Chapter 85: Going Through the Motions

“Are you a pig?”

Fang Xu’s cool voice echoed through the empty county yamen. At the sound, everyone present stared at him in disbelief. Did Fang Xu truly not know the background of this magistrate? If he did, how could he dare speak so rudely?

“Do you think just because I don’t know who you are, you can keep barking at me?” Fang Xu asked coldly, rolling his neck until crisp cracks sounded.

“You... what... what are you going to do?” Seeing Fang Xu slowly approach, the magistrate somehow stumbled back two steps.

Then he missed the step at his feet and dropped hard onto the ground, staring at Fang Xu in terror.

“Since... since you know my identity, how dare you be so bold?” Sitting sprawled on the floor, the magistrate himself did not know what had come over him today—why a scholar dressed so weak and refined had managed to intimidate him.

If he knew that this frail-looking scholar had slaughtered all the bandits in the mountains, he might have understood why.

For Fang Xu now carried a faint murderous aura, and that aura betrayed the fury in his heart.

He knew very well that storming into the courtroom was indeed an act of grave disrespect. But this magistrate had not even bothered to ask what had happened before he meant to lay hands on him. That alone made his corruption plain.

“Bold? If what I am doing counts as bold, then I wonder what you would call colluding with bandits, treating lives as worthless, and taking bribes and embezzling public funds? Even bolder, perhaps, Magistrate Zhao?”

Fang Xu crouched down and smiled at the terrified man before him.

At the sight, Magistrate Zhao’s fleshy face trembled uncontrollably, sweat and oil beading over it.

How could he fail to understand what Fang Xu meant? Yet in his own mind, only he, the bandit chief, and the bandit second-in-command knew of these matters.

By rights, no outsider should have known. Could it be that the bandits had leaked the secret?

No, that was even less likely. Even if those bandits were given ten times the courage, they would not dare speak of such a thing. If they did, how would they expect to stay alive?

How, then, did this young man know of his dealings with the bandits? Could he be the son of some great lord?

To Magistrate Zhao, Fang Xu’s appearance was that of the son of some noble official. He had not yet seen the darkness of officialdom, so it was understandable that he still kept a shred of righteous spirit in his heart.

“Might I ask... which lord’s son are you?” Zhao asked, forcing down his fear and putting on a foolish grin.

“What is this? Are you trying to buy me off?” Fang Xu looked at the slumped magistrate in confusion. He clearly thought Zhao meant to bribe him.

“Please, you misunderstand. I was merely worried that a flood might have washed into the Dragon King’s temple. A misunderstanding, nothing more.” Zhao hauled himself to his feet, gasping for breath, his jiggling flesh making him look almost nauseating.

With that trademark smile of his, many of the watching villagers immediately caught the hidden meaning.

“Well, there goes another young master from some family,” one of them muttered as he turned to leave.

Fang Xu and Old Wu both heard him. Fang Xu shot Old Wu a glance, and Old Wu immediately understood. He strode quickly after the departing villager.

“Sir, please wait.”

Old Wu blocked the man’s path, and the villager instantly tensed up.

With Old Wu’s frightening face and the murderous aura around him, it would have been hard not to be intimidated.

“T-this officer... what can I do for you?” the villager asked nervously. Seeing his reaction, Old Wu grew even more irritated.

“You just mentioned some young master from a certain family. What did you mean? Has something like this happened here before?”

Old Wu had no intention of beating around the bush and asked directly.

“Oh, that? Ask anyone around here and they’ll tell you. Something similar happened a while ago.” The villager sighed.

“Old Sun, don’t talk nonsense! Do you want to die?” Another villager beside him hurriedly tugged at him, clearly alarmed.

“What are you pulling me for? I’m fed up. Aren’t these officials and yamen runners always just good at putting on a show?”

The man called Old Sun sounded displeased.

“If you have something to say, just say it. My young master is certainly not what you imagine him to be,” Old Wu said. Having lived so many years, how could he not understand the hidden meaning here?

At his words, Old Sun waved a hand, clearly taking no notice.

From Old Sun’s explanation, Old Wu learned that what was happening in the county yamen today was not a special case at all. Some time ago, an identical incident had occurred.

The other party was about Fang Xu’s age, and Magistrate Zhao had worn the same smug face.

The villagers who had been watching had hoped that young master would bring them a bright and fair world. Unfortunately, he did nothing at all, and in the end acted as though nothing had happened.

Many villagers saw Magistrate Zhao hand over several chests filled with money to that young master, and the young master happily took his leave.

He may have left delighted, but the villagers were left to suffer.

After he was gone, Magistrate Zhao grew even more unrestrained. He resumed extorting them with greater boldness, and if they could not produce money or grain, they were not only beaten and tortured but also burdened with all manner of trumped-up crimes.

Hearing this, Old Wu tightened his grip on the Embroidered Spring Sabre in his hand until it gave a sharp creak.

It was clear he was furious.

How could he not understand what was really going on? Looking at the villagers’ gaunt faces and ragged clothes, then at Magistrate Zhao’s oily, bloated appearance, Old Wu nearly lost control of himself.