True Nezha, False Heavenly King; Fierce Tiger Fist, Maniacal Killing Intent!

The Chuqiu County Yamen faced south and was structured from outside to inside as a spirit screen, main gate, ceremonial gate, and a stone archway.

Beyond the stone archway were the six offices where officials like the county deputy, chief clerk, and registrar worked.

Further inside, in the deep courtyard, was the main hall where the county magistrate resided. As for places like the prison, considered unsavory, they were located in the southwest corner between the ceremonial gate and the main gate.

The county magistrate, Murong Bai, was currently in the inner hall, drinking tea and chatting with Zhang Lishi.

"In conclusion, the peace of Chuqiu not only relies on the County Yamen but also on the strong support of loyal individuals like Chief Escort Zhang."

"Our county's smooth trade routes owe a debt of gratitude to the Flying Tiger Escort Agency."

Murong Bai expertly added salt, yogurt, pepper, and ginger to his tea, and a peculiar aroma slowly diffused from the room.

"Good tea," Zhang Lishi praised, but his gaze was not on the tea but on the man before him.

Murong Bai appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a refined appearance and a flowing long beard. He wore a silk cap, a crimson robe adorned with embroidered mandarin ducks, and a golden belt with a golden turtle emblem.

Zhang Lishi couldn't help but recall an old incident.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the current dynasty, when Mount Tai was being sealed, officials below the rank of the Three Dukes were granted a promotion of one rank.

The official in charge of the sealing ceremony at the time, Zhang Yue, in order to promote his son-in-law Zheng Jian, had him elevated from the ninth rank to the fifth rank.

According to the official dress code of the current dynasty, officials of the third rank and above wore purple, fourth-rank officials wore crimson, fifth-rank officials wore light crimson, sixth-rank officials wore dark green, seventh-rank officials wore light green, eighth-rank officials wore dark blue, and ninth-rank officials wore light blue.

In other words, that person instantly changed from a blue robe to a red one. Coupled with his youthful appearance, he became very conspicuous in the sealing procession.

Emperor Xuanzong, finding it strange, inquired about the matter. Someone jokingly replied:

"It's the power of Mount Tai (his father-in-law)."

Although Zheng Jian's promotion was outrageous, he at least had a father-in-law to support him. However, Murong Bai's family, while a prominent local clan, was, in essence, just a seventh-rank county magistrate who had not achieved any significant merits. Yet, he was bestowed a crimson robe by the court, and what's more, he had fashioned a golden turtle for himself, imitating the golden fish pouch.

This was blatant overstepping.

'His wolfish ambitions are as clear as day.'

Considering the recent years of natural disasters and man-made calamities, with rebel armies and refugees rampant, and demons ravaging the countryside, Zhang Lishi felt a sense of unease.

However, on the surface, he remained composed, feigning conversation with Murong Bai.

Such matters were naturally uninteresting, but they were an indispensable part of maintaining order in the city. Even if it was just a superficial gesture, it conveyed a message to the outside world.

"By the way, Brother Murong, I heard that the County Yamen was searching the entire city for Ming Cult demons yesterday. What was the result?"

Murong Bai smiled slightly.

"They were all minor figures. They were all apprehended yesterday, so you don't need to worry, Brother Zhang."

"I see. However, my Escort Agency also bears a heart of loyalty. If there's a next time..."

"We will inform you in advance, Brother Zhang."

The two laughed heartily and rose from the inner hall, heading towards the ceremonial gate.

"I heard your fourth daughter also came along, Brother Zhang. Why don't I see her?"

"Alas, Que'er has been unruly since childhood. If I'm not careful, she disappears. I only hope she hasn't caused any trouble with official business."

"How could that be?" Murong Bai smiled and suddenly asked:

"My son is the same age as your esteemed daughter. If they were to marry..."

"She is still young. Let's discuss it again in the future."

"I was referring to your third daughter, Zhang Yuelu."

"Hahahaha, I made a mistake, a mistake."

Zhang Lishi's eyes narrowed, and while he laughed heartily, he thought to himself that he had heard Murong Bai had many wives and concubines, with dozens of children. His two legitimate children were already married.

Although he had no sons, his five daughters, not to mention the eldest and second who were already married, were all his darlings, and he didn't want to wrong them.

Why should a tiger's daughter marry a dog's son?

"I heard about an interesting incident ten years ago when Your Excellency first took office."

Seeing that the other party had changed the subject, Murong Bai did not press the matter of marriage but slowed his steps at the threshold of the ceremonial gate.

"Oh? What interesting incident?"

"There was a local delinquent named Zhao Xiaoyi who often got into brawls and was a regular at the prison."

"To avoid being beaten, this fellow hired someone to tattoo an image of Vaisravana Heavenly King on his back. Every time he received a caning, the runners would see the image of the deity on his back and wouldn't dare to strike."

"Over time, this man actually became a local tyrant."

"However, after the county magistrate took office, he directly ordered Zhao Xiaoyi to be captured and brought to the yamen. He had the runners beat his back with a three-inch thick bamboo stick until it was bloody and mangled, so much so that the image of the Heavenly King was no longer visible. The villagers all applauded."

"That is indeed true. Why did Chief Escort Zhang suddenly mention this?"

Murong Bai showed a look of confusion, but the next moment, following the other party's gaze, he instantly understood.

Outside the ceremonial gate, a burly man with a tattooed back was fighting a youth with a leopard's head and ring-like eyes. Beside them, four or five runners lay groaning on the ground.

Zhang Lishi seemed to not notice Murong Bai's displeased expression and exclaimed with some surprise:

"That looks like someone from my Escort Agency. Why are they causing trouble at the County Yamen? But that move, that Tiger Pounce—"

"Well done!"

Half an hour earlier.

"Stop right there!"

Hearing the voice behind them, the Gao family couple flinched. Especially Sister-in-law Gao, who, thinking of the damp, cold prison, fearfully clutched her husband's arm.

Li Cunxiao frowned, shielding his elder brother and sister-in-law behind him as he coldly regarded Zhao Xiaoyi.

"What else do you want?"

Zhao Xiaoyi tapped the table with the broken silver he held between his fingers.

"You're five fen short."

Five fen?

Li Cunxiao felt both annoyed and speechless. For a moment, he couldn't tell if the man was greedy for money or deliberately making trouble.

Silver weight was usually measured in taels, candareens, and fen. Five fen of silver was probably no more than a tiny speck, the size of a grain of rice.

Li Cunxiao silently added this grievance to his ledger. With a blank expression, he took out a tael of silver from his pouch.

"This tael is for everyone to have a drink."

The nearby prison guards looked on with joy, but Zhao Xiaoyi, seeing Li Cunxiao's bulging pouch, couldn't suppress the greed in his eyes. Relying on the fact that he had more people on his side, he decided to make the other party suffer a silent loss.

"That's not how it's calculated," Zhao Xiaoyi said with a sinister smile.

"We agreed on fifty taels, but you shorted me five fen. That's breaking your word."

"Even merchants have deposits and contracts when doing business. How can one tael be enough as compensation?"

"Ten taels." He greedily stared at Li Cunxiao's pouch, estimating the amount of silver just by the shape and size of the cloth bag.

"Seeing the dust on your face, you must have just returned from an escort mission and collected your reward, right?"

"Ten taels of silver, you can afford it. Give me the money, and I'll release them immediately."

Zhao Xiaoyi grew more animated as he spoke. He turned and blocked the prison entrance.

Right, the other person is just an escort from an Escort Agency. I know that those young masters from the inner city learn martial arts directly at the Escort Agencies after getting paid, without having to brave the wind and rain.

Looking at the dirt and grass on Li Cunxiao's boots, he was almost certain that the man was just an ordinary person with no money or influence.

So what if it's the Flying Tiger Escort Agency? My uncle is the County Lieutenant!

Otherwise, Murong Bai would have killed him long ago to establish his authority, instead of just giving him a flogging.

Li Cunxiao's eyes narrowed.

His cheekbones were high, and his eye sockets were deep. His large eyes had more black than white. When he narrowed them, he looked like a leopard hunting, exuding a dangerous aura. The surrounding prison guards were startled by his fierce appearance and took a step back.

"You want money? Fine."

Li Cunxiao approached step by step, like a tiger baring its fangs and opening its bloody maw.

"Take off my forehead sash, and you can have all the money."

Zhao Xiaoyi instinctively lowered his head. He saw the crimson forehead sash on the other man's headwear. The embroidered Winged Tiger seemed to come alive, its eyes glaring at him.

Take off the forehead sash? Isn't that slapping the Flying Tiger Escort Agency in the face?

As he hesitated, Li Cunxiao pushed forward, his brows furrowed, his hair and beard bristling.

"Go on, take it!"

"You don't dare?"

"You don't dare!"

He repeated it three times, each word hitting like a punch. Li Cunxiao advanced, and Zhao Xiaoyi retreated. By the time the latter snapped back to reality, his face was flushed with shame and anger. Li Cunxiao had already led the Gao family couple outside the prison.

Gao Cheng clenched his fists tightly, looking at Li Cunxiao with a newfound admiration, thinking, A true man should be like this.

Sister-in-law Gao didn't think of such things, but she felt something supporting her spine. She let out a sigh of relief.

It feels so good to have someone backing you up!

The surrounding runners were stunned, wondering who this formidable person was, as if a killer star had descended from the heavens. They all focused on their own noses and eyes, turning their heads away from Zhao Xiaoyi's furious gaze.

The area near the main gate was where people from the yamen frequently entered and exited. With so many eyes around, Boss Zhao would likely have to swallow his anger for now.

After all, if things escalated, it would be embarrassing for the County Lieutenant.

"Hey, isn't that Mucha's older brother?"

Que'er, walking with a sway in her step, followed by a middle-aged man with a square face, entered from the main gate.

She had initially insisted on coming when she heard her father had business at the County Yamen. However, finding it boring after arriving, she had asked Escort Leader Shi to take her shopping.

Thinking the time was right, she had returned.

But upon seeing Li Cunxiao, she couldn't recall his name. Her eyes darted around, and a playful impulse struck her. She called out, "Nezha! Nezha!"

Li Cunxiao turned and saw Que'er. He wasn't angry at her rudeness, because it was her rude request that had allowed his younger brother to enter the Zhang Manor in the first place.

When you take benefits, you must also bear the consequences.

"But a child wouldn't be coming to the County Yamen for official business. Is the Chief Escort here too?"

As he was thinking, Zhao Xiaoyi, not far away, also heard Que'er's shouting.

He used to be a delinquent from the streets and had cultivated martial arts with some diligence. But after being beaten by Murong Bai, he realized that fists and kicks were no match for power. So, he begged his uncle, who was the County Lieutenant, to get him a job as a runner.

Years passed, and his skills in eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and bullying the innocent grew, but his martial arts had deteriorated significantly. He had been stuck at the stage of manipulating Blood Essence for years without progress.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been scared into retreating repeatedly by Li Cunxiao just now.

He probably couldn't win in a fight, but he had plenty of ways to annoy people.

As soon as he heard the name "Nezha," the Buddhist plays and novels he had read before flooded his mind. Zhao Xiaoyi immediately put on a sinister grin and stripped off his upper garment.

His chest, abdomen, and back were covered in tattoos. In the center of his chest was the Northern Vaisravana Heavenly King, holding a pagoda and a treasure rat. The Heavenly King's appearance was solemn, but Zhao Xiaoyi's face only showed his bulging muscles, and his smile was full of mockery and glee.

"Nezha, my son, quickly heed your father's command!"

"You insult my deceased father, you're asking for death!"

A thunderous roar erupted, like a tiger's roar from flat ground. Before the sound had even died down, Li Cunxiao had already shot forward. His face turned purple, thick black veins bulged, and his entire body swelled with the surging Blood Essence. He looked like a blood-red tiger, carrying a gust of foul wind!

"Stop him!"

Zhao Xiaoyi's heart sank. He knew his taunt had worked. Prepared, he immediately retreated, and several familiar Bad People beside him immediately surrounded Li Cunxiao.

"Assaulting a Yamen runner, do you want to rebel?!"

Li Cunxiao didn't waste any words. His fists formed claws, and he prepared to pounce. However, as the first two men moved to guard the center, he suddenly lifted his right foot and delivered two lightning-fast kicks.

Tiger Pounce!

"Ah!" x2

The two runners screamed and fell to the ground, their cloth shoes soaked with blood at the tips.

This move, known as the stomp kick, was also called the rub kick. The movement was small and the kick was fast. Li Cunxiao's strike had directly flipped the thumbs of the two men.

As the saying goes, all ten fingers are connected to the heart. The nail beds are already dense with blood vessels. Under such intense pain, it was difficult to even stand steadily, let alone fight back!

Li Cunxiao's movements didn't stop. He was like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain. Taking advantage of the opponents' slow reaction, he threw two more punches, hitting the jaws of the rushing runners.

The opponents immediately rolled their eyes and fell asleep. If Li Cunxiao hadn't hooked them with his foot and gently kicked them away, their heads would have likely burst open on the spot.

Seeing Li Cunxiao swiftly deal with three people in the blink of an eye, the runners who were eager to try stopped in their tracks. Zhao Xiaoyi, standing nearby, almost couldn't help but curse, but he didn't have the time.

Bang!

Bang!

Two dull thuds of flesh colliding echoed. Zhao Xiaoyi's muscles bulged, and the tattooed Heavenly King seemed to stretch out because of it.

Two pairs of thick, bulging arms tangled together. Below the waist, Zhao Xiaoyi's right leg firmly blocked Li Cunxiao's stomp kick.

"Stepping on toes? That's a move for children fighting!"

As Zhao Xiaoyi spoke, he suddenly roared. The sudden increase in volume startled Que'er, who was behind Escort Leader Shi.

At the same time, his right hand suddenly lunged towards Li Cunxiao's eyes, while his left leg aimed directly for his groin!

Li Cunxiao, though startled, remained calm. He twisted his steps, turning his body sideways. His tensed back and right leg were like a taut hard bow. Zhao Xiaoyi's hands missed, and his kick landed on the side of Li Cunxiao's body, as if pulling back this bow.

With a low growl, Li Cunxiao's ferocious, blood-red face revealed his white teeth:

"Open!"

Stomping the ground, twisting the hips, and shrugging the shoulders were all done in one fluid motion, like a fierce tiger swishing its tail. A powerful force, like a heavy hammer, sent Zhao Xiaoyi stumbling, leaving his center exposed. Li Cunxiao didn't hesitate, turning sideways and delivering a whip kick, a tail sweep!

"Ah!!!!!"

Piercing screams mixed with the sound of eggshells breaking. Zhao Xiaoyi's entire body convulsed uncontrollably, tears and snot instantly gushing out. However, before the tearing pain in his lower body subsided, Li Cunxiao's eyes sharpened, and he delivered another kick to the man's knee—

Crack.

"Ughhhhhhhh!!!!"

The sound of breaking bone was drowned out by the screams. The runners nearby were stunned, and Que'er was so scared she huddled like a quail, Li Cunxiao's blood-red tiger-like face filling her mind.

Escort Leader Shi, who was protecting her, remained expressionless, always keeping the little girl firmly behind him.

After breaking Zhao Xiaoyi's leg, Li Cunxiao was still not satisfied. He knew that with the world on the brink of chaos, attacking a Yamen official in broad daylight would make it difficult even for Chief Escort Zhang Lishi to protect him.

But to prevent Zhao Xiaoyi from seeking revenge in the future, he had to at least break both his legs, leaving him unable to go anywhere. Then, when the time was right, he could take his dog's life.

As Li Cunxiao thought, he immediately lifted his right foot. However, at that moment, a shout suddenly came from a distance:

"Who dares to cause trouble at the Yamen, stop!"

Go to hell!

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's feet moved even faster. With a crack, Zhao Xiaoyi's right leg twisted in the opposite direction of its joint.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!! Uncle, save me!!"

"You dare!"

The approaching person's anger intensified, and Li Cunxiao could faintly feel a palm wind brushing his face. The intense killing intent felt almost tangible, pressing in on the surrounding air.

But the next moment, all the pressure vanished.

Because a tall figure now stood before Li Cunxiao.

A strong physique, a broad back—he was like a crouching giant tiger, just as Li Cunxiao had first seen him at the East Arrival Restaurant.

"Chief Escort," Li Cunxiao bowed deeply, his respectful attitude a stark contrast to his earlier defiance.

"I told you to stop just now, why didn't you listen?"

Zhang Lishi's words sounded like a reprimand, but his eyes were full of amused smiles.

Good Tiger Fist!

Good Nezha!