Chapter 27 Arrest
As Aunt Li observed all of this, her initial probing gradually turned into certainty.
Especially when Ling Wei's eyes suddenly lit up and she gestured to Shen Zhilan, suggesting, "I just remembered that there seems to be an old classmate in Fengcheng to the south. Although we haven't seen each other for many years, we can still give it a try. How about we set off for the south first thing tomorrow morning?"
Aunt Li, who had been listening attentively, suddenly stood up, looking a little flustered: "Oh dear, look at me, I've been so busy talking! Please rest for a bit, I still have water boiling on the stove, I need to go check on it, lest the pot boils dry!"
Before she finished speaking, she had already turned around in a hurry. Before leaving, she even began to "kindly" remind them: "Girls, please make sure to lock your doors and windows when you rest at night, and don't wander around. Our place is remote, and not far ahead is Heishanyu, which I've heard is not safe, with all sorts of shady people wandering around. Given your situation, well, it's better to be careful."
Ling Wei naturally agreed with a mixture of "fear" and "gratitude".
As night deepened and the waning moon lost its light, an eerie silence descended upon the small back room.
Ling Wei blew out the oil lamp in the room and sat fully clothed on the edge of the bed in the shadows. Qing Shu hid behind the door, his breathing almost non-existent, while Shen Zhilan listened intently in the darkness.
After waiting for a long time, the night outside had sunk deep, and a series of chaotic footsteps came. The door was kicked open roughly with a loud bang, and the light of torches rushed in, illuminating the narrow back room.
Aunt Li, who was usually so kind and warm during the day, now had a fierce look on her face. She barged in first, stepping aside to let others pass. Behind her were five other people with equally unfriendly expressions.
The flickering flames illuminated those who came.
Ling Wei's gaze swept quickly across the faces of the five people. Among them, only one woman of medium build, dressed in worn-out clothes as a constable of Fuling County, stood slightly in front, holding a rough whistle stick in her hand.
Behind her were four men of varying heights. Although they were also dressed in dark uniforms similar to those of constables, the fabric was rough and ill-fitting. Their movements and mannerisms lacked the formality of soldiers, instead exuding a roguish and unruly air.
This lineup is neither fish nor fowl, neither official nor bandit.
Aunt Li pointed eagerly at Shen Zhilan and said to the only female soldier, "Lord Zhao, that's the man. Look at him, he's crippled and mute, and he's been acting suspiciously all along. Recently, there's been banditry in Heishan Valley, and we've been ordered to thoroughly investigate suspicious persons, especially men with disabilities and unknown origins like this. Who knows if he's a spy sent by the bandits to scout ahead? I think he probably is!"
The moment the door was kicked open, Ling Wei jumped up in a panic, shielding Shen Zhilan with her body. Upon hearing this, she turned pale with fright, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Injustice! My husband is a law-abiding citizen, he has an identification document! He's just sick, not a bandit! The document is here, sir, please investigate..." She frantically rummaged in her bosom and pulled out a crumpled document.
"Who has the patience to look at that thing!" A fierce-looking constable slammed his stick on the broken wooden table next to him without even glancing at it, making a terrifying sound. "Bandits don't steal other people's ultimatums."
"Whether you're a bandit or not, we'll find out once you're taken back to the yamen and interrogated!" His tone was arrogant, showing no intention of reasoning.
The female soldier at the head of the group didn't rush to shout for battle. She raised her hand, slightly silencing the restless male constables behind her, and her tone was even quite polite:
"Young lady, please don't blame us for our strict investigation. It's just that recently, the higher-ups have issued a strict order that a group of extremely fierce villains has emerged in the Black Mountain Valley area, and the leaders... are said to be all men."
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Shen Zhilan's silent face and his disabled legs, her voice becoming even more chilling:
"What's even stranger is that the men in this gang of thugs seem to be unafraid of the women's mental suppression. A miner who escaped vaguely mentioned that there were probably some disabled people among them."
The higher-ups' instruction is: better to arrest the wrong person than let one go, especially those who seem suspicious and whose origins are unclear.
Before he finished speaking, a not-so-powerful spiritual force pressed down on Shen Zhilan without warning, which was the most direct "test".
If the other party is an ordinary man, even if he doesn't kneel down, he will definitely show signs of momentary disorientation or resistance.
However, Shen Zhilan remained seated quietly, not even his eyelashes trembling. He seemed completely unaware of this probing spiritual force, or rather... he showed no reaction whatsoever.
Her eyes instantly changed, all pretense of politeness vanished, replaced by a hint of excitement at catching her prey. She stopped looking at Ling Wei and directly gave the order to those behind her, her voice resolute:
"take away."
Two constables immediately pounced on her like wolves, reaching out to grab Shen Zhilan's arm, but Ling Wei blocked them.
"You're asking for death." Upon seeing this, the burly constable's face contorted with rage. He impatiently shoved her shoulder with a brutal force, intending to push her away.
Ling Wei slightly raised her eyes, revealing a face still covered in yellow powder and looking haggard.
But the look in those eyes had completely changed.
Looking at the bailiff's fierce face so close to her, and at his hand about to commit violence, she suddenly twitched the corner of her lips very slightly.
"well."
"What a suspicious disability."
"What a treacherous and cunning scoundrel."
"What a fine example of a law that arrests people without asking any questions."
The constable was startled by her sudden change in demeanor and her icy gaze, and his movements involuntarily froze for a moment.
Ling Wei stopped looking at him and sighed softly, as if she was simply tired of a clumsy farce.
"Qing Shu".
"exist."
The figure hidden in the shadows behind the door appeared in response.
"Take it down."
A mental force far sharper than the female soldier's earlier probing attack suddenly descended upon her. Before she could even react, she let out a muffled groan, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed limply to the ground.
At the same time, Qing Shu's figure had already cut into the male constables who rushed at her like a ghost. She reached out with her left hand, grabbed the dirty hand that was the first to reach for Ling Wei, and squeezed it with her fingertips.
"Ah!" The burly constable screamed in agony, his wrist bone throbbing with pain.
Qing Shu let out a soft "hmm".
The mental pressure she released simultaneously seemed to sink into nothingness when it hit this person.
The man winced in pain, but his other hand continued to swing the stick fiercely, without diminishing its force.
In a flash, Qing Shu withdrew all mental probing and dealt with the situation purely with his fists and feet.
With swift and deadly movements, including elbow strikes and knee strikes, the techniques were simple yet ruthless, all aimed at the joints and vulnerable spots. In the blink of an eye, the four thugs were sprawled on the ground in various contorted positions, clutching their wounds and groaning in pain, unable to get up again.
The courtyard fell into a sudden, deathly silence, with only the crackling of the torches lying on the ground.
The moonlight and flickering firelight intertwined on Ling Wei's face, leaving her completely calm and undisturbed.
"Now," she began, her voice low but enough to send a shiver down Li Da Niang's spine, nearly making her faint, "tell me, how many times has this been done, using the charge of a disabled bandit to set a trap here?"
Her gaze swept coldly over the few constables on the ground.
"And who are you on orders to... apprehend bandits here?"
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