Volume One: Youth Must Be Seized Early; One Cannot Remain Young Forever Chapter 137: When Two Families Clash

In Ningshui Prefecture, within a dark and damp prison, a disheveled middle-aged man in prison garb was shouting frantically.

"Let me out! Why have you kept me locked up for so long? I haven't done anything! Let me out!"

"What are you shouting about?" A jailer struck the iron bars with his baton, creating a sharp, echoing clang.

"Old Liu! Old Liu!" The man reached his arms through the bars, gripping the jailer’s baton tightly, and cried out miserably, "Old Liu! Please, tell me! What exactly am I charged with?"

He had merely been on duty at the city gate when a group of constables arrived, accused him of extortion, and hauled him off to prison without a word. He had been locked up for over half a month, and the injustice of it baffled him.

The jailer tried to yank his baton back. "Lu Er, let go!"

But the man held on with a desperate grip; the jailer couldn't pull it free despite several attempts.

"Old Liu, tell me, what is going on? Why did they arrest me?" The man clung to the baton, his face etched with terror and sorrow.

Seeing Lu Er in such a state, Old Liu’s heart softened. He glanced around cautiously and whispered, "Hmph! You brought this on yourself for having sticky fingers, skimming off the top at the city gate every single day!"

Lu Er looked incredulous. "Is that all? Nine out of ten people at the city gate take a little extra; I’m one of the ones who takes the least! Why arrest me for that?"

"I don't know, but one thing is certain..." Old Liu’s voice dropped another notch.

"What is it?" Lu Er asked anxiously.

"The order to arrest you... came directly from the new Immortal Master!"

"What?!" Lu Er’s hands went limp, releasing the baton. He stumbled backward and collapsed onto the floor with a thud.

"An order from the Immortal Master? I..." Lu Er’s face was frozen in shock, his words stuttering and incoherent.

Old Liu shook his head helplessly. "Just stay quiet and wait. It’s a blessing enough that the Immortal Master didn't order your execution."

Lu Er shook his head in a daze, muttering to himself as if he hadn't heard a word, repeating the same question over and over...

*Why would the Immortal Master arrest me...*

...

At this moment, Chen Lin sat in the high hall, looking down at an old man, his eyelids lowered, his expression unreadable.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, that man Lu Er is still shouting in his cell today, incessantly asking why he was arrested," the old man announced in a booming voice.

"I see..." Chen Lin replied softly.

The old man looked up at Chen Lin. Seeing no reaction, he paused and asked in a low voice, "Uh, Immortal Master, should we release him? If he stays locked up much longer, he’ll likely lose his mind."

Chen Lin opened his eyes and glanced at the old man, his tone dismissive. "What is it, Liu Jing? Is this man a relative of yours?"

The old man was Liu Jing, the Magistrate of Ningshui Prefecture.

Hearing Chen Lin’s words, Liu Jing shook his head rapidly, explaining with trepidation, "Absolutely not! It’s just... just that since you used extortion as the reason for his arrest, it has caused quite a stir among the public. I am worried it might affect your reputation, Immortal Master..."

"Hmph!" Chen Lin gave a cold scoff. Before he had ascended to the ranks of the Immortals, this same Lu Er had tried to extort him when he first entered Ningshui. Upon taking office, he had immediately remembered the incident and ordered the man’s arrest.

However, according to current law, the petty amount Lu Er had extorted hardly constituted a grave crime.

Chen Lin thought for a moment and said, "Keep him for another half month. After that, let him go."

"Yes! I understand," Liu Jing replied hastily.

Chen Lin nodded and said indifferently, "Is there anything else? If not, you may withdraw."

Liu Jing looked troubled. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "There is one more matter I must report."

"Speak."

"The young masters of the Meng and Ji families have gathered their men for a brawl outside the city. Two people were killed this time, and both family heads are arguing outside. How would you like to handle this..." Liu Jing asked cautiously.

"Sigh..." Chen Lin sighed, then said, "Send them in."

"Yes." The old man bowed and retreated from the hall.

As Liu Jing left, Chen Lin shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead with a look of annoyance.

The Meng and Ji families had been feuding in private for years, with several deaths already on their hands, causing a terrible influence throughout the prefecture.

Normally, if they were common families, he would punish or suppress them as necessary. The complication was that both families were backed by Immortal Masters—they were mortal families serving the Immortals, and he could not dispose of them lightly.

The Meng family was backed by Meng Li, and the Ji family by Ji Heng.

This put Chen Lin in a difficult position; he had no idea which side to favor.

As Chen Lin pondered, the two family heads walked in.

"Immortal Master!" As soon as he entered, a portly middle-aged man fell to his knees, crying out, "You must seek justice for me! Those reckless thugs from the Ji family have crippled my youngest son! Woe is me..."

Before Chen Lin could speak, the tall, thin man beside him spat on the ground and roared, "Why don't you mention that you had my two retainers beaten to death?!"

"You're lying! Do those brutes of yours compare to my youngest son?!"

"Hmph! They were—" The tall man started.

"Enough." Chen Lin interrupted their bickering with a cold voice. "What is the cause this time? Tell me every detail from start to finish."

Hearing Chen Lin’s command, the two immediately stopped arguing and began to talk over one another, explaining the cause of the brawl.

After listening for a while, Chen Lin understood the situation and couldn't help but sneer.

It turned out the conflict began because the two young masters had been vying for the attention of a courtesan in a brothel. They had started fighting, and as the conflict escalated, they called in their henchmen, then their elders, eventually leading to a pre-arranged skirmish outside the city.

Usually, such a skirmish wouldn't have reached Chen Lin, but the hot-headed young master of the Meng family had joined in and ended up having his manhood kicked off. This sent the head of the Meng family into a rage, leading to the public confrontation before Chen Lin.

"Immortal Master! Please, I beg you to uphold justice!" the Meng patriarch cried while kneeling.

"Immortal Master, Meng Bu allowed his men to kill with blades! He must be held accountable!" the Ji patriarch shouted, also kneeling.

Chen Lin watched the two men, his face expressionless and cold...

Just as the two patriarchs were beginning to break into a cold sweat, Chen Lin’s voice finally cut through the air. "Both of you are at fault. Meng Bu, your servants killed two men; you must hand over the culprits! And Ji Zhuangnian, you crippled the Meng boy; that was uncalled for! Negotiate the compensation immediately and post a public apology on the bulletin board. No one is above the law!"

"But..." Both patriarchs were clearly dissatisfied with the ruling and started to speak...

"That is all," Chen Lin interrupted coldly. "Leave at once!"

"Uh... yes..."

The two bowed and retreated, though the hatred in their eyes remained.

Chen Lin rubbed his temples, feeling a sense of helplessness, and exhaled a long breath.

It was the only way to handle it—punishing both sides equally, favoring no one.

He shook his head, casting aside these worldly troubles, and was about to head into his room to meditate when he was interrupted by a voice.

"Immortal Master..."

Liu Jing appeared at the door.

Chen Lin furrowed his brow, stopping in his tracks, and asked impatiently, "What is it now?"

Liu Jing replied respectfully, "Immortal Master Bai has arrived..."

"So soon!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin’s gloom instantly vanished. His face lit up with joy, and he hurried out of the hall.