Chapter 66: Narrow Road
Chapter 66: Narrow Road
Zheng Family Residence.
In the westernmost courtyard, the main hall was still brightly lit.
Zheng Hong, the head of the family, sat in a large armchair, with a young concubine gently massaging his shoulders from behind, and another concubine kneading his legs in front of him. A third concubine stood by, holding a teapot, ready to serve at any moment.
Zheng Hong, with his eyes closed, was enjoying the service of the three concubines. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked outside.
"Why haven't they arrived yet?"
He frowned slightly.
It was already late, and he hadn't gone to bed yet, naturally waiting for the shipment of goods being escorted.
The Zheng family's method of smuggling medicinal ingredients wasn't particularly ingenious. They sent people to the countryside outside the city during the day to purchase them, and then the scattered ingredients were gathered in the 'Jia Wulu,' the most chaotic area on the outskirts of the outer city, in the entire Southern District. It was near the west side of the city and had become a stronghold for various gangs, with conflicts occurring almost daily.
After the scattered ingredients were circulated in Jia Wulu, they essentially lost their origins. Then, they would be collected and transported back to Willow Grove every so often, with only a distance of about ten miles between the two locations, not too far at all.
If there were no issues along the way, the shipment should have arrived by now.
As Zheng Hong was frowning in thought, a sudden knock on the door was heard, followed by the entrance of a servant.
"Master, there seems to be some commotion in the west."
The servant hesitantly spoke to Zheng Hong.
Zheng Hong straightened up upon hearing this and asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?"
"Someone has gone to check it out. It seems like a fight has broken out, and it's quite a ruckus."
The servant replied cautiously.
Zheng Hong's eyes narrowed, and he quickly calculated with his fingers. The carriage escorted by Zheng Fu and the others should have returned to Willow Grove by now if they hadn't encountered any trouble.
Normally, once they reached Willow Grove, it was considered safe. The various gangs would give the Zheng family some face, and even if they happened to run into the Blackwater Gang, the gang would mostly choose to avoid direct conflict with the Zheng family, at most offering some silver to pass by.
Wait...
Zheng Hong's expression suddenly changed.
In Willow Grove, there was only one group that could easily restrain Zheng Fu and the others—the City Guard!
Furthermore, considering the City Guard's recent intensive morning and evening training, with such a grand display, if this wasn't the new Patrol Commander showing off, but rather a deliberate act, secretly deploying troops...
At this thought, Zheng Hong abruptly stood up, his eyes flashing with a chill. "Hmph, you've underestimated me. You've only been in Willow Grove for a few days, yet you dare to target my Zheng family."
The atmosphere in the room instantly turned cold, and the concubines trembled, afraid to speak. The servant also stood by, slightly frightened.
However, Zheng Hong paid them no heed and walked straight out, pushing the door open with a bang.
As he walked out of the courtyard and headed towards the main hall, another servant hurriedly approached, reporting, "Master, a fight has broken out in the west. One group is the City Guard, and the other seems to be Uncle Fu and his men."
"I understand."
Zheng Hong responded coldly and said, "Quickly gather our men."
The distance between here and there wasn't far. Even if they couldn't save Zheng Fu and the others, there was still a chance to retrieve the carriage and goods, ensuring they didn't fall into the hands of the City Guard so easily.
Since Chen Mu wanted to challenge the Zheng family, they might as well give it a try. A mere Willow Grove City Guard branch wasn't something Zheng Hong took seriously!
The Zheng family acted swiftly.
In a short time, all the courtyards were lit up, and numerous servants gathered, each holding clubs and weapons. Additionally, there were over twenty martial arts guards.
"That Chen Mu has gone too far, daring to target our goods. He thinks that becoming a Patrol Commander makes him all-powerful. Tonight, I'll go and twist his head off!"
Zheng Yong rushed to the front courtyard, brandishing a knife and looking fierce, as he spoke to Zheng Hong.
Zheng Hong scowled and shouted, "Nonsense! Remember this, someone is audacious enough to impersonate officials and commit theft at night. My Zheng family is here to raid bandits!"
Even if the Zheng family was arrogant, they couldn't openly attack a Patrol Commander. If they overstepped their boundaries and provoked Xu Hongyu's wrath, even those backing the Zheng family would find it difficult to speak up for them.
In any case, Chen Mu couldn't be killed, but the others didn't matter. With the elite forces of the City Guard mostly eliminated, they could claim it was a misunderstanding tomorrow. After all, the City Guard hadn't informed them about tonight's large-scale operation, so it was just a matter of arguing.
"Yes, yes, someone is impersonating officials to commit theft. I'm going to raid the bandits."
Upon hearing Zheng Hong's words, Zheng Yong's eyes lit up, and he chuckled.
Zheng Hong glanced at the gathering in the courtyard. Seeing that most of the guards had arrived and over a hundred servants were present, he waved his hand without further delay and ordered, "Let's go!"
The hundred servants immediately surrounded the guards and rushed out together. As they left, they extinguished their torches, and under the dim moonlight, only a group of menacing shadows could be seen.
The road was only half-traveled.
Suddenly, Zheng Hong narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, signaling those behind him, including Zheng Yong, to stop.
In the distance, at the end of the street, under the faint moonlight, they could see a dark mass of shadows approaching. As they drew closer, the dim moonlight revealed the distinct uniforms of officials.
The two groups confronted each other head-on in the street!
"They're here, Zheng Fu and his men are probably done for. But why are these officials taking this route..."
Zheng Hong's expression turned gloomy as his thoughts raced. This road didn't lead to the City Guard but to the Zheng family. The opposing force was clearly numerous, also numbering in the hundreds.
In other words, the City Guard's plan tonight wasn't just to capture Zheng Fu and his men; they also had designs on the Zheng family!
Zheng Hong's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He never expected that Chen Mu, a young newly appointed official, would not only set up a trap but also act so swiftly and forcefully. Once he made his move, it would involve the entire Zheng family.
Such audacity! If he had known this earlier, he might not have been the first to step forward and challenge Chen Mu. But the Zheng family needed to obtain the Sinew Transformation Pill from the Inner City, so they had to play along.
"Stop! Who dares!"
Under the dim moonlight, Shang Qinglai took the lead, brandishing his sword and shouting at the Zheng family.
Zheng Hong squinted and said coldly, "You dare to impersonate officials and commit theft at night. Your audacity knows no bounds! Don't even think about getting away with it in Wutong Li!"
With a single order.
Zheng Yong, who had been itching for action, let out a cold laugh. He raised his steel blade and took a step forward, confronting Shang Qinglai. The steel blade slashed down, carrying a mountain-splitting force.
Shang Qinglai's face changed slightly, and he shouted, "How dare you attack officials! Is the Zheng family rebelling?!"
Clang!
Shang Qinglai raised his guard saber to block Zheng Yong's strike. The clash of the blades sent a powerful force through his body, causing him to stumble back over a dozen steps. His hand gripped the hilt tightly, his arms went numb, and his heart trembled.
Zheng Yong was known for his ferocity, and his reputation had reached Shang Qinglai's ears. Although Shang Qinglai had witnessed Zheng Yong's fighting skills before, it was when Zheng Yong had only achieved Muscle Cultivation Great Mastery. The power behind this strike was almost unstoppable, indicating that Zheng Yong had likely achieved Muscle Refinement Completion.
It was rare to find individuals in the outer districts who had reached the Sinew Marrow Realm. To cultivate the Body Tempering Art to Muscle Refinement Completion and master a complete blade technique, understanding the essence of blade aura, was to be among the top few in the realm of martial arts.
(End of Chapter)
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