Chapter 40: Lawless and Unrestrained

Jiang Mingyu let out a sharp shout, instantly causing the middle-aged man far away to pale with fear.

His hand clutching the gray cloth money bag trembled unnaturally.

Seeing he was exposed, he furrowed his brows, turned his head, and fled in panic.

Jiang Mingyu’s furious shout, despite his plain clothes, remained clearly audible: “Catch him!”

He happened to witness the thief stealing the old woman’s money bag from beside the street.

The thief had run far away; only then did the old woman realize she’d been robbed, and she tore at her hair, wailing: “Someone help! Catch the thief!”

The old woman collapsed onto the ground, pounding her thighs repeatedly, crying without pause.

Tukesiluo, Murong Yunhai, and others were also in plain clothes; without hesitation, they charged after him: “Where are you running? Stop right there!”

Jiang Mingyu stepped forward two paces and gently helped the old woman up: “Old lady, don’t panic—we’ll recover your money bag for you. Look…”

He glanced toward Tukesiluo and the others—once he looked, he was stunned.

Tukesiluo, seeing the thief nearly vanish from sight, leapt into the air like a peacock in flight, suddenly soaring upward!

His feet barely touched the ground; instead, he precisely stepped through the air, launching himself violently onto the wall.

He climbed the rooftops at astonishing speed, continuing to pursue the thief.

Tukesiluo’s movements seemed as if his body had faded, leaving only his soul dancing freely.

Jiang Mingyu understood, stunned: “Damn, that’s insane?”

Jiang Mingyu knew Tukesiluo was powerful—but he never expected that after being nourished by Qi Hai Li Zhenren, Tukesiluo’s mobility had become so inhuman.

Before he could process it, he saw Tukesiluo had already caught the thief, lifting him like a chick.

“In broad daylight, stealing money—what crime do you deserve?” Jiang Mingyu’s voice rang with authority and finality.

The thief, unafraid, replied brazenly: “Pfft, who the hell are you? Got nothing better to do? It’s not your money—what’s it to you?”

Jiang Mingyu didn’t reveal his identity yet: “Do you have no regard for the law? Do you truly think no one can punish you?”

“Enough talk. Theft is a crime—hand over the money bag and come with me to the magistrate’s office.”

The thief, pinned to the ground, laughed: “Hah, the county office? The county magistrate’s gone—why are you still thinking about it?”

“You’re just a bunch of weaklings who prey on the people—do you really think I’m afraid of them?”

“Little brat, you can eat anything, but don’t speak nonsense. You call me a thief—what proof do you have?”

Jiang Mingyu reached into the thief’s chest and pulled out the old woman’s money bag: “How do you explain this?”

The thief blurted out: “What are you doing with that money bag?”

Jiang Mingyu sneered: “Before the victim, you still dare to deny it? Old lady, is this your money bag?”

He held the bag before her, asking softly.

Before the old woman could speak, the thief on the ground glared fiercely and threatened: “Old hag, I’m from Qinglong Zhai —think twice before you speak!”

“Th-this… n-not… mine…” The old woman was terrified, unable to utter a complete sentence.

“I didn’t lose any money, young man—you’re wronging this elder. Let him go right away.”

“It’s all my fault, sir—I apologize to you.”

Saying this, she bent down and bowed to the thief on the ground.

Jiang Mingyu froze—within just a few words, the victim had turned against him.

Instantly, he realized the problem lay in those three words: Qinglong Zhai .

Before he could speak, the subdued thief burst into laughter: “Kid, you heard that? The money’s mine—give it back right now.”

Jiang Mingyu ignored him and turned to Murong Yunhai: “What is Qinglong Zhai ?”

Wu Xiao, who had been silent until now, suddenly sneered: “Qinglong Zhai is a bandit den on Qinglong Mountain to the east, home to a pack of bastards—this thief is likely one of them.”

“Over the years, the people of Shangmu have suffered greatly at their hands.”

“But our troops are already overwhelmed fighting foreign tribes—there’s nothing we can do but turn a blind eye.”

Jiang Mingyu mused: “No wonder you’re so arrogant—you’re just a gang of bullies preying on the weak.”

The thief on the ground writhed, his expression wildly defiant: “Kid, you’re blind if you’ve never heard of Qinglong Zhai in Shangmu!”

“Release me right now, bring five hundred taels of silver, and I’ll pretend today never happened.”

He smirked at Jiang Mingyu: “Say one word of refusal, and when I return to the mountain, your family will be the first to be destroyed.”

Jiang Mingyu smiled: “So you’re truly a villain who specializes in wicked deeds—caught in my hands, and you still dare to be so arrogant?”

The thin thief slowly dropped his grin: “Kid, you still dare to speak insolently after hearing the name Qinglong Zhai ?”

“Out of respect for our homeland, I’ll warn you one last time—don’t bring trouble upon yourself!”

“Even if you send me to jail today, tomorrow you’ll be on your knees begging me to come out.”

“Since you’re young and still clueless, why don’t you release me and hurry home to fetch the silver?”

Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly: “Hah, I’d like to see exactly how I’ll be on my knees begging for you tomorrow.”

Jiang Mingyu sneered, his gaze filled with contempt: “You really think I can’t touch you?”

Upon hearing Jiang Mingyu’s self-introduction, the thief’s face turned ashen: “Who… who are you?”

Jiang Mingyu crossed his arms behind his back, confidently replying: “I am the Imperial Envoy, granted by the Emperor himself. Qinglong Zhai has quite the reputation.”

The thief, who had just been boasting and threatening to destroy Jiang Mingyu’s family, now trembled as he begged: “Y-you’re… the Envoy… my lord, spare my life…”

Jiang Mingyu shook his head, his tone mocking: “So even your so-called heroes of Qinglong Zhai know fear?”

“Where’s that boldness you showed when bullying the people? Let me see how you planned to destroy my family.”

The thief, Liu Tianyu, was nearly terrified to death; he frantically banged his head on the ground: “Envoy Lord, I’m blind to your greatness—please forgive me, please forgive me!”

Jiang Mingyu sneered dismissively: “Whose money is this?”

The thief pounded his head harder: “Hers—it’s the old… the old lady’s! My lord, I’m sorry!”

Jiang Mingyu nodded, satisfied: “Good. Gou Dan, Xiao Er—take this thief to jail. Deal with him later.”

For some reason, Li Gou Dan looked slightly embarrassed, but finally stepped forward and dragged the pleading thief toward the jail.

As the thief disappeared into the distance, the old woman fell to her knees: “Please, Envoy Lord, forgive me—I had no choice saying what I did.”

“If we angered Qinglong Zhai , my whole family would be dead.”

Jiang Mingyu gently helped her up: “Old lady, I understand your plight. Take your money and go home to rest.”

Watching the old woman’s frail figure walk away, Jiang Mingyu’s face turned cold: “See? They dare not speak out! How broken have these people become under the oppression of such vermin!”

Murong Yunhai’s expression was equally grim, his voice icy: “What do you mean, Xingqiu?”

Jiang Mingyu sneered: “Their good days are over. Since I’m here, I’ll uproot them completely—to serve as a warning to all.”