Sikong Jing, Rewarding Merit

Just as Su Zhenglong erupted, a faint voice rang out: "Su Zhenglong, eldest master of the Su Clan, are you planning to revolt?"

The moment the voice fell, a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a chief constable stepped out from the crowd.

Su Zhenglong's gaze froze instantly, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, and his momentum vanished without a trace in an instant.

Opposite him, Su Yun couldn't help but giggle, "Hehe, Uncle, are you planning to risk your life?"

"It's a pity we won't give you the chance. This is Chief Han of the Yunye City Patrol Hall. He has already learned from the City Guard that Sikong Jing forced his way out of the city."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of Su Zhenglong and Su Yuexi turned even paler; they were in deep trouble now.

"That's right. Sikong Jing forced his way out of the city as a criminal; he must be executed!"

Chief Han's tone carried a sinister smile: "As one of the four great clans, the Su Clan may carry out the execution yourselves."

It was over, completely over!

Su Yuexi's entire body nearly collapsed. This time, her father didn't even have the chance to fight for his life; even the chief constable had arrived.

Su Zhenglong gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. The only thing he could do now was to ensure his daughter would not be punished.

Sikong Jing was doomed, with no hope of survival.

"Report..."

The next moment, a servant of the Su Clan appeared before Su Xuefeng and reported, "Patriarch, City Guard General Qiu Ye requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of Su Xuefeng, Su Zhengtao, and the others lit up.

"Haha, Su Zhenglong, even General Qiu of the City Guard has arrived. Let's see how you plan to resist now!" Su Zhengtao's face was filled with arrogance; Qiu Ye had surely come to pass judgment on Sikong Jing.

Su Xuefeng was also all smiles as he shouted, "Quickly, invite him in."

In the courtyard, Su Zhenglong smiled bitterly. With even Qiu Ye here, there was truly no chance left.

Meanwhile, Su Yuexi gripped Sikong Jing's hand tightly and gritted her teeth, "I will die with you."

Sikong Jing felt his heart fill, a warm current surging through his entire body.

He smiled at Su Yuexi and said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. I will turn the situation around very soon."

Before Su Yuexi could answer, Mei Xiaofang's voice rang out shrilly: "What situation are you still trying to turn around? Who told you to go rob money? I think you are exactly as Su Yun said—you were planning to flee the city all along."

Now that both Chief Han and General Qiu had arrived, it proved that Sikong Jing had indeed broken out of the city and had been captured.

So much for chasing after a jade hairpin; it was clear the hairpin had been robbed from the Hengyu Pawnshop.

"Yuexi, stay away from him."

"This man is a criminal. He can rob money and hairpins; he must have been a notorious bandit before he was exiled."

Mei Xiaofang pulled hard on Su Yuexi. She would never entrust her daughter to a criminal who refused to mend his ways.

Opening her mouth, Su Yuexi said, "Mother, the matter of the stolen money is not at all what the shopkeeper of Hengyu said."

She hadn't expected that even her mother wouldn't believe Sikong Jing, but she had seen the truth with her own eyes.

Mei Xiaofang stared at her daughter and smiled miserably, "You are too naive, far too naive."

"Forget it. Once General Qiu arrives, you will naturally see his true colors."

With that, Mei Xiaofang stopped pulling at Su Yuexi and returned to Su Zhenglong's side in pain.

Sikong Jing did not offer a defense, merely sighing inwardly. His status as a criminal made it all too easy for people to associate him with evil.

Perhaps this was exactly what Yan Yuru wanted to see.

She wanted to watch him suffer every cold look and every torment, even while living an ordinary life.

But he was not so easily defeated.

"Haha, General Qiu Ye, welcome to the Su Clan. My apologies for not greeting you sooner."

Su Xuefeng's voice arrived, followed immediately by Qiu Ye, who was dressed in military attire.

At this moment, Qiu Ye also wore a smile, but just as he was about to speak, he saw Chief Han and asked in surprise, "Chief Han, why are you also at the Su Clan?"

Chief Han hurried forward and smiled, "General Qiu, I am naturally here to arrest the fugitive Sikong Jing."

As soon as these words were spoken, Qiu Ye's face sank abruptly.

However, Chief Han had not yet noticed anything and chuckled, "My apologies, General Qiu. You failed to catch Sikong Jing, but he has returned to the Su Clan, and I have beaten you to it."

As he said this, Chief Han looked smug.

Sikong Jing's breakout was known to many in their circles. Qiu Ye had personally led men to pursue him but failed to make the arrest. Regardless of why Sikong Jing had returned, the credit would now belong to Chief Han.

"You say you are here to arrest Sikong Jing?" Qiu Ye's voice carried anger.

Chief Han shrugged and smiled, "Is there a problem? General Qiu, there is no need to be jealous of me; I will not yield the credit to you."

Bang!

Suddenly, Qiu Ye kicked Chief Han hard in the lower abdomen, sending the latter flying with a miserable shriek.

At the same time, the smiling Su Xuefeng was left completely dumbfounded. Why were they fighting?

The Su Zhenglong family was also stunned.

Mei Xiaofang covered her forehead; it seemed everyone was scrambling to kill her criminal son-in-law.

Was the credit for capturing Sikong Jing really that significant?

"Qiu Ye, what the hell are you doing?" Chief Han lay on the ground, shouting in a furious rage.

Qiu Ye lunged forward and yanked him up, roaring, "Who the hell told you that you could arrest Sikong Jing?"

Hm?

Su Xuefeng, who had been about to intervene, froze in his tracks. Something about that statement didn't seem right.

"He forced his way out of the city, and his criminal record falls under the jurisdiction of my Patrol Hall. Why shouldn't I be allowed to arrest him?" Although Chief Han was no match for Qiu Ye in a fight, he refused to back down, clinging to his sense of authority.

"Just because your city guards couldn't catch him, you're going to stop me from pursuing him?" Chief Han barked back.

Slap!

Qiu Ye struck him across the face again and coldly snapped, "Who told you that Sikong Jing forced his way out of the city?"

"What? If he didn't force his way out, then what was he doing?" Chief Han was stunned by the blow.

Qiu Ye let out a cold laugh, threw Chief Han heavily to the ground, and said indifferently, "Sikong Jing didn't force his way out of the city; he was assisting in my operation to wipe out the Beast Bandit Group."

What?

The entire crowd was dumbfounded. What on earth was going on?

Ignoring the shock around him, Qiu Ye looked at Sikong Jing and said, "Although Sikong Jing is a convict, he has performed meritorious service in this sweep of the Beast Bandit Group. He is hereby awarded twenty Gold Crystal Coins."

With that, he signaled his men, and a soldier quickly stepped forward to hand the Gold Crystal Coins to Sikong Jing.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Sikong Jing took the money and said calmly, "Many thanks, General Qiu."

The entire scene remained in a state of utter bewilderment.

After a long moment, Chief Han finally snapped out of it and shouted, "Qiu Ye, what kind of trick are you playing? This man clearly forced his way out of the city; I received the report myself."

Su Xuefeng also regained his senses, stepped forward, and said, "General Qiu, have you made a mistake?"

What kind of nonsense was this? How could a criminal like Sikong Jing possibly perform meritorious service?