Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"Boss, are you saying there might be bad guys among these people?!"

Upon hearing what the older constable said, another younger constable pulled out an iron ruler from his back and eyed the group warily.

"That's right!"

The older constable also quickly stood up, drew his iron ruler, and pointed it at the burly man opposite Lu Chen.

"The nearest official road is over twenty miles away!"

Those few beggars are one thing; they might actually be hiding here seeking shelter from the wind and rain.

But you lot are obviously outsiders, and you're carrying luggage on your way. Why are you leaving the proper official road and coming to this remote mountain area?

It's probably something that can't be brought to light!

What are these two constables up to?

Are you looking for death?!

Lu Chen turned to look at the older constable.

Why did you take the detour through the mountains instead of the official road when you were traveling from Tongbai County to Tang County?

Isn't it just to avoid being checked at the checkpoint?

Although it is unknown why the man and woman chose to take the mountain path, they were probably intentionally avoiding the checkpoints.

Apart from the three beggars, the other three groups of people were actually forced into this dilapidated temple by the heavy rain.

We've only met by chance, and will stay here for one night. After dawn, we'll all go our separate ways, and who will even recognize whom?

The constables of the Ming Dynasty were not like the police of later generations; the vast majority of them had various forms of illicit income.

Accepting bribes from local gangsters and acting as their protectors is a basic practice.

By modern standards, almost all of these people would be considered corrupt cops!

Those who, after receiving bribes, still diligently perform their duties, maintain public order, and investigate cases are already considered very competent.

How could they possibly risk their lives to capture a suspicious person they stumbled upon?!

Are they not afraid that if they launch such a rash attack, the other side will fight them to the death?

What place is this?

A dilapidated temple in the middle of nowhere, with no other living people within a ten-mile radius except for the people here!

If they die here, who will know?

If a fight breaks out, the other party is truly willing to kill!

"Sir, my wife's family is from Wanhe Town, Suizhou, south of Tongbai Mountain."

Seeing the older constable pointing the iron ruler at him, the burly man stood up and bowed to him.

"This time, I am going with my wife to visit my father-in-law."

We're crossing the Tongbai Mountains to take a shortcut; I hope the officer will understand.

After this heavy rain, the ground is muddy, and the two constables will probably need to change their boots.

"How about I personally purchase two pairs of fine leather boots as a gift for you two officers?"

After saying that, the burly man took out a money pouch from his pocket, weighed it in his hand, and then threw it to the young constable.

This man was quite sensible; if the two constables were wise enough to know when to stop, that would be even better.

When Lu Chen left Biyang County, he left most of the silver to Chen Yunniang and only carried fifty taels of silver with him.

I bought a horse in Tongbai County and some dry food and other things. I still have about twenty taels of silver on me.

If that man could use silver to get rid of the two constables, then of course he could too.

Being able to solve a problem with a little money, without revealing one's identity or having to kill someone to cover it up, is naturally a good thing.

The young constable weighed the money bag the man had thrown at him, then tossed it to his companion.

"This gentleman is so generous; you two must be a kind and virtuous family."

The older constable tucked the iron ruler back into his waistband, pulled a piece of silver from his purse, tossed it on the ground, and then pointed at the little beggar huddled in the corner.

"Little beggar, this is a reward from the master. Come over and kowtow!"

After the constables accepted the money bag the man offered, a bloody conflict seemed to have been averted.

Yes, it was a bloody conflict, and the bloodshed was most likely caused by these two constables!

Originally, Lu Chen wasn't particularly interested in the man and woman, since he figured they wouldn't have any further contact after tonight.

After the two constables confronted them, Lu Chen could no longer remain indifferent.

After secretly probing with his telekinetic powers, Lu Chen was secretly taken aback.

Both the man and woman were carrying weapons, and more than one!

If the constables are unwilling to accept the money to settle the matter peacefully, a fight will likely be inevitable.

Lu Chen clearly sensed that the woman who had her hands tucked into her long sleeves was actually holding a double-edged dagger about ten centimeters long.

Moreover, she had more than ten of these short knives on her!

That thing must be some kind of dart!

Darts are not like swords or knives, which are common items that ordinary people can pick up and use to cut people.

To use darts in real combat, you need strength and accuracy, which requires a lot of training!

This seemingly ordinary woman is actually a darts expert!

Where is that burly man?

Before using his telekinetic powers to investigate, Lu Chen could only tell that he was more robust than the average person, but that was only in comparison to the average person.

He's nowhere near as muscular as the guys I saw in the gym before I transmigrated.

However, after secretly probing with his telekinetic powers, Lu Chen felt that something was not quite right. It wasn't the short knife he was hiding, but his body itself!

I can't quite put my finger on what happened.

But without a doubt, this person is not someone to be trifled with.

"Why aren't you kowtowing to the wealthy man and this constable!"

Seeing the little beggar trembling and hesitant to approach, an older beggar kicked him.

Lu Chen could clearly sense that the man and woman opposite him were no longer as tense as before.

As the little beggar slowly approached, another young constable also tucked the iron ruler back into his lower back.

The tense atmosphere that had just been brewing in the dilapidated temple seemed to have eased up instantly.

However, Lu Chen still felt that something was not right!

From the moment these two constables entered, they controlled the entire pace!

After accepting the silver thrown to them by the burly man, what did the two constables do?

He put the iron ruler away again, making it clear to the other party that he would no longer delve into why they had chosen to traverse these deep mountains.

That's understandable; even the act of attacking the burly man earlier could be interpreted as an attempt to extort money.

However, something else is a bit strange.

The older constable actually took a piece of silver weighing at least several coins from the money bag the burly man had given him and rewarded the beggar with it!

How is that possible!

In the eyes of the constables, these beggars were not even worthy of their attention!

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!

He must have had another reason for doing this!

Could it be?!

There was indeed an unspeakable reason why I was traveling with these two people in the deep mountains.

But aren't these two constables the same?

Their presence here is no coincidence.

The older constable's act of throwing silver to the beggar was definitely not as simple as hush money or a reward!