章節 28: Chapter 28 Clash!
At this moment.
County Government.
Li Mingqi, listening to his subordinate's report, smashed the desk in front of him with a palm and said in a low voice,
"What is Tie Xuan trying to do? He dares to send people to surround the Huang Family's gate. Is he planning to rebel?"
The young Government Official bowing in front of Li Mingqi involuntarily trembled, not daring to say much.
Huang Xing had only asked him to come and inform the County Magistrate of the situation; he didn't know the specifics either.
Taking a deep breath, Li Mingqi's eyes flashed with a cold light as he stood up,
"This official wants to see who gave Tie Xuan the audacity to be so presumptuous!"
Everyone in Ping'an County knows that the arrest officer Huang Xing and the Huang Family are vassals to Li Mingqi, who present him with a hefty sum of silver taels monthly for his cultivation needs.
If Tie Xuan really confiscated the Huang Family's property, it would not only be a slap in the face for the Huang Family but for him, Li Mingqi, as well!
"Why does Lord Li need to be so angry?"
Just then, a calm middle-aged voice sounded—it was the County Magistrate, Wu Qingfeng.
The door was pushed open, and Wu Qingfeng walked in with a smile on his face, flanked by two Government Officials.
Li Mingqi's expression showed neither sadness nor joy. With his strength, he had noticed someone approaching from dozens of feet away long ago; his previous words were indeed intended for Wu Qingfeng to hear.
"Magistrate Wu..." Li Mingqi stood with his hands behind his back, facing Wu Qingfeng head-on.
Wu Qingfeng was a full seventh-rank official, while Li Mingqi was a junior seventh-rank. In terms of official position, Li Mingqi was slightly lower, but his power was no less than that of Wu Qingfeng.
Therefore, there was not much respect.
On the surface, they got along fine on ordinary days, but now, as Wu Qingfeng had signaled Tie Xuan to cause trouble at the Huang Family, there was no need to save face for either side.
Li Mingqi was not afraid of tearing off this facade.
While Wu Qingfeng had his connections in the Prefecture City, had Li Mingqi, immersed in the officialdom for decades, no backing of his own?
"You all, step out. I have something to discuss with Lord Li..." Wu Qingfeng motioned with his hand.
The few Government Officials didn't dare to object and withdrew, bowing.
Soon, only Li Mingqi and Wu Qingfeng were left in the room.
The atmosphere tensed for a moment before Wu Qingfeng took the lead,
"It was I who ordered Tie Xuan to take action against the Huang Family..."
"What crime has the Huang Family committed to warrant such an order from the County Magistrate? Does Magistrate Wu not know the Huang Family's standing in Ping'an County City? Do you have no regard for Officer Huang's dignity?"
Li Mingqi narrowed his eyes, his tone showing no respect.
Wu Qingfeng smiled unhurriedly,
"There is a reason for this official's actions."
"Is that so? This official would like to hear it..." Li Mingqi's gaze was indifferent.
"The Huang Family colluded with the No-Life Sect!" Wu Qingfeng said emotionlessly.
In an instant, Li Mingqi felt a shock in his heart, his disbelief quickly turning to gloom,
"Is collusion what you claim it to be, Magistrate Wu? Where is the evidence?"
"Baseless accusations against an imperial officer—if there's no solid evidence, this official will have to report you to the Magistrate."
"Evidence? This is the evidence." Wu Qingfeng took out a waisted badge from his bosom and threw it to Li Mingqi.
Seeing the large "Patrol" character on the white badge, Li Mingqi took a deep breath, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, and flipped the badge over. On it was clearly engraved a small "Zhang" character.
"The Heavenly Patrol Bureau!" Li Mingqi gasped in shock.
Known for supervising officials and inspecting everything under the heavens, the reputation of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau was known to all, far and wide.
Merely the mention of its name could keep an official up all night with worry.
Falling into the hands of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau essentially meant death.
Watching the undisguised terror in Li Mingqi's pupils, Wu Qingfeng felt a surge of satisfaction.
This Li Mingqi had been frequently at odds with him during his term; otherwise, dealing with the Huang Family wouldn't have been so troublesome.
"Master Zhang Xuan of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau had long been aware of the Huang Family's secret communications with the No-Life Sect. The takedown was a bit hasty this time, otherwise, more than just the little Huang Family would have been caught," said Wu Qingfeng, with a veiled threat in his words.
Feeling the threat in Wu Qingfeng's words, the grip around his waist token tightened, but this token of the Heavenly Patrol was made of the finest black iron, capable of withstanding such strength.
"Since the Heavenly Patrol Bureau is leading the charge, I have no objections," Li Mingqi said expressionlessly as he returned the token to Wu Qingfeng and stood up to leave.
"Do not be angered, Magistrate Li. After all, we are colleagues who have served together for many years. We should, rightly, cooperate with sincerity and dedication... don't you think?" Wu Qingfeng stood up, straightened his official robes, and said with a smile.
"Exactly as Magistrate says!" Li Mingqi replied.
After saying this, Li Mingqi strode out of the room.
Only Wu Qingfeng was left, the corners of his mouth hooked in a slight smirk.
After years of opposition from Li Mingqi, he had never felt quite as elated as he did now; the prestige of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau was truly invaluable!
...
...
With a low shout, Huang Xing took a step forward, leaped into the air with momentum, somersaulted in mid-flight, and landed knife in hand in front of the Huang Family's gates, his eyes burning with rage as he stared down Tie Xuan.
"Tie, what the hell do you want, daring to block the doorway of my Huang Family!"
A cold smirk flickered at the corner of Tie Xuan's mouth:
"Huang Xing, I am here on the County Magistrate's orders to search the Huang Family. Should you obstruct, you would hinder the Government's affairs. As an arrest officer, I have the authority to execute you on the spot!"
"Bullshit! My Huang Family is calm and obedient; what crimes have we committed? You say it's the County Magistrate's order? Then confront me in front of the County Magistrate himself!"
Huang Xing gripped the handle of his knife, his gaze firm on Tie Xuan.
Several of Huang Xing's closest Government Officials drew their knives and stood behind him, ready to act at a moment's notice.
The situation was on a knife-edge.
Chen Yuan frowned at the scene, quietly retreating to the back of the crowd.
He seemed to be nothing more than a bystander.
With both Tie Xuan and Huang Xing's attention on each other, they had no surplus attention to spare for a mere Government Official like him.
At this moment, he was sure that Tie Xuan had long been ready to act, but there had been no intention to inform him. It seemed that to them, a mere Blood Refining Martial Artist wasn't worth much attention.
Chen Yuan's eyes were filled with cold indifference as he tightly gripped the sheath of his knife.
Tie Xuan pulled a document from his chest and threw it to Huang Xing:
"This is an order from the County Magistrate. Are you going to defy it, Captain Huang?"
Dealing with an official required proper documentation, and Wu Qingfeng had already made the necessary preparations.
Huang Xing caught the document and examined it closely. But upon seeing the words that suggested the Huang Family was suspected of secret communications with the No-Life Sect, he couldn't help the panic that rose within him, his gaze instinctively glancing in the direction of his family home.
"Nonsense, how could I, the captain, possibly consort with the No-Life Sect? This must be your slanderous scheme. I will not accept this today!" Huang Xing said coldly, gripping the document tight in his hand.
"Whether you accept it or not is not for you to decide. I am here to conduct a search on behalf of the Magistrate. Do you wish to go against the court?" Tie Xuan took a step forward and said coldly to the group of Government Officials.
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