136: Chapter 136 They blatantly robbed her goods and then demanded she "atone" for it!

[Scarface fell to the ground, wailing and rolling about.]

[The turn of events happened too quickly.]

[The Young City Lord's fan, a prop for his affectation of refinement, froze in mid-air, forgotten.]

[The surrounding Loose Cultivators watching the spectacle retreated in unison, afraid of being splattered with blood.]

[No one had seen clearly what had happened.]

[Zhang Ruowei was stunned for half a second, but reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Zhang Fugui from the ground.]

["Let's go!"]

[The shop assistants scrambled to roll up the wolf pelts and pushed the cart as they squeezed their way out of the crowd.]

[The few guards from the City Lord's Mansion were stunned by Scarface's miserable state and dared not step forward to stop them.]

[Tang Xun stood in the crowd, his hands tucked into his sleeves, keeping his achievements and fame hidden.]

[He strolled along with the flow of people, continuing to wander through this grand market in Sang City.]

[Passing by a tea stall, a few lone-wolf Cultivators were chatting in hushed tones.]

["Have you heard?"]

["Those villages to the north were all slaughtered last night."]

["Indeed, the Yao Beasts have been rushing south like mad lately; it's completely unsafe outside Sang City."]

["The City Lord's Mansion is using this as an excuse to impose heavy taxes in the city every day, claiming it's to repair the city-protecting grand array."]

[Tang Xun ordered a bowl of coarse tea.]

[He drank it in a leisurely manner.]

[Yao Beasts are rampaging, and the city's defenses are strained.]

[He was all too familiar with this script.]

[It was nothing more than the higher-ups eating meat while those below couldn't even get a sip of soup.]

[He wandered until the sun tilted west before ambling back to the inn where the caravan was staying.]

[The inn was named "Peace," but its charges were exorbitantly high.]

[Tang Xun walked to the counter and produced an ingot of gold.]

[He casually slapped it onto the wooden board.]

["I want a premium room."]

["Slice two catties of good meat and send up a pot of good wine."]

[The innkeeper's eyes lit up so brightly they seemed to glow, and he bowed and scraped repeatedly.]

[Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side.]

[It pressed firmly onto the gold ingot.]

[Zhang Ruowei's eyes widened, and she hissed at him in a low voice.]

["You are a Mortal, flaunting so much wealth in Sang City—are you tired of living?!"]

[She had just suffered a huge loss at the hands of the City Lord's Mansion earlier that day, and now everyone looked like a robber to her.]

[Tang Xun looked down at the hand pressing on the gold.]

[It was bony and distinct, with a few fresh abrasions on the back of the hand.]

["Miss Zhang, I'm spending my own money; that's not against the law, is it?"]

[Zhang Ruowei gritted her teeth in anger and shoved the gold back into his chest.]

["Don't flaunt your wealth! Don't you understand this principle?"]

["The city is very chaotic right now; this amount of money is enough to buy your life ten times over!"]

[She turned and tossed a few pieces of broken silver to the innkeeper.]

["Arrange a standard firewood room for him, and get him whatever for food."]

[The innkeeper curled his lip, pocketed the silver, and went to take care of it.]

[Tang Xun crossed his arms.]

[Watching the girl's hurried, fiery back.]

[This temper was like a gunpowder barrel that had gained sentience.]

[However, her heart wasn't bad.]

[The people from the caravan were busy in the courtyard, feeding the pack beasts and checking the carts.]

[The swelling on Zhang Fugui's face had not yet subsided.]

[He was directing the assistants to repack the wolf pelts.]

[Having offended the local bully, they couldn't stay in Sang City any longer.]

[They planned to leave as soon as the city gates opened tomorrow morning.]

[Night fell.]

[Tang Xun sat cross-legged in that drafty firewood room.]

[He circulated the Savage God Dragon Transformation Art, and the Qi and blood throughout his body surged like a river, yet he kept it tightly suppressed within three inches of his skin.]

[A Physical Body at the fourth layer of the Savage God, and a cultivation base at the Late Core Formation Stage.]

[In this small Sang City, he was absolutely the supreme master.]

[But he preferred to be an onlooker.]

[At midnight.]

[Dense footsteps came from outside the inn.]

[The sound of armor plates clashing was exceptionally harsh in the quiet street.]

[The inn's tightly closed door was kicked open, and the two wooden doors flew out, smashing the water vat in the courtyard.]

[The light of torches illuminated the entire courtyard.]

[Tang Xun stopped his Cultivation Technique.]

[He opened his eyes.]

[He pushed open half of the window.]

[Leaning against the window frame, he looked down.]

[The courtyard was already tightly surrounded by dozens of armored and armed city guards.]

[The Young City Lord fanned himself with that folding fan and swaggered across the courtyard threshold.]

[Scarface, who had his leg crippled during the day, didn't come; instead, an old man with a higher cultivation base followed beside him.]

[Qi Refining Great Perfection.]

[With half a foot stepped into the threshold of Foundation Establishment.]

[Zhang Fugui, wearing his outer robe, scrambled down from upstairs.]

["Young City Lord, what is this..."]

["Boss Zhang, don't be nervous."]

[The Young City Lord closed his folding fan and smiled like a spring breeze.]

["I have come tonight to conduct official business."]

[He cleared his throat and spoke loudly.]

["The Yao Beasts outside the city are rioting, and the city-protecting grand array urgently needs spiritual Materials for repairs."]

["The City Lord has ordered that all merchants in the city must donate supplies to overcome these difficult times together."]

["Boss Zhang, this batch of blood wolf pelts is of excellent quality and is the perfect Material for making talisman armor."]

["I, on behalf of the City Lord's Mansion, will accept them."]

[These words were spoken in such a high-sounding manner that not a single flaw could be picked out.]

[Upon hearing this, Zhang Fugui's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.]

["Young City Lord, this batch of goods is our entire caravan's livelihood!"]

["If you take it all, our whole group will be left with nothing to eat!"]

["I beg for your mercy; leave us half... no, even twenty percent will do!"]

[The smile on the Young City Lord's face faded, and he tapped the folding fan on top of Zhang Fugui's head.]

["Fatty Zhang, get this straight."]

["This is a requisition, not a trade."]

["Are you trying to disobey orders and disregard the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people in Sang City?"]

[A heavy accusation was placed on him, pressing down so hard that Zhang Fugui couldn't even catch his breath.]

[He lay on the ground, trembling all over, unable to say a single word.]

[The escorts of the Changfeng Escort Agency stood to the side, their hands pressed on the hilts of their blades.]

[But no one dared to draw their blades.]

[Going against the City Lord's Mansion was a sign of being tired of living.]

[Several city guards stepped forward.]

[They roughly pushed aside the assistants and pulled over the cart filled with wolf pelts.]

[One thousand blood wolf pelts were thus brazenly "donated."]

[Tang Xun watched from upstairs.]

[He clicked his tongue.]

[This skill of getting something for nothing was even more practiced than his own.]

[At least he himself valued mutual consent, but this grandson just openly robbed.]

[With the goods in hand, the Young City Lord did not leave immediately.]

[His gaze swept around the courtyard and finally stopped at the staircase leading to the second floor.]

[Zhang Ruowei was standing there.]

[In her hand, she held a long whip tightly.]

["Official business is done; now let's talk about private matters."]

[The Young City Lord pointed at Zhang Ruowei with his folding fan.]

["Earlier today at the market, your sister insulted me in public, and furthermore, showed contempt for the City Lord's Mansion."]

["If she is not severely punished, where will the prestige of my City Lord's Mansion be?"]

[Zhang Fugui raised his head and lunged to hug the Young City Lord's leg.]

["Young City Lord! You've already taken all the pelts!"]

["I beg you to spare my sister!"]

["She is young and ignorant; I will kowtow to you on her behalf!"]

[Zhang Fugui kowtowed until it made a thunderous sound, and blood soon appeared on his forehead.]

[The Young City Lord frowned in disgust and kicked him away.]

["Get lost!"]

["Men, seize this wild girl for me!"]

["Take her back to the mansion for strict interrogation!"]