Chapter 513: Chapter 513: The Fierce Army that Vanished into Thin Air
 

In the county town.

County Magistrate Su glared at the departing Di Yelei, resentful and wishing to devour the flesh from his bones.

A clerk from the magistrate’s office approached, whispering in County Magistrate Su’s ear, “Your Honor, his servant is still locked up in the prison! Should my brothers and I… ”

“Hell no!”

County Magistrate Su turned his head and slapped the man, his face dark as a stormy cloud.

“Didn’t you hear what he said? I must be crazy to want to take on that responsibility for the sake of one little servant!”

“Yes, yes…”

Highly embarrassed, the slapped clerk continued hesitantly, “But… with the heavy punishment given to him last night, he is probably still unconscious…”

County Magistrate Su became even angrier, slapped him again, and said, “If he’s still unconscious, what are you doing standing here? Go and release him immediately! Do you need me, the magistrate, to do it myself? How did I manage to foster such a group of useless men? So many of you can’t even stop one person!”

As he spoke, he pointed and nodded accusingly at the line-up of officials.

The beaten clerk retracted his neck and hastily went out to complete the task.

The clerks whose heads were pointed at by County Magistrate Su all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Are all of you deaf or something?”

Frustrated, County Magistrate Su vented his anger on everyone around him.

One of the clerks couldn’t help but speak up, “Your Honor, it’s not that we’re useless, it’s just that Lord Di is simply too skilled, and didn’t you promote him to be deputy constable because of that? It’s not our fault that we can’t handle him…”

“You dare to make excuses for your incompetence?”

County Magistrate Su was infuriated, ready to rush forward and slap him again.

“Lord County Magistrate!”

A sudden call made him pause as he looked back and saw Xin Quan hurrying over.

“Oh… it’s Lord Xin! Come, let’s go inside and talk!”

With a smile on his face, he hurriedly led Xin Quan into the house.

“What are you dragging me for? Lord County Magistrate, I must tell you!”

Enraged, Xin Quan shook off County Magistrate Su’s hand, rolled up his sleeves, and pointed furiously at him.

“County Magistrate Su, let me remind you, my uncle is the Garrison Commander in Gongzhou. You better not think that Xin Quan’s silver is easy to take!”

Xin Quan’s words made everyone around them gasp!

Everyone began to imagine what had led to this moment…

County Magistrate Su saw his officials’ expressions and felt a sense of impending doom.

“Oh! Brother Xin, is it just because I owe you for a meal? Is it worth getting so angry about?”

He laughed heartily and approached Xin Quan again, secretly signaling Xin with his eyes, “Come on, let’s go inside and have a detailed discussion, alright?”

Xin Quan’s anger subsided slightly, perceiving County Magistrate Su’s secret exchange, he finally followed the magistrate’s will and entered the living room.

Once in the living room, the servants brought tea and then left, leaving only the two of them in the room. Xin Quan couldn’t control his anger any longer and waved his fist at County Magistrate Su.

“County Magistrate Su! We’ve been partners for a long time! You should know better than I, Xin Quan, where the silver from the armory went.”

“If I really get angry, don’t blame me, Xin Quan, for not cherishing our past. Not only will you lose your silver and position, even the official hat on your head won’t be spared, not to mention the chance to enjoy a meal!”

A flash of viciousness flickered across County Magistrate Su’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a crafty grin.

“Ah! Lord Xin, what’s our relationship? We’re like two grasshoppers on the same rope—without you, I’m nothing, right?”

“Hmph! At least you know that.”

Xin Quan snorted coldly.

“How can I not know? But Di Yelei is no ordinary person, and he’s a seventh-rank sub-captain. How can an insignificant seventh-rank county magistrate like me have the power to arrest him? Moreover, with these useless people in the office, they can’t even fight one man, how can I keep him here?”

County Magistrate Su constantly complained about the difficulties he faced.

“With those wine-drinking and rice-eating idiots under your command? They’re only good for eating! Other than that, they can’t even compare.”

Xin Quan’s face finally softened, and he sat down angrily, taking a sip of tea.

“That’s exactly what I was saying.”

County Magistrate Su hurriedly helped to refill the tea, and asked, “By the way, how are things on your end?”

Mentioning this made Xin Quan’s belly full of anger!

His eyes bulged, “You have the nerve to ask? Wasn’t it your rotten idea? You said to cut the grass and eliminate the roots! Why did I send that troop? They were a fierce army my uncle sent to protect me, and they just vanished like a puff of steam, gone without a trace.”

“What? Are you sure? How… is that possible?”

County Magistrate Su’s face changed immediately.

That troop was composed of the strongest soldiers sent by the Garrison Commander of Gongzhou City to protect his nephew’s safety while serving in Macheng County.

In other words, every soldier in that troop was an elite fighter with excellent equipment!

But such a team disappeared without a trace while en route to eliminate a few ordinary married women. How could this be?

If it hadn’t come from Xin Quan’s mouth, he wouldn’t believe it at all!

“How is it not possible? My horsemen left late last night, and they still haven’t returned today. I just sent someone to track them along their route, but when they reached the small town, the entire group had disappeared.”

Xin Quan spoke, wiping the cold sweat from his face. He suddenly realized that his hand was shaking violently.

Who had the ability to make his elite soldiers disappear so silently?

If such a person wanted to take his life, wouldn’t it be as easy as turning his hand over?

Thinking of this, Xin Quan’s eyelids jumped non-stop!

“Could it be…him?”

County Magistrate Su started to say something, but then he denied it himself, “No, it’s impossible! He was in the black prison last night. He couldn’t possibly kill over such a long distance. There must be some invisible force hiding nearby…could it be…?”

At this point, he suddenly looked up in astonishment at Xin Quan, whose face was also full of horror.

“This…it can’t be, right?”

Speaking those words, Xin Quan himself didn’t believe it, and his voice trembled.

County Magistrate Su swallowed hard, “I heard that he had a daughter more than a decade ago, but later sent her to live as an ordinary person in a farmer’s family…”