Chapter 162 Forcibly storming the hall, listed as wanted!
It was late August.
Summer has passed and autumn has arrived, the weather is cool and refreshing. The leaves have not yet fallen, but the fruits are already ripe. It is the busy farming season, and people's lives are hard, but their homes are full of rice, and their faces are filled with smiles and joy.
Li Xianlian had already made a name for himself by eliminating criminals. The magistrate of Qingning County feared his power and recalled that day at the banquet when Li Xianlian had said, "Let the sky over Qingning be even bluer."
Therefore, during this month's grain and tax collection, large landowners, gangs, and government officials dared not act recklessly. The chaotic and arbitrary collection of taxes, and the bizarre phenomenon of taxes being levied everywhere, were somewhat curbed.
The people were deeply grateful, all knowing of Li Xian's merits, and only hoped that Wu Wei would enjoy a long and prosperous life. Li Xian never sought publicity, acting entirely according to his conscience. Hearing the people's praises, he remained calm and unperturbed.
"Within my power, I will help the weak and do what is convenient. Although I may seem to have some influence in Qingning County now, it is not very reliable. The lives of these people still depend on their own fate. I still have my own path to walk, and I cannot carry the burden of the people on my shoulders."
Whether it's criticism or praise, he acts solely according to his own heart. Criticism cannot sway his true intentions, and praise cannot sway his true purpose.
Yihezhuang.
Uncle Xiang was in charge of the village's accounts, and he also managed the numerous properties in the prefecture city and the counties under the prefecture. Therefore, he was well-informed.
How have you been lately?
The lady, dressed in a yellow gown, possessed a graceful figure that remained unseen by anyone. She used porcelain chopsticks to gently pick up fish bait and feed it to the goldfish one by one.
"Business is going well." Uncle Xiang knelt down and kowtowed, his palms overlapping, palms against his forehead, backs of his hands touching the ground, extremely devout.
The lady gently waved her hand and said, "There's no need for this formality."
Uncle Xiang said, "How can this be allowed? We have to face..."
The lady interrupted impatiently, "How is he?"
"Him?" Uncle Xiang was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he realized that the "he" his wife was referring to was Li Xian. Uncle Xiang had already been aware of this, so he told her the truth.
"Li Xian has recently eliminated the villains on the Red List, and his influence in the county is unparalleled. He has more than 30 yamen runners and ten shops under his name, all in Qingning County. Most of them are clothing shops, but he also has some rice and food shops."
"Yesterday, a dispute arose between two martial arts schools, and Li Xian went to mediate. He has considerable prestige, and with just a few words, the dispute was resolved immediately."
...
Madam Wen put down her porcelain chopsticks, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, making a crisp "click-clack" sound. Gazing into the distance, she listened with obvious interest.
“I gave him space, and he really did make a name for himself. Not bad, not bad, he’s definitely not mediocre.”
"Summon him."
Uncle Xiang followed the instructions and immediately went to summon him. Li Xian was in the Commander's Courtyard, and soon he was brought to the Commander's Courtyard.
As Uncle Xiang left, he couldn't help but think to himself, "Madam is summoning Li Xian more and more frequently."
...
...
Cao Kai, a nephew of the Cao clan, went to take up his post at the end of summer. Seeing the city gate deserted and no one to greet him, he frowned deeply. Although he knew that Wu Weilang was in power, he had been born into the Cao family and was highly respected; being treated so coldly angered him.
"Cao Yun, you are but a mediocre talent. Your defeat here has tarnished the reputation of my Cao family. I, Cao Kai, will personally subdue you and make you obediently submit to my capture!"
The clan held a meeting and ordered him to take up his post in Qingning. He deliberately feigned weakness, hoping to gain more support from the clan. How could a member of a respectable clan fear a local official?
Once outside the prefectural city, all I saw along the way were mud-covered, filthy buildings, their arrogance only growing stronger:
"So this is what's outside the city. Only gang leaders are somewhat worthy of attention. Local bullies are nothing more than ants."
Inside the yamen (government office).
Upon assuming office, Cao Kaifang immediately inspected the layout of the government office.
Knowing that Cao Yun was the son of a high-ranking official who had died, he was not to be careless. He sealed the well and sent several servants of similar stature, dressed in the same official robes, to confuse the situation.
“Even if that military officer attacks, I have nothing to fear. Cao Yun has been studying since childhood, but his knowledge of martial arts is very shallow, and he is not even strong enough to kill a chicken. I, Cao Kai, have been practicing martial arts since childhood, and I had already mastered the art of eating essence when I was a teenager. Although I switched to studying halfway through, I have never neglected my martial arts practice every day.”
"That local military officer might not be a match for me."
Cao Kai assumed a stance and performed a set of Cao family boxing techniques. His movements were powerful and vigorous, his punches forceful and robust. Although his martial arts skills were not as good as the geniuses of his clan, they were still quite impressive.
Furthermore, he received a reward from his family, and was clad in light armor embroidered with gold thread, making him unafraid of swords and spears. With everything planned in place, there was truly nothing to fear.
His confidence was as strong as a flood.
"The entire family is watching me. Given my current situation, I should strike with lightning speed to break through their defenses and demonstrate the power of the Cao family."
The "Red List Conspiracy" was a family plot. Seeing that the ten-day period had expired, he immediately prepared his troops and marched towards the Martial Guard Hall on charges of "colluding with the thieves and helping them escape."
He brought fifty Cao soldiers and three hundred Fu soldiers with him on this trip. The Cao soldiers were the Cao family's privately maintained clan soldiers, all of whom were elite. The Fu soldiers, on the other hand, were secretly drawn from the Cao family using their official positions.
In front of Wuwei Hall.
Cao Kai learned from Cao Yun's mistake. Without saying a word, he waved his hand, and Cao family's private soldiers and guards broke down the door.
In the outer hall, the constables were having lunch and chatting idly. Suddenly, they heard a commotion and Zhang Hou said, "There are enemies!" The constables reacted quickly, drawing their weapons and taking the initiative to attack.
The sound of weapons clashing rang out.
The enemy outnumbered us, and the disparity in numbers was enormous. After a fierce battle, we were forced into a corner and gradually retreated.
Seeing that he had no way out, and that these bandits dared to force their way into the Martial Arts Hall in broad daylight, Wang Wu's murderous intent surged. This coincided with the secrets of his swordsmanship.
Seeing him brandishing his broadsword, he advanced instead of retreating, charging into the crowd.
A broken blade doesn't need to be whole, but only to defeat the enemy! This path of the blade is full of dangerous moves, fighting life for life, and blood for blood!
When outnumbered, those with intact limbs will inevitably hesitate to act in order to protect themselves. When facing a combined attack, they should allocate seven-tenths of their strength to protecting themselves and three-tenths to injuring the enemy.
Wang Wu, on the contrary, only cared about injuring the enemy and disregarded his own injuries.
In addition, he was loyal and honest by nature, and had a strong and unyielding character. Once he was convinced, he followed him wholeheartedly.
Wang Wu shouted, "I'll clear the way, brothers, follow me and fight your way out!" He charged into the enemy ranks. The officers in the Martial Guard Hall were all young and ambitious, full of vigor and ambition.
This call was met with immediate and widespread response.
"Kill!" Zhang Hou immediately followed.
Even a cornered beast will fight back; with a do-or-die spirit, its momentum is unstoppable.
Just as the battle was raging, Cao Kai's voice rang out: "Make way!" Cao's soldiers and his garrison troops obeyed the order and immediately moved aside to both sides.
The constables were overjoyed and rushed out. After turning two corners, they arrived at an open space. But their hearts suddenly sank. The enemy was prepared; archers were already lined up neatly in the pavilions and houses, ready to pounce!
They were already trapped, like turtles in a jar or meat on a board.
"Bastard!" Wang Wu was still ready to fight.
Zhang Hou patted Wang Wu on the shoulder, signaling him to stop.
Cao Kai laughed and said, "You traitors, why don't you put down your weapons at once!"
"If you don't put it down by the time I count to three, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Without hesitation, he counted three times. Zhang Hou was a calm and composed man, unafraid of death, but seeing the soldiers surrounding him and their sudden approach, he wanted to understand the situation.
So he laid down his weapon. Wang Wu was puzzled and intended to fight to the death, but when he met Zhang Hou's eyes, he also put down his long sword.
"That's more like it."
Cao Kai smiled and said.
With his hands behind his back, full of vigor, he called out loudly to the crowd: "Where is Li Xian? Among you, who is Li Xian?"
Zhang Hou angrily retorted, "Who are you, daring to surround the Martial Guard Hall? Who gave you the guts!"
Cao Kai laughed and said, "Who am I? I am the magistrate of Qingning County."
Wang Wu said coldly, "Even the county magistrate has no right to surround the Martial Commandant's Hall! When the Martial Commandant returns, he will definitely teach you a lesson!"
Cao Kai slapped Wang Wu twice across the face, causing his cheeks to swell up immediately.
"What a joke! If he dares to come back, it will just be what I want. Why would I be afraid of him?" Cao Kai saw that the constables were indignant and glaring at him, but he was not afraid of him at all.
Cao Kai said, "Are you very dissatisfied?"
"Although I, the county magistrate, and Cao Yun belong to the same clan, we are worlds apart. Let me tell you, I can be both a county magistrate and a military officer. If you don't believe me..."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed a nearby constable, gently pushing him away with his palm. The constable was sent flying, crashing onto the roof with a "crack," his spine breaking, his body bending, before falling from the height, where he was no longer alive.
"you!"
The constables were shocked, angry, fearful, and terrified. They were only at the beginner level of martial arts and could not see the intricacies of it, but they knew that it was extremely powerful and beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
Cao Kai said proudly, "How about it? Can your peasant military officer achieve what I have?"
“Of course…” Wang Wu retorted, determined not to be humiliated. Zhang Hou covered his mouth, knowing the difference in strength was vast, and that a rash resistance would only result in casualties. The most urgent task was to ascertain the situation before considering anything else.
Zhang Hou said, "Your Excellency, you have just taken office, why have you surrounded the Wuwei Prefecture?"
"You really don't know?" Cao Kai asked jokingly.
"I truly do not know," Zhang Hou said.
"That's because your magistrate, Commandant Wu, colluded with the villains and let them escape to harm the village," Cao Kai said. "This magistrate cannot sit idly by; he must make an example of them."
"Nonsense!" Zhang Hou suppressed his anger. "When did we join forces with villains?!"
"Hehe," Cao Kai said, "A while ago, you received the 'Red List of the Martial World.' It records the most vicious and ruthless people in the martial world."
“That’s right.” Zhang Hou nodded.
Cao Kai spoke eloquently:
"That old man who swallowed children was active in Qingning. This old man's crimes were heinous; he stole and ate human children, an act that aroused the wrath of both gods and men. He had been on the run for a year."
"We finally found a definite trail. The culprits are right in front of us, why is your Commandant Wu doing nothing? Why aren't you going to suppress and kill them?!"
"To condone her continued evil deeds, or even to help her escape—what is this if not colluding with thieves?"
Zhang Hou said, "How do you know that my master did not kill that old man who swallowed the child?"
"Oh?" Cao Kai asked in surprise, "Could it be that the old man who swallowed the child has already died at the hands of that Commandant Wu?"
"Indeed!" Zhang Hou said, "Some time ago, Wu Wei led us to surround and strangle the old man who swallowed the child. We have already killed that villain."
"Now that the truth is out, it was all a misunderstanding. Your Excellency, after all this, you should have no reason to besiege my Martial Guard Hall!"
Cao Kai stroked his chin: "If what you say is true, then it is indeed my fault for misunderstanding Lord Wu. But everything requires evidence, and I cannot simply listen to your side of the story."
Zhang Hou said, "It's simple. The old man's body is stored in the underground vault. The evidence is conclusive; Your Excellency will know once you investigate!"
Cao Kai gave the order. His attendants immediately searched the basement and quickly found several corpses. Upon comparison, they were all identified as members of the Red List criminals.
The old man's head, which had swallowed the child, was also among them.
Seeing this, all the constables secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They could avenge today's humiliation later; for now, getting through this difficult time was the priority.
Cao Kai frowned: "It really is the corpse of the old man who swallowed the child."
“That’s natural,” Zhang Hou said. “The misunderstanding has been cleared up. Please return, Your Excellency.”
Cao Kai sneered. He took out a wine jug, poured the wine onto the corpse, and then struck out with a palm strike from a distance. The palm energy was like fire, and the wine that touched it instantly burst into flames.
“Your Excellency, this…” Zhang Hou’s pupils contracted.
Cao Kai said calmly, "The Martial Guard Hall colluded with the Old Man Swallowing the Son, allowing him to escape. Take all the guards in the hall back to the prison and interrogate them severely!"
"Military officer Li Xian is now a wanted criminal!"
(End of this chapter)
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