183: Chapter 0183 Catching the Assassin

Xie Juner understood quickly. Since she helped manage the family business, she was naturally aware that the Linyuan Marquis Mansion had many vested interests intertwined with various officials.

These were effectively the unspoken rules of the game; one couldn't expect a horse to run without letting it graze.

Could anyone truly expect these officials to support their families on their meager stipends? It was impossible.

Especially those minor officials who had bought their positions. What was the purpose of becoming an official? The answer was obvious!

“This Chang Youkui must be eager to prove himself now that he has finally gained a bit of power,” she remarked.

Xie Juner smiled. “Butler Huang, tell Chang Youkui to go ask Lin Xiao himself. That will certainly cool his head.”

Butler Huang Xu had a bitter smile on his face. “County Princess... Gen... Lin Xiao is also outside!”

“What!?”

The expressions of Marquis Xie Shang and his daughter changed instantly, their eyes filled with shock!

“It’s true! Lin Xiao has brought the Zhenbei Army and blocked our main gate!!”

Butler Huang Xu looked panicked. “Should we open the gates or not?”

On any other day, as the butler of the Linyuan Marquis Mansion, he would remain perfectly calm even when meeting an inspector general.

But Lin Xiao, this god of slaughter, had only been here for two days and had already killed the inspector general and beheaded the Earl of Anyang!

His level of brutality was even greater than the rumors suggested! Who wouldn't feel terrified?

“That kid Lin Xiao... what on earth is he thinking?”

Marquis Xie Shang couldn't understand why Lin Xiao would personally involve himself in such a trivial matter.

“Very well, since he's already here, let them in!”

Xie Juner looked nervous. “Father, then I...”

“You should withdraw. In a situation like this, it's better if you aren't seen,” Marquis Xie Shang said.

Xie Juner agreed and silently hid in the back hall.

Outside the mansion gates.

Chang Youkui shouted for a good while before the main gates finally swung open.

Butler Huang Xu came out to greet them, but he completely ignored Chang Youkui and walked straight up to Lin Xiao.

“Lin Xiao, our Marquis requests your presence.”

Lin Xiao didn't stand on ceremony. He left his subordinates outside and strode into the courtyard with Chang Youkui and several bailiffs.

It had to be said that the Linyuan Marquis Mansion was many times more magnificent than the Inspectors Office.

Just those Taihu Stones transported from the south were worth a fortune.

Chang Youkui was clearly very constrained. He tried to maintain his composure, but his hands were trembling slightly.

Courage was one thing, but when it came to actually confronting one of the Three Founding Marquises, nervousness was unavoidable.

“Hahahaha...”

Before they even entered, they saw Marquis Xie Shang coming out to meet them, his face beaming with smiles.

“Lin Xiao! I hope you have been well!”

Marquis Xie Shang stepped forward with a smile, greeting him warmly as if he were an old friend of many years.

“Marquis, please forgive the disturbance today,” Lin Xiao replied politely.

“Sigh, why would you say that?”

Marquis Xie Shang waved his hand. “We are all one family here. As soon as you entered the city, I wanted to invite you for a welcome drink, but I understood that you were busy with military affairs!”

“Killing He Yu, Earl of Anyang today was truly an eye-opener for me. With a tiger general like you, His Majesty can expect the Six Prefectures of the Northern Territory to be pacified soon!”

Lin Xiao smiled. “Marquis, I didn't come today to chat about that. My Judicial Officer says that there are some unclear accounts between the Marquis Mansion and over a dozen officials from Yangquan Commandery.”

“Naturally, I don't believe it. Given your status, Marquis, how could you possibly engage in illegal activities?”

“However, this Chang Youkui gave me a military pledge, stating that if he cannot find a result, he is willing to atone with his life!”

“You see, Marquis, I can't let my subordinate be disheartened, so I had to make this trip...”

Marquis Xie Shang glanced at Chang Youkui with a half-smile, his eyes momentarily flashing with a domineering ruthlessness.

Chang Youkui remained neither humble nor arrogant. He braced himself and cupped his hands. “I ask the Marquis to hand over the mansion's account books!”

“Hmph, to audit my accounts, you must have some concrete evidence, right?”

Without a word, Chang Youkui produced over a dozen signed and sealed depositions.

“Marquis, these are the statements of the detained officials. They all mentioned the Marquis Mansion's acts of bribery!”

Lin Xiao rubbed his nose and chuckled inwardly. Those bastards were clearly trying to drag the Marquis of Linyuan into this to help exonerate themselves.

Under normal circumstances, an official would ignore them. Why offend a Founding Marquis for a bunch of riff-raff? It wasn't worth it.

But Chang Youkui, the Iron-faced Judge, simply couldn't let it go. He insisted on investigating the Marquis of Linyuan!

Marquis Xie Shang was clearly speechless. The amount of money wasn't actually much, but if the charges were proven, his reputation would be ruined. How could the mansion face anyone then!?

“This is just a bunch of corrupt officials slandering me, trying to use me to get themselves off the hook!”

Marquis Xie Shang said dismissively, “If you don't even have this much judgment, how can you work for Lin Xiao?”

“Marquis, if it truly is just slander, then you can be even more confident in allowing me to verify it!”

“Furthermore, I am not handling this case for Lin Xiao, but because it is my duty to uphold the rule of law in Great Gan!!”

By now, Chang Youkui had calmed down, his face filled with a sense of awe-inspiring integrity.

Marquis Xie Shang's eyes twitched with anger. Suppressing his rage, he said, “Lin Xiao, this subordinate of yours is a bit pedantic.”

“Isn't he?”

Lin Xiao agreed, then shifted his tone. “But what he says isn't without merit.”

“If your conscience is clear, Marquis, why waste your breath? Why not let him check the books while we have a few drinks together? Wouldn't that be pleasant?”

Marquis Xie Shang's face turned cold. “Lin Xiao, do you not trust me?”

“I even entrusted my Heir to your care, and our families are to be joined in marriage. Is this how you treat my sincerity?”

“You can't put it that way.”

Lin Xiao said with a fake smile, “The Heir hasn't returned because he doesn't want to; I haven't forcibly detained him.”

“As for the marriage alliance, it was bestowed by His Majesty. It wasn't something I sought, nor was it something you offered freely.”

“Ultimately, you and I have only met once. I don't believe I owe you anything, Marquis.”

Hearing this, a layer of frost seemed to settle in the corners of Marquis Xie Shang's eyes...

He finally saw clearly that Lin Xiao didn't care about the Linyuan Marquis Mansion at all!

Naturally, he wasn't the least bit interested in his daughter either!

Preposterous! A poor scholar from a small border town—what right did he have!?

Was betting on this kid the right move after all...

In a flash!

Lin Xiao suddenly shouted, “Marquis, watch out!”

Moving with his voice, he struck out with a palm toward a screen to Marquis Xie Shang's left with effortless ease!

Great Mercy Hand!

A surge of unstoppable internal energy erupted, like a mountain shifting horizontally!!

BOOM!!—

The priceless embroidered screen was pulverized, and the stone wall behind it was blasted open by the force, creating a hole several meters wide!

Even several trees outside were snapped!

A cloud of dust rose. This terrifying power turned Marquis Xie Shang's face deathly pale!

Chang Youkui and the others were scared witless; they had never seen such a display before!

Xie Juner, who was hiding in the back, covered her mouth tightly to keep from screaming.

Watching Lin Xiao kill from a distance was nowhere near as shocking as seeing him strike from up close!

Ignoring them, Lin Xiao strolled leisurely to the pile of rubble and looked down at the man in black lying there, spitting blood.

[Gui Qi (original name Liu Qihai), 41 years old, former Imperial Guard Captain, Aptitude: mystic grade]

[Traits: Imperial Fugitive, Assassin, Guard]

Gui Qi's eyes were filled with terror. The Lin Xiao before him was so strong that his very soul trembled!

He didn't understand. His concealment of his aura should have been seamless; even a Martial Arts Grandmaster shouldn't have been able to detect him.

How could this Lin Xiao have found him!?

Could it have been because of just a tiny bit of killing intent?

“Oh! There really was an assassin!”

Lin Xiao pointed at Gui Qi on the ground and said, “Marquis, it seems someone wants to harm you! Fortunately, I arrived just in time!”

Watching his trusted aide suddenly beaten to the verge of death, Marquis Xie Shang was seething with rage!

At the same time, the power of Lin Xiao's single palm strike filled him with deep fear!

This young man's martial arts were so unfathomable! No wonder He Yu had been unable to withstand a single blow!!

“Lin Xiao, you misunderstand. This person is a guard of the mansion, not an assassin!”

Marquis Xie Shang explained, suppressing his anger.

“A guard?”

Lin Xiao's smile vanished, and his gaze turned cold. “The former Imperial Guard Captain, Liu Qihai, an Imperial Fugitive—how did he become a guard for the Marquis Mansion?”

“Marquis, are you trying to deceive the Emperor?!”

As soon as those words were spoken, Marquis Xie Shang felt his blood turn cold!!