Star Gate

Chapter 699: Changes (II)

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 won’t do, I must have it all. There won’t be another chance to if I don’t get it today! If I get all thirty thousand, I’ll just run off in the night with my wife and kid...

The Night Watchers looked over, one of them muttered, “Let’s not stick our noses where it doesn’t belong. They’re not superhumans, so they have nothing to do with us. This is a stupid, trifling matter. If anyone’s to look into it, it should be the Inspectorate.”

This handful of five people were a team.

“Don’t stick our noses in this?” someone grunted back. “If we leave under these circumstances, that pig butcher... will probably die at home tonight.”

“It still has nothing to do with us. If he dies, they can make a report at the Inspectorate...”

“Are you seriously this dumb? There’s so many people watching us. Have you forgotten who’s in charge now? Do you think he’ll talk logic with you if someone rats you out?”

The first speaker who wanted to stay out of things gaped, he’d almost forgotten. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten the great one who sat above them, just that he didn’t 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 Dragon’s time, it would already be the meat vendor’s good fortune that he wasn’t 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.

“Do you want to die>?” the Night Watcher demanded. “You refuse to settle your debt? You’re with a marquis? Which marquis? Out with it!” He widened his eyes in a vicious look. “We 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 he’s the king or something, huh? I’d like to see which marquis it is who can’t afford thirty thousand coins!”

He kicked Scrawny into a rolling tumble over the ground.

Scrawny didn’t think that the Night Watchers really would get involved. He immediately shrank in on himself and clutched his head, howling with tears. “Sirs, I’ll pay, I’ll pay up! It’s not that I didn’t want to pay off my debts, but that I didn’t have enough money on me a few days ago...”

“It’s not like you owed me this for just a day!” snarled the meat vendor. “You’ve had an outstanding account for two years! My stall’s only been open for a few years...”

Scrawny inwardly cursed out the man, but he didn’t dare say anything else. He rifled through his pockets and came up with a collection of bank-sealed star coins. That wasn’t enough, so he quickly produced a few small gold coins. “Here, I have it, I’ll pay right now! Don’t hit me anymore please...”

The Night Watcher grabbed it out of his hands and casually counted the sum. There were more than thirty thousand here. He couldn’t be bothered with the particulars and tossed it all at the meat vendor.

“If you dare come back for your money.” The Night Watcher spun around with a ruthless look. “Or do anything about this, you can kiss your head goodbye!”

Scrawny bobbed his head up and down, but cautiously added, “Sir, I’m not a superhuman, I’m...”

Bam!

A kick sent him rolling over the ground.

“So what if you’re not superhuman??” cursed the Night Watcher. “You still can’t break the law! Remember who’s in charge of the Inspectorate now and that the Night Watchers are one family with the Inspectorate! I’m also an inspector!”

The people had indeed forgotten this detail. That’s right! The Night Watchers usually have a position at the Inspectorate! Their system is the same! So doesn’t that mean they’re in charge of both superhumans and mundanes?

The crowd in the surroundings had been very uneasy before this. Someone suddenly applauded and cheered, “Nice! Good job beating him, sir!”

“He owes me money too, sir!” 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 hadn’t witnessed this scene for at least five years. It wasn’t like they occurred with regularity before either, because they didn’t involve themselves in mundane matters. Hence today... they felt an inexplicable awkwardness.

Was it discomfort? Or distaste?

That wasn’t it. It was just an impulsive desire that they didn’t know how to express. The Night Watcher who’d beaten Scrawny leered and suddenly grabbed the man by the neck.

“Pay up, right now!” he snarled, possibly affected by the applause. “I’ll chop off your head right here if you don’t, and then behead the marquis you serve!”

He wouldn’t 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, “Well done, Night Watchers! Cut off his head!”

“Yeah, cut off his head!”

“Behead him and hang it on the northern gate! It’s not the first day that this guy’s terrorized the market! We don’t know if the marquis hasn’t given him money, but he owes this street at least three hundred thousand coins and has a ton of wives...”

Scrawny’s expression rapidly flitted through alarm and horror. He might actually die here today! It wouldn’t have been possible before, but after several hundred nobles died yesterday, what wasn’t 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 should’ve stayed at home for a few days!

“Sir, I’ll pay, I’ll pay everyone! I’m completely in the wrong, I’ll make good on all of my debts, alright?”

The Night Watcher was completely roused by the shouts and slammed the man into the ground, forcing a mouthful of blood out of him. “You damned bastard, this is a street of mom and pop shops! How dare you owe them so much money?? You’re a piece of shit strutting around in your master’s glory. I want to see which marquis it is that’s so poor! Have they not given you money or has it all gone into your pockets?!”

He dragged the man up again. Spit flew into Scrawny’s face as he roared, “Take me to your marquis! I want to see what kind of second-rate noble is this guy! He doesn’t have to eat if he has no money!”

The other Night Watchers looked strangely at their comrade.

“Oh great, third brother’s gotten too caught up in things,” one of them muttered.

“No shit, you’d be caught up in it too if everyone looked at you like that and kept complimenting you!”

“We should tone it down a bit before we actually offend that marquis...”

“What are you afraid of? Do you think everything is still like before?”

“No, but... it’s 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... won’t third brother be in trouble?”

“You seriously think too much. If he runs, then we run too! We’ll go to the north, to Silver Moon. Those northern savages... ahem, didn’t you see those northern martial masters yesterday? Damn, that’s a good way to live! You fight if you don’t 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.

“Those organizations don’t even dare fart in the Night Watchers’ direction when Silver Moon Night Watchers are done. My friend lives there and says that there aren’t many strong guys in their branch. Even Sunflares are executives. There will definitely be a place for us if we follow him!”

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!

“Third brother, let’s haul him back to his marquis!” one of them roared. “I want to see which marquis it is to be so juvenile. The northern city gate lacks a marquis head!”

Even his third brother blinked in astonishment. Holy shit, what’s gotten into this kid? He’s 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.

“You are mighty, sir! This guy’s from Marquis Changxing! He’s one of the kitchen boys who runs some errands, but he throws his weight around like he's someone! Kill him!”

“......” Scrawny was almost peeing himself with terror. This had been a small matter of not paying, it wasn’t his first time doing so over the years. This had never happened before! He was part of a marquis’ 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.

“I am the steward of Marquis Changxing’s household, the marquis doesn’t know about this! Please don’t misunderstand, everyone, this guy’s behind it all! I don’t have money on me, but this mysterious power stone is worth money, a lot of money! You recognize it, don’t you? I’ll leave it with the Night Watchers as collateral and promise to pay off all of his debts, with interest, in an hour! There won’t be a single coin missing!”

He grit his teeth and kicked out, breaking Scrawny’s leg as the man yelped. “I’ll break both of his legs for what he’s done!”

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 person’s 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. “You’ve got some nerve, damn you! This guy falls under our jurisdiction because he’s 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 they’re something!”

“......” 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 they’d already offended the marquis beyond redemption. There was nothing to fear anymore! How dare members of the marquis’ household conduct private punishment??

“Take them all back with us! Don’t worry, the money will arrive soon. We’ll interrogate them well!” The Night Watchers were newly invigorated by their arrest of a steward. This was nice! How about chopping off a marquis’ head to add to the festivities as well? Whatever, they were going back to headquarters first!