Chapter 111

Whether Zhu Yitao is treating Aunt Liu as an easy target remains uncertain.

But Xiao Yu is certain that Zhu Yitao has this time truly gone all out.

A dozen or so constables in black long robes blocked the entrance, forming a dense, intimidating wall.

At least the patrons here for drinking and pleasure were frightened—their drinking game shouts fell silent.

Some guests even slipped away quietly through the side doors.

“Aunt Liu, greetings~~”

When Aunt Liu stormed out, the two bearded head constables bowed and greeted her, while the other constables showed no reaction.

“Tong Shuisheng, Tong Huowang, are you here to drag me to the government office and beat me?” Aunt Liu’s face was icy, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve got guts—but on what grounds are you arresting me? Show me the official warrant.”

Brother Tong Shuisheng smiled. “Auntie, don’t misunderstand—we’re just lowly clerks doing what our superiors order.”

After delivering the formalities, he leaned closer and sighed softly. “Auntie, you know Zhu Yitao’s temper.”

Even if not all of eastern Shu, at least here in Yingxiang Prefecture, everyone’s heard about the counterfeit silver case and what happened to Old Xu and his wife.”

“And yet you—his wife hasn’t even passed her seventh day, Old Xu’s been crippled, his home smashed to rubble, and his daughter sent to Hongxiu Courtyard.”

Aunt Liu lowered her voice. “As the saying goes: if the people don’t file a complaint, the officials won’t investigate. The counterfeit silver case ended long ago—at least when the City God intervened, the government office’s case was already closed.”

After all, Zhu Yitao had already ruled on what he needed to rule on—he only issued a warrant to capture the counterfeiters.”

He should’ve gone after Jia Yintong!”

Old Xu defaulted on his debt and used his daughter to settle it—perfectly legal and justified. Why should he care?”

Tong Shuisheng nodded vigorously. “Exactly! By custom, once the City God has ruled on the underworld case, the earthly magistrate should pretend ignorance and stay out of it.”

Auntie, I’ll be honest—no one filed a complaint. Old Xu’s still lying in bed!”

He signed a written contract selling his daughter to settle the debt—filing a complaint now would be useless.”

Besides, he didn’t even go to the government office this time.”

Last time Zhu Yitao beat him half to death—he’s too scared to even face Zhu Yitao.”

“Then why is Zhu Yitao doing this?” Aunt Liu asked, puzzled.

“Sigh—since taking office, hasn’t our Zhu Magistrate done enough outrageous things?”

The Assistant Magistrate, the Chief Clerk, the Secretaries, and all six departments came to advise him: ‘Don’t meddle in idle matters.’”

Zhu Yitao cursed them out, saying: ‘The magistrate is the father of the city—how can managing his people’s affairs be an idle matter?’”

He’s acting on his own, stubbornly taking Old Xu’s side, determined to oppose you.”

Besides this squad coming to Hongxiu Courtyard, two other squads went to Hu’s place and Busigui.”

Hearing this, Aunt Liu realized Zhu Yitao wasn’t targeting her alone—her anger immediately subsided.

“Looks like Tianmen Town will soon have a new magistrate!” Aunt Liu sneered.

Tong the Elder chuckled awkwardly. “We’re just lowly head constables—we only know how to work hard. Could you please make things easier for us?”

Aunt Liu’s face hardened again. “Show me the warrant. I want to see what excuse Zhu Yitao used to arrest me.”

“Not big, not small—forcing a virtuous woman into prostitution.”

Tong the Elder gave his brother a glance.

Tong Huowang pulled a paper from his python-belt, but didn’t hand it to Aunt Liu. Instead, he said seriously: “Auntie, we’ll obey any order you give.”

But there’s one thing you must know.”

In our government office, no warrant is issued on empty words.”

To get this paper, my eighteen brothers pooled exactly three hundred strings of cash.”

We respect and cherish you, Auntie—but you must pity us too.”

We don’t dare ask for more—just return our capital, and we’ll be satisfied.”

Aunt Liu sneered. "I paid only sixty taels for Xu Huier—you're asking for three hundred strings? Do you think I'm some naive girl who's never seen the world, easily intimidated?"

Tong the Elder bowed quickly, smiling. “We’d never dare cheat you, Auntie—three hundred strings is exactly one copper coin more or less.”

He paused, then lowered his voice. “If we’d just come here to fetch you, even if we offered it for free, no one would take the warrant.”

Even bandits dare not act up in front of you.”

We, men of the government office, are the lowest of the low—how could we dare pull on your tiger’s whiskers?”

But today is special.”

Didn’t I just say? The magistrate sent three squads—one to Busigui, the worst; one to Master Hu’s place, the best draw—tomorrow you’d owe the City God a vow if you didn’t thank him for today’s luck.”

We brothers got unlucky—pooled three hundred strings, drew once, and pulled the worst ticket.”

Tong Shuisheng took the warrant from his brother and sighed. “See? Three paper balls drawn—once, three hundred strings. Everyone hoped to draw Hu’s place for a little fortune!”

But we brothers got unlucky—we ended up here at your Hongxiu Courtyard.”

We don’t even expect fortune—just break even.”

Aunt Liu said coolly. “Your bad luck has nothing to do with me. Tong the Elder, I’m telling you now—not one copper coin!”

The Tong brothers’ faces darkened.

The constables behind them grew anxious and angry.

Aunt Liu wasn’t afraid—she planted her left hand on her hip and pointed her right finger at Tong the Elder’s nose. “Since the day your mother split her cunt to birth you, Hongxiu Courtyard has never been extorted.”

If you want to recoup your money here, go drag your own mother here—I’ll clear a nice spot for her, let her spread her legs and sell hard—maybe in three or five years she’ll scrape together three hundred strings.”

Tong Huowang’s rage exploded—he drew his sword and roared: “You old bitch, how dare you—”

“Bang—”

A half-brick flew through the air, heavy and swift, with a touch of falling-petal grace, smashing squarely into Tong Huowang’s face.

“Pfft~~~”

Tong Huowang’s nose broke, teeth shattered—he spat blood and collapsed backward.

“Clang, clang-clang~~” Tong the Elder instinctively drew his sword into defense; the other constables didn’t draw, but stepped forward, forming an intimidating line.

Aunt Liu wasn’t alone—Hongxiu Courtyard had sword maidens and hired guards—they stood behind her!”

“Fight them!” Someone in the crowd shouted as the constables charged—everyone hurled whatever they held.

Sticks, teacups, stools.

And two more half-bricks whistled in from behind.

“Oh no~~” Even the strongest, Tong the Elder, was felled by a brick.

“Rebellion! Villains are killing officials—ah—pfft~~~”

“Spare us, Aunt Liu, we surrender! Stop beating us!”

When Aunt Liu snapped out of her daze, all eighteen constables lay sprawled on the street before Hongxiu Courtyard.

“Sigh, why so impulsive!” Aunt Liu’s temple throbbed—she held the warrant high. “The government office only asked us to allow Old Xu to redeem Xu Huier—why the bloody brawl?”

Xiao Yu quietly dropped the brick in her right hand, leapt onto a table, and tiptoed to read the warrant.

The main point: redeem Xu Huier, Hongxiu Courtyard must not interfere.

And a manager must be sent to the government office to report back.

Even Aunt Liu didn’t need to go herself.

It was truly a minor matter—no need for a brawl at all.

“Auntie, it’s not us who overreacted—it’s these bastards trying to extort Hongxiu Courtyard and draw swords on you!” A man named Zhang, holding a stool and standing on a constable’s back, shouted from the front.

Aunt Liu was furious—she wanted to scream: Your mother’s bullshit! With my aura back then, he couldn’t even draw his sword!

“Sigh, Uncle Zhang, we should trust Aunt Liu’s verbal power. If she didn’t believe she could scare them off, why would she speak?” Xiao Yu sighed.

“You little brat, still making sarcastic remarks!” Aunt Liu pointed at her. “Don’t think hiding behind others fools me—I know you threw that brick.”

No one else could’ve done it—that kind of finesse? Impossible!”

To be a head constable in Tianmen Town, you need at least Qi Refining realm.

The Tong brothers may be greedy, but their martial skill isn’t weak—on the martial road, they’d be at least second-rate fighters.

Yet they were easily felled by two broken bricks—could any random brothel guard do that?”

Xiao Yu grinned awkwardly. “I was just worried about Auntie, uh—concern makes you reckless. Auntie, we’ve already beaten them—now the key is how to handle the aftermath.”

Why not carry these officers inside, tend their wounds, and serve them a couple good feasts?”

“Now you’re playing humble?”

Aunt Liu glared at her, then shouted at the groaning constables: “Stop pretending to be dead—get up! Hongxiu Courtyard earns a thousand taels a day—wasting our business? Even if I sold your mothers and wives, you couldn’t pay the debt!”

Xiao Yu was surprised—shouldn’t you give a carrot after the stick? Why beat them and then slap them again?”

Aside from a few knocked unconscious by Xiao Yu’s bricks, the other constables weren’t badly hurt.

They groaned, got up, didn’t dare threaten, only shot dark, venomous glances at Hongxiu Courtyard’s people, then quietly carried their injured comrades away, limping out of Qingshuiwan.

Aunt Liu’s face was grim. “Lan, Dongmei, comfort the guests. Aunt Qing, bring Xu Huier—come with me to the government office to meet Zhu Yitao.”

Also, Old Qin, take men and notify every brothel madam in Qingshuiwan—I’ll wait for them at Qingqiao Crossing.”

She turned and walked toward the bridge first.

Five other madams and eight guards followed her.

Xiao Yu thought for a moment, then decided to go out and see the world.

About a stick of incense later, people began emerging one by one from the brothels of Qingshuiwan.

All similar to Hongxiu Courtyard: a still-charming madam, a few capable aunts, and a group of hired thugs.

Half an hour later, the madam army exceeded a hundred fierce warriors—add the aunts and guards, and the crowd numbered in the hundreds, even thousands.

Xiao Yu stepped close to Aunt Liu and whispered: “It’s getting dark—why not have everyone hold a torch? More impressive.”

Xiao Yu leaned close to Aunt Liu and whispered, “It’s almost dark—why not each of us hold a torch? It would look more imposing.”

“You really think we’re here to rebel? And carrying torches too?”

Aunt Liu didn’t approve of her silly idea, but after a moment’s hesitation, she told everyone to carry lanterns.

Xiao Yu felt a bit disappointed—the lanterns were too refined.

If a thousand people silently surrounded the government office with torches raised, that would be something to see.

Even so, the madam’s army drew countless neighbors.

Xiao Yu even spotted Aunt Zhang from Soy Sauce Alley.

Aunt Zhang, as usual, shouted loudly, “Oh my, what’s going on? Why’s the back alley in an uproar too?”

The girls at Hongxiu Courtyard called Soy Sauce Alley “Back Alley,” while residents near Xiao Liang River referred to the area around Qingshuiwan as “Back Alley”—and neither was wrong.

“Where else is there trouble?” Xiao Yu asked, leaning closer.

Aunt Zhang wasn’t just standing by the roadside snacking—she’d followed the whole way, fully committed to the spectacle.

“It’s just the Hu family shop in the front alley. Oh, what a tragedy—hurting others and themselves. The City God has already sentenced him to wear the cangue in public. Master Hu is now lying on his bed wailing in pain, and just now the government office runners dragged him away.”

Xiao Yu asked curiously, “Aren’t the government office runners supposed to be reasonable? Didn’t they get paid?”

Aunt Zhang blinked in surprise, then gave a strange look and lowered her voice: “Exactly! Master Hu is greedy, and Mistress Hu is stingy.”

Even though her own husband has been judged guilty by the City God, she shows not a shred of remorse.”

For days now, she hasn’t returned Xu Niang’s jade pendant to the Xu family.”

Now Zhu Yitao’s men have come to demand it, and she sticks out her thick waist like a tigress guarding her den, blocking the door and refusing to let the runners in, shouting all kinds of vile words. Oh my, she truly isn’t afraid of retribution from the netherworld!”

Xiao Yu exclaimed in surprise, “Do the government office runners just let her scream like that?”

Aunt Zhang shook her head: “Of course not—but Mistress Hu’s father is the master of the ‘Mo Family Martial Arts School’ outside the East City Gate.”

She’s a skilled fighter herself—her iron fists have never met an equal among the four streets’ aunts and grandmas, and she’s always surrounded by a few fellow disciples.”

“No wonder Tianmen Town held off three hundred sixty nations’ million-man allied army—the people really are fierce,” Xiao Yu remarked.

Aunt Zhang said proudly, “Don’t think I’m clumsy now. When I was your age, I trained at the martial school for half a year too!”

—No wonder you, despite your age, still have so much energy. It’s pitch dark, yet you won’t go home to sleep—you ran from the back alley to the front alley, then followed all the way to the government office without showing a sign of fatigue.

Xiao Yu muttered to herself, then asked aloud, “If Mistress Hu is so fierce, why let the government office runners take Master Hu away?”

Mistress Hu sighed: “She’s only concerned with her own pawnshop—she doesn’t care a bit about Master Hu in the back courtyard.”

“And what about your Hongxiu Courtyard?” she asked next, eyes wide with eager interest.