Before Eunuch Li could react, the County Magistrate jumped off the bed and charged at him.

Eunuch Li was utterly bewildered, having no idea what the County Magistrate intended to do. He stood there dumbfounded, staring at him until the County Magistrate scratched his face hard with his nails, leaving several bloody marks, which finally snapped him back to reality. He screamed, "Ah... it hurts... it’s killing me!"

Being inexplicably beaten by the County Magistrate, Eunuch Li was both shocked and furious. How dare the County Magistrate be so bold as to even hit him! Disrespecting him was akin to disrespecting The Emperor.

After all, Eunuch Li was there on behalf of The Emperor to summon the County Magistrate to the Imperial Palace, yet instead of obeying the royal summons, the County Magistrate hit him. Wasn’t that akin to treason?

The Government Official reacted quickly too. Seeing Eunuch Li being scratched on the face by the County Magistrate, he hastily helped the fallen and groaning Eunuch Li up and turned to run.

"Eunuch Li, run! The County Magistrate has gone mad." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Oh dear, oh dear, what’s going on?" Eunuch Li, enduring the pain on his face and out of breath, ran along with the Government Official.

Having served the Emperor in the Imperial Palace every day, living a comfortable life, Eunuch Li was drenched in sweat after just a couple of laps. He felt incredibly uncomfortable and wanted to stop, but the County Magistrate, who was like a pursuer from hell, was chasing him, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep running.

The Government Official, used to heavy labor, ran easily while saying, "Eunuch Li, the County Magistrate isn’t just hitting you; he’s hitting anyone he sees and doesn’t recognize anyone. It’s like he’s possessed, so I advised you not to take him to the Imperial Palace."

The County Magistrate now acts like a madman, hitting anyone he sees. Even if you gave him a giant tank to augment his courage, he wouldn’t dare take the County Magistrate to the Imperial Palace to harm The Emperor.

Eunuch Li, panting heavily, said, "Not taking, not taking."

Taking a possessed County Magistrate to the palace—he must have a death wish to do that.

The two ran around the garden without stopping, with the County Magistrate howling and chasing after them.

Fortunately, the noise caught the attention of other Government Officials, who came out and distracted the County Magistrate’s attention. He immediately changed targets and chased after the others.

Oh my! My dear lady! That scared me to death.

Seeing the County Magistrate finally not chasing him, Eunuch Li relaxed, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse on the ground out of exhaustion.

Today, I finally understood what it means to be "as tired as a dog"!

Being chased down is an incredibly unpleasant experience.

In all his years at the palace, today was Eunuch Li’s most tiring day, running around the garden of the County Yamen for dozens of laps. He completed in less than two hours what would typically take him a month.

The Government Official also stopped and asked, "Eunuch Li, are you alright?"

Eunuch Li’s face bore several alarming scars, courtesy of the County Magistrate’s scratching, and during the escape, his hair came loose, and his clothes were in disarray, making him look extremely disheveled.

"Do I look alright to you?" Eunuch Li replied testily.

The Government Official quickly added, "Eunuch Li, don’t be angry. The County Magistrate is out of his mind and doesn’t know what he’s doing."

Eunuch Li was sent by The Emperor, and he needed to say some nice things for the County Magistrate. Otherwise, before the County Magistrate could regain his senses, he might not survive.

Eunuch Li, still gasping for breath, asked, "What exactly is going on? The County Magistrate was perfectly fine a few days ago, so how did he end up like this now?"

The Government Official also expressed ignorance about the situation, saying that the County Magistrate had turned into this overnight, hitting anyone he saw, including his own madam.

That’s why the County Magistrate had been confined to his room, not allowed to come out until Eunuch Li came by, insisting on seeing the County Magistrate, which allowed him to break free.

Just then, another bout of chaos broke out ahead of them. They looked up to find the County Magistrate chasing a large group of Government Officials their way.

Everyone, in a panic, ran for their lives.

Eunuch Li felt a shiver down his spine, quickly got up from the ground, and said while running, "The Emperor is still waiting for me to report back. I must go now."