Commoner Hero

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

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.”

The atmosphere in Wangyue Building became tense as if a battle was about to erupt.

At this moment, Wei Yun, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward.

He glanced at Qin Huai and said solemnly, “Qin Huai, I only want Su Qian'an. If you can step back, this matter will be over. How about it?”

For Wei Yun to make such a proposal showed how far he was willing to back down. It wasn’t that he was afraid of the local families of Lingbei County, but rather he didn’t want to cause trouble before the county exam and bring discomfort to his uncle.

However, even after this concession, Wei Yun still had some confidence. After all, the issue was only with Su Qian'an, and they wouldn’t pursue anyone else. As a noble family, they knew what mattered and what didn’t.

Unfortunately, Wei Yun had missed one thing—no matter how hard he tried to calculate, he hadn’t anticipated that Qin Huai would never back down.

As expected, after Wei Yun finished speaking, Qin Huai smiled, but just shook his head. His gesture said it all.

Wei Yun understood and didn’t waste any more words. With a wave of his hand, the burly men behind him rushed forward, aiming their fists at Qin Huai and the others.

Just as their fists were about to strike Qin Huai, a thick staff suddenly appeared and slammed into the back of the men’s hands.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of dull thuds rang out as the men cried out in pain, clutching their arms as they staggered backward.

A bold voice boomed, “Who dares to make trouble in Wangyue Building? Do you have a death wish?”

A burly officer, followed by a group of guards, marched up to the scene. His imposing aura immediately caused the fierce men to retreat.

Seeing the officer, Su Qian'an’s tense expression relaxed. It turned out he had encountered an old acquaintance.

The officer in charge was none other than Officer Wang, the one who had nearly clashed with Su Qian'an a month ago.

But now, Officer Wang was dressed in official attire and had apparently been promoted to Sergeant, the deputy to the county constable.

With Sergeant Wang’s arrival, the chaos at Wangyue Building was quickly subdued. Moreover, it seemed that Sergeant Wang was on Su Qian'an’s side.

No matter how much Wei Yun tried to intimidate, Sergeant Wang was unyielding. If Wei Yun

Sergeant Wang’s intervention made Wei Yun weigh his next move carefully.

After a brief hesitation, Wei Yun walked past Sergeant Wang and approached Su Qian'an, coldly speaking.

“Su Qian'an, consider yourself lucky this time, someone’s helping you. But don’t get too smug. I’ll show you the difference between a noble family and a commoner. This matter isn’t over. Just wait and see.”

With that, Wei Yun left Wangyue Building with Song Wen and the other noble students.

During their departure, Sergeant Wang didn’t stop them. After all, with their status, even if they were detained, it would require careful consideration.

For Su Qian'an, this was the best possible outcome. After all, how many people could offend a family of County Lord rank and walk away unscathed? Only someone like Su Qian'an could pull it off.

After the disturbance caused by Song Wen and Wei Yun, Su Qian'an had no interest in staying at Wangyue Building anymore.

He politely thanked the students from Lingbei County for their help and exchanged pleasantries. After about a quarter of an hour, he bade them farewell.

After sending off the Lingbei students, Su Qian'an turned around and looked at the waiting Sergeant Wang, speaking.

“I truly appreciate your help, Sergeant Wang. Without you, I might not have been able to leave Wangyue Building.”

When Su Qian'an said this, Sergeant Wang seemed a little embarrassed. He had completely shed his previous arrogance and now addressed Su Qian'an with full respect.

“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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