Martin Ma and his men stormed into the brickyard, and sure enough, they found Jonathan King and Samuel King standing on the open ground beside it.
Martin Ma immediately ordered his men to surround the King father and son, then barked furiously, "You two reckless fools! Who gave you permission to sell porcelain to Arthur Evans? Have you got a death wish, daring to defy the mayor's orders?"
Samuel King blinked, pointing to the marks from his recent beating. "Mayor Ma, you can't blame us for this! Your Ma Family stole our order and gave us no compensation. We've got so much stock piled up—if we don't sell, the loan sharks will come knocking. We were desperate, so we had no choice but to work with Mr. Evans!"
Martin Ma spat on the ground, puffing himself up. "Idiots! Who cares about your problems? If you get beaten up by loan sharks, it's because you two can't do business and have no skills! But you actually dared to defy my orders! Do you know who backs me? The Qians! The Qian Family—top clan in the southeast! Scared now? You two mangy mutts, refusing to obey—tired of living, are you?"
Samuel King crossed his arms. "Funny, I heard there are four great families in the southeast, and the top one was the Zhao Family? Oh right, the Zhaos offended the Qin Royal Palace, got crushed, and now they're in decline. So the Qians are the new big shots. Tsk tsk, the Zhaos just took a beating, and the Qians still don't know when to quit. Aren't they afraid they'll end up just like the Zhaos, ignoring the royal law?"
Martin Ma was nearly driven mad by Samuel King and shouted, "You insolent peasant, how dare you spout such nonsense! Men, arrest the father and son—throw them in jail!"
Samuel King shouted, "On what grounds are you arresting us? What law have we broken?"
Martin Ma sneered, "In Kingston, the Qians' word is law! Men, do it!"
Just as Martin Ma finished speaking, the sound of weapons being drawn rang out behind him. He turned around, only to discover that hundreds of people had appeared around the brickyard.
These hundreds of people were all dressed in black armor, their expressions cold and stern, their movements perfectly coordinated. It was clear that every one of them was highly trained—a force to be reckoned with.
"Wh-what's going on? Where did these bandits and thugs come from, daring to disrespect an official like me? I'm the mayor of Kingston!" Martin Ma sputtered.
A young woman in a red cloak stepped out from the crowd. Her eyes were sharp, her voice steady. "Mayor Ma, you seem to be confused about your own authority. Kingston is under the jurisdiction of the royal court. Since when did the Qians make the law here?"
Martin Ma was startled by the woman's sudden appearance, but quickly regained his composure. "And who are you to lecture me?" he demanded.
The woman smiled faintly, her gaze unwavering. "I am Lily Evans, daughter of Arthur Evans."
Martin Ma scoffed, "Arthur Evans? Hmph, just another merchant. And you, little girl, think you can scare me with a few hired thugs?"
Lily Evans said calmly, "These are not thugs. They're royal guards, dispatched by the court to maintain order in Kingston. As for you, Mayor Ma, if you insist on abusing your authority, you may find yourself facing charges of corruption and extortion."
Martin Ma's face turned pale. "You—you're bluffing!"
Lily Evans raised an eyebrow. "Try me. The royal guards are here. If you think you can escape the law, go ahead and resist."
Martin Ma hesitated, sweat beading on his forehead. He glanced at the royal guards, then at Lily Evans, finally lowering his head in defeat.
Samuel King couldn't help but snicker. "Mayor Ma, looks like you're not so tough after all. Next time, don't go around bullying honest folk."
Jonathan King patted his son's shoulder, his expression proud. "Well said, son."