Chapter 115: That Is Not Up To You

"By now, the main force of the Dongning Army must have already entered Sanshui County; everything has settled!"

"Indeed, once the news arrives, we can finally leave in peace!"

Inside the An Family Courtyard, several figures sat facing one another, seemingly waiting for news from Sanshui County.

They were very confident in this operation; the entire plan was so perfect. Under the crushing weight of twenty thousand Iron Cavalry Army troops, what could that so-called 'Peerless in Zither and Sword' possibly do, no matter how formidable he was?

However, despite saying this, no one knew what might happen until the very last moment. That was why they hadn't left Sanshui County immediately, but were instead waiting for the outcome in this courtyard.

Only once they truly received the news they wanted would they quietly retreat, removing every trace they left behind, as if they had never been there at all.

"This is bad!" Suddenly, the gate was kicked open violently, and a person shouted breathlessly, "Outside, outside..."

"What's wrong outside? Catch your breath and speak slowly!"

"The outside is surrounded by a large army, and they are flying the banners of the Dongning Army!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, the few people in the room stood up abruptly and exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and suspicion.

"The Dongning Army? Didn't they enter the county seat? How could they come here? Could it be that this little County Magistrate actually managed to hide people in this courtyard?"

"Do not fear, perhaps it is just an accident!"

"Boom!" Just as these words fell, the courtyard gate was smashed open frantically. Immediately after, countless cavalrymen swarmed in, surrounding the entire courtyard.

"Military lords, military lords, this is the An Family Courtyard, have you made a mistake?"

"No mistake!" Riding forward, Shen Yu's official County Magistrate robes looked particularly eye-catching among the Dongning Army soldiers, making it impossible for anyone not to notice him.

Giving the other party a cold smile, Shen Yu then pointed his sword and commanded, "All officers, listen to my order: Kill!"

"It really is that County Magistrate of Sanshui County, and the one beside him is Mid-ranking General Lu Shaozhi. How could the Dongning Army be mixed up with him? Damn it, have we been set up?"

Seeing Shen Yu at the lead, and also seeing the Dongning Army Mid-ranking General Lu Shaozhi beside him, this discovery shattered the last bit of hope in their hearts.

At this moment, all sorts of speculations flooded their minds. Could it be that they were treated as abandoned pawns? Did these bastards want to burn the bridge after crossing the river?

"General Lu, don't go charging in!" Pulling back Lu Shaozhi, who wanted to charge, Shen Yu naturally had to keep him close and watch him, as who knew if Lu Shaozhi was one of their people.

Furthermore, Shen Yu still had to put on a show of being 'buddies' with him; if the main character went off to charge, how would he continue the performance?

Under the encirclement of a large army, it was understandable if one or two fish slipped through the net. The point was to let them take back what they saw today; even if he couldn't kill them, he had to disgust them.

"Let go of this General!" Being pulled along with his arm around his shoulder by Shen Yu, anyone who didn't know better would think they were very close. *Little brat, don't let me catch an opportunity, or I will definitely chop you to pieces, you bastard! *

"General Lu, do not be angry; for now, you are under my command. Smile, or I will charge you with the crime of showing contempt for a superior officer!"

"You... fine, very fine!" Suppressing the anger in his heart, Lu Shaozhi managed a stiff, stubborn smile: "Magistrate Shen, are you satisfied now?"

"That's more like it!" With a light smile, Shen Yu then whispered to himself, "System, sign in!"

"Sign-in successful, obtained thirty years of Inner Energy!"

As the system's prompt faded, an invisible force surged in instantly, and the True Qi within his dantian began to circulate wildly. That terrifying aura was released with full force, unable to be suppressed, which caused the complexion of Lu Shaozhi beside him to change drastically.

*This kid is definitely doing this on purpose. * Such a terrifying aura made even his own warhorse nearly kneel; it was far beyond what he could compare to. Let alone the warhorse, even he himself couldn't help but feel a sense of panic growing within.

*This bastard is definitely warning me. Damn it, to be threatened by a County Magistrate—this trip is truly infuriating! *

"Who are you people? Wait, that is the Command Sword of the Governor's Office, let them pass!"

Just at this moment, a cold shout came from behind, and then a group of people walked directly through the cavalry and into the courtyard. Shen Yu, having just gathered his aura, happened to see the group that had broken in.

"Mr. Chen, why have you come in person?" Getting off his horse, Shen Yu walked over. He was becoming increasingly curious about the identity of this Mr. Chen; could anyone who could produce a Jade Tablet Command Sword of the Governor's Office be an ordinary person?

"Magistrate Shen, if I hadn't come in person, everyone here would have been killed by you. This time, we still need a few witnesses to close the net; Magistrate Shen, please show some mercy!"

"Easily said, but since you came in person, Mr. Chen, are you not afraid of arousing suspicion?"

Seeming to notice the gaze Shen Yu cast, Mr. Chen smiled helplessly and said, "Magistrate Shen produced the Jade Tablet Command Sword of the Governor's Office, which means the Governor's Office already knows everything. If we don't close the net now, the fish will all run away!"

"Is that so!" Nodding, Shen Yu stopped responding. *Are you kidding? You're dumping such a huge burden on me; only a fool would take it. That was facing twenty thousand cavalry; an ordinary person would have knelt long ago, so don't be ungrateful. *

"Does Mr. Chen not know my temper? These people dared to lay hands on the commoners; this has already touched my bottom line!"

Speaking to this point, the aura around Shen Yu erupted once more, and murderous intent was bared in his eyes: "And my way of taking revenge is always from dawn to dusk, never leaving it for the next day!"

"What a Shen Hengzhi, truly a formidable youth!" Startled by the aura Shen Yu suddenly erupted with, Mr. Chen turned and smiled slightly; this person brought him more and more surprises.

"Magistrate Shen, although this wasn't entirely perfect, it was still quite good. I promised you, Magistrate Shen, that there would be a surprise afterward; let me congratulate you in advance!"

*Not right! * In Shen Yu's eyes, Mr. Chen's smile looked exactly like a weasel wishing a chicken a Happy New Year. A surprise? He hoped it wouldn't turn into a shock!

"Mr. Chen, can you reveal a little bit about what this surprise you mentioned is?"

"The surprise is that I must congratulate you, Magistrate Shen; you might be getting a promotion very soon!" While speaking, Mr. Chen bowed to Shen Yu and said, "Magistrate Shen is young and promising; it really makes one envious!"

"A promotion? So soon?" Mr. Chen's words made Shen Yu feel somewhat incredulous. How long had it been since he went to Sanshui County to take office? Moreover, he had just been promoted a little over half a year ago; even by airplane, it wouldn't be this fast.

"It is not fast. Given your achievements, Magistrate Shen, you should have been promoted long ago. If I am not mistaken, there is a high probability this time of it being a Sixth Rank Prefect. Magistrate Shen, tell me, is that not a surprise?"

"Prefect? A Prefect of where?" His brows twitched slightly, but no joy could be seen on Shen Yu's face. A promotion was one thing, but jumping several ranks at once and heading straight for Prefect? This promotion was not just fast, it was abnormal.

Logically, this was a good thing for him, but why did he feel so uneasy? There was something abnormal about this!

"Actually, I am only guessing the specifics, but I suspect it should be Songnan Prefecture! Magistrate Shen, that is a place where people of talent gather, a wealthy and prosperous land, with beauties as numerous as clouds and gold and silver everywhere; it is one of the best places in the entire Nanhua Domain!"

"Songnan Prefecture? Wait a moment, don't try to fool me. Songnan Prefecture! Isn't that the garrison of the Dongning Army?" Lifting his head abruptly, he instantly felt that the promotion didn't taste so sweet anymore.

He had just set up the Dongning Army's Mid-ranking General Lu Shaozhi, and this grudge had already been formed. The man was currently holding back because of the Governor's Office's Jade Tablet Command Sword. But this thing could only be used once; after today, he would have to steer clear of the Dongning Army.

Now, to be sent there as Prefect? That was walking right into their trap. He knew it was a pit. He wouldn't go, he wouldn't go even if he were beaten to death!

"Mr. Chen, I feel that being the County Magistrate in Sanshui County is quite good. The commoners here are all reluctant to see me go, and I have developed deep feelings for this place. I will stay here and go nowhere!"

"That is not up to you!"

Smiling and shaking his head, Mr. Chen said indifferently, "Believe me, the imperial court's transfer order will arrive soon. When that time comes, it will not be up to you; you will have to go whether you want to or not!"