Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The killing intent behind him gradually pressed closer to Meng Haoran!
At this moment, Meng Haoran's heart was filled with fear.
"I was still too reckless!"
Meng Haoran thought to himself, Lin Qingbai must hate me to the bone now. I should have handled things more discreetly!
With that thought, all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within Meng Haoran's dantian gathered beneath his feet, supporting him as he tried to widen the distance between himself and Lin Qingbai.
Relying on his practiced Daoist Magic, Swift Snake Step, Meng Haoran finally burst into a busy street crowded with people.
"Lin Qingbai! This is West Market!"
Meng Haoran's unspoken meaning was to make Lin Qingbai come to his senses.
But Lin Qingbai's mind was now filled with fury. The pain of losing his son, being stripped of his position as master of the hall, and having all the Lin Family's privileges revoked had already left him nursing a deep grudge for a long time.
And now, he had encountered Meng Haoran secretly sabotaging his plans. Naturally, he wanted nothing more than to kill Meng Haoran and be done with it!
"Wind Pattern Seal!"
A seal technique brimming with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth formed between Lin Qingbai's palms and shot toward Meng Haoran's back at breakneck speed!
Although Meng Haoran had rushed onto the main street, the many pedestrians around him slowed his advance.
A chill abruptly ran down his back. He could clearly sense the dense killing intent!
Just then, a familiar sharp shout suddenly rang out not far to Meng Haoran's left.
"Ice Soul Palm!"
A blue-white palm radiating faint cold air descended fiercely from above, striking Lin Qingbai's Wind Pattern Seal head-on!
The spiritual energy of wind and ice, two utterly different attributes, collided heavily, erupting in a thunderous blast.
Meng Haoran looked over and immediately cried in delight, "Clan Uncle Luohai!"
As he spoke, Meng Haoran hurried toward him.
When Lin Qingbai saw that the newcomer was Meng Luohai, he knew that killing Meng Haoran today was no longer possible.
Meng Luohai glared furiously at Lin Qingbai and demanded, "Lin Qingbai, what exactly happened? What could possibly make you go to such lengths that you would hunt down and kill a junior of my Meng Family in broad daylight in West Market?"
"Ask him yourself!"
Lin Qingbai roared, "My Lin Family sells Spirit Beasts in West Market in accordance with the laws of the Yu Dynasty, yet this brat secretly meddled and obstructed our Lin Family's legitimate business!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Haoran stepped close to Meng Luohai and said in a low voice, "Clan Uncle Luohai, it wasn't like that!"
Then Meng Haoran hurriedly explained the entire matter to Meng Luohai from beginning to end.
After hearing him out, Meng Luohai patted Meng Haoran on the shoulder. "Hao Ran, don't be nervous. Your clan uncle is here."
Watching Meng Haoran and Meng Luohai whispering to each other, Lin Qingbai raised his voice. "Meng Luohai, your Meng Family had its moment of glory in Qingyang County Town recently, seizing the market for our Lin Family Talisman. And now, do you intend to kill us all and cut off the Lin Family's Spirit Beast trade as well?"
As he spoke, Lin Qingbai looked around and shouted, "If that is the case, then your Meng Family is truly overbearing and unreasonable!"
Meng Luohai replied, "Heh. When cultivators fight, victory and defeat come down to being inferior in skill. The same is true for the struggle between our trading halls. It is your Lin Family that has a problem. How can you blame our Meng Family instead?"
"Hmph! So you want to twist words and force logic?"
Lin Qingbai lightly cupped his hands toward the county yamen and said, "Fine! Let us go meet the county magistrate and ask him to uphold justice for my Lin Family!"
Before his words had even faded, a steady voice sounded from behind Meng Luohai.
"There is no need to go meet him. This official is right here."
A middle-aged man around forty or fifty slowly stepped out from behind Meng Luohai.
The moment Lin Qingbai saw him, his heart jolted. He muttered, "Magistrate... Magistrate Song!"
The "Magistrate Song" in Lin Qingbai's words was named Song Zhiyi. Years ago, through the favor of the Commandery Governor of Qinghe Commandery, he had been assigned to Qingyang County, where he had served as its magistrate for many years.
Song Zhiyi wore a dark expression as he asked coldly, "Lin Qingbai, what a temper you have! You dared to kill someone in broad daylight, right in the streets of West Market! Do you still have the laws of the Yu Dynasty in your eyes?"
At this point, Song Zhiyi narrowed his eyes. "Or perhaps your Lin Family has never held the Imperial Court in your eyes at all!"
Hearing this, Lin Qingbai knew Song Zhiyi was truly angry. No matter what, he could not accept such an accusation.
"Magistrate Song, you misunderstand. My Lin Family has absolutely no disloyalty toward the Yu Dynasty! We hold the laws of the Yu Dynasty above even our clan rules!"
Lin Qingbai cupped his fists. "I ask Magistrate Song to see clearly!"
Song Zhiyi gave a cold snort. "This official trusts that you do not have such nerve!"
Meng Luohai's eyes shifted. Knowing that today was an excellent opportunity that could not be missed, he spoke from the side. "Magistrate Song, earlier I heard from a junior of my Meng Family that Lin Qingbai acted this way because something went wrong with the Spirit Beasts sold by the Lin Family."
The moment Song Zhiyi heard that, he knew Meng Luohai was hinting at something. He asked, "Could it be that the Spirit Beasts they sold have a problem?"
How could Lin Qingbai dare admit such a thing? He hurriedly replied, "Magistrate Song, my Lin Family has done business in Qingyang County Town for several hundred years. Why would we smash our own signboard?"
Meng Luohai chimed in, "Magistrate Song, whether the Spirit Beasts sold by the Lin Family have a problem will be clear at a glance!"
As soon as those words fell, the surrounding onlookers suddenly became eager for a spectacle. They all clamored to go take a look at the Lin Family's stall.
Seeing the crowd so stirred up, Song Zhiyi nodded. "The people have spoken. Lin Qingbai, please lead the way."
With Song Zhiyi having spoken to this extent, no matter how unwilling Lin Qingbai was, he could not refuse.
Once he rejected Song Zhiyi's proposal, it would confirm the charge that the Lin Family had sold inferior Spirit Beasts!
With such a charge hanging over the Lin Family, it would be tantamount to cutting off their future source of wealth!
Now, Lin Qingbai could only secretly pray that Song Zhiyi would show leniency and turn a major matter into a minor one, then a minor one into nothing...
Before long, Song Zhiyi's group arrived at the place where the Lin Family sold Spirit Beasts.
Meng Haoran's eyes spun as he shouted, "The county magistrate has arrived!"
The moment those words rang out, passing pedestrians were overcome with curiosity and all gathered around.
There had already been many onlookers when Zhang Mingyuan and the others caused a commotion earlier. This time, the area was packed so tightly that not even water could pass through.
When Zhang Mingyuan saw his county magistrate arrive, he cupped his fists and shouted, "Magistrate Song, I wish to file a complaint! I ask Magistrate Song to uphold justice for us!"
After helping Zhang Mingyuan to his feet, Song Zhiyi asked, "Please rise. This official will uphold justice for you. What is the matter?"
Zhang Mingyuan pointed at Lin Qingbai and the others with one hand and shouted sternly, "It is the Lin Family! They sold us inferior Spirit Beasts here!"
The moment he heard this, Song Zhiyi's gaze turned icy. He asked coldly, "Lin Qingbai, did you hear this man's complaint? Did your Lin Family sell inferior Spirit Beasts or not?"
Seeing Lin Qingbai lower his head without speaking, Song Zhiyi snapped, "Lin Qingbai, confess truthfully at once!"
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