"As for this period, to be cautious, I haven't contacted them. However, through our covert investigation, we've uncovered something peculiar."
"Oh?" Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow.
The sickly scholar was about to speak when suddenly the eyelids of Jin Jian, who was slumped in the chair and drowsy, snapped open with a "pop", as if startled, and looked outside.
Then, Ji Yue, Lang Shiba, and Gongshu Tianyuan all looked toward the outside with expressions of shock, almost simultaneously.
"The sound of hooves... and swords... many people... are coming this way, surrounding the inn." The drunkard Lang Shiba suddenly spoke, his eyes sharp, the former Assistant General of Jubei City took a brisk step to the corner of the room, opened a crack in the window, and said in a deep voice.
Surrounding the inn? Swords? Zhao Douan was stunned and looked at the scholar and Hong Ye in shock.
The two Gold Shadow Guards were equally bewildered, not understanding what was happening.
"Let's go out and see." Zhao Douan stood up and said, leading the way out, with the others in the room hastily following.
They had just walked out of the room when they heard a commotion from the inn's front door, accompanied by cries of surprise and loud shouts: "The court is arresting rebels, everyone squat down immediately!"
Simultaneously, Zhao Douan used his exceptional hearing to catch the sound of footsteps filling the surroundings of the inn, and as he turned his head, he saw archers with crossbows emerging from rooftops and over the walls in all directions.
All holding military crossbows, aiming at the courtyard of the inn, the sharp arrows shimmering coldly in the sunlight.
Originally tidying up rooms in the inn, the Jinyi also swarmed out, with Hou Renmeng drawing a blade from his luggage and rushing out, glancing at the archers positioned at several "shooting spots" around, his expression changed: "It's a magic artifact crossbow arrow!"
A group of Jinyi Captains each drew their blades, forming a circle around Zhao Douan and the others, alert for the possible rain of arrows.
Completely as if they forgot, compared to the four Worldly Realm by Zhao Douan's side, the ones who truly needed protection were themselves...
Then, the inn's front door was forcefully kicked open, and the whole door flew back, landing heavily on the ground in the courtyard, raising a cloud of dust.
Zhao Douan looked coldly as a group of fully armed, armored, and sword-wielding elite government officers surged into the courtyard like a torrent, half-surrounding the people present.
The leader of these government officers, with darker skin and sharp eyes, wore only the robe of an arrest officer with deep red trimmed cuffs and collar, unlike others in soft armor. Zhao Douan recognized the style instantly as that worn by a Magistrate's arrest officer.
Zhang Han from the Peony Hall Arresting Officer clearly hesitated for a moment, Zhao Douan glanced at him and asked in a low voice: "Do you know them?"
Zhang Han lowered his voice and said: "The arrest officer from Bin Hai Dao West Prefecture, Zhang Jian, he shares my surname but is not from my family. Quite a formidable guy, we've met once before."
West Prefecture arrest officer? Luan Cheng's subordinate?
Why did they come to Feng City? Zhao Douan wondered as he saw a large group of government officers, behind whom came an imposing figure in a crimson official robe.
Following behind was a restrained-looking County Magistrate.
The Magistrate Luan Cheng, with an official cap, looking like a middle-aged scholar, shouted sternly: "Daring rebels, how dare you hide within this jurisdiction, parading flagrantly! An unforgivable crime, lay down your weapons and surrender quickly, and this office may show leniency!"
Zhao Douan's expression turned exceptionally odd, as did the Lihua Hall Jinyi around him, who shifted from being on high alert to being bewildered.
Jin Jian was no longer sleepy, took out crystal-rimmed eyeglasses from her pocket, put them on her nose, and watched the scene intently, thinking to herself that if the situation were suitable, she would have grabbed some melon seeds.
Tsk, working with the government on a case is truly interesting...
"You all..." Beside him, Haitang raised her eyebrow, took a step forward with her long legs, one hand reaching for the flying knife at her waist, about to speak.
But she was suddenly pulled back by Zhao Douan, stopping her.
"Feng City jurisdiction, fourth-rank Magistrate Luan Cheng?" Zhao Douan stepped forward and confirmed with a strange expression.
Before his trip, he had thoroughly done his homework, reviewed local officials' profiles.
Luan Magistrate was particularly memorable to him, a Jingyun Ninth Year Advanced Scholar, serving like Lu Zhi as a Ministry of Justice adjutant, then took an external County Magistrate post, resigned to mourn his mother, and later reinstated... eventually becoming the Coastal Magistrate...
The career path wasn't unique, what truly made him famous was his case-solving ability, known among the people as "Iron-faced Luan Qingtian (Bao Qingtian)."
He was one of the local officials particularly valued by the Empress after her accession.
Rumor had it there was even a former Martial World expert serving as his personal guard and chief arrest officer.
How to describe it...
The Yu Country version of "Bao Qingtian and Zhan Guard," except the black face belonged to the arrest officer Zhang Jian, and there wasn't a crescent on his forehead...
"Indeed, it is this office!"
The Yu Country Bao Qingtian's gaze pierced through intensely, stern and solemn, his eyes scanning the group dressed as a caravan but holding sharp weapons, clearly martial rebels, feeling a mix of shock and exhilaration.
Exhilarated that the intelligence was accurate, and wondering who innocent would draw swords at the sight of arriving government officers...
Shocked by the large scale of the rebels, numbering several dozen, unsure if they could be captured.
Luan Cheng sternly declared: "Since you know the name of this office, surrender, for it is better than dying for that rebel Zhuang Xiaocheng!"
Zhao Douan seemed to smile a bit, showing no fear that should be inherent in a rebel caught in a desperate situation.
His gaze commanded as he asked Luan Cheng: "How did you know of our arrival? And when did you enter Feng City?"
Luan Cheng was taken aback, and all the government officers were dumbfounded, thinking to themselves, are all the rebels this defiant nowadays?