Dada-da-da, a series of hurried hoofbeats announced the sudden arrival of a ten-pig squadron right before the county yamen. I hadn't witnessed such a spectacle even in Feiying Prefecture. Seeing so many 'skin dogs'—or rather, giant white pigs—appear at once was truly rare, suggesting the figures riding them were no ordinary people. Could the Emperor himself have arrived? The Emperor riding a pig—ha, what a ridiculous thought.

Ah San, currently on duty, quickly stepped forward to intercept the lead pig. "Who dares trespass upon the county yamen! Halt!"

The rider was an armored soldier, clad in heavy mail—a type of military ornament I hadn't seen since coming to Gemini Star, not even in Feiying Prefecture. Could they truly be emissaries from the Court?

"Halt! I am Peng Tian, Left Protector of the Imperial Guard, dispatched under the orders of Grand Tutor Pang to apprehend a wanted murderer in Feiyu County. Immediately summon the Magistrate of Feiyu County to meet with Vice Minister Lian Hai of the Ministry of Justice!"

Although Ah San felt disdain for the rider’s grand airs, he dared not slight an official sent by the Court. He replied, "Please wait a moment, honored sir. I shall report inside at once."

The Vice Minister Lian Hai of the Ministry of Justice happened to glance my way, his expression changing drastically. He pulled out a scroll from his robes, unfurled it, and made a comparison. Suddenly, he roared, "It's him! Seize the wanted murderer! This is a meritorious achievement gifted to us by Grand Tutor Pang! Men, charge!"

A wanted murderer, Grand Tutor Pang. Damn it, that case from Feiying Prefecture had tracked all the way here. It seemed that Cai Hua truly wouldn't give up. Even inviting the current Chancellor couldn't suppress him, according to what Ma Xiaoda told me. But the Chancellor held no real power, and Cai Hua’s son had been castrated, meaning Cai Hua must despise me to the bone. Given this, a massive mobilization was inevitable.

Four lightly armored soldiers jumped down from the pigs in the rear. Wielding their swords, they lunged toward me. I hadn't brought Linglong or the Strength Pills today. Although I possessed an Imperial Edict personally signed by the Emperor granting me the authority of an escape pod captain, I wasn't sure if that could offset the charge from the Feiying Prefecture case. For now, retreating was the best option, especially since I lacked my superpowers.

I certainly wasn't foolish enough to argue with them. Without a word, I turned tail and bolted. Seeing this, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the four light armored soldiers were convinced of my guilt and led the rest of the troops, driving the pigs, in pursuit.

Ah San had just stepped inside the yamen gate when Ah Mao, still sitting stunned outside, realized what was happening. Neither of them understood why Master Zhao was being labeled a wanted murderer. It wasn't until I had fled quite a distance that the Left Protector Peng Tian of the Imperial Guard shouted, "Hey! Are you two just going to sit there? Hurry up and guide men to assist Vice Minister Lian in capturing the fugitive!"

Ah San asked, bewildered, "Sir, you must be mistaken. Divine Doctor Zhao is certainly not a wanted murderer by the Court. He led us, the people of Feiyu County, in repelling the bandits. If there were killings, we did our share, but we only killed bandits—they deserved it."

Peng Tian swiftly drew his sword. "If the Grand Tutor Pang says he is, then he is! Do you dare defy a direct order?"

Ah San stiffened, ready to resist, but Ah Mao pulled him back. "Let's quickly report to Magistrate An first. I'll gather our brothers and follow. We'll see how the situation develops before deciding how to help Master Zhao."

Ah San realized arguing with this dog official was useless. He took off running toward the yamen, shouting as he went, "Master, Master! Trouble! Someone is trying to arrest Master Zhao!"

Magistrate An was currently adjudicating a case where a father was suing his son for filial impiety. Hearing the commotion outside, he slammed his gavel down. "Which damned son has the audacity to try and arrest my son-in-law? Guards! Bring your clubs and let's see who this is!"

The old father kneeling below grabbed Magistrate An's leg. "Your Honor! You haven't finished the trial yet! You must punish this wicked son and make him repay my years of support!"

The son retorted, "Your Honor, my father is a gambling addict. If I gave him a single grain of rice, he'd lose it. Let him starve!"

Magistrate An kicked them both aside. "You two wait! I have an emergency, how can I deal with your trivialities right now?"

Magistrate An charged out to the entrance with a squad of yamen runners. Peng Tian was busy looking for trouble everywhere. Finally seeing the Magistrate emerge, he roared, "Hurry up and dispatch men to pursue! If the wanted criminal escapes, you will be held accountable!"

Magistrate An didn't know who Peng Tian was, but he recognized the military uniform—it belonged to the Emperor's Imperial Guard. Why were they in Feiyu County? Magistrate An stepped forward and bowed. "Respected Sir, what is your designation? You ask us to pursue, but pursue whom?"

Peng Tian was furious. "I am Peng Tian, Left Protector of the Imperial Guard! Under the orders of Grand Tutor Pang, I am here in Feiyu County to arrest the murderer Zhao Qian. I happened to encounter him at the yamen entrance just now. Vice Minister Lian Hai of the Ministry of Justice has already taken men in pursuit. I fear the scoundrel may have accomplices. Magistrate, why are you not sending reinforcements immediately?"

Magistrate An was startled. "Zhao Qian is a murderer? Impossible! Lord Peng, you must be mistaken."

Peng Tian sneered. "County Magistrate, are you suggesting that Grand Tutor Pang is incorrect? If those words reach his ears, I wonder if you can bear the consequences?"

Magistrate An's heart chilled. No one could afford to offend the powerful Grand Tutor Pang. He waved his hand at the yamen runners. "Follow them and see what's happening."

Ah San, Ah Si, Ah Mao, and Ah Gou cried out anxiously, "Master!"

Magistrate An said, "Am I not more worried than you? Let's first ascertain the situation before making a decision. These men are favored by Grand Tutor Pang in the capital; we cannot afford to offend them."

No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't outpace the pigs. Before I even reached my door, a thrown pole tripped me, sending me sprawling onto the ground. I fell so hard that I didn't even have time to draw my laser pistol before two light armored soldiers pinned me down.

Vice Minister Lian Hai, riding his pig, caught up. "Where do you think you’re running now! How audacious! A wanted murderer dares to show his face openly in front of the yamen. Do you have no regard for the national law? Guards! Give him a taste of the law before binding him!"

The two armored soldiers hurried up from behind with their clubs. The two holding me aside shifted, and two clubs were about to strike my rear. Lian Hai, riding his white pig, was smug. This merit was practically handed to him. Cai Hua had claimed this man was hard to deal with, but it seemed he was all talk.

Buzz! Thud! Suddenly, Lian Hai's vision went black as the bloody end of a thigh-thick club smashed down right in front of him. Luckily, it missed his head, but it struck the pig he was riding. The pig's brains exploded instantly, and with a thump, it collapsed, neatly tossing Vice Minister Lian Hai face-first into the mud.

Swish, swish, swish, swish. Four arrows shot out in quick succession, striking the wrists of the four armored soldiers. Their armor primarily protected their chests, and since this was within the city walls and not actual combat, none of them wore wrist guards. As a result, all four were wounded, unable to even lift their arms, let alone grip their clubs.

Yun Yao rushed out from the courtyard, pulling me up. "What is going on! Why did you sneak out and come back like this?"

The ground was muddy. Lian Hai spat out a mouthful of dirt and cursed, "Rebellion! You lowly people all want to rebel! Guards! Guards! Execute them! Peng, Left Protector Guard! Grand Tutor Pang ordered you to protect and assist me! Where are you at this crucial moment? I will report you to the Grand Tutor!"

Just then, the Left Protector Peng Tian of the Imperial Guard arrived with his contingent. "Vice Minister Lian, I am here! I was afraid you might be outnumbered, so I brought reinforcements. What happened? Ah, so there are accomplices too! County Magistrate, this is due to your lax command! Hurry up and arrest them all. If your performance is satisfactory, we might intercede with Grand Tutor Pang for you. Otherwise, harming Court officials is a crime you will suffer for."

"Who dares touch him! Ask my club first!" Dali Wan thrust his bloody, thigh-thick club in front of the crowd, then stood like a wall blocking their path.

Linglong, perched atop the courtyard wall, displayed her bow. Her four rapid shots had already neutralized those armored soldiers. She had intentionally spared their lives; otherwise, with her speed and accuracy, they would be corpses on the street if she had intended harm.

Lian Hai and Peng Tian huddled together for courage. Peng Tian, being a military officer, was not intimidated by threats. He waved his sword. "Charge! Take them all down!"

Two armored soldiers obeyed and moved, but as soon as they raised their swords, buzz, buzz sounded through the air. Then came two screams as two more wooden arrows struck their wrists. They could no longer hold onto their swords, which clattered to the ground.

Peng Tian was indeed a military man, but he had never witnessed such exquisite archery. Moreover, six of his eight soldiers were already injured, and a hulking brute stood blocking the way. Seeing the strength he used to smash that giant pig, Peng Tian suspected he stood no chance against him. With this thought, he turned to Magistrate An behind him. "Insolent peasants resisting arrest. The rest is up to you, County Magistrate."

Magistrate An anxiously signaled to me, whispering, "What's going on? What is this? Isn't this just a case of mistaken identity—the dragon king attacking his own temple?"

Peng Tian urged, "County Magistrate, what are you waiting for!"

Magistrate An stepped forward to explain. "Gentlemen, it's all a misunderstanding. How could this Zhao Qian be a... a murderer..."

Lian Hai spat out another mouthful of mud, sputtering angrily, "Silence! If he weren't a murderer, why would he run? This matter has already alarmed Grand Tutor Pang! County Magistrate, do you have the standing to resist the Grand Tutor's orders?"

Ah San, Ah Si, Ah Mao, and Ah Gou stepped forward. Cheng Susu, Yun Yao, and Zhou Ni immediately aimed their laser pistols at them. I pushed them away. "Don't!"

Ah San, Ah Si, Ah Mao, and Ah Gou smiled, took two more steps forward, and then turned, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Dali Wan, blocking the path.

Lian Hai snarled, "What are you doing... What is this?"

Ah San said, "We don't know anything about a wanted murderer. We only know a Divine Doctor Zhao, a hero who fought off bandits. Anyone who wants to harm him must first answer to us four brothers!"

The remaining twenty-odd yamen runners, men who had barely survived yesterday's battle, knew exactly how they had won. Seeing someone take the lead, they all changed direction. These men, still carrying the lingering scent of blood from the recent slaughter, stood imposing before the armored soldiers, causing the soldiers to instinctively retreat.

Peng Tian was shaken by this sudden surge of bloody killing intent. Though a military man, he had never fought a real battle. The aura emanating from these yamen runners was far more commanding than that of actual soldiers. His sword-hand trembled. It was no wonder Cai Hua had said this man was troublesome; he truly was.

Lian Hai cursed Magistrate An behind him. "You... You did this! I will report you to Grand Tutor Pang! I will impeach you to Grand Tutor Pang!"

"Scram!" Magistrate An's previously flustered expression suddenly became firm. He spat at Lian Hai with contempt. "Who the hell do you think you are! Let me tell you, this is Feiyu County, not the Grand Tutor's Manor! On this patch of earth, An Deshan calls the shots! I, this old man, may not have accomplished much, but I know loyalty to the Emperor, and my heart holds only the Emperor! No matter how powerful Pang is, is he greater than the Emperor? You keep mentioning Grand Tutor Pang left and right. I ask you, is there still a place for the Emperor in your heart!"

Normally, these yamen runners were quite irritated by Magistrate An’s timidity and corruption, but at this moment, his sudden show of strength made them all cheer loudly. Magistrate An’s momentum grew. He turned and stepped into the ranks of the yamen runners, turning back to me. "Nephew Zhao, do not be afraid. This is Feiyu County, and I am the Magistrate—I make the rules! If I say you are innocent, you are innocent! Perhaps Feiyu County truly harbors a wanted murderer, but I will never believe it is my nephew Zhao! Anyone who tries to frame you will never succeed!"

"Never succeed!" roared the yamen runners, terrifying Peng Tian, Lian Hai, and their eight personal guards.

Lian Hai retreated, shouting, "This is treason! The entire county has rebelled! It seems I must request troops from Feiying Prefecture to besiege this place!"

I grew anxious. If this escalated, the yamen runners and An Deshan would be implicated, and I would genuinely become a wanted criminal by the Court, making my search for the five women much more difficult later.

"Besiege? Are you perhaps trying to besiege my Bai Shi, Vice Minister Lian?" Bai Shi suddenly emerged from the courtyard with a mocking tone. He was still wearing the clothes he had gotten drenched in that morning while sheltering Ma Xiaoda from the rain.

Lian Hai and Peng Tian started when they heard the strange, sarcastic voice. They thought, Why is this old thing here? but managed to reply verbally, "Ah, Eunuch Bai. We are here under the orders of Grand Tutor Pang to apprehend a Court fugitive. We apologize for any offense."

Bai Shi, who had been stooping low, now stood tall before the two high-ranking Court officials. "A Court fugitive? Who are you referring to? I don't see any fugitive here."

Lian Hai pointed. "Him! He murdered a servant of the Cai family in Feiying Prefecture. Lord Cai personally verified the deed on the spot, proving he is the wanted murderer. Lord Cai submitted documents to the Grand Tutor Pang and the Ministry of Justice overnight, and the Ministry has officially declared him a Court fugitive. We are acting on orders, Eunuch Bai. We hope you will cooperate."

"Nonsense! You are talking rubbish! The stinking rubbish of your mother!" A burst of rapid, childish cursing erupted from the courtyard. Bai Shi’s face paled. He thought, This child couldn't hold back after all.

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