227: Chapter 227 Eunuchs, Laws

The night breeze was biting, carrying a hint of early autumn's bleakness as it swirled the thick stench of blood along the long street, permeating the air as if it were a physical substance.

The once bustling and noisy night market was now utterly silent.

The stalls on both sides were overturned, and the scattered fruits and sundries on the ground went ignored.

The surrounding crowd remained immersed in the shock of the Family Wang's annihilation, silent and voiceless.

The Family Wang was, after all, a prestigious Family that had possessed a Legacy in the capital for hundreds of years.

Its foundation was deep, its industries vast, and it had long been rooted in every trade in the capital.

The head of the Family Wang was even a high-ranking official in the imperial court, with students and former subordinates spread throughout the court and the public.

Who could have imagined that such a behemoth would, in just a few short days, end up being executed to the last member?

Many in the crowd were pale, their legs trembling.

Among them were merchants who relied on the Family Wang for survival; they dared not make a sound as they looked at the bloody, mangled corpses.

Just at this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly broke out at the end of the long street.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The sound of the hooves was neither fast nor slow, yet it seemed exceptionally clear in the night.

Each time the hooves rose and fell, it felt as if they were stepping on everyone's heart, carrying a strange rhythm that made their blood surge and their chests feel tight.

The City Defense Army, previously so arrogant, heard this sound and retreated to both sides in unison, like a receding tide.

Their movements were uniform, forcibly clearing a wide path in the center of the crowded long street.

The jowly officer's expression changed drastically, a flash of deep awe and fear appearing in his eyes as he hurriedly dismounted.

Because his movements were too rushed, he nearly stumbled and fell to the ground, yet he dared not make even the slightest sound.

He lowered his head and eyes, standing respectfully by the side of the road, not daring to even breathe loudly, his body trembling slightly, completely devoid of his earlier overbearing manner.

That obedient, cowering appearance was exactly like an ant seeing its natural predator.

"This...?"

"What happened?"

The commoners still on the periphery looked at each other, all confused.

They only saw the City Defense Army, usually fierce as wolves and tigers, now standing solemnly as if they were statues of mud or wood.

Everyone followed the gaze.

From the back of the formation, a single rider slowly emerged.

The person was mounted on a magnificent brown spirit horse.

The spirit horse's fur was sleek and shiny, and it made not a sound as it walked; it was clearly a rare Yao Beast with exotic blood.

Between its nostrils, white mist was faintly exhaled, a sign of its extraordinary nature.

The person on the horse wore a dark red python robe.

The fabric was neither silk nor linen, but woven from top-grade ice silkworm thread mixed with the blood of some great Yao, shimmering with a cold, deep luster under the flickering firelight.

He wore a high crown, with the brim pulled extremely low, obscuring most of his face.

The lower half of his face, which was exposed, was pale as paper, without a hint of living color.

He had deeply sunken eye sockets, and he held a plain white handkerchief between his withered, skinny fingers, occasionally covering his lips to cough twice.

"Cough, cough..."

The voice was shrill and cold, permeating with a feminine Death Qi.

It was a eunuch.

And a eunuch of extremely high status.

In the Great Wei imperial palace, the rules were as strict as iron.

Eunuchs were divided into different ranks, and ordinary attendants only wore grey-green colors.

Those who could wear such a dark red python robe were high-ranking figures who held the power of life and death, even within the cabinet; they could be described as being below one person but above ten thousand.

As soon as this person appeared, the temperature on the long street seemed to plummet by several degrees.

A cold and icy True Qi permeated from his body, making it feel like falling into an ice cellar, causing one to shudder.

Cao Yong's cold, white eyes swept indifferently over the shivering commoners, finally landing on the mangled corpses on the ground.

He furrowed his brows slightly, a flash of undisguised disgust appearing in his eyes.

"Throw these filthy things away; they are just an eyesore to me."

The voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable chill, echoing in the silent night sky.

"Yes, my lord."

The City Defense Army commander, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly whispered his compliance.

He turned around, waving his hands repeatedly at his subordinates, and hissed in a low voice, "What are you still standing there for? Quickly clean up these filthy things!"

Several City Defense Army soldiers awoke as if from a dream, scrambling to shove the bloody, mangled corpses into rough sacks and dragging them away in a hurry.

The entire street fell into a long silence because of this person's arrival.

Cao Yong toyed with the handkerchief in his hand, then suddenly turned his horse around slowly.

His cold gaze passed over the crowds of people and landed straight on the side of the street.

The crowd followed his gaze and were startled to realize that there was still a man and a woman standing by the dark riverside.

Just now, everyone had been attracted by the City Defense Army and the tragic state of the Family Wang; in their shock, no one had noticed the presence of these two people.

Now, drawn by Cao Yong's gaze, all eyes instantly converged there.

Upon seeing the exquisite face of the woman in the white dress, the crowd was slightly stunned, and then some recognized her.

"Isn't that Miss Lin?"

"It really is her. What is she doing here in the dead of night?"

"Didn't you see the male companion beside her? That person is likely the protagonist who stirred up the capital some time ago."

As the only legitimate eldest daughter of the Family Lin and a Gold-Badge Constable of the Six Doors, Lin Wan's fame was extremely high throughout the capital.

Previously, it hadn't been clear in the night, but now, observing carefully, everyone could see some clues.

The City Defense Army arriving tonight was likely not just for intimidation.

Very low whispers spread through the crowd, and many eyes revealed curiosity.

The Family Wang had just been annihilated, and now this powerful eunuch from the cabinet had set his sights on the Family Lin; the deeper meaning was self-evident.

Cao Yong squeezed his legs slightly against the horse's belly, and the spirit horse trotted forward, stopping a few yards in front of the two.

"I didn't expect to see Young Miss Lin here. Sorry to disturb your fun."

"Let me introduce myself: Supervisor of the Internal Surveillance, Cao Yong."

Cao Yong's gaze swept over Lin Wan and finally rested on the man beside her.

Lin Wan's expression was clear and deep, like still autumn water.

Sensing Cao Yong's viper-like gaze, Lin Wan stepped forward imperceptibly, subtly shielding Chen Ran behind her.

She spoke coldly: "So it is Eunuch Cao. I have long heard of your name."

The Internal Surveillance was a force within the imperial palace, but to become a supervisor, one had to be at least a high-ranking official of the second rank, so his status was not low.

Cao Yong looked down at Lin Wan from his horse, the corner of his mouth pulling into a smirk, his voice shrill and grating.

"The night is deep and the dew is heavy; Miss Lin had better not walk around outside. This world is not peaceful. If you were to get hurt, I fear Old Master Lin would be heartbroken."

"Thank you for your concern, Eunuch. I was just out to buy some things, and I didn't expect to run into you here."

Upon hearing this, Cao Yong covered his lips and chuckled, the laughter permeating with a bone-chilling coldness.

"Miss Lin has good composure. I, Cao Yong, have the honor of being the supervisor for this capital's Family Tax."

He paused, glanced gloomily in the direction where the corpses had just been dragged, and sighed feignedly.

"It is truly a pity. The Family Wang was, after all, a century-old Family with a deep foundation, a premier existence in the capital."

"I had intended to persuade them properly, to let them understand the court's difficulties and pay this Family Tax according to the law."

Cao Yong shook his head, but there was no pity in his eyes, only cruel mockery.

"However, they were stubborn and refused to listen, insisting on relying on the protection of their ancestors to resist the laws of Great Wei, even attempting to collude with other families to subvert the imperial court."

"And so, they ended up being executed to the last member, with their heads and bodies separated."

"A century of foundation, destroyed in an instant. Truly a pity, truly lamentable."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding commoners all fell silent as cicadas in winter, their very breathing becoming cautious.

Everyone could hear that while Cao Yong seemed to be pitying the Family Wang, he was actually striking at the Family Lin.

He was using the blood of the Family Wang to warn all the prestigious families in the capital who were still watching from the sidelines.

Lin Wan's eyes narrowed slightly, her face remaining as cold as before.

She naturally understood the threat in Cao Yong's words.

Pay the money, and the Family could be preserved; do not pay, and the Family Wang would be the warning example.

"Since the Family Wang violated the laws of Great Wei, they deserved to be punished. The net of heaven is vast, and though it is loose, nothing escapes it."

Lin Wan's tone was flat, neither fast nor slow.

"My Family Lin has been clean for generations, loyal to the ruler and patriotic; we will naturally keep to our duties and abide by the law. We would never commit such treasonous acts, so there is no need for Eunuch Cao to worry."

Cao Yong looked deeply at Lin Wan, a flash of sinister malice appearing in his eyes.

"That is very good."

Cao Yong suddenly turned his gaze to Chen Ran behind Lin Wan, the corners of his mouth curling up.

The next moment, a terrifying Aura erupted from his body, enveloping the area in front of him.