First came all manner of underhanded tricks. People were still half doubtful then; many watched, but few approached.
After a burst of shouting at the end of the long street, packs of thugs and hooligans came charging on runaway horses. The crowd cried out and scattered. Just as injuries seemed inevitable, the vermilion-clad figure at the center did not even glance their way.
A figure in green sprang up, swift as the wind. Within four breaths, he had calmly reined all thirteen panicked horses to a halt. A sword sheath knocked the thirteen riders down one after another, and a dozen breaths later, he alone escorted all thirteen over.
Li Zhao already stood at the pinnacle of Eighth Growth. His elegant display drew cheers and applause, and the atmosphere instantly grew lively.
Anyone could see that these were the Taiping Transport Gang's tricks. Then came firecrackers, lime... Every attempt at disruption was thwarted in turn. More and more commoners gathered, and the atmosphere grew livelier still.
The foulest trick was a cartload of liquid manure, which spilled unstoppably before the government offices. Only then did Di Jiu calmly rise and lead everyone elsewhere. He ordered the captured Taiping Transport Gang suspects to kneel in it, saying, "Low-down scum doing low-down things. Since they have guilty consciences, we shall not stop for even a moment."
The watching commoners broke into applause.
"Di Jiu" was already a name of some renown. This was the strategy the two men from the Court of Judicial Review had settled on after reading through Jingzhao Prefecture's case files, while Pei Ye had yet to find Xie Chuantang.
One after another, cases the Taiping Transport Gang and Jingzhao Prefecture had jointly suppressed were exposed in broad daylight. Di Jiu had already grasped the essentials of many while