Ye Longlin sat at the doorway, exuding an air of unflustered confidence.
The He family was quite prominent here. Their ancestors had resided in this place for generations. As the national environment improved and cultural tourism began to flourish, the He family naturally received preferential treatment.
Local influential families held far greater sway than officialdom. Consequently, the He family wielded significant authority in this area.
He Baowen had already made up his mind to have the head of the defense force deal with Ye Longlin.
Even if repercussions arose, he would not be significantly implicated, as the decision to condemn would ultimately come from the defense force commander.
As for Mu Hanqi, it would be convenient to eliminate her as well; after all, killing one or killing two was the same.
“You are truly unlucky to have provoked us.”
“To still be sitting here, I must admire your courage. It is a pity, however, that you and your wife will both die today.”
He Baowen, believing he had everything under control, even felt a pang of pity for Ye Longlin.
Ye Longlin looked at Old Dong, his expression remaining calm, making it impossible to discern his true capabilities. Instead, he spoke at this moment, “Can I have a cigarette?”
Since arriving here, Ye Longlin hadn’t bought a pack of cigarettes. He would either take one or two from Old Dong, or snatch a few from Chu Weiguo when fishing.
After Mu Hanqi became pregnant, he never smoked around her.
It was said to be bad for the child.
“I’ll wait.”
Ye Longlin stroked his beard, grinned, and lit a cigarette.
Meanwhile, outside the town.
Ning Qi and Xuan Niao alighted from their vehicles, followed by a convoy of buses filled with Imperial Guards and Dragon Pavilion soldiers.
Each contingent was ready to descend upon Jiangnan to escort the King of the Military back.
“According to all intelligence, our leader is in this town. You and I will search separately, asking about anyone who came here six months ago, or new residents. If that fails, we have photos.”
Xuan Niao said calmly, handing the photograph to Ning Qi.
Ning Qi nodded. “I’ll start from the east end.”
Xuan Niao inclined his head. “Then I’ll start from the west end.”
…
The local defense force, to put it bluntly, was a group of people who had undergone formal training and held official positions. In a town like this, during peak tourism season, incidents like stampedes and drownings could occur, and fires were common in the summer.
As the nearest regular army was still tens of kilometers away, and due to inconvenience, a local defense force was established.
Some were veterans returning from service, but the majority were members of the reserve force.
“Chief Officer Jin, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Someone here committed assault. Look at my grandson; his teeth have been knocked out, and he initiated the trouble. It’s simply lawless!”
He Baowen, the accuser, did not mention that He Junchen had first harassed Mu Hanqi.
Jin Zhanwen, the head of the defense force.
He had done nothing of consequence over the years, spending his time associating with the He family. Ye Longlin was unaware of these details.
Sensing the indifferent gaze of Jin Zhanwen, Ye Longlin chuckled and exhaled a plume of smoke, “A nest of vipers?”
It seemed so.
Both the Jin and He families were considered prominent households in this area.
There was bound to be a connection between them, but the nature of that relationship remained to be discussed.
“Dare to cause trouble on my territory? Are you courting death?”
Jin Zhanwen looked at Ye Longlin. Upon seeing Mu Hanqi, his eyes lit up, clearly surprised to find such a beautiful woman in their town.
Even pregnant, she was stunning, possessing a captivating aura that drew men in.
Lost in thought, Jin Zhanwen raised one hand and then brought it down.
Dozens of uniformed men behind him drew their sabers, their cold gleam reflecting the light.
Even under the bright summer sun, an icy chill swept through the air.
They were about to deliver a lethal blow!
Many onlookers who had been watching the scene were terrified by the flashing blades and dared not speak, fearing they might be implicated.
Everyone was extremely tense.
The atmosphere instantly became charged with tension, and the eyes of the onlookers were filled with worry and fear.
After all, they were ordinary people, and such a situation was naturally unnerving.
Ye Longlin looked up and asked in a calm tone, “Is this how you conduct your business? Without asking for the truth?”
Suppressing a surge of anger, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
He Baowen sneered, “Are you telling me what to do?”
Ye Longlin ignored him, his gaze fixed on Jin Zhanwen. He remained silent, his extraordinary demeanor making it clear he was no ordinary person, even standing amidst the crowd.
Jin Zhanwen was struck by Ye Longlin’s imposing presence. He narrowed his eyes, pondering the man’s background, wondering why he exuded such a powerful aura and looked so unlike a commoner.
“I’ll give you a chance. If you kneel and apologize, this matter will be dropped. Otherwise…”
Jin Zhanwen was not foolish. The man’s aura was extraordinary, and he clearly wasn’t an ordinary person. If he were someone untouchable, and he had already offended him, he hadn't considered the consequences.
Could this desolate place possibly harbor a true dragon?
“What if I refuse?”
“As officials, colluding together, not even bothering to inquire about the facts before passing judgment, who gave you the audacity, or rather, who gave you the courage?”
Ye Longlin crushed the cigarette butt and slowly rose from the chair.
Seeing Ye Longlin stand, Jin Zhanwen felt the oppressive aura intensify. He instantly drew his saber and placed it against Ye Longlin’s neck.
The sheer presence made him feel a tremor of fear.
However, he saw no trace of fear in Ye Longlin’s eyes. Instead, Ye Longlin casually tapped the saber, and the blade began to shatter, visibly breaking apart inch by inch!
This…
The eyes of everyone present widened in shock and disbelief.
This further enhanced Ye Longlin’s extraordinary image!
To casually shatter a steel saber was not something an ordinary person could do!
Jin Zhanwen himself knew that this confrontation might not necessarily be Ye Longlin’s fault. Given He Junchen’s temperament, he must have done something to provoke the other party.
But in this society, what were justice and righteousness? They were all mere deceptions.
What mattered now was power!
As long as one possessed power and influence, no one would dare to object, even if one declared black to be white.
To put it crudely, at most, a couple more souls would be lost, and he would receive a substantial sum of money from He Baowen.
“To dare to lay a hand on me is courting death! Attack him, chop him up, and feed him to the dogs!”