The City Lord Took a Beating Too, and They Returned Home in a Resounding Victory

Zhang Jin and City Lord Liu Wuyan looked at each other.

Such a major incident had occurred, so naturally the City Lord had to come.

Because... he had also been taking a cut from this gambling house.

However, given his status, it was absolutely inappropriate for him to show himself publicly. Zhang Jin looked at Shen Lang's handsome face, recalling the scene when he had driven Shen Lang away.

It had clearly happened only a few days ago, yet it felt as though it had been ages.

Back then, Shen Lang had clearly been a brain-damaged idiot.

How had he now become so sly, like a ghost?

"City Lord, with things so chaotic right now, isn't Shen Lang especially likely to have joy turn to sorrow?" Zhang Jin suddenly asked.

City Lord Liu Wuyan nodded. "Indeed."

He and the Earl's Manor were natural enemies, and thus he was naturally Shen Lang's enemy as well.

Zhang Jin said, "With several thousand people surrounding Shen Lang to pick up coins, if some trampling incident happens, it should have absolutely nothing to do with us, right?"

City Lord Liu Wuyan said, "Of course not."

Zhang Jin added, "If Shen Lang were accidentally trampled into a cripple, that would be perfectly normal too, wouldn't it?"

City Lord Liu Wuyan said, "Normal."

The scene before them was so chaotic. If a trampling incident truly injured Shen Lang, Shen Lang could only blame himself for being too high-profile.

If the Earl wanted to assign blame, he could hardly blame the several thousand citizens present, could he? Didn't he love the people as his own children? Besides, he could not blame Tian Heng and the others either. Tian Heng had already been ruined so badly by him that he had vomited blood and fainted.

Liu Wuyan suddenly said, "Since it would be a trampling incident, many people would surely die. Several dozen, even over a hundred, would be perfectly normal. When that happens, Shen Lang and the Earl's Manor would both be unable to escape responsibility, wouldn't they?"

At those words, Zhang Jin froze.

He actually wanted to kill with a borrowed knife, pinning the deaths of dozens or even hundreds of people on the Earl's Manor? Zhang Jin stared at City Lord Liu, his gaze filled with astonishment.

He had only wanted to use the opportunity to deal with Shen Lang alone, but this City Lord wanted to kill dozens of people and use the chance to bring down Xuanwu Earl's Manor.

Damn, no wonder he was a civil official. He was far more vicious than us military men!

Weren't you afraid of bringing calamity upon your descendants? Then, the two great figures nodded.

They decided to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a major incident, one that would drag the Earl's Manor into the mire.

Trampling Shen Lang was merely incidental.

"Long live the Earl!"

"Long live Master Shen!"

The thousands of citizens outside were still cheering.

More than a dozen warriors, dressed in ordinary citizens' clothes, slipped into the crowd from all directions.

They squeezed toward Shen Lang through the crowd from four directions.

First, they would use the scramble for gold coins as an excuse to create chaos.

Then, at the first opportunity, they would shove aside the four warriors around Shen Lang, knock Shen Lang to the ground, and crush his balls with one stomp.

Finally, they would trigger a great disturbance and a massive trampling.

They would brew a great disaster, killing at least dozens of people, then pin all the blame on the Earl's Manor.

The plan was vicious indeed! Yet Shen Lang sensed the danger at once.

A chaotic crowd was most likely to cause trampling and unleash a terrible calamity.

Moreover, there were more than a dozen unfamiliar faces in the crowd, squeezing toward him.

With the Smart Brain, he could clearly remember many people's faces.

He looked toward Prosperity Place.

Today's matter had grown so huge, yet Tian Heng's backer had not appeared. That was not normal. These dozen or so people clearly were not Tian Heng's men.

They wanted to create even greater chaos and disaster.

"Quiet! Nobody move!" Shen Lang shouted.

The gold coins had already been handed out, and his influence was at its peak.

Upon hearing Shen Lang's words, the thousands of citizens present all fell silent, standing where they were and looking at him.

Thus, the dozen or so warriors impersonating citizens became especially conspicuous, because they were still forcing their way inward.

You, Shen Lang, wanted to stop it now? Too late!

Tian Heng had already vomited blood and passed out. Now, you were the only important figure present.

Once a massive trampling and mass-casualty incident occurred—

The only ones who would bear responsibility would be Shen Lang and the Earl's Manor.

Shen Lang took out Tian Heng's promissory note. It was for a full seventeen thousand gold coins.

Though this debt would never be collected, seventeen thousand gold coins was still an utterly shocking number.

"This is the seventeen thousand gold coins Tian Heng owes me," Shen Lang shouted. "I will not take even a single copper coin from it."

"Where did Tian Heng's money come from? Where did Prosperity Place's money come from?"

"It was all the flesh and blood of Xuanwu City's people, all your hard-earned money. Therefore, these ten thousand-plus gold coins belong to you as well."

Shen Lang held the promissory note high. "This debt is not owed to me by Tian Heng. It is owed to all the citizens of Xuanwu City."

"I will send this promissory note to the City Lord's Manor and ask the City Lord to recover this debt for Xuanwu City's people. Of the money recovered, I will not take or handle even half a gold coin. It will all be used to aid Xuanwu City's impoverished families."

"You must believe that City Lord Liu Wuyan will certainly stand up for the people," Shen Lang shouted.

The moment those words came out, City Lord Liu Wuyan's expression changed inside Prosperity Place.

Fuck!

The flames had actually reached my head?

Those dozen or so warriors continued pretending to be citizens as they squeezed toward Shen Lang.

First trample Shen Lang down, then create a mass trampling incident with heavy casualties.

However...

Shen Lang suddenly ran over.

With speed too swift to cover one's ears, he rushed straight into Prosperity Place and violently pushed open the door.

Without a word, City Lord Liu Wuyan tried to vanish through the back door.

"City Lord, you really are here..."

Shen Lang was afraid others might not know, so he immediately shouted loudly and stepped forward to grab his sleeve.

"Fellow elders and townspeople, the City Lord really is here!"

He even called for the countless citizens to come and see.

At once, the crowd of citizens surged forward and indeed saw City Lord Liu Wuyan.

The City Lord wore an expression of complete shock and embarrassment.

Then, he rushed straight into Prosperity Place and violently pushed open the door.

Xuanwu City Lord Liu Wuyan stood inside, his face full of astonishment.

Damn, Shen Lang, sly as a ghost. You had just said you were going to the City Lord's Manor to find me, yet now you had suddenly charged right in.

And in that instant, the dozen or so people outside immediately stopped what they were doing.

If Shen Lang alone had been present, then any massive trampling and casualty incident would have been Shen Lang's and the Earl's Manor's responsibility.

But if the City Lord was present?

Then sorry, you were Xuanwu City's highest official. It would surely be your responsibility. Shen Lang could at most bear secondary responsibility.

Thus, the poisonous scheme came to an end.

Such a major incident had occurred, so naturally he had come, because... he had also been taking a cut from this gambling house.

City Lord Liu Wuyan had not expected sly Shen Lang to charge straight in and expose him before the masses.

Next, Shen Lang respectfully placed the promissory note in City Lord Liu Wuyan's hands and said with utmost sincerity, "City Lord, this promissory note is the hope of Xuanwu City's countless impoverished people. You love the people as your own children, so I entrust this heavy responsibility to you."

Then, the countless citizens present all turned their eyes toward City Lord Liu Wuyan.

"These seventeen thousand gold coins are all flesh and blood squeezed from Xuanwu City's people. They concern the hopes of countless poor families," Shen Lang said. "I am insignificant and weak, and I know I cannot recover these gold coins. But the City Lord is the chief official of this city. If you personally seek this debt on behalf of countless poor people, Tian Heng surely would not dare refuse repayment."

At those words—

Tian Heng, who had just faintly awakened, truly wanted to pass out again.

That promissory note for seventeen thousand gold coins had only been written casually.

Repaying it was impossible.

Unless the Earl personally came to collect the debt. Yet even if the sky collapsed, the Earl could never possibly come to collect a gambling debt.

Thus, this promissory note was merely a scrap of waste paper.

But now...

He actually had to repay it?

Zhang Jin and Liu Wuyan both felt their livers tremble.

This... this gambling house was Tian Heng's on the surface, but most of the money went into their pockets.

The losses were all our money.

The City Lord's eyelids twitched, then he forced a smile. "Rest assured, I will certainly not betray your trust."

"I donate these seventeen thousand gold coins to Xuanwu City's impoverished people, and I formally entrust this matter to the City Lord," Shen Lang said. "Are you certain you will recover this debt for the countless poor people?"

What else could the City Lord do? Say that he would not handle this matter? So many eyes were watching!

Shen Lang had already elevated this matter into life-saving money for Xuanwu City's countless poor citizens.

If the City Lord refused to accept it, rumors would spread tomorrow that the City Lord and Tian Heng wore the same pair of trousers, that he was the gambling house's protective umbrella.

Otherwise, why had the City Lord hidden inside Prosperity Place? By then, it would not just be Tian Heng whose reputation was utterly ruined.

The City Lord wore a smile on his face, but inside, it felt as if ten thousand alpacas had stampeded across his heart.

A snake's bite sank three inches into the bone.

Shen Lang, you were a venomous snake!

But with countless eyes fixed on him now, the City Lord not only could not lose his temper, he had to wear an amiable smile.

"Of course. Rest assured, Young Master Shen," City Lord Liu Wuyan said with an honest smile.

"Thank you, City Lord." Shen Lang bowed deeply. "It is getting late. I shall take my leave now. Farewell, City Lord."

Amid the admiring gazes of countless people and the grindingly hateful stares of dozens more, Shen Lang boarded the luxurious carriage and rode away.

Today's battle had been won with exhilarating satisfaction.

From this day onward, all of Xuanwu City would spread his legend.

Inside Xuanwu Earl's Manor.

The Earl paced uneasily through the Great Hall, glancing outside from time to time.

"Jin Zhong, has Shen Lang not returned yet?"

Jin Zhong said, "Not yet, Master."

The Earl asked again, "Have the people sent out to gather information not returned either?"

Jin Zhong said, "They have not, Master."

The Earl said, "Were enough people sent to secretly protect Shen Lang and deal with any sudden crisis?"

Jin Zhong said, "More than a dozen were sent. That should be enough."

The Earl looked up at the sun in the sky, and the agitation in his heart grew even stronger.

He had already begun regretting it, though he had not said so aloud.

He truly should not have let Shen Lang leave. That boy did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth, rushing alone to confront Tian Heng. Losing would have been one thing, but he feared Shen Lang might truly suffer a terrible setback.

Behind Tian Heng stood Zhang Jin and City Lord Liu Wuyan.

Shen Lang would likely not merely suffer a crushing defeat. Most frightening of all, he might cause a great disaster.

He had not returned even this late. He truly feared it was not merely a loss, but that a great disaster had occurred.

Note: Thank you, macuy, for the ten-thousand-coin reward. Thank you.