Chapter 148: Bringing a Trafficker to Report to the Authorities to Probe the Magistrate

The horse halted abruptly; Xiao Qidi's expression turned grave as he shook his head. 'Not found.'

'Ah?' Ning Jinli asked hurriedly, 'No clues at all?'

Xiao Qidi gave a sharp pull backward.

Bang.

A blood-soaked man tumbled from behind him and hit the ground hard.

Because Xiao Qidi was tall and broad, he had blocked the man from view until he fell, and only then did Ning Jinli see him.

Xiao Qidi also dismounted, stepped on the man with one foot, and said grimly, 'The clue is in this man's mouth, but I spent the whole night trying to pry it out and failed.'

Ning Jinli saw that the man was practically a bloody gourd—no patch of flesh unharmed, his limbs twisted, clearly subjected to inhuman torture.

Though his wounds were severe, they all avoided vital spots.

Now the man is unconscious, appearing at death's door, yet not yet dead.

'Who is this?' Ning Jinli asked.

'He's not human, he's a beast.' Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with killing intent, then he told Ning Jinli how he had located the traffickers' hideout yesterday.

Unfortunately, those traffickers are tight-lipped.

He interrogated them all night with rotating torture, even picking a few to slaughter in front of the trafficker leader as a warning, yet he never got any clue about An An's whereabouts.

Thus, the information we have is extremely limited, roughly two points.

First, Constable Zhao and his men are colluding with these traffickers.

Second, the traffickers have a powerful backer, at least surpassing the He Wan County Magistrate.

But whether the He Wan County Magistrate himself is involved with the traffickers cannot be confirmed.

After hearing Xiao Qidi's account, Ning Jinli said, 'You brought a trafficker here to test the magistrate and find an opening, right?'

'Exactly,' Xiao Qidi nodded, 'This is the trafficker leader's right-hand man; I'll see how the He Wan County Magistrate deals with him.'

'Alright, I'll go beat the drum!' Ning Jinli turned to go file a report.

'Jinli, wait,' Xiao Qidi grabbed her hand, 'I think we need extra preparation—can you open a Time-Space Gate nearby? I want to rush back to Lin Xian Cheng to fetch Duan Wu for assistance.'

Ning Jinli looked embarrassed, 'I've exhausted myself these past two days and lack the strength to open a new Time-Space Gate; I can only use an existing one—one near Xiu Mei's sister's home, and another in this county office prison.'

'Xiu Mei's sister's house is a bit far,' Xiao Qidi said decisively, 'Since we have to go into the yamen anyway, let's use the gate in the county office prison.'

'Okay!'

Ning Jinli sprinted up the steps and struck the great drum before the yamen.

Soon after, they were summoned.

Xiao Qidi dragged the trafficker he had brought to his feet, and together with Ning Jinli entered the court hall.

However, the magistrate's seat on the bench was empty.

Only the clerk stood beside the magistrate's chair.

'What business brings you two to report?' the clerk asked lazily.

Xiao Qidi said, 'Why isn't the magistrate here?'

The clerk yawned and drawled, 'The magistrate is busy; if you have something to say, spit it out, otherwise get lost!'

Xiao Qidi's eyes darkened slightly, 'I've captured a trafficker gang and brought one of them here to ask the He Wan County Magistrate for punishment; this is a major matter, cannot be delayed—go summon the magistrate at once.'

'Bold!' the clerk slammed the table, 'When did you ever get the right to bark orders in this He Wan County yamen?'

Xiao Qidi's expression grew even gloomier, 'Will you call him or not?'

An invisible aura emanated from him, making the clerk inexplicably uneasy.

He sized up Xiao Qidi, then glanced at the half-dead man on the ground whose features were hard to discern, stroked his beard, and said, 'Who knows if what you're saying is true or false?'

'I'll speak!' Ning Jinli blurted, 'Isn't this just bringing a person for your magistrate to judge? Do we really need to get a certificate from you first? What good is your yamen then?'

'Eh? You little girl! Dare to shout in the hall!' the clerk barked, stern-faced, 'Guys, throw them out!'

The several yamen runners on the bench grabbed their clubs and moved to drive them out.

Xiao Qidi snatched the long sticks from their hands and, before the clerk's eyes, broke them barehanded.

Such force frightened the runners, who kept stepping back.

'If you don't go summon your magistrate,' Xiao Qidi tossed the broken stick aside, 'do you believe I'll demolish this hall?'

Those constables were hardly ever in the yamen; the clerk lacked the guts to confront this tough guy head‑on, so with a grim face he reluctantly sent a runner to fetch the magistrate.

'Kid, don't blame us for not warning you,' the clerk warned coldly, 'The magistrate is in a foul mood today; I didn't want to stir trouble for you, but you insist on picking a fight… hum!'

Having said that, the clerk left the hall.

——

Inside the He Wan County Magistrate's residence.

The magistrate lay half‑reclined on the bed, a towel on his forehead, his face pallid as if he'd suffered a serious illness.

He closed his eyes, weak and breathless, asking, 'How is it? Have you found any clues?'

'Sir,' the steward stepped forward to reply, 'Constable Zhao and his men are currently inspecting the storeroom; please don't worry.'

'How can I not be anxious!' the magistrate's cheeks twitched, 'The whole storeroom—overnight… everything inside is gone! That's the fortune I've accumulated over twenty years! I… cough cough cough!'

Just thinking about it made him flare up; he clutched his chest and coughed violently.

The steward hurriedly patted his chest, 'Sir, your health comes first; rest assured, Constable Zhao will surely get to the bottom of this.'

'Definitely… definitely linked to last night's inexplicable fires everywhere!' the magistrate opened his eyes, gritting his teeth, 'Now that I think about it, it's too suspicious—I want to see which blind‑eyed dog dared to sneak into my house and steal!'

The steward hesitated, 'Your storeroom holds plenty, even that heavy gold… it doesn't seem possible for anyone to sneak in unseen and empty it out overnight.'

'What else then!' the magistrate snapped, 'Did my belongings grow legs and run off, or sprout wings and fly away?!'

Seeing the magistrate about to lose his temper again, the steward fell silent.

'Sir, someone from the yamen has arrived, saying they have an important report!' a servant's voice called from outside.

Before the county magistrate could speak, the steward snapped, "What could be more important than the master's household affairs? How could the people at the county gate suddenly be so clueless! They even came to our manor to report! Get lost!"

At that moment, a county officer's voice sounded from outside the door again: "Sir! A man and a woman have come to the county gate, fierce as anything, claiming they've captured a human trafficker and insisting you personally interrogate them! They also said that if you don't go, they'll tear down our county office!"

"Human traffickers?" the steward's face changed slightly as he looked toward the county magistrate.

The county magistrate suddenly jerked upright with a start, his expression turning grave.

"Master..." the steward whispered, "Could it be that gang?"

The county magistrate frowned and said, "Besides that gang, who else could be human traffickers in our He Wan County? Sigh, it's strange—how did they get caught? Who's capable enough to capture them? No, I have to go see. Quick, help me change clothes!"

"Yes, master."

Soon, the county magistrate changed into official robes, got into a carriage, and hurried to the county office with whip and spur.

He had already been fuming over the theft from his manor's storehouse, and now this matter popped up, making his face as grim as could be.

Upon entering the court hall, seeing that bloody, half-dead person below the dais indeed being one of the human trafficker gang, his gaze turned even more like he wanted to devour them.

But restrained by his position, he could only endure it; after sitting down, he stared at Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli, slammed the gavel, and said, "You two, give your names!"

Under the circumstances, they naturally wouldn't reveal their real names.

Ning Jinli said she was called Ding Li, and Xiao Qidi said he was called Su Mu.

"You look unfamiliar to me," the county magistrate appraised, "Where are you from?"

Xiao Qidi said, "We have no fixed abode, drifting about; we arrived here yesterday and happened upon a band of human traffickers. I don't know how the magistrate wishes to deal with them."

The county magistrate narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard, and asked, "What evidence do you have?"

Xiao Qidi said, "I rescued dozens of civilians they had imprisoned; those are human witnesses. Besides, magistrate, won't you examine the person I brought?"

"Where are the witnesses?" the county magistrate pressed, "Dozens of them—where are they? I haven't seen any."

Xiao Qidi calmly replied, "For their safety, I haven't brought them along."

The county magistrate looked at the human trafficker lying on the ground and said, "This person is unconscious; how am I supposed to interrogate him?"

Xiao Qidi stepped on him with one foot; the human trafficker instantly woke from pain, curling up and trembling incessantly.

At that very moment, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli also noticed the county magistrate's reaction; though he appeared composed on the surface, a flicker of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

"Sir, he's awake; you may question him now," Xiao Qidi reminded.

The county magistrate slapped the gavel, putting on a show, and said, "I ask you—are you the human trafficker these two spoke of?"

The human trafficker, enduring excruciating pain all over, hoarsely said, "Sir… I… am innocent, I'm just an ordinary commoner, yet… for some reason I provoked him, and he… tortured me to the point of wishing I were dead; please, sir, grant me justice…"

"Ah, I see!" the county magistrate immediately rebuked, "Su Mu! Ding Li! You two bold scoundrels, wandering about and trespassing on my jurisdiction—not to mention bullying the populace! You've injured someone to this extent, yet dare to slander him as a human trafficker! You've got the gall of a bear and a leopard!"

Xiao Qidi interjected abruptly, "Sir, you only heard his one-sided account and immediately believed it—why are you so eager to protect him? Do you know him?"

"Whether I know him or not—" the county magistrate blurted out, then realized he'd slipped, hastily adding, "What if I don't know him?! I'm here to discern right from wrong! Do you expect me to base my judgment on you?"

Xiao Qidi drew a bamboo slip from his bosom and tossed it forward.

The bamboo slip arced through the air and landed steadily on the desk before the county magistrate.

"Please have a look, sir," Xiao Qidi said softly, "This is a partial ledger of their human‑trafficking transactions; it can serve as material evidence, and it seems to mention your name as well."

"What? Impossible!" the county magistrate visibly panicked, hastily unfurled the bamboo slip, and stared wide‑eyed as he examined it closely.

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli exchanged a silent glance.

By this point, it was clear that the He Wan County magistrate was involved with that gang of human traffickers.

The county magistrate examined every character of the bamboo slip carefully and quickly; his eyes unintentionally showed surprise, for he knew this was indeed that gang's account book.

However, from beginning to end he found no mention of his own name, and so he unintentionally revealed a look of relief.

All these subtle reactions were likewise observed by Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli.

"Hmph!" the county magistrate snapped the bamboo shut, lifted his head, and sneered, "After my inspection, this so‑called ledger cannot serve as material evidence at all—who knows if you just fabricated it? And you dare to try to drag me into this—you've got the audacity of a dog!"

"Cough… cough cough…" At that moment, the human trafficker curled up on the ground began to cough painfully, a pool of blood flowing from his mouth.

Seeing his condition, it was clear that without immediate treatment he would soon die.

The county magistrate's heart leapt to his throat; if it were anyone else it would be fine, but this is a key aide of the human trafficker leader—if he doesn't find a way to save him, he'll have trouble explaining himself later.

In short, the urgent priority is to preserve this person's life.

As for the two who came to report the case, it's best to just send them away to avoid wasting time.

"You-know-who, you two, you may go," the county magistrate said, his tone clearly urging them to leave.

"Really? It's just over like that?" Ning Jinli showed a surprised expression.

"I don't have time to mess around with you!" the county magistrate snapped, blowing his beard and glaring, "In my jurisdiction there's never been any talk of human traffickers! Since you at least came out of good intentions to report the case, I won't pursue you further—go on, go!"

Xiao Qidi frowned slightly; he had come from the start to test the waters, and this time he'd gained some insight—the county magistrate might serve as a breakthrough point.

However, he still needed to make a trip to the jail.

He had originally thought he could use the human trafficker to provoke the magistrate and have him locked up in jail as a side benefit.

But unexpectedly, the magistrate simply let them go.

Ning Jinli leaned in and muttered, "What if… we cause a big scene in the court hall?"

"Still not leaving?" the county magistrate barked in a low voice, "Do you want me to send people to drive you out?!"

Just as Xiao Qidi was about to move to demolish the court hall—

"Sir! Good news!" Captain Zhao burst in from outside like a whirlwind, not even glancing around, rushing straight to the magistrate's side, "After my analysis, I pretty much know who stole your storehouse! Please issue the order quickly, and let all the constables of the county office follow my arrangements—I will certainly capture the thief and bring him to justice!"

The theft of the manor's storehouse was also extremely important to the county magistrate.

The county magistrate then set aside the current situation, grabbed Captain Zhao's hand, and asked excitedly, "You're indeed the finest captain beside me! Quickly tell me, who is that damned thief who stole the storehouse?!"