Since the Night Watchers were around, the meat vendor could take a gamble. If this was yesterday, he would have to bow and scrape, begging for the other to spit out a few coins. But today, he was bolder and more impulsive.
His hand gripping the butcher knife shook. A few thousand wonât do, I must have it all. There wonât be another chance to if I donât get it today! If I get all thirty thousand, Iâll just run off in the night with my wife and kid...
The Night Watchers looked over, one of them muttered, âLetâs not stick our noses where it doesnât belong. Theyâre not superhumans, so they have nothing to do with us. This is a stupid, trifling matter. If anyoneâs to look into it, it should be the Inspectorate.â
This handful of five people were a team.
âDonât stick our noses in this?â someone grunted back. âIf we leave under these circumstances, that pig butcher... will probably die at home tonight.â
âIt still has nothing to do with us. If he dies, they can make a report at the Inspectorate...â
âAre you seriously this dumb? Thereâs so many people watching us. Have you forgotten whoâs in charge now? Do you think heâll talk logic with you if someone rats you out?â
The first speaker who wanted to stay out of things gaped, heâd almost forgotten. It wasnât that heâd forgotten the great one who sat above them, just that he didnât react at first light. It was only now that he recalled how violent and domineering that one was.
He was no Yellow Dragon!
If this was still Yellow Dragonâs time, it would already be the meat vendorâs good fortune that he wasnât beaten up for disturbing the Night Watchers. What kind of shitty business was this?
The five Night Watchers promptly lost all other thought; one of them darted forward and kicked the scrawny marquis representative to the ground.
âDo you want to die>?â the Night Watcher demanded. âYou refuse to settle your debt? Youâre with a marquis? Which marquis? Out with it!â He widened his eyes in a vicious look. âWe Night Watchers happen to lack a few heads to fulfill our missions. So tell us, which marquis is it? Some mewling pathetic little thing like a marquis thinks heâs the king or something, huh? Iâd like to see which marquis it is who canât afford thirty thousand coins!â
He kicked Scrawny into a rolling tumble over the ground.
Scrawny didnât think that the Night Watchers really would get involved. He immediately shrank in on himself and clutched his head, howling with tears. âSirs, Iâll pay, Iâll pay up! Itâs not that I didnât want to pay off my debts, but that I didnât have enough money on me a few days ago...â
âItâs not like you owed me this for just a day!â snarled the meat vendor. âYouâve had an outstanding account for two years! My stallâs only been open for a few years...â
Scrawny inwardly cursed out the man, but he didnât dare say anything else. He rifled through his pockets and came up with a collection of bank-sealed star coins. That wasnât enough, so he quickly produced a few small gold coins. âHere, I have it, Iâll pay right now! Donât hit me anymore please...â
The Night Watcher grabbed it out of his hands and casually counted the sum. There were more than thirty thousand here. He couldnât be bothered with the particulars and tossed it all at the meat vendor.
âIf you dare come back for your money.â The Night Watcher spun around with a ruthless look. âOr do anything about this, you can kiss your head goodbye!â
Scrawny bobbed his head up and down, but cautiously added, âSir, Iâm not a superhuman, Iâm...â
Bam!
A kick sent him rolling over the ground.
âSo what if youâre not superhuman??â cursed the Night Watcher. âYou still canât break the law! Remember whoâs in charge of the Inspectorate now and that the Night Watchers are one family with the Inspectorate! Iâm also an inspector!â
The people had indeed forgotten this detail. Thatâs right! The Night Watchers usually have a position at the Inspectorate! Their system is the same! So doesnât that mean theyâre in charge of both superhumans and mundanes?
The crowd in the surroundings had been very uneasy before this. Someone suddenly applauded and cheered, âNice! Good job beating him, sir!â
âHe owes me money too, sir!â another vendor hastily raised.
Clap clap clap!
Many praised the Night Watchers, each of them excited beyond belief. Scrawny flushed with dismay as more vendors quickly stepped forward in protest.
The Night Watchers were quite nonplussed by the sight of an entire crowd applauding them. They hadnât witnessed this scene for at least five years. It wasnât like they occurred with regularity before either, because they didnât involve themselves in mundane matters. Hence today... they felt an inexplicable awkwardness.
Was it discomfort? Or distaste?
That wasnât it. It was just an impulsive desire that they didnât know how to express. The Night Watcher whoâd beaten Scrawny leered and suddenly grabbed the man by the neck.
âPay up, right now!â he snarled, possibly affected by the applause. âIâll chop off your head right here if you donât, and then behead the marquis you serve!â
He wouldnât possibly have said these words before, but he suddenly did today. It was a surprise to even himself and he subconsciously looked around the streets, afraid that this unknown marquis really would hear him.
In this day and age, a marquis still counted for something as the royal family still existed.
The cheers grew louder and someone echoed, âWell done, Night Watchers! Cut off his head!â
âYeah, cut off his head!â
âBehead him and hang it on the northern gate! Itâs not the first day that this guyâs terrorized the market! We donât know if the marquis hasnât given him money, but he owes this street at least three hundred thousand coins and has a ton of wives...â
Scrawnyâs expression rapidly flitted through alarm and horror. He might actually die here today! It wouldnât have been possible before, but after several hundred nobles died yesterday, what wasnât possible anymore?
What did nobles count for anymore? Even the old minister of the Judiciary had been executed yesterday. His head and corpse still swung in the air by the city gate!
Scrawny deeply regretted having so much time on his hands today. He shouldâve stayed at home for a few days!
âSir, Iâll pay, Iâll pay everyone! Iâm completely in the wrong, Iâll make good on all of my debts, alright?â
The Night Watcher was completely roused by the shouts and slammed the man into the ground, forcing a mouthful of blood out of him. âYou damned bastard, this is a street of mom and pop shops! How dare you owe them so much money?? Youâre a piece of shit strutting around in your masterâs glory. I want to see which marquis it is thatâs so poor! Have they not given you money or has it all gone into your pockets?!â
He dragged the man up again. Spit flew into Scrawnyâs face as he roared, âTake me to your marquis! I want to see what kind of second-rate noble is this guy! He doesnât have to eat if he has no money!â
The other Night Watchers looked strangely at their comrade.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âOh great, third brotherâs gotten too caught up in things,â one of them muttered.
âNo shit, youâd be caught up in it too if everyone looked at you like that and kept complimenting you!â
âWe should tone it down a bit before we actually offend that marquis...â
âWhat are you afraid of? Do you think everything is still like before?â
âNo, but... itâs not like that one will be here forever, right? The nobles are here forever, but the officials change like flowing water. The one above us might go on the run tomorrow. When that happens... wonât third brother be in trouble?â
âYou seriously think too much. If he runs, then we run too! Weâll go to the north, to Silver Moon. Those northern savages... ahem, didnât you see those northern martial masters yesterday? Damn, thatâs a good way to live! You fight if you donât accept things and kill someone if you want to. Apparently, the northern Night Watchers all live like lords themselves. They investigate whoever they want and kill any of the three great organizations that they want.
âThose organizations donât even dare fart in the Night Watchersâ direction when Silver Moon Night Watchers are done. My friend lives there and says that there arenât many strong guys in their branch. Even Sunflares are executives. There will definitely be a place for us if we follow him!â
His words shed a light for his concerned brethren. That was right! Night Watchers should be the least worried group these days! They could just go to Silver Moon if all else failed! Those northern barbarians were something fierce!
âThird brother, letâs haul him back to his marquis!â one of them roared. âI want to see which marquis it is to be so juvenile. The northern city gate lacks a marquis head!â
Even his third brother blinked in astonishment. Holy shit, whatâs gotten into this kid? Heâs usually afraid of even a scratch! Do you know that I regretted my words as soon as I yelled them?
The applause strengthened around them as the crowd grew more excited.
âYou are mighty, sir! This guyâs from Marquis Changxing! Heâs one of the kitchen boys who runs some errands, but he throws his weight around like he's someone! Kill him!â
â......â Scrawny was almost peeing himself with terror. This had been a small matter of not paying, it wasnât his first time doing so over the years. This had never happened before! He was part of a marquisâ household!
A profusely sweating fatty squeezed into the crowd before the Night Watchers had a chance to take action. His clothes were luxurious and he fished out a mysterious power stone exuding power.
âI am the steward of Marquis Changxingâs household, the marquis doesnât know about this! Please donât misunderstand, everyone, this guyâs behind it all! I donât have money on me, but this mysterious power stone is worth money, a lot of money! You recognize it, donât you? Iâll leave it with the Night Watchers as collateral and promise to pay off all of his debts, with interest, in an hour! There wonât be a single coin missing!â
He grit his teeth and kicked out, breaking Scrawnyâs leg as the man yelped. âIâll break both of his legs for what heâs done!â
Those in the surroundings quieted down. There was a promise to pay on the table and they did know that mysterious power stones were valuable. This steward was also ferocious to break a personâs leg with one kick.
The Night Watchers was prepared for this to be the end of the matter when their timid colleague suddenly grabbed the steward's neck. âYouâve got some nerve, damn you! This guy falls under our jurisdiction because heâs broken the law. Since when is it your turn to break his leg? Take him back with us, take both of them back! They really think theyâre something!â
â......â His third brother looked blankly at him. Um... were they arresting the steward too?
Heavens above! This little brother is usually as scared as a mouse! How is he so bold today?
But it made sense since theyâd already offended the marquis beyond redemption. There was nothing to fear anymore! How dare members of the marquisâ household conduct private punishment??
âTake them all back with us! Donât worry, the money will arrive soon. Weâll interrogate them well!â The Night Watchers were newly invigorated by their arrest of a steward. This was nice! How about chopping off a marquisâ head to add to the festivities as well? Whatever, they were going back to headquarters first!