Chapter 108: Do You Dare?
Page (1/3)
The constable captain arrived with the bailiffs in tow.
They stood to one side, panting heavily, each drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.
“Inspector Li, the thieves have probably already escaped. Are we still going to keep searching?” the constable captain asked.
Li Yi gave him a cold glance, and the captain lowered his head uneasily.
“Have your men surround this area, then search every household one by one. If you see anyone suspicious, report to me immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” the bailiffs answered in unison.
Li Yi swept his eyes over them and warned, “You know whom I am looking for. If you let the thieves escape, do not blame me for being merciless.”
The bailiffs trembled and gave awkward smiles.
As they searched the houses one after another, a chorus of shouting and cursing soon rang through the district.
In Li Yi’s presence, the bailiffs were meek and obsequious. But before ordinary people, they struck with an iron fist.
Everyone living in this district was a commoner, and the bailiffs showed them not the slightest courtesy.
They stormed into each household and rummaged through everything. Whenever they found anything valuable, they would quietly slip it into their robes.
But when they reached one particular courtyard, the constable captain returned with a strange expression.
“Inspector, a woman claims to know you. She says she is your sister-in-law.”
“My sister-in-law?”
Li Yi was slightly taken aback. He followed the constable captain into a dilapidated little courtyard, where he saw Han Jin’er confronting two bailiffs.
“I am the sister-in-law of Inspector Li of Shattered Gold Town. My husband is his second elder brother. If you continue behaving so outrageously, do not blame me for going to court and having Inspector Li teach you a lesson!”
Han Jin’er stood with her hands on her hips, chin raised, loudly cursing them with a fierce expression.
The bailiffs looked at one another, none daring to step forward.
Seeing this, Han Jin’er grew even more pleased with herself and raised her voice further.
Li Yi was speechless. What was this woman doing here?
He stepped forward and asked, “Sister-in-law, why are you living here?”
Han Jin’er was not particularly surprised to see him appear.
She gave him a charming smile, her eyes brimming with affection. “So you are here too, dear brother-in-law. Your second brother saw that I could not get used to living in the countryside, so he rented this little courtyard in town for me.”
“Have you seen a man appear anywhere nearby?”
“I was sleeping inside and saw nothing.”
Then Han Jin’er cast him a flirtatious glance. “If you do not believe me, dear brother-in-law, you may search the inner room yourself.”
Li Yi frowned and looked around.
The courtyard was small, containing only a main room and two side rooms. Even the kitchen was nothing more than a thatched shed.
The constable captain said awkwardly, “Inspector, this is the only courtyard we have not searched.”
Li Yi thought for a moment. “Then search it.”
The instant he said this, a trace of panic flashed through Han Jin’er’s eyes.
But she was an old hand at secretly consorting with men, and she quickly regained her composure. With a cold snort, she said, “You are truly heartless, dear brother-in-law. I have already told you that I never saw the thief. Why send these rough men to search the place? What if they break something?”
Li Yi replied expressionlessly, “Do not take offense, sister-in-law. The thief may be hiding somewhere. Searching the courtyard is merely to ensure that you have not been harmed.”
He waved his hand, ordering the bailiffs forward.
Han Jin’er immediately spread her arms and planted herself before them, her full bosom thrust forward as she shouted, “Li Yi, you shameless scoundrel! How dare you treat me with such disrespect and bully a helpless woman?”
She glared at Li Yi and wailed, “You incited outsiders to humiliate a woman like me! I will tell your second brother and see how you explain yourself to him!”
Then she began crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself, behaving as though she would rather die than live.
The sight gave Li Yi a splitting headache and left him utterly helpless.
It was as though Li Zicheng had been bewitched by this woman. When Han Jin’er had secretly colluded with Hunter Liu before, he had gone out of his way to protect her.
If this matter reached Li Zicheng’s ears, it would likely drive a wedge between the brothers.
Li Yi remained silent for a moment. In the end, he was unwilling to ruin his relationship with Li Zicheng over this affair.
“Since you insist, sister-in-law, I shall take my leave.”
With that, he led his men away.
Page (1/3)
Han Jin’er continued putting on a show of distress in the courtyard for a while. Only then did she get to her feet and nervously approach the gate. She looked around and, after confirming that Li Yi had truly gone far away, finally relaxed.
She locked the gate and hurried into the inner room. There was not a single person inside.
Han Jin’er glanced around, then suddenly smiled seductively and strode forward, kicking an elm chest.
Clang!
A noise came from inside the chest.
“Do not hit me! Do not hit me! I am coming out!”
Ai Wanhua lifted the lid with a terrified expression and poked his head out. Seeing that Han Jin’er was the only person in the room, he finally let out a long breath, looking as though he had narrowly escaped death.
Han Jin’er looked at him with contempt. “Look at how frightened you are. Is Li Yi really that terrifying?”
Ai Wanhua patted his chest. “That bastard is a god of slaughter. He has at least two hundred lives on his hands, if not three hundred. My few dozen pounds of flesh would not be enough for him to tear apart.”
He climbed out of the chest, then cautiously stuck his head out to look around.
“All right. I managed to drive him away,” Han Jin’er said with a coquettish laugh.
Only then did Ai Wanhua relax. He came forward and seized Han Jin’er in his arms.
Amid her soft cries, he sneered, “Li Yi would never imagine that you have already become my woman.”
“Second Master, you must remember how good I have been to you,” Han Jin’er said, her eyes filled with affection.
“Do not worry. Tomorrow I will have someone bring you fifty taels of silver for your expenses.”
The smile on Han Jin’er’s face grew broader.
The second young master of the Ai family was indeed generous. He was nothing like that poor wretch Li Zicheng, who wasted silver bringing a bunch of farmhands to cultivate the land and never gave her any benefit at all.
Han Jin’er stroked Ai Wanhua’s face and said coyly, “I am not greedy for money. I only wish to become Second Master’s concubine, so that I may share your bed and spend my life beside you.”
Ai Wanhua gave a lecherous grin. “Good, good. Then let us share a bed and spend our lives together this very moment. Since I cannot have Li Yi’s wife, I shall take out my frustration on Li Zicheng’s woman first.”
With that, he picked Han Jin’er up, threw her onto the bed, and pounced upon her.
Meanwhile, Li Yi had lost Ai Wanhua, and his expression was dark.
He took out ten taels of silver and instructed the constable captain to distribute it among the households that had been disturbed. Then he led his men to the city gate.
Since Ai Wanhua had escaped, he would have to secure Master Zheng’s testimony and establish Ai Wanhua’s guilt.
With Gao Yigong passing along information, Li Yi indeed intercepted Master Zheng at the city gate.
When he saw the bailiffs surrounding him, Master Zheng did not panic.
He had already received word from Yan Zibin.
“Impudent wretches! I am the adviser personally hired from Jiangnan by the county magistrate. How dare a bunch of petty runners treat me so disrespectfully?”
The bailiffs looked nervously toward Li Yi.
Li Yi stepped forward and fixed his gaze on him.
“Master Zheng, someone incited the people to riot and arranged for assassins to kill me. What do you have to say?”
Master Zheng replied with an indifferent air, “I know nothing about it.”
“You know nothing? Then do you recognize Ai Wanhua?”
Master Zheng’s expression changed. He said coldly, “The second young master of the Ai family? Naturally I know him. We are merely acquaintances who have exchanged greetings.”
“Are you sure it is as simple as that? The two of you visited brothels together and indulged in debauchery. Is that what you call an acquaintance who has merely exchanged greetings?”
“Li Yi, do not go too far!” Master Zheng shouted.
“I am going too far? You colluded with Ai Wanhua and hired men to kill me. Which of us is truly going too far?”
“Li Yi, do not make baseless accusations!”
Li Yi glared furiously at Master Zheng. “Someone saw the thieves entering and leaving your residence. They were also seen coming and going from Ai Wanhua’s separate estate. The two of you colluded, and the evidence is conclusive.”
Master Zheng’s expression changed.
He had never imagined that in the space of only two hours, Li Yi would investigate the situation so thoroughly.
“Hmph. I know nothing about any of that. Someone may be framing me. I am returning to the county office to discuss this with the magistrate. I have nothing more to say to you.”
He turned to leave.
Li Yi stepped forward and blocked his path. “I must ask Master Zheng to accompany us so that the people of the district may identify the corpses and determine whether they were working with you.”
“How dare you! Li Yi, you are a low-ranking official. How dare you show such disrespect to me?”
Li Yi said coldly, “Men, take Master Zheng with us to investigate the case.”
Page (2/3)
As the two sides faced off, the sudden clang of a bronze gong rang through the street.
A green-topped sedan approached, and Yan Zibin, the magistrate of Mizhi County, stepped out.
Master Zheng seemed to have found his backbone. He immediately cried out, “Your Honor, please stand up for me!”
Yan Zibin nodded, then looked toward Li Yi. “Inspector Li, Master Zheng is my adviser. This matter should be left to me to handle.”
His tone was courteous, but his meaning was unmistakably firm.
“Your Honor, Master Zheng is implicated in the attempted assassination of your subordinate. Witnesses saw the thieves entering and leaving his residence. He cannot escape involvement in this case.”
Yan Zibin snorted. “Inspector Li, the investigation and adjudication of criminal cases are my responsibility. You are merely a minor inspector; all you need to do is obey my orders. You are not to interfere.”
“And if I insist on interfering?”
Yan Zibin abandoned his former meekness and shouted, “How dare you! Li Yi, you have some nerve opposing me. Are you planning a rebellion?”
Li Yi stared at him coldly.
Yan Zibin’s face hardened, and he looked at Li Yi with undisguised disgust.
“Inspector Li, I passed the metropolitan examination and am a disciple of the Son of Heaven. I am also your superior. I have tolerated your insolence enough already. Do not overestimate yourself and bring about your own ruin.”
Yan Zibin’s abnormal behavior surprised Li Yi.
He could not understand how the magistrate’s attitude had changed so drastically in such a short time.
Suddenly, the sound of horses’ hooves rang through the street. A troop of cavalry came charging toward them at full speed.
At their head rode a burly, vicious-looking military officer.
He had a full beard, its bristles hard and dense as black needles. His narrow eyes were cold and cruel. Like a black bear astride a horse, he charged forward without restraint.
The officer paid no attention to the pedestrians in his path. He drove his warhorse onward, shouting curses at the top of his voice.
The pedestrians cried out and scattered. Many commoners were knocked to the ground, and the entire street descended into chaos.
The warhorse shrieked as the savage officer brutally reined it in, stopping directly before Li Yi.
He did not dismount. He merely sized Li Yi up with his narrow eyes, then pointed at him with his riding crop and sneered, “You are Li Yi of Ganquan?”
Li Yi regarded him coldly and did not answer.
“Just as I thought—a lowborn cur with no understanding of rank or propriety. Do you know who I am?”
“Who you are, I do not know—and I certainly do not know who your father is,” Li Yi replied with a cold laugh.
The officer froze for a moment. It took him quite some time to understand the insult.
His dark face turned red, then black, then red again. With a furious roar, he drew his broadsword and shouted, “I will cut you down!”
He spurred his warhorse forward, and the broadsword swept mercilessly toward Li Yi’s neck.
Li Yi planted his feet firmly. His Tiger-Fang Spear suddenly rose in an uppercut, flashing coldly like a full moon, and collided with the broadsword in midair.
The tremendous force reddened the officer’s face and forced both him and his horse several steps backward. Li Yi, by contrast, did not move an inch.
The officer’s expression changed. He had been charging on horseback and had taken advantage of the momentum, yet he had still failed to gain the upper hand.
The reputation of Li Yi, the God of Slaughter, was clearly well deserved.
Yan Zibin, standing nearby, was startled by the sudden clash and hurriedly pleaded with them, his face pale.
“Commander He, Inspector Li, stop!”
He Renlong stared coldly at Li Yi. Having just suffered a disadvantage, he already knew that he was no match for Li Yi.
Only a fool would continue fighting.
Yan Zibin turned toward Li Yi and shouted sternly, “Inspector Li, I will naturally investigate this case myself. Return to Shattered Gold Town at once. Without my order, you are forbidden to interfere. Is that clear?”
“Heh. Master Zheng is your adviser, and Ai Wanhua is also implicated in colluding with him. If I leave this case alone, will it end up being quietly buried like the previous one?”
“Li Yi, the investigation and adjudication of criminal cases are my responsibility. I am showing you some respect, so do not forget your place. You have no right to interfere in this matter.”
“Magistrate Yan, has there been any result in the case where Ai Wanhua hired bandits to kill me in the county prison? What about Ai Wanhua’s rape of women, his assaults on villagers, and the attack on the county town by the Ai family’s retainers? Have any of those cases produced results? I have leads and evidence for every one of them. If you dare arrest Ai Wanhua and punish him for all his crimes, I will not interfere. Do you dare?”
“Do you dare?”
Li Yi loudly challenged Yan Zibin.
The magistrate’s old face turned crimson with rage. He glared at Li Yi with venomous eyes, but he was so thoroughly silenced that he could not utter a word.
If I dared, would I still be able to remain magistrate?