TGCFNM -Chapter 194 Someone Blocks the Road

When Chu Ling and the others returned to the carriage, Zhuifeng, who had been listless, suddenly threw back his head and let out a long, triumphant whinny, kicking his hooves to show his excitement.

Chu Ling laughed, patting Zhuifeng’s mane, and climbed into the carriage. The others followed shortly after.

Zhang Dong took the reins and urged the carriage toward the city gate.

Wan Sanjin carefully put away the papers already pressed with blood seals and asked, “Master, what should be written on these?”

Leaning against the carriage wall, Chu Ling feigned sleep and said, “One paper states that Si Qing and Cheng Yunshu of the Si family attempted to murder an imperial official, have confessed, and will be imprisoned once they are brought back.”

Xiao Hua asked, puzzled, “Master, then why not just take them straight to prison?”

Wan Sanjin explained, “Of course, it would be troublesome. Zhuifeng wouldn’t want those two dirtying his carriage either.”

“Oh,” Xiao Hua said, understanding.

Chu Ling slowly opened her eyes, looked at Wan Sanjin, and continued, “There are four papers in total. One admits Si Qing’s crime, another shows he acted under the orders of the Si family patriarch.

The remaining two are for Cheng Yunshu: one to continue investigating the truth behind her father’s death, and the other is her promise that after my investigation is complete, she will hand over all her dowry to me in full.”

Su He’s usually cold face twisted into a strange smile. “Master, so you’ve got your eye on her dowry?”

Wan Sanjin inhaled sharply. “Master said the Si family lady’s dowry is considerable, right? Surely the Si family will resist and refuse to give it.”

Chu Ling laughed joyfully. “Naturally, they will be reluctant, but the contract sealed with their fingerprints is proof. And as long as I say so, the common people will believe me. So the Si family has no choice but to comply.”

“But Master said the Si family has already schemed away a lot,” Su He asked.

Chu Ling waved her hand. “I don’t care. Whatever Cheng Old Master had, I will take. If there isn’t enough, the Si family will have to make up the difference.”

Wan Sanjin asked, a hint of excitement in his voice, “Master, what exactly do you plan to do?”

Chu Ling recounted her discussion with the Ghost Scholar from the previous day in her own words, adding at the end, “The noble families have grown used to meddling with officials and taxes, but I insist on tearing away this veil of shame.”

Wan Sanjin pressed his hand to his chest where the papers were, feeling a slight discomfort, but also a sense of weaponized power. “With these papers, we can really stir up a storm in Dongle City.”

A smile curved Chu Ling’s lips; this was far too interesting.

Soon, the carriage reached the city gate. The rear gate opened, and the soldiers who came to escort them in made frequent gestures along the way.

Zhang Dong knocked three times on the carriage to signal those inside.

Chu Ling responded with a single knock.

The carriage came to a stop, and a deep voice shouted outside, “The city gate is closed and there’s a curfew. Master Chu, as an imperial official, you cannot leave the city without permission. Are you breaking the law?”

Chu Ling lifted the curtain to look and saw a burly man glaring at their carriage, long spear in hand, ready to strike at any moment.

Tilting her head, Chu Ling looked at him with a hint of mockery. “Since when does Dongle City have a curfew? Did you close the brothels and gambling dens too? And even if there were a curfew, is that really your business?”

Why was it fine for the Si family to go out but not them? Picking on the weak, was it?

The man’s eyes widened in anger. Spear raised, he shouted, “You refuse courtesy and demand punishment! I tell you, even if you’re a dragon, if you enter my territory, you’ll submit to me!”

“How dare you!” Chu Ling shouted coldly. “How dare you speak such arrogant words! Who exactly are you?”

The burly man glanced at Chu Ling disdainfully and said proudly, “I am the city’s guarding general: Huang Ling!”

Chu Ling froze. “Who?”

Huang Ling stiffened, then gritted his teeth. “I am Xuanyuan Shou’s brother-in-law!”

Chu Ling suddenly realized and asked, “Where were you the day I broke his leg?”

“Yunhua… what’s that got to do with you!” Huang Ling barked. “You’d better get down from the carriage immediately, or the gun in my hand won’t be so polite.”

“Is that so?” Chu Ling just leaned against the carriage, staring at him, showing no intention of getting down.

“Do you really think you’re the only official in Dongle City?” Huang Ling gritted his teeth and charged straight at her.

Chu Ling kicked out, blocking the tip of his gun, and with her other hand grabbed it.

Huang Ling coldly glared at her. “You think you’re worthy of holding my spear?”

At that moment, Xiao Hua suddenly appeared, snatched the spear from Chu Ling’s hands, and, with a raised knee, snapped it in half.

A crisp crack echoed. Huang Ling’s face turned pale with shock. He lunged forward to grab it, but Xiao Hua shot him a look and broke the spear again, splitting it into four pieces, then tossed them right in front of him.

“Do you think you can even talk to my master?” Xiao Hua said, hands on her hips.

Huang Ling’s hands trembled as he picked up his broken spear. Rage shot straight to his head; his eyes were bloodshot. “I… I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you!”

Chu Ling looked at Huang Ling and deliberately provoked him. “Do you know why I can claim I’m the only official of any standing in Dongle City? Because I’m the only one who dares to govern matters of the noble houses. The rest? Those who ignore the lives of the people? They’re nothing but the dogs raised by the noble families. Dogs—how could they even be compared to humans?”

At that moment, an icy fingertip lightly touched Chu Ling.

Chu Ling thought it was Bai Su following her, so she ignored it and continued pointing at Huang Ling. “Even a dragon has to tread carefully in your territory? Is all under heaven your property? Since when did the emperor’s land become yours? You’re so rebellious—you should be exterminated along with your clan!”

Huang Ling’s entire face flushed with anger, his voice barely squeezed out through clenched teeth. “I will kill you today! And if the court investigates, I’ll take full responsibility!”

“What are you, to even claim ‘full responsibility’? Does the emperor even know who you are?” Chu Ling rolled her eyes. The icy fingertip pressed against her wrist again.

Taking advantage of the moment, Chu Ling glanced sideways.

Just one glance froze her on the spot—her scalp tingled, goosebumps rose, and a cold shiver ran through her whole body. She couldn’t even move her eyes.

The few ghosts who had stayed in the carriage sensed something wrong and hurriedly passed through Wan Sanjin’s body to come out.

Before her stood a male ghost in full armor, gripping Chu Ling’s wrist, and “looking” up at her.

The armored male ghost wasn’t terrifying in itself, but what made it horrifying was that its eyes were sewn shut with threads of hair, and its mouth was stitched shut the same way. The sight sent shivers down anyone’s spine.

Finally, Cui Xi came out, took one look, and let out a scream that pierced the sky. Chu Ling finally broke free and took several deep breaths, still feeling a chill in her chest.

Wangcai barked incessantly but cowered behind Cui Xi.

Wan Sanjin stepped forward to support Chu Ling, curiosity in his voice: “Master, what were you just looking at?”

The male ghost seemed to notice movement, reaching out to test and grab Wan Sanjin—but passed right through him.

Wan Sanjin shivered involuntarily, touching his wrist in puzzlement.

Chu Ling’s face was completely pale, a cold chill gathering in her chest. She glanced at Huang Ling and said in a low voice, “I’ll let you off tonight, but provoke me again, and you won’t come back alive.”

“Haha, afraid of you? Take this!” Huang Ling shouted.

Chu Ling propped herself against the carriage and looked at her people. “Just knock him out, disable his arms and legs if needed, and throw him in the prison!”

“Yes!”

Wan Sanjin immediately led Xiao Hua and the others down.

Chu Ling, forcing herself, got back into the carriage to rest, hands pressed tightly over her chest: she was really scared out of her wits!

A while later, the Ghost Scholar brought the armored ghost over, sat in the outer seat, and personally kept watch.