The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

After watching Raymond leave, Chang'an said, "I should hurry up too; those two soldiers don't seem like good guys."

“No need to be so nervous…” Before Lu Lun could finish speaking, the sound of a key unlocking the door rang out behind him.

This sound is almost everyone's childhood nightmare.

"Squeak..." The wooden door slowly opened, and two soldiers walked out with grim faces, as if it were a mechanical act.

"You audacious scoundrel! How dare you trespass on government grounds and even enter this forbidden prison!" The soldiers shouted menacingly upon seeing Chang'an.

Chang'an, her heart burning with anger, coldly replied, "I am a guest invited to Miss Hua's residence, and I am by no means a daring trespasser!"

"So what if you're a distinguished guest? Even if a prince or count came, he would need an official decree from Magistrate Huaming to enter this place!" The two soldiers were not afraid at all; on the contrary, they became even more assertive.

Lu Lun hurriedly said, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I just saw this young man passing by, so I called him in and asked him to help me back, hehe."

Chang'an, being quite perceptive, took Lu Lun's arm.

Seeing this, the officers took a deep breath and said slowly, "In that case, Master Lu should go back and rest."

"Good good."

Before he finished speaking, footsteps echoed in the cell again, and the two soldiers instinctively made room for each other in the middle.

And so, a disheveled fisherman wearing a half-mask and prison clothes limped out. He was none other than the hero He Lai, who had just led Chang'an to victory.

He Lai was handcuffed and looked quite destitute. But fortunately, there was still a burning light in his eyes, and his posture was upright with his chest out and back straight, and his aura was still quite strong.

So the two tough-looking soldiers beside him looked more like bodyguards.

Before Chang'an could speak, Lu Lun exclaimed in surprise, "You... how did you really get your sentence reduced?"

He looked at him and said helplessly, "I guess so..."

"Then why did you give me your food? You clearly don't need me to help you reduce your sentence," Lu Lun said again.

He Lai smiled and said, "I can't just stand by and watch you go hungry for three days while you're injured..."

He sighed softly, looking up at the sky, "Besides, I'm the one who should be punished."

Luren said incredulously, "So you knew all along that I was lying to you? Then you..."

"Hero, come!" Chang'an had already rushed between the two of them.

Only now did He Lai recognize Chang'an. After all, Chang'an was no longer a beggar; he had changed a lot.

A hint of relief flashed in Helai's eyes, but it quickly turned to sadness... He simply lowered his head and stopped looking at him.

Seeing this, Chang'an was about to speak again when Lu Lun covered his mouth from behind.

The officers squinted and asked, "Do you know each other?"

“I don’t know him,” Helai answered first.

As Chang'an looked on in surprise, Lu Lun laughed and said, "He was just a little excited to see He Lai. After all, which child these days wouldn't like He Lai? Hehe, he's just a little impatient and doesn't know the rules very well."

Chang'an wasn't the kind of person who was oblivious to the situation. After Lu Lun let go, he obediently remained silent.

Lu Lun then asked with a smile, "So, where are you two taking He Lai?"

The officers and soldiers declared righteously, "Of course we'll take him to the yamen for questioning!"

"Interrogation? Who will interrogate?" Luren asked.

"Doesn't Master Lu know that Lord Hua has returned?" the officer asked without changing his expression.

Lu Lun was startled. "Didn't he go to Los Angeles? How come he's back in just four days?"

A smile finally appeared on the officer's stern face. "You should ask your apprentice about this yourself."

After saying this, the two soldiers led He Lai out of the gate and into the mansion.

During this time, Helai did not look at Chang'an once more.

So Chang'an asked suspiciously, "You're preventing me from recognizing He Lai because you're afraid the soldiers will suspect I'm here to break him out of prison, right?"

Luren nodded. "That's right. These two guys are indeed swift and decisive. If they say they're going to arrest you, they won't leave any room for negotiation."

"So that's why Helai refuses to acknowledge me?" Chang'an said with a wry smile.

"I think it's because of Helai's arrogance. An arrogant person would never want others to see him in such a state of decline."

Lu Lun's expression was more one of amazement. He continued, "But I really didn't expect that Tsurugi, who was so dominant on the field, would be like that. It's unbelievable."

Chang'an asked, "Is the yamen located inside the Hua residence?"

"Sure, why? Are you going?"

Chang'an nodded and said, "I still have many things to confirm with He, and I've wanted to meet this Young Master Hua for a long time."

Lu Lun said, "Alright, then you should be careful not to give anyone any leverage against you."

"Aren't you coming with me to see your apprentice?" Chang'an asked, puzzled.

“Sure, I’m going to see my new apprentice. He just arrived and then left right after He came. I bet he’s in a really bad mood right now,” Lu Lun said with a smile.

Chang'an put his hands on his hips and looked at him, laughing, "Since you can teach two top-tier experts, then I suppose Scholar Ou shouldn't be too bad either."

“I will teach him with the mindset of helping him surpass his two senior brothers.” Lu Lun looked very proud.

"But your martial arts skills don't seem particularly outstanding. How did you manage to train two such skilled people?" Chang'an asked, voicing his biggest question.

Lu Lun's spirits lifted, and he said confidently, "Their achievements today are entirely due to their amazing talent and perseverance. As their teacher, I only made sure they stayed on the right path."

Chang'an chuckled and teased, "Is Raymond now being condemned by everyone because you pointed him to the right path?"

Luren couldn't help but laugh heartily, "This is his own right path. When I guide my apprentices, it's always based on them being themselves first. What I need to do is to inspire their potential, not to forcibly change their will."

"Moreover, Raymond's current situation is not entirely a bad thing. It is the necessary path for him to complete his transformation and reach the pinnacle. If he always followed the rules and had a smooth journey, he would lose the charm that life and living bestow upon him."

"Besides, he is my disciple after all, and he will surely overcome all difficulties and make a comeback! I have never doubted this."

Chang'an asked, "What about the temperament of your other disciple, Young Master Hua? What should I do to get him to let He Lai go?"

Lu Lun shook his head and said regretfully, "This guy is good for nothing except being handsome and having a little bit of money. Sigh."

Chang'an glanced sideways, lost in thought, "Is this an insult or a compliment?"

He shook his head and said, "Forget it, we have to see it with our own eyes to believe it. I have to hurry to the yamen now."

He headed north in the direction Luren had indicated, his heart filled with extreme unease the entire way.

After passing through several back gardens, you arrive at an open flat area. After crossing a stone bridge, you see a pond under the bridge filled with pure white lotus flowers, serving as a reminder to officials to always remain honest and upright.

After crossing the stone bridge and passing through several gates and courtyards, I finally heard a commotion ahead.

Outside the main hall, a dense crowd had gathered at the foot of the stone steps. These people were not ordinary citizens who came to watch the spectacle, but rather key figures involved in the case: witnesses, lawyers, or relatives and friends of the plaintiff and defendant.

Unfortunately, Chang'an did not see a single acquaintance here.

It seems that Ning Konglou and the others knew Helai's temperament very well, but only Chang'an, that blind fool, insisted on rushing to see Helai's miserable state.

But so what? They've already come all this way, they can't just sit idly by and watch the crane arrive.

As soon as he squeezed into the noisy crowd, he saw a burly yamen runner shouting from above:

"Ascension!"

"Majesty—!!!" The deafening sound of the disciplinary rod slamming into the ground followed, silencing the crowd who had been covering their ears.

Once the noise subsided, Chang'an quietly followed the crowd up the stone steps to the outside of the main hall.

But there were solemn-looking yamen runners standing on both sides, holding their stern batons, while the desk was at the very back of the hall.

Several officials sat around the desk, each with a tense expression and their own worries.

The arrogant and domineering Hero knelt on the lower left side of the desk, accepting the scrutiny of everyone.

On the other side, kneeling was a woman dressed in plain gray clothes, presumably the woman who had been assaulted by He Lai.

This woman was dressed even more disheveled than He Lai beside her, in an attempt to elicit sympathy. The reason for this was that her heavy makeup betrayed her...

Sitting high in the hall, walking beneath the golden dragon carving, was none other than the renowned Magistrate of Qiantang: Young Master Hua Chang.