When the County Commandant walked out of the County Office, the commoners outside looked at him somewhat differently.
His actions had, after all, rid the area of villains.
Quite a few people were grateful to him. Riding the county magistrate's tailwind, he had given his prestige a substantial boost.
With someone taller there to hold up the falling sky, he was no longer afraid of the great aristocratic clans coming to demand an accounting, and swaggered back to his residence.
When he returned, seven or eight burly men immediately gathered around him. Most were powerfully built, with fierce faces.
"Elder brother!"
They all bowed in greeting. The County Commandant shook his head, signaling them not to say anything more, then led them into the Inner Chamber.
Taking the seat of honor, the County Commandant told them what had happened in town.
"Hahaha! Good riddance!"
One rough fellow immediately clapped his hands, thoroughly excited.
"We were still thinking about how to assassinate those beasts. Who would have thought the county magistrate would beat us to it?"
Of course, not everyone was so excited. Someone asked, "Elder brother, are we still going to flee to Xinfeng as planned?"
County Commandant Wang pondered for a moment.
"Not for now... The great clans are certain to retaliate, but the county magistrate has people behind him too. And from what I've seen, he doesn't seem like someone who would make scapegoats of us..."
County Commandant Wang did not go into further detail.
It was not that he distrusted these brothers before him, only that this matter had such far-reaching consequences that he needed to think it through carefully.
Perhaps someone had noticed his hesitation.
One of them suggested, "Elder brother, we've thoroughly offended those great clans this time. Something is bound to happen if we