12 It Seems To Be A Sword From The West

A word?

No one expected Luo Hong to be this calm in the yamen. He did not beg or cry. Instead, he said something suspicious.

Surprised by Luo Hong's reaction, Wang Long bellowed, "How dare you! Why are you not on your knees in the yamen and before the lord emissary from the Court of Judicial Review?!"

The master of records shouted so loudly that his voice could be heard in the rear court.

Luo Hong looked at the man coldly. 'The old geezer who shielded Jia Sidao must be a b*stard!" 

Magistrate Liu did not say anything. He glanced at Wang Long to remind him of his attitude. As colleagues, he knew what Wang Long was trying to do.

On the other hand, the emissary from the court was sizing up Luo Hong with an interested gaze.

"Luo Residence of Anping County, Luo Hong, the rumoured Young Lord Long Hoe? Your name is often affiliated with justice and it's quite well-known even outside of the county. Other than being a kind person, he is known for being humble, easy-going and helpful to the poor."

The man in the center seat tapped the arm of the chair as he recited Luo Hong's background with his rather hoarse voice. There was a faint smile on his face at the end of the sentence. 

Luo Hong was slightly shocked when he heard the man, he quickly shook his hands and said, "No, no, my lord, I'm not a righteous man at all."

Whosoever called him a righteous man or a friend of justice, he, Luo Hong, would go to war with that person.

Luo Hong's response surprised the man and what followed was his meaningful laughter.

Behind the man, the young man and lady were also sizing up Luo Hong with a curious gaze.

"Magistrate Liu, leave us, I want to have a word with Lord Long Hoe here," said the man as he looked at Magistrate Liu.

Magistrate Liu did not say anything. He simply nodded and wanted to make his way out, but when he walked past Luo Hong, the latter held him back.

"Lord Liu." Luo Hong seized the moment and took a stack of credit notes out of his sleeve pocket. He subtly stuffed them into Magistrate Liu's hand with a flattering smile.

Magistrate Liu's hawk-like eyes instantly turned softer as he looked at Luo Hong in disbelief. 'What is he doing? Am I such a lowly person to him?!'

However, when he realized how thick the stack of credit notes was, his eyelids started to twitch. He subtly kept the tickets into his sleeve pocket and left the rear court.

Further away, Wang Long did not catch what happened, but he saw the stick of credit notes.

'This b*stard, Luo Hong! Is he bribing the magistrate in broad daylight?! Does he know no shame?!'

Magistrate Liu then left the room with Wang Long following from behind.

After the two left the room, Wang Long was anxious. He looked at the magistrate and said nervously, "My lord, did you just take money from Luo Hong? You took my money first!"

Magistrate Liu was in disbelief when he heard those words, and his hawk-like eyes looked sharp.

"Silence! Who's taking money now? Since when did I take money from that young man? Are you blind? How dare you accuse me of such a crime?! I bear the title of the Third Category Jingshi1. I'd never commit such petty crimes that defile the holy title!"

Wang Long was in awe but did not know how to argue.

Magistrate Liu grunted in disdain, "Don't you think you can escape my sight. I know what you are trying to do. The young Lord Long Hoe is a kind man. He's the representation of justice in Anping County. You know what your nephew, Jia Sidao, did. Don't let the matter go out of hand if you are guilty. Be careful. You might not be able to rest this matter if it gets too big."

Magistrate Liu then turned away. He closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers against the thick stack of credit notes from Luo Hong.

Unfortunately, it was not convenient for him to count the money boldly as Wang Long was just beside him.

…

Back at the rear court, Luo Hong was left with the emissary from the court.

Luo Hong was delighted when Magistrate Liu accepted his bribe. He believed he would get at least 1 Sin Level. 'I might have found the topic for today's Antagonist Diary entry!'

The man in the center seat looked at Luo Hong with a ridiculing gaze. 

'This "Long Hoe" is behaving a little differently from his positive image. Is he doing this on purpose?'

He squinted his eyes and wondered if it was a show.

The young man and the lady behind him had scorn on their face as their gazes at Luo Hong bore obvious contempt.

Luo Hong might have bribed Magistrate Liu subtly, but as the emissaries sent by the court to investigate the lurking evils around the county, they were not ordinary people. They clearly saw what he had done to Magistrate Liu. 

Nevertheless, Luo Hong was clueless about their background. He was quite happy with the first success which fueled his confidence event more.

"I'm confident that the bribery will be counted towards the Antagonist Act! The emissary from the court is a big fat cow, even bigger than the magistrate! He's the key to whether or not my Sin Level can skyrocket!'

Luo Hong smiled even brighter because of that thought in his mind. He beamed as brightly as a sunflower on a sunny day. Then, he took the remaining credit notes out from his sleeves and slowly walked towards the emissary.

The young man and the lady exchanged a confused look, and their eyes were overflowing with contempt and disdain.

'Isn't this "Long Hoe" the representation of justice in Anping County? It seems like he's just another scoundrel who bribes his way through!'

The higher-ranked emissary raised a brow at Luo Hong before he smiled at the stack of credit notes in Luo Hong's hand.

'Interesting.'

Suddenly, the smile on the man's face froze and he quickly looked up to the ceiling.

"What a strong presence!"

The man took a deep breath. The young man and the lady behind him also sensed the presence above the ceiling.

Blitz! The three of them suddenly disappeared from the spot.

With the bright smile on his face and the stack of credit notes in his hand, Luo Hong watched as the trio disappeared from his sight. His smile froze.

'Holy sh*t! What the hell?! Where did they go?!'

…

The windy breeze caressed the quiet and dark night ceaselessly. The glimmering stars resembled a veil that blanketed the dark sky.

The three emissaries from the court appeared on the roof. The middle-aged man furrowed his brows as he tightened his muscles for a potential fight while his cape waved along with the breeze.

His subordinates, the young man and the lady, were also alarmed. They armed themselves with their respective weapons.

The lady was holding a red ruler whereas the man was holding a copper coin-sword.

The girl with the long ruler had a symbol in between her brows. It shone brightly like a lighthouse that shed its light in darkness. She looked ahead and pointed with her slender fingers.

"My lord, there!"

The other two looked at where she pointed, and they saw a man in a green robe standing like a pole on a black rooftop a dozen houses away.

"May I have the honor to learn which cultivation sect you are from, senior? I'm Luo Feng, the secretary under Deputy Minister Xu of the Court of Judicial Review in the capital. I've been tasked to investigate the evil beings slaughtering the village."

The leader of the emissaries clasped his hands firmly at the man in green whose presence was so strong that it felt like a midnight sun. Luo Feng did not expect to meet such a powerful existence hiding in the tiny Anping County.

"The Court of Judicial Review?" The man in green shook his head with his hands behind his back.

Right after his words subsided, he made his move. His figure blurred out as he jumped forward like a flying shadow. He moved from rooftop to rooftop swiftly but did not make a single noise.

"My young lord is a righteous and honest man. He's straightforward and is a friend of justice…" As his words echoed in the air loudly, it felt like all the other noises in the universe were silenced.

Luo Feng widened his eyes in shock. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and before he could react, the man in green was already by his side.

Countless sword qi appeared and circulated around the man. The bright sword qi intertwined and merged into a white snake, hissing loudly at the dark night as though he was a sword from the west.

The fearsome pressure stopped Luo Feng from utilizing the qi in his body.

As for the young man and the lady, they had fallen prey to the pressuring aura. Their faces turned pale, and they fell limp on the roof with neither of them able to even move a finger.

"The Court of Judicial Review is shielding evil, and if you are arresting my young lord because of that, I will seek justice for my young lord," Butler Chen declared as he lifted his hand and slowly put it on Luo Feng's shoulder.

Right after his words subsided, the air froze as if it had started to snow.

Immense killing intent gushed down from the sky like the stars were raining down upon Luo Feng.