Kindhearted A-Cheng

Four men arrived in all. Their leader was in his thirties, with stern brows, a square face, and a tall, burly build. He wore the black, cloud-patterned uniform of the City Guard Office, with a long saber at his waist. He was none other than Liu Yunfeng, chief constable of the Ruyi Ward Branch Office in the South District.

The other three were runners under Liu Yunfeng.

"Chen Er murdered someone!

My lord, please save this poor woman's family and uphold justice for us!"

The moment Widow Tian saw the City Guard Office officers arrive, she scrambled forward and fell to her knees before Liu Yunfeng, repeatedly kowtowing as she cried out her grievances.

"Stop your racket!"

Behind Liu Yunfeng, the young runner with a conspicuous scar across his left cheek pressed a hand to the saber at his waist and barked coldly.

Great Yu's laws were harsh. How could the City Guard Office officers be easy to deal with? Ordinary folk were fine so long as they kept themselves in line, but if they dared cause trouble and fell into the officers' hands, they would get a savage beating at best, or be thrown into prison to suffer untold hardships at worst.

Even ordinary commoners aside, even those from the martial world's gangs and sects kept far away whenever they saw officers.

Widow Tian shuddered and stopped wailing.

Liu Yunfeng's expression was stern and imposing. After sweeping his gaze over the people present, he had more or less grasped what had happened.

A brawl!

By custom, when chief constables and runners from the City Guard Office encountered such matters, they would generally give both sides involved a vicious beating and hastily close the case.

They would only arrest people if one or both sides suffered severe injuries, or if someone had died.

Of course, that was merely standard practice for dealing with commoners. It did not apply to the powerful and noble within the city.

Although no noble scion was involved today, the situation was somewhat unusual. The assailant wore a prison guard's uniform and was clearly from South City Prison.

Among the three divisions of yamen personnel—the clerk division, the constable division, and the strongmen division—prison guards belonged to the strongmen division.

In principle, prison guards from the strongmen division remained under the jurisdiction of the constables even outside the prison. The young prison guard before him wore the uniform of the lowest-ranking guards. Liu Yunfeng could have handled the matter by convention, punishing both sides and leaving it at that.

However, Ma Liu was rolling about on the ground in agony, his arm and lower leg hanging limp. It was obvious that they had been broken.

As for the assailant, the young prison guard before him looked utterly ordinary, even somewhat thin and frail. Yet he was completely uninjured. Not only had he suffered no harm, he looked calm and unhurried.

It seemed that breaking someone's hands and feet had taken him no more effort than blowing away dust.

To break someone's hands and feet so easily, this little prison guard is no simple man!

Drawing on his years of experience, Liu Yunfeng silently thought to himself.

"Was it you, boy, who beat the three of them?" Liu Yunfeng stared at Chen Cheng and asked coldly.

After all, he was the chief constable in charge of this area. Even if this little prison guard had some skill, he should not have bullied others through strength on Liu Yunfeng's turf. Liu Yunfeng would not tolerate anyone running wild in his territory, much less a lowly prison guard!

"Chief Constable Liu, how would I dare assault people in the street and violate Great Yu's laws? I was merely acting in self-defense."

Chen Cheng cupped his hands and replied with a smile. His manner was humble, yet neither servile nor overbearing.

"You know me?" Liu Yunfeng asked in surprise.

Though he was only a Subordinate Ninth Rank chief constable, Ruyi Ward had tens of thousands of residents, and the streets and alleys under his jurisdiction alone held several thousand people. He truly could not recall ever having crossed paths with this little prison guard.

Chen Cheng smiled. "I serve under Chief Jiang Cheng. I have seen Chief Constable Liu a few times before."

"So you're one of Brother Jiang's men. No wonder." Liu Yunfeng thought for a moment, but still could not recall such a person under Jiang Cheng. He then asked, "What is your name?"

Chen Cheng said, "This one is called Chen Cheng."

"Chen Cheng... That name sounds awfully familiar. I seem to have heard Brother Jiang mention it..." After pondering for a moment, Liu Yunfeng suddenly said, "Could you be Ruthless A-Cheng?"

Chen Cheng scratched his head rather sheepishly and smiled. "That is only a nickname everyone made up in jest. I'm very kindhearted."

Kindhearted? He broke people's hands and feet the moment he struck, and that was called kindhearted? Liu Yunfeng's eyelid twitched.

He gained a new understanding of this seemingly harmless young prison guard.

Hearing of a man was not the same as meeting him. This boy truly lived up to the name Ruthless A-Cheng!

Seeing that Chen Cheng actually knew Chief Constable Liu Yunfeng, and that they seemed to be on rather good terms, Widow Tian immediately panicked. Through tears, she said:

"Chen Cheng beat the three of us and showed no regard for the law! Lord Liu, please uphold justice for us!"

Liu Yunfeng frowned. The scar-faced constable behind him understood at once and raised his hand, slapping Widow Tian across the face so hard that she staggered.

"When Lord Liu is speaking, did he permit you to make such a racket?"

Widow Tian's cheek swelled high, and the pain made her bare her teeth. Yet she did not dare make another sound.

"Chen... A-Cheng, what happened here today?" Liu Yunfeng asked. For some reason, he felt that calling him A-Cheng rolled off the tongue more naturally.

How could Chen Cheng fail to hear the friendliness in his words? He immediately put on an innocent expression. "Chief Liu, yesterday Widow Tian's son, Second Fool, threw stones at my wife. I couldn't swallow that, so I kicked him once.

"Widow Tian then threw a tantrum and tried to grab me. Of course I had to resist, and I accidentally kicked her once.

"As for this Ma Liu, he raised a club and wanted to smash my head. I'm weak and frail; if that club had landed, wouldn't he have beaten me to death alive? With no other choice, I defended myself, and accidentally gave him a slight injury.

"There are so many neighbors here to bear witness. I, Chen Cheng, have always been kindhearted. Unless I have no other choice, I would never lay a hand on anyone."

Broken hands and feet, and he called that a slight injury? Liu Yunfeng was speechless. Still, Chen Cheng said there were witnesses present, so it was likely true. He immediately turned to the Locust Tree Alley residents gathered around to watch.

"Is what Chen Cheng said true?"

Widow Tian had never been a good person, while Ma Liu, that rogue, usually went about committing all manner of evil and bullying the neighbors. The people of Locust Tree Alley had suffered under them for a long time. At these words, they all nodded and affirmed it.

"Under Great Yu law, Chen Cheng acted in legitimate self-defense and is not guilty."

Liu Yunfeng could not be bothered with such a trivial matter to begin with, so he promptly reached his verdict. Then he turned to Widow Tian, his expression turning stern once more.

"Are the three of you convinced by this official's ruling?"

Widow Tian naturally refused to accept it and still wanted to argue, but Ma Liu knew the officers were not to be provoked. He hurriedly tugged at her trouser leg and endured the pain as he said, "Lord Liu, we accept it wholeheartedly."

"Hmph. Good that you accept it! If you dare cause trouble again, do not blame this official for showing no mercy!"

With a cold snort, Liu Yunfeng prepared to leave with his runners.

"Chief Liu, I have one more matter. I would trouble Chief Liu to bear witness for me."

As he spoke, Chen Cheng took a written note from his robes.

"Two years ago, Widow Tian borrowed five hundred copper coins from my father. This is the proof."

Liu Yunfeng accepted the loan note and gave it a brief glance before turning to Widow Tian. "Is this true?"

With the note as evidence, Widow Tian naturally could not deny it. But she had never intended to repay the money. She began weeping and playing the pitiful victim.

"It is true, but my husband's family has died out. Only my son and I, a widow and orphan, remain, with no one to rely on..."

"Enough." Liu Yunfeng cut her off. "Debts must be repaid; that is as natural as heaven and earth. Since you borrowed the money, you must repay it. Those are the rules."

As he spoke, he looked toward the sackcloth bag by the courtyard gate and the two hens with their feet tied, his face darkening.

"You can even afford chicken meat. Your family is doing quite well!"

"Lord Liu, this poor woman will repay it at once." Knowing she could no longer hide it, Widow Tian could only take out her money pouch, count out five hundred copper coins, and reluctantly hand them to Chen Cheng.

Yet Chen Cheng did not take them. Counting on his fingers, he said leisurely, "You borrowed five hundred copper coins from my father back then. As for the interest... I'll give you the lowest rate. Nine out, thirteen back. After one month, that makes five hundred and sixty-five coins. With interest rolling upon interest, how much would it be after two years? Let me calculate... Forget it. I'm a kindhearted man, so just give me two taels of silver."

"What? Two taels of silver?" Widow Tian was so frightened that she collapsed onto the ground, wishing she were dead.