Chapter 51 Showing its edge Ⅰ

　　The next morning, the guards at the prefecture received two letters in succession, both addressed to Miss He, Muxian.

　　Shen Huan took the letters and brought them to the hall.

　　He Muxian opened the first letter, which was from her fifth senior brother, Wen Yan, at the Zhou family tavern. After reading it, she felt no emotional fluctuation, but rather a sense of relief.

　　If pushed to the limit, her fifth senior brother would either succeed or face the challenge. If the He's family won, everything would be fine. If they lost, she would rather commit suicide than marry a good-for-nothing scoundrel. The only thing she worried about was her younger sister, He Muxu, who would be left without care.

　　The second letter was from Qingmei Peak, Snow Mist Mountain, and was personally written by the third master, Qing Tu.

　　The content was straightforward and consisted of two main points. First, Qing Hu, his grandson, had acted with justification and evidence, and the He family should carefully consider the matter. Second, the injury on his grandson's face must not be left unavenged.

　　After reading the letter from her third master, she sighed, "He really protects his own."

　　Shen Huan finished reading and asked, "What does Miss He think?"

　　"It's hot today, and I'm feeling restless. What does Brother Shen think?"

　　"With a few sword masters and a couple of young fighters, it's not enough to challenge me. Besides, we have Brother Ji's help. Zhou Ge's martial arts skills are enough to handle two or three lackeys, and he might even have some special techniques."

　　Miss He felt anxious. If there weren't many experts, it would be fine. But if more experts came and used a rotating strategy, they would eventually be exhausted.

　　"Do you know any other good fighters, Shen?"

　　"I have a friend in Feng'an County, but it would take at least two months for him to get here."

　　"Sigh...let's just let things take their course."

　　After bidding farewell to He Muxian, Shen Huan went out to patrol the streets.

　　He noticed that the tavern inns, teahouses, and roadside stalls were becoming more and more crowded, and there were many unfamiliar faces. Most of them were either here for the challenge or the excitement.

　　In addition, there were also many beggars.

　　The local government soldiers and police were even busier. With just maintaining public order, their manpower was clearly not enough. After reporting the situation, they received additional support from General An and managed to cope.

　　As the days passed and the challenge date drew nearer, the crowd became more diverse and the number of cases increased. The Trial Office became busier.

　　In front of the Zhou family tavern, people occasionally took to the stage to compete. Some performed flashy moves, while others were truly skilled. Fortunately, most of the competitions were friendly, with few serious injuries.

　　The tavern was also very busy, sometimes inviting people inside, sometimes kicking them out, and sometimes celebrating with drinks.

　　Nearby, some people saw a business opportunity and set up gambling tables, profiting from the crowds. Vendors sold candies and snacks to the spectators. Those who were unaware of what was happening asked when the official challenge would start.

　　Five days before the challenge, a large, fat man appeared near the challenge area. He was so fat that his round figure was a circle larger than Qing Hu's, and he was a foot and a half taller. His clothing and accessories were very simple, consisting of oversized farmer's clothes that were old but clean.

　　His face was covered with flesh that trembled with each step he took. He had a bald head without a hat, and a thin layer of snow rested on top. His small, squinted eyes made it difficult to tell if they were open or closed.

　　His weapon was intimidating - a thick iron spear as large as a teacup.

　　He seemed very tired when he arrived and was constantly panting. He asked everyone he met when the challenge would start.

　　Soon, someone from the Zhou family tavern came to invite him inside, but he was quickly thrown out.

　　The large man dusted off the snow on his body and complained, "That was annoying."

　　Shen Huan recognized his ability to wield such a heavy weapon and approached him.

　　"Greetings, sir. How have you been?"

　　"I've been thrown out, so not well. Who are you?"

　　"I am Shen Huan, a police officer from Beici County."

　　The fat man squinted his eyes and looked at him for a while, asking, "Are you from here? You must know when the challenge starts."

　　"It starts on the first day of the twelfth lunar month."

　　"If only everyone was as straightforward as you. Why do they make things so complicated?" He continued dusting off the snow.

　　"May I know your name, sir?"

　　"You're asking my name? It's Geng Dabao."

　　"So, Mr. Geng, are you here for the challenge?"

　　"Of course. How else am I going to find a wife if I don't participate in the challenge? Are you going to give me yours?"

　　"Since you're here for the challenge, Mr. Geng, would you like to have a private conversation with me?"

　　Geng Dabao's mouth turned downward, showing his displeasure. "I don't like secretive people. What do you have to say that can't be said in front of others? Just say it quickly, I'm busy!"

　　Shen Huan thought to himself that this man was very blunt and wondered why he had been thrown out.

　　"Mr. Geng, are you looking for a place to stay?"

　　"How did you know?"

　　"I have a free accommodation. Would you like to stay there?"

　　"You're a police officer, so don't try to trick me!"

　　"Of course not. Follow me." Saying this, he turned and used Lightness skill to move away.

　　After a while, he looked back and saw that the man was following him, panting heavily.

　　Shen Huan had only used fifty percent of his strength, but when he saw the man struggling, he slowed down.

　　Looking back again, he saw the man leaning against a tree, panting heavily.

　　"Sigh, I guess I was wrong about him."

　　He walked back and took out two silver coins, saying, "Mr. Geng, I apologize for my carelessness."

　　"I don't owe you anything, so why are you giving me money?"

　　"It's for your meals."

　　"That's not enough to last me five days."

　　Shen Huan helplessly patted his head, thinking to himself that this man was becoming a burden. After hesitating for a moment, he took out three more coins.

　　"Farewell, Mr. Geng. Take care."

　　"Weren't you going to say something? Why are you leaving now?"

　　"I have seen your martial arts skills and appreciated them. I apologize for disturbing you." Saying this, he turned and walked away.

　　Looking back once more, he saw the man counting the money with a smile.

　　"Sigh, what a mistake I made," he muttered to himself.

　　After looking around, he returned to the Tribunal.

　　Today, the Trial Office was livelier than usual. When he asked, he found that Zhou Ge had a friend visiting.

　　Entering the hall, Zhou Ge happily introduced him, "Shen, come meet my friend, Teng Yang, a police officer from the neighboring area."

　　Teng Yang bowed and said, "Greetings, Mr. Shen."

　　"Greetings, Mr. Teng. It seems that Zhou has gathered many people."

　　After Teng Yang arrived and learned about the situation in the prefecture, he also looked worried.

　　After Zhou Ge finished speaking, he eagerly asked, "Teng, what about senior brother, Sheng Huan? Why didn't he come?"

　　Mentioning this made Teng Yang laugh. "Zhou, your Sheng senior brother has encountered something good."

　　"What good thing?"

　　"You see, we've all traveled here, tired and dusty, and haven't gained anything. But your senior brother is different. On his way to investigate the Flying Star Sect, he passed through Nanyi prefecture and was noticed by a wealthy man named Sun Lu. Right now, he's busy with his wedding."

　　Shen Huan recognized the name of the place.

　　"Sun Lu? Is he the one from Sun Lu's family?"

　　"Exactly. How did you know?"

　　"I passed through there more than two years ago and had a brief encounter with him. I didn't expect him to still be busy with his daughter's marriage after all this time."

　　Teng Yang thought of something and asked, "How did you meet him?"

　　"Back then, Sun Lu was busy with his daughter's marriage and had invited many fortune-tellers to calculate the auspicious date. I happened to pass by."

　　"So that's how it is. Who did he go to for fortune-telling?"

　　"He went to the witch in Hongsu Xunxiang County, her name is Yuyuan. Speaking of her, I remember a funny thing. Probably because witchcraft is banned in our place, Sheng Huan was particularly against it. At first, when he heard about the marriage fate foretold by the witch, he refused to accept it. It was only when Sun Lu had people tie him up that he finally agreed to get married."

　　"Forced marriage? Hahaha..." Zhou Ge laughed. "I can't believe Sheng Huan had such an adventure. That's interesting."

　　Shen Huan sighed, "Forced marriage could end in tragedy."

　　Zhou Ge thought of the matter with He Muxian and his laughter subsided.