Just as the constables were about to step forward, Mu Jin suddenly spoke up, "Wait!"

When Mu Jin called out "Wait!", the constables in front of him seemed to freeze in place and stood still.

Mu Jin slowly walked towards Zhao Dazui, her captivating eyes meeting his as she spoke softly.

"I have always heard of Master Zhao's reputation and have always wanted to pay him a visit. I was rude to you just now because I did not recognize you. Please forgive me."

Even if Zhao Dazui is someone who is easily swayed by lust, how could his anger be resolved by Mu Jin's words of forgiveness after he had just been beaten so badly by Mu Jin and Nangong Min?

Zhao Dazui spat a mouthful of bloody saliva to his side; the blood was from the lip injury Nangong Min had just caused.

"Please forgive me, you and that kid beat up me and these brothers, and you think a simple 'please forgive me' can resolve this?"

Mu Jin said sweetly, "Then what does Master Zhao want? We've become friends through a fight, haven't we? We originally came to you because of your reputation and were planning to seek your help."

Zhao Dazui was taken aback when he heard Mu Jin's words. Not only him, but also the bandits, soldiers, and civilians present were all confused about what Mu Jin was up to.

They just beat someone to a pulp, and now they're praising them to the skies? Are they kidding me?

Mu Jin glanced around and gave Zhao Dazui a wicked smile. He leaned close to Zhao Dazui's ear and whispered something.

“I am from a neighboring county. During a martial arts contest, I accidentally killed someone. I heard that Master Zhao is very famous here, and even the government officials call you brother. So today I came to Liangcheng to seek refuge with Master Zhao.”

After Mu Jin finished speaking, she straightened up. Zhao Dazui was stunned by Mu Jin's words and flattered by her praise.

The county magistrate, Li Quangui, standing nearby, was puzzled as to what the two were whispering about.

Why had Zhao Dazui, who was just furious, suddenly calmed down? He quickly stepped forward and asked Zhao Dazui.

"Brother Zhao, how about I help you arrest these two troublemakers and bring them back to the yamen for a severe beating to vent your anger?"

Zhao Dazui raised his hand to stop him, ignoring Li Quangui, and instead looked at Mu Jin and smiled.

"Did you really mean what you just said to me? You really want to come up the mountain with me?"

Mu Jin smiled and said to Zhao Dazui, "Really!"

Suddenly, Zhao Dazui grabbed Mu Jin's hand. Seeing this, Nangong Min was about to step forward and cripple Zhao Dazui's hand, but Mu Jin stopped him with a stern rebuke.

“Min, the person in front of us is Master Zhao, whom we agreed to go up the mountain to seek refuge with. We must not be rude.”

Upon hearing this, Nangong Min stopped in his tracks with great self-control, his hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, unconsciously clenching into fists, suppressing his rage.

But Nangong Min regretted it. He regretted that he had been too soft-hearted and thought about helping the old woman find her daughter-in-law. Otherwise, Mu Jin wouldn't have had to do something he didn't like because he was helping him find the old woman's daughter-in-law.

Mu Jin smiled at Zhao Dahu again and said, "I wonder if Master Zhao would be willing to take us in?"

He Da Zui laughed after hearing Mu Jin's words. When he laughed, his huge mouth revealed two rows of teeth, which could not only swallow a cow, but could practically swallow the sky.

At this moment, Li Quangui, the county magistrate standing beside the two, noticed that something seemed off about Mu Jin and Zhao Dahu. He rolled his eyes and thought for a moment, then realized what was going on and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"It seems Brother He has good news on his mind?"

He Dazui laughed and said, "I have good things happening to me every day in this Liangcheng."

Li Quangui said, “Brother He is right. However, if you go back up the mountain now, it will take at least one or two hours. Why don’t you continue to my villa for another gathering? I have some excellent rooms there.”

After Li Quangui finished speaking, he couldn't help but exchange a lewd smile with He Dazui.

Li Quangui's intentions were exactly what He Dazui wanted, so he led Mu Jin, Nangong Min, and the other brothers out of the inn.

As she stepped out of the doorway, no one noticed that Mu Jin's originally clear pupils had suddenly turned sinister.

Liangcheng was not a big city. The group followed Li Quangui for a while, turned a corner, and walked through the back street to reach the villa he had mentioned.

Before arriving at Li Quangui's villa, Mu Jin thought that the villa of the magistrate of a poor county should not be very large. However, when she entered the villa, she found that it was no less impressive than the mansion of a fourth-rank official in the capital.

Outside Liangcheng, mass graves were everywhere; inside Liangcheng, officials colluded with bandits, and the people lived in misery every day.

As long as Li Quangui could extort enough silver from the people and send it to the higher authorities, he could also live a life as comfortable as an emperor in this impoverished county.

Soon a charming woman came out from the middle gate. Upon seeing Li Quangui, she called him "Master Li Quangui" in a coquettish voice.

Li Quangui grasped the woman's hand and touched it, then said to the crowd, "This is my mistress whom I have taken in these past few days, her name is Meiniang."

Then he said to Meiniang, "Come, Meiniang, pay your respects to my distinguished guest."

Meiniang glanced at the crowd and saw that Mu Jin and Nangong Min were handsome and exuded nobility, so she couldn't help but give them a charming smile.

"Distinguished guests, please proceed to the main hall. I will have the kitchen prepare the banquet immediately."

Seeing such a large mansion before him, yet only a minor residence in a poor county, Mu Jin couldn't help but sigh, "Every brick and every tile here is the result of the people's hard work."

Everyone quickly took their seats in the hall, and the banquet was soon served. Mu Jin sat next to the bloated and greasy Zhao Dazui. She was really afraid that she would feel disgusted and unable to eat, but she had no choice but to play the part completely.

During the meal, Zhao Dazui kept serving Mu Jin food and refilling her wine, but Mu Jin refused to eat, saying that she had just eaten at the inn.

Mu Jin refused to eat mainly for two reasons: first, she found the sight of this corrupt and treacherous group of officials and bandits disgusting; second, she could clearly sense that the food and wine had been laced with something to enhance the experience.

Li Quangui's mistress, Mei Niang, smiled at Mu Jin and his companion, saying, "Young masters, from now on we are all family. Just treat this place as your own home, there's no need to be so polite."

Mu Jin smiled and said, "This is, after all, your home. We are guests here, so how can we not be polite?"

The people at the table were all very friendly and the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.

Li Quangui and Zhao Dazui had already drunk quite a bit at the inn, so they didn't drink much more here. But with beautiful women around them, they gradually revealed their true colors.

Mu Jin sat upright. Zhao Dazui looked at Mu Jin's fair and smooth hands. Just now at the inn, he had only briefly grasped them before Mu Jin skillfully dodged them. But the tender and smooth touch still made him itch to touch them.

As soon as Zhao Dazui thought of something, he decided to do it. He poured Mu Jin a glass of wine, picked it up and handed it to her, saying, "You say you've admired me for a long time, but you won't even have a drink with me. That doesn't make sense, does it?"

As he finished speaking, he was about to place the wine glass in Mu Jin's hand when his fat hand reached out and touched Mu Jin's hand.

Mu Jin took the wine glass, skillfully rotated her wrist, and used the back of her hand to block Zhao Dazui's hand.

Zhao Dazui tried to touch Mu Jin's hand, but missed. He realized that Mu Jin seemed to have been playing with him all day. His face darkened, and anger welled up in his heart.