Oh, so the little fairy hasn't been stolen after all.
Liang Xin let out a long sigh of relief, slumped back into his chair, and looked up at Zhang Xiangyang. "Then tell me slowly."
"Why aren't you worried, sir? Now that our county has become so prosperous, which of the neighboring counties isn't envious? And everyone knows that our county is doing so well now, all thanks to the little immortal who guards this area, ensuring that our county enjoys good weather and abundant harvests!"
"The people in the drought-stricken areas were barely surviving. It's only thanks to our little deity that we have such a bumper harvest! If people from other counties had taken it all away, would we still be living such a good life?" Zhang Xiangyang said anxiously.
Liang Xin frowned, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was indeed true.
His term of office is three years, and more than half of it has passed. Last year, the people suffered from drought and bandits, which caused him a lot of trouble. He almost considered using his wife's dowry to send him back home.
This year, however, the situation has greatly improved. Not only are the crops in the fields yielding good harvests, but the business at the docks is also exceptionally booming. Even the county's tax revenue has managed to achieve a balance between income and expenditure, a rare feat.
A few days ago, when the registrar saw the bill, he was so moved that he cried. He said that in all his years as registrar, he never thought that the county would be able to collect so much tax revenue and not lose money!
All these changes seem to have been caused by the little girl from the Lin family.
If she's gone...
After thinking for a moment, Liang Xin realized that he would probably still have to face the same difficult situation as last year, with drought and bandits, or even more terrifying threats.
He swallowed nervously, then slammed his hand on the table: "Let's go! I want to see just who this audacious creature is, daring to steal from our county's little deity?"
"Sir, I've already sent men to follow him. I'll go and arrest him right now!" Zhang Xiangyang raised his leg and was about to run out.
The matter of the little immortal is a major event in the county, and he cannot sit idly by and do nothing about it.
Even if the little immortal hasn't been kidnapped yet, he still needs to be on the safe side and give those people a warning first.
...
That afternoon, Zhang Xiangyang, not minding the fatigue at all, led a group of brothers straight to the inn where the group was staying.
Although the county has changed a lot in the past six months, it's still a short time, and the best inn is still Zuixianlou.
This group of people stayed on the top floor of Zuixianlou, and it cost them two taels of silver per night!
It's really not cheap.
"Tch!" After hearing the story from the waiter at Zuixianlou, Zhang Xiangyang snorted and gritted his teeth, saying, "No matter how much money he has, he's still a hypocrite, no good at all. Brothers, let's go, take this guy back, don't let their evil scheme succeed!"
The other constables understood Zhang Xiangyang's meaning, rolled up their sleeves, and rushed to the top floor.
"Who are you?" A handsome young man blocked his way, with a knife hanging at his waist.
Zhang Xiangyang gave a forced smile and said provocatively, "These are constables from the county government, here to arrest a wanted criminal!"
"You can't find the criminal you're looking for here. Look elsewhere, and don't disturb my master's rest!" the young man said coldly.
"That won't do! We're here to arrest your master. We're ordered to capture a wanted criminal. If you dare to resist, you'll be openly defying the law, and your crime will be compounded!" Zhang Xiangyang said smugly.
The constables following behind him all brandished the weapons they carried.
But the young man showed no intention of moving aside. He wanted to say something more, but his master, who came up from behind him, pressed down on his shoulder and stopped him.
"Apprehend a wanted criminal? I have no idea what crime I've committed?" The man looked at Zhang Xiangyang with icy eyes.
This face was almost too handsome. Even though Zhang Xiangyang was a chauvinistic man who only loved women, he couldn't help but swallow hard. Forced by the man's imposing presence, he actually took a half step back.
However, considering the prosperity and well-being of the entire county and the peaceful lives of its people, Zhang Xiangyang's small step back seemed to be held back by a tremendous force.
He straightened his chest, looked directly at the man, smiled, and said, "If you don't know, just ask our superiors."
He felt that he couldn't handle this man on his own, so he quickly shifted the blame to his county magistrate.
The man nodded and agreed to go to the county government office with Zhang Xiangyang and the others.
When they arrived at the county government office, Liang Xin was already waiting imposingly.
Upon seeing the person Zhang Xiangyang brought over, he immediately gripped the gavel tightly and slammed it down: "Do you know your crime!"
"I don't know," the man replied clearly, his voice icy.
The clear and cold answer immediately brought Liang Xin, who was preparing to crush the man with his overwhelming aura, to his senses, as if he had been doused with cold water.
Only then did he notice the man's extraordinary demeanor and appearance.
"?" Liang Xin frowned. "Who are you? What brings you to our county?"
"I'm just a merchant, stopping here with some goods, hoping to find some profitable business. I never knew that doing business in a county governed by this magistrate was such a heinous crime," the man said coldly, his tone sarcastic.
Liang Xin naturally understood the sarcasm in the man's words, but he wasn't angry about it. Instead, he felt even more strongly that the man was lying.
He simply couldn't believe that someone with such a handsome appearance and refined demeanor was merely a profit-driven businessman.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
"You lied to me? What is your punishment for this!" Liang Xin narrowed his eyes and threatened, "If you tell the truth and explain who you are and what you are planning to do in our county, I may forgive your mistake. But if you are unrepentant and refuse to tell, don't blame me for the severity of the beating."
The man frowned, his brows furrowing slightly, revealing a hint of impatience. Coupled with his stunningly handsome face, even this expression of displeasure made it easy for others to empathize with him.
Those around him, especially, were furious when they heard that the magistrate was planning to condemn their master so hastily. They exclaimed, "How can you be an official like this? You don't even believe what our master says. What exactly do you want?"
"That's right, you're clearly targeting our master! We came here to do business and stay at the inn, and we haven't offended anyone. How come we've become wanted criminals here? There's no justice in this world!" The young man who had been blocking the door couldn't hold back any longer and drew his precious sword from his waist with a 'whoosh'.
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