Chapter 1540: Assistant Judge Lao Dies
Chapter 1540: Chapter 1540: Assistant Judge Lao Dies
The West City Gate has already been taken over by the Eagle Food Gang. As soon as they saw Luo Ying and his group returning, they immediately opened the gate and let them in.
Luo Ying asked, "Has Wu Po arrived?"
Ma Da, who was guarding the West City Gate, said, "Yes, he’s at the East City Gate cursing his mother."
Luo Ying sneered, "Is he cursing his own mother? If he’s cursing his own mother, let him be. But if he dares to curse at the mothers of our Eagle Food Gang, don’t be polite—greet them with poison arrows."
Ma Da chuckled and said, "The brothers have already greeted him with poison arrows. His useless son got hit by one and fainted. Wu Po thought he was dead and was terribly anxious."
However, that poison is not very potent; it just causes people to faint. The military doctors can cure it.
Upon hearing this, Luo Ying frowned, "Wu Mang is really senile, helping Wu Po like this. Can someone like Wu Po hold Beicang Prefecture? It’s simply nonsense!"
After cursing Wu Mang, Luo Ying inquired about Lord Ghost and the brothers of the Eagle Food Gang.
Ma Da said, "Lord Ghost and Lu Zi are both injured, but fortunately, their injuries are not fatal, and their lives are saved. Two hundred and six of our brothers died, and they’ve been laid to rest; three hundred and twelve were injured and have been sent to the Yang Mansion for treatment."
The Old Lv family still wanted to make a living in Beicang Prefecture, so the Eagle Food Gang didn’t set up camp at the Lv family but instead took over the Yang Mansion.
The Yang Mansion is spacious with many houses, and it has storerooms full of the gold and silver jewelry hidden by the Rong people. Living there not only offers comfort but also a good haul of treasures.
Luo Ying felt uneasy hearing this. The Witch Army was indeed fierce, and over two hundred of his brothers had died: "How many did the Witch Army lose?"
Ma Da said, "One hundred and fifteen dead, and four hundred and sixty-eight wounded."
They knew the Witch Army was ferocious and didn’t plan to confront them head-on, only using poison arrows to make them faint.
Luo Ying frowned hearing this. The disparity with the Witch Army was still too great; the death toll was almost double.
"Here is the detailed casualty list for both sides. Lord Ying, take a look." Ma Da handed the list to Luo Ying.
Lord Ghost knew Lord Ying was eager to know the casualties on both sides. After cleaning up the battlefield, they immediately had someone make several copies of the list and sent this one to Lord Ying, so it would be ready for him as soon as he returned through the West City Gate.
After receiving the list, Ma Da raised his eyebrows and smiled at Luo Ying, "Lord Ying, the brothers also caught someone from the Yang family. He’s in real trouble now; lost two sons in one night, got injured himself, and tried to fake death to escape. But seeing the brothers chopping heads off corpses one by one, he got scared and surrendered."
Ma Da nodded at the brothers behind him, and Elder Yang was brought forward, tightly bound and forced to kneel on the ground.
Luo Ying looked at Elder Yang and sneered, "You’ve spent your life being a dog for the Rong people, but have they ever treated your family as their own? Despicable fool!"
The Yang family are descendants of mixed Rong and Great Chu blood, and the Rong people despise those with Great Chu blood, especially the Witch Army, so in the eyes of the Witch Army, the Yang family is no better than livestock.
Elder Yang, having suffered a major loss, cried miserably, pleading, "Lord Ying, I beg you to spare the Yang family’s descendants. They know nothing and are innocent."
"Pah, Tuogude and the others have been living in your house for so long, and you dare say the Yang family is innocent? Aren’t the Great Chu people killed by the Rong people innocent? Your whole family are accomplices of the Rong!" Ma Da, infuriated, punched Elder Yang twice, making him wail in pain.
"Show mercy, spare my life," Elder Yang screamed, adding, "They really are innocent and know nothing of the Witch Army’s affairs... But I know, and I’m willing to atone for my crimes by revealing the Witch Army’s plan to dig tunnels in the city. I beg Lord Ying to spare my grandson!"
His sons were dead, and if his grandson died too, his family line would end.
Afraid Luo Ying would refuse, Elder Yang added, "Lord Ying, you are bandits, the court won’t believe you. Only if I confess and reveal the Witch Army’s actions will the court believe you’re not talking nonsense!"
"Ha, you dare use this to threaten me?" Luo Ying laughed and instructed Ma Da, "Bring his grandson. If he doesn’t confess everything the Witch Army did, we’ll castrate his grandson in front of him!"
Hearing this, Elder Yang’s eyes nearly popped out, and he shouted, "No, Lord Ying, you can’t..."
With a bang, Ma Da kicked Elder Yang over and sneered, "Can’t what? We are fierce bandits, is there anything fierce bandits wouldn’t dare to do?"
Ma Da said to Lord Ying, "Rest assured, Lord Ying, we will get the job done."
Luo Ying nodded and led his men towards the Yang Family charcoal workshop in the north of the city.
Just as they reached the street of the charcoal workshop, they encountered Magistrate Jin and Assistant Judge Lao and their entourage being stopped by the brothers outside the workshop.
Assistant Judge Lao shouted to Luo Ying, "Is that Lord Ying of the Eagle Food Gang? I am the Lord Deputy Magistrate of Beicang Prefecture. I heard that the Yang family has dug tunnels in the north of the city. May I inspect the tunnels for truth?"
Inspect for truth?
Qin Laoyao risked informing, and my brothers died over two hundred because of it, and you dare suspect this is false?
Luo Ying sneered aloud and pointed at Assistant Judge Lao, "Pang Hai, go and bring him over."
"Yes." Pang Hai immediately went over, grabbed Assistant Judge Lao, and dragged him to Luo Ying, then kicked him down to kneel.
Assistant Judge Lao sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "Lord Ying, what do you mean by this? I did not mean to investigate you for entering the city."
Luo Ying: "Ha, what if you investigate? Do you have the ability to arrest us?"
Assistant Judge Lao hurriedly said, "I don’t dare, Lord Ying misunderstands. I came here to help. After all, the Rong people digging tunnels in the city is a major case. As an official in charge of criminal cases, it’s my duty to look into this."
Luo Ying sat on the horse, his deep, sharp eyes mocking, and after a while, he said, "There’s no need for you to look into this matter."
Assistant Judge Lao dared not meet Luo Ying’s sharp gaze but summoned the courage to ask, "Why?"
Luo Ying laughed, "Because you’ll soon be a dead man."
As he spoke, he drew out a large knife and handed it to Pang Hai, "Decapitate this dog official!"
"Spare me, spare me!" Assistant Judge Lao went mad with fear, hastily kowtowing to ask for mercy and cried out to Magistrate Jin, "Sir, save me, I am an official of the court. If I die, you will be to blame!"
"Blame your mother, still babbling so much at death’s door!" Pang Hai didn’t show mercy to Assistant Judge Lao. He took the large knife, and with a swing, chopped off Assistant Judge Lao’s head.
With a roll, Assistant Judge Lao’s head fell to the ground. Not far away, Squad Leader Tian screamed in fright... Fierce bandits, indeed fierce bandits, daring to kill even a court official, and doing it so effortlessly.
Pang Hai shouted angrily, "What the hell are you screaming about? Shout again, and I’ll chop you too!"
Hearing this, Squad Leader Tian quickly fell silent, knelt, and kowtowed.
Magistrate Jin was also terrified, watching as Assistant Judge Lao’s head rolled to the side, his face pale, and his legs trembling.
Luo Ying clicked his tongue in disgust, "If the Rong people attack, can someone like you defend Beicang Prefecture?"
He then called to Magistrate Jin, "Follow along."
With that, he spurred his horse toward the charcoal workshop.