Commoner Hero

Chapter 18: Breaking the Siege

Looking at the group of burly men surrounding them, it was clear what their intentions were. No one had expected that Song Wen would dare to deal with Su Qian'an at Wangyue Building.

Such boldness was extraordinary. Wangyue Building ranked in the top three in Chuandu County, and it had its reasons for doing so.

Despite the fact that the building didn’t seem to have much security on ordinary days—only the innkeeper and some attendants—the fact that it was backed by the government meant that ordinary people really couldn’t afford to provoke it.

However, when thinking about it, Song Wen wasn’t just anyone. He too had deep connections, and this time, something might really happen at Wangyue Building.

At this moment, aside from the students from Lingbei County who stood up, the students from the other six counties remained silent.

They admired Su Qian'an’s talent, but since he had offended Song Wen and Wei Yun, they had to carefully weigh the situation before helping.

The students from Lingbei County surrounded Su Qian'an, and Song Wen raised his eyebrows and coldly spoke.

“Heh, you Lingbei County people have some nerve. Do you think you have the strength to offend the Song Family from Lingdong?”

“Alright, since you want to step forward, let me teach you a lesson—there’s a price to pay for standing up for others.”

“No holding back. Throw these ignorant bastards out.”

The fierce men surrounding them clenched their fists, their faces showing cruel smiles.

They enjoyed dealing with literate men who liked to talk; no matter how sharp their tongues were, once they were hit, they’d know the price of their stubbornness.

Although the students from Lingbei County were nervous, no one stepped back at that moment. After all, Su Qian'an, who had composed the famous "Wangyue Four Lines," was a genius, and he was from Lingbei County.

Although they were poor scholars, they still had to protect someone from their own county, especially someone like Su Qian'an, who was a pride of the same humble origins.

Just as the fierce man’s fist was about to land on their heads, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

“Stop! When did the Song Family from Lingdong become so arrogant? You’re bullying people from Lingbei County now? Do you think Lingbei County is full of commoners?”

Everyone turned their heads to see a young man dressed in luxurious robes, holding a folding fan, exuding a dignified air, leading a group of people from the fourth floor up.

There weren’t many of them, about a dozen or so, but each wore fine clothing, their presence indicating they were no ordinary people.

These people were the local influential families from Lingbei County.

Normally, influential families and commoners couldn’t mix, as they represented two unbridgeable classes. But when Su Qian'an had composed those remarkable lines, it had impressed these influential families.

For someone from Lingbei County to achieve such brilliance was not only a blessing for the county, but also a source of pride for the local influential families.

If they didn’t ally with him now, they would be the ones humiliated.

Song Wen recognized the leader of the group and narrowed his eyes, coldly speaking.

“Qin Huai, do you also want to interfere in this matter?”

“Song Wen, look at how ruthless you are. This isn’t about interference; this is about slapping Lingbei County in the face!” Qin Huai replied slowly.

Song Wen snorted coldly, “Qin Huai, stop pretending. You’re just from a merchant family. I respect you because of your scholar’s title, but that doesn’t mean you can compare to my Song Family.”

“Your Qin Family’s background doesn’t even qualify to stand with my Song Family. I’ll give you three breaths to leave. Don’t test my patience, or I’ll deal with you too.”

At this, Qin Huai didn’t hold back either. He coldly said, “Oh? I’d like to see how you plan on being impolite to me.”

“Don’t mention it, Mr. Su. The position I have today is thanks to your assistance.”

“Rest assured, I’ll take care of your safety during the county exam. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Su Qian'an nodded with a smile, understanding that there was likely a big figure hidden within Lingbei County.

That person was probably the master behind the black-clad man he had encountered earlier. It seemed this figure was no ordinary person.

Though the attention of such a figure made Su Qian'an feel some pressure, from the looks of it, the help had always been beneficial and never harmful.

If there was an opportunity to meet in the future, Su Qian'an would certainly repay this kindness.

With Sergeant Wang smiling and escorting Su Qian'an, onlookers couldn’t help but wonder about Su Qian'an’s identity.

Su Qian'an could only smile awkwardly. Under normal circumstances, he would refuse such attention, but with the upcoming county exam and the trouble caused by Wei Yun and Song Wen, having such an enigmatic background was the best way to ensure his safety.

After some casual conversation with Sergeant Wang, Su Qian'an bid him farewell and made his way to his lodging.

Su Qian'an’s inn wasn’t far from Wangyue Building, only about a mile or two.

After chatting briefly with Sergeant Wang, he waved to Shou Hou, who was waiting nervously at a distance.

Shou Hou quickly approached.

“Use your connections and find out everything about Wei Yun. I want everything—this is your reward. If you get it right, there’s more where this came from.”

After handing over a pouch of money, Su Qian'an turned and entered the inn.

Shou Hou stood there for a while, dumbfounded, before he suddenly broke into a wide grin.

“Damn, I’m hitting the jackpot!”

Inside, Shou Hou was overjoyed. After witnessing Su Qian'an’s brilliance at Wangyue Building and the way he left unscathed, even the influential families and the sergeant treated him with respect.

Even a fool could see that this Mr. Su was extraordinary. So what if he offended Wei Yun and other noble families?

They were in Lingbei County, and as long as they were on their own turf, what could Wei Yun do?

At this moment, Shou Hou had only one goal in mind: to stick with Su Qian'an no matter what.

Not long after, Shou Hou vanished into the distance, and Su Qian'an went up to the third floor of the inn. His room was at the end of the hall, a quiet corner.

He hung the room key on the door and entered. Inside, a young man was sitting, seemingly waiting for him.

The young man turned as Su Qian'an entered, and after a moment of silence, spoke softly.

“Brother-in-law, how’s Xiaoyin doing?”

[--------------------------------------------]

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