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“He was a scoundrel,” Sun Fang said after a long silence.

“Every time he lost money gambling, he would come home and beat my mother. My mother had to do farm work during the day and sew clothes for others at night, often sleeping late.”

Sun Fang pursed his lips, “A few days ago, my mother fell ill. The little money we had scraped together for medicine was mostly taken by him… He even considered my mother a liability because she couldn’t be used as a betting chip at his gambling table. So, he planned to sell her for gambling money.”

Sun Fang lifted his head, “I killed him. If the lord wants to arrest me, I will confess… But I beg to see my mother one last time before I’m taken to prison.” Sun Fang showed no regret for his actions.

Lu Xuan looked into his eyes. He didn’t ask the usual question of “why didn’t you report it?” because the former magistrate and the Qingxian Society were in collusion, focusing only on extracting money from the people, paying no heed to their problems. If reporting it had been an option, Sun Fang wouldn’t have been driven to patricide.

Weighing the copper coin in his hand, Lu Xuan tossed it back to Sun Fang. “Sun Hong was a rotten person,” he said. “You were protecting your mother.” Sun Fang was stunned.

“Never do this again. If you have troubles, come to the yamen. I’ll see justice done,” Lu Xuan said calmly. He gave Sun Fang one last look before turning and walking away with Cheng Lingzhu.

Three days later.

In the center of the city, inside the main hall of the Qingxian Society.

“Has the county magistrate been here for seven days now?” Gu Yang, the head of the Gu family, leaned back in his chair, holding a cup of tea.

“That’s right,” nodded He Youde, the head of the He family, with a sneer. “In seven days, he’s settled over a dozen cases. He’s quite skilled in that regard.”

“He’s establishing his authority,” commented Bo Chang, the head of the Bo family. “Every day, his court sessions draw a crowd of commoners as if they really see him as a fair judge.”

“There can only be one ruler in Qingxian City,” He Youde declared. “He’s looking for trouble.”

“It’s been seven days since he came to the city, and he still hasn’t made contact with us,” Bo Chang frowned. “Seems like he really wants to go against us.”

“No need to rush.”

Gu Yang, holding his teacup, slowly scraped the lid against the cup and said methodically, “I’ll visit the yamen tomorrow to test him… I want to see what medicine this new magistrate is really selling.”

“How will you test him, Uncle Gu?” Bo Chang asked.

“I have my plans; you need not worry,” Gu Yang glanced at him. “I’ve dealt with three magistrates before; I have the experience.”

Bo Chang felt his dignity was being challenged. It was clear to him that Gu Yang’s words were not only about the magistrate but also hinted at next month’s Qingxian Festival and the handover of the leadership of the Qingxian

Society. Gu Yang had been the acting leader for five years, and it was again the Gu family’s turn to lead the society for the next decade. Bo Chang wanted to reclaim those five years, but Gu Yang’s comments about his experience subtly suggested that Bo Chang was too young and needed more time to mature. The implication of “let the adults handle it, kids should stay out of it” in Gu Yang’s tone irritated Bo Chang, but given Gu Yang’s current position as the leader of the Qingxian Society, he had to swallow his pride.

Inside the Qingxian City yamen.

“Lord, that Sun Hong… Was it really an accident?” Lu Ping stuttered.

“What, do you have a different idea?” Lu Xuan glanced at him.

“That old coin in his hand… What was that about?” Lu Ping asked as he was summarizing the case file for archiving.

“That was Sun Fang’s amulet, passed down from his ancestors. His father had taken it, and I returned it to its rightful owner,” Lu Xuan explained. “Sun Hong took the coin to the gambling house. When he returned, the coin was still in his hand, but because he was drunk, it fell from his body. It must have rolled near the riverbank. In his drunken stupor, when picking up the coin, he lost his balance and fell into the river.”

“This… this…” Lu Ping felt the explanation was somewhat far-fetched, but upon reflection, it seemed logical.

“How many footprints were there by the riverbank?” Lu Xuan asked.

“Just one set,” Lu Ping answered instinctively. “And whose footprints were they?” Lu Xuan continued.

“Sun Hong’s,” Lu Ping replied.

“Who’s better at solving cases, you or me?” Lu Xuan raised his eyebrows.

“You are, lord,” Lu Ping stated truthfully.

“So, was Sun Hong’s death a homicide or an accident?” Lu Xuan gestured outside the hall. “Or should you go find me a murderer to put in jail?”

“An accident, an accident,” Lu Ping quickly responded. “Sun Hong was a bad man, always doing evil deeds. His death was surely divine retribution.”

Lu Xuan nodded in agreement.

“Magistrate Wu! Magistrate Wu!” Just then, a yamen runner rushed in urgently.

“Someone is here to lodge a complaint!”

“Who is it, and what’s the matter?” Lu Xuan perked up.

“The person lodging the complaint is… is…” The yamen runner had not finished speaking when a figure walked in directly.

“Magistrate Wu, long time no see,” the newcomer spoke with a mocking tone. “Gu Feng?” Lu Xuan narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to seek justice for the magistrate,” Gu Feng smiled. He dragged a person from behind him, and Lu Xuan recognized him as the tea stall owner he had encountered on his first day in the city..