Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 396 - 371: What a Worry!

Chapter 396: Chapter 371: What a Worry!

The members of the Wen Family took to fists and kicks.

As long as they do not kill, they beat him to the brink of death!

"Don’t hit me! I am Wen Ruyu of the Wen Family!"

Although Wen Ruyu did not know where he had been transported to, he was certain that he had been mistaken for Zhang San.

Upon hearing that it was Wen Ruyu, everyone kicked him a couple more times and then looked closely—it really did seem to be the young master Wen Ruyu of their own family.

Wen Ruming, who stood to the side, parted the crowd to get a look at the person who had been beaten to a swollen face.

In the younger generation of the Wen Family, with Wen Rulie dead, the only other person eligible to compete with him for the position of Family Head was this Wen Ruyu.

Therefore, Wen Ruming might mistake someone else, but he would never mistake Wen Ruyu.

"What a crafty Zhang San! He even used the face-changing technique to impersonate my brother Wen Ruyu. How could I not recognize my own brother? Hit him!"

As he said this, Wen Ruming was the first to land a kick on Wen Ruyu’s face.

This kick, how satisfying!

The onlookers, seeing their young master take action, didn’t care whether it was him or not.

If it wasn’t, no harm done!

If it was, all the better!

After the crowd had given Wen Ruyu a thorough beating on the ground, Wen Ruming finally called a halt.

"Hold on, this face of yours has been kicked several times by us, but it hasn’t changed. Could it be... Oh no! My dear brother!"

By this moment, Wen Ruyu, who had been beaten until barely any teeth were left, was rendered nearly speechless and could only curse silently in his heart...

And those on the outside who were about to catch up with Zhang San first saw the Wen Ruyu thrown by Zhang San turn into a straw man.

While everyone was still not reacting to the situation, Zhang San suddenly employed Wind Series Techniques and whipped up a fierce gale on the ground. The straw man danced in the wind, and Zhang San, with a leap, dove into the wind and promptly used the technique "replacement."

Zhang San had long hidden several straw men he made near the Stone Buddha Temple in various places.

Whenever he faced danger, he could make his escape.

He had to test using Wen Ruyu first, to see if his replacement technique was restricted.

Once he found that it was not, he immediately took action.

Thus, the people trying to surround and capture Zhang San ended up only seeing two straw men being blown to bits in the raging wind, leaving behind nothing but withered grass.

And Zhang San had long since disappeared without a trace.

As Zhang San fled, Vermilion Bird too stopped in her tracks, walking towards the area littered with withered grass.

At this moment, Zhang Datui, who had been beaten all along, also came over.

"Very well! Vermilion Bird, is this how your Town Martial Office protects Zhang San? Letting Zhang San go free? Preposterous!"

"Nonsense! It was clearly your Town Demon Office causing trouble, blocking me from capturing him. Otherwise, I would have taken Zhang San long ago!"

Zhang Datui, who had been continuously beaten by Vermilion Bird without the ability to fight back, spat out blood in anger upon being berated like this.

"Vermilion Bird! You’re unreasonable, for the sake of letting Zhang San escape you even beat me until I vomited blood! I... I will complain to Emperor Kaihuang himself!"

Vermilion Bird snorted coldly, raging, "Vomited blood, as if no one in my Town Martial Office has?"

Saying that, Vermilion Bird grabbed a nearby martial artist and struck him in the abdomen, causing the martial artist to vomit blood on the spot.

"Chief Vermilion Bird, I... I am from the Town Demon Office... not... not from your Town Martial Office..."

"Ah!? My mistake, sorry about that!"

Seeing this, Zhang Datui grew even angrier and bellowed, "This calls for seeing Emperor! I will complain before Emperor Kaihuang now!"

"I have complaints against your Town Demon Office too! Let’s go!"

"Let’s go then! Whosoever doesn’t go is a dog!"

"Wait! Where did those people over there come from?"

Vermilion Bird suddenly noticed a group of people standing outside at the place where Zhang San had hidden earlier.

"They seem to be from the Wen Family," identified a martial artist.

"Why have people from the Wen Family come? Arrest them, all of them, take them to see Emperor Kaihuang!"

...

In the Imperial Palace garden, Emperor Kaihuang was strolling leisurely with the Empress.

"Your Majesty, do you find this chrysanthemum beautiful?"

"Beautiful! I do enjoy chrysanthemums."

Empress Dugu pointed to the only chrysanthemum in the flower bed that was set apart from the other chrysanthemums, looking isolated and forlorn, and asked, "Your Majesty, do you think this chrysanthemum is beautiful?"

Emperor Kaihuang could tell at a glance that while all the other flowers were properly placed within the flower bed, this one was outside and slightly withered. It surely must have been planted by the Empress herself.

"Such a delicate and tender chrysanthemum has captured my heart at first sight!"

Empress Dugu, very pleased upon hearing this, leaned into Emperor Kaihuang’s arms and whispered, "Mid-autumn is approaching, and my heart increasingly longs for our Ya’er."

Emperor Kaihuang knew that Empress Dugu was referring to another daughter of theirs, four years older than Princess Qionghua, who had married off to the Western Regions in a political alliance two years ago.

However, since her departure, there had been no news from her.

As Mid-autumn Festival was nearing, the Empress couldn’t help but feel homesick.

Emperor Kaihuang was thinking of what to say to lift the Empress’s spirits when, having not yet come up with the right words, a eunuch approached and said, "Reporting to Emperor Kaihuang, Principal Officer Zhang Datui from the Town Demon Office and Chief Vermilion Bird from the Town Martial Office request an audience. They are clamoring to present their case before You."

Upon hearing these two names, Emperor Kaihuang felt a headache coming on.

One was stubborn, and the other even more so!

"Empress, I need to handle something, why don’t you go back and rest first?"

Empress Dugu knew these two were notoriously dull-headed, so she nodded and left first.

Emperor Kaihuang dodged a bullet and was in high spirits, but the thought of escaping the Empress’s bullet only to face another from Zhang Datui and the Vermilion Bird distressed him.

Soon, the Vermilion Bird and Zhang Datui arrived in the garden and paid their respects to Emperor Kaihuang.

Emperor Kaihuang nodded and let the two speak.

Zhang Datui took a step forward and bowed, "Your Majesty Emperor Kaihuang, our Town Demon Office has deduced Zhang San’s hiding place and sent people to catch him! But, we encountered the Vermilion Bird from the Town Martial Office. She maliciously obstructed us and intentionally let Zhang San escape, I implore Your Majesty to render justice!"

Emperor Kaihuang looked at the Vermilion Bird, although he knew she definitely wasn’t the type to bend the rules for personal gain, he still asked, "Is what Zhang Datui says true?"

"He’s talking nonsense!"

Even in front of Emperor Kaihuang, the eunuchs nearby nearly lost their composure at the Vermilion Bird’s blunt statement.

"I suspect that Zhang San is the murderer of my son. When Zhang San entered the Town Martial Office’s Government Office, the Golden Bronze Vermilion Bird I placed in the Capital responded. That’s why I rushed back all the way from the south, intending to slay Zhang San with my own hands!"

"That day when I came knocking, I ran into Chamber Head Changle, and without solid evidence, I had to temporarily let Zhang San off the hook!"

"Your Majesty, do you think I would let Zhang San go?"

Upon hearing this, although Emperor Kaihuang was not enthusiastic about using one’s position to settle personal scores, he believed that the Vermilion Bird didn’t have any reason to shield Zhang San.

Consequently, Emperor Kaihuang glanced at Zhang Datui, whose face was a picture of bewildered near collapse.

That’s when the Vermilion Bird continued, "I heard that Zhang San has a good relationship with Baili Chengfeng from the Baili Family. And now the Baili Family spans both the Town Martial Office and Town Demon Office, quite the influential clan. Could it be that Baili Tu sought Zhang Datui’s help? I originally intended to capture Zhang San alive, but it was due to the Town Demon Office’s arrival that Zhang San ended up escaping!"

Zhang Datui took a step forward and bowed, "Your Highness, I’ve been wronged! The Baili Family has never approached me, and even if they did, I wouldn’t do such a thing!"

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Datui stepped forward again and continued, "Moreover, I brought over a hundred martial artists from the Town Demon Office to Stone Buddha Temple, only to be overwhelmed by the Vermilion Bird shortly after our arrival, my lord, I am truly wronged!"

Zhang Datui took another step forward and bowed, "This lowly official was specifically..."

Emperor Kaihuang waved his hand, "Alright, alright! Zhang Datui, don’t take a step forward every time you speak; if you weren’t someone who saved my life before, I would worry you’re about to assassinate me. One word and you advance a step, say a couple more and you’ll be stepping on my face."

"Your Majesty, didn’t you want this lowly official to advance? So, I picked up the habit," Zhang Datui replied.

Emperor Kaihuang sighed exasperatedly and looked toward the garden gate, "Why is there someone still kneeling outside? Bring them in."

Wen Ruyu was brought in and Emperor Kaihuang asked, "Who is this pig-headed fellow?"

"This humble official is Wen Ruyu of the Town Demon Office, a member of the Wen Family."

"Were you beaten to this state by Zhang San?"

The Vermilion Bird spoke up, "Our people from the Town Martial Office arrived later; this man had already gone to Stone Buddha Temple ahead of us and was captured by Zhang San as a hostage. Truth be told, he played a significant part in Zhang San’s escape!"

Scared, Wen Ruyu immediately kneeled and kowtowed.

"Your Majesty Emperor Kaihuang, I merely learned of Zhang San’s whereabouts and thought to capture him myself for a great merit. But...uh...I underestimated the enemy."

Emperor Kaihuang scoffed.

Originally, the Wen Family thought Wen Ruchu’s death was related to Zhang San, but the Town Martial Office, including the Ministry of Punishment and even the Dragon Beard Tangle from the Sword South Path had all asked around.

Wen Ruchu’s death was entirely due to his own doing.

If he had stayed with the main force and not left on his own, he wouldn’t have died.

Later on, the Wen Family kept causing trouble for Zhang San, seemingly trying to take advantage of the chaos this time to strike at Zhang San, only to end up being dealt a lesson by him instead.

Deserved!

However, looking up, Emperor Kaihuang noticed Zhang Datui seemed to have been beaten as badly as Wen Ruyu, now kneeling on the ground.

Then looking at the Vermilion Bird, who appeared unscathed, Emperor Kaihuang let out a resigned sigh.

All these people, causing me such worry!

Shen Erxian returned home and began talking to his elder brother Shen Qi.

"Big brother, I hear the Town Demon Office and the Town Martial Office found Zhang San at the Stone Buddha Temple today."

Shen Qi smiled and asked, "Both their forces took action and still didn’t catch him? This Zhang San is quite capable, huh!"

Shen Erxian let out a wry smile and said, "Actually, if either one of them had gone alone, they might have caught him. It’s because both showed up that they didn’t."

Shen Qi thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

"This Zhang San really is a headache! However, since Zhang San helped our family before, be careful—should Zhang San come to you, it may be difficult to repay the kindness, and aiding him could easily give others a handle."

Shen Erxian nodded repeatedly and whispered, "Don’t worry, big brother. The matter with Zhang San could involve the Crown Prince, it’s a big deal. Our family, we will definitely not get involved!"

As he said this, Shen Erxian thought for a moment.

"I’ll go and speak with Shen Bao; don’t want that kid stirring up trouble."

With that, Shen Erxian walked toward his son Shen Bao’s room.

At the door, Shen Erxian knocked and said, "Shen Bao, come out! It’s quite chaotic in the Capital recently, don’t get involved in everything, understand?"

The door was not properly closed, and as Shen Erxian knocked, it swung open.

Then, Shen Erxian saw Zhang San sitting behind his son’s desk, reading a large scroll, with Shen Bao by his side, occasionally glancing at it and offering a few pointers.

"Grandfather, you’ve arrived! We don’t have enough food in the house, why don’t you ask the kitchen to prepare something. Brother San, what would you like to eat?"

Zhang San looked up at Shen Erxian and bowed, "Greetings, Second Master Shen. I’ve been eating vegetarian recently and am craving some meat. Lamb or chicken, I’m not fussy."

Zhang San then lowered his head to continue perusing the scroll, his demeanor casual as if it were a routine visit to the Shen Family.

Shen Erxian looked at the unapologetic Zhang San and then at his naive son Shen Bao.

He covered his forehead and sighed.

Such a headache indeed!