Arrest at the Doorstep

Li Yan was also jolted awake.

He turned his head and saw his wife’s face streaked with tears. Concerned, he asked, “A Ning, what’s wrong?”

Yang Ning, just waking, couldn’t recall the details of her dream.

She shook her head in confusion.

At that moment, a sharp shout came from outside the house again: “Thief Yang An, listen up! Surrender immediately! If not, you will be killed on sight!”

Hearing that someone had come for his younger brother,

Yang Ning hastily wiped the tears from her face and urged, “Go check what’s going on!”

Just as she stepped out of the room,

several cold, spear-tipped long poles pressed against their faces. Li Yan was shocked and quickly shielded his wife behind him. Looking into the courtyard, he saw it filled with black-armored soldiers, long knives hanging at their waists, and long spears gripped tightly in their hands.

They looked like a massive, dark storm cloud.

Even the surrounding courtyard walls were lined with them.

As a member of the unruly underworld in Yunzhou, Li Yan recognized these black-armored soldiers immediately—they were the Wuhou Guard!

In the Great Xia Dynasty, every prefecture and county had its own Wuhou Guard.

They were in charge of maintaining local law and order.

Unlike the unruly underworld who handled ordinary cases, the Wuhou Guard specialized in cases involving martial artists, typically only deployed when martial practitioners were involved in crimes.

Because of this, their rank was not high, but their power was immense!

No matter who you were,

once you fell into their hands, if you didn’t die, you would lose half your life!

Among the townsfolk, they were commonly known as the “Black Impermanence” because of their fearsome reputation!

‘Why would the Black Impermanence target Er Lang? Could it be something related to the Wang family’s money shop?’ Li Yan’s heart sank with unease.

As he shielded Yang Ning and began to retreat,

Yang An suddenly stormed out, dragging Manman along.

He had been woken before dawn, and his bad mood was at its peak. Just as he angrily stepped out, he saw the black-armored soldiers closing in on him with spears.

On the courtyard walls, more black-armored soldiers tightened their bowstrings and aimed their crossbow bolts at him in unison.

Yang An: ...

It turned out that bad moods could be controlled.

Yang An immediately calmed down.

Inwardly, he thought, ‘Could it be that Lin Yeping found out I killed Lin Hao and brought the Yunzhou army here to arrest me?’

He couldn’t just wait to be captured!

Just as he was about to throw the still half-asleep Manman into the crowd of black-armored soldiers and fight to the death,

a slightly surprised laugh rang out.

“Fate really does bring enemies to cross paths. So it’s you.”

Yang An looked toward the voice and saw two men standing among the black-armored soldiers: one with a dark mole on his face, the other with protruding teeth. He recognized them immediately.

These two were the corrupt officials who bullied Wang Shitou—

Sun Ming, the Yunzhou judicial assistant,

and Liu Mang, the leader of the Wuhou Guard under his command!

Recognizing them, Yang An, who had been ready to fight to the death, suddenly relaxed. He quickly held back Manman, who was about to charge in headfirst, and frantically turned over possibilities in his mind: ‘The Wuhou Guard belongs to Yunzhou Prefecture and is not under Lin Yeping’s command.’

‘If the matter of me killing Lin Hao is exposed,’

‘Lin Yeping would come with the Yunzhou army to wipe us out,’

‘there’s no reason for him to bother sending the Wuhou Guard.’

‘If it’s not about Lin Hao,’

‘then why did the Wuhou Guard suddenly come knocking?’

Just as Yang An was rapidly thinking through the situation,

“Hahaha, you’re Yang An?” Liu Mang, who had suffered two humiliating defeats under Yang An’s command, laughed angrily as he drew his blade and shouted, “I was planning to deal with you in a few days, but it seems that’s no longer necessary! Brothers, charge! Take him down!”

The black-armored soldiers formed ranks and advanced.

Their sharp spears gleamed with a piercing brilliance, as sharp as the first light of dawn slicing through the mist.

Li Yan hurriedly stepped between them.

Using his broad back, he shielded Yang An, his siblings, and Manman, standing firm as he bowed respectfully toward Sun Ming in the crowd and said, “Sir, may I ask what crime my brother-in-law has committed? Why have the Martial Marquis’s guards come here with such force?”

Though he had heard from Wang Gou’er’s wife that Yang An was a penniless nobody without any backing, Sun Ming, wary of hidden dangers, had thoroughly investigated the Yang family before arriving.

Indeed, they had no connections at all.

They were as insignificant as ants—easy to crush with a single step.

Li Yan was just a low-ranking clerk.

A poor, insignificant official without even a proper rank.

Sun Ming didn’t bother responding to him and instead cast a glance at Liu Mang.

Liu Mang immediately caught the hint and shouted furiously, “So you’re the unruly Li Yan of Yunzhou, huh? You little brat! Your brother-in-law slaughtered fourteen people at the Wang family’s money shop! You can’t deny it!”

“I think you’re deliberately covering for him! Willfully breaking the law!”

“What punishment do you think you deserve?!”

Hearing the words “Wang family money shop,” Yang An’s face darkened.

This can’t be right. I personally wiped out Wang Gou’er, Zheng Huaiyi, and all those other villains.

Not a single soul was left alive in the money shop!

Moreover,

I distributed the silver notes to those unfortunate women who were abducted by Zheng Huaiyi and held at the Wang family’s money shop. They received the money and became my allies.

If I were caught,

those women would be branded as accomplices and executed alongside me.

There’s no way anyone would betray me!

Could these two be deceiving me?

Yang An narrowed his eyes. Before Li Yan could speak, he put on a bewildered expression and tried to glean information from Liu Mang, “Sir, what money shop? I truly don’t understand! How could this possibly involve me?”

Liu Mang cursed, “You wretched villain, you lowly scum! Even now, you still want to deny it? Chen Lian, the wife of Wang Gou’er, personally came to accuse you before Lord Sun of murder and robbery! The matter has reached this stage, and you still refuse to admit it?!”

Hearing that it was Wang Gou’er’s wife who reported him, Yang An was even more confused!

At the time of the killings, Wang Gou’er’s wife wasn’t even at the Wang family’s money shop! If she had been there, I would have dealt with her too. How could she know it was me?

Yang An immediately challenged, “Is there any evidence?”

Upon hearing the word “evidence,” Liu Mang sneered as if hearing a joke, “Once you’re locked up in the prison, you’ll see the evidence for yourself!” He waved his hand dismissively.

Several rows of black-armored soldiers strode forward.

The clinking of their armor surrounded Yang An’s family of four, encircling them tightly.

“Wait!”

Having been a petty criminal for a long time, Li Yan was well versed in arrest procedures.

The mention of “evidence” brightened his eyes.

He hurriedly shouted, “According to the Great Xia Code: before arresting someone, the officers must have witness testimony and physical evidence to convict, and these must be submitted to the prefecture for verification! Then the governor must issue an official arrest warrant! Where is your arrest warrant?”

They didn’t even have evidence.

Where did Sun Ming and Liu Mang get the arrest warrant?

“Seems like you know the Great Xia Code pretty well. Being a lowlife really wastes your talent,” Liu Mang said with a sly grin as he approached Li Yan. “But when I catch someone, I don’t need any paperwork. What can you do about it?”

“Seize them! Anyone who dares to interfere, kill!”

The black-armored soldiers drew their long knives with a sharp clang, strings of their bows taut, aiming at the four of them!

They hadn’t expected the other side to be so unreasonable.

Li Yan, unwilling to give up, shouted toward Sun Ming, who led the Wuhou Guard: “Sir! There has to be law in handling cases!”

Sun Ming stared at Li Yan as if he were an idiot.

“Law? You, a low-ranking clerk, want to lecture me on the law? Tell him, does the law mean anything when I say it doesn’t?”

Liu Mang turned to the black-armored soldiers and asked loudly, “Brothers, tell this little troublemaker Li if the law matters when Commander Sun says otherwise?”

“No!”

The soldiers burst into raucous laughter.

Faced with this band of scoundrels, Li Yan fell silent.

He didn’t understand.

If you wear this official robe, why treat the Great Xia Code like it’s nothing? If you refuse to abide by the law, why put on the uniform that symbolizes justice?

The black-armored soldiers brandished their knives with snarls, pressing forward toward Yang An and the others.

Protected by her husband and brother-in-law, Yang Ning looked at the snarling soldiers. The scene before her eyes gradually stirred the images from her dreams. She clutched her head in agony and screamed.

“What did we do wrong?!”

“Why are you bullying us?!”

“Why do you always bully us?!”

“Ah!!!”

Yang Ning seemed to lose her mind, screaming as she charged at Sun Ming standing before the black-armored soldiers!

“Looking for death!”

Liu Mang’s eyes rolled back as he drew his blade and swung it down toward her head.

Just as the long knife was about to fall on Yang Ning’s head—

A sharp clang rang out!

Yang An grabbed his sister and caught Liu Mang’s blade with one hand. The sharp edge sliced through his palm, blood trickling down the black blade, staining the hilt.

It also splattered onto Yang Ning’s face.

In that instant,

Yang Ning’s eyes went empty, as if her soul had fled.

She stood motionless.

Liu Mang withdrew his blade but didn’t move a muscle. Facing Yang An’s cold, indifferent gaze, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart and shouted angrily, “You rebellious scum dare attack an imperial officer! Are you trying to start a rebellion?”

Seeing Yang An bleed, Manman clenched her small fists and stepped forward toward Liu Mang, but was stopped by Yang An’s sharp glance.

Though a murderous rage surged in Yang An’s heart,

he remained calm.

He knew that at a time like this, killing was out of the question. Lin Yeping hadn’t come knocking yet precisely because Yang An was just an ordinary man—

A useless scholar.

In the eyes of the high and mighty, even the fiery lion Lin Hao rides could crush him like an ant, let alone Yang An himself.

If Manman were to kill now, whether it be an officer or not,

it would be an open declaration that this insignificant ant was venomous—and deadly to martial artists.

Then it wouldn’t just be the judicial commissioner coming after them.

It would be the Military Governor Lin Yeping and the Prefect Cui Wanzhou of Yun Prefecture!

“I won’t,”

Yang An said, releasing the blade.

He stepped back, handing the dazed Yang Ning into his brother-in-law’s arms, while subtly slipping the white-clad woman’s token into Li Yan’s hand.

After exchanging a glance with his brother-in-law,

Yang An spoke calmly to Sun Ming, “Since you’re here to arrest me, I’ll go with you. It has nothing to do with my sister and brother-in-law. Please don’t make things difficult for them.”

He had just been publicly humiliated twice.

Liu Mang’s hatred for Yang An boiled over, and he cursed angrily, “Scum! What right do you have to haggle? Do you even know the gravity of your crimes?! You’ve killed more than ten law-abiding citizens! That’s a capital offense that implicates your entire family!”

“No one in your family will escape!”

“Arrest them all!”

Ignoring Liu Mang’s shouting beside him, Yang An locked eyes with Sun Ming. “Sir, I haven’t signed or sealed anything yet, have I?”

Sun Ming narrowed his eyes at those words.

Ever cautious, he pondered silently: *Indeed, as long as Yang An hasn’t signed, Li Yan and Yang Ning remain innocent.*

*Li Yan still holds an official position.*

*He carries a second-rank noble title, which is a significant advantage.*

*He once served in the military years ago and has considerable connections, even a close relationship with the Yunzhou Salt and Iron Commissioner. Forcibly arresting him could spark trouble.*

*Better to take Yang An back to the prison first.*

*There will be plenty of ways to coerce him later.*

*As long as Yang An obediently confesses, Li Yan and Yang Ning won’t be able to escape.*

*Especially Yang Ning…*

Sun Ming’s greed flickered like a serpent’s eyes as he scanned Yang Ning’s appearance and figure—both exquisite. His heart stirred, and a sly smile spread across his face. “Since you’re so sensible, I’ll arrest you first.”

Liu Mang shouted urgently, “Sir, you can’t! Their entire family are troublemakers; they must all be arrested!”

Smack!

Sun Ming raised his hand and slapped Liu Mang across the face. “Since when have I needed you to open your mouth?”

Receiving the slap, Liu Mang calmed down a bit, dared not say more, and only shot a venomous glare at Yang An.

Sun Ming ordered his black-armored guards to seize Yang An.

After capturing him, Sun Ming yawned and said, “Dismiss the squad!”

With the clatter of footsteps, the Wuhou Guard retreated like a tide, and the Yang family courtyard returned to silence.

Seeing Yang An taken away like this,

Yang Ning, leaning against Li Yan, felt as if her head was splitting apart. She kept pulling at her hair as if something was trying to crawl out from between her brows.

Her gentle face twisted in pain.

She didn’t even have the strength to stand.

Her condition terrified Li Yan. “A Ning, what’s wrong with you?!”

Yang Ning clutched Li Yan’s sleeve and pleaded, “Husband, please, hurry and save my little brother, save Erlang! I promised… I promised to take care of him…”

“I know, I’ll save Erlang. Don’t worry for now.”

Yang Ning’s state was clearly abnormal.

Li Yan caught her in his arms, took a few hurried steps inside, and laid her on the bed.

“Husband, please, take me to save Erlang!” Yang Ning struggled desperately.

Li Yan was drenched in sweat with anxiety.

Fearing something might happen to her, he quickly took out the jade token she had just secretly slipped to him.

He understood what Yang An meant.

Holding the jade token, Li Yan comforted Yang Ning, “A Ning, don’t you remember? The woman in white who left this jade token said that if we ever run into trouble, we could take it to the Guozijian for help! You rest well. I’ll go to the Guozijian right away to seek her aid in rescuing Erlang!”

“Then go quickly! Don’t worry about me!”

Yang Ning urged him on.

The Yunzhou prison was no place for humans to survive— even a martial artist would lose skin and blood in there.

Manman urged him not to wander off and to take good care of Yang Ning.

Li Yan dared not delay for even a moment.

Grasping the jade token, he sprinted toward the Imperial Academy.

At this very moment,

a hundred riders from the Hundred Riders Guard, concealed near Yang An’s residence, took a pale blue pigeon from a cage they carried. They penned a detailed letter about everything that had transpired at Yang An’s home and secured it to the pigeon’s leg.

Then, with a flick of the wrist, they released the bird into the sky.

The moment the pale blue pigeon regained its freedom, it transformed into a streak of azure light, darting swiftly toward a single destination.

Not anywhere else—

but directly to the mansion of Princess Anle.