Chapter 248: Power and Justice (Part 1)

Chapter 248: Power and Justice (Part 1)



Luoshui County.

With a single move from Xu Zhengnan, all the constables in the county government were mobilized.

Even the City Defense Office had gathered a large number of men.

As these forces sprang into action, the streets and establishments under the control of the Tiger Claw Gang were sealed off one after another.

Anyone who dared to resist was immediately executed.

Facing the overwhelming force of the government, the Tiger Claw Gang was swiftly crushed, unable to retaliate.

Even the renowned leader of the gang was blocked by the City Defense Office and shot through the heart with a Divine Crossbow.

As for the Four Commerce Guild, it was surrounded by several captains, leaving no escape.

With this move, the city gates of Luoshui County were temporarily closed.

Due to the heavy snowfall blocking the roads, there were already few people entering and exiting the city gates, so closing them caused no hindrance.

Liu Family Residence.

"Xu Zongbu, what do you mean by this?" Liu Tianzheng walked out from the courtyard, his expression darkening as he saw the Liu family residence surrounded by a large group of people.

Xu Zhengnan turned and looked at the crowd of onlookers in the distance. "Today is the day of reckoning for the Liu family's years of evil deeds in Luoshui County."

He continued, "Today, the Chief Constable will use the fate of the Liu family to tell all the citizens of the city that justice, though delayed, will eventually arrive!"

"Good—"

"Good—"

"Good—"

". . ."

These words were met with cheers and applause from the crowd in the distance.

The residents of the Inner City were either wealthy or of noble status. Although they feared powerful figures like Xu Zhengnan and the government soldiers, they were bolder than the commoners in the Outer City.

"Xu—Zheng—Nan!" Liu Tianzheng glared at him. "What do you mean by this?"

Xu Zhengnan looked at the clan leader before him and smiled faintly. "Isn't what I said clear enough?"

"You have to take responsibility for your words!" Liu Tianzheng said.

"Responsibility?" Xu Zhengnan chuckled. "Of course, I will take responsibility."

As he finished speaking, he threw the piece of cloth he had been holding towards Liu Tianzheng.

"You'll see why I said those words, Liu Tianzheng. Take a look yourself!"

Liu Tianzheng caught the cloth thrown by Xu Zhengnan, gave him a deep look, and then opened it.

A moment later, Liu Tianzheng crumpled the cloth in his hand.

"Xu Zhengnan, don't forget that the Liu family has been paying you tribute for many years."

"That's right!" Xu Zhengnan's lips curved slightly. "But it's all a sham! I haven't touched a single penny of that money. I'll eradicate this cancerous tumor and hand over the funds to the court."

"Good!"

"Very good!"

Seeing Xu Zhengnan's resolute expression, Liu Tianzheng continued, "It seems you've truly gone mad, Xu Zhengnan. You've made up your mind to be enemies with the Liu family."

"You're wrong about that!" Xu Zhengnan said slowly. "It's not just me who wants to be enemies with the Liu family; it's the Liu family's own doing."

Xu Zhengnan then turned to the person beside him and said, "Commander Jiang, isn't that right?"

As these words were spoken, Liu Tianzheng's gaze shifted from Xu Zhengnan to Jiang Ning.

"It's you!!" Liu Tianzheng's pupils constricted. "Jiang Ning!"

"That's right, it's me," Jiang Ning replied calmly.

Jiang Ning didn't mind that Xu Zhengnan was diverting Liu Tianzheng's anger towards him.

Xu Zhengnan appeared straightforward but was actually quite slippery.

He wouldn't willingly attract all the Liu family's hostility.

If he didn't draw all the attention, and something unexpected happened, and the Liu family was protected by some powerful figure, or if some members of the Liu family managed to escape, then Xu Zhengnan would face trouble in the future.

By stepping forward to absorb some of the Liu family's anger, even if something unexpected occurred, he would have fewer problems to deal with later.

Liu Tianzheng looked at Jiang Ning, took a deep breath, and suppressed the despair that filled his heart.

Jiang Ning's appearance made him feel even more hopeless than Xu Zhengnan's actions.

He hadn't forgotten that the Cao family, with their overall strength once surpassing the Liu family, had met a similar fate.

In two days, the remaining two hundred members of the Cao family would be executed.

The Liu family's overall strength was even weaker than the Cao family's.

If the Cao family had fallen so low, the Liu family would have even less resistance.

"Why?" Liu Tianzheng looked at Jiang Ning with a mix of anger and grief, his eyes slightly red.

"Commander Jiang, why are you targeting my family?" Liu Tianzheng asked again.

Jiang Ning replied, "Ask yourselves that question."

Then, Jiang Ning spoke up, "Chief Constable Xu, proceed! Kill anyone who resists!"

"Yes, Commander Jiang!" Xu Zhengnan responded immediately.

He waved his hand and said, "Follow me inside. Anyone who doesn't surrender will be killed without mercy!"

"How dare you?" Liu Tianzheng shouted.

"How dare you!" A stern voice suddenly echoed from the distance.

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice and saw a man in a team leader's uniform rushing over.

Behind him were several team members.

"It's Liu Zhaonan!" Xu Zhengnan pretended to focus his gaze.

Among the Liu family, the one he feared the most was Liu Zhaonan.

Liu Zhaonan was the leader of the younger generation in the Liu family and the only one who had joined the Inspection Office and attained the position of team leader.

In terms of official rank, he might not be as high as Liu Zhaonan.

But the Xuncha Mansion is a new noble of the imperial court, with immense power and an extremely high status."

Even if he didn't want to make an enemy of someone like Liu Zhaonan, he couldn't afford to.

However, Xu Zhengnan glanced at Jiang Ning, and his heart instantly calmed.

Although the captain's position was high, how could he compare to a deputy commander?

Not to mention Jiang Ning's current strength.

With such formidable power, it wouldn't be long before Xu Zhengnan rose through the ranks within the Xuncha Mansion.

Perhaps in a few years, when he meets Jiang Ning again, he will have to pay his respects.

It was precisely considering this that he made his choice today.

In the blink of an eye.

Liu Zhaonan stood before Liu Tianzheng.

"Father!" he said respectfully, then turned to Jiang Ning and Xu Zhengnan, "Commander Jiang, Captain Xu, what do you mean by this?"

Xu Zhengnan immediately spoke up, "The Liu family has violated a total of seventy-eight articles of the Daxia Law, and the evidence for each crime is conclusive. Now, we will arrest them all and bring them back for trial."

"Where is the evidence?" Liu Zhaonan asked.

Xu Zhengnan pointed to the cloth stained with the snow, "It's all here. Your father dropped it, so look for yourself."

Hearing these words, Liu Zhaonan gave Xu Zhengnan a brief glance and then bent down to pick it up.

After examining it for a moment, anger flashed in his eyes.

"What does this prove?"

"It says I killed Wang Sanzhu? When did I kill him? His wife, Zhang Xiuhui, was bought by me!"

"Bought?" Xu Zhengnan sneered, "It's good that you remember this. You paid the money, but it never reached his hands. Instead, he was left to rot on the outskirts of the city."

At this moment, Jiang Ning saw that the two were about to engage in a verbal battle.

He immediately spoke up, "Captain Xu, there's no need for further words. Let's arrest them!"

"Commander Jiang's words are reasonable. Let's take them in for questioning. If they've violated the Daxia Law, we'll sentence them according to the law!" Xu Zhengnan responded promptly.

"Who dares?" Liu Zhaonan drew his long sword halfway out of its sheath, his eyes filled with fury, "I've already sent word to Yuan Hua, Ye Qiu, and Lord Hong. They will be here soon to uphold justice. I want to see who dares to act without the lord's command!"

"Commander Jiang, look..." Xu Zhengnan said, and then looked at Jiang Ning with hesitation.

Liu Zhaonan's words made him feel apprehensive.

According to the rules, only the Xuncha Mansion itself could pass judgment on any of its members who committed an offense.

The county government did not have the authority to conduct trials.

This was also the reason for the Xuncha Mansion's high status.

It formed its own system, possessing independent and autonomous law enforcement power.

Other law enforcement agencies, as long as they didn't violate the principles, still had to cooperate.

Moreover, the Xuncha Mansion personnel also had the authority to execute first and report later.

Layer upon layer of special privileges made the Xuncha Mansion personnel extremely high.

This was also why Xu Zhengnan hesitated.

Even though he also held evidence of Liu Zhaonan's crimes, and according to the rules of the Daxia Law, Liu Zhaonan's offenses were punishable by death.

But now, Liu Zhaonan was no ordinary person; he was a captain within the Xuncha Mansion, holding the ninth-rank position.

This status, even if Xu Zhengnan was the head of the county's law enforcement, an eighth-rank official, could not move or punish him.

Among all those present, the only one person truly had the authority to act against Liu Zhaonan—Jiang Ning, who held the same eighth-rank position as the deputy commander of the Xuncha Mansion.

At this moment, Jiang Ning saw Xu Zhengnan's hesitant gaze.

He immediately spoke up, "Since you say that Yuan Hua, Ye Qiu, and Lord Hong are all coming, then I'll wait and see!"

Hearing these words, Liu Zhaonan's heart calmed.

As for Ye Qiu and Lord Hong, once Yuan Hua arrives, with his backing, Liu Zhaonan believed he could get through this hurdle.

In his opinion, Jiang Ning was not bad.

But what of it? Yuan Hua was a martial arts prodigy from the Academy, and he had already reached the seventh rank of martial arts.

From the Academy in Guangning Mansion, this background was extraordinary.

Academy students all received the orthodox teachings of the Martial Saint Mansion, and the martial arts they practiced were extraordinary.

At the same level of martial arts, these people could all fight two or even three opponents alone.

This was the power of orthodox inheritance.

In Liu Zhaonan's opinion, even with Yuan Hua's seventh-rank martial arts strength.

Excluding foreign martial artists, such as Ye Qiu and the four commanders, as well as Lord Hong and the members of the Yellow Sky Sect.

Yuan Hua's strength could rank in the top three in the entire Luoshui County.

At this moment, Liu Zhaonan was unaware that Yuan Hua had already fallen into a coma.

As Jiang Ning's Water and Fire True Energy erupted within Yuan Hua's body, causing severe internal injuries. Without three to five months of recovery, he wouldn't be able to heal.

In the midst of the light snow, everyone waited on the spot.

As for various places in the city, the Black Tiger Gang, under the full suppression of the soldiers, had already lost its leader and was in disarray.

Within a few hours, the Black Tiger Gang was completely wiped out.

Some were captured, while others died.

The number of deaths was overwhelming, and those who were captured alive were barely one in ten.

Among the soldiers, there were already people secretly giving instructions.

As long as they followed the rules, they would kill without hesitation.

Unless it truly went against the rules and was witnessed by many, they would resort to capturing instead.

As time passed, the fine snow in the sky gradually turned into a heavy snowfall.

The sky also grew darker.

Before long, the soldiers began to light torches.

The bright flames illuminated the area around the Liu Family, making it as clear as day.

Although the wait was long, no one uttered a single word of complaint.

The person they were waiting for was the most powerful and influential figure in Luoshui County, and even the County Lord of Luoshui County was insignificant in front of Hong Minghu.

"Here he comes!"

Jiang Ning suddenly spoke up.

"Is it the Lord of the Manor?" Xu Zhengnan craned his neck in the direction of the Inspection Bureau and asked.

"And Commander Ye Qiu as well!"

Just as Jiang Ning finished speaking, Xu Zhengnan glanced at Liu Zhaonan, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.

When Liu Zhaonan mentioned sending someone to invite these two important figures, he didn't think much of it.

A figure like Hong Minghu would not easily involve himself in such trivial matters, and it was already impressive that Ye Qiu had come.

But now it seemed that Liu Zhaonan was indeed capable, as he had managed to invite this esteemed figure, Hong Minghu.

"Greetings, Lord of the Manor!" Jiang Ning bowed.

"There's no need for such formality, Commander Jiang!" Hong Minghu immediately showed a smile.

At this moment, the crowd also bowed to Hong Minghu and Ye Qiu.

After a moment, Hong Minghu scanned the surroundings and the crowd.

"What's going on here?"

"Sir, Commander Jiang is using his official position for personal revenge," Liu Zhaonan reported with a look of grief and indignation, but Hong Minghu waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Chief Inspector Xu, you tell me!" Hong Minghu said to Xu Zhengnan.

"Lord of the Manor, over the past few years, the Liu Family has committed numerous major crimes, and the number of lives they have taken is unknown! The Worshipping God Sect stronghold that you discovered today is actually a stronghold of the Black Tiger Gang, and the Black Tiger Gang is the Liu Family's hidden hand," Xu Zhengnan began.

"Oh? So the Liu Family is colluding with the Worshipping God Sect?" Hong Minghu asked.

"Lord of the Manor, it's not like that!" Liu Zhaonan interrupted, wanting to speak.

"Shut up!" Ye Qiu swept a glance at Liu Zhaonan, his eyes full of oppression, causing Liu Zhaonan to immediately close his mouth.

At this moment, Xu Zhengnan glanced at Liu Zhaonan and then withdrew his gaze.

Then, he took out a small booklet that had been prepared long ago.

"Lord of the Manor, please take a look. This booklet records all the major and minor cases committed by the Liu Family over the years."

"I have prepared evidence for fifty percent of these cases."

Upon hearing this, Hong Minghu looked at Xu Zhengnan in surprise and then took the booklet from his hand.

He flipped through it briefly and said, "Chief Inspector Xu has indeed prepared everything thoroughly."

As Hong Minghu carefully flipped through the pages from beginning to end, the area fell silent.

However, Liu Tianzheng's forehead was covered in fine sweat, and Liu Zhaonan's face turned extremely ugly.

From the attitudes of Ye Qiu and Hong Minghu, it was clear that the Lord of the Manor was siding with Jiang Ning.

In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Hong Minghu closed the book.

"If the evidence is real, arrest them! Captain Liu and those Liu Family members, arrest them all!"

"Yes, Lord of the Manor!" Xu Zhengnan immediately bowed.

"Lord of the Manor, Xu Zhengnan is lying, don't believe him!" Liu Zhaonan shouted.

"Shut up!" Ye Qiu gave a light rebuke, and his figure flashed, appearing beside Liu Zhaonan.

He lightly tapped Liu Zhaonan with his finger, and Liu Zhaonan immediately became like a deflated balloon, collapsing weakly on the ground.

At this moment, Jiang Ning's gaze also suddenly sharpened.

"Internal and External Cultivation, Condensing Inner Energy from Virtual to Real!" He couldn't help but marvel in his heart.

Apart from himself, Ye Qiu was the first Internal and External Cultivator he had met, and he had reached the level of Condensing Inner Energy from Virtual to Real.

Liu Zhaonan's sudden collapse was enough to prove how profound Ye Qiu's methods were.

Seeing this, Xu Zhengnan's heart became even more determined.

It was clear that both Ye Qiu and Hong Minghu were on his side.

The key to this was not hard to guess; it was because of Jiang Ning.

He was well aware that he himself did not have the face for this.

Then, Xu Zhengnan waved his hand, "Go in and arrest them. Anyone who resists, kill without mercy!"

"You handle it!" Hong Minghu said indifferently.

Then he spoke to Jiang Ning, "After handling this matter, if Commander Jiang has time, feel free to gather at the Bright Moon Tower!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately bowed, "Lord of the Manor's kindness, I will definitely attend the banquet later!"

Hong Minghu smiled and nodded upon hearing these words.

On the other side, Liu Zhaonan lay helplessly in the snow, and the heavy snow gradually covered his body.

Seeing this, his eyes were filled with grief and indignation.

"Where is justice under the powerful?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end