EFB Chapter 11 Threat
Chapter 11 Threat
"Oh, is that you, officer?"
The two Black Sand Gang members showed no sign of nervousness when they saw Mo Zheng enter. One of them grinned and said, "May I ask your name, sir? We were just drinking and having fun. How did you bring up the law?"
While they were talking, their hands didn't stop either. One of them was stroking the girl's face, while the other's hand had already slipped inside her clothes.
Clearly, they didn't take Mo Zheng seriously.
"Let her go!"
Mo Zheng raised an eyebrow, and with a flick of his longsword, he skillfully pulled the girl out of their arms.
The girl was pretty, but now her face was wet with tears, and her whole body was trembling uncontrollably; she was truly pitiful.
"Dare to fight a man!"
The two men were enraged when the girl was taken from them. They drew their swords, and the atmosphere in the restaurant became tense and chilling. The diners who had been watching the commotion inside were so frightened that they all fled.
"Kid, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're wearing a dog's skin. You're just a lowly constable, what are you pretending to be!"
Zhang Lao Er said with a contemptuous look, "Let me tell you, this man in front of you is the brother-in-law of Chief Han of our Black Sand Gang. If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, or you'll regret it!"
The gang leader's brother-in-law looked arrogant and didn't even glance at Mo Zheng.
If it were a constable from the West District, they would probably retreat obediently. As for an ordinary constable, they would only have a distant relationship with him, and they wouldn't be afraid of him.
As for breaking the law, didn't they just pay money?
"I'll count to three. If you don't leave, don't blame me for using force."
Mo Zheng said calmly.
"You're fucking asking for it!"
Upon hearing this, the brother-in-law flew into a rage, cursed, and fearlessly swung his long sword at Mo Zheng's head.
Seeing this, Zhang Lao Er followed closely behind.
Those who join gangs are all about being brave and ruthless, and they care about saving face. If they back down today, they'll inevitably be looked down upon.
As for Mo Zheng, a mere constable, it's fine if he's killed; as long as he's not killed, the Black Sand Gang can handle it.
Mo Zheng snorted coldly, and his longsword was suddenly drawn, its cold light instantly shining brightly!
Boom!
As the thunderous sound rang out, the two men were as if struck by a thunderbolt, their faces blank with shock. The long sword easily slipped through the gap between the two longswords attacking them, slicing across their shoulders.
boom!boom!
As blood splattered everywhere, Mo Zheng swiftly kicked out twice with tremendous force, sending the two men flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground, screaming in agony.
"Ah...it hurts...it hurts..."
"Ouch...ouch..."
The two men clutched their shoulders and chests, groaning in pain, their faces showing fear, their earlier arrogance completely gone.
Blood seeped from the sword wounds on their shoulders, staining their clothes red, and their chests were also caved in. Mo Zhengcun, not wanting to teach them a lesson, used considerable force and broke their ribs.
"You...you're asking for it! My brother-in-law...my brother-in-law will avenge me!" The brother-in-law, despite his injuries, still threatened.
Mo Zheng said disdainfully, "I hope you'll still be this stubborn when you're in jail."
After saying that, he went up to tie up the two men.
With his current strength, apart from the leader who has entered the martial arts realm, no one in the entire Black Sand Gang can match him. If he adds his mental power, he might not be weaker than that leader Han.
Furthermore, he is in the right, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
The Black Sand Gang has killed before; didn't Hu Laowu die at their hands?
"Xiao Mo."
At this moment, Ren Ding finished listening to the story and leisurely walked in to find Mo Zheng. Upon seeing this scene, he immediately smiled.
"Looks like even the Black Sand Gang has its moments of foolishness, daring to mess with our Little Mo Constable. They'll be spending a couple of days in jail... wait, huh?"
As he spoke, Ren Ding's expression changed slightly, and he recognized the person lying on the ground.
He exclaimed in surprise, "Master Zhao, how is it you? Little Mo, this is like a flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, you can't catch him, you can't catch him!"
"Does Brother Ren recognize them?" Mo Zheng asked.
"Sigh, I'll explain to you later; you've really gotten yourself into trouble."
After saying that, he stepped forward and helped up his brother-in-law, Master Zhao, and said with a smile, "Master Zhao, I haven't been here long and don't recognize you. Please don't take offense."
"No problem, no problem. He's practically asking me to go to jail, how can I not be upset?"
Zhao Xiangzhu glared at Mo Zheng with resentment and said, "You just wait."
He and Zhang Lao Er helped each other as they headed outside.
Suddenly, a long sword blocked their path.
The two stopped in their tracks, turned to look at Mo Zheng, their faces filled with anger.
"What, you want to kill me? Come on!" Zhao Xiangzhu shouted angrily.
"You can leave, but apologize to this young lady first," Mo Zheng said calmly.
"you……"
Just as Zhao Xiangzhu was about to shout and curse, with a "whoosh," a flash of sword light appeared, and a strand of his long hair was immediately cut off by his ear. The cold air from the sword's edge made him break out in a cold sweat.
"Xiao Mo, don't be impulsive!"
Ren Ding tried to persuade him, fearing that Mo Zheng might kill the two in a fit of anger.
"Okay, okay, okay! I apologize!"
Zhao Xiangzhu narrowed his eyes, stepped forward, bowed and apologized. The poor shopkeeper and his daughter stood there, not daring to say a word.
The two limped toward the door, and Mo Zheng stopped trying to stop them.
Watching their figures disappear from sight, Ren Ding sighed and said, "Xiao Mo, you were too impulsive. You've gotten yourself into big trouble."
It turned out that this Zhao Xiangzhu had an older sister who was greatly favored by Han, the leader of the Black Sand Gang. Relying on this relationship, although he had never practiced martial arts, he became a high-ranking member of the gang. On weekdays, he would do things like bullying men and women, and the constables were too lazy to cause trouble for themselves, as long as no one was killed.
"You've offended him today, and the Black Sand Gang won't let this go easily. You'd better ask Constable He to intervene, or your fate will be unpredictable," Ren Ding kindly advised.
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Ren. I understand," Mo Zheng said nonchalantly.
He didn't plan to approach Officer He; they weren't familiar with each other, and the officer might not give him the time of day.
However, putting aside Mo Zheng's own strength, he also has Zhao Feng, the master of the martial arts school, backing him up, so what is there to be afraid of?
"You...you...you're still so young..."
Ren Ding shook his head repeatedly and said no more. He quickly walked out, clearly not wanting to get involved in these troubles.
"grown ups……"
The bullied girl was still standing there, her face streaked with tears, looking completely lost.
"It's alright, don't be afraid," Mo Zheng comforted her.
The girl turned around blankly, looked at her father lying on the ground, and rushed over to him, crying loudly, "Daddy...Daddy..."
The shopkeeper patted her on the back, sighed deeply, and looked at Mo Zheng, saying gratefully, "Thank you so much, sir. I will never forget your great kindness."
"It's just my duty, no need to be so polite," Mo Zheng replied.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, sir. That Master Zhao is not someone to be trifled with. You should make plans as soon as possible." The shopkeeper looked worried. "I plan to take my daughter to the countryside to lay low for a while. If you need money, sir, please just ask."
He's just worried about the Black Sand Gang causing trouble; it's just ordinary people protecting themselves, which is understandable.
Mo Zheng laughed and said, "I don't need money, and you don't need to be afraid, shopkeeper. Although the Black Sand Gang is domineering, I don't take them seriously."
"If they come to you, just tell them to come to me, Mo Zheng."
……
As the saying goes, "With a sharp blade at hand, the desire to kill arises naturally."
With his martial arts skills improving, Mo Zheng no longer needed to live as cautiously as before.
Yes, you, the leader of the Black Sand Gang, are an inbound martial artist, so the county has to give you some face. However, the government is the government after all, and it still has an overwhelming advantage when facing gang forces.
Moreover, based on his own strength alone, Mo Zheng felt there was no need to fear the Black Sand Gang.
Nothing happened that night.
The next morning, Mo Zheng, who had practiced swordsmanship, went out to the garrison for roll call as usual.
The garrison was bustling with activity; nearly half of the thirty people had already arrived.
They also have to patrol in the morning.
"Xiao Mo." "Good morning, Officer Xiao Mo." "Going to the martial arts school again later?"...
Many familiar constables greeted him, saying that Mo Zheng was young but worked very hard to catch thieves and was also practicing martial arts at the martial arts school. They thought he might have a chance to go to Jinqing Prefecture in the future, so most of the constables were willing to befriend him and always greeted him with a smile.
As for the matter of Mo Danian being a son-in-law, these officials are all shrewd people. Even if they gossip behind people's backs, they won't show it on their faces.
Mo Zheng responded to each of them, but when he walked into the courtyard, his former partner Ren Ding, who was usually very enthusiastic towards him, did not greet him at all. He just sat there drinking tea, clearly convinced that the Black Sand Gang would not let him go.
Human relationships are so cold...
Mo Zheng smiled, not taking it to heart, and went straight to his seat.
Not long after, squad leader Li Fei swaggered in, his face still flushed, and the smell of wine lingered in his wake, clearly from a hangover the night before.
"Is everyone here?"
He stood at the entrance to the inner hall and asked.
"Sir, as I said, everyone except the two who asked for leave is present," the deputy squad leader replied respectfully.
"it is good."
Li Fei nodded. In the past, his next words would have been, "Go back to your own business." But today, he said, "Distribute the stuff."
Immediately, someone brought out a stack of yellow papers and distributed them to everyone.
The yellow paper bore the three large characters "Wanted Poster," with a striking face occupying most of the page.
The face was drawn rather hastily, and it was hard to tell how much it resembled the person, but a scar extending from the left to the right cheek made it very distinctive.
The text above also includes a few lines of description: "The wicked bandit Yu Yang has been roaming around killing and robbing people. Recently, he has been roaming within the territory of our prefecture. Anyone who discovers him and provides his location will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver, and anyone who captures him will be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver."
Looking at the bounty offered, everyone present couldn't help but gasp.
"Is the five hundred taels reward tempting you?"
Li Fei laughed and said, "You little rascals, you might have the life to take this money, but you won't live to spend it."
"To tell you the truth, Yu Yang is now an inbound martial artist, and the state has sent a constable to Shangyin to arrest him. You should think about how to earn this fifty taels of silver first."
At this point, he said seriously, "Once you discover any trace of them, report to me immediately. Absolutely no one is allowed to act on their own!"
"yes!"
The crowd responded respectfully.
After giving the instructions, Li Fei walked into the inner hall.
Throughout the garrison, the constables couldn't help but discuss the person on the wanted poster.
As for constables, what they see most often are wanted posters, but the reward for catching someone is usually only a few taels or a dozen taels of silver, and for more powerful people it's a few dozen taels of silver. It's rare to see a reward of five hundred taels of silver. At least this is the first time Mo Zheng has seen one.
"Five hundred taels of silver—that's enough to make even the most skilled martial artists here a winner, isn't it?"
"Two years ago, a martial artist who entered the country also committed a crime, and the reward was only three hundred taels of silver. This is not something we can handle."
"They killed and robbed people, and we don't even know which important figure they killed or what treasures they stole. Even the prefecture sent people down to investigate."
……
The group chatted idly, one sentence after another, but no one seemed to have any real intentions.
That's normal. Five hundred taels of silver is a lot, but compared to one's life, it's nothing.
Most of these constables were at the minor stage of Qi and Blood cultivation, while a few were old and frail with declining strength. They were quite capable of dealing with ordinary people, but dealing with martial artists was like an old man eating poison.
Mo Zheng glanced at it twice, but didn't seem particularly interested.
Although he usually saves some money by offering rewards for catching thieves, this kind of thief is beyond his capabilities, and there is no need for him to make trouble for himself.
After leaving the garrison, he went to the martial arts school to practice, but today was destined to be anything but smooth.
Several men dressed in black blocked his way.
People from the Black Sand Gang.
The leader was a thin, short middle-aged man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face; he didn't look like a kind person.
They arrived quite quickly.
Although he had anticipated that the Black Sand Gang wouldn't let the matter rest, Mo Zheng hadn't expected trouble to arrive so quickly. He asked, "What's wrong?"
He wasn't afraid. Attacking officials in broad daylight was tantamount to rebellion. The Great Yan was now a powerful nation, and such an act was tantamount to courting death.
"There are some minor matters that I need to discuss with Lord Mo. I wonder if you have the time to have a cup of tea with me here?" The man pointed to the teahouse next to him.
"Let's go," Mo Zheng said calmly, wanting to hear what the other party meant.
Enter the shop, clear the area, and serve tea.
When the waiter saw the vicious and ruthless demeanor of the Black Sand Gang members, he was so frightened that he trembled as he served the tea.
The man didn't seem to mind and pointed to the cup, saying, "Please, Master Mo."
"Speak your mind directly, there's no need to beat around the bush. I have to go practice martial arts later."
"Good, sir, you have a straightforward personality, I like that."
The man laughed and said, "Let me introduce myself. My surname is Liu. I am honored to serve as a protector in the gang thanks to the gang leader's kindness. Gang leader Han already knows about what happened last night. He instructed me to come and see Lord Mo, saying that he wants to give the government an explanation."
"We have already sent ten taels of silver to that restaurant and fined Master Zhao and Old Man Zhang half a year's wages. I wonder if this result satisfies you, sir?"
Mo Zheng snorted coldly and said, "If I say I'm satisfied, does that mean the matter is over?"
The Black Sand Gang is no benevolent group. They extort protection money and exploit and oppress the people all the time. If they really didn't want trouble, they wouldn't have blocked the road today.
Mo Zheng didn't believe they would be so kind as to come specifically to tell him this news.
"Haha, our leader's meaning is actually very simple: our men were wrong in this matter, and the Black Sand Gang should give an explanation. But since you broke our brothers' ribs and even stabbed each of them, shouldn't you compensate them for their medical expenses?"
Protector Liu smiled and said, "Lord Mo, your restaurant is quite nice. If you're willing to use it as an apology, this matter can be put to rest. Otherwise..."
……