I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

As expected, everything went pretty much as Chen Lutang had predicted.

Instead of directly confronting Xie An to demand an explanation, the Dragon King Gang relied on Pang Hu, a henchman representing the government.

Having many things out in the open actually made Xie An feel that things would be easier to handle.

After all, this means that Liu Yueshan was still wary of Chen Lutang.

"Officer Pang, don't be so impulsive. It's just that someone reported my martial uncle; there's no concrete evidence." Shen Lie stepped forward, his attitude quite displeased.

Shen Lie and Xie An were already on good terms, and last night he even received Xie An's precious fish... How could he not defend Xie An?

Pang Hu's expression softened somewhat. "Young Master Shen, please don't take offense. I was just doing my duty."

Humph.

Shen Lie glanced at Pang Hu and his son, then approached Xie An and pulled him into the courtyard. "Uncle-Master, don't worry. I've already informed my father about this matter. He's taken care of everything. All you need to do is go to the county government office for the routine questioning. Senior Brother Wei Xiang and I will accompany you and ensure that the villains have no chance to take advantage of you."

Wei Xiang chimed in, "Junior brothers and sisters Zhu Liehu, Zhang Wenqing, and Zhou Yurao have already made arrangements in the county. Nothing will go wrong. Uncle, please go change your clothes. I'll accompany you to the county government."

"it is good."

……

Xie An quickly washed up, changed into decent clothes, and went out with the others.

Two carriages were parked at the entrance of the martial arts school. Several constables dressed in black uniforms and carrying swords stood on either side of the front carriage, each with fierce eyes. The back carriage was empty.

A constable brought shackles and put them on Xie An's hands and feet as well.

Shen Lie roared, "My father is Shen Guhong, the county magistrate of Baiyun County! Let's see who dares to put my martial uncle in handcuffs!!"

The two constables shuddered, then looked at Pang Hu, who said, "Never mind then. Let Xie An ride with us in the front carriage."

Shen Lie strongly objected: "No. My martial uncle has not yet been convicted, and the matter has not been investigated thoroughly. If Constable Pang insists, I will have no choice but to report to my father."

Pang Hu muttered a few unhappily, but finally reluctantly agreed, "Then let Xie An sit in the back carriage. If he escapes in secret, that will be considered fleeing from justice. Even if he is innocent, he will still be guilty."

Shen Lie didn't give him a friendly look. "You don't need to tell me that. I know what I'm doing."

After saying this, Shen Lie ignored Pang Hu and got into the carriage to greet Xie An.

As the wheels rolled over the snow-covered road, the two carriages sped out of Wuqiao Town and onto the official road, heading towards Baiyun County.

Xie An and his two companions sat in the warm carriage, swaying gently.

"Uncle-Master, this matter shouldn't have been so troublesome since my father had pulled some strings. However, that scoundrel Pang Hu, relying on the support of Magistrate Li, insisted on coming to take you to the county office for questioning, which caused a lot of trouble and forced you to make this trip." Shen Lie leaned against the carriage, looking sullen.

According to the official ranks of the Great Qian Dynasty, Baiyun County was an ordinary county. The county magistrate was a seventh-rank official, the county assistant was an eighth-rank official, and the next ranks were the registrar (ninth-rank) and the county lieutenant (ninth-rank).

In fact, the clerk was half a rank lower than the county lieutenant.

Wei Xiang spoke up at this point, "That Chief Clerk Li probably accepted bribes from the Dragon King Gang and insisted that Pang Hu arrest people. But this doesn't make sense."

Shen Lie asked, "What's unreasonable about it?"

Wei Xiang said, "According to what my martial uncle said last night, although the man in black saw him kill Chen the Calculator, it's only one side of the story, and there's no physical evidence. When we go to the yamen later, with Uncle Shen's involvement, it'll just be a formality at most. No conviction will be possible. Given that, why is Pang Hu going to all this trouble?"

Shen Lie scratched his head: "This matter is indeed strange. Could it be that Chief Clerk Li accepted a bribe from the Dragon King Gang and just went through the motions to give an explanation?"

Wei Xiang murmured, "While I can't rule out that possibility, I have a feeling things aren't that simple. I've heard that the three leaders of the Dragon King Gang have been sworn brothers for decades and have a deep bond. Now that Chen the Calculator is dead, even if Liu Yueshan isn't fully recovered from his injuries, he won't let this go so easily."

Listening to their casual conversation, Xie An sensed that something was amiss.

Xie An had previously met Liu Yueshan at the dock in Yingyuan Village. This man was undoubtedly a ruthless and cunning figure, having even killed hundreds of villagers. It was clear that he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals and would not give up easily.

However, Shen Lie's father was a county magistrate, and with Shen Guhong's connections, Li Zhubu could not convict himself without physical evidence.

Why go through all that trouble?

Suddenly, Xie An gasped.

He thought of Lin Chong from the Water Margin, who was exiled for offending Gao Yanei...

"Uncle-Master, have you thought of something?" Wei Xiang noticed the change in Xie An's expression and couldn't help but ask.

A cold glint flashed in Xie An's eyes. "The Dragon King Gang is probably not doing this out of the ordinary; they likely plan to attack us halfway. We can't delay any longer; capture Pang Hu and interrogate him immediately!"

"What vicious scoundrels!" Shen Lie suddenly drew his sword. "These villains almost made me, Shen Lie, a heartless and unjust person!"

Xie An pressed down on Shen Lie's shoulder, "The other party is a government official after all, so it's not good to kill him. Let's find an excuse to relieve ourselves and take the opportunity to capture Pang Hu and force him to tell us the reason."

"Uncle-Master is right. I'll take care of this!" Shen Lie said hurriedly.

"Junior brother, don't be hasty. That Pang Hu is a master of the Ming Jin stage. If you make a move, you'll inevitably have to fight to the death, and it's easy for something unexpected to happen. I'll take over." Wei Xiang shouted to stop the coachman outside.

The carriage in front immediately stopped, and Pang Hu, carrying a broadsword, quickly approached. "Why did you stop?"

Wei Xiang deliberately clutched his stomach, "I ate something bad this morning, I need to use the restroom."

Pang Hu said coldly, "Go quickly and come back quickly..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a powerful, hidden force sweep over his entire body, instantly forcing him to his knees.

"Wei Xiang, you dare to attack the yamen runners! This is a capital offense punishable by exile for three thousand li... Waaah!"

Wei Xiang grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up like a chick.

"Speak! Did the Dragon King Gang ambush us on the way here, intending to attack us?" Shen Lie rushed out of the carriage, holding a sword to Pang Hu's neck. "My father is a county constable. There's no one around here. Killing a few constables is no big deal for me. Tell the truth!"

Pang Hu knew that Li Zhubu and County Lieutenant Shen Guhong had always been at odds, and he also knew that Shen Lie had a violent temper, so he didn't dare to gamble and finally revealed it.

"The Dragon King Gang has planted gunpowder at the crossroads seven miles ahead and hung huge rocks on the mountainside. Once your carriage passes by, you will be reduced to ashes."

Upon hearing this, Xie An felt a wave of fear wash over him.

Luckily, I was careful, otherwise I might have died here.

This debt with the Dragon King Gang...

I've made a note of it.

call!

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief. "Wei Xiang, let him go. Let's all take a shortcut to the county town."

……

After arriving at the county government office without incident, Xie An was taken to a side hall to await questioning.

During the break, Xie Yunfei walked over, looked Xie An up and down, and said in a cool tone, "Your affair has spread throughout the yamen. To become Chen Lutang's junior brother and even enter the Ming Jin realm, you've made some progress and haven't disgraced your family. So, if you agree to apologize to my father and humble yourself, I'll do it for you today."

Xie An looked at Xie Yunfei's official robe and knew that it was the robe of a clerk.

For an ordinary county town, the position of Dian Shi (典使) was a low-ranking official post, but it wielded considerable power.

Xie Yunfei became a local official at a young age, and his future is limitless.

"No need."

Humph.

Xie Yunfei snorted coldly, revealing a look of disappointment. "The stage in Wuqiao Town is ultimately too small. You were lucky to enter Mingjin. If you can't get a ticket to a bigger stage, Mingjin is your limit. It's not worth it to miss out on a bright future because of a moment of stubbornness. Come to my house anytime you think it through."

Leaving behind a single sentence, Xie Yunfei strode away, shaking his head in regret even after walking a long way.

This attitude displeased Xie An, who thought to himself: If it weren't for the fact that you were the original owner's family, and I had to write your names down in my little notebook...

Before long, Xie An was questioned as usual. The questioner was a refined middle-aged man who looked like a scholar, with a hint of arrogance unique to scholars in his brows. He was none other than Li, the registrar.

Li Zhubu's original name was Li Rongsheng. He passed the imperial examination at the county level when he was young, but failed the civil service examination twice. However, his family was wealthy, and he got a job as a clerk in the county government through connections. After several years of experience, he finally bought the position of Zhubu through donation.

Li Rongsheng had only asked a few questions when an unfriendly voice came from outside the door.

"Clerk Li, it's almost time! Xie An is my son's uncle-master. He's young and honest, so don't try anything funny."

The man who arrived was a middle-aged man dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and carrying a sword; he was none other than Shen Guhong, the county magistrate.

Li Rongsheng probably knew he wouldn't get anything out of Xie An, but he was surprised that Xie An had been able to get to the county office so easily. After a few brief questions, he ended the conversation with the words, "Don't let me find any concrete evidence, or no one can protect you."

As Xie An watched Li Rongsheng's departing figure, he secretly wrote the man's name down in his mental notebook.

Find empirical evidence?

How is that possible...?

Suanpan Chen's body had long since sunk into the Huai River, which is known for its many strange fish. By now, it was probably devoured, leaving not even a trace.

According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, in any case involving murder, five things must be completed before questioning can begin.

Now that even Chen's body cannot be found, the foundation of the entire case is gone, and naturally, without a body, there is no case.

Many murder and robbery cases, even when the perpetrators are caught red-handed, are ultimately closed as "unsolved cases" because the bodies cannot be found, and the death penalty is commuted to exile.

Of course, these are all things that are out in the open; the operations behind the scenes are extremely shady.

Xie An's successful escape was undoubtedly due in no small part to Shen Guhong's connections. If it were an ordinary person, they would have been thrown into prison and beaten to death without anyone caring.

Shen Guhong pulled Xie An out of the side hall, his attitude very enthusiastic: "It was my poor arrangement that made Brother Xie make this trip."

Xie An found the county constable to be very kind, and bowed, saying, "Lord Shen, you flatter me. I am very grateful for your help this time."

Shen Guhong smiled broadly: "Master Chen once did me a great favor, and we have been close friends for many years. You are Master Chen's junior brother, so you are family. I have prepared a banquet at my home and would like to invite you to come over for a chat."

Xie An thought it wouldn't be bad to befriend the county magistrate, so he nodded in agreement.

After having lunch at the Shen residence, Xie An and his two companions hurriedly left, taking other paths back, and returned to the Yongsheng Martial Arts School at dusk.

After explaining the situation to his senior brother and sister-in-law, Xie An hurriedly returned to Baicaotang.

He couldn't wait to take out that scale.

"I haven't had time to study these scales since I got back last night, but I feel like they're related to my talent..."

Click.

Xie An used the scales to cut open the skin of his wrist. As the blood seeped into the scales, they began to melt into a special liquid that flowed into Xie An's skin.

At the same time, a huge commotion came from the talent panel.

Xie An quickly opened the control panel...