Chapter 9

As a law-abiding young man of the 21st century, Li Mu, who used to be a seasoned keyboard warrior, would get furious and rant for days whenever he saw news of children being robbed of their lollipops on Weibo. After reading the letter, his heart burned with anger.

"Unbelievable. Someone, go immediately and bring back the shopkeeper of Shencao Hall and the thugs who committed the assault. Bring them all back for questioning."

The sound of the gavel Li Mu slammed on the desk echoed loudly.

Originally, he had come to preside over the trial and show off, but now he was genuinely enraged.

The six bailiffs in the hall looked at each other with strange expressions and did not move to follow the order.

"What's going on?" Li Mu glared at them.

"Um... Sir, it's like this." It was the same bailiff who had been giving him signals, now coming closer and whispering in Li Mu's ear.

It turned out that Shencao Hall was deeply rooted in Taibai County, with significant influence and backing from a gang. It was said to be the property of the Shen Nong Gang, one of the four major gangs in Taibai County. They had been acting arrogantly for a long time, and it was not unusual for them to kill or injure people. The county government had mostly turned a blind eye to it.

"I don't care. Go and arrest them immediately, every single one of them. Things were different in the past, but now I am the county magistrate, and I will take charge of this matter." Li Mu was so angry that his nose was twisted.

What kind of four major gangs were these, daring to be so arrogant and treat human lives as nothing? It was simply despicable.

This was like the Yakuza in another world.

But I don't care. I am the county magistrate, and I am the highest authority in Taibai County.

Li Mu felt disdain. Even the Yakuza couldn't stand up to the prime minister.

"This..." The bailiff hesitated.

The other five bailiffs stood far away, heads lowered, afraid that Li Mu would call on them to make the arrests.

"What are you waiting for? Go and bring them back." The seasoned keyboard warrior Li Mu felt his authority as the county magistrate being challenged and shouted sternly.

In the end, under the strict orders of County Magistrate Li Mu, the six bailiffs went out to make the arrests, trembling with fear and unwillingness.

The entire courtroom seemed empty.

The soft sobs of the little girl, Qinger, were particularly clear.

Li Mu felt sympathy and walked to the center of the hall to comfort the frightened and crying little girl. He struck a righteous pose, patted his chest, and said to the woman, "Rest assured, I will see justice done for you."

If an official does not stand up for the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.

Although Li Mu was an impostor, he felt a sense of righteousness. Since he was pretending to be the county magistrate, he had to fulfill his duties.

"Thank you, Sir." The woman's dim eyes showed gratitude.

She was severely injured, speaking with difficulty, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

To be honest, coming to the county government to file a complaint was a last-ditch effort, and she did not have high hopes. But now, it seemed that the new county magistrate was a righteous official who hated evil, giving this poor woman a glimmer of hope.

Just then, the young servant Mingyue ran in excitedly.

Li Mu turned around, "You, yes, you, go and find a doctor in the city to treat this lady's injuries."

The young servant Mingyue stopped, her excited smile freezing, and then she shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum: "No, I want to stay here and watch the show. Let him go." She pointed at Qingfeng, who was sitting behind a desk recording the case.

Li Mu laughed disdainfully, "Can you read? Can you write? Can you write articles? Can you record the case?"

Before he finished speaking, Mingyue turned and ran out of the courtroom, covering her face in shame.

An hour passed quickly.

During this time, one of the bailiffs returned, his face showing flattery, and reported that the shopkeeper of Shencao Hall was busy today and could not come to the courtroom for the trial, and would come another day when he was free...

Li Mu was both angry and amused.

"Tell him that if he doesn't appear in the courtroom within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I will personally come and smash his pharmacy."

Li Mu gritted his teeth.

Damn, too busy to come? Daring to act arrogantly in front of the county magistrate?

Li Mu loved to act arrogantly but could not tolerate others doing so in front of him.

The bailiff, helpless, left with a worried expression.

About ten minutes later, the young servant Mingyue brought a doctor with a goatee to the courtroom to examine and bandage Zhang Li's injuries. The doctor said that her internal organs were damaged, but there was no immediate danger to her life. She needed rest and regular medication, and it would take about three to five months to recover. The little girl Qinger thanked the doctor profusely, kneeling and kowtowing, which was heart-wrenching to see.

Li Mu felt a deep sense of emotion.

The little girl's family, who could afford to run a small pharmacy in Taibai County, were not poor and could be considered middle-class, at least without worrying about food and clothing. But in the face of the bullying by evil forces, they were completely powerless and almost lost everything overnight.

The reason, in the end, was their weakness.

In this world, where civilization was as backward as ancient China, the law of the jungle was brutally evident.

This made Li Mu realize how necessary personal strength was in such a world.

Another hour passed.

The six bailiffs brought a middle-aged man in a brocade robe to the courtroom.

"Mr. Huang, please come in." The bailiffs were extremely polite to the man, leading him in and then turning to bow to Li Mu, saying, "Sir, the person is here. This is Mr. Huang Wei, the shopkeeper of Shencao Hall."

Li Mu's gaze fell on this Mr. Huang.

"Your humble servant greets the county magistrate." Huang Wei was not tall, plump, and dressed in expensive brocade, smiling as he bowed.

Although he was smiling, Li Mu, who had cultivated the innate skill, had heightened senses and could clearly feel the disdain and contempt in his demeanor.

"Zhang Li, is this the culprit?" Li Mu asked the woman.

The woman stared intently at Huang Wei but finally shook her head, saying, "Sir, I do not recognize him. He is not the one who killed my in-laws and husband."

Li Mu was furious and looked at the bailiffs.

The bailiffs cowered, not daring to raise their heads.

Huang Wei smiled slightly, as if he had been prepared, and said, "Sir, there has been a misunderstanding. I only learned of this incident when the bailiffs came to my shop today. I immediately investigated and found that it was done by an apprentice shopkeeper and a few apprentices. However, three days ago, this apprentice and those apprentices were dismissed due to their bad behavior... I also feel sympathy for the Zhang family, but this matter has nothing to do with Shencao Hall anymore."

What?

Oh my.

Playing this card.

Isn't this just the 'temporary worker' trick from Earth?

Li Mu was stunned for a moment and then burst into anger.

This was a complete farce.

"Bullshit, how could it be so coincidental?" The young servant Mingyue, standing nearby, was so angry that her chest heaved, and she couldn't help but curse, using extremely... crude language.

Huang Wei glanced at Mingyue, seeing that she was just a young servant, and smiled coldly without saying a word.

"What kind of look is that? Do you think my young master can't beat you to death..." Mingyue, about eleven or twelve years old, with bright teeth and smooth skin, was a beautiful little girl, but her temper was like a little she-wolf. If the bailiffs hadn't stopped her, she would have rushed over to bite him.

Slap!

Li Mu slammed the gavel, gritting his teeth, and said, "I don't care about your excuses. I give Shencao Hall three days to hand over the culprits. Otherwise, I will shut down your shop. Return the pharmacy that you forcibly occupied to the Zhang family immediately. Also, compensate Zhang Li with 500 taels of silver for medical expenses and... um, emotional distress."

The 'temporary worker' trick was being used to embarrass him.

Since Shencao Hall chose to be unreasonable, Li Mu decided to use unreasonable methods to solve the problem.

"Sir, you are making an impossible demand." Huang Wei's expression hardened, and then he smiled insincerely, saying, "The culprits are no longer part of Shencao Hall, and the pharmacy was bought at a high price. How can you call it forcible occupation? Here is the contract, with the handprint of the owner, Zhang Long..." He pulled out a yellow contract from his robe and had a bailiff pass it up.

"Fake, it's fake..." The injured Zhang Li became agitated, struggling to rush at Huang Wei, and angrily said, "You forged it. You must have used my in-laws' handprint after killing him... If my in-laws had agreed to sell the shop, how could they have been killed... You are a demon in human form... I will fight you to the death..."

The bailiffs quickly held the woman back, shouting, "Silence in the courtroom."

"Puff..." The woman, both angry and anxious, spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Mother, Mother... Mother, don't scare Qinger. Mother, wake up. Qinger has already lost her father..." The little girl Qinger, innocent and beautiful, had experienced a hellish few days. Everything was gone, her eyes swollen from crying, and she looked like a little duck trembling in a storm.

Li Mu took the yellow contract, glanced at it, and tore it up.

"You..." Huang Wei's face changed, staring at Li Mu, and finally said insincerely, "Sir, this is a contract with the seal of Deputy County Magistrate Zhou. Tearing it up, what does that mean?"

Li Mu stood up, walked out from behind the desk, and came to Huang Wei, staring at him and suddenly smiled.

"I'm not afraid to speak plainly. I won't play these stupid word games with you. You know the truth, and you know how the contract was obtained... Every word I said just now stands. Remember it clearly and tell your master. If they don't comply, I will personally lead people to smash the shop in three days."

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Second update. The update is a bit late tonight, sorry, sorry.

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