Having made their decision, Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng immediately hired a few street thugs to go to Tai'an Prefecture together.

Upon arriving at the location, Li Mingcheng led a few men to keep watch at the corners of several roads leading to the government office, while Xiao Yuanhang led a few more men to search the city again.

But four or five days passed, and he had searched the city almost twice, but he still couldn't find a trace of the cripple.

He had wondered if Xie Yushu had hidden Sun Chongren away, or if Han Zhongyu had taken Sun Chongren back to the yamen directly!

The more they thought about it, the more anxious they became, as if a knife was hanging over their heads at any moment, ready to fall and take their lives!

Passively waiting for death to wear them down to a state of mental confusion, their eyes sunken, yet they were completely helpless!

However, how could Liu Nan and Liu Bei not notice the sudden appearance of a group of people at the government office? Moreover, with Xiao Yuanhang leading his men sneaking around, how could Xie Tianqi and the others not take notice?

From the moment Xiao Yuanhang and his group arrived, they had been in complete control of all their actions.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Sun Chongren was able to walk without his crutches. Although he was not walking very well yet, he couldn't wait any longer. The thought of Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng causing his family to be destroyed made him so angry that he couldn't sleep at night. He just wanted to kill his enemies immediately to comfort his father's spirit in heaven!

The complaint had been written long ago. After Sun Chongren told Xie Yushu about it, the mother and son dressed up early that morning, determined to settle accounts with Xiao Yuanhang, Li Mingcheng, and the others.

Xie Yushu had already heard about Xiao Yuanhang and his group's little schemes in the city. Moreover, Lanting had been training Zhao Hu and Nanxing for over a month, and it was time for them to get out and have some fresh air. So she had Zhao Hu and Nanxing bring their team members out and go to the government office with the Sun family mother and son.

Xie Yushu and Qu Xiaodie naturally followed along, not for any other reason than to see Xiao Yuanhang suffer and enjoy the spectacle!

When the group reached the fork in the road leading to the government office, they ran into Xiao Yuanhang and his group.

Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng looked on incredulously when they saw Sun Chongren walking towards them.

"You, you, you..."

Seeing Li Mingcheng stammering and pointing at him, Sun Chongren said disdainfully.

"Didn't you break my legs? Didn't I only have half a life left? How did I end up here?"

"Of course, it's my fate that I haven't died, but you, having committed countless evil deeds, deserve your retribution!"

After saying that, he walked straight past the two men and headed straight for the government office.

The thugs Xiao Yuanhang had hired kept glancing at their employer and then at Xie Yushu and her group. They shrank back and stood obediently against the wall, not daring to raise their heads.

Although Xiao Yuanhang was devastated, he still tried to build a relationship with Xie Yushu, hoping to find a way out.

So he shamelessly opened his mouth

“Sister Xie, I was confused the other day. You see, we are from the same hometown, and we are close friends. We should help each other, right?”

"Well, there's actually a misunderstanding between Brother Li and me and Scholar Sun. You see, you seem to be acquainted with Lord Han. Why don't you help me explain to Lord Han? Brother Li and I will definitely reward you handsomely!"

This time, Xiao Yuanhang wisely refrained from mentioning Xie Yushu's past grievances with the Xiao family, cleverly using their shared hometown as a way to build ties.

However, he had no respect for Xie Yushu at all. Moreover, what made him think that he, a mere scholar, could ask Xie Yushu to plead on his behalf in an equal tone?

Although Xie Yushu didn't like to put on airs, she still had to consider who she was talking to. Seeing that Xiao Yuanhang was still causing her trouble for no reason, she didn't even glance at him and went directly to Nanxing.

"If you do not bow when meeting a fourth-rank village head, look directly at him, and do not use humble terms when speaking to him, using informal 'you, you, me, me'—for such insubordination, you shall be slapped twenty times!"

"yes!"

Nanxing responded and, without saying a word, grabbed Xiao Yuanhang and slapped him twenty times across the face!

Xiao Yuanhang, who considered himself superior as a scholar, could not bear this humiliation. He immediately raised his foot to kick Nanxing, but being a weakling, he was kicked back by Nanxing as soon as he raised his foot.

Seeing that a mere maid dared to kick a scholar in the street, Li Mingcheng felt deeply humiliated and immediately reprimanded her.

"How dare you! We have the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations). Even if you are a fourth-rank village head, we don't need to bow to you!"

Let me tell you, my brother-in-law is the magistrate of Yonghe County, I'm not afraid of you!

Apologize to us right now, or don't blame me for making you regret it!

Xie Yushu and Qu Xiaodie stared at the sky speechlessly, while Nanxing was practically laughing his head off.

"Master, is this guy an idiot?"

A seventh-rank county magistrate's brother-in-law dares to make you, a fourth-rank township lord, apologize to him!

This is the funniest joke I've heard all day!

Nanxing was laughing so hard she almost cried!

Even the thugs standing against the wall behind Li Mingcheng were laughing so hard they were shaking.

Li Mingcheng had never left Yonghe County in his entire life. In Yonghe County, his brother-in-law was the county magistrate. It could be said that his brother-in-law was the eldest, his sister was the second eldest, and he was the third eldest. He had never been afraid of anyone.

Of course, he had never met a higher-ranking official, and since Xie Yushu was a woman, even after she gave her name, he subconsciously believed that women were inferior to men. Moreover, he was still angry and instinctively felt that he still had nothing to fear, so he habitually blurted out his usual phrase.

It wasn't until Nanxing pointed it out that he belatedly realized he couldn't threaten her.

But people who are used to being domineering find it hard to lower their heads when asked to apologize, so they stubbornly stick their necks out.

Qu Xiaodie spoke with amusement.

"Since these two are so loyal and devoted, let's share the good times and the bad!"

As a result, Li Mingcheng, who had been shouting and glaring at Xie Yushu and the others with his neck stiff, also received twenty slaps.

These two arrogant scholars, used to being high and mighty, were slapped hard across the street. They were both ashamed and angry, but the slap also made them realize Xie Yushu's true identity. Even though their eyes were burning with hatred and they wished they could tear Xie Yushu to pieces, they could only lower their heads and pretend to be quails.

At that moment, Sun Chongren also sounded the grievance drum and submitted his complaint.

Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng instinctively tried to run away, but were surrounded by Zhao Hu and his men.

The thugs looked around, seemingly struggling with whether to intervene or not, since they had already received the money.

Zhao Hu saw through their thoughts and coldly shouted.

"These two scholars will probably have to make a trip to the government office. What, are you all itching for a beating and want to come along and loosen your skin?"

"Those guys immediately shook their heads like rattles!"

"Then get out of here!"

As soon as Zhao Hu finished speaking, the group of thugs immediately slipped away.

Liu Nan and Liu Bei also happened to arrive with their men, and after glancing at Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng, they said...

"Would you two gentlemen like to walk in yourselves, or would you like us to carry you inside?"

Xiao Yuanhang and Li Mingcheng's already swollen faces looked even worse, but they had no other choice. Rather than being carried in, they wisely walked into the government office themselves.