Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Politics
Li Wei and Leng Yue stepped out into the flickering torchlight. The provincial officials’ eyes glinted with authority and suspicion. The villagers outside drew closer to the commotion, their faces pale, curious, fearful.
The elder official — robed in black trimmed with crimson — nodded slowly. "Very well. We shall verify your claims, in the guest hall. Place down all arms and relics."
Leng Yue’s hand tightened on her inner sleeve, but she did not move. Li Wei inclined his head, expression respectful but unyielding. "So be it." The young master did not needlessly find trouble with the man, as he was carrying out the orders of his superior.
"Stay close..." He motioned to the boy, who trembled behind them. A flicker of torchlight caught the young one’s wide, haunted eyes, and Leng Yue placed a steady hand on his shoulder, giving him what comfort she could.
They were led down a short corridor. The hall beyond had been hastily prepared: tables, stretchers, cots. Guards paced. The merchants and villagers peered through windows. It was easy to recognize the duo from the multiple wanted posters plastered outside, but the officials seemingly ignored this.
A senior official surveyed them from the dais. "Remove your outer garments." The old man had also recognized the pair of cultivators, but he did not expect them to comply. Everyone present in the guest hall knew their identity, yet no one openly spoke up.
Li Wei and Leng Yue exchanged a glance. The pair obeyed, dragging aside cloaks to reveal robes laced with qi‑threading, faint runic traces at cuffs. The numerous officials present frowned.
He summoned two soldiers. They began rifling through their garments, pulling out a myriad of pouches, talismans, jars. "So many..." The boy cried softly. One soldier found a small relic fragment in Li Wei’s pouch — a shard of crystal with swirling darkness. The soldier’s heart sank, he recognized its aura.
"Overseer!" he shouted. The official’s eyes sharpened. "He carries a relic of darkness!" the soldier declared. Leng Yue scoffed lightly and stepped forward. "This fragment is inert. If we wanted to unleash it upon your town, then this interaction would not even be happening..."
The senior official’s voice lowered slightly, but his glare still carried malice. "Inert or not, possession of Yin relic shards is forbidden by order of the Protectorate. You are to be detained until the protector’s judgment is made."
Li Wei’s jaw tightened. He looked at Leng Yue, then to the boy. "This is a farce, stand guard for anything." The pair had already given the statesman face by not blatantly lashing out, but now these senile elders were attempting to trample over their dignity.
The official rose. "Soldiers, bind their wrists. The Protector’s authority must be preserved." The guards advanced, ropes coiling. Li Wei and Leng Yue held firm, just as the hall was about to turn chaotic
A man crashed into the room, breathlessly panting by the door. "This cannot be allowed to continue..." The innkeeper’s voice — frightened, urgent spoke up. Just beyond the door, gunmetal shapes advanced. Regiments of troops, torchlights, and swords readily drawn.
The hall’s windows rattled. Villagers pressed against walls. If the situation inside the guest hall did not calm down soon, it would be a bloodbath. "Don’t touch them!" A voice echoed from the end of the hall, the speaker was dauntless and openly ridiculed the elders.
"We are dealing with a crisis that could spell the end of this town, yet you are wasting time wrongfully persecuting warriors that could aid us..." From the crowd stepped a woman: a merchant of middle years, dress simple but posture firm. The amber dress flowed smoothly along her toned body, while she held aloft a scroll bearing a familiar symbol.
"By decree of the Emperor’s court, any accused convict or felon must be judged by magistrate on record. However, in the event of an existential crisis they are to be enlisted. You shamelessly violated protocol, despite the fact that they possess formidable combat strength.."
The official faltered — murmurs rippled among his men. He glared at the woman. "You claim to speak on behalf of emperor? Who are you?" The old man slammed his table in anger, due to the blatant disregard for his face.
"My name is Tang Li of Qingshui. I serve as the head merchant‑patron and mediator in national affairs. I make sure the emperor’s law is upheld during disputes in this region." The official’s face twisted. He glanced at his guards. Some stood uneasy. The villagers shuffled, emboldened by her presence.
The council present had never even seen the head merchant before, they had always assumed that the position was in the hands of some old prick within the capital city. But to their surprise, it was in the hands of an ordinary woman.
The senior official cleared his throat. "Very well. I shall hold them in the guest hall until the magistrate is summoned. No harm done—for now." The guardians released Li Wei and Leng Yue’s arms. Soldiers backed off. The official gestured curtly. "You may stay and fight, keep watch on them."
Leng Yue rubbed her wrists. Li Wei pulled a vial from his pouch, swallowing a drop of recovery elixir. His face paled slightly, then steeled. Killing a vengeful reanimation of a person was an easy task, but to shed the blood of a royal official was another matter entirely.
Tang Li approached quietly. Her eyes wary. "You are far from safe. The protector will not leave you be. Do you have a plan for after this situation is handled?" Li Wei glanced at the boy, trembling against the wall. "Yes. But first we must discover what is lurking in these lands. We cannot just depart at the expense of the villager’s lives"
Shen Li nodded. "Let me offer you shelter. My warehouse lies not far—behind the fish dock. Guards rarely patrol near there. You may relax your guard there." Leng Yue inclined her head. "Many thanks."
The official beat his chest, regaining control. "The night shift has begun. No exits except the main gate are to be accessed. Anyone attempting to escape will be shot." Outside, torches flickered in the village square. Shadows stretched across roofs. Isolation tightened around Qingshui.
That night, in the warehouse, Li Wei and Leng Yue sat on crates. The boy slept on a mat near the door. Moonlight filtered through cracks, casting bars of light across the timber. Curtains of quiet draped the place. The scent of salt and dried fish hung in the air—an aspect of everyday trade now bound to this moment of refuge.
Li Wei leaned back, energy drained. He closed his eyes. "I underestimated the protector’s persistence." Leng Yue reached out, placing her hand over his. "We have long been sought out. But adapting to circumstances is the key to survival."
He opened his eyes. "Tomorrow we scout the daily patrols. We need intelligence before we move again."
Behind them, Tang Li’s voice echoed through the boards. "If you allow me, I will smuggle you via grain wagons toward the border. But you must learn the source of these disappearances first. They are not simple thefts."
Leng Yue rose, pacing slowly. She peered through a crack in the wall. Village streets lay silent, torches burning low, guards shifting. "What if the protector’s men know more about this blight than we think?"
Li Wei’s hand clenched. "Then we will obtain the information, one way or another. But we will not simply stand idle"
Tang Li nodded, clearly pleased by the forwardness of LI Wei.