Chapter 128: Bluffing

Yi An said indifferently, "I have long heard that the underworld guards in the east of the city are nothing but bullies who abuse their power and commit all sorts of evil. Seeing it today, it turns out to be true."

"I was wondering why the atmosphere in this Ghost City had become so foul lately; it turns out it is all because of the likes of you!"

"I wonder who your superior is. As the old saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be askew; if the lower ones are crooked, the upper beam naturally cannot be straight."

"As it happens, my uncle has quite a bit of influence with the Commander. In my opinion, it might be best to invite the Commander to conduct a thorough investigation and purge the underworld guards of this city, to restore a clear and righteous sky to Ghost City!"

"This..."

The leader of the underworld guards faltered. Watching the sharp gaze directed at him, and seeing the invisible "I have backing" written all over the man, he fell into deep contemplation, feeling hesitant and undecided.

Moreover, Yi An’s fearless demeanor only made him feel more uncertain.

Although Yi An had not stated it explicitly, the implication of his words was a clear threat: if the guard did not know how to conduct himself, Yi An would have his uncle talk to the guard's superior.

Following conventional logic, since Yi An dared to speak in such a manner, his uncle must be someone of significance in Ghost City—regardless of whether he held great power, he was certainly someone the guard could not afford to offend.

However, he still needed to determine the truth of these claims. Although Yi An did not seem to be joking, there remained the suspicion of a bluff.

The situation was strange, and there were many suspicious points about the man.

First, this was the commoners' district. How could anyone with any real background live here? That was the first doubt.

The second doubt, and the most unlikely one, was this: if his uncle were truly a great figure in Ghost City, why would he stand by and watch his nephew marry an ordinary woman?

There were few prominent families in Ghost City, and every one of them consisted of influential figures with immense power. To consolidate their authority and ensure long-term stability, they typically arranged for their kin to marry into families of equal status. Born into such families, few had the right to choose their own destiny.

None of the families in Ghost City were native; they all came from the outside world.

Naturally, after becoming ghosts, they could not bring their entire original families with them. They generally chose to bring only core members and descendants with exceptional talent and potential.

Therefore, the so-called families in Ghost City were essentially hollow shells with very few core members; their composition was primarily filled by later recruitment.

The people recruited later, while an important component, were ultimately insignificant; if they were lost, others could simply be recruited.

As the saying goes, it is easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree; as long as a family is powerful, it can easily attract countless people to serve it.

Therefore, only the number of core family members is the foundation for a family’s enduring strength.

After figuring this out, the fear in the guard leader’s heart subsided by more than half. However, the matter was grave and allowed for no carelessness; a slight misstep could leave him in an embarrassing and precarious position.

Thus, before the truth came to light, he could not afford to burn his bridges. Even if there was only the slightest possibility, he could not risk his own safety.

The leader looked at Yi An for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Young master, you are wronging me. I am merely acting according to official business; what fault is there in that?"

"And as for the word 'foul,' where does that come from?"

"Orders from above are clear: anyone acting suspiciously must be taken in for questioning. If they resist, we have the authority to act first and report later. Even if it is a wrongful killing, it is simply part of my duty."

Although the man's words were subtle, Yi An caught the trace of a threat woven between the lines. "Act first and report later" was clearly meant to say: "Regardless of your status, if you do not cooperate, do not blame me for being ruthless. Even if I kill you, I will be guiltless."

Yi An did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Shen Yuqin and said, "Yuqin, go back inside first. Let me handle this."

With that, he gave her a look that told her to rest assured.

Shen Yuqin was startled. She looked at the confident Yi An and then at the menacing underworld guards. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. She knew that staying here would not help and might only complicate things for him.

She had guessed his intentions, and while she felt a sense of concern, she felt even more relieved.

These underworld guards preyed on the people, a behavior that was truly detestable, and their previous arrogance had been repulsive.

"Be careful," Shen Yuqin said earnestly. "Whatever decision you make, I will support you."

"Why are you acting like this is a final farewell? Don't worry, I will be fine."

"Even if I make enemies, the ones who end up dead will be them, not me."

Yi An paused for a moment, squeezed her hand to comfort her, and flashed a mysterious, confident smile.

As expected, after hearing these words, Shen Yuqin’s previously heavy heart felt much lighter.

Just moments ago, she had felt like a feather caught in a flood, about to be swallowed at any moment. How many times had these guards forced confessions through torture or framed innocent people?

Yet, as she felt his warm hand gripping hers, it was as if that feather had finally found a shelter. In an instant, all the negative emotions were dispelled by that warmth.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you acting like I don't exist? Do you have any idea how serious this situation is?" The leader, feeling ignored, grew furious, his gaze toward the pair turning even more hostile.

"Don't be afraid. Wait here while I deal with these annoying flies."

As Yi An's voice whispered softly in her ear, the moment felt like a dream—unreal, yet the sense of stability in her heart was absolute.

Only after watching Shen Yuqin return to the house did Yi An turn his attention back to the guards, his eyes now cold and sharp.