"You dare question me?" Lv deputy envoy scoffed at Zhan Feiyu's persistent questioning, his expression arrogant and wild. "I am an official, and you are a civilian. If you commit an offense, I have the right to arrest you. If I commit an offense, the imperial court will naturally hold me accountable. It is not your place, a mere slip of a girl, to interrogate me! Take all three of them back to the Five City Patrols!"
At Lv deputy envoy's command, three soldiers menacingly approached. Their posture suggested that if Zhan Feiyu resisted, they would resort to force.
Seeing this, Constable Qing quickly stepped forward to block them, sternly demanding, "Deputy Envoy Lv, are you truly going to believe the wild talk of this escaped slave and arrest innocent people?"
If it were merely to arrest Steward Zeng, Constable Qing, a constable without any official rank, naturally could not stop him. Moreover, Steward Zeng was a servant of the Bai family, and it was indeed somewhat inappropriate for the Shuntian Prefecture to make an arrest.
However, Zhan Feiyu was an innocent victim. She was also Bai Zhaohui's savior. For both reasons of sentiment and principle, Constable Qing could not allow the ill-intentioned Lv deputy envoy to take her to the Five City Patrols.
"Since when has your Shuntian Prefecture's reach become so long? The affairs of our Five City Patrols are not for a minor constable like you to interfere with!" Lv deputy envoy sneered sinisterly, his large saber suddenly pointing at the meddling Constable Qing. "Get out of the way! Otherwise, do not blame me for acting officially!"
The more arrogant Lv deputy envoy became, the more Constable Qing dared not back down. Everyone knew that Commander Zhu of the Five City Patrols was a subordinate of Marquis You. With Marquis You killed and Miss Zhan involved, Constable Qing knew what would happen if Lv deputy envoy took her away.
Zhan Feiyu had not expected Constable Qing to stand in her way. Although he did so because of Prefect Bai, Zhan Feiyu accepted this favor.
"You refuse the toast and insist on the penalty." Lv deputy envoy's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he commanded, "Attack!"
"A Sheng, don't let them silence us," Zhan Feiyu instructed, then retreated to a corner with He Nuan.
He Sheng nodded in understanding, casually picking up the chopsticks holder from the table. Just as Constable Qing was at a disadvantage, a chopstick shot out like an arrow.
"Ah!" a soldier cried out in pain and fell to his knees with a thud.
The winter clothes were thick, and the chopstick did not pierce through the clothing, but the intense pain prevented the fallen soldier from getting up.
Watching his subordinates fall one by one, Lv deputy envoy tightened his grip on his saber. In his momentary lapse, Constable Qing's attack was already upon him.
In panic, Lv deputy envoy suddenly dodged to the right, his saber turning with him.
Steward Zeng, cowering to the side, felt a flash of blade light before his eyes. He wanted to dodge, but the wall behind him offered no escape.
It happened in an instant! Just as everyone thought Lv deputy envoy's saber would cleave Steward Zeng's neck, two chopsticks suddenly flew over.
With a *whoosh* and a *whoosh*, one chopstick struck Lv deputy envoy's saber. The remaining chopstick, like a sharp arrow, directly pierced Lv deputy envoy's right wrist, drawing a spray of blood.
"You dare..." Lv deputy envoy clutched his wrist with his left hand, his sinister eyes blazing with terrifying ferocity, as if he wanted to cut Zhan Feiyu into a thousand pieces.
Constable Qing also retreated to the side, pulling the stunned Steward Zeng behind him, fearing that the Five City Patrols would use this opportunity to silence them.
Zhan Feiyu was now somewhat impressed by the ferocious Lv deputy envoy. Even with his wrist pierced by chopsticks, he still held his saber, but unfortunately, his saber was not aimed at enemies on the battlefield.
As the constables of the Five City Patrols and the Shuntian Prefecture clashed, besides the curious onlookers surrounding the shops, someone naturally ran to the two yamen to report the incident.
Magistrate Lu, a man of volatile temper, immediately rushed over with over thirty constables from the Shuntian Prefecture.
At almost the same time, the sound of horses' hooves echoed down the street as the men from the Five City Patrols arrived. The two sides met head-on at the entrance of the shop, causing the surrounding crowd to retreat en masse to a safe corner, fearing to be caught in the crossfire.
Inside the room, Zhan Feiyu opened the window and peered out. Fortunately, the onlookers outside had retreated far away in fear, otherwise, nothing would have been visible but a sea of heads.
He Nuan immediately brought over her cloak and wrapped her tightly.
"A Nuan, do you think they'll fight?" Zhan Feiyu asked without turning her head, her voice full of curiosity and a clear enjoyment of the spectacle. "In terms of combat power, the Five City Patrols are undoubtedly stronger, but Magistrate Lu has more men, so a three-on-one fight might have a chance of winning."
Constable Qing's mouth twitched. In such a tense atmosphere, Miss Zhan treated it like a sideshow.
Lv deputy envoy had already had his wrist bandaged. He cast a cold glance, truly audacious. He wondered if this vixen would still be so arrogant when the Marquis's men arrived!
Commander Zhu, being a martial artist, heard Zhan Feiyu's clear voice distinctly in the quiet street.
Instantly feeling a sharp, piercing gaze directed at her, Zhan Feiyu looked up and met Commander Zhu's murderous eyes. She showed no fear, leaning against the window frame with a hand warmer in her hands, fully adopting the posture of an onlooker.