........
Zhai Hun's chest heaved with anger.
ng Yu's assistant investigator, Pang Shi, watched the scene.
Snow City’s families were generally all right.
The biggest hard rock in town was this Zhai Hun and his wife.
The couple, one an official, the other a rchant,
controlled most of Snow City inside and out.
It wasn't that they were blatantly colluding.
This pair really had so skill.
They didn't go overboard.
And Zhai Hun’s wife was clever, holding many patents and special techniques in her own hands. Countless workshops, factories, shops, townspeople, and jobs in Snow City relied on the couple to survive.
If you ssed with them,
the chain reaction would be enough to throw Snow City into chaos and set its economy back who knew how far.
That was the fruit of their long accumulation.
Of course, it was also due to Yao Lianzhi’s natural talent in her craft. If you switched people—even if they copied the work—no one else could pull it off.
ng Yu had long wanted to bring Zhai Hun and his wife under control.
But these two were stubborn as hell.
They accepted everything, they agreed to everything, but they dragged their feet and were perfunctory.
Half-compliant, half not.
They didn’t make trouble, but they were disgusting!
Yet now, there was a chance.
So things, ng Yu was not suited to say.
As assistant investigator, Pang Shi said, “Deputy Director Zhai, why don’t we call your wife over first, let her see the situation. If that doesn’t work...”
When Pang Shi said this, he sneaked a glance at Lu Ding.
Only after seeing that Lu Ding showed no movent or expression did he continue, “Then let the son pay for the father, one life for one life.”
Lu Ding listened.
Still no movent.
But he noted it.
Zhai Hun didn’t say much, just muttered, "You blabber too much," and yet he’d already made the decision.
Lu Ding kept drinking his tea, wanting to see how Zhai Lianzhi would react.
Zhai Hun pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
[Beloved Wife]
He called.
“Hello, wife, co down to the bureau right now.”
“There’s trouble, urgent trouble!!”
“Hurry, hurry, I’m waiting for you.”
Ten minutes after the call ended,
a figure in an embroidered long dress appeared, a young woman radiating noble poise. Two pearl earrings hung at her ears, not too large, but worth a fortune, embedding secret techniques.
She was Yao Lianzhi, Zhai Hun’s wife.
Snow City’s biggest big fish.
Although Zhai Hun practically ruled Snow City with one hand, people said it was Yao Lianzhi who ca first, then Director Zhai.
Local culture in Snow City, overlapping with feudal traditions, ant when powerful wives went out, people usually called them by their husband’s surna—Mrs. So-and-so or Madam So-and-so.
Even Cheng Hong’s wife, the Snow City 749 Bureau Chief’s wife, was called Madam Cheng.
But Yao Lianzhi? Everyone called her Boss Yao, Madam Yao.
That was the difference.
It truly illustrated what it ant for two strong people to unite with synchronized resolve.
Yao Lianzhi walked in, scanned the room and nodded at each person. When her eyes landed on Lu Ding wearing his scholar-warrior sleeves, a smile flickered across her face.
After all, who didn't recognize the scholar-warrior sleeves?
She straightened and asked in a mild tone, “Why did you call here in such a hurry?”
Zhai Hun, face sour, shuffled over and whispered the matter’s origin into her ear.
“The killer who murdered Xiao Long has been found. It’s Director Zheng Tai from Mouth of the Evil Prison 749 Bureau, but he’s dead now. His son ca to offer compensation and said he’d take responsibility for everything. Back then...”
Yao Lianzhi listened carefully, her eyes gradually reddening.
Her hands clenched into fists beneath her embroidered robes.
Then she released them, lightly wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes and exhaled deliberately, “Zheng Feng, is it? I rember when you were a month old, my husband and I went to see you.”
Zheng Feng kowtowed, “It is my father and I who wronged Madam, wronged Director Zhai. Madam and Director Zhai may punish us. My father could not be here in person. Zheng Tai apologizes and, on behalf of my father, willingly accepts punishnt!”
Yao Lianzhi flicked her wrist and a long whip appeared, cracking out.
Smack!!!
It sent Zheng Feng flying, flesh split, blood pouring, “Zhai Hun has not treated your family poorly.”
Smack!!
Another lash.
“I have not treated your family poorly either.”
Smack!!
Another lash.
This one shattered one of Zheng Feng’s arms.
“But your father Zheng Tai, how many tis has he helped my family? Why, why would it co to this! Why!?”
“You are willing to accept punishnt, and you throw the problem at . With grudges, favors, history, and resentnt at play, how am I supposed to decide!?”
“If I let you go I’ll be resentful. I have only one brother, he was so promising. I’m wealthy, he needed rare natural treasures, he wouldn’t ask for them, he went to find them himself.”
“I couldn’t bear to kill him. Back when the Snow Spirit Pill incident happened, your father stepped across districts to help , letting stand firm and grow. Zhai Hun campaigning for deputy director and canvassing votes—your father ran here and there to help.”
“Back then your father lacked resources. He could have asked . If he couldn't co to , he could have asked Zhai Hun. Why—why did it have to end up like this!!!”
Her brother Yao Xiaolong couldn’t swallow his pride; he didn’t want to depend on his sister, so he went out to look for rare treasures and died.
Zheng Tai, who had helped the family, couldn’t swallow his pride; he wouldn’t reach out for help, so he went out to find rare treasures, and in the end, a man driven temporarily by money killed her brother. That was fate.
Yao Lianzhi tightened the whip, “Tell , how do you want to act!?”
Zheng Feng trembled in pain, unable to speak. He could only struggle to move his eyes toward Lu Ding, “Lu... Grand Duke Lu, Zheng... Zheng Feng begs you, please don't intervene... I am willing... willing to die to atone for my father's cri. Living on is not my wish...”
Lu Ding sighed, “Sigh...”
Lu Ding felt torn.
This...
At that mont,
Pang Shi, who had been watching Lu Ding’s face and actions, hardened his heart. If Lu Ding later wanted to expand northward, he and ng Yu would inevitably clash with Lu Ding.
They needed to win this couple’s favor now. Controlling Snow City, building up influence, and expanding to surrounding northern regions would give them a chance to confront Lu Ding later.
Even if Lu Ding didn’t expand, they still had to secure this couple to fully control Snow City.
So gaining their goodwill was essential.
Worry about offending Lu Ding later—seed like it didn't matter much. They weren’t friends anyway.
Even if they offended Lu Ding, he wasn't likely to utterly destroy them; after all, they hadn't committed a cri—at worst they'd get roughed up.
Having weighed the pros and cons, Pang Shi spoke outright, “The law of father’s debt repaid by the son—ancient principle. Right now our Special Envoy ng and Western Special Envoy Lu are both here. I believe you’re in the right. Whatever decision you make, both special envoys can see who’s justified.”
“I’ll f*** your mother*!!!!!!”
Pang Shi never expected it—he thought the beating might co later, but it was happening now.
Lu Ding moved like lightning, grabbed the ashtray and smashed it down on Pang Shi.
Bang!!!!!!
The ashtray shattered, Pang Shi's body jerked aside.
Lu Ding’s curse followed: “I’ve put up with you for so long. Mind your own damn business—why are you talking so much? Who gave you the right to decide for ? Goddamn you*.”
“I hadn’t said anything yet. Now my man is being beaten, and you keep flapping your mouth, flapping your mouth—are you trying to be the Western Special Envoy’s servant!!?”
Seeing her assistant attacked, ng Yu’s aura instantly flared.
Lu Ding slapped his palm back and crushed that montum to dust.
He grabbed a wine bottle on the table, “Did I tell you to touch him!!?”
Smack—right to the head!!!
Wine splashed everywhere.
It drenched ng Yu’s head.
Lu Ding pointed the broken half-bottle at her, “Blink again and I’ll put you in bed for ten days!”
Black smoke rose as Lu Ding's expression turned grim and terrifying.
ng Yu hadn’t clearly seen his earlier moves. If it had been his fist on her head rather than a bottle, she might have been killed outright.
The gap in strength froze her in place.
Lu Ding regained his composure, clamped Pang Shi’s head and pinned him to the table, the half bottle stabbed into the surface in front of him.
“I hate people who talk too much. Other people’s business, they deal with themselves. Zheng Feng asked ; he has his beliefs and convictions. Boss Yao and Director Zhai have their positions and identities. Whatever happens between them, I can accept!!!”
“But it is absolutely not for you, an outsider, to ddle as you please!!!”
Lu Ding was always soone who could tell right from wrong.
He wanted to save Zheng Feng’s life—not wrong in itself—but Zheng Feng’s father was in the wrong. The couple’s stance was reasonable. If Lu Ding forcibly protected the obviously unreasonable party, what would be the difference between him and soone abusing power?
If he broke the rules for his own whim, that was his personal will. But if he used his authority to shield soone who was unreasonable yet voluntarily accepting punishnt, then he had a problem.
In other words, if Zheng Feng were Lu Ding himself, Lu Ding could do whatever he wanted. But he couldn’t decide things for others just because he wanted to.
Now Zheng Feng begged him not to intervene and was willing to die to atone. Lu Ding was conflicted, but it could be accepted.
But under no circumstance would it be under soone else’s interference!
“Whether you're being shaless or trying to use this incident to make yourself look good, I’m going to teach you a lesson. I’m going outside for air. When I co back to collect Zheng Feng's body, if I see you haven’t eaten it, I’ll sew it into your belly!!!”
With that, Lu Ding released Pang Shi and walked outside.
Passing by the Zhai couple, he said plainly, “Today’s matter concerns only your grudge and choice. You should have heard how I do things. He is unreasonable, and he’s voluntarily accepting it and asking . My only purpose in coming today is to collect his body.”
He ant it literally, nothing more.
And frankly, since they dared to beat Zheng Feng so badly in front of Lu Ding, it signaled that, whatever else, if they wanted revenge for the murdered Yao Xiaolong, they would not hesitate to act recklessly.
.
There was an extra update today, so it was posted a little late. Special thanks to Your Body in the Mortal World for the Gift King present, extra chapter!
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