Moon Lake Villa, Arresting Someone

Moon Lake Villa, Arresting Someone

The Xu Family, Luyang County's richest merchants.

In the dining hall, Xu Hongtao was having a meal with his wife.

"What has Yu'er been up to lately? Why haven't I seen him these past few days?" Xu Hongtao frowned slightly. "The Black Armored Army is still conducting a strict investigation. Quite a few scions from prominent families failed to read the situation and insisted on causing trouble at such a critical time, only to be beheaded.

"This new Commandant Zhou Shan is a hotheaded fool. He gives face to no one, and he will not take silver either.

"There are rumors in the city that the village Zhou Shan came from was massacred by bandits, leaving him as the sole survivor. That is why he hates evil as though it were a mortal enemy. His first mission after joining the Black Armored Army was to wipe out bandits.

"Now that he has become Luyang County's commandant, the first thing he did was sweep away crime and evil, rid the people of harm, and crack down on criminals. The city's commoners have been full of praise for him. In such a short time, he has earned immense prestige among the people of Luyang County.

"If Yu'er crosses him, I do not have the ability to get him out."

"Rest assured!" said a beautiful woman who had maintained herself exceptionally well. "Knowing that the Black Armored Army was still conducting a strict investigation in the city, Yu'er did not remain in town. He went to Moon Lake Villa outside the city to have fun."

This beautiful woman was Xu Hongtao's wife, Shangguan Yun.

"That is good."

Hearing that Xu Haoyu was not in the city, Xu Hongtao nodded.

"Still, if Commandant Zhou keeps this up, our business will suffer greatly as well. If it only lasts a month or two, it will not be much of a problem. But if this goes on forever, our losses will be enormous," Shangguan Yun said. "We must find a way to have Commandant Zhou transferred elsewhere."

"It will be difficult to transfer Zhou Shan." Xu Hongtao knitted his brows tightly. "I have inquired about him. Commandant Zhou is Commander Fang Yuan's man, so our connections will be hard-pressed to exert any influence."

"We have to try." Shangguan Yun said, "We should join forces with all the major families in the city and submit a petition. If Zhou Shan continues like this, no one will be able to do business. Then naturally, we will be unable to guarantee the silver we hand over to the Guiyuan Sect.

"Zhou Shan may hate evil as though it were a mortal enemy and may not care for money, but the Guiyuan Sect needs it. Not everyone is like Zhou Shan, and within the Guiyuan Sect, Commander Fang is not the only one whose word counts."

"Mm, we shall proceed like this for now."

Xu Hongtao nodded.

"My lord, we have found Xu Haoyu." After an hour had passed, He Yong appeared before Zhou Shan once more and respectfully reported, "That brat hid at Moon Lake Villa outside the city ten days ago."

"Good. Call Zhang Lei, bring two squads, and come with me to arrest him. Remember, do not wear black armor. Change into plain clothes, and leave the city separately so that we do not expose our identities and alert the Xu Family."

Zhou Shan gave his orders.

"Yes, my lord!"

Upon receiving the order, He Yong immediately went to carry it out.

At the same time, Zhou Shan left the commandant's residence and had all the spies secretly watching it knocked unconscious and captured, preventing them from passing along any news for the time being.

Moon Lake Villa stood beside Crescent Lake, five li northwest of Luyang County.

Crescent Lake was a small artificial lake. Seen from above, it was shaped like a half moon, which was how it got its name. Both Crescent Lake and Moon Lake Villa had been funded and constructed by the Xu Family, and both belonged to them.

The waters of Crescent Lake shimmered in rippling splendor, and the scenery was pleasant.

Moon Lake Villa covered several dozen mu and was surrounded by high walls. From afar, it resembled a small town.

"My lord, Moon Lake Villa is ahead."

He Yong pointed toward the enormous manor ahead, which covered several dozen mu.

"Move!"

Before long, Zhou Shan and the others arrived before Moon Lake Villa.

"Halt! Who are you people?"

"This is a private villa. Outsiders are forbidden from entering."

Seeing a group of strangers appear, the villa's guards immediately stepped forward to stop Zhou Shan and his party.

"The Black Armored Army is conducting official business. Step aside!"

Without slowing his pace, Zhou Shan displayed his commandant's token.

"W-wait a moment. I will report this first."

Seeing the commandant's token in Zhou Shan's hand, the guard's expression changed drastically.

"Take him!"

With a wave of Zhou Shan's hand, someone immediately stepped forward, pinned down the guards at the entrance, and covered their mouths. Then the group filed into the manor.

Just as Zhou Shan entered Moon Lake Villa, Xu Haoyu was watching a martial combat event with a group of young masters.

There were martial combat events in the county seat as well.

But those were all contests between martial artists, and Xu Haoyu had long grown tired of them. He had built a beast-fighting arena within the villa, where the events were battles between martial artists and Demonic Beasts.

Xu Haoyu and a group of young masters from Luyang County sat in the stands above the beast-fighting arena, watching the martial artist below battle a Demonic Beast to the death.

This was far more thrilling than watching martial artists fight one another.

Roar!

A thunderous howl rang out. It came from a Demonic Beast that resembled a wild dog.

However, its entire body was covered in scales, its eyes were blood-red, and a baleful aura radiated from it.

The Black Armored Army possessed Black Scale Horses. Though they too were Demonic Beasts, they were not wild Black Scale Horses. They had been domesticated from a young age, and after generation upon generation, much of their ferocity had diminished.

But this wild dog-like Demonic Beast had always lived in the wilderness. Its aura was violent and savage, making it seem far more brutal than a Black Scale Horse. It would devour people at the slightest provocation.

At that moment, the Demonic Beast pounced on the martial artist and pinned him to the ground, tearing off one of his arms with a single bite. After chewing twice, it swallowed the arm whole.

"Ah!"

The martial artist let out a miserable scream.

"Hahaha, good! Very good! That's it, bite him to death!"

A young man of seventeen or eighteen shouted excitedly.

This person was the Xu Family's second young master, Xu Haoyu. He wore an extravagant purple brocade robe, with a gold-threaded belt bearing qilin patterns around his waist. His face was as fair as jade and his lips were thin, giving him a somewhat effeminate air.

Watching the martial artist in the beast-fighting arena being torn apart, Xu Haoyu immediately revealed an excited expression.

"Bad news, Second Young Master, terrible news!" Just then, a guard rushed in from outside, shouting as he ran, "The Black Armored Army has forced its way in!"

"What?!"

"Why would the Black Armored Army come to Moon Lake Villa?"

"Second Young Master, the Black Armored Army has come with ill intent. We should withdraw first!"

At these words, the Xu Family guards immediately stepped forward and said in low voices.

"What a spoil of the fun." Xu Haoyu's face darkened. Then he waved his hand. "Let's go!"

The group hurriedly left.

But just as they reached the exit, they found it blocked.

"Xu Haoyu, your crimes have been exposed. Seize him!"

Zhou Shan waved his hand and directly gave the order.

"Xu Haoyu, surrender immediately!"

The Black Armored Army soldiers around them immediately closed in on Xu Haoyu.

"Get them! All of you, get them! If I am taken away, none of you will survive either! My father will never let you off!" Xu Haoyu immediately backed away and shouted at the guards around him. "Kill them! If anything happens, this young master will bear the responsibility! Guard Geng, kill him for me, and afterward I will give you ten thousand taels of silver.

"No, thirty thousand taels of silver.

"Then you can leave Qingyang Commandery directly. The world is vast; you may go anywhere."