Outside the Court Hall, the townsfolk watched as the three plaintiffs, Dawei and his companions, confidently accused Chen Xun of stealing the black tiger. The crowd began to speculate that it must indeed have been Chen Xun who committed the theft...
Old Li and Li Yuan clenched their fists, overwhelmed with anxiety.
Ji Bochang glanced at Chen Xun, noticing his calm demeanor, and then commanded, "Turn the black tiger's body over!"
"Yes, sir!"
The bailiffs on either side of the Court Hall stepped forward, struggling to flip the heavy body of the black tiger.
When everyone saw that the other side of the black tiger's abdomen was also smooth and intact, they were momentarily stunned!
Old Li and Li Yuan let out a long sigh of relief, their backs soaked with cold sweat.
Ji Bochang took a deep breath, glaring at the now bewildered Dawei and his companions, and shouted, "Didn't you say the fatal wound was on the side of the abdomen? Where is it?!"
Dawei and his companions began to tremble, their minds blank.
How could this be happening?
In a moment of desperation, Skinny Monkey stammered, "T-Town Chief, our big brother has a poor memory. Actually, we poisoned the black tiger!"
Bang!
Ji Bochang slammed the gavel heavily, his voice stern, "Still trying to argue! From the beginning, your statements have been full of holes. Do you take me for a fool?!"
Dawei and his companions were terrified, kowtowing repeatedly, their voices trembling, "We dare not! Have mercy, sir, have mercy!"
If they had known it would come to this, they would have just stolen and fled back then!
Now, they were in the Magistrate's Office, like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.
It was all Skinny Monkey's bad idea, hastily conceived with too little preparation, leading to so many flaws.
Ji Bochang said coldly, "I see you were driven by greed, accusing others first. Guards, give these three twenty heavy strokes each, then throw them in jail for two years!"
If it were an ordinary case, it wouldn't have come to this, but this involved the black tiger, and the stakes were too high.
Soon, the bailiffs stepped forward to carry out the punishment on Dawei and his companions.
With each stroke, Dawei and his companions went from wailing in pain to hanging their heads, barely conscious, their buttocks already torn and bleeding.
It was clear that each of the twenty strokes was delivered mercilessly.
"Good!"
Outside the Court Hall, the townsfolk cheered as they came to their senses.
"Ah, I know those three from elsewhere. Outsiders are still outsiders, doing such disgraceful things."
"Yes, I always thought Chen Xun was telling the truth. He's a scholar; how could he stoop to theft?"
"Look, the black tiger's body is unscathed, so what Chen Xun said is true. Besides immortals, who else could kill a black tiger like that?"
"..."
With the case settled, the townsfolk's attitudes shifted dramatically as they discussed the matter.
Chen Xun watched the scene, expressionless, like a bystander.
How could he not see it?
From the start, only Old Li, Li Yuan, and a few others were genuinely concerned for him.
The majority hoped it was true that Chen Xun had stolen the black tiger.
Simply put, they couldn't stand to see others doing well.
It was human nature, after all, he thought with a wry smile.
Soon, Dawei and his companions were carried off to jail by the bailiffs.
In their final moments, they glanced at Chen Xun, their eyes filled with resentment...
Chen Xun was the real victim here, yet Dawei and his companions held a grudge against him.
Why not direct their resentment at the authorities?
It was a classic case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Judging by the situation, once Dawei and his companions served their two-year sentence, they might come looking for trouble with Chen Xun.
But they probably wouldn't get the chance.
With Dawei and his companions facing their deserved fate, Chen Xun wasn't inclined to dwell on it, but that final glance made him change his mind.
Ji Bochang, seeing the matter resolved, struck the gavel and declared, "Court dismissed."
The townsfolk who had gathered outside to watch the spectacle quickly dispersed.
"That was terrifying!"
Old Li and Li Yuan jogged over, patting their chests.
Chen Xun smiled, "I told you it wasn't a big deal. How could white turn to black?"
At that moment, Ji Ba approached Chen Xun, smiling, "Chen Xun, having you come to the Magistrate's Office was just business as usual. Don't take it to heart."
Chen Xun shook his head, "It's fine."
Ji Ba nodded, "Alright, now that it's over, you can take the black tiger with you. I'm quite envious; that black tiger is worth a lot."
Chen Xun chuckled, then called Old Li and Li Yuan over to help him take the black tiger away.
"Chen Xun, is it?"
Just then, Ji Bochang approached with a smile.
"Town Chief!"
Ji Ba quickly bowed, and Old Li and Li Yuan were startled, bowing as well.
Chen Xun cupped his hands, "Town Chief."
Ji Bochang observed Chen Xun's composed demeanor and, after a moment's thought, glanced at Ji Ba, Old Li, and the others, saying, "I wish to speak with Chen Xun alone."
Ji Ba immediately understood, signaling the bailiffs, along with Old Li and Li Yuan, to leave.
Old Li and Li Yuan weren't sure what the Town Chief wanted with Chen Xun, but they assumed it was nothing serious. Old Li gave Chen Xun a look, reminding him to be cautious when speaking with the Town Chief, before they both exited.
***
"Now that we're alone, have a seat."
Ji Bochang gestured to a chair, inviting Chen Xun to sit.
Chen Xun didn't hesitate and sat down.
Ji Bochang nodded slightly, pacing a few steps before speaking, "Chen Xun, I'll be direct. Would you be willing to sell the black tiger to me?"
Chen Xun wasn't surprised by the request; he had noticed Ji Bochang's interest in the black tiger. He smiled, "The Town Chief is quite reasonable."
"Oh?" Ji Bochang was puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"
Chen Xun replied, "The entire Little River Town is under your jurisdiction. If you wanted, you could have taken the black tiger by force, and I, a mere commoner, would have no say. But you're willing to pay for it, which shows you're reasonable."
Ji Bochang paused, looking at the calm and collected Chen Xun, and then suddenly burst into laughter, "Chen Xun, Chen Xun, I must say, you're quite bold. In all of Little River Town, you're probably the only one who dares speak to me like this."
Then, his laughter subsided, and he pondered, "Name your price. While I do have a fondness for wealth, I won't overstep my duties to harm the people."
Chen Xun found Ji Bochang's candor refreshing and said, "Previously, Spring Breeze Restaurant offered one hundred and twenty gold for the black tiger."
Ji Bochang understood immediately, leaving the Court Hall to enter the inner courtyard.
"Wait here for a moment."
Shortly after, Ji Bochang returned from the inner courtyard, holding a pouch of money, which he handed to Chen Xun, "Here is one hundred and twenty gold."
Chen Xun took the pouch, weighing it.
Indeed, being an official had its perks, he thought. One hundred and twenty gold was a significant sum in the mortal world, yet the Town Chief of Little River Town could easily produce it.
And the Town Chief of Little River Town was only a ninth-rank official.
It was a glimpse into the broader picture.
Chen Xun suddenly opened the pouch, took out twenty shiny gold coins, and handed them back.
Ji Bochang was taken aback, "What is this for?"
Chen Xun explained, "Spring Breeze Restaurant is just a restaurant. How can it compare to the Town Chief? Naturally, the transaction price should reflect that."
Ji Bochang smiled, finding Chen Xun much more agreeable.
Not bad, he thought. It's rare to see a young man with such insight.
He then accepted the twenty gold coins.
After all, twenty gold was not a small amount.
Chen Xun added, "Town Chief, I plan to leave Little River Town soon. I hope you can look after Old Li's family in my absence."
Ji Bochang was surprised to hear that Chen Xun was leaving.
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But having just received twenty gold from Chen Xun, Ji Bochang was more than willing to return the favor, smiling, "Of course."
Chen Xun smiled and cupped his hands in thanks.
And that was his true intention all along.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan