Chapter 21: Xuanwu City Boils! Tian Shisan trembled

With a command from the Count, the Count's Mansion dispatched several waves of people and horses, loudly announcing the news of Mulan's marriage and widely distributing wedding invitations, inviting the elites of Xuanwu City to attend the wedding tonight.

Immediately, the entire Xuanwu City boiled with countless young talents pounding their chests and feeling desperate.

This was the Count's daughter, noble in status, skilled in martial arts, exceptionally beautiful, and possessed a devilish figure.

She was a true goddess-like figure, perhaps even the number one goddess in the entire County of Nujiang, admired by countless people.

Xu Qianqian, born into a wealthy family, needed to build her reputation everywhere and establish herself as a socialite in Nujiang County.

But Mulan rarely made public appearances, and the title of socialite was a compliment to Xu Qianqian but an insult to Mulan.

She was a noble heiress of a hundred-year-old aristocratic family, what socialite? You are the socialite, your whole family is.

Xu Qianqian had many pursuers, but Mulan was even more beautiful and had a more seductive figure, yet no young person in Xuanwu City dared to pursue her.

It's a pity for such a peerless beauty!

Everyone felt that a woman of Mulan's status and beauty should at least marry into a marquis's family.

All the men of Xuanwu City could only admire her from a distance and daydream about her in their hearts.

Never did they expect that this princess of Xuanwu City was actually getting married. What terrible news!

We can't reach such a goddess, but you shouldn't get married, it's best not to marry at all.

On this day, countless young people in Xuanwu City got drunk and started drawing swords recklessly.

"Who is it? Which man is marrying my princess? I'll kill him, kill him!"

"Goddess, how could you? How could you get married? You have betrayed us!"

Meanwhile, the influential and powerful in Xuanwu City sensed something strange.

Who is the Count's daughter Mulan marrying? The wedding invitations didn't mention the groom's name, and there had never been any rumors.

Even more strangely, the wedding was set for tonight, it's too sudden.

For a wedding of such a long-established aristocratic family, it is usually a grand and elaborate affair. It begins with sending influential figures to propose, then after both parties agree, the engagement is formalized. After that, the two families exchange several gifts, hold several grand banquets, and go hunting a few times, to let everyone in the aristocratic circle know that these two families are getting married.

Then, they wait for the blessing of the monarch.

In general, the monarch is happy to add joy to happy occasions. Not only would the monarch send blessings, he would also give gifts to both parties.

After receiving the monarch's blessings, they would consult a diviner and an astronomer to find an auspicious date that suits both families, and finally hold the wedding in the grand hall.

After going through all these steps, a grand wedding usually takes place at least a year or so later.

How can there be an announcement and marriage on the same day? It's not respectful at all.

...

Meanwhile, the entire Count's Mansion was also preparing for the wedding tonight.

Countless amounts of food, fruits, and fine wines, the entire estate and castle were decorated with lights and colors. All the servants received rewards and were given new clothes, and even all the horses and hunting dogs were given extra meals.

Despite the rush and the fact that it was a marriage by form, the wedding had to be grand because it would be witnessed by the Zhu family.

Although Shen Lang was the male protagonist of this wedding, it seemed as if everything had nothing to do with him. In his guest room, he just ate and slept.

...

Because the wedding invitation didn't specify the groom's name, this wedding had nothing to do with Tian Heng.

Although he was the head of the underworld in Xuanwu City, he was not at the level of the Count's Mansion and had almost no chance of attending the wedding.

Of course, as the leader of the city's militia, he would certainly send a congratulatory gift, but whether the Count's Mansion would accept it was another matter.

Tian Heng didn't care about this because the people behind him were not on the same side as the Count.

He was actually quite grateful to Shen Lang. Originally, the Xu family only wanted to give him one hundred gold coins, but after Shen Lang came up with the new formula for the golden dye, everything changed, and he received more than a thousand gold coins.

Not only did the Xu family provide gold coins, but the Lin family of the Embroidered Pavilion also gave him five hundred gold coins as a thank-you.

Because the Lin family had been cooperating with the Xu family, the son of Lin Jue, after the martial examination, would receive great benefits, both in terms of official rank and status.

So, the Lin family was also grateful to Tian Heng.

Shen Lang's creation of the new formula for the golden dye meant huge benefits. The three factions united to kill Shen Lang and then grab the spoils for themselves.

The dirty work from now on belongs to Tian Heng!

After sending Tian San to eliminate the entire family of Shen Lang, Tian Heng never took it seriously again.

Shen Lang, a figure like an insignificant ant, was not worth his consideration.

To show his attitude, the killer Tian San from the Black Cloth Gang brought a dozen of men to Maple Leaf Village, surrounding the dilapidated house of Shen Lang's family from all sides.

Tian San looked at the battered mud walls and sighed, "Weakness is the original sin!"

Then he lightly waved his hand and ordered, "By the Lord's command, arrest the Shen family for concealing the Tian land, evading taxes, and resisting will be punished with death!"

"Attack!"

As Tian San gave the order, the Black Cloth Gang's warriors, dressed in civilian clothes, drew their knives and charged into Shen Lang's house.

Although they were a gang, they still carried out their work conscientiously. They didn't directly kill everyone in the house, but instead used official channels to apprehend the entire family. At that point, even if Shen Lang wanted to keep the formula for the purple and rainbow-colored dyes to himself, it would be impossible.

Of course, even if Shen Lang was willing to cooperate, his entire family would still face calamity.

This leader of the underworld indeed had an official identity. The warriors under his command all had the status of Xuanwu City's militia. Tian San even had official arrest documents; everything they did was legal.

"Bang, bang..."

The fragile front door of Shen Lang's house was shattered.

But after rushing in, Tian San was surprised by what he saw.

There was no panic, no screams.

Shen Lang's father was lying in bed, coughing, holding a machete in his hand.

Shen Lang's mother stood in front of the bed, holding a kitchen knife, while Shen Lang's younger brother sat up abruptly, holding a newly made crutch in his hand.

None of them begged for mercy, just coldly stared at the Black Cloth Gang's warriors.

Upon seeing this, Tian San couldn't help but be slightly taken aback, and he laughed, "Old man, what are you doing?"

As he spoke, he pulled out an iron ruler and approached Shen Lang's father. His face still wore a friendly smile.

Shen Lang wasn't at home, but Tian San wasn't concerned. As long as he caught this family, Shen Lang would definitely appear. He couldn't escape even if he had wings.

Shen Lang's father said, "We are all useless people, it doesn't matter to us anymore."

Tian San said, "Are you trying to resist arrest with a weapon? That's tantamount to rebellion. I'm afraid I have no choice but to take action."

With that, his iron ruler was about to strike at Shen Lang's father's arm.

If it hit, Shen Lang's father's arm would be crushed and broken.

At the same time, his warriors also pounced on Shen Lang's mother and brother.

Just then, Tian San suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He abruptly turned around and found a figure standing outside Shen Lang's house.

An ordinary middle-aged man, who didn't even have a knife in his hand, but his presence made Tian San's hair stand on end.

He was a master.

"By the Lord's command, those not involved in concealing the Tian land and tax evasion should leave immediately," Tian San shouted.

The man standing outside Shen Lang's house was Jin Zhong, a retainer of the Count's mansion. He had actually been there for a while, intentionally waiting until Tian San had broken in before appearing, showcasing his shrewdness.

Upon hearing Tian San's words, Jin Zhong said, "Oh, we shouldn't interfere with the Lord's mansion's affairs, but my master has invited Mr. Shen and his family to attend a wedding. If I don't bring them back, I won't be able to report to my master. Could you please be understanding and let them go?"

This made Tian San feel uneasy, as the other party was very polite and calm.

He had encountered too many people and killed many, deeply understanding that the more influential a person was, the calmer they were. On the other hand, people without background liked to talk tough and show off.

Tian San asked, "May I ask who you are?"

If the other party really had a strong background, they would need to consider the long-term implications. But if they didn't have much of a background, he wouldn't hesitate to take ruthless actions. After all, he was acting in the name of the official government.

"Jin Zhong," the middle-aged man said.

At this, Tian San's expression changed.

He had heard of this name!

Of course, Jin Zhong wasn't a big shot and didn't have much power in the Xuanwu Count's mansion. But in Tian Heng's book, he was an absolute figure not to be messed with because he was the confidant of the Count, Jin Zhuo.

Tian Shisan felt his breathing become heavy, cold sweat broke out on his back, and even his hair stood on end.

He forced himself to calm down and asked, "Does your master want to invite Shen Lang's parents to the wedding?"

"Yes," Jin Zhong replied casually.

Tian Shisan immediately remembered the handsome face of Shen Lang. After they parted in the early hours of the morning yesterday, Shen Lang disappeared.

He hadn't expected that Shen Lang had managed to establish a connection with the Earl's Manor. This was a very bad situation.

Tian Shisan, who had spent years in the world of violence, immediately sensed a dangerous atmosphere. He wasn't sure what level of relationship Shen Lang had with the Earl's Manor.

He hoped it wasn't too close, otherwise, he would be in big trouble.