Magistrate Mei
The fight with Xia Xu lasted for about a hundred moves. Guo Shengwei was Xia Xu’s master, so Yan Ge dragged it out to about a hundred and seventy moves. Soon, the tip of his sword was pointed less than five inches away from Guo Shengwei’s neck.
The audience was in an uproar.
Yan Ge sheathed his sword, took two steps back, and smiled, “Master Guo, please concede.”
The crowd fell silent, looking at Guo Shengwei curiously and wondering if he would accept the defeat.
Guo Shengwei remained silent for a moment, then laughed heartily, saying, “Madam Luo’s martial arts are astonishing. I admire him.”
Mei Chuxi bent down and squeezed into the crowd, trying to slip away.
Behind a nearby rockery stood a dignified and straight middle-aged man. He was Mei Tianzhou, the magistrate. Seeing this, he signaled to his steward, who was around the same age as him.
Mei Fu nodded and quickly ran up to Mei Mengxi, blocking his way and pretending to be surprised, “Young Master, so you’re here. Madam has been looking for you.”
Mei Chuxi glared at him angrily.
Everyone turned to look, their faces showing expressions of disdain.
In fact, Yan Ge had long noticed that Mei Chuxi wanted to escape and realized that Guo Shengwei deliberately delayed time to create an opportunity for him. There was a hint of irony in his eyes as he said, “Master Guo?”
“You brat, why haven’t you come over yet?” Guo Shengwei reprimanded Mei Chuxi neither too lightly nor too heavily, pulling him in front of Yan Ge. “If I had known you would cause trouble again, I would have taught you a lesson. Hurry up and apologize!”
“I’m sorry.” Mei Chuxi raised his head arrogantly, tilting his chin up to the sky and said lazily.
Onlookers: “…”
Yan Ge carefully examined Mei Chuxi, not hiding his confusion. He didn’t look attractive, nor did he have a pleasant personality, it mafe him confused as to why Guo Shengwei doted on him so much. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but how could this brat captivate his grandfather’s heart that much?
“Master Guo, if you look closely, the young master is indeed talented, with a heroic bearing and remarkable temperament.”
Those who heard Yan Ge’s words laughed inwardly.
Mei Chuxi still took Yan Ge’s words seriously, a smug expression appearing on his face. “Of course! In this prosperous city, I rank second in terms of handsomeness, and no one dares to claim the first place!”
Guo Shengwei’s face turned red. “That’s enough, Chuxi. Say no more!”
“Madam, let’s go,” Huangfu Yuchen spoke up.
Mei Chuxi snorted through his nose and prepared to leave the stage.
Huangfu Yuchen casually waved his left hand, and Mei Chuxi stumbled on his feet, tumbling down the steps before falling flat on his face.
“Ouch!”
He lifted his head in pain, blood flowing from his nostrils, leaving a red mark on his dust-covered face.
Everyone burst into laughter, “Hahaha…”
“Chuxi!” Guo Shengwei quickly walked over to help Mei Chuxi up.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a smile and left the Mighty Biao Bureau.
“Are you hungry? Should we eat first or go for a stroll by the lake?” Huangfu Yuchen asked.
Yan Ge said, “Let’s go for a stroll by the lake. We’ll enjoy the food more after getting tired.”
Huangfu Yuchen sighed, “You’re eating for the sake of eating.”
Not long after they had walked a short distance, they sensed someone following them. The footsteps of the person were heavy, indicating a lack of martial arts skills.
The two of them calmly arrived at the lakeside without immediately boarding the boat. Instead, they stood under the willow tree and enjoyed the breeze.
Mei Fu approached them and bowed, “Young heroes, our master would like to meet you.”
“Who is your master?” Yan Ge asked.
Mei Fu replied, “Our master is the City Magistrate.”
He appeared polite and showed no trace of arrogance when mentioning the magistrate.
Huangfu Yuchen nodded, “Lead the way.”
The two followed behind Mei Fu, and the more they walked, the more remote the area, and the more interested they became. They didn’t believe that the magistrate intended to silence them by killing, so his motives were worth pondering.
The three stopped in an empty alley, where a middle-aged man stood by the wall, waiting.
Mei Tianzhou walked over, “Young heroes.”
“Did Magistrate Mei bring us here to seek revenge for his son?” Yan Ge deliberately said.
Mei Tianzhou remained calm, smiled faintly, and spoke candidly, “Madam Luo misunderstood.”
“In that case, may I ask what instruction Magistrate Mei has for us?” Yan Ge inquired.
Mei Tianzhou said, “I would like to request a favor from the two young heroes.”
“It’s quite peculiar,” Yan Ge remarked. “As a provincial magistrate with great power, what trouble could Magistrate Mei encounter that he can’t resolve and instead seeks assistance from two wandering martial artists like us?”
Mei Tianzhou explained, “I would like to ask the two young masters to kidnap my son.”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a glance, both surprised. What kind of medicine was Mei Tianzhou selling in this gourd?
Yan Ge speculated: Could it be that Mei Tianzhou’s son drove him to despair, but due to the pressure from Guo Shengwei, he didn’t dare to openly sever ties with him? So he wanted to use this method to resolve the matter? However, Mei Tianzhou’s candid demeanor didn’t match that type of person.
“Why, Magistrate Mei?” Huangfu Yuchen asked calmly.
Mei Tianzhou sighed, “I’m sure both of you have heard. My wife and father in law blindly indulge and protect my son. Although I am a magistrate and have resolved various major cases, I find it difficult to intervene in family matters. The two young heroes possess formidable martial arts skills, even Master Guo, the head escort, is no match for you. I would like to request that you avoid his surveillance, kidnap my son, and hand him over to the people I have already arranged. They will secretly transport him to the military camp. I hope that a few years of training there will make him more sensible.”
Huangfu Yuchen said coldly, “When your son harassed me and my wife at Liuxian Pavilion, wasn’t Magistrate Mei afraid that we would kill him to vent our anger? With our abilities, it would be effortless to eliminate someone without leaving a trace.”
Mei Tianzhou shook his head, smiling faintly, “Young Hero Luo, there’s no need to say such things deliberately. Since the disagreement between you two and my son at Liuxian Pavilion, I have investigated both of you. I can confirm that although you possess strong martial arts skills, you are not the kind of people who bully the weak. On the contrary, you fear no authority, have a sense of justice, and seek to rectify injustice. You are true gentlemen. I believe you wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Huangfu Yuchen nodded slightly, and Yan Ge extended his right hand, rubbing his thumb and index finger together, “Well, we can’t help this job for nothing, right?”
Huangfu Yuchen chuckled inwardly at the intentionally greedy expression he made.
“Of course,” Mei Tianzhou took out a gray money pouch from his sleeve, “This jade pendant is a family heirloom worth more than five hundred taels. Please accept it.”
Yan Ge accidentally noticed a patch on the cuff of Mei Tianzhou’s inner garment and waved his hand, saying, “We were just joking with Magistrate Mei. Your reputation for integrity is well known. It is our honor to be able to assist you. We were planning to go boating on the lake, so if Magistrate Mei feels uneasy, perhaps you could pay for our boat fare.”
“Well…” Mei Tianzhou looked at their unwavering expressions and nodded, “Thank you, then. Mei Fu.”
Mei Fu handed a bundle of fifty taels to Yan Ge.
Yan Ge said, “We have some matters to attend to tonight, but we will take action tomorrow morning. Once the matter is resolved, we will immediately inform Magistrate Mei.”
“I appreciate your efforts, young heroes,” Mei Tianzhou said. “I have arranged for people to stay in a civilian house there, and they will send me a message.”
After everything was settled, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen left first.
Yan Ge said, “Magistrate Mei has gone to great lengths for his only son.”
“Unfortunately, his reputation for integrity has been tarnished because of his inept son,” Huangfu Yuchen remarked.
At this time, Mei Chuxi was still throwing a tantrum at the Baio Escort Bureau. He liked women, and he liked men too. He had never seen anyone as pleasing to the eye as Yan Ge, nor had he encountered a man as domineering as Huangfu Yuchen. He desired them. Desire was a terrifying thing. If not controlled properly, it would spread like a virus.
“Grandpa, did you intentionally hide your true strength? How could you fail to defeat a kid?” Mei Chuxi complained as he looked at Guo Shengwei.
Even if Guo Shengwei doted on him, Mei Chuxi’s words left him furious. He was already humiliated by Yan Ge in front of everyone, and now his grandson was adding fuel to the fire. But he couldn’t say to his grandson: Yes, I can’t defeat him.
He could only say, “Granda can tell that those two have a deep background in the martial world. It’s best not to provoke them for now, to avoid trouble for the Baio Escort Agency.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Chuxi knew that he had no hope. If even his grandfather couldn’t defeat Yan Ge, what could he do? But if he didn’t vent his dissatisfaction, he wouldn’t feel comfortable. At this moment, he remembered the Holy Maiden he had met before, and his cooled heart was ignited once again.
“Okay, Grandpa, it’s Chuxi’s fault for being ignorant and causing you trouble. Let me pour you some tea to apologize.”
Guo Shengwei looked at him, relieved that he finally understood. He nodded approvingly, “Good, good.”
After spending some time with Guo Shengwei, Mei Chuxi left the Baio Escort Bureau, walking slower and slower.
Ji Xiang asked, “Young Master, what are you thinking?”
Mei Chuxi smirked and said firmly, “Tonight, we will go to Mount Fan’an!”
“Young Master, you don’t mean to…” Ji Xiang was shocked. He knew that getting involved with the Luna Worshipping Sect wouldn’t end well.
Mei Chuxi replied, “That’s right! I must have the Holy Maiden. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”
“Young Master! You need to think this through,” Ji Xiang earnestly advised, “The Luna Worshipping Cult is a sinister force in the martial world. They will resort to any means necessary. If they discover us, Young Master, you’ll be in trouble!”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Mei Chuxi said dismissively, “Ji Xiang, is your courage as small as a sesame seed? I understand my grandfather. He disappointed me with Luo Fang and Zhangyang’s matters, but he will make it up to me in another way. So even if something really happens, my grandfather will solve it for me. Don’t worry.”
Ji Xiang stared at him in silence, unable to say anything.
“I warn you, don’t say a word about this matter, or else I’ll make sure you regret it,” Mei Chuxi patted his head and hummed a tune as he walked away.
Ji Xiang hurriedly followed, sighing deeply.
“The Holy Maiden is a martial artist, she definitely knows martial arts, but Young Master, you don’t… “
“Young Master, I have a plan.…”
Magistrate Mei
The fight with Xia Xu lasted for about a hundred moves. Guo Shengwei was Xia Xu’s master, so Yan Ge dragged it out to about a hundred and seventy moves. Soon, the tip of his sword was pointed less than five inches away from Guo Shengwei’s neck.
The audience was in an uproar.
Yan Ge sheathed his sword, took two steps back, and smiled, “Master Guo, please concede.”
The crowd fell silent, looking at Guo Shengwei curiously and wondering if he would accept the defeat.
Guo Shengwei remained silent for a moment, then laughed heartily, saying, “Madam Luo’s martial arts are astonishing. I admire him.”
Mei Chuxi bent down and squeezed into the crowd, trying to slip away.
Behind a nearby rockery stood a dignified and straight middle-aged man. He was Mei Tianzhou, the magistrate. Seeing this, he signaled to his steward, who was around the same age as him.
Mei Fu nodded and quickly ran up to Mei Mengxi, blocking his way and pretending to be surprised, “Young Master, so you’re here. Madam has been looking for you.”
Mei Chuxi glared at him angrily.
Everyone turned to look, their faces showing expressions of disdain.
In fact, Yan Ge had long noticed that Mei Chuxi wanted to escape and realized that Guo Shengwei deliberately delayed time to create an opportunity for him. There was a hint of irony in his eyes as he said, “Master Guo?”
“You brat, why haven’t you come over yet?” Guo Shengwei reprimanded Mei Chuxi neither too lightly nor too heavily, pulling him in front of Yan Ge. “If I had known you would cause trouble again, I would have taught you a lesson. Hurry up and apologize!”
“I’m sorry.” Mei Chuxi raised his head arrogantly, tilting his chin up to the sky and said lazily.
Onlookers: “…”
Yan Ge carefully examined Mei Chuxi, not hiding his confusion. He didn’t look attractive, nor did he have a pleasant personality, it mafe him confused as to why Guo Shengwei doted on him so much. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but how could this brat captivate his grandfather’s heart that much?
“Master Guo, if you look closely, the young master is indeed talented, with a heroic bearing and remarkable temperament.”
Those who heard Yan Ge’s words laughed inwardly.
Mei Chuxi still took Yan Ge’s words seriously, a smug expression appearing on his face. “Of course! In this prosperous city, I rank second in terms of handsomeness, and no one dares to claim the first place!”
Guo Shengwei’s face turned red. “That’s enough, Chuxi. Say no more!”
“Madam, let’s go,” Huangfu Yuchen spoke up.
Mei Chuxi snorted through his nose and prepared to leave the stage.
Huangfu Yuchen casually waved his left hand, and Mei Chuxi stumbled on his feet, tumbling down the steps before falling flat on his face.
“Ouch!”
He lifted his head in pain, blood flowing from his nostrils, leaving a red mark on his dust-covered face.
Everyone burst into laughter, “Hahaha…”
“Chuxi!” Guo Shengwei quickly walked over to help Mei Chuxi up.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a smile and left the Mighty Biao Bureau.
“Are you hungry? Should we eat first or go for a stroll by the lake?” Huangfu Yuchen asked.
Yan Ge said, “Let’s go for a stroll by the lake. We’ll enjoy the food more after getting tired.”
Huangfu Yuchen sighed, “You’re eating for the sake of eating.”
Not long after they had walked a short distance, they sensed someone following them. The footsteps of the person were heavy, indicating a lack of martial arts skills.
The two of them calmly arrived at the lakeside without immediately boarding the boat. Instead, they stood under the willow tree and enjoyed the breeze.
Mei Fu approached them and bowed, “Young heroes, our master would like to meet you.”
“Who is your master?” Yan Ge asked.
Mei Fu replied, “Our master is the City Magistrate.”
He appeared polite and showed no trace of arrogance when mentioning the magistrate.
Huangfu Yuchen nodded, “Lead the way.”
The two followed behind Mei Fu, and the more they walked, the more remote the area, and the more interested they became. They didn’t believe that the magistrate intended to silence them by killing, so his motives were worth pondering.
The three stopped in an empty alley, where a middle-aged man stood by the wall, waiting.
Mei Tianzhou walked over, “Young heroes.”
“Did Magistrate Mei bring us here to seek revenge for his son?” Yan Ge deliberately said.
Mei Tianzhou remained calm, smiled faintly, and spoke candidly, “Madam Luo misunderstood.”
“In that case, may I ask what instruction Magistrate Mei has for us?” Yan Ge inquired.
Mei Tianzhou said, “I would like to request a favor from the two young heroes.”
“It’s quite peculiar,” Yan Ge remarked. “As a provincial magistrate with great power, what trouble could Magistrate Mei encounter that he can’t resolve and instead seeks assistance from two wandering martial artists like us?”
Mei Tianzhou explained, “I would like to ask the two young masters to kidnap my son.”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a glance, both surprised. What kind of medicine was Mei Tianzhou selling in this gourd?
Yan Ge speculated: Could it be that Mei Tianzhou’s son drove him to despair, but due to the pressure from Guo Shengwei, he didn’t dare to openly sever ties with him? So he wanted to use this method to resolve the matter? However, Mei Tianzhou’s candid demeanor didn’t match that type of person.
“Why, Magistrate Mei?” Huangfu Yuchen asked calmly.
Mei Tianzhou sighed, “I’m sure both of you have heard. My wife and father in law blindly indulge and protect my son. Although I am a magistrate and have resolved various major cases, I find it difficult to intervene in family matters. The two young heroes possess formidable martial arts skills, even Master Guo, the head escort, is no match for you. I would like to request that you avoid his surveillance, kidnap my son, and hand him over to the people I have already arranged. They will secretly transport him to the military camp. I hope that a few years of training there will make him more sensible.”
Huangfu Yuchen said coldly, “When your son harassed me and my wife at Liuxian Pavilion, wasn’t Magistrate Mei afraid that we would kill him to vent our anger? With our abilities, it would be effortless to eliminate someone without leaving a trace.”
Mei Tianzhou shook his head, smiling faintly, “Young Hero Luo, there’s no need to say such things deliberately. Since the disagreement between you two and my son at Liuxian Pavilion, I have investigated both of you. I can confirm that although you possess strong martial arts skills, you are not the kind of people who bully the weak. On the contrary, you fear no authority, have a sense of justice, and seek to rectify injustice. You are true gentlemen. I believe you wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Huangfu Yuchen nodded slightly, and Yan Ge extended his right hand, rubbing his thumb and index finger together, “Well, we can’t help this job for nothing, right?”
Huangfu Yuchen chuckled inwardly at the intentionally greedy expression he made.
“Of course,” Mei Tianzhou took out a gray money pouch from his sleeve, “This jade pendant is a family heirloom worth more than five hundred taels. Please accept it.”
Yan Ge accidentally noticed a patch on the cuff of Mei Tianzhou’s inner garment and waved his hand, saying, “We were just joking with Magistrate Mei. Your reputation for integrity is well known. It is our honor to be able to assist you. We were planning to go boating on the lake, so if Magistrate Mei feels uneasy, perhaps you could pay for our boat fare.”
“Well…” Mei Tianzhou looked at their unwavering expressions and nodded, “Thank you, then. Mei Fu.”
Mei Fu handed a bundle of fifty taels to Yan Ge.
Yan Ge said, “We have some matters to attend to tonight, but we will take action tomorrow morning. Once the matter is resolved, we will immediately inform Magistrate Mei.”
“I appreciate your efforts, young heroes,” Mei Tianzhou said. “I have arranged for people to stay in a civilian house there, and they will send me a message.”
After everything was settled, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen left first.
Yan Ge said, “Magistrate Mei has gone to great lengths for his only son.”
“Unfortunately, his reputation for integrity has been tarnished because of his inept son,” Huangfu Yuchen remarked.
At this time, Mei Chuxi was still throwing a tantrum at the Baio Escort Bureau. He liked women, and he liked men too. He had never seen anyone as pleasing to the eye as Yan Ge, nor had he encountered a man as domineering as Huangfu Yuchen. He desired them. Desire was a terrifying thing. If not controlled properly, it would spread like a virus.
“Grandpa, did you intentionally hide your true strength? How could you fail to defeat a kid?” Mei Chuxi complained as he looked at Guo Shengwei.
Even if Guo Shengwei doted on him, Mei Chuxi’s words left him furious. He was already humiliated by Yan Ge in front of everyone, and now his grandson was adding fuel to the fire. But he couldn’t say to his grandson: Yes, I can’t defeat him.
He could only say, “Granda can tell that those two have a deep background in the martial world. It’s best not to provoke them for now, to avoid trouble for the Baio Escort Agency.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Chuxi knew that he had no hope. If even his grandfather couldn’t defeat Yan Ge, what could he do? But if he didn’t vent his dissatisfaction, he wouldn’t feel comfortable. At this moment, he remembered the Holy Maiden he had met before, and his cooled heart was ignited once again.
“Okay, Grandpa, it’s Chuxi’s fault for being ignorant and causing you trouble. Let me pour you some tea to apologize.”
Guo Shengwei looked at him, relieved that he finally understood. He nodded approvingly, “Good, good.”
After spending some time with Guo Shengwei, Mei Chuxi left the Baio Escort Bureau, walking slower and slower.
Ji Xiang asked, “Young Master, what are you thinking?”
Mei Chuxi smirked and said firmly, “Tonight, we will go to Mount Fan’an!”
“Young Master, you don’t mean to…” Ji Xiang was shocked. He knew that getting involved with the Luna Worshipping Sect wouldn’t end well.
Mei Chuxi replied, “That’s right! I must have the Holy Maiden. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”
“Young Master! You need to think this through,” Ji Xiang earnestly advised, “The Luna Worshipping Cult is a sinister force in the martial world. They will resort to any means necessary. If they discover us, Young Master, you’ll be in trouble!”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Mei Chuxi said dismissively, “Ji Xiang, is your courage as small as a sesame seed? I understand my grandfather. He disappointed me with Luo Fang and Zhangyang’s matters, but he will make it up to me in another way. So even if something really happens, my grandfather will solve it for me. Don’t worry.”
Ji Xiang stared at him in silence, unable to say anything.
“I warn you, don’t say a word about this matter, or else I’ll make sure you regret it,” Mei Chuxi patted his head and hummed a tune as he walked away.
Ji Xiang hurriedly followed, sighing deeply.
“The Holy Maiden is a martial artist, she definitely knows martial arts, but Young Master, you don’t… “
“Young Master, I have a plan.…”
