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At this mont, the sunset gradually sank, reflecting the man's face with a rosy hue, like an old general on stage.
"Hey, that's right," another mber of the Red Flower Society smirked.
"No wonder she's the 'young lady' from an official's family. She must eat well, have energy, and looks pretty, with delicate skin."
The others also gave knowing smiles.
The man leading the group raised his wine bowl, glanced at his followers, and warned:
"Keep your hands clean; without orders from above, no one can touch her. God knows what trouble it might bring."
The group reluctantly replied:
"Understood. But what are we doing capturing an official's maiden? Besides, she's seen our faces. If we let her go..."
"Stop overthinking. Just follow Lord ng's orders."
The "Lord ng" they ntioned was the sect leader of the largest gang in the Capital.
Among the commoners, he had the nickna "Prince of the Night."
So believed that during the day, the Capital belonged to the Empress, and at night, it belonged to Lord ng. In the depths of the night, Lord ng was the biggest figure they would ever see.
As they ate at and drank wine,
suddenly, they faintly heard the sound of chaotic footsteps approaching outside.
"Soone's—"
The man in charge beca alert, put a finger to his lips to signal silence.
He grabbed a nearby iron rod with one hand.
"Bang bang bang!" Soone forcefully knocked on the door: "Open up."
No one responded; the gang mbers cautiously approached the courtyard gate with weapons drawn.
But the next second, they heard a "bang" as the wooden gate was kicked open by several feet!
As the gate collapsed, a group of governnt officers from the Imperial Court stord in!
In almost an instant, the gang mbers were all knocked out, overwheld in combat.
"Ah, spare us, officers..."
It was a detective from the Peony Hall who kicked the door, launching a flying kick straight into the chest of the man holding the rod, a cold blade pressed against his neck:
"Where did you tie up the person? Where is she?"
The man stamred without speaking.
One officer who had gone to search stood outside the woodshed, glanced inside, and shouted:
"Chief, there's a woman inside matching the description."
The detective from the Peony Hall's eyes lit up, and he said:
"Don't move rashly, launch the fireworks."
A subordinate took a bamboo tube from his waist, pointed it to the sky, and yanked the pull cord hard.
"Whoo—"
A sharp whistle sounded as a crimson firework shot up and exploded in the sky, accompanied by a noticeable trail of smoke.
Monts later,
the thunderous sound of hooves approached outside the courtyard, with Hou Renng and Qian Kerou arriving simultaneously after also searching in the East City.
"The person's in the woodshed, identity not yet verified," a colleague from the Peony Hall reported, clasping their hands.
The two exchanged a pleased look, and Qian Kerou stepped forward, drew a sword, and cut through the chains.
Once inside, they saw a beautiful girl in a dress tied up and squirming in the dim woodshed.
"Don't be afraid; we're here to rescue you."
Qian Kerou crouched down, pulled the cloth from the girl's mouth, and compared her with the picture in hand before asking:
"What's your na?"
The girl was terrified and timidly said:
"Feng... Lianlian..."
Her youthful face streaked with tears, she was still clueless about what had happened.
They had found her... Qian Kerou exhaled silently, smiled as she cut the ropes, and said:
"We are from the Imperial Office Pear Blossom Hall, under Master Zhao's command, here to rescue you. Co with us."
Master Zhao... the one her father ntioned, that gigolo of the Empress… White Horse Lord Zhao?
Feng Lianlian was dumbfounded.
Suddenly thinking of the rumors about Zhao Douan's vile reputation, she beca even more frightened and shrank back.
Qian Kerou: "..."
At this mont, footsteps were heard again outside the courtyard.
At the end of the alley, a sea of gang enforcers wearing identical outfits with red flowers embroidered on their lapels surged forward.
But seeing the governnt troops of the Imperial Court, their montum slightly diminished.
In their midst, a silver-haired elder around fifty, wearing a Tang-style jacket and cloth shoes, strode forward.
He was handling a pair of oily, smooth walnuts.
Beside him was a young man with sharp eyes, steady steps, apparently also a cultivation martial artist.
He was the youngest "red baton" enforcer in the Red Flower Society.
"Haha, may I know which esteed gentlen we have the honor of hosting?" the silver-haired elder asked with a smile.
The eyes of the few gang mbers who had been tied up and thrown into the courtyard lit up:
"Lord ng—"
Rugged and audacious, Hou Renng rubbed the hilt of his sword, squinted an eye, and stepped forward:
"Are you the boss of the Red Flower Society?"
Lord ng lived in luxury for long, yet possessing the aura of soone in high places, nodded with a smile.
Despite this outward composure, his heart wasn't as calm.
He wasn't clear on whom Marquis Xiajiang targeted, only followed orders to have Feng Ju's daughter captured.
To soone like Lord ng, who ruled the Capital's underworld, a sixth-rank Ministry of Personnel official was hardly soone he either preferred or feared to offend.
Moreover, he'd done similar dirty work for Marquis Xiajiang more than once, so he was familiar with it.
But what he hadn't anticipated was that:
barely half a day after the kidnapping, news broke that the officers of the Imperial Court were launching a full-scale operation.
They raided every single hall like mad dogs.
Utterly shocked, Lord ng had rushed over with no choice but to co sooner, yet he was still a step too late.
"Well, it's good to see you here; saves the trouble of finding you."
Hou Renng grinned nacingly, showing off his sharp teeth, and barked:
"Seize him for !"
Lord ng's face changed, thinking to himself where did these unruly officers co from?
Shouldn't they negotiate first?
How could they be so reckless?
The red baton beside him imdiately drew his iron stick, stepped forward, and exuded a martial artist's aura.
"What audacity! Dare to resist arrest and defy the court!"
Instead of being angered, Hou Renng laughed, slashing out with his sword.
Lord ng's face drastically changed in color; he hurriedly shouted, "No fighting back!"
Even the biggest gang was still black, how could they brazenly confront the governnt?
Hou Renng, taking advantage, relentlessly struck each blow against the defensive red baton until he was forced to his knees, spitting blood, then arrogantly spat and sneered:
"Just in ti, huh? Do mice like you even deserve to ask my lord's na?"
Then he skillfully knocked the elder's two oily walnuts from his hand, stomping them into shards—
Hou Renng hated people who pretended too much; well, except for his own lord.
In the courtyard,
Qian Kerou helped the weak-legged girl outside, looking coldly at the crowd before noticing many distant onlookers gathering. She shouted loudly:
"Lihua Hall is handling the case, outsiders keep away."
Lihua Hall…so they were Zhao Douan's people…
Master ng's face turned suddenly pale; the so-called "Prince of the Night" felt a shiver down his spine, his legs trembling.
He wondered how he managed to provoke this young demon king.
His heart suddenly sank in worry.
All that he could hope for was Marquis Xiajiang's quick intervention—he had already sent word before leaving.
...
...
The setting sun looked like blood.
Zhao Douan sat alone in the main seat of the Lihua Hall, holding a white cloth, wiping his sword.
The hall was empty except for a few scribes; the rest had been sent out.
Within two hours, they managed to locate the person in this vast Capital.
Even with nine halls out and clues, it wasn't easy.
Suddenly, there was a clamor outside the hall.
Naturally with a round face, fittingly with extraordinarily clear, foolish eyes, a female Jinyi returned with swift competence.
Bowing with clasped hands:
"Sir, Feng Lianlian has been rescued, safe and sound. The perpetrators, including the head of Red Flower Society 'Lord ng,' have all been apprehended."
Zhao Douan didn't look at her, still slowly, purposefully drew the white cloth from the handle of his sword to the tip.
His tone remained calm: "Bring Feng Lianlian here, let have a look."
"Yes!"
Shortly, Feng Lianlian was brought in.
She had the typical temperant of a lady from a scholarly family, her skirt dirty, shrinking quietly with tension, her lovely face a mixture of fear and curiosity.
When she saw Zhao Douan's appearance, she suddenly froze.
Her heart pounded like a flustered deer, her fear suddenly gone.
"It is Lianlian, right," Zhao Douan got up, revealing a warm smile.
"You've suffered; did my n frighten you?"
Feng Lianlian blushed, looked down and twisted her fingers, timidly saying:
"No... not at all, Sister Ke Rou treated kindly."
Zhao Douan laughed heartily, said:
"That's good. Your father and I are friends. When he learned you were missing, he ca to . Luckily, we found you. Ke Rou, personally escort her ho and inform Old Feng, so he'll be at ease."
Ah, father's friend?
Feng Lianlian was confused, subconsciously gave a salute:
"Thank you...uncle."
...What are you talking about, I'm clearly more like a brother...alright, since I said I'm Feng Ju's friend, the seniority got mixed up...Zhao Douan gave a longing look.
He then summoned Hou Renng and, after a brief inquiry, ordered him to imprison "Lord ng" in the Imperial Court:
"Personally keep an eye on him; ensure this old local serpent won't be connected even in the Imperial Prison, and force him to confess Marquis Xiajiang."
Hou Renng asked: "What if he bites his tongue and says nothing?"
Zhao Douan gave him a glance: "Do I have to instruct that?"
Hou Renng grinned and turned away—
A gang leader like Lord ng, there wasn't anything clean about him; even without interrogation, executing him a hundred tis wouldn't be unjust.
Inflicting tornt on him felt no burden at all.
Zhao Douan then summoned Shen Juan and Zheng Laojiu, instructing:
"Brothers in other halls have worked hard, Old Zheng, take so money from the account and treat them to drinks. Give Peony Hall a bit more, including money for Zhang Han to fix the door..."
Speaking of fixing the door, he felt slightly speechless.
Zhang Han was a respectable figure with a decent salary; how could he think about compensating for a broken door?
He shook his head and said:
"Shen Juan, tell our hall's people to wait and not to go off duty yet, as we might head out again tonight."
Shen Juan paused. "Sir, do you an..."
Zhao Douan smiled but did not explain.
He looked up, glancing at the sky where the sunset seed like blood, the pears in the yard all outlined with a golden edge.
With the witnesses caught, next it was ti to strike while the iron was hot.
...
...
Governor Hall.
When Zhao Douan arrived, he saw that Ma Yan had been waiting for a while in the spacious, majestic room.
With a long, thin face, unruly eyebrows, and a sullen, cold deanor, the Grand Eunuch said blandly:
"You're here? Explain yourself."
As the Lord, he was one to know as soon as the nine halls simultaneously set out.
But he had not intervened to stop it, nor inquired about it, only awaited Zhao Douan's explanation.
"Senior Brother, you truly are composed."
Zhao Douan smiled, offering a flattering remark without hesitation.
Flattery was sothing he enjoyed the most.
It cost nothing, required only a slight effort of the lips, and had a chance of yielding gold coins. Was there anything more profitable than this?
Ma Yan sighed helplessly:
"Get to the point. What have you stirred up again this ti?"
Zhao Douan replied seriously:
"I have co before the Lord to report and request for a 'warrant.'"
Ma Yan frowned. "Who are you after this ti?"
That "again" was well-placed... Zhao Douan exhaled deeply, his words clear and resonant:
"Marquis Xiajiang of Great Yu's hereditary nobility!"
...
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