Translator: Myuu Editor: Myuu
The galloping rhinodrake steeds arrived at the northern gates of Pingxi City in just a flash.
The checkpoint at the northern gates was stricter than usual. Not only that, the number of soldiers stationed at the city gates was also three times more than the regular amount. When Yan Liqiang and the rest arrived, they didn’t dismount from their steeds. Instead, Liang Yijie, who was riding in front of them, picked up a token and flashed it to the military officer who was guarding the exit. After the military officer took a good look at it, the party passed through the city gate’s tunnel.
As they rode through the tunnel, Yan Liqiang spotted a Shatu caravan stopped by the soldiers who were guarding the city entrance ahead of them.
“All you Shatu people, dismount your steeds! You are no longer allowed to enter the city while still on your mounts! Goods will be inspected and all of you will have to pay double the toll…!” A military officer at the entrance loudly ordered the Shatu people as they sat on their steeds.
“What? Why must we dismount? We were allowed to enter the city on our steeds before this and our tolls were waived…!” The leader of the Shatu caravan shouted back at the soldiers in fluent Chinese, right before the other Shatu people behind him started to make a ruckus.
The military officer at the entrance roared with laughter. As soon as the laughter ceased, the tone of his voice instantly turned cold. “Why, you ask? Let me tell you why. There’s been some changes in Pingxi City. We goddamn won’t be spoiling you anymore, and we certainly won’t let you all feel entitled. Is this reason enough? If you wish to enter the city, then you’ll have to do it according to our rules. If you don’t want to enter the city then get out of the way and don’t obstruct the traffic here. Brothers, what will we do if they dare to forcefully barge through?”
“KILL!!” The rows of soldiers standing at the city gates yelled angrily and pointed their spears at the Shatu people. The archers on both sides of the gate tower also aimed their bows downward. After being used to riding roughshod over others, the countenances of the Shatu people instantly contorted at being treated in such a way for the very first time, and they fearfully pulled their steeds a few steps back.
Seeing Yan Liqiang and the rest galloping out from the tunnel on their steeds, the soldiers guarding the city gates immediately chased the Shatu caravan to the side to give way to them.
When they passed by the Shatu people, Liang Yijie shot an icy glance at them. More than ten rhinodrake steeds then wooshed past the group of Shatu people.
By the time they galloped a hundred meters past the city gates, Yan Liqiang heard the citizens cheering behind them. He turned his head around and saw that the group of Shatu people had obediently dismounted their steeds and paid the toll in order to enter the city.
“How do you feel, Liqiang?” Liang Yijie asked, turning his head around to Yan Liqiang.
“This should’ve been done earlier!” Yan Liqiang replied bluntly. “When I first came to Pingxi City, I’ve seen these Shatu people acting all high and mighty as they arrogantly rode their way into the city. After receiving preferential treatment for such a long time, they probably feel like they’re the fitting rulers of Pingxi City!”
“Hahaha, indeed this should’ve been done earlier! If Ye Tiancheng were allowed to continue his unscrupulous collusion with the Shatu people and commit treason for his personal gain, sooner or later those people will definitely bring great calamity upon our Great Han Empire!”
“The Shatu people are all ingrates. If that day truly came, it might just be a good thing!” Yan Liqiang chuckled.
“Why would it be a good thing?”
“We can get rid of the whole lot once and for all!”
Upon hearing Yan Liqiang’s words, Liang Yijie briefly stared at him before he nodded wordlessly.
……
As soon as the group of people exited the city, they instantly sped up their steeds. They rode along the public road. In just less than a few minutes, they arrived at a small mountain about seven or eight li away from the northern city gates.
The small mountain was situated near to the public road and was covered by a dense bamboo forest, causing it to appear rather quiet and secluded. At the foot of the mountain was a creek.
A manor was situated in the depths of the bamboo forest, occupying an area spanning several hundred mu. The manor seemed to be a rather mysterious place. Even the villagers in the surrounding towns and villages at the foot of the mountain had no idea who lived on this mountain. All they could see from the distance was a glimpse of the building’s crimson walls and green roof tiles. If anyone tried to ascend the mountain, they would be stopped at the foot of the mountain by the manor guards. Therefore, it was impossible for anyone to even ascend that mountain.
Only a handful of people in the entire Pingxi City knew that this was the real residence of the Prefectural Governor, Ye Tiancheng. Aside from work-related matters, that so-called Prefectural Governor’s Office was merely a place Ye Tiancheng visited once in awhile. Even Ye Tiancheng himself rarely lived in the courtyard behind the Prefectural Governor’s Office. Ye Tiancheng’s longest stay in the Prefectural Governor’s Office was probably during Sun Bingchen’s visit to Pingxi City these past few days.
By the time Yan Liqiang and the rest arrived on the mountain, several hundred soldiers had already gathered among the bamboo forest outside the manor. They were currently surrounding the entire manor. Apart from these soldiers, there was also a group of people waiting outside the manor, all dressed in bailiff’s uniforms.
Upon seeing that Liang Yijie and the rest had arrived and dismounted, one of the military officers and a bailiff hurriedly came over.
“Greetings, Lord Liang!” The military officer bowed to Liang Yijie. Although Liang Yijie was Sun Bingchen’s attendant, his official rank wasn’t low. Therefore, it was natural for the military officer to address him as a ‘lord’.
Liang Yijie nodded to the military officer. “No one has entered here over the past few days, right?”
“None. This place has been seized since the 19th and we have been standing guard here ever since. We’ve surrounded the area and have isolated all the servants inside and brought them away. No one has come here over the past few days!”
“Thank you for the hard work, everyone!”
“No problem at all!” The military officer then introduced the bailiff beside him to Liang Yijie. “This is Constable Han from the Law Enforcement Office.”
Constable Han was an honest-looking man with a tanned square face that was covered with a full beard. He seemed no different than a village farmer.
“Greetings, Lord Liang!” Han Constable bowed to Liang Yijie as well.
As soon as Yan Liqiang, who was standing beside Liang Yijie, heard Constable Han’s voice, his heart suddenly jumped, though his face remained stoic. This voice was exactly the same as the one he heard the other day at Qi Donglai’s place — the man who Qi Donglai referred to as his ‘Master’. Not only did they share the same voice, upon closer inspection, the body shape of this constable also matched the figure he saw that night. This person was a member of the White Lotus Society, hidden among Pingxi City.
In order to sniff this person out, Yan Liqiang was planning to loiter around the Law Enforcement Office’s entrance once he had the time to do so. Little did he expect to actually bump into him here.
The supreme judge from the Law Enforcement Office was one of Ye Tiancheng’s lackeys, and he had already been imprisoned. However, many bailiffs and constables in the Law Enforcement Office were still out there. Despite his Patrol Inspector title, not even Sun Bingchen could arrest all his underlings.
Yan Liqiang remained calm and collected. Constable Han only cast a glance at Yan Liqiang and didn’t seem to recognize him at all.
“Upon receiving Lord Sun’s orders, in just two days, Constable Han already found a few artisans who were involved in building this manor back then. Those artisans know every structure in this manor like the back of their hand, and they’ve already been brought here…”
