The main and side gates of Duke An’s Mansion were tightly closed. Just as the echo of the scream faded, a dozen guards, each armed, leapt from various positions on the walls. With a flurry, they rushed forward, surrounding the Grand Tutor’s Mansion’s protector and the man in black.
The man in black, upon seeing these a dozen or so fiercer-seeming guards, did not evade. Instead, to distance himself from the Grand Tutor’s Mansion’s protector, he moved closer to Duke An’s guards.
"Who goes there?!" A tall, middle-aged guard stepped forward from the group and shouted.
The leader of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion’s protectors paid no heed to where he was. His family’s Grand Tutor was a renowned first-class official of the Great Xia Dynasty, and ordinarily, anyone encountering their mansion would have to give them some face.
Seeing the thief they’d been chasing stop, he ignored those who surrounded them, intending to step up and capture him directly. However, he was halted by a loud shout from the middle-aged guard, who pointed an arm-thick iron rod at him, rendering him unable to move.
"You..." The protector leader paused, noticing the unusual aura of these people. Steadying himself, he continued, "We are protectors from the Grand Tutor Xing’s mansion. This thief broke into the mansion to steal in the dead of night. Would you kindly allow us to take him back? We will certainly report to Lord Grand Tutor and thank you all."
The middle-aged guard looked at their group of over ten people, then at the lone man in black. By now, the man in black had wrapped something in his clothing, making it impossible to distinguish what it was without a closer look.
The guard asked, "He’s all alone; how could he have stolen from an estate you so heavily guard? This is the capital. We can’t just take your word for it. In my opinion, we should clarify the matter first. If he truly is a thief, sending him to the government office would be appropriate."
The protector of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion became anxious, "Brother, what do you mean by this? Would the honorable Grand Tutor’s Mansion falsely accuse a common thief? We must take this man back."
His master had instructed that the man must be brought back without making a fuss.
But it was already too late to keep things quiet. The only option left was to capture the man before the situation escalated.
The protector leader could no longer care about anything else. He gestured to his men and shouted, "Follow me! Let’s capture the man first!"
As his command rang out, even before the protectors of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion could move, there was a clattering sound. Duke An’s Mansion guards had already drawn their swords and clubs, looking at them with murderous intent.
The combat effectiveness of Duke An’s Mansion’s guards was extraordinary and incomparable to ordinary official mansions’ protectors. When these men showed intent to act, their entire beings exuded a chilling aura.
The protectors of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion were dumbfounded. Although they had trained in martial arts, their aura was no match for those who have fought life-and-death battles, let alone engage in actual sword fights.
As they hesitated, some even harboring thoughts of retreat, the main gate of Duke An’s Mansion opened.
Duke An, followed by two attendants, strolled out, muttering to himself, "It seems I’m really getting old, not as useful as before, since people can now come waving swords and blocking our gate."
The protector leader of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion turned pale as he realized this grand residence was Duke An’s Mansion. Truly, their family’s Grand Tutor was famous, and few dared to offend him, but Duke An was not among them.
This Duke not only didn’t fear their Grand Tutor but was also notoriously difficult to deal with.
With nearly twenty of them armed and causing a ruckus at Duke An’s Mansion’s gate... although not directed at the mansion, if Duke An did not wish to let this pass, they would find it hard to conclude the matter.
He hurried a few steps forward but was stopped by the middle-aged guard’s club pointing at him.
The protector leader had no choice but to remain in place, bow deeply, and respectfully said, "I greet the Duke. I am merely following my master’s orders to capture the thief who infiltrated our mansion. We had no intention of offending you, Duke."
Duke An glanced at the man in black and chuckled, "What remarkable things could your mansion possibly have that someone would risk their life to steal? By any chance, do you have some records?"
The protectors naturally couldn’t understand the mention of records, but Xing Bin, who had just arrived, understood and was immediately infuriated.
His granddaughter and grandson-in-law had already used records to trap the Crown Prince, and now Duke An was framing the Grand Tutor’s Mansion in the same manner—what was he up to?!
Initially, because the Crown Prince no longer stood a chance of succession and with Prince Yu gaining momentum, Xing Bin had planned to form good relations with Duke An’s Mansion. But now, stirred by Duke An, he completely forgot that intention.
Xing Bin, ignoring how out of breath he was from running, stepped forward, folded his hands respectfully, and sternly said, "Duke, please be cautious with your words. Such statements should not be made lightly. This thief did indeed break into our mansion to commit theft. We must take him back to investigate the stolen items. I hope you can accommodate this."
By now, some soldiers on night patrol had rushed over. But seeing that both parties involved were of prestigious families, with their guards present, the heads of both households seemed to be discussing something.
Being ordinary soldiers, they felt their lowly status warranted caution, and they stood at a distance without daring to intervene before a conflict arose. Latest content published on N0velFire.ɴet
Xing Bin, following his father’s instructions, had rushed here with their family protectors. Seeing the soldiers of the Five Cities Military Command also standing aside and recalling the items in the thief’s hands, he felt inexplicably anxious.
Yet Duke An was in no hurry. Hearing the righteous words, he was perplexed, "If it’s not records, why go to such lengths, chasing a small thief to their end in the dead of night?"
Xing Bin almost had a nosebleed from anger at Duke An’s typical nonchalant commentary. If a thief broke into Duke An’s Mansion, would he graciously let them go?
The Xing family’s pursuit of stolen goods was questioned by this old fellow—how utterly absurd!
Duke An, looking dismissively at Xing Bin, continued with his infuriating remarks, "My Duke An’s Mansion is not like yours. We guard our gates well, not allowing intruders in. Unlike you... well, never mind. If you really lost something, you should indeed track it down. But I wonder, what did the Grand Tutor’s Mansion lose?"
Xing Bin’s expression stiffened again, and he said, "That’s not for the Duke to worry about. Once we catch the thief, we will retrieve it ourselves."
"That won’t do!" Duke An said seriously. "What if the person didn’t actually take anything from your home and was wrongfully accused by your mansion? What then? If this incident occurred elsewhere, it might be different, but in front of my Ye Tang, if someone were unjustly treated, how could I face anyone in the future?"
Continuing, Duke An turned to the lowly present but central black-clad person and asked, "Boy, what precious things did you steal to make them exhaust all efforts to catch you?"
The man in black, having remained silent, even after Duke An’s inquiry, still said nothing, only raised the bundle in his hand.
Duke An looked at it and murmured, "It doesn’t look like anything valuable."
Turning back to Xing Bin, he said, "Perhaps you could tell me, nephew, what exactly your mansion lost. I can verify with this person, and if what he holds matches your description, the matter can be settled easily."
Duke An looked eagerly at Xing Bin, delighted in his heart. Though he knew Xing Bin wouldn’t likely reveal it, he left a slim possibility. If by some chance Xing Bin truthfully said it, they couldn’t have the person and thing, could they?