My junior sister sees everyone as a heretical cultivator.

Chapter 284 Who are these heroes and valiant warriors here? Would you be so kind as to show yourself?
"Bang!"

The teacup slipped from the advisor's hand and shattered on the ground!

Zhao Dechang was startled, and the vermilion brush in his hand flew out of his hand, drawing a red ink line in the air!
"W-What's going on?!" Zhao Dechang's face turned deathly pale. He dashed behind a pillar and shouted, "Who goes there?!"

The clerk scrambled under the table, trembling as he poked half his head out: "Who...who is making such a racket outside?! How dare they be so insolent in front of the government office!"

After regaining his composure, Zhao Dechang's anger flared up, and he clenched his fists tightly.

Are you some reckless brute who came running from the heavens?! Is there no law left?! Do you really think this Anhe Prefectural Government is your backyard training ground?!

Seeing no response, the city lord felt somewhat relieved; it seemed they hadn't come to claim his life.

"Let's go! Let's go out and take a look!" Zhao Dechang straightened his clothes and walked quickly with his clerk toward the gate of the government office.

Before they even reached the door, they saw a group of yamen runners and guards already gathered outside, staring in disbelief and pointing at the doorway.

Zhao Dechang parted the crowd and took a closer look. Even with his extensive experience, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Suddenly, a "mountain of people" appeared out of nowhere in front of the majestic stone lions at the entrance of the government office!
A dozen or so men, their hands and feet bound together with thick hemp rope like rice dumplings, were piled haphazardly on top of each other. Some were unconscious, while others were groaning in pain.

One of them was beaten until his head looked like a pig's head, and another lost an arm.

Hiss—! Which gangsters are they? So ruthless!
The person at the very top was Ma Tietou, the leader of the Wuzhutang, with a rag stuffed in his mouth.

On Ma Tietou's chest, a neatly folded piece of paper was pinned with a small dart.

The clerk, with his sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward, carefully took the note, unfolded it, and his expression immediately changed drastically. He hurriedly presented it to Zhao Dechang: "Sir... please see..."

Zhao Dechang took the note and saw that it was written in delicate yet strong handwriting:

"Lord City Lord: This is a group of villains from the 'Hall of No Owner' in the west of the city. They occupy Anhe, oppress the weak and vulnerable, and keep beggars to make money. Their dark deeds are too numerous to mention. There may be powerful criminal gangs behind them, with deep roots and causing harm to the area."

"He has now been captured and handed over to the authorities. I urge the city lord to investigate thoroughly and punish him severely, restoring order and justice to Anhe City. —A loyal and righteous man"

Zhao Dechang held the thin strip of paper, feeling as if it weighed an ounce.

He slowly raised his head, looked at the pile of troublesome "gifts" in front of him, and then at the elegant and freehand words "righteous man" at the end of the note. He felt utterly overwhelmed.

……

Zhao Dechang and his advisor exchanged a glance, and almost instantly they both knew the answer.

It's that bastard Ma Tietou's fault again... Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile lately? Why didn't you restrain yourself again! Now look what happened, some random guy has taken you down! If it weren't for the power behind you, I would have sentenced you directly! The problem now is... we don't know how far they've investigated this matter, and we don't know who this 'righteous person' who came to our aid is...

The clerk also looked worried and leaned closer, lowering his voice to ask, "Sir, what's going on here..."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the "mountain of people," then he subtly looked at Zhao Dechang, his eyes repeatedly gesturing: Sir, this person... should we lock him up or release him? Should we invite him into the guest room of the government office and "treat" him well, or throw him directly into that dark and sunless prison?
Zhao Dechang's mind was racing.

Release them? Absolutely not!
The Guixi Sect's methods are still unclear, and too many unidentified and capable people have flooded into the city because of the "Ascending to Heaven" race. Who knows what kind of background this suddenly appearing "righteous man" has? What if there is some existence behind him that we can't afford to offend?

At this critical juncture, any rash action could backfire, but simply throwing Ma Tietou into jail... seems inappropriate.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Dechang had already made up his mind.

Lock him up for now! If there's anything, you can discuss it with Ma Tietou in the prison when it's late at night! The most urgent thing is to find out the identity and background of this "righteous man." Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you decide on the next step.

Thinking this through, Zhao Dechang decided to try and bluff the other party first. He cleared his throat, took a step forward, and loudly clasped his hands in front of the surrounding crowd, who were not outsiders present, saying in a clear voice: "I am Zhao Dechang, the lord of Anhe City! Thank you for your righteous action in capturing these suspects and handing them over to the authorities! Your righteousness is admirable!"

He deliberately used the term "suspect," which both affirmed the other party's actions and left himself room for "fair investigation."

"May I ask which hero or valiant individual is here? Would you be so kind as to show yourself? If your actions are indeed in assistance to the Anhe government in maintaining peace in the city, I am willing to treat you with the title of 'Guest Minister of Anhe.' Whatever the city needs, the government will provide full support! I also have a thousand taels of silver as a token of my gratitude!"

Half of it was about elevating the other party, and the other half was about offering concrete benefits. The position of "guest minister" offered fame and social status; the thousand taels of silver offered real benefits. With fame and benefits coming together, he didn't believe the other party wouldn't be tempted.

However, the surrounding streets and alleys were deathly silent, with only the whistling of the evening wind blowing through the eaves. There wasn't even a ghost in sight. Zhao Dechang waited for a long time, but still no one answered. He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

Hey, this is interesting. He doesn't care about fame or fortune... Could he really just be a hot-headed, impulsive righteous hero? Do people like that still exist these days?

The more Zhao Dechang thought about it, the more he felt that there was something strange about this matter. Since the soft approach didn't work, he could only put on a serious, businesslike expression and cupped his hands to the surroundings again: "Since Your Excellency is unwilling to show yourself, I will not force you."

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I will thoroughly investigate the matter described in the document. No matter who is involved, I will show no leniency and will give justice to the people of Anhe City, as well as to Your Excellency!"

Having said that, he didn't hesitate any longer. He flicked his sleeve and shouted sternly at the dumbfounded constables behind him, "What are you all standing there for?! Take all these suspects to the jail, keep them under strict guard, and await interrogation!"

Several constables who knew a little about the inside story were still standing there trembling, their eyes full of hesitation. After all, it wasn't always like this...

Seeing this, the clerk rushed forward and kicked one of the constables hard in the backside, yelling, "Are you deaf?! Didn't you hear the magistrate's orders?! Immediately, arrest him! Lock him in jail!!"

Meanwhile, Su Ling'er, having abandoned her thugs, was on her way to Qingxu Temple on her sword.

(End of this chapter)