Outside the Spring Breeze Restaurant, everything suddenly fell silent.
The townsfolk quickly made way, allowing the three constables to enter.
At this moment, everyone was puzzled, unsure why the constables had suddenly come here.
"Oh, it's Constable Ji. May I ask what brings Constable Ji to my Spring Breeze Restaurant?" The manager squinted his eyes, quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and smiled.
The manager hadn't done anything illegal, so he naturally wasn't afraid of the officials.
Most importantly, as the largest restaurant in Little River Town, they often shared profits with the town chief.
With this connection, he was even more composed.
Among the three constables, the robust middle-aged man leading them was Ji Ba, the head constable of Little River Town's government office.
"Hehe, no need to worry, manager. We're not here for your Spring Breeze Restaurant. Someone just reported that a man named Chen Xun stole their black tiger, so we're here to take Chen Xun to the Court Hall to confront those three people," Ji Ba said calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the outside of the Spring Breeze Restaurant became restless again. People looked at Chen Xun with shock and disbelief.
This black tiger... stolen?
Some couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude, thinking, good, good, it's stolen, it's stolen.
Scared to death, they almost let Chen Xun and Old Li's family get rich.
As a result, many people cast mocking glances.
As if to say, at such a young age, why do something so disgraceful?
Even making up a story about an immortal destroying the black tiger...
The manager was also taken aback, glancing suspiciously at Chen Xun and silently putting away the money pouch for the time being.
Faced with all this, Chen Xun's expression remained unchanged.
"Are you Chen Xun?" Ji Ba looked at Chen Xun and asked.
In fact, Ji Ba was just going through the motions, as Chen Xun's uniqueness meant there weren't many people in Little River Town who didn't recognize him.
Chen Xun replied, "Yes."
Ji Ba nodded, waved his large hand, and said, "Cuff him, take him away."
"Yes, boss!" Two constables immediately stepped forward to put shackles on Chen Xun.
But Chen Xun said, "No need to cuff me, I can walk on my own."
The two constables hesitated and looked at Ji Ba.
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Hmm?
Ji Ba gave Chen Xun a deep look.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the scene was a bit tense, just when everyone thought Chen Xun would anger Ji Ba and suffer.
Ji Ba said, "Alright then."
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They were surprised at how the usually fierce Constable Ji Ba was so agreeable today.
Little did they know, Ji Ba was just going with his instincts.
Ji Ba had observed Chen Xun for a while and found that he was calm and composed from start to finish, without any sign of guilt.
Moreover, those who were falsely accused were usually anxious, but Chen Xun was different.
This demeanor made Ji Ba see him in a new light.
After all, Ji Ba had been a constable for many years, and at this moment, he sensed that perhaps those three hunters had falsely accused him first...
Although he had some suspicions, as a routine procedure, he still had to take Chen Xun away.
And so, Chen Xun was taken away, and the black tiger's body was also taken to the Magistrate's Office by the constables.
Seeing this, the townsfolk surged towards the Magistrate's Office.
On the way to the Magistrate's Office, Chen Xun encountered Old Li and Li Yuan, who had hurried over.
Old Li and Li Yuan were both stunned by the scene.
"Chen, Chen Xun, what's going on?" Old Li's voice trembled with anxiety.
Li Yuan's eyes were also red.
You see, for ordinary folks like them, the government was the most feared.
Chen Xun smiled, reassuring them, "It's nothing serious, just going to the Magistrate's Office for a bit. Grandpa Li and Yuan Yuan, you should head back. I'll be back soon."
After speaking, he followed Ji Ba and the others.
But Old Li and Li Yuan didn't believe it was nothing, and in their anxiety, they followed along. After asking around, they learned that someone had reported that Chen Xun had stolen their black tiger.
Old Li and Li Yuan were immediately worried sick, but there was nothing they could do.
***
Thud, thud, thud, thud...
As the drumbeats faded, the Court Hall fell silent.
On the dais sat the town chief of Little River Town, Ji Bochang.
Below, constables stood on either side, and the black tiger's body lay on a cart in the center.
Chen Xun stood tall on the left side of the black tiger's body, while Dawei, Xu Qiang, and Skinny Monkey stood on the right.
As for the townsfolk watching the spectacle, they stood outside the Court Hall, with only Old Li and Li Yuan looking on with tense expressions.
At this moment, Skinny Monkey looked at Chen Xun provocatively, as if to say, "You dared to steal the black tiger, now wait to be jailed."
However, Dawei and Xu Qiang had their heads slightly lowered, feeling guilty for being the first to accuse.
Bang!
Ji Bochang glanced at the black tiger's body, then struck the gavel and said calmly, "Who are the people below? Who reported the case?"
In fact, small cases like this usually didn't require Ji Bochang, the town chief, to personally preside over them. He wasn't that idle, but today's case was different; the money involved was too significant.
The three of them suddenly knelt on the ground!
Skinny Monkey said bitterly, "Reporting to the town chief, we are the ones who reported the case. Today, the three of us brothers went hunting on Little River Peak. After much hardship, we finally succeeded in killing the black tiger. Just when we thought our hard work had paid off and we were about to make a fortune, as we were bringing the black tiger back to Little River Town, we went to relieve ourselves, and when we returned, the black tiger's body had been stolen!!
We were in a panic and rushed into town, only to see that it was Chen Xun who had stolen it! He even told everyone that it was a gift from an immortal, full of lies, truly hateful!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the townsfolk watching began to chatter.
"Silence!"
Bang!
Ji Bochang struck the gavel again, and the Court Hall instantly fell silent. The townsfolk didn't dare to breathe loudly, and Old Li and Li Yuan could only watch helplessly, their faces pale.
To the side, Ji Ba sneered at the three of them.
Because their words were full of loopholes.
Could it really be stolen?
Their meaning was that they left the valuable black tiger's body unattended while they all went to relieve themselves?
How absurd, shouldn't at least one person have stayed to watch it?
Ji Bochang nodded slightly, then looked at Chen Xun, "They claim you stole their black tiger. Do you have anything to say?"
Chen Xun clasped his hands towards Ji Bochang, then looked at the three of them and said: "If the black tiger was indeed hunted by you three, then may I ask, where is the fatal wound on the black tiger?"
Ji Bochang noticed Chen Xun's calm demeanor, not even kneeling before him, and couldn't help but feel slightly displeased.
This guy has some nerve.
Ji Bochang naturally knew Chen Xun, having heard that he was previously insane and had only recently recovered. But now it seemed that perhaps Chen Xun hadn't fully recovered?
Upon hearing Chen Xun's question, the three of them were startled, feeling a bit panicked, and quickly raised their heads slightly to look at the black tiger's body.
At this moment, the black tiger's back was facing them, and they could see that the fur on the back of its head and back was neat, with no traces of blood.
When they first saw the black tiger, their hunter instincts had also observed the injuries on the other side of the black tiger; the abdomen and neck were also uninjured.
Since the black tiger's body was lying on its side, the only blind spot they hadn't observed was the side of the abdomen it was lying on!!
The fatal wound should be there!
The three of them exchanged a glance, and a decision was made in their hearts.
Dawei immediately gritted his teeth and said, "The side abdomen! The fatal wound is on the side abdomen where the black tiger is lying!"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan