Chapter 178 A Fist of Endless Love

Chapter 178 A Fist of Endless Love

A dilapidated house stood alone in the open space, with a horse-drawn carriage tied to the corner of the wall. The carriage tracks perfectly matched the route they were following.

"Prefect Li must be hiding inside!"

Cheng Lanzhou gently put Jiang Yutang down and solemnly instructed her, "If there is any danger later, you must stay close to me and don't run around no matter what happens."

Jiang Yutang nodded vigorously, not forgetting to crack a joke: "Someone as afraid of death as me will definitely not leave your side for even a moment."

She was holding back a lot of energy.

It's a rare opportunity to participate in such an important event, so I must perform well and not become a burden to others!

The group tiptoed nimbly to the outside of the house's wall, then lay down on the bricks and tiles to observe what was happening inside.

The house was pitch black, with only a faint light coming through the window of the main room, through which one could vaguely see figures moving about.

Cheng Lanzhou stared inside for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and made an attack gesture.

The soldiers, who had been waiting in ambush, immediately sprang into action, nimbly scaling the wall and surrounding the house.

One of the soldiers who remained on the wall leaped onto the roof, moved a tile, took out a weapon resembling a bamboo tube from his pocket, and blew on it downwards.

Jiang Yutang stared intently at his movements. He then made another gesture, and the group rushed into the house like tigers.

Shouts and the sounds of fighting instantly echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

Just as Jiang Yutang was getting excited, she heard the sound of tables and chairs falling over from the main room. A moment later, two soldiers came out, leading a figure who was tied up behind his back.

He kicked the man to the ground; the man was none other than Magistrate Li!

Jiang Yutang was stunned. It was over already? There was none of the fierce fighting and desperate resistance she had imagined. The magistrate Li in front of her had disheveled hair and his official robe was torn and wrinkled. Where was the arrogance he had shown before?

She couldn't help but think to herself: This Prefect Li is so weak.

After seeing that Judge Li could no longer resist, Jiang Yutang carefully slid down the wall.

As soon as she ran into the house, she saw Shen Lanzhou carrying the unconscious Su Wan in his arms, slowly walking out of the house.

Jiang Yutang's heart tightened, and she ran towards Cheng Lanzhou, asking worriedly, "What happened to her? What injuries did she sustain?"

Cheng Lanzhou shook his head: "It's nothing serious, he's still breathing."

"Let me take a look."

Jiang Yutang stepped forward, using the moonlight to get close to Su Wan, and gently lifted her eyelids.

She frowned at just one glance.

Su Wan's pupils contracted slightly under the light; this was clearly not the appearance of someone who had actually fainted. She was obviously faking it!

Her lips twitched, and she cursed inwardly: You, Su Wan, still not giving up! You pretend to faint and lie in someone else's husband's arms, what a cunning plan!

Suppressing her anger, she said to Cheng Lanzhou with a forced smile, "Lanzhou, quickly put her on the ground. Let me take a look at Miss Su; maybe I can wake her up sooner."

Without a moment's hesitation, Cheng Lanzhou decisively and gently placed Su Wan on the ground covered with dry grass.

Jiang Yutang rolled up his sleeves and waved his arms a couple of times. His menacing appearance made him look more like he was going to take someone's life than to rescue someone.

Before anyone could react, Jiang Yutang aimed at Su Wan's philtrum and pinched it hard with all her might.

"Hmm—"

In just a second, Su Wan, who had been unconscious, sprang up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her eyes wide open and her face flushed with pain.

Jiang Yutang clapped his hands and smiled smugly: "Miss Su, you're awake? It seems there's nothing seriously wrong, that's wonderful."

Su Wan clutched her philtrum, which was throbbing from being pinched, and looked at Jiang Yutang's "I saved you, you should thank me" expression. She was so angry that she almost fainted.

She knew Jiang Yutang was doing it on purpose, but since she had pretended to faint first and gained the upper hand, she could only swallow her anger and force a smile while rubbing her philtrum.

"Thank you so much, Madam, for saving me."

How could Cheng Lanzhou not realize that Su Wan was faking it? He just felt as sweet as honey whenever he thought of Jiang Yutang's jealous expression.

He coughed lightly and stepped forward: "Miss Su, please rest for a moment. Magistrate Li has been captured, and you can finally avenge your great grudge."

Upon hearing the name of Prefect Li, Su Wan's eyes instantly turned cold, and she gave a soft "hmm".

Judge Li was trampled underfoot by the soldiers, his official robes stained with dust, yet he still refused to restrain his arrogant demeanor.

He struggled to lift his head, looked down at Cheng Lanzhou, a haughty and disdainful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Cheng Lanzhou, what can you do to me? You're just making baseless accusations against an official without any evidence. Be careful, I'll report you when I get back to the capital, and you'll be in deep trouble!"

Faced with this desperate provocation, Cheng Lanzhou's eyes did not even waver.

He sneered, waved to the soldier beside him, and said in a cold, hard tone, "Take him away, lock him in a prison van and keep a close watch on him. I will personally interrogate him tonight."

He spoke the word "torture" through gritted teeth, emanating a chilling murderous aura.

Judge Li realized something was wrong. He panicked instantly, disregarding his dignity, and desperately twisted and struggled.

"My father is the Vice Minister of Revenue, and my grandfather was the Grand Tutor of the previous dynasty! They have countless disciples in the capital, how dare you treat me like this! I'm going to file a complaint with the Emperor! I'll ruin your reputation!"

Seeing this, the soldier simply took out a strip of cloth to gag him and dragged him toward the prison van parked to the side.

Li Tongpan's unwilling sobs continued intermittently until his figure disappeared into the night, at which point they finally fell silent.

Jiang Yutang looked in the direction of the prison van and breathed a long sigh of relief; the heavy weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

She turned to look at Cheng Lanzhou and asked softly, "What should we do next? Should we send the recording pen and the person back to the capital and hand them over to the court for sentencing?"

Cheng Lanzhou chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair: "Of course not. Judge Li's influence in the capital is deeply entrenched. If we delay any longer, his people might take advantage of the situation. The sooner this is resolved, the better. I have my own ways to make him confess and submit to the law."

"Then I'm relieved."

As soon as Jiang Yutang relaxed, she felt pain in all her bones, especially her right arm, which ached terribly with the slightest movement.

She frowned and raised her arm, only to find that her elbow was noticeably deformed. It must have dislocated it when she slipped down the tunnel and bumped into the rock wall in her haste.

Cheng Lanzhou naturally noticed her unusual behavior. He took two steps forward, carefully grasped her arm, and spoke in a gentle yet firm voice.

"Bear with it, it'll be over soon."

Before Jiang Yutang could prepare herself, there was a crisp "crack" sound, and the dislocated joint was firmly put back in place.

The intense pain prevented Jiang Yutang from uttering the word "good" before she bit her tongue hard. The stinging pain in her mouth and the numbness in her arm attacked her from both sides, making her tears well up in her eyes.

She swung her left fist and slammed it hard into Cheng Lanzhou's chest.

Cheng Lanzhou caught her fist steadily; to him, this light, affectionate punch seemed more like a coquettish gesture.

He smiled, took her hand, and gently kissed the back of her hand.

Su Wan, who was not far away, saw all of this. Her eyes, which had been bright with the joy of revenge, gradually became clouded with melancholy.