Chapter 1024: The Expert
Suddenly, the street erupted in commotion!
Pedestrians on the street instantly scattered to both sides, retreating as far as possible under the eaves of the shops.
Dozens of princely guards instantly swarmed out, surrounding Lao Huihui from all directions.
Lao Huihui glanced around, a cold dread seizing him.
One guard leapt onto the Kulinan, shielding Zhu Cunji, and demanded loudly, "Who are you? Why do you assault His Highness, the Prince's Heir?"
Lao Huihui frowned, remaining silent.
Zhu Cunji ordered, "Subdue him first, then we'll question him at leisure."
The guards chorused, "As you command!"
With that, several men lunged at Lao Huihui simultaneously.
With a resounding thud, three guards tumbled into a heap.
Two more attacked him at once. Lao Huihui met them with a left hook and a right kick, forcing both back.
The guards shouted even louder now, "An expert! He's a true master! A rare expert indeed, more men, help us!"
The princely guards surged forward en masse.
Lao Huihui gritted his teeth, his spirit rekindled. He parried, blocked, ducked, and leapt, moving like a martial arts film star as he engaged in a furious street brawl. Facing dozens of guards alone, he sent the entire street into pandemonium.
With such a commotion, the situation quickly escalated.
Someone rushed to alert the authorities...
Others ran to inform the militia...
The government yamen runners were on a nearby street and arrived swiftly, but upon seeing the Prince of Qin's mansion guards apprehending someone, they immediately retreated, refusing to interfere.
The militia, however, was further away and arrived more slowly.
But when the militia did arrive, it was a heavy-hitter: Inspector Fang Wushang.
Although Li Daoxuan hadn't focused on Fang Wushang for a while, Fang Wushang had, in fact, been steadily rising in rank. As the Heavenly Lord's territory expanded, the 'Gao Family Village Inspectorate' naturally needed to grow; it couldn't remain confined to the small area of Chengcheng County.
The Inspectorate began to expand its ranks!
With this expansion, veteran members naturally advanced. Minor squad leaders became major chiefs, and major chiefs ascended to top leadership positions.
Fang Wushang was promoted to "General Director," now overseeing all branch inspectorates across the entire Heavenly Lord's Liberated Zone.
Today, he happened to be in Xi'an to inspect the Xi'an branch of the Inspectorate when he heard reports of a fierce street brawl.
Fang Wushang, leading the charge, was the first to burst onto the scene.
Upon arrival, he immediately spotted the Prince of Qin's guards cornering a strangely dressed man, one who notably lacked a Heavenly Lord's image embroidered on his chest.
There was no need for further judgment. Anyone without an embroidered Heavenly Lord's image was by definition an "outsider," while the Prince of Qin's guards were clearly "insiders."
When an insider and an outsider clashed, regardless of who was at fault, the priority was always to subdue the outsider first, then ascertain the truth.
Fang Wushang instantly surged towards Lao Huihui.
Lao Huihui had just kicked over a guard when he whirled around to find a fist hurtling towards him with incredible speed.
A jolt of alarm shot through him: another expert had arrived.
He arched his back dramatically, and the fist whistled past his face, barely missing.
He thought he had evaded it, but Fang Wushang changed tactics with astonishing speed. As his punch missed, he immediately shifted, bringing his elbow down in a crushing strike...
Lao Huihui was startled. If that elbow connected, it would strike his chest or abdomen—no vital area could withstand such a blow!
In a desperate maneuver, he twisted and spun, executing an 'Iron Bridge' move in mid-air, rotating once before flipping away.
Fang Wushang's elbow strike missed, and a surge of surprise also hit him: An expert!
Both men simultaneously sprang back, creating distance, then immediately launched themselves forward. They exchanged powerful punches, thud-thud, each striking the other's chest. Both were sent flying backward, knocking over two guards.
Fang Wushang hit the ground but instantly sprang up with a 'carp flip' maneuver.
Lao Huihui, however, fell and couldn't recover. Two princely guards lunged, pinning him down. Before he could struggle free, more guards leapt on, piling onto him one after another.
Soon, Lao Huihui was completely immobilized beneath the weight.
"We've got the assassin! Haha, we've got him!"
The princely guards cheered with triumph.
Fang Wushang also let out a sigh of relief. "What a formidable opponent. Good thing we had numbers, or I might not have beaten him."
A group of them hauled Lao Huihui to his feet, pulling him from all sides.
Lao Huihui, completely restrained, found resistance impossible. He grunted, "I'm caught. Do as you wish, whether it's death or torture."
"There's no need to talk about death or torture so casually," Fang Wushang said. "What happened here? I need to get to the bottom of this first."
Lao Huihui retorted, "Why bother with the details? I'm merely a commoner who assaulted the Prince's Heir. Just execute me; wouldn't that be simpler?"
Fang Wushang snapped, "Silence! If justice were dispensed that way, where would be the heavenly principles? Where would be the law? Before the law, all are equal. Whether you are a commoner or a prince's heir, reason must prevail."
These words left Lao Huihui utterly bewildered.
Fang Wushang turned to Zhu Cunji. "Your Highness, what exactly transpired here?"
Zhu Cunji poked his head out from beside the Kulinan. "I was speaking civilly with him, and he suddenly reached out to grab my throat. That's when my princely guards engaged him."
Fang Wushang turned to Lao Huihui. "Why would you suddenly grab his throat without provocation?"
Lao Huihui stammered, "He... he..."
He froze, unable to blurt out, "He recognized me," could he?
Zhu Cunji, however, chuckled. "I was a bit confused at first too, but after thinking it over, I understand. General Director, let's not interrogate this fellow right here on the street. Let's take him somewhere private and talk."
Fang Wushang raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "What?"
Zhu Cunji leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "This man... he looks a bit like the great bandit leader, Lao Huihui."
Fang Wushang's heart lurched. He quickly said, "Alright, take him to that building next door."
Soon, the three men slipped into the adjacent building—a Gao Family Village shop. As Fang Wushang needed to use it, the shopkeeper naturally invited them in at once, closing the doors and windows, while princely guards secured the exterior.
Fang Wushang's tense expression eased, and a smile spread across Zhu Cunji's face. "So, all this time, it was Lao Huihui."
Lao Huihui looked utterly bewildered. "You recognized me? You're not turning me over to the authorities, but bringing me into a back room for a cheerful chat?"
Zhu Cunji scoffed, "Isn't that obvious? Anyone with a bit of standing on our side, who has access to internal information, knows you're one of us, an ally."
Lao Huihui's eyes widened in shock.
He quickly glanced at Zhu Cunji's chest. The Heavenly Lord's embroidered image—stitched in gold thread, no less.
Zhu Cunji continued, "My fault, I shouldn't have said those things on the street. Anyone would have panicked in that situation."
Fang Wushang nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Your Highness. In the future, you must think carefully before speaking. How could Lao Huihui's identity be revealed in public?"
Lao Huihui muttered, "Huh? What?"
Zhu Cunji turned to Lao Huihui, winking conspiratorially. "I know why you're in Xi'an. You're definitely here for a trip, right? Wanting to see what the wide world looks like—I totally get that feeling."
Lao Huihui's confusion only deepened.
What on earth was this dissolute middle-aged man talking about? A trip? What nonsense! He was here to see what the Heavenly Lord's Liberated Zone was truly like.
However... it seemed, perhaps, he was starting to get a glimpse.
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