Chapter 429: Chapter 324: A Year of Demon-Slaying and Exorcism! (Double Chapter)

"Lord Yan Lan, let’s cut the nonsense. How should this matter be resolved?" Wang Tian’s gaze swept over the four people including Yang Zhen before looking at the other party and asking.

Seeing Wang Tian’s arrival, Yang Zhen slightly sighed in relief.

Their supporter had finally arrived.

"Grand Marshal, please show leniency considering Zhao Zun has lost a son," Zhao Juchang said with cupped hands.

Wang Tian did not answer, his gaze remained fixed on Lord Yan Lan.

"I will have Zhao Zun apologize and bear full responsibility for tonight’s wrongdoing, and let this matter be past," Lord Yan Lan said with a frown.

He did not wish to have a falling-out with Wang Tian over this matter.

"What a fool!" Lord Yan Lan was increasingly annoyed with Zhao Zun’s brainless actions, which required him to lower himself to clean up the mess.

"What do you think?" Wang Tian asked the four, including Yang Zhen.

"It’s best for the Grand Marshal to decide," Yang Zhen replied with cupped hands.

Song Changming said nothing.

The matter had already escalated, attracting the attention of the two Grand Marshals and alarming the government. How to calm it down was no longer up to him, it was essentially a decision for the higher-ups.

Soon, Zhao Zun was brought in, limping heavily into the main hall.

It was apparent that his right leg was impaired.

"How did you get injured?" Zhao Juchang couldn’t help but ask.

He was quite puzzled. The message sent back to the Zhao Family was that Zhao Zun had beaten someone up, yet the four people on the other side were fine, and Zhao Zun, the assailant, was injured instead.

Zhao Zun found it difficult to speak of it.

After all, he couldn’t possibly say that he was kicked and injured by Song Changming, a mere Deputy General.

"Zhao Chief, I’ve troubled you tonight," Zhao Zun muttered.

After a while of detention, although he was still in the grief of losing his son, he had at least regained some rationality.

"I’m not troubled, but you’d better think carefully about how to explain this to the Patriarch when you return; punishment will be unavoidable," Zhao Juchang said with a shake of his head.

"I understand," Zhao Zun nodded, aware that this was the consequence of his impulsiveness tonight.

"Zhao Zun, you have also severely violated military discipline. If you wish to keep your position as Banner Master, you must quickly apologize sincerely and seek forgiveness," Lord Yan Lan said to Zhao Zun sternly.

"Yes." Zhao Zun complied, walking up to the four, including Yang Zhen, and lowering his head.

"It was my loss of composure today. The pain of losing a son made me lose my reason. Blaming you all was entirely my fault. Please forgive me. I will prepare generous gifts to send to all of you, and I hope you will not refuse."

"You can skip me. Just send more to Changming, since you were targeting him earlier," Xing Tiexin said, taking a deep breath, shaking his head.

Even though he didn’t like Zhao Linxin in the past, after all, he had been his deputy for many years.

Now that Zhao Zun had questioned him, he felt a bit apologetic and didn’t want to keep holding on.

"If you, Banner Master Zhao, have thought it through, please refrain from troubling my men in the future," Yang Zhen reminded.

"There won’t be a next time," Zhao Zun said with lowered eyes, his tone showing little emotional change.

Song Changming was silent.

His spiritual perception keenly perceived the trace of resentment in Zhao Zun’s eyes, which hadn’t truly faded.

Reflecting on it, how could such immense resentment just dissipate quickly?

A son had died, and the demon who killed Zhao Linxin had also died. Without an outlet, such a large amount of negative emotion would either get displaced onto another target for an outlet or silently dissipate over time.

"What a damn hassle," Song Changming thought to himself.

When he got involved with Zhao Linxin’s death, he had considered this issue.

Zhao Linxin wasn’t a nobody; this trouble was bound to come knocking sooner or later.

"Let this be the cost of gaining Zhao Linxin’s Qiankun Bag’s legacy..."

If the other side let this go, he wouldn’t do anything.

But if the other side wouldn’t give up, continually harassing him like a vicious dog, then it would depend on who could eliminate whom.

After sincerely apologizing, Zhao Zun accepted the government’s penalties and agreed to compensate for the damage to both the tavern and the street, paying a hefty price for his impulsive actions tonight.

Afterward, seeing that the ’parents’ on both sides had agreed to make peace and downplay the incident, the government released Song Changming and the others, allowing them to leave on their own.

Zhao Zun, who had left the government, was silent all the way back to the Core City Zhao Mansion, where he was unsurprisingly scolded by the Zhao Family Patriarch.

"I know Linxin’s death hit you hard, but tonight’s actions were utterly foolish, like roasting yourself on fire for no reason!"

"The Patriarch is right," Zhao Zun had nothing to say.

"Many in the family are already dissatisfied with you, and you shouldn’t expect any support or resources from the family for the next two years," Zhao Boqi said with a cold snort, flicking his sleeves.

Zhao Zun’s face changed slightly, but he still nodded in agreement, preparing to leave.

The Patriarch Zhao Boqi suddenly looked at him and said, "Let me ask you, do you still intend to go against those people from the army?"

"Answer truthfully!"

Zhao Zun opened his mouth but, confronting the Patriarch’s sharp gaze, ultimately dared not conceal.

"Yes..."

"Put it out of your mind. At least for a while, you cannot act recklessly. You’re now in the spotlight, and this matter hasn’t passed. You better pray they remain unharmed during this time!

If, for any reason, they end up dead, you will be suspected; you won’t be able to clear yourself. Should this matter reach Prince Cui’s ears, the entire Zhao Family could be implicated because of you!"

Zhao Boqi’s voice was heavy, and each word was like a massive stone, constantly pressing down on Zhao Zun, making it difficult for him to muster any rebellious intent.

In this instance, if Zhao Zun were merely targeting a few insignificant figures, it wouldn’t matter.

But Yang Zhen, Song Changming, and the others were generals and Banner Masters of no small rank; they were not insignificant figures. Even a strong family like the Zhao Family couldn’t decide their fate within the city with a single hand, nor could they arbitrarily execute these individuals.