Chapter 16
Chapter 16
“What man?” Chen Shu craned her neck, scanning the crowd. “Where? Which one?”
But Yun Shen, with a long arm, firmly pressed her back into place beside him. “Hush,” he commanded in a low voice before stepping forward toward the direction He Yu had indicated.
Even someone as oblivious as Chen Shu could roughly grasp their intent from such actions. She followed in silence.
Amid the diverse crowd thronging the streets and alleys, the strange and extraordinary were plentiful. Especially here, virtually at the doorstep of the Sword Discussion Tournament’s courtyard houses. That Vermilion Wall, gleaming brighter than blood, bore witness to the shifting tides of the martial world over the past five years. Those who dwelled within were, much like how the boatman had described Li Chou’s status—truly either distinguished or wealthy.
It’s often said money makes the world go round.
Regardless of what this long thoroughfare was like on ordinary days, during the Sword Discussion Tournament, disciples of prestigious orthodox sects bustled along the roadside like open wallets jingling with coins. Who among them wasn’t flush with funds and extravagantly liberal in spending? Who didn’t dress in silk robes and carry themselves with unrestrained confidence?
Thus, travelers along this street who dressed plainly, coated in dust, were genuinely a rarity.
And if this dusty traveler not only clothed himself humbly but also wore a wary expression, glancing around nervously—all the more unusual.
He Yu and Yun Shen, guiding Chen Shu between them, continued forward with unremarkable expressions, moving along the street and passing shops specifically catering to martial folk. They even paused occasionally to browse the miscellaneous goods displayed outside.
A particularly sharp shop attendant seized the chance to approach. Holding a gaudy assortment of eye patches from his tray, he immediately launched into a zealous pitch squarely aimed at He Yu. Ordinarily, He Yu would never stop to chat with a vendor. His funds were for his own necessities; buying weapons and equipment already strained his budget, let alone making purchases on this avenue infamous for its exorbitant tourist shops.
But today, much to Chen Shu’s incredulous stare—tongue practically clicking—and just as she was about to utter a word of caution, He Yu indeed stopped. He inquired minutely about an eye patch encrusted with what looked like gold and jade. Yun Shen, however, never slowed his steps, pulling Chen Shu resolutely onward.
A dense human wave surged. In the blink of an eye, over just a couple steps, the mass of bodies swallowed He Yu. Only a sliver of his head remained briefly visible above the churning crowd.
Chen Shu strained onto tiptoes, anxious, trying vainly to spot him. She spun around, a question leaping to her lips—only to meet Yun Shen’s eyes fixed on hers, heavy with warning. Startled for no reason she could name, the words lodged in her throat. She swallowed them down and obediently let Yun Shen guide her through the flow.
Passing the busiest section, the shops along the street became distinctly less bustling. The few establishments still clinging to hope flew signs that no longer slapped aggressively against each other in the wind. Shop attendants sat idly on stools by the roadside, occasionally offering a lazy call. And the stream of passersby grew progressively sparser.
Unnoticed, the sun climbed to the zenith. Its light falling on the stone steps now held a gentle warmth. Amidst the shuffle of footsteps and murmur of voices, an occasional Bird Call sliced through the air.
The end of the long street lay just ahead.
Then, right then—a stranger’s loud, sharp cry shattered the relative quiet behind them.
“You! By what right do you grab me?”
Yun Shen reacted faster than Chen Shu this time, whirling around as if he’d anticipated this very cry all along. He rushed back with long, swift strides. Chen Shu hurried after him, craning her neck the moment she caught up. Sure enough, a small group of concerned onlookers had already gathered at the source of the cry. And amid that knot of people, the burly man refusing to release another man’s wrist—who could it be but He Yu?
“You know full well why I arrested you!” He Yu’s voice cut through the crowd, ringing clearly in Chen Shu’s ears even from several shops away. “Come here! Take a good look at my face! Does it look familiar?”
The unfamiliar man’s voice lowered, laced with guilt. “What are you saying, Sir? I don’t understand! I’m just a commoner, I’ve never met you before! Looking a hundred times won’t tell me why you suddenly attacked! Please, Sir, have mercy and let me go?”
“A commoner?” asked He Yu. “So, if you’re a commoner, does that mean you’re not a martial world figure?”
“How could I be a martial world figure!” The man seemed to sense a hint of yielding in He Yu’s tone and pressed urgently, “You must have mistaken me for someone else! I’m just a farmer! Whatever troubles the martial world has, they certainly have nothing to do with me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a young bystander chimed in. “That’s right, Uncle. This fellow looks honest. Maybe you’ve accused the wrong man?”
Before He Yu could respond, Yun Shen had already slipped into the crowd. He let out a low chuckle, half-crouched, grabbed the man’s face, and demanded, “So, you don’t recognize him. But do you recognize me?”
“I… I don’t recognize you either, Sir!”
“You don’t recognize him, and you don’t recognize me.” Yun Shen maintained his grip, his thumb pressing hard into the man’s cheek. The man struggled in pain, yet Yun Shen wore a disturbingly gentle smile. “Let me ask you this then—
“Why were you following the three of us?”
The crowd fell silent. The stranger’s eyes widened, his face pale with fright. He didn’t answer. He Yu hoisted him higher by the scruff of his neck, but still the man gritted his teeth. Finally, after a long moment, he stammered out half a sentence.
“Who says I was following you—”
“—You’re lying straight to my face,” He Yu mocked with a scoff. “Claiming to be no martial world figure, just an ‘ordinary farmer’. So, tell us, why would an ordinary farmer be on this long street at precisely this hour? Do you take everyone here for fools?”
“Exactly!” The young bystander echoed curiously. “Answer him! With everyone watching, he won’t dare really hurt you!”
“I…” The stranger hemmed and hawed for a moment, then gnashed his teeth and spat with sudden venom, “I just came here for a casual stroll! Never knew you could wrongly accuse someone and then refuse to admit you’re wrong! So unreasonable!”
“A casual stroll?” Yun Shen pinched his face, forcibly dragging it downward, his voice icy. “Look at your own clothes! Does any of this look like a leisurely walk? If you choose to deny everything to the bitter end, fine! By the look of you, you’ve only just entered Diancang Pass, haven’t even rested yet? We’ll just take you back to the port checkpoint, ask if anyone saw you, dressed exactly like this, rushing into the city just before dawn! And of course, you came from Mengcheng, didn’t you?”
Scolded soundly, the man broke into a cold sweat, terror threatening to buckle his knees. “Have mercy, Sirs! My following you meant no harm! I just thought you looked familiar, like I’d seen you a few times back in Mengch—”
“Your so-called ‘brothers’ are all being handed over to the authorities by the innkeeper. Not all of them were stubborn. Given the time, your own arrest warrant should be nailed to the city gate within a few days.” Yun Shen spoke slowly, deliberately. “Let me advise you, stop denying it. Struggle all you want now, but you won’t escape.”
Chen Shu, listening until now, finally grasped the situation. She pointed at the man, her expression clearing with sudden understanding. “This man is one of those Mounted Bandits?”
Hearing this, the man’s legs gave way. He wrenched his face from Yun Shen’s grip, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed fervently towards Chen Shu. “Wise Heroine, I was only the lookout! I couldn’t even kill a chicken! I had no part in the robberies! Please, Heroine, be merciful! Let me go!”
As he pleaded, he smashed his forehead against the ground with alarming force, like he meant to crack his own skull. The ferocity startled even He Yu, who instinctively twisted his hold, trying to yank the man up. He cried, “Stop this! We’re just taking you to the authorities— Hey!”
In a flash, the man who had been violently kowtowing suddenly stopped. Using the pull from He Yu’s grip, he scrambled upright, rolling and stumbling as he shot to his feet.
The surrounding spectators instinctively recoiled, gasps erupting from the crowd.
Seizing the moment, the man planted a hard kick squarely in He Yu’s chest. He Yu crashed backward into the throng, tangling several bystanders, scattering and bewildered. The Mounted Bandit used the momentum to shoot through the resulting gap, sprinting away. Within moments, he was nearly out of the encircling crowd.
“Catch him! Don’t let him escape again!” Yun Shen bellowed, his voice sharp like a blade.
Chen Shu was momentarily stunned. Her first instinct was to look desperately towards Yun Shen. His fierce shout jolted her into action. She whipped her head around. The fleeing bandit was already out of sight among the crowd. She saw only shocked faces around her. Raising her eyes, she noticed the shop signs jutting over the roadside.
She sucked in a breath, quietly formed a hand sign, and reached out towards one of the signboards. She leaped skyward. A large green shop sign swung down, and in the next instant, she had vaulted onto the rooftop and was sprinting forward.
The sharp crack of shattering tiles echoed, perhaps mingled with the softer sound of jade ornaments smashed beneath the falling signboard out front.
With one pursuer sprinting unimpeded, footfalls rattling the roof shingles, and the other desperately fleeing down the crowded street below, forced to weave and slow—and with the pursuer being none other than Chen Shu—it was over quickly.
In just half a dozen breaths, Chen Shu had closed the distance. She launched herself from the rooftop, hurtling down to land solidly upon the running bandit. The impact flattened him onto the road. He struggled wildly with both hands but couldn’t budge.
“Why run?” Chen Shu pressed down harder, pinning him securely. Her voice, however, was filled with genuine curiosity. “Running just proves your guilt immediately, doesn’t it?”
“He fears you,” Yun Shen said, finally catching up with He Yu, slightly winded. “That this one managed to track us to Diancang Pass… he probably witnessed the ‘exchange’ you had with his brothers that night. Terror took root.”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of fiend,” Chen Shu complained. “I don’t just kill people randomly. Besides, didn’t he claim he never did anything bad?”
Yun Shen smiled, “So you believed what he said? But since this man was so afraid, why did he come to trail us? There truly was something suspicious about it—I’m afraid there’s something else backing him up. Never mind that, let’s just take him to the authorities first!”
“Do you know the way?”
“I know the way!” It was the child who had just spoken, with two small buns tied in his hair, stepping out from the crowd and saying crisply, “I’ll take you there!”
—
The authorities were quite a distance from the Sword Discussion Tournament. He Yu felt guilty and stopped slacking off, so the journey there passed without incident. The child seemed to be a martial artist too, having arrived a few days earlier than them, and was somewhat familiar with the terrain. Along the way, he couldn’t help but introduce a few things.
He said that this year, to prepare for the Sword Discussion Tournament, the authorities had specially sent the renowned Right Supervisor to oversee Diancang Pass, and by then she should have been flipping through case records in the yamen. He also said that there had indeed been quite a few troublemakers at Diancang Pass recently, and he had watched the excitement several times.
The child kept talking incessantly, even blurting out things about martial sects, and the more he spoke, the more it sounded like boasting. Yet he actually led the group straight to the yamen gate.
Chen Shu couldn’t resist and secretly touched the stone lion at the entrance.
After some questioning—perhaps because they had someone in custody, fearing he might be some fugitive, or maybe since the child had been here a few times already and the yamen runner recognized him—they were politely ushered inside, directed toward the guarded study in the middle of the courtyard.
So the group headed toward the study.
For some reason, the yamen didn’t feel like an ordinary government office. There were few guards on duty, and a large expanse of empty sandy ground stretched on one side, looking as if it should have had soldiers training there, yet not a trace of them could be seen. Instead, faint sounds could be heard, either deep within the courtyard or as if coming from beyond a wall.
Out of the group, only Chen Shu was unruly, wandering as she walked, completely unstoppable until she strolled right into the study.
By the time Yun Shen thought to stop her, it was already too late. Chen Shu’s hands moved swiftly, and before the guards could react, she had directly pushed open the study door.
“Goodness! What on earth—”
The study was darker than outside, yet the pair of eyes inside glowed even more strikingly, as if gleaming with a golden light. Without Chen Shu needing to move aside, everything in the room was clearly visible, because the thing was so huge—tall enough to look over Chen Shu’s head and meet the eyes of the four people not far away.
A tiger’s paw stepped out of the doorway, and a low, interested purr could faintly be heard.
“You call this the Right Supervisor?” He Yu stepped back, asking in a choked voice.