Free Web NovelChapter 213: The Magistrate Comes for Blood
Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen above the city walls, a series of loud knocks exploded against the door of Tony’s residence. The noise continued relentlessly, carrying enough urgency that even someone sleeping through a battlefield would have been forced awake.
Tony slowly opened his eyes and frowned before turning his head toward the other side of the bed. Skylar was still sleeping peacefully beneath the blanket, completely exhausted and unaware of the chaos already brewing outside the Clark Family estate.
The room itself remained quiet except for the repeated banging at the door. Tony sat up, stretched his arms, and climbed out of bed before casually throwing a robe over his shoulders.
The moment he opened the door, he found Eden standing outside with a face so pale that it looked as though she had witnessed a ghost. Her breathing was uneven, her hands trembled slightly, and the usually composed servant girl could barely maintain her calm demeanor.
"Young Master, please come quickly. The Magistrate has arrived at the main gate and is demanding your presence immediately. The Patriarch asked me to bring you without delay."
Tony raised an eyebrow before casually leaning against the doorframe. "Why would the Magistrate come here this early in the morning? Did his son finally realize losing to me yesterday was embarrassing enough to hide in another city?"
Eden swallowed nervously before answering. "Young Master... Peter Jaint is dead."
The words caused Tony’s eyes to narrow slightly. For a brief moment, genuine surprise flashed across his face. Then his thoughts immediately connected the pieces.
Mark Smith was dead. Which meant Mark had been eliminated from the Dream Realm entirely. Which meant one of the strongest participants from the Imperial Family faction had lost his chance at obtaining any future opportunities hidden inside this world. The implications were enormous. Instead of appearing worried, a faint smile slowly formed on Tony’s face.
Eden stared blankly. "Young Master... why are you smiling?"
Tony immediately shook his head. "Nothing."
Eden became even more suspicious, but before she could ask further questions, Tony had already started walking toward the front courtyard.
By the time he arrived at the main entrance of the Clark Family estate, the entire area had transformed into a battlefield without anyone actually drawing blood.
Hundreds of spectators occupied the surrounding streets while merchants, cultivators, and curious citizens crowded every available rooftop.
At the center of the confrontation stood the Magistrate surrounded by city guards and personal soldiers. His face looked as though he had not slept the entire night.
On the opposite side stood the Clark Family. Elders, servants, warriors, and even several retired ancestors had gathered behind the Patriarch. Weapons remained unsheathed.
The atmosphere felt so tense that a single spark could have ignited a war.
The moment Tony appeared, every conversation stopped.
The Magistrate immediately pointed toward him.
"There he is!"
The roar echoed across the street.
"You murderer! How dare you kill my son after he accepted defeat? You even obtained the Imperial Edict token before murdering him. Return it immediately and come with me to receive judgment!"
The crowd erupted into whispers.
Tony simply stared at him. Then yawned... A very loud yawn.
The reaction was so unexpected that even the Magistrate paused for a second.
Tony stretched lazily before speaking. "Dear Magistrate, I apologize, but I slept exceptionally well last night. Could you repeat that? I’m still a little sleepy. I don’t think I heard clearly. Who died?"
Several spectators immediately covered their mouths... Others looked away. A few old men nearly burst out laughing.
The Magistrate’s face turned red. "My son died!"
The roar shook the street. "Before dying he spoke only one name. Tony Clark. Explain how you killed him!"
Tony stared at him for several seconds before slowly rubbing his chin. "That is certainly tragic. However, I don’t know which generous and kind-hearted person killed your son, but I am absolutely certain it wasn’t me."
The Magistrate’s eyes widened.
Tony continued without giving him a chance to interrupt. "I spent the entire-night in my room with my new wife. We are really exhausted. In fact, she is still sleeping. If you don’t believe me, I can wake her up and ask her to explain every detail of the night to you personally."
The crowd exploded into laughter. Even several Clark Family elders nearly lost their composure.
The Magistrate looked as though he wanted to strangle someone.
Tony merely shrugged and continued. "Your son lost publicly yesterday. Perhaps he spent the entire night dreaming about me. If I defeated someone that badly, I would probably appear in their nightmares too. That still doesn’t make me a murderer."
The crowd immediately nodded. The logic was simple... The logic was reasonable. Most importantly, there was absolutely no evidence.
The Magistrate finally took an angry step forward, but before he could advance another inch, the Clark Family Patriarch stepped directly into his path. The old man’s spear slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the stone beneath his feet.
"My grandson already answered you."
His voice carried enough pressure to silence the entire street.
"You have no evidence. You have no witnesses. You have nothing except the dying words of a defeated young man who spent his final day thinking about Tony. If that is enough to accuse someone of murder, then every person in this city should prepare to be arrested."
The crowd erupted again.
The Patriarch pointed his spear toward the Magistrate.
"Furthermore, don’t think the Clark Family is some weak family you can intimidate with city guards. If you wish to investigate, investigate properly. If you wish to accuse, bring-evidence.
But if you think you can walk into my family’s territory and drag away my grandson because you’re angry about your son’s death, then you’re welcome to test whether your guards can leave this street alive."
The atmosphere instantly became explosive. Both sides tightened their grips on their weapons.
Several citizens hurriedly retreated. For a moment, genuine battle seemed inevitable.
Yet the Magistrate understood something important. The Clark Family wasn’t afraid. More importantly, the crowd was beginning to support them. Without evidence, forcing the issue would only damage his reputation further.
Finally, after several long moments of silence, he pointed toward Tony one last time.
"Very well. I will report everything to the Imperial Court. When I return with royal authority, we shall see whether you remain this confident."
Tony smiled lazily. "I look forward to it."
The Magistrate nearly coughed blood before turning around and leaving with his soldiers.
Only after they disappeared did the tension finally leave the street.
And somewhere inside his mind, Tony became certain of one-thing. Someone inside this Dream Realm had just eliminated Mark Smith.
And whoever managed that was probably far more dangerous than Peter Jaint had ever been.
"People who could kill Mark were not weak. I must eliminate them before they come knocking my doors!" Tony muttered as he began thinking about who could go against the Imperial British family.
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