Chapter 39
If You Are Not Going To Manage This Matter, I Will
People came and went at the entrance of the county office. At this moment, not only was Xu Bai’s face gloomy, but most of the people who saw the contents of the paper had ugly expressions.
Some people were still discussing.
“How pitiful. A family of three is gone just like that.”
“I was eating there a few days ago. They really passed away just like that.”
“What kind of world is this? Ten years in prison and they’re still not arresting him for now?”
…
Xu Bai listened to the discussions of the people around him and scanned the notice from beginning to end. He had already understood the cause and effect clearly.
“No wonder. I was wondering why all three of them committed suicide.”
The announcement explained everything that had happened.
There was a large family in Sheng County called the Lin Residence.
Among the rich merchants in Sheng County, Lin Residence was the first to achieve prestige.
The Lin Residence had an only child named Lin Fenghua.
This person was pampered and extremely lustful.
Not only that, ordinary women could no longer satisfy Lin Fenghua’s desires. Hence, Lin Fenghua shifted his gaze elsewhere.
One day, Lin Fenghua passed by Xiao Yue’s stall and had bad intentions.
He used all sorts of methods to bring Xiao Yue into the Lin Residence.
That night, Xiao Yue came out of the Lin Residence covered in wounds. When she returned home, she fainted.
After that, Lin Fenghua went to Xiao Yue’s house several times.
As time passed, Xiao Yue’s entire family hanged themselves.
“The evidence is conclusive. He will be sentenced to ten years in prison. According to the laws of the Great Chu, because Lin Fenghua is injured, his sentence will be suspended. After his injuries recover, he will carry out his sentence as scheduled.”
This was the contents of the announcement.
Xu Bai took a deep breath, feeling depressed.
There were many twists and turns in this matter. They could deceive the simple commoners in Sheng County, but they could not deceive him.
First of all, he had only been sentenced to ten years in prison for forcing a family of three to death.
Secondly, for the suspended sentence, who knew when he would be cured? In the first place, was he even really sick?
A person’s memory was short. This matter would drag on and on for more than half a year until the people forgot. At that time, nobody would even know if the punishment had actually been carried out.
“It looks like the county magistrate wants to cover up this matter.” Xu Bai glanced at the county office and turned to leave.
Along the way, he remained silent.
Even when he returned to the bodyguard agency, he still did not say a word.
A few bodyguards saw him and wanted to go forward to greet him, but when they saw Xu Bai’s expression, they were smart enough not to come forward.
“Brother Liu, what happened to Brother Xu?” A bodyguard asked.
Liu Er glared at him. “Don’t get involved in Brother Xu’s matters.”
The bodyguard shrunk when he heard this.
The two of them stopped chatting and pretended not to see anything.
Xu Bai walked into the backyard and moved the small stool to the door. Then, he started to stare at the lonely locust tree in the courtyard.
He was a little distracted. His eyes were on the locust tree, but his hand was on his knee, tapping. No one knew what he was thinking.
The sun gradually set.
The bodyguards had idled for another day. They stood at the entrance of the backyard and left after bidding farewell to Xu Bai.
A ray of moonlight shone down and landed in the backyard.
The locust tree was shrouded in silver light, and its leaves fluttered in the wind. It seemed to be mocking him, but also seemed to be amusing itself.
The progress bar was still slowly increasing.
In the dark backyard, other than the locust tree and the moonlight, only Xu Bai was sitting on a small stool.
Xu Bai supported his chin with his hand and rested his elbows on his knees.
After an unknown amount of time, he put down his hand and stood up on his knees.
“In the end, I can’t be absolutely heartless. Just treat it as me being a busybody.”
After he came back, he still thought of Xiao Yue from time to time. When he thought of how Xiao Yue would ask for a pat on the head, he felt his heart become more and more stuffy.
When he encountered danger, he could be ruthless. He didn’t mind shouldering the sins of taking dozens of lives.
However, at this moment, he could not be heartless no matter what.
People could be selfish. As the saying went, every man for himself.
But… he just felt very depressed.
He felt depressed and he wanted to find something to relax his body and mind.
“According to the laws of the Great Chu, he should be decapitated at the entrance of the market.”
“If Magistrate Zhang doesn’t want to manage this matter, I will.”
Xu Bai picked up the stool and entered the house.
Not long after, he changed into clothes that he usually did not wear. He covered his face and head with a cloth. He even stuffed something into his waist and shoulders to disguise his body shape.
He left the Ghost Head Saber in the house, went to the front yard, and casually found a saber on the weapon rack.
This saber was an ordinary saber in the martial world. It was easy to find anywhere.
“Lin Residence…”
The night gradually deepened. Xu Bai carried his long saber and left the bodyguard agency. He took advantage of the night and gradually walked farther and farther.
…
On this side, Xu Bai had already left. On the other side, in Liu Xu’s room in the Liu Residence.
At this moment, Liu Xu was sitting on a yellow rosewood stool. She was holding a letter. The contents of the letter was jumping on the paper.
She had already taken off her veil. Her expression was very conflicted, and her red lips were white from her biting them.
“Why? This is the complete opposite of what I understand as a scholar!”
Liu Xu’s hand that was holding the letter began to tremble. She could no longer hold it in and slammed the letter on the table.
The letter was from her teacher.
A few days ago, she had sent a letter to her teacher and told him about Magistrate Zhang’s actions.
Tonight, the reply to her letter came. When Liu Xu finished reading it, she felt very depressed.
The content of the letter was very simple. It could roughly be summarized into five words—Don’t interfere with the matter.
“According to His Majesty’s rules, the county magistrate will be in charge of the security of a region. Before the scholars take the examination to obtain a scholarly honor, they should just study in peace. However, if it’s a demon or evil spirit from the martial world, the scholars are allowed to manage it. Don’t get involved in this matter.”
These were the original words on the letter. It was these words that made Liu Xu tremble with anger.
Of course, she understood that the Emperor of the Great Chu Country had delegated all the work meticulously.
Civil officials protected the security of a region, and generals guarded the borders. The Heaven Surveillance Bureau was in charge of demons and evil spirits from the martial world.
They would not overstep their boundaries or interfere with each other.
A scholar could actually be considered as halfway from the martial world. Before taking the imperial examination, the county magistrate gave her some face because she was from the Qingyun Academy.
There was no need for her to look at today’s announcement. The maidservant at home had already told her.
She also understood why the county magistrate would give such a verdict.
It was because the Lin Residence was powerful.
It was none other than the Lin Residence’s finances.
Magistrate Zhang did not want to offend the Lin Residence.
In Liu Xu’s opinion, Xiao Yue’s family had long been abandoned by Magistrate Zhang.
“County Magistrate Zhang was once a scholar, but what he did today really broadened my horizons.”
Liu Xu unclenched her fist. Her teeth, which had been biting her lower lip, also loosened.
Her red lips regained their color.
She suddenly stood up and took off her white clothes, revealing her jade-like skin.
Her waist was as white as snow.
She took out the black clothes from the cabinet. Liu Xu slowly put them on and covered her face and head with a black cloth.
A moment later, her face was covered.
“I’m not studying just for scholarly honors. If I don’t interfere with today’s matter, I’ll be studying a dog’s stomach.”
“If Magistrate Zhang doesn’t want to manage this matter, I will!”
“A gentleman doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall. I’m a woman.”
Pushing open the window at the back, Liu Xu jumped out…