Chapter 188 – Visitors from the Cangzhou Meng Clan (Part Two)
Those who were lucky enough to avoid disaster fell flat on their faces, while the truly unfortunate were trampled underfoot. A middle-aged woman was brutally stomped on the left side of her chest, her bones cracking audibly as her chest caved in, blood pouring from her mouth, and just like that, she was gone.
The City Gate Guard noticed the chaos and tried to intervene, but a group of two or three dozen muscular men on horseback brandished tokens from their waists.
“Business of the Meng Clan! Who dares to stop us? Get out of the way, now!”
Well, aren’t they just full of themselves?
The guards had seen their fair share of arrogance, but never anyone who would trample someone’s life underfoot and then swagger about announcing their lineage.
Even noble families knew when to retain some dignity; such blatant rudeness was downright shameless.
“Stop them! Hold them all back!” The guard leader was furious. To have such a situation arise so early in the morning, and with lives lost to boot! If he let the murderers slip away, he’d be at risk of losing his petty position.
“I’ve never heard of any Mengs in Hejian! Seize them!”
But before the guards could get any closer, the rider who had trampled the woman lashed out with a whip, blinding the guard in one eye.
“I am Meng of Cangzhou Meng Clan! Do you have a death wish for not recognizing me?”
Meng Clan?
The Meng Clan of Dongqing’s Four High Families, said to be the true Emperor of Cangzhou?
The guard leader’s expression shifted multiple times before he managed to force out a smile.
“Oh, oh, oh, I see now. May I ask why Your Excellency is here today?”
Despite crashing through the city gate and killing citizens, did they really think Hejian was their Cangzhou Meng Clan playground?
“Enough chit-chat, let us in right away! Or else, it’ll cost you your heads!”
With a threatening flick of his whip, he forced the guard leader to take a step back as they galloped into the city with utter disregard.
At the city gate, soldiers had already drawn their bows, waiting for a command to fire.
The guard leader’s face turned ashen. He raised his hand, signaling them not to act.
If these were truly Meng Clan members, harming them could lead to dire consequences.
If they were not, then it was unlikely anyone would dare be so brazen in Hejian!
Regardless, he had to send someone after them; who knew what trouble they might bring!
Facing the body sprawled in a pool of blood, hearing the groans of anguish nearby, the leader clenched his fists, angrily punching the city wall.
“Report this to the Governor at once! Get the injured to the clinic, document every loss, and for the unfortunate deceased… we’ll present these to the Governor for him to decide. The Cangzhou Meng Clan… they have gone too far!”
Outside the city gate, mourning and cries had already begun echoing.
Meanwhile, on the other side…
Upon entering the city, the group rode directly down the street. Thankfully, the market had yet to open, so there weren’t many pedestrians, making it easy to dodge.
“Do you know where the Fu Lai Gambling House is?”
The leader’s horse nearly came crashing down on a clearly sleep-deprived passerby, nearly scaring the poor soul awake from what felt like a brush with death.
“I-I-I… I know…”
Under the threat of the horse’s hooves, the man, a gambler who had spent the entire night at Fu Lai, sat down abruptly, his bloodshot eyes and pale face betraying his all-nighter.
“Good, now lead us there quickly! Or you might feel the whip!”
The leader felt a surge of joy, and the dozen or so burly men behind him shared relieved looks.
How lucky they were to find someone who actually knew where Fu Lai was right after entering the city!
Thoughts of the long-missing Meng Liang filled their minds.
Originally, they had been unwilling to escort him to the capital to avoid suspicion. After all, everyone knew about Meng Liang’s notorious temper and his reputation as a lecher. Anyone he targeted—man or woman, pretty or not—had no chance of escaping his clutches.
Those with better luck survived, while those without were crushed to death!
The idea that the head of the clan, Meng Zhan, might pin hopes on him becoming the clan heir sent a chill through many of the family elders.
How glorious and proud the Meng Clan had been! Handing it over to a wastrel like Meng Liang could spell disaster!
Could that fool’s skills uphold a family?
In comparison, the inconspicuous eldest son, Meng Heng, was far more loved. There were whispers of his talent in the capital, and this year he was preparing for assessments with great hopes for success.
Shutting down their distracting thoughts, the leader pushed the gambler in front of him, and the gambler, trembling, had no choice but to lead the way.
After all, the knife at his waist was real, and the bloodied whip in hand was very much a threat he didn’t want to test.
“Is this the place?”
After several twists and turns, they stopped before a gambling house. The raucous sounds from within were unmistakable.
“Y-Yes… this is the only gambling house called Fu Lai… Can I leave now?”
If he had guided someone else, maybe he would have earned a bit of a tip for his luck, but guiding this lot was just a blessing in disguise; not losing his life was already a win.
The gambler hunched over, eager to comply, and once given the slightest nod from the leader, he spun around and bolted as if being chased by ghosts.
“Pfft, what a coward!”
The few riders behind him chuckled, mocking the terrified expressions and antics of the fleeing gambler.
“Shut it! Finding the Young Master is the priority.”
The leader chastised them quietly. He dismounted and lifted the fabric curtain, entering the gambling house with his men.
With a formidable presence, the group of thirty-two, all armed and towering, exuded an intimidating aura, seemingly cloaked in bloodlust.
As they stormed into the gambling house’s main hall, the atmosphere immediately felt constricted and tense.
The little waiter who spotted them felt his heart plummet. Looking at their garb and demeanor, they definitely weren’t here for fun… Did they get themselves into trouble? Panic raced down his spine, and he approached with a forced smile.
“Enough with the small talk! I’ll ask you directly—did you capture a young boy here a couple of days ago?”
The waiter’s expression froze, beads of sweat surfacing on his forehead.
He stammered, “As for your query… We run a respectable establishment here, and we engage in no illegal activities. We certainly haven’t captured anyone…”
