Martial Star Ocean - Chapter 7 Overbearing

Chapter 7 – Overbearing

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As a good, law-abiding youth of the 21st century, he used to be enraged to the point of smashing his keyboard even when seeing videos on Weibo of little kids having their candy taken away.

Now that he saw this, Li Mu was utterly incensed.

“…How dare they. Someone, immediately go to Divine Herb Hall and bring the storekeeper as well as his murderous lackeys here…I will judge them.”

Li Mu’s anger seemed to crackle through the hall.

Originally, he had come here to pretend to judge a case to better his impersonation. But now he was truly moved to anger.

The six county guards in the hall all had strange expressions on their faces. Even though they heard the order, none of them moved.

“What is it?” Li Mu asked, staring at them.

“Uh…my Lord, it’s like this…” The county guard from before approached Li Mu. He bent over with downcast eyes and whispered in a low voice.

So, this Divine Herb Hall could be called deeply ingrained within the foundation of Alabaster County City. They had tremendous influence and also a powerful gang faction standing behind them. Divine Herb Hall was said to be one of the businesses of Alabaster County City’s Divine Orchard Gang, one of the four great factions in the city. They ran rampant through the county as they liked, and even if they were to kill several people in the light of day, it wouldn’t be considered much at all. In the past the County Administrative Hall turned a blind eye to their actions.

“I don’t care. Immediately arrest them, all of them! The past is the past, and now I am the current county magistrate. I have already set my mind on this matter.” Li Mu was so angry that even his nose was twitching.

What kind of ridiculous bullshit was this? Four great factions? They were actually so unbridled that they took lives without any consideration. This was just hateful to the extreme.

So this was what an underworld triad of another world was.

But I don’t care. I am the county magistrate. In Alabaster County City, I am the greatest.

Li Mu felt thick disdain in his heart. Even if this were an underworld triad they still shouldn’t be able to fight against the local lord.

“This is…” The county guard hesitated.

The other five county guards remained where they were with lowered heads. They were afraid that Li Mu would call upon them by name to make the arrest.

“What are you all standing about for? Go and arrest that man for me.” Li Mu could feel his dignity as county magistrate being provoked and began to shout out loud.

Finally, under the stern orders of the county magistrate Li Mu, the six county guards reluctantly left to make the arrest. All of them had expressions of dread on their faces.

Like this, the courtroom had emptied.

The little girl Kin’er’s quiet sobs could be heard with special clarity now.

Pity and sympathy swelled up in Li Mu’s heart. He went forwards into the court hall and soothed the panicked and weeping little girl. He stood up in an indignant posture and thumped his chest, saying to the woman, “Don’t worry, you can rest assured that I will uphold justice for you.”

If an official couldn’t uphold justice for his people then he might as well go sell sweet potatoes in the streets instead.

Although Li Mu was only an imposter, he was still filled with righteousness. And since he was impersonating the county magistrate, he should do his job.

“Thank you, honorable great Lord.” The woman’s dim pupils exuded the color of gratitude.

Her injuries were incredibly serious. Her words were halting and blood flowed out from her lips.

To tell the truth, her coming to the County Administrative Hall to strike the injustice drum was her final desperate gamble after having been cornered. She didn’t have much hope to begin with but now it seemed that this new county magistrate was an honest official who loathed the wicked and evil. His actions had caused hope to bloom in her heart.

And at this time, the little attendant Ming Yue just happened to skip in.

Li Mu turned his head. “Hey you, yes you, go to the city and find a doctor to come treat this big sister’s wounds.”

The little attendant Ming Yue came to a stop and the happy smile on her face froze. “I can’t, I have to stay here and watch the fun. Tell him to go.” The one she referred to was Qing Feng who was still recording the case on a table to the side.

Li Mu disdainfully said, “Can you read? Can you write? Do you know legal literature? Can you record what just happened?”

Before Li Mu finished speaking, Ming Yue turned around. With a shamed expression she rushed out of the hall to find a doctor.

An hour soon passed.

During this time, one of the county guards sent out returned. With a morose expression he reported that Divine Herb Hall’s storekeeper said he was too busy today and didn’t have time to come to the court hall to stand trial. He would come another day when he had free time…

Li Mu was angered breathless.

“Tell him that if he doesn’t come to the court hall within an incense stick of time then I will personally go to his medicine store and break it down myself.”

Li Mu clenched his jaws.

What a bastard. He couldn’t come because he was busy? He dared to put on an act before the county magistrate?

Li Mu loved to put on an act the most, but what he couldn’t stand the most was others putting on an act in front of him.

The county guard was helpless. He gloomily left.

And a dozen minutes or so later, the little girl attendant returned to the court hall with a bearded doctor. The doctor examined Zhang Li and bandaged her. After examining her injuries, he stated that although she had suffered some damage to her internal organs she wasn’t in danger of dying. She only needed to take some medicine and rest for three to five months to fully heal. The little girl Kin’er profusely thanked the doctor and even fell down to her knees to thank him. It was an extremely pitiful sight.

Li Mu sighed with emotion.

This little girl’s family had been able to open a small medicine shop in Alabaster County City. This proved that they weren’t poor; they were at least around the middle class. At the very least they wouldn’t need to worry about where to find clothes and food. But, when facing the bullying of evil forces, their entire family had been ruined and devastated nearly overnight.

And if one had to find a reason, it was because they were too weak.

The strong ate the weak. In this backwards civilization that seemed like ancient China, the law of the jungle had actually manifested to such a crazed degree.

With this, Li Mu realized just how necessary one’s personal strength was.

After another hour –

The six county guards brought in a middle-aged person in embroidered robes. They arrived in the court hall.

“Storekeeper Huang, please.” The county guard was extremely polite to this middle-aged man. He led the middle-aged man into the court hall before turning to Li Mu and bowing, “Reporting to the Lord, I have brought the person you requested here. He is Divine Herb Hall’s storekeeper, Huang Wei.”

Li Mu’s gaze fell upon the body of this Storekeeper Huang.

“I greet the Lord Magistrate.” Huang Wei wasn’t tall. He was chubby with a fair complexion and his robes exuded an expensive taste. He smiled as he bowed.

This man seemed benign and pleasant, but Li Mu had cultivated the Xiantian Arts and his senses and awareness had risen dramatically above those of an average person. He could clearly feel thick disdain emitting from this person.

“Zhang Li, is this person the murderer?” Li Mu asked the woman.

The woman stubbornly stared at Huang Wei before finally shaking her head. “Reporting to the Lord, I do not know him. He is not the one who killed my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband.”

Li Mu was incensed. He looked towards the county guards.

The county guards shrank back, not daring to meet his gaze.

Huang Wei faintly smiled. He had already prepared himself for this. “Reporting to the Lord, there has been a misunderstanding. It was only when these guards came to my store this morning that I realized something like this occurred. I immediately launched a vigorous investigation into the matter and discovered that it was one of my rookie shopkeepers who led a few apprentices to cause such a mess. Because of their wrongdoings, they have already been dismissed from my Divine Herb Hall…as for the matters related to Zhang Li and her family, although I deeply sympathize with her plight, this matter is unrelated to my Divine Herb Hall.”

Huh?

What the hell.

He was actually trying to play it this way.

On Earth, wasn’t this just called blaming the temporary workers?

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Mu flew into a rage.

This person was simply trying to trick him.

“What a bunch of crap. How could everything be such a coincidence?” At this time, the little attendant girl Ming Yue angrily beat her chest and let out a string of insults. The words she used were incredibly…rude and vulgar.

Huang Wei glanced at Ming Yue. After seeing that she was just a naïve little attendant still wet behind the ears, he simply sneered and didn’t respond.

“Just what kind of look is that? Do you believe that my young master won’t beat you to death with his fists…?” Ming Yue was 12 years old. She had sparkling white teeth and skin as fair as jade, just like a little carving. But at this time this beautiful little girl’s short temper had been lit and she was just like a little wolf. The county guard to her side stopped her, afraid that she would rush over and bite the storekeeper.

Pa!

Li Mu pounded his gavel down. He gnashed his teeth. “I don’t care about your reasons. Within three days, Divine Herb Hall will hand over all those murderers. Otherwise, just wait for your store to be closed. The Zhang Family’s medicine shop that was stolen must be immediately returned, and not just that but Zhang Li will be compensated with 500 taels of silver for medical charges and…emotional and mental damage.”

For this shopkeeper to bring out such an excuse, he was just disgracing himself.

Since Divine Herb Hall wanted to be unreasonable, Li Mu would solve this in an unreasonable way.

“My Lord, you are simply forcing us to do something beyond our power.” Huang Wei’s lips twitched for a moment before the fake smile returned. “As stated, those villains are no longer a part of our Divine Herb Hall. As for the Zhang Family’s medicine shop, that was bought by us for a high price, so how can you say that we stole it? We even have the contract here as proof, which has the thumbprint of the original owner, Zhang Long…” As he spoke, Huang Wei took out a yellow contract deed from his robes and passed it to the county guard.

“Fake, that’s fake…” The heavily wounded Zhang Li rose up upon seeing this. She struggled to reach Huang Wei, angrily saying, “That is a forgery. You definitely took my father-in-law’s thumbprint after killing him…if my father-in-law agreed to sell the shop, why would he be killed by you…you are just a demonic beast in human skin…I will fight you…”

A county guard at the side hurried forwards to stop the woman. He shouted out, “In the court of law, do not cause trouble.”

Puff…

The woman was breathless. She was so angry she spat out another mouthful of blood.

“Mother, Mother…Mother don’t scare Kin’er. Mother, please wake up. Kin’er doesn’t have a father anymore…” The little girl Kin’er was naïve, with little experience of the wider world. In just several days she could be said to have fallen from heaven to hell. She had lost everything and she cried so much that her eyes were swollen. In her panic she looked like a little duck caught in a raging storm.

Li Mu took the yellow contract deed. Without a glance he ripped it in half.

“You…” Huang Wei’s complexion changed once more. He glared at Li Mu and smiled once more. “My Lord, this contract deed had the official stamp of the county deputy Lord Zhou. You just tore it apart. What is your intention?”

“I am not afraid of you so I’m going to tell you right now exactly what is going on. I won’t be playing your ridiculous and nonsensical little word games. You know well in your heart what the truth is. As for where this contract deed came from, you are also well aware…every word I said just now will not change, so remember them for me and go back to report them to your master. If you can’t do as I’ve told you then three days from now I will personally lead people to ruin your store.”

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