From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Zhao Gui was completely stunned, his mind blank, and he only repeated one sentence in a daze:

"To the Jiang residence?"

He was terrified, yet the lingering thought of clinging to life clung to him like a vine. Every extra moment he could live was precious; what if, perhaps, he could find a glimmer of hope?

Once that thought crossed his mind, he immediately scrambled to his feet, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"I'll lead the way! I'll lead the way!"

Zhu Hong slowly straightened up, his gaze sweeping briefly over Zhao Gui. He didn't raise his voice, but simply called out calmly:

"Someone come here."

The courtroom fell silent for a moment.

"exist!"

Lin Jizhi was the first to respond, rushing into the hall with a nimble movement. Upon reaching the front, he straightened his back, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply, his voice booming like a bell, making the beams and pillars of the hall seem to hum.

"Lord Zhu, what are your orders?"

Zhu Hong's lips curled slightly, and a subtle smile, which only the two of them could understand, flashed in his eyes. He didn't say much, but simply pointed to Zhao Gui, who was slumped on the ground, and then glanced indifferently at Madam Ma and Madam Liu, who had already fainted in the corner: "Take the women into the prison and wait for orders to be made."

"Bring the man along with you to the Jiang residence."

A glint flashed in Lin Jizhi's eyes, and he responded crisply, "Yes, sir!" He then turned and gestured outside, his gaze sweeping over the lowly constables outside who were not authorized to enter, and announced loudly:

What are you all standing there for?

Lord Zhu has given the order: arrest them now!

His demeanor and tone clearly indicated that he was a trusted confidant, relying on his power to establish authority, without any ambiguity.

Zhu Hong saw this but simply shook his head slightly, offering no intervention. He knew Lin Jizhi was doing this to support him. As a newcomer, even though he held the golden order, someone had to take the lead in earning the respect of the six squads of constables.

Lin Jizhi was the one who bowed first.

Moreover, Zhu Hong could easily see the smugness in the young man's eyes. He was happy to do so, taking the opportunity to indulge in the thrill of commanding the crowd.

Before long, the servants outside the hall entered in response to the call, their actions swift and efficient.

The two men carried Ma and Liu outside, while the other two went straight to Zhao Gui.

"What are you standing there for? Waiting for someone to carry you away?"

Lin Jizhi lightly kicked Zhao Gui in the buttocks. The force wasn't strong, but it made him dare not collapse to the ground again. Zhao Gui cried out in pain and tried to struggle to get up, but his legs were already as weak as cotton wool, and he had no strength at all.

"Coward."

Lin Jizhi spat under his breath, "Lift them up!"

Upon receiving the order, the bailiffs on both sides lifted Zhao Gui up. Zhao Gui managed to stand, his legs trembling uncontrollably, the wet stains on his trousers particularly glaring under the lamplight in the hall.

Lin Ji frowned in disgust and stepped aside.

Zhu Hong then turned around, bowed slightly to the constables, and spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant:

"Zhu Hongchu is in charge of affairs, and I hope that all the constables will be lenient with him."

Wang Zhenshan was the first to stand up.

He didn't say a word, but walked to Zhu Hong's side and stood there with his arms crossed and eyes downcast, his expression indifferent.

"Tsk tsk, Old Wang, oh Old Wang."

Song Jiwen then stood up, lightly patted the hem of his robe, and smiled warmly, but with a hint of probing: "You've found a gem. You haven't been in the government for long, yet you've already earned such high regard from the clerk. Your future is limitless."

The others also stood up.

With the imperial edict in front of them, as if it were a divine decree, no one dared to pretend to be foolish anymore.

Only one person remained seated and motionless.

Wei Qingyuan.

"What?" Wang Zhenshan looked up at him, his tone calm, yet tinged with a hint of coldness.

"Are there needles stuck in your seat, preventing you from getting up?"

Wei Qingyuan slammed his hand on the table, causing the porcelain cup to tremble with a soft hum. His face was somber, his chest heaving for a few breaths before he finally stood up, standing in front of everyone, his back to the people in the hall. Whether he was angry or helpless, no one could tell.

Zhu Hong shook his head and said nothing more.

He was unwilling to do something that would be met with indifference; since Gu Zhangbo had the golden token in his possession, whether he acknowledged it or not was not his concern.

"If that's the case..."

Zhu Hong spoke at just the right moment, his voice carrying throughout the courtroom: "There's no time to lose, let's go to the Jiang residence." Once his words were finished, the courtroom fell silent.

"Keep a close eye on them."

Lin Jizhi quickly followed, taking the lead and shouting as he went, "Don't make any mistakes on the road, or you'll delay Lord Zhu's business!" The constables on both sides responded in unison, and followed closely behind, escorting the trembling Zhao Gui.

"Let's go."

As the middleman, Song Jiwen looked at the old brothers beside him first, exchanged a knowing smile, and then followed them out.

……

The wind blows from outside the hall.

The six groups of people then escorted the young figure out of the gate of the Jinyang government office.

The area outside the government office was already completely blocked.

The matters in the courtroom had already captured the attention of the entire Jinyang. Those who had previously dared to whisper and peek around now instinctively held their breath and stepped back to make way for the scene.

"Haven't seen such a grand display from the government office in years, have you?"

Someone sighed softly.

"That's right!" someone chimed in. "The head constables from all six squads set off together. The last time all six squads went out at once was decades ago when Chief Constable Liu led the team."

"At least it was Chief Liu that time, but this time..."

All eyes fell on the tall, upright figure at the front, and the voices were complicated: "I heard he's just a junior constable who's recently joined the police force."

"Eh," someone paused, then slowly said:

"What is this called?"

This is what they call "the student surpassing the master!"

……

Zhu Hong seemed oblivious to the stares he was receiving.

He was thinking to himself, "Zhao Lai's death is just the death of a scoundrel, but it's not entirely useless. At least it has stirred up the quagmire even more, allowing us to take a bite out of them today and in the unresolved case of the Liu family."

but……

How to strike the right balance? It's still hard to say.

Speechless all the way.

The procession passed through the long street, pedestrians gave way, and the streets and alleys were quiet. Only the sound of footsteps was uniform, each step on the bluestone slabs sounding solid and thunderous.

Zhao Gui was dragged along by two constables who held him in the middle.

He would occasionally glance at the tall, imposing figure in front of him, feeling that the figure was more terrifying than any tall building in Jinyang City, as if if the other person turned around and looked at him, he would be decapitated like his father.

To die so cheaply.

With a single stroke, the head fell to the ground, without even a chance to utter a word.

He thought to himself, "If I had known this would happen, I would have killed him back then rather than dare to humiliate Zhu Hong, let alone seek revenge for my elder brother."

Not long after.

The gate of the Jiang residence appeared ahead.

With its green tiles, high walls, vermilion gates, and bronze rings, the mansion boasts two imposing stone lions, exuding an air of grandeur. However, the gates are tightly shut, and there are no servants to greet guests as usual, indicating that those inside have already heard about the court proceedings and taken precautions.

Seeing this, Lin Jizhi stepped forward and bowed to Zhu Hong, saying:

"Young Master Zhu, we have arrived at the Jiang residence."

Zhu Hong stopped and looked up at the tightly closed vermilion door, his gaze suddenly hardening.

"Break down the door."

He uttered only two words, his tone calm.