It was just that the sky hadn’t fully brightened yet, and because there were no familiar faces around, the middle-aged man dared to kindly remind them with a word.
But that was the most he could do; the thought of going to the governnt office to testify had never crossed his mind.
The governnt office isn’t an easy place to enter. It’s said that not many people co out unscathed after going in, and testifying once could get one rembered with resentnt. Who knows if those inhuman fellows would seek revenge once they co out.
Waving his hand, seeing so people around looking in his direction, the middle-aged man adjusted the straw hat on his head and turned to leave.
As the middle-aged man left, people gradually dispersed, most of them sharing the sa thought, fearing that the owner of the ox cart would drag them along to the governnt office to testify.
No one would be willing to do such a thankless task; it’s better to get on with whatever needs to be done. So spectacles aren’t ant to be entertaining.
Looking at the two people tied up, Hua Jin looked at her father and asked, "Father, what shall we do with them?"
"Send them to the governnt," Hua Chengtian said, his eyes cold and sharp as he glanced at the two n, spitting out these three words chillingly.
It was actually a rcy for the two, but under the current circumstances, it was the best solution. Letting them go was absolutely not an option; not killing them instantly was already rational, sufficiently restrained.
Hua Jin nodded, glaring unhappily at the two people on the ground. It seed that their plan to return ho today would have to be changed.
Although Hua Jin didn’t know much about officials, she was aware that a governnt office wasn’t an easy place to enter, and it wasn’t easy to get out once inside.
The thought of their plans to return ho potentially being delayed by a day or even more, causing worry for her family, made Hua Jin seethe with anger.
Glaring at the two unconscious individuals, she couldn’t resist giving one of them a kick, landing on their leg. Her strength increased when angry, inevitably losing control, causing their legs to twist in an obviously irregular manner.
Determined, the father and daughter didn’t delay any further. Looking at the skewed ox cart to one side, Hua Chengtian couldn’t help but feel distressed. Fortunately, after examining it, apart from so wear marks on the wheels, there were no other damages, which slightly improved his mood.
He checked the ropes on the two once again, ensured they were tight, then as a precaution, stuffed sothing in their mouths, and led the ox toward the governnt office to the north of the city.
At this mont, the sky was starting to show the first light of dawn, making visibility clearer. Even so, with the shadow of nearly colliding with the cart last ti, before it was fully daylight, the father and daughter decided to walk instead.
As daylight brightened, pedestrians on the streets increased in number, their bustling sounds gradually lifted the dampened mood of Hua Jin.
Walking all the way and asking, the father and daughter took nearly an hour to find the location of the governnt office in the north of the city.
"So this is the governnt office of New Moon City," Hua Jin exclaid, raising her head to look at the tall building ahead.
It was indeed very tall; although it was just a single story, it was hardly lower than the two-story shops on the street. Unnad mythical beasts stood on the roof’s corners, and several round wooden pillars, too thick for one person to encircle, supported the corridor. The blue bricks and glazed tiles reflected dazzling light under the slowly rising sun, the rows of golden nails on the black gate glinting in the sunlight, and the solemn, imposing governnt officials outside, all presented a dignified and august governnt office before Hua Jin.
Hua Jin was relatively calm; being not truly ancient, she didn’t have much innate fear or resistance towards the governnt office.
However, as soone born and raised in ancient tis, Hua Chengtian, despite having already a relatively brave heart among ordinary people, couldn’t help but feel nervous and a bit hesitant standing outside the governnt gates.
While the evidence was conclusive, there were no human witnesses. If the two denied it to death or managed a reversal of black and white, Hua Chengtian truly didn’t know what would happen once inside, his heart filled with trepidation.
If the Lord County Magistrate was just and clear, everything would be fine. However, if faced with corrupt officials, Hua Chengtian would be even more hesitant.
The most crucial point was that the gates of the governnt office have never been easy to enter.
"Father..." Hua Jin looked at her father in confusion, "Are we not going?"
"Jin’er, I’m uncertain too," Hua Chengtian admitted, not intending to hide his worries from his daughter, thinking she might co up with another way, as the child had always been bright.
"Ah? Father... are you worried about sothing?" Hua Jin couldn’t help but deliberate more upon looking at the imposing governnt office ahead.
"Hmm, though we have evidence, we lack a witness. This results in no one being able to prove that what we say is true. Father worries that these two might falsely accuse us as the villains, reversing right and wrong, which makes father undecided about reporting it to the authorities."
Hua Jin hadn’t thought about these things. She had only considered the governnt office as a place serving justice for the people. Whenever the victim reported a case, true or false, the governnt would investigate carefully. She forgot that there is such a kind of official called corrupt, so her father’s concerns were not entirely unfounded; it did require careful deliberation before deciding the best course of action.
Older indeed ans wiser. Her father, not surprisingly as a father, thought things through more comprehensively. Yet she grew smaller, sohow her mind shrank too, and sotis wouldn’t think deeply.
Hua Jin knew where the issue lay. It was because of the dependency born from having a loving family. In an environnt of pampering, there are advantages and disadvantages; the sense of vigilance decreased, so much so that even her brain grew lazy to work because everything was prepared well by the family.
But having co this far, were they really not going to send those people to the governnt office?
What if the County Magistrate was a good man, loving the people like his own children, fair and just?
The two in the carriage were able to accurately create chaos, attempting to abduct her, indicating it wasn’t a spur-of-the-mont idea and very possibly preditated.
They must’ve been targeting her and her father for a long ti. Thinking about it made Hua Jin shiver in fear. Thankfully, her lack of a sense of security never let her relax from practicing, otherwise, she couldn’t have reacted so quickly and might have been abducted.
Thinking about the tragic fate after being abducted made Hua Jin shiver involuntarily.
In a mont of insight, she realized this was not the era she once was in, where one could go out for drinks and skewers late at night.
This was an era where most people couldn’t fill their bellies, where for food and a better life, all sorts of people erged. What she and her father encountered today might just be the tip of the iceberg.
Thinking of this, Hua Jin suddenly felt that she needed to practice her skills even better in the future, without relaxing her vigilance either.
This incident truly frightened her, and her father’s worries about the two in the carriage were valid, but not without solutions. Hua Jin squinted her eyes.
"Father, I have an idea."
"Let’s hear it," Hua Chengtian’s eyes lit up, looking expectantly at his daughter.
"No rush, I need to verify sothing first. Father, guide the cart to the woods over there," Hua Jin gazed at the bamboo grove not far from the governnt office.
Without a word, Hua Chengtian led the ox in that direction.
Though the daughter hadn’t explained her thod, he trusted that she had a solution. Since he, as a father, couldn’t think of a good way, following her lead was the way to go.
Soon, the ox cart reached the bamboo grove. Hua Jin opened the cart door.
Good, the two were still unconscious.
"Father, I’ll try to put them into the space. If it works, I’ll see if they can be sent to the governnt office entrance. That way, we won’t have to show up personally."
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