After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

"Protection fee? What do you mean?" Nangong Ming asked bluntly.

He cut ties, unwilling to explain further, and remained silent.

Xiao Ran understood what he meant. In her previous life, when she sold her dowry, she heard the maid mention protection money. So this was the money that Magistrate Shen was collecting. No wonder no one reported him.

Paying protection money means that ordinary people can report any disputes they encounter while setting up stalls. If the other party hasn't paid the protection money, that party will be severely punished. If both parties have paid the protection money...

Then it depends on who pays more protection money.

"It seems that this Prefect Shen is a repeat offender, given that he could come up with such a thing," Xiao Ran sneered.

“Although I don’t understand what you mean…” Nangong Ming said with a face full of indignation, “but since he’s a repeat offender, let’s arrest him!”

Duanli coldly uttered a single word.

"Disaster."

The reason Governor Shen dared to do this must be because he has powerful backers. There are probably too many people involved, and even using his family's influence wouldn't be enough to handle it.

“Alright.” Nangong Ming nodded silently, then, as if remembering something, looked up and said, “So, does that mean the father and son who were performing just now were also charged protection money? Ah… they clearly worked hard all day, unlike these street vendors who can sell their goods just by sitting down…”

Indeed, this could be considered the hard-earned money of that father and son. Xiao Ran suddenly thought of the son, with his gloomy personality, and wondered what he might do...

"Let's go check it out, maybe they're still there," Nangong Ming suggested.

For some reason, Nangong Ming suddenly recalled the hypothetical scenario Xiao Ran had mentioned to him earlier—what if he were that son…

He even started to worry a little about his old father who was performing for money.

Without waiting for Xiao Ran's consent, he jogged back the way he came, seemingly in a great hurry.

Xiao Ran and Duan Li exchanged a glance, then Xiao Ran followed.

When they arrived at the performance venue, the father and son were long gone; only a crowd of people strolled by, admiring the passing scenery.

Nangong Ming ran up to them, grabbed a passerby at random, and asked, "Brother, do you know where the father and son who used to perform here went?"

The passerby was stunned when he was arrested and shook his head.

Undeterred, Nangong Ming grabbed another passerby and questioned him.

But it still didn't work.

He walked back looking dejected. "They seem to have left. I hope they're alright..."

Xiao Ran was about to nod when she saw someone sneaking out of the alley. She slowly walked up to him and patted him on the back.

The man jolted, swallowed hard, and turned around.

“…Ran’er!” Que’er breathed a sigh of relief after confirming it was Xiao Ran. “Don’t scare me…sigh.”

"What are you doing?" Xiao Ran asked, noticing that Que'er seemed to be holding something behind her back. "What are you holding?"

Sparrow chuckled sheepishly, "It's nothing, I just found it in the alley..."

Xiao Ran was puzzled. If Que'er had found something normal, she would have shown it to her. Judging from Que'er's expression, it must be something strange, and she said she found it...

Could it have been stolen?

She wanted to walk behind Que'er to take a look, but Que'er always kept her back to her, with a faint, awkward smile on her lips.

It wasn't until Duan Li made his move, lifting him up directly, that the object in his hand fell to the ground.

After seeing it clearly, Nangong Ming exclaimed in surprise.

"Isn't that the sword of that father and son who were street performers?!"