Revenge Was the Only Justice

Zhen Xiaoren's father, mother, and Zhen Xun hurried over. When they saw Zhen Xiaoren's corpse on the bed, all three felt their vision go black.

Zhen Xiaoren's father went limp and nearly collapsed, but fortunately, Zhen Xun was quick enough to catch him.

Zhen Xiaoren's mother threw herself beside the bed, clutching Zhen Xiaoren's cold corpse and weeping as though her heart and guts had been torn apart.

"My son! My son! What happened to you? Don't scare your mother!"

She shook the corpse like a madwoman, as if doing so could awaken her dead son, but it was all in vain.

How could a corpse possibly answer her?

Zhen Xun took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart. He stepped forward and carefully examined the body before finally shaking his head.

"My cousin has been dead for more than four hours. The time of death should have been last night."

"Last night?"

Zhen Xiaoren's father suddenly raised his head. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the guards at the door as he grabbed one of them by the collar and roared like a ferocious tiger gone mad:

"Who entered the young master's room last night?"

The guard was drenched in cold sweat and answered timidly:

"Yesterday... yesterday evening, only one servant came to deliver chicken soup. He left as soon as he delivered it, and no one else went in afterward..."

"A servant? Delivering chicken soup?"

Zhen Xiaoren's father's voice suddenly rose.

"Who was that servant?! Find him for me at once!"

His only son had died a miserable death. At that moment, he wished he could devour the killer's flesh raw; his murderous rage was practically overflowing.

Zhen Xiaoren's residence instantly descended into chaos. The servants rushed about, turning trunks and cabinets upside down in their search for the servant who had delivered the chicken soup the previous night. Yet after searching the entire estate, they still found no trace of the youth. He had vanished without a trace long ago.

By now, everyone understood. The murderer had to be that servant.

After killing Zhen Xiaoren, he had fled in fear of punishment.

Four hours had already passed since the time of death. No one knew where he had escaped to by now.

"Search! We must find that little bastard!"

"Even if we have to turn Yongtang City upside down, we'll find him!"

"If I don't flay that little bastard, tear out his tendons, grind his bones, and scatter his ashes, I won't be able to dispel the hatred in my heart!"

Zhen Xiaoren's father was blazing with fury. The venom in his eyes had nearly taken on tangible form, and his hysterical roars were enough to make anyone tremble with fear.

He had thought that once his feud with Bai Yan was resolved, his son would be safe and sound.

Yet his son had died at the hands of an inconspicuous servant in their own estate.

What was more, that servant had served in the Zhen residence for three years.

It truly was just as the saying went: one guarded against enemies by day and by night, but it was hardest to guard against a thief in one's own house.

Time flew by. Before long, the day of Bai Yan's mission arrived.

That morning, Bai Yan went to the Pacification Bureau as usual to register attendance. As soon as he entered, he saw Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao arriving together.

"My lord, something happened at the Zhen residence you had us keep watch over."

Li Kaiyao hurried forward and lowered his voice.

"The Zhen family's young master, Zhen Xiaoren, is dead."

"Dead? That shouldn't have happened."

Bai Yan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had exercised great restraint. The True Essence left inside Zhen Xiaoren's body would erupt only after half a month. The time had not yet come.

Li Kaiyao nodded and continued.

"I heard the murderer was a servant of the Zhen family. He hid in the estate as a servant for three whole years just to kill Zhen Xiaoren. A few days ago, he finally found an opportunity and finished him with a single knife."

"Hmm? He spent three years working as a servant just to kill Zhen Xiaoren? Interesting. Tell me the details."

Bai Yan immediately became interested.

Ren Hong, standing nearby, was curious as well. He pricked up his ears and listened quietly.

"It's a rather tragic story. That murderer was merely a pitiful man."

Li Kaiyao shook his head and sighed before slowly recounting the cause and course of events.

The youth had killed Zhen Xiaoren to avenge his sister.

The youth and his sister had originally depended on each other for survival. Their lives had been poor, but they supported each other, and somehow managed to scrape by.

But one day three years ago, Zhen Xiaoren barged into their home with a group of vicious servants. Not only did he defile the youth's sister, he also brutally murdered her.

The youth had happened to be up in the mountains gathering firewood that day. When he returned home, he discovered that his sister was already dead.

Overcome by grief and rage, the youth made inquiries everywhere and finally uncovered the truth: the murderer was Zhen Xiaoren.

He had originally wanted to report the matter to the authorities and seek justice for his sister.

But Zhen Xiaoren's family was powerful and influential, and he also had a cousin in the Imperial Guard who was a Brigade Leader. Reporting the matter would have been useless against Zhen Xiaoren.

With nowhere to seek justice, the youth hardened his heart and willingly sold himself into the Zhen residence as a servant.

And he remained one for three whole years.

For those three years, the youth was constantly looking for an opportunity to kill Zhen Xiaoren, but the right moment never came.

Until a few days ago, when Bai Yan had broken all four of Zhen Xiaoren's limbs, leaving him bedridden and utterly defenseless. That was when the youth realized the time had come.

Thus, on that night, he carried a bowl of adulterated chicken soup into the room and unleashed the killing intent he had concealed for three years. In the end, he slew his enemy with his own hands and avenged his sister in blood.

"To endure humiliation and serve his enemy for three years, all for the sake of revenge... That young man is truly ruthless."

After hearing Li Kaiyao's account, Ren Hong could not help sighing.

If they put themselves in that youth's place, they might not have been capable of such forbearance.

To face the man who had killed his sister day after day for three years, while still bowing and scraping as he served him—this was not something just anyone could do.

"What happened to the youth afterward? Was he caught?"

Ren Hong asked.

"No."

Li Kaiyao shook his head.

"The Yongtang authorities searched for several days, but they still haven't found any trace of him."

Ren Hong gave a quiet laugh.

"If you ask me, a villain like Zhen Xiaoren deserved what he got. Good riddance! If that youth can escape alive, then that would be truly satisfying!"

He turned to Bai Yan and asked again:

"My lord, what do you think?"

Facing the gazes of the two men, Bai Yan curled his lips into a faint smile.

"A life for a life, a debt repaid with money. It is only right and proper."

"Naturally, I hope that youth manages to escape."

As a member of the Imperial Guard, saying such things might have been disrespectful to the Flying Fish Robe he wore, and to Great Yu's laws.

But these were Bai Yan's true feelings.

A life for a life was the simplest and most basic form of justice in the world.

Since the authorities could not uphold justice for the youth, what was wrong with him taking revenge with his own hands?

In this High martial world, where martial arts experts roamed everywhere, killing to avenge oneself was as ordinary as eating and drinking.

If Bai Yan had been that youth, he would have done the same—and he would have been even more ruthless and merciless!

If anyone dared harm Bai Yan's family, he would not only kill the principal culprit and mastermind, he would also wipe out the entire family, leaving no future trouble behind!

Justice that arrived late was never justice. At most, it was merely the truth—and to the victim, it was utterly meaningless!

When justice could not be upheld, pure revenge was the only justice!

Li Kaiyao and Ren Hong exchanged a smile at his words, and their eyes held a little more agreement. Though they were members of the Imperial Guard and had to obey the law, they were flesh-and-blood men in the end. They knew right from wrong, and each carried their own inner scales.