He exchanged a glance with Liu Acai and nodded.
Liu Acai reached for the short knife at his waist. Even though he had started paying more attention to his appearance lately, the habit of carrying a blade hadn't changed. Then he kicked Chen Huaimin's prosthetic leg. Seeing that Chen Huaimin didn't even flinch, he couldn't help but pout. The boss was really playing favorites, only teaching Chen Huaimin martial arts.
He still remembered when he had asked to learn. Fang Zhiyi had just said, "Sure. Chop your leg off first, then come ask me."
Liu Acai had given up the idea then and there.
County Magistrate Hu stormed into the western suburbs, but his steps gradually slowed.
This place was the western suburbs?
Impossible. It should be filthy and stinking here!
The soldiers accompanying him shared his astonishment. They too rarely saw such clean streets, appearing quiet and pleasant... except for the group of fierce-looking men walking straight towards them.
"Halt! Who are you people?" County Magistrate Hu mustered his courage and shouted.
Fang Zhiyi smiled. "You come here without knowing who you're looking for?"
"This county magistrate is under orders to arrest the ringleader Fang Zhiyi!" he bellowed. A timid voice came from behind him.
"Your Honor, that is Fang Zhiyi."
At this moment, Nian'an's face was full of disbelief, followed by wildly sprouting jealousy. When he left, this place wasn't like this! It should be dirty and smelly!
Moreover, he had heard that his adoptive father had started a new business and was now making a lot of money. His heart was first filled with regret, then suspicion, then conviction—the conviction that Fang Zhiyi was an evil man. Finally, seeing with his own eyes that all the people he once knew so well were dressed better than him, jealousy and resentment began to spread uncontrollably.
"Truly an ungrateful wretch," Liu Acai sneered upon recognizing the young man.
"Fang Zhiyi! Your adopted son accuses you of colluding with others to seize official grain, oppressing the people, tyrannizing the township, extorting money, and treating human life as worthless! Be sensible and surrender quietly!" County Magistrate Hu rattled off Fang Zhiyi's crimes in one breath.
Fang Zhiyi was somewhat impressed by his lung capacity. Maintaining that volume for such a long list was no easy feat.
Feeling the gazes of confusion, disdain, contempt, and hatred from the opposite side, Nian'an felt his face grow hot. But he quickly told himself, "What I'm doing is right! They all deserve it!" He didn't believe Fang Zhiyi could escape. He straightened his back slightly. Today was the starting point of his comeback!
Once Fang Zhiyi was brought to justice, he could be with Lin Yanqing. First this, then that, and then he could turn his life around... maybe he could even get a share of Fang Zhiyi's property...
A soldier standing near him took a step to the side, thinking this kid must have something wrong with his head; he was practically drooling.
Seeing that Fang Zhiyi and his men remained unmoved, County Magistrate Hu knew further talk was useless. "Seize Fang Zhiyi! The rest of you, disperse! This is none of your concern! Anyone obstructing official business risks losing their heads!"
As a constable's rod came crashing down towards his head, Fang Zhiyi didn't even bat an eyelid.
The next moment, a flash of cold light swept by. The rod was cleanly split in two! Simultaneously, a soldier on the right who had drawn his sword found Liu Acai's short knife pressed against his neck.
Liu Acai's eyes widened. "You damn cripple, you kept this from me?"
Chen Huaimin was now standing on one leg, his other leg revealed to be a gleaming, sharp blade!
"The boss said, once drawn, the blade must taste blood," Chen Huaimin said with a sly smile.
At the same time, the others behind them began to step forward.
"In the end, we still didn't make it in time..." Fang Zhiyi sighed. Oh well, it just meant a little more trouble.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, shouts of "Stop!" came from the distance, followed by a squad of armored soldiers charging over. The murderous aura of these soldiers made both sides freeze. It had to be understood, armored soldiers were different from ordinary constables; their combat prowess wasn't even on the same level.
Fang Zhiyi, however, smiled. "Stand down, everyone. Work's over."
Liu Acai looked at his boss, puzzled.
After stopping the conflict, several horses galloped up, and a man dismounted.
"This kid looks familiar," Liu Acai muttered, confused.
Chen Huaimin grinned. "Huang Weixing!"
Huang Weixing first flashed a toothy grin at Fang Zhiyi, then quickly put on a stern face.
"Where is Hu Wanghui?"
County Magistrate Hu, who had shrunk into the crowd, poked his head out upon hearing his name. "Here. And you are?"
Huang Weixing was about to speak when he caught Fang Zhiyi's look. He straightened his back. "You are not worthy to ask."
County Magistrate Hu was stunned. How dare this young upstart be so arrogant? But glancing at the armored soldiers, he could only force a smile. In these times, whoever had the bigger fists was the boss.
He asked cautiously, "This humble official is carrying out official duties. May I ask..." Suddenly, County Magistrate Hu realized something. "Could it be that you, sir, have been sent by the Prefect to assist me in suppressing the bandits?"
Fang Zhiyi was taken aback. In the blink of an eye, he was a bandit again?
Huang Weixing took a deep breath. "Get lost!"
County Magistrate Hu first stared in shock, then his face turned livid. To be cursed at by a young punk in front of his subordinates—how could he maintain authority after this? In this little territory of his, he had never suffered a loss! He glanced at the armored soldiers and his tone darkened. "This... superior envoy, we both serve the court. But I, Hu, am still the local magistrate here. How dare you insult me like this?" He had already subconsciously assumed Huang Weixing was an official.
Huang Weixing looked at him with a hint of pity. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm not an official."
County Magistrate Hu was confused. "Not an official? Then you..." He looked around and suddenly understood. "Bandits? How audacious!" Even as he said this, he shrank further into the crowd. "Fang Zhiyi! You actually collude with bandits! You're finished!"
At that moment, the sound of hoofbeats came from outside as several more riders arrived.
County Magistrate Hu looked up and was overjoyed. "Prefect! Here! Over here!"
The newcomer was indeed County Magistrate Hu's superior. Before his horse even came to a full stop, he dismounted and rushed straight towards the magistrate. County Magistrate Hu's heart settled; with his superior here, reinforcements must be close behind!
But as he was thinking this, the Prefect, without any warning, slapped him hard across the face. County Magistrate Hu spun a full circle on the spot, seeing double.
"I... Your Excellency, why..." County Magistrate Hu was both angry and wronged. The Prefect didn't let him finish. He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him aside, where the two whispered for a while.
Then the Prefect, smiling, invited Huang Weixing over, seemingly introducing him to County Magistrate Hu.
A reversal occurred that left everyone dumbfounded, especially Fang Zhiyi's close associates, who all looked at him with probing expressions. They all knew Huang Weixing had spent some time with Fang Zhiyi, but they didn't know what he had learned. The atmosphere on the scene relaxed.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
