine generations— ten generations will be exterminated!”

The lame warrior tossed the magistrate to the ground, then kicked him viciously, shattering his leg bones.

The magistrate let out a wretched scream, his fat, bloated face twisting in agony. He sobbed uncontrollably, cursing through gritted teeth.

The commotion drew countless townspeople from their homes.

Gone was their usual expression of lifeless indifference—instead, they gathered nearby, staring at a sight they had only dared to dream of.

The lame warrior turned to the crowd and raised his voice:

“Fathers and elders! My name is Yan Wuyong! I am a man of Wuqiao County!”

“Like all of you, I was once an ordinary, law-abiding citizen!”

“But the Great Wu court is corrupt! From top to bottom, it is filled with nothing but parasites!”

“Endless taxes! Officials protecting each other while treating the people like cattle! These beasts gorge themselves until their bellies are fat with greed, yet they still hunger to bleed the common folk dry!”

“So I, Yan Wuyong, could take it no longer! I gathered the strong men of Wuqiao County and slaughtered all fifty-seven corrupt officials in our county office!”

“Today, I have led my brothers here for one reason alone—

to uphold justice, kill this dog of an official, and give you all a chance to live!”