Chapter 43: The Yamen

Asleep?

Zora paid no more mind to Zhang Jin. She stared suspiciously at Ying Xue and repeated her question: "Did you discover any anomalies here just now?"

Ying Xue wept bitterly: "Immortal, I am from a family at the foot of Anwu Slope in Huaichuan. I depend on my younger sister for survival. She fell gravely ill and requires expensive, rare medicinal herbs, but the Zhang family intercepted the supply. Zhang Jin told me that if I didn't become his concubine, he wouldn't sell the medicine to me—"

Zora had been listening intently at first, but after a sentence or two, her gaze went vacant.

She completely failed to understand which part of these words constituted an "anomaly." To Zora, listening to this was like hearing a foreign tongue; she couldn't find the point.

As Ying Xue continued, Zora interrupted her again, word by word: "So, what anomaly did you discover just now?"

"I implore the Immortal to help..." Ying Xue’s words came to an abrupt halt. The wide red sleeve she used to wipe her cheeks stopped beneath her eyes. She finally realized that the Immortal was utterly indifferent to her plight, and she snapped out of her endless cycle of grief and resentment.

Ying Xue knitted her brows slightly, her turbulent emotions finally settling.

Retracing the events of entering the bridal chamber today, she shook her head: "None."

Zora gave a hum of acknowledgment. It seemed the monster wasn't here either.

Unsure of the Immortal's temperament, Ying Xue paused for a few heartbeats. She wanted to speak to the youth who looked easier to approach; after all, his earlier words had given her the illusion that he might be a traditional, righteous Immortal.

"Immortal..." she murmured.

The youth stood as straight as a longsword. His ink-black hair was tied high behind his head, looking exceptionally sharp and full of youthful spirit. He lowered his lashes to glance at Ying Xue, the corners of his lips curving slightly, but his pitch-black eyes held no hint of a smile.

Clearly, in this duo, he did not hold the power of final decision. However, he had the right to remind and offer suggestions.

As Zora turned to head out, Vane moved close to her. His toes were only a fraction away from hers; his swaying black hem lightly brushed against the girl’s blue skirt, entangling for a fleeting moment.

Like a secret whisper, he leaned in and lowered his head, speaking softly by her ear: "Zora, we have harmed Master Zhang's son. He surely won't let the matter rest. Though cultivators possess power superior to mortals, things like money, power, sentiment, morality, and reputation... as long as one remains in this world, even a cultivator must accept certain restraints."

Under the Heavenly Dao, though there were hierarchies, the people are the water that can carry the boat, but also overturn it. The connections between cultivators and mortals were tangled; mortals remained the foundation upon which the cultivation world expanded. After all, children born to cultivators didn't necessarily possess spiritual roots.

One must always stand on the moral high ground. Otherwise, if it's just a difference in cultivation methods, why distinguish between Demon Cultivators and Immortal Sects?

However, it wasn't a major problem. Vane never stopped her from doing what she wanted. Handling the aftermath was simply what he thought about and what he needed to do. Unless it was something truly beyond repair, only then would he speak up before she acted—such as the fact that one cannot kill at will within the Immortal Sect.

Zora caught a bit of his reasoning but found the logic uninteresting. She said: "Just tell me the result."

Vane: "We can take her with us."

This was the real reason he had told the bride "naturally we will help" earlier.

"Whatever," Zora replied indifferently.

Ying Xue felt the road ahead was hopeless. She slumped on the floor holding a candlestick, dazed by the thought of taking him down with her, yet unable to abandon her sick sister.

The youth who had just left returned. He didn't come close, standing a short distance away as he said with a smile: "If you wish to seek justice, then follow us."

"Oh, and."

He took out a pill. This was a legacy from Guan Qianyi found in the secret realm. It was too mediocre for a cultivator, so it had been culled from Zora’s storage bag and moved into his.

Vane looked toward Zora, who was outside the door observing the peonies in the courtyard, as if to confirm his Master's intent. Sensing his gaze, Zora looked back in confusion.

Vane: "..."

Mhm, she didn't care about this pill at all, just as she didn't care about the lives of strangers.

His smile deepened. Spiritual power supported the pill as it flew through the air, slowly descending into Ying Xue’s palm.

"I don't know if it can eradicate the illness, but it can at least sustain your sister's life for twenty years. If it's some rare or strange ailment, it's still best to find a medicine cultivator."

To Ying Xue, this was already an immense help. Grateful beyond words, she hurriedly said: "Thank you, Immortal! Thank you!"

"No need," Vane said. "It was Zora’s intent."

Ying Xue called out to the girl outside: "Thank you, Immortal! Thank you!"

Zora looked toward the outside of the courtyard. Hurried footsteps approached, and torches burned in the dark night.

"If anything happens to the Young Master, all of you will pay for it!" a shrill male voice barked.

"Quickly, quickly! I don't know what has become of my Jin'er!" a hurried male voice said gaspingly, sounding extremely exasperated.

During the time Zhang Jin was unconscious, the guards at the perimeter of the courtyard sensed something was wrong and went to report. When Master Zhang heard his precious son was in trouble, he scrambled out of a concubine's bed, rushing over before his clothes were even properly fastened.

The wooden gate of the courtyard was swung open with a

clang

. Several servants holding torches backed away, and a crowd surrounded a portly man like stars around the moon.

The fat man in gold-rimmed brocade snarled: "Who dares to cause chaos in the Zhang Manor!"

They saw only three people standing in the courtyard. Two of them possessed the elegance of celestials. The youth had a noble bearing, his brow slightly raised as he watched them with a half-smile. The girl standing there was exceptionally cute and endearing, yet her eyes held no smile; her rounded almond eyes stared straight at them, her aura pure and cool, her translucent amber pupils reflecting the faint moonlight.

The third looked like a mature woman, her makeup ruined by tears, dressed in red wedding robes.

"...You... who are you!" Master Zhang's momentum clearly faltered; he was a paper tiger.

Seeing a conversation was needed, Zora glanced at Vane. Vane met her gaze for a heartbeat, a smile curving his lips. He adopted the standard posture of a righteous Immortal youth from a sect, his etiquette perfect: "Master Zhang, we have been commissioned by our sect to handle the request you posted."

Master Zhang gestured for the guards to lower their weapons.

"...Are you... Immortal Masters from the December Sect? This..." Sweat quickly broke out on his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve, offering a thin, fawning smile. "I see, I see. It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! Quickly, attend to the Immortal Masters!"

He scolded the servants for neglecting the Immortals, attributing the mistake to others.

Vane smiled: "No need. I am aware that Master Zhang only neglected our reception because of the servants' laziness."

He smoothly skipped over the fact that they had entered uninvited.

"It's just that we happened to see a man forcibly abducting a young lady. We couldn't bear to watch, so we followed. In our haste, we didn't inform the master of the house, and we didn't expect it to be the Zhang Manor. As Master Zhang knows, the people of the December Sect are most upright and cannot tolerate those who bully the weak."

He glanced at Master Zhang and laughed: "Even if they are mortals, if they do something our sect disciples cannot abide, we will become indignant. Any action taken out of anger is perfectly understandable."

He was a master of lying with a straight face, yet the man before him believed him wholeheartedly, truly thinking his son’s scoundrel behavior had attracted an meddling Immortal. He hurriedly said: "It is my failure as a father to teach him. My apologies, my apologies."

"It's no matter. It was likely just a momentary lapse of judgment by your son, though he did indeed threaten this lady..."

...

While they exchanged pleasantries, Zora was lost in thought, and Ying Xue was shocked by the youth's social grace. He wasn't a hot-blooded youth who hated evil to the point of immediate mockery and violence, nor was he a cold Immortal who disdained worldly affairs and couldn't speak smooth words.

The youth's words were full of deterrence, yet he would later adopt a generous posture of letting the Zhang Manor off, issuing a warning and stating his requirements to the maximum extent. Rather than seeking justice, it seemed entirely for his own... or rather, for the girl’s comfort.

Ying Xue looked at Zora. Sure enough, a moment before Zora grew impatient, Vane concluded the talk. Master Zhang practically fawned as he led the guests to the most comfortable room. He completely ignored his son's unconscious friends on the ground and didn't dare ask where his son was.

Highly skilled servants filed out. The bedding and curtains were soft to the extreme, and the food served was the most delicious and famous cuisine in all of Huaichuan. Regarding enjoyment, who understood it better than professional hedonistic merchants?

Master Zhang had a primary wife and a concubine. He once had countless beauties, but they had been dispersed as they aged, given a sum of money for retirement. Only his wife and his most empathetic concubine remained.

Just as Master Zhang was about to enter to share wine and food with the two Immortals, he was politely turned away by a smiling Vane: "No need. We are used to the hardships of cultivation; having people attend to us would be uncomfortable. Master Zhang, please return."

"Uh... very well." Master Zhang met with a closed door and retreated dejectedly.

Even Ying Xue received excellent treatment. Overwhelmed by the favor, she was settled in a guest room and received a solemn apology from Master Zhang. ...Though one couldn't tell how much of it was sincere, at least Ying Xue got what she deserved.

Zora had a delicious meal. The food in Huaichuan had a unique flavor, and since Master Zhang was the wealthiest merchant in the region, the fare provided was top-tier. For dishes out of her reach, she signaled Vane, who stood to the side, picking out various meats and vegetables for her.

Zora’s tastes leaned toward spicy and sweet. Once she finished, Vane did a simple tidying up. He hadn't tasted the full table of food, as he wasn't particularly interested in such appetites. Zora didn't think to ask him to eat; it was enough that she had enjoyed herself.

Full and satisfied, she lay on the large circular bed, looking over the mission Master Zhang had requested once more. The mission stated that servants in the Zhang Manor had recently been seeing a ghostly shadow in the backyard—neither human nor beast, as tall as a wall and as thin as a bamboo pole, flailing its limbs.

If it were just that, he wouldn't have hired anyone. However, three days ago, his personal servant died tragically in the backyard, his eyes bulging as if he had been literally scared to death. Master Zhang panicked and called for Immortal Masters, believing it to be a monster's doing.

After reading, Zora thought for a moment and decided to conduct a thorough investigation tomorrow.

The next day, while she was leisurely investigating, the trivial matters naturally fell to Vane. Master Zhang was terrified that his unconscious son was under some spell and tremblingly went to ask.

Compared to those who came in shouting for justice, these two were far more difficult to navigate. Vane hummed for a moment, and smooth words came easily: "Cultivators in mortal lands will naturally follow your rules."

Master Zhang’s eye twitched.

I don't see you following them anywhere.

The gold and black ribbons on the youth’s ponytail flickered among his hair. His dark eyes curved slightly: "Naturally, we shall go to the Yamen and let the Yamen pass judgment."

Master Zhang was stunned—because this was the first time he had heard them say to let the Yamen decide a case rather than the cultivators deciding it themselves. However, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had people in the Yamen.

—He was wrong.

He didn't expect it to start that very day, nor did he expect the Immortal who spoke of leaving mortal justice to mortals to actually appear openly in the court, watching as a matter of course and intimidating others. When the Immortal pressure manifested in the hall, the County Magistrate shook like a sieve. Who would dare to commit crimes against the wind?

Master Zhang was sweating with anxiety. While Zhang Jin was still unconscious, victims came forward one after another to lodge complaints.

—Where did these people come from?! It’s only been a day!

Vane smiled without a word. After all, while Zora slept, she didn't need him to guard the door, so he naturally went out to get things done.

"According to the laws of the Imperial Court—" the Magistrate stammered, "he should be... beheaded..."

The commoners outside the door widened their eyes in disbelief, then erupted into cheers. Master Zhang went white and fainted.

While his son was being hauled into prison, the other Immortal Master unconcernedly came to ask him where else in the manor was unusual.

"No more, no more! Immortal Masters, please return!"

Looking at the youth's behavior, perhaps if this Immortal Master left, the boy would leave too.

Zora disagreed: "The search isn't finished. The mission is incomplete."

"I will give the mission payment to the Immortal Master right now!"

"Where else is unusual? Who was living in the backyard at the time?" Zora only cared about doing her task.

Master Zhang wailed: "I beg the Immortal Master..."

Before he could finish, a white light flashed. A sword edge was already resting against his neck.

"..." Master Zhang fell silent instantly, his legs shaking and his lips trembling. He didn't dare speak too loudly. "Im... Immortal Master..."

Where is there an Immortal who threatens the person who hired them!

But compared to the grief of losing a son, his own life was clearly more important. He yielded immediately.

Generally, when a mortal was threatened by a cultivator, they would report it to their sect, as everyone feared the power of cultivators. But because of Vane’s actions over these two days, few people were willing to go out and be a fool.

When Zora went out lately, she received extremely warm hospitality; even the sugar figures didn't cost money. She asked and learned that Vane had told the court it was all her credit, giving Zora several people who thanked her for no reason.

Even the Yamen officials worshipped her—for no other reason than that cases involving cultivators were usually handled by cultivators themselves, leaving the Yamen invisible. Several constables had once drunk and cursed that cultivators knew nothing about solving crimes! Those who acted only out of a surge of passion were even worse; they only saw what they wanted to see. How many cultivators passed judgment haphazardly? Some over-punished, others blamed the innocent.

Ying Xue had long since gone back to save her sister. Zora had searched for two days straight without finding a trace of a monster and was getting a bit unhappy.

Today, she didn't go to find the wife or the concubine who often frequented the backyard. She lay down for a nap first. She had lived very comfortably these past few days, with no troublesome matters finding her.

The youth stood before her door, looking up at the moon. The sound of her deep sleep reached his ears. Like a watchdog, even deep in the night, if the master inside woke and called, he would push the door and enter.

Zora lay on the bed, wrapped in the quilt, saying muzzily: "Water."

Vane poured a cup of water and handed it to her. Zora turned over and ignored him. The youth held a cup of water, standing piteously before the bed, ignored by all.

...She was talking in her sleep.

Vane’s lashes flickered as he looked at Zora. Her features in the moonlight were peaceful and serene, truly beautiful. The youth gazed unconsciously for a moment, until Zora moved in her sleep, causing him to snap back to his senses.

"..."

He downed the ignored cup of water himself as if to cover his tracks. His ponytail swayed as Vane turned and immediately stepped out of the room. Though no one knew what had just happened, that slightly strange panic followed him like a shadow, forcing him to stop at the door. Vane crossed his arms and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Then his dark eyes calmed, and he continued his silent watch at the door.