The county magistrate's complexion twitched slightly. He raised his eyes to glance at the crowd of onlookers, and once again smiled, saying, "If this gentleman and lady don't mind, please come into the office for a cup of hot tea and have a seat while waiting. The steward will quickly settle this matter."
Long Rui and Xuexue exchanged a glance, both curious about the county magistrate's real intentions.
They nodded in unison, "Alright!"
Seeing their agreement, a cold smile flashed in the county magistrate's heart, but he showed no hint of it on his face.
To demonstrate his integrity and honesty, he then turned to the crowd and said, "Hu's Bay has suffered greatly from horse bandits these past few years. I, too, find it extremely distressing. I have previously led government soldiers to attack these bandits, but my skills were lacking and I nearly lost my life. Everyone here is aware of that."
