Just as Lin Ke was observing them, another wave of people arrived.
The title of Young Master Lin, Divine Detective, had indeed brought quite a lot of traffic to Chaoyang Street.
Of course, most came with goodwill, but quite a few harbored malicious intentions.
Fortunately, there were plenty of young masters and young ladies here, so no one dared cause trouble at will.
Still, that was hard to say.
The Imperial Capital certainly had plenty of clever people, but that did not necessarily mean it had few fools.
Lin Ke was not particularly worried, either.
Who were the friendly figures around him at present?
The most formidable was Minister Qi.
With the Three Provinces and Thirteen Ministries united, they could even withstand the Sage Emperor's wrath. That alone showed how powerful a minister was.
Below him were Lin Ke's two masters, the Great Confucian Li Chungang and the Painter Wang Lin, as well as the shopkeeper.
A Great Confucian's strength naturally went without saying, second only to the ministerial level.
He did not know how strong his other master, Wang Lin, was, but judging from their choices back then, Li Chungang, Wang Lin, and Shopkeeper Tong should all have been on the same level.
Further down, the Golden Crow Prince Jingang counted as half an ally, as did Li Hanlin.
By that reckoning, surely no one would come looking for trouble?
Surely?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Lin Ke heard an arrogant laugh outside the door.
"What bullshit Judicial Commissioner? What did solving the case have to do with him? It was only Eastern Capital Deputy Prefect Li Hanlin's 'Interrogation' that did the work!"
The voice was arrogant beyond measure, as though its owner alone reigned supreme throughout heaven and earth.
There were two possible sources for such a voice. One was that the supreme powerhouse had arrived in person-in other words, the venerable Sage Emperor himself was here.
The other was an idiot.
Having finally seized the chance to rest for half a day, Lin Ke sighed helplessly.
He stood up and walked toward the entrance like the other customers, then looked outside to watch the commotion.
Only when he reached the entrance did Lin Ke see that the speaker was not outside the Tongfu Grand Restaurant, but at the tea shop a short distance away.
The Hanging Mountain Tea Shop!
The Tea Shop Father and Son were the elderly father, Chen Pingping, and the young man, Chen An.
The Hanging Mountain Tea Shop usually had few customers, and charged people as soon as they took a seat.
Chen Pingping was the best at vocal mimicry. He had been a storyteller all his life, and his performances often won applause.
Chen An had learned from Chen Pingping, and his vocal mimicry was not bad either.
The two took turns performing and coordinated their work, with excellent results.
Lin Ke simply did not know who Chen An's mother was. He had never seen her.
At that moment, a young master dressed in white stood outside the Hanging Mountain Tea Shop.
Holding a White Jade Folding Fan, he kept both hands behind his back, presenting his back to the crowd.
What an ordinary-looking back... Lin Ke narrowed his eyes, studying the newcomer as he sank into thought.
Descriptions like "holding a fan," "dressed in white," "young master," and "hands behind his back" appeared in cultivation and fantasy novels by the thousands, if not tens of thousands.
Most described people with an impressive air who liked to put on a show, and so on. Few were genuinely like that by nature.
And this fellow, who had plainly come after him, clearly was not like that by nature.
"Oh? And who might you be, young master? In this old man's opinion, young Lin fully deserved the title of 'Great Wei Judicial Commissioner'!"
Chen Pingping's unhurried voice drifted out from inside the tea shop.
"Hahaha! What noble registry could a little street like Chaoyang possibly have? Mere folk of servile status, yet they dream of calling themselves 'Divine Case-Solving'?"
The speaker outside the tea shop paced about as though he had heard the most ridiculous joke under heaven, his laughter going on and on.
Inside and outside the tea shop, whether they were first-time listeners, members of the Chaoyang Crowd who had witnessed Lin Ke solving the case throughout, or mere spectators, everyone frowned in unison.
At last, the young master stopped laughing. He turned to look at Chen Pingping on the stage, swept his gaze around the crowd, then let it settle on the stage again.
Now the young man no longer concealed his contempt in the slightest. "Ye are but lowly folk of servile status. How could ye be high officials of the Confucian registry? Ye are all ants. I revere the Sage Emperor, uphold the Three Provinces, read ten thousand books, and honor sages and worthies. May I not even pass judgment?"
What he meant was that all these people were commoners of servile status, neither members of the Confucian registry nor Imperial Court officials. They were all ants.
Whereas he respected the Sage Emperor, supported the Three Provinces and Twelve Ministries, had read many books, and revered sages and worthies. Could he not even criticize a lowborn wretch of servile status now?
"Heh heh. The authorities bestowed 'Great Wei Judicial Commissioner' and 'Divine Case-Solving' upon young Lin. If the authorities say this old man may neither spread nor speak of this 'Great Wei Judicial Commissioner,' then I, Chen Pingping of the Hanging Mountain Tea Shop, will accept that."
Chen Pingping looked calmly at the young man by the entrance. "Or you could produce an official document or notice, young master. That would do as well!"
The young man still standing at the entrance did not fly into a rage. Instead, he smiled at Chen Pingping on the stage, giving the impression of someone exceptionally skilled at maintaining his composure.
Yet his words soured the expressions of most people present.
They heard the young man declare loudly, "First, how can a pack of people of servile status like you speak of reputation or official rank? Second, my father is the Left Secretary of the Capital Prefecture here in the Imperial Capital. Tell me, am I qualified?"
The Left Secretary of the Capital Prefecture!
Over at the Tongfu Grand Restaurant, the spectators' eyes lit up at once.
Was this going to be a spectacle of someone bullying the common people?
The young masters and young ladies rushed out in a flurry, brimming with excitement and holding all sorts of Milk Tea.
Lin Ke followed the stream of people out to watch the commotion.
After all, right now he was not Lin Ke, merely an anonymous passerby.
And what grudge could an anonymous passerby possibly have with that white-robed young master?
Meanwhile, the young man stepped onto the stage, swept his gaze around, and chuckled. "I went to the restaurant just now but did not find that Lin Ke. I wonder whether Lin Ke dares step forward to meet me?"
Chen Pingping shook his head unobtrusively in Lin Ke's direction, signaling that he should not get involved in this trouble.
Chen Pingping had spotted him as soon as Lin Ke arrived.
"Lowborn wretch. It seems I'll have to use other methods."
The young man snorted coldly, then raised his foot and kicked straight at the old man's chest.
An assault in broad daylight?!
Everyone present was startled, but none of them knew quite what to say.
Those who committed assault in the street were fined between fifty and five thousand taels of silver, depending on the victim's injuries. If the victim died, the offender was to pay with their life immediately.
However, that applied when there was no prior grievance between the two parties. If there was a grievance, the judgment depended on the actual circumstances.
"What audacity! This is right beneath the Sage Emperor's feet!"
"The venerable Sage Emperor is wise, but would you notice two ants fighting beside your feet?"
"True. Something like this can be settled by the Capital Prefecture at most."
"Quite right, quite right."
"Aren't we going to stop him?"
"Are you stupid? He's the son of the Left Secretary of the Capital Prefecture. I certainly won't bring trouble down on my family."
"Hmph! Cowardly weaklings. We Confucian scholars certainly will not sit idly by while the weak are bullied!"
The onlookers clamored, each holding to their own opinion.
Some wanted to step in and help, some hesitated, some watched coldly, and some snickered.
Just then, an oppressive aura radiated from the young man on the stage.
"Confucian Scholar Realm!"
Someone cried out in shock.
At the same time, another aura spread through the area. It belonged to one of the Inspectors who patrolled the Imperial Capital throughout all twelve double-hours of the day!
The Inspector's voice rang out. "This is the Imperial Capital! Do not think you can commit assault in full view of everyone! Otherwise, you shall-"
Yet a cold gleam flashed through the young man's eyes. A faint glow rose from his foot, and his kick grew even faster.
Bang!!
Chen Pingping's aged body flew backward.
Before you continue