Chapter 180: Official’s Harassment

Chapter 180: Official's Harassment

Village Officer Cui sat gloomily on the ox cart.

Cui Minglin also had his head drooped, lost in thought.

With the mindset of avoiding trouble, Mo Jiuya planned to pass by them quickly, thus minimizing any potential disputes.

Unexpectedly, as the ox cart rolled past them, Cui Minglin lifted his head and caught sight of Mo Jiuya.

Cui Minglin bellowed, "What are you doing here? Are you here to mock my cousin?"

Village Officer Cui and the other Cui family members in the ox cart also caught sight of Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran.

All eyes were now fixed on the couple.

A Cui family member, who seemed unfamiliar, inquired, "Brother Lin, could this be the convict assigned to our West Ridge Village yesterday?"

The tone of this person's voice made it clear that they held little regard for Mo Jiuya and his wife; they had now arrived in the northwest and were no longer convicts.

Aside from being forbidden to leave City Yun without permission, he was no different from these common folk.

Mo Jiuya's icy gaze swept across the man, leaving him silent.

The speaker shuddered at the frosty stare he received. He had also heard that this exiled prisoner had quite a temper and that even the Village Officer Cui's family hadn't gained any advantage in dealing with him.

But in his heart, the dignity of the Cui family must not be lost. Otherwise, how would the Cui family establish themselves in West Ridge Village in the future?

With this in mind, the man leaped down from the ox cart and pointed at Mo Jiuya, bellowing, "What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Mo Jiuya didn't bother wasting words with such a person. A sharp crack rang out as the whip used for driving the oxen lashed fiercely against the man's body.

Seeing a clan member trying to confront Mo Jiuya head-on, Village Officer Cui intended to intervene but was too slow to act compared to the young man.

As he witnessed Mo Jiuya lift the whip in his hand, he promptly warned, "Cui Liang, quickly dodge!"

However, his warning came too late. The whip had already fiercely struck Cui Liang's body.

A man who had long practiced martial arts, even without infusing inner strength into the blow, the force behind it was far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.

Cui Liang cried out in pain, "Ah... In broad daylight, you dare to attack? Is there no law and order left?"

Mo Jiuya sneered, "You still know of law and order?"

How come your Clan Cui, with an uncle serving as a county assistant, didn't care to mention the law when you were bullying everyone in West Ridge Village?"

By now, quite a crowd of onlookers had gathered around.

Unaware of the exact relationship between the two parties involved in the dispute, they could still discern that it was the person from the ox cart who had instigated the conflict first.

One can easily deduce that such a person must have frequently abused their power to bully others in their daily life.

Hence, when Cui Liang brought up the law only to be rebutted by Mo Jiuya, the onlookers couldn't help but chuckle.

Cui Liang, indignant, pointed at Mo Jiuya and yelled, "You struck someone in broad daylight. I'm going to report you to the authorities!"

Mo Jiuya sneered. "I've heard that your Cui family's county magistrate is severely injured. Can he even attend to your matters at this time?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Liang immediately felt a loss of confidence.

Coincidentally, a few bailiffs had just emerged from Cui's residence. Cui Liang's eyes rolled, and he hurried over to them.

He indicated towards Mo Jiuya and told the bailiffs, "Did you see that person? I suspect he's the one who injured the county magistrate. Arrest him quickly."

Heard that the person who had stabbed the county magistrate's deputy had appeared, several bailiffs brandished their weapons and closed in on Mo Jiuya.

Cui Liang saw that Mo Jiuya was about to be humiliated, and instantly a mischievous smile spread across his face.

The officials surrounded the carriage, and one of them immediately recognized Mo Jiuya.

Yesterday at the official's office, the Mo family didn't spare any courtesy to County Councillor Cui, thus leaving a profound impression on them regarding Mo Jiuya.

Reflecting on it, given how County Magistrate Cui had made things difficult for them yesterday, it would not be unjustified for them to bear a grudge and have motives for retaliation.

With this in mind, the officer sternly announced, "You two must follow me to the office immediately to assist with the investigation."

Mo Jiuya remained motionless.

"What have I done that requires my cooperation in an investigation?" he asked.

"Stop your nonsense. I suspect you're the one who harmed the county magistrate," the officer declared, making a move to seize him without further ado.

Mo Jiuya, holding He Zhiran, nimbly stepped aside, effortlessly evading the officer's attempt to grab them.

The official was enraged by the scene, "How dare you evade capture! Your crime will be exacerbated."

He was well aware of Mo Jiuya's former status, a man who had led troops into battle and was likely skilled in combat. Despite his stern tone, he dared not act impulsively.

Mo Jiuya's face had now turned completely dark.

He glared at the Cui family first, then turned to the official and asked in a deep voice, "It's said that one must catch a thief with evidence. What proof do you have to determine that I am the one who harmed Cui County Magistrate?"

Actually, the officials never suspected Mo Jiuya at all.

County Assessor Cui had mentioned that there were five attackers last night, all with their faces concealed.

He had seen the Mo family's visitors yesterday – just two men among them, while the rest were female relatives. It was impossible for them to form a group of five perpetrators.

However, the County Assessor was pressing for a resolution, insisting that they find the culprits within three days.

It was obvious that the five individuals daring enough to break into an official's residence in the dead of night wouldn't be ordinary folk.

Capturing such people would be no easy feat – not in three days, perhaps not even in three years.

Therefore, the officers decided it would be best to apprehend a few scapegoats to quickly close the case.

Seeing Mo Jiuya at this moment, they saw their opportunity.

Irrespective of how many men there were in the Mo family, the fact that they had caused trouble for County Assessor Cui the previous day could serve as a plausible excuse to detain them.

Once they reached the authorities, whether or not they admitted guilt would be out of their hands – and this way, the case could be settled sooner.

Mo Jiuya had long seen through the ulterior motives of these officers; how could he possibly fall into their trap?

The officers were already impure in their intentions when apprehending suspects; they wouldn't possess any genuine evidence.

Surveying the few officers behind him, only four in total, he doubted they would have the confidence to deal with someone who had seen battle.

Just as the officers were pondering their strategy, another group of officers rushed in from the other end of the street.

That squad appeared to consist of at least six or seven individuals, potentially even more when combined.

Suddenly emboldened, the officer shouted to his approaching comrades, "Hurry up, the one who injured the county magistrate last night is here."

To his surprise, the rushing officers didn't assist in capturing Mo Jiuya but instead panted out a message to him.

"Quickly, return to the yamen, the new county magistrate has arrived."

This news was unexpected. The officer who intended to frame Mo Jiuya paused for a moment before promptly urging his companions to rush towards the county office, completely ignoring Mo Jiuya.

Upon hearing that a new county magistrate had arrived in City Yun, the onlookers also hurried over to witness the spectacle.

Instantly, the atmosphere here turned chilly and desolate.

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran were also curious to see who the new county magistrate was, but before they could leave, they had to deal with these reckless members of the Cui family.

There, Mo Jiuya picked up the whip used for driving the carriage once more and strolled unhurriedly towards the cow-drawn cart occupied by the Cui family members.