Chapter 59

When the head constable, Lei Heng, heard these words, his purple complexion instantly turned ashen, clearly infuriated to the extreme.

He had served in Yuncheng County for many years, and who in the black and white world dared to defy him to his face? Even the new magistrate, Shi Wenbin, who was in charge of the white world, always treated him with a pleasant demeanor and courteous words when he needed him to do something. Even when the county was frequently harassed by the Liangshan bandits, the magistrate only dared to vent his anger on the lower-ranking constables, never touching Lei Heng. As for the top figure in the county, Chao Gai, he always treated Lei Heng as a brother, respectfully handing over the silver, and even got angry when Lei Heng pretended to refuse it!

Now, a scholar had appeared out of nowhere, daring to provoke Lei Heng's fiery temper, not only acting arrogantly in front of him but also boldly saying, "There are always people better than you, and skies beyond the sky." Lei Heng, who had never been treated this way, felt his lungs about to burst with anger.

Lei Heng raised his head, closed his eyes, and forced himself to calm down. He kept warning himself: "Lei Heng, you are one of the top figures in Yuncheng County. How can you lose your composure over a few words from a boastful, poor scholar? Think about how many years you've known Song Yasi. Why haven't you learned his calm and composed demeanor? Isn't it because you have too much anger and a quick temper, which is why you are not as favored by Song Yasi as Zhu Tong?"

Calm down, you must calm down! The magistrate wants to round up some bandits, and here are a few right in front of me! I can just say they resisted arrest and were killed. What's the big deal? This way, I won't have to run around the countryside every day!

Even if he executed these people on the spot, he must do it with a smile, as Su Xun said, "Talk and laugh while the enemy is reduced to ashes." What enemy? Just a few bandits! Why am I so angry now? Don't let my subordinates start gossiping again!

As if reading his mind, Lei Heng's subordinates, seeing his expression, immediately understood his thoughts. They exchanged glances and began to arm themselves, some taking spears, others taking knives, and two of them guarding the door. They started to clear the room.

The other guests, seeing this, were trembling with fear and wanted to leave, but who dared to move with these fierce constables around? Now, with the constables' urging, the guests fled out of the door in a hurry.

Lei Heng calmed himself for a while, feeling he had recovered enough. He closed his eyes and said to the people at the table, "You..."

Before he could finish, the scholar interrupted him, saying, "Constable, how do the constables in the capital, Kaifeng, compare to those in our county?"

An old man's voice replied, "They are all the same, just more subtle and sophisticated, not as crude and violent as those in our county!"

The scholar said, "I am ashamed. The constables in a small place like ours, having never seen much of the world, can't even extort money with any artistry. I apologize for that!" He then turned to another person and asked, "Professor, what are the punishments for officials who take bribes, extort money, and oppress the people?"

A gentle voice replied, "The corrupt officials are the eyes and ears of the corrupt, the spirit of the lazy, and the hounds of the greedy. When the top is crooked, the bottom will be crooked. They will be punished, either with flogging or exile to a distant military post!"

The scholar laughed and asked, "Teacher, what is the best way to deal with someone with extraordinary strength?"

The man with the golden helmet thought for a moment and said, "Just use the techniques of sticking and entangling to prevent them from using their strength!"

"Enough!!!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed, and the enraged constable was gnashing his teeth, his eyes wide with fury. If his anger could be released through his eyes, the new tavern would have been reduced to ashes.

At this point, the constable was completely enraged, and with the alcohol surging in his veins, he no longer cared about maintaining his composure. He drew his sword and said, "By the order of the magistrate, I am to arrest the bandits in the county. If they resist, they will be killed on the spot!"

The tavern keeper hurried from the back and said, "I didn't know it was Constable Lei. Here is a small token of my respect. Please accept it! Just don't disturb the guests!"

The constable, who had been struggling with a tough case, now had an easy target. He pushed the keeper to the ground, and the man fell, unable to get up, showing the constable's immense strength.

Seeing this, the constable felt a bit relieved and shouted, "You scoundrels, do you think I can't deal with you? Come here and see what the law is like!"

The constable's subordinates gathered around, and a large, dark man stood up and looked at the constable about to draw his sword. "You shouldn't draw that sword. Do you believe me?"

The constable didn't believe him and tried to draw his sword, but suddenly felt a powerful force on his arm. A large, withered hand, like a tree bark, gripped his arm tightly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't draw the sword. The constable was terrified, realizing that his strength, which he was famous for, was useless against this dark man. He felt like a child in the hands of an adult, unable to move. His anger and shame were overwhelming.

"I believe in your mother..." the constable roared, but this phrase caused a disaster. The dark man, known for his filial piety, couldn't tolerate such an insult. He kicked the constable in the stomach, and the constable flew out, crashing into several tables, covered in leftover food and drink, looking extremely embarrassed.

The constable's subordinates, seeing this, were visibly frightened. They had never seen the usually fearsome Lei Heng be overpowered and kicked away. They looked at each other, rooted to the spot, and no one dared to help their boss, either out of fear or shock.

A cold voice said, "Lei Heng, the Flying Tiger! You boast of your strength, able to jump over a three-zhang-wide ravine, but you are shameless! True heroes, who keep a low profile, are still harmed and separated from their families, while you, a mere clown, oppress the people and no one stops you. How can this not make people question the heavens?"

Lei Heng, with his mediocre skills, was no match for Liu Tang and nearly lost his life. He was also greedy and took bribes in the county, yet he ranked 25th among the 36 Heavenly Stars, even above Li Jun, the three Ruan brothers, Shi Xiu, and Yan Qing. Song Jiang's favoritism was causing disunity among the heroes.

Xu Ning, seeing that Wang Lun had hit the nail on the head, sighed and slammed the table, which shattered. The others, seeing the man with the golden helmet, realized they would be at a disadvantage if they stayed, and they fled, leaving Lei Heng struggling in the oil and water on the floor. Jiao Ting was already blocking the door, knocking down anyone who tried to escape. Mi Fei rushed to Lei Heng, lifted him up, and despite his resistance, beat him mercilessly. Lei Heng, barely conscious, was still being hit by Mi Fei.

"Brother, you've had your revenge. This man, who oppresses the people, deserves to die, but don't kill him! He has an old mother. If you kill him, she will be left alone and pitiful. Let him live!" Wang Lun said, stopping Mi Fei.

Lei Heng, hearing this, clung to this last hope and mumbled, "Spare... spare me... I... I have... an old mother..."

Mi Fei stopped and scolded him, "You have an old mother, yet you still do evil? If you were truly filial, you wouldn't cause trouble and make your mother worry every day! I'll spare you this time, but if you don't change, even if I don't kill you, you will have a bad end!"

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