Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Zhao Donghan’s scar was twitching, and deep inside his eyes, there was fury.
It came. It had begun! That b*stard Jia Sidao had started his revenge!
“The officers from the office said the emissary from the Court of Judicial Review came together for an investigation,” said Zhao Donghan in a heavy tone.
The lively atmosphere in the living room plummeted below the freezing point instantly.
Yao Jing, who was carefully munching on her drumstick, looked nervous when she heard what Zhao Donghan said. She looked at him in disbelief.
The emissary from the Court of Judicial Review?! Why would an emissary from the court be interested in a petty case of harassment?
Her face turned as pale as a sheet of paper immediately.
Was it Jia Sidao’s way of taking revenge? Could he really command such power?
As she bit her lip, she trembled. She felt extremely guilty and the fear of the court grew within her.
“It’s all my fault,” Yao Jing said as she looked at Luo Hong timidly.
Luo Hong, on the other hand, pondered at Zhao Donghan’s words. He squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows.
‘I, Luo Hong, haven’t even committed any atrocious crimes, hence it shouldn’t be a serious matter. Money should be able to solve it…Huh? Isn’t bribing the officers illegal? Isn’t it an Antagonist Act?!’
Luo Hong tightened his lips and he suddenly felt happy.
Then, he saw Yao Jing’s pale face. He was already in a good mood, so he consoled her kindly, “Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
Yao Jing was shocked. Although things had already turned sour, Luo Hong still cared about how she felt.
‘The young lord is really a kind person!’
Yao Jing, whose family had fallen from power, knew what the Court of Judicial Review was like. The officers from the court, who had raided her house back then, were as hungry as wolves, and they were the representation of the ugly side of human nature.
There was even an officer who had dragged her into the storeroom and wanted to defile her. If it was not for her mother threatening the officer with her own life, Yao Jing would have been humiliated.
As she looked down, tears as big as peas started to fall from her eyes. She really was a jinx who brought nothing but disaster wherever she went.
“M-my lord, I’m s-sorry…”
Luo Hong looked at the pitiful Yao Jing. He instinctively wanted to console her, but he remembered that he was trying to be an antagonist, so he should at least act like one.
He bellowed, “Quiet! Don’t cry!”
Frightened, Yao Jing covered her mouth and continued sobbing in silence.
Luo Hong sighed in his heart. ‘This girl is really too soft and timid…’
Luo Xiaoxiao widened her eyes at the situation but did not stop munching on her drumstick. She was too young to understand what had happened.
“Uncle Chen, I’ll deal with this matter,” Luo Hong said to Butler Chen with a smile.
‘An emissary from the Court of Judicial Review in the capital…His position and status must be high enough, and if I can bribe him, it will be a heavy crime! Bribing is already a crime, and bribing a high-positioned officer is even worse! This is my chance! I can finally do something bad to boost my Sin Level back to the positive!’
Luo Hong was excited all of a sudden as he looked forward to the meeting the emissary.
Butler Chen drained his little cup of alcohol to the last drop and put it down on the table. “My lord, you don’t have to worry if you’ve done nothing wrong. Justice is on your side. Go now,” he said with a faint smile.
His words sounded peaceful to the extent that anyone who listened to him was calmed.
Luo Hong nodded and walked out.
As Butler Chen watched him walk out of the living room, his eyes looked slightly cold.
If Luo Hong had done something bad, and the office or the court had sent someone to arrest him, Butler Chen would not have said anything.
However, Luo Hong had done something praiseworthy. He had saved Yao Jing from being harassed by the b*stard scholar, yet he was at risk of getting arrested and being thrown into jail.
‘I, Chen Tianxuan, cannot just sit back and look away if this happens. The good must be distinct from the bad. The truth is still something we uphold in this world!’
After Luo Hong walked out of the living room, he did not go straight to the officers. Instead, he went back to his room and grabbed a stack of credit notes before he met them.
Zhao Donghan followed Luo Hong out. His scarred face was still twitching in anger while he clenched his teeth angrily. ‘Although the young lord is a man of justice, that b*stard Jia Sidao has framed him and is trying to send him to jail! Is this still a lawful world? Is there still justice in this society?!’
Outside the Luo Residence, torches and lanterns illuminated the streets.
Several constables in uniforms looked at Luo Hong coldly when he finally came out.
“Are you Luo Hong? Hurry up! The magistrate and the emissary want to see you!” said one of the constables in an impatient tone.
The constables drew their swords and wanted to take Luo Hong away by seizing him by the neck.
It was then that Zhao Donghan grew furious. He roared and jumped in front of Luo Hong like a fierce lion, “What is my lord’s crime that you have to seize him with swords?!”
An explosive aura burst out from Zhao Donghan, deterring the constables from seizing Luo Hong. They were even forced back.
“His aura…Entry Martial Cultivation?!”
Shocked, the constables’ eyes were gleaming with interest. Zhao Donghan’s intimidating presence reminded them that the Luo Residence was not an ordinary house.
“Lord Luo, please.” The leader of the constables ordered his men to sheath their swords and changed to become a lot more respectful towards Luo Hong.
Luo Hong’s hand was deep in his pocket when the constables drew their swords. He wanted to start bribing his way to success, but the constables were frightened by Zhao Donghan’s intimidating aura.
Since the constables were a lot more respectful towards him, Luo Hong lost interest in bribing them. He puckered his lips and took his hand out of his pocket.
It was a pity that he could not bribe them, but it was not a big deal. The constables were merely small fries. The big catch was waiting for him at the yamen.
“Entry Martial Cultivation?” Luo Hong looked at Zhao Donghan as that was something new to him.
Before this, his original body barely had any notable memories or impression of Zhao Donghan. Other than his fierce appearance, he was just a normal man.
Zhao Donghan calmed himself down and kept his aura away in silence.
Originally, a guard had followed Butler Chen around and made a promise to the latter earlier, but…he had messed up.
However, the thought of the humble and easy-going young lord being treated unfairly made him furious, so he regretted nothing.
Luo Hong looked at Zhao Donghan but did not say anything. He followed the constables away and headed to the Anping County Office.
The Luo Residence’s front returned to peace.
Inside the house, the anxious servants were gossiping and talking to each other.
Above the Luo Residence, the dark sky was blanketed with glimmering stars. The night breeze felt comfortable as it blew.
In his green robe, Butler Chen was standing on the roof like a pole. His robe fluttered along with the breeze, and with his hands behind his back, he watched as Luo Hong was taken away. His gaze felt sharp and heavy.
Blitz! The space around him distorted, as if the air rippled. The loud flutters from his green robes were still lingering in the air but Butler Chen was already gone.
…
In the rear court of Anping County Office.
The Anping Magistrate, Liu, was a scrawny man with eyes that were as sharp as a hawk.
Magistrate Liu, however, was standing at the side instead of sitting in the center because the seat was occupied by someone in a brocade uniform.
The uniform had embroideries of carps on it, and it was coupled with a black cape. The middle-aged man in the uniform was the emissary from the Court of Judicial Review in the capital.
Beside the man was a young man and a young lady. Their uniforms looked rather simple and less grand compared to the middle-aged man. Their difference in rank and position was obvious based on their uniforms alone.
The master of records, Wang Long, was smiling further away while he constantly glanced at Luo Hong, who had been brought to the yamen.
Luo Hong glanced over at Wang Long. The elderly man must be the master of records of the county office and also Jia Sidao’s connection.
Nevertheless, he did not care about the old man. Instead, he glanced at the magistrate before he ultimately looked at the caped emissary.
His eyes gleamed as his hand reached out to the stack of credit notes in his pocket. Then, with a bright smile, he said, “My lord, may I have a word with you?”