I Was Happy

Ying Ru Shi's schedule was packed today. She had to finish inspecting Ping City's affairs before noon, or she would be late for the Thieves' Den meeting at midday.

A casual glance through the account books was enough for Ying Ru Shi to know how much these people had embezzled. But as long as it was not too excessive, she did not plan to pursue it—or rather, pursuing it would be useless. If she wanted to manage the region, she had to rely on these people. Central Plains or Northern Border, they were all the same. No matter how high their salaries were, they would still embezzle. Besides, Ying Ru Shi could at most kill a few people without backing, while those with connections... would throw a few unconnected people to her and let her kill them.

Of course, this only applied to land, gold, silver, and other things unrelated to cultivation. If anyone dared embezzle spirit jades from a secret realm, Ying Ru Shi would dare mobilize the nearby troops to suppress them—even Your Majesty would support her decision.

Looking at the officials before her, doing their utmost to curry favor while showing not the slightest concern for the people's welfare, Ying Ru Shi sighed inwardly. Still, this trip had not been without its surprises. She had actually encountered a Central Plains native of exceptional talent, who had changed class to become a Messenger at such a young age. A Messenger like that was worth far more than those "noble Messengers" who had piled their way up with secret manuals.

With a little tempering, he should be able to make his second advancement within five years. If he made his third advancement within ten, he would certainly become a pillar of Qi. Ying Ru Shi wondered whether she should tell Your Majesty. If Your Majesty learned of him, she might make good use of him, but it was also possible...

Clang!

A clear ring of steel and ripples of released spiritual power immediately told Ying Ru Shi what had happened—someone was using a token!

"Assassins!"

"Protect the county lord!"

Ying Ru Shi was utterly fearless. She carried a protective token with her, and even an ordinary third-advancement expert would have difficulty breaking through her defenses in a single strike. Her gaze passed over the clustered crowd and landed on the open ground before the dungeon entrance. A tall, imposing man had drawn a straight blade. In the direction the blade pointed, several Hundred Guard Cavalry soldiers had been cut in half at the waist, their entrails and blood scattered all over the ground!

Yet the Evil Spirit Knight at the tip of the blade was still standing. Black mist clung to his body like armor, blocking the fierce blade light!

"How dare you assassinate the Hundred Guard Battalion Lord!" Uwan Ryu's furious voice seemed to carry a trace of delight. "Crossbow squad, don't worry about me. Shoot him dead!"

As he spoke, he pulled spirit jades from his robes. In the span of a breath, four spirit jades crumbled into dust and dispersed. This meant Uwan Ryu had already recovered four points of spiritual power!

"Yan San, stop!" Ying Ru Shi's voice rang across the fortification. "Stop now, and I can still forgive you!"

Clang!

The blade light was the man's answer!

The instant he was struck, the mist around Uwan Ryu grew denser. Realizing something, he tried to retreat and flee, shouting, "Shoot him dead!"

Whoosh!

Dozens of heavy crossbows fired from the fortification. Ying Ru Shi did not stop them. Setting aside the fact that Uwan Ryu was from the Northern Border while Yan San was merely a Central Plains native, even if Uwan Ryu had made a mistake, she could not simply stand by and watch him be killed in broad daylight.

Uwan Ryu represented the Hundred Guard Cavalry, and the majesty of the Imperial Guards. He could only die in battle, on the battlefield or under judgment. He absolutely could not die in a vendetta that sullied the dignity of Great Qi!

Clang!

The burly man caught up with Uwan Ryu and unleashed a third blade light! Although many arrows were blocked by the blade light and Uwan Ryu, more than a dozen still struck the man, instantly turning him into a porcupine!

A scream of agony rang through the air, but it did not come from the burly man. It came from Uwan Ryu!

"His token stacks damage! Each slash is stronger than the last!"

A terrifying wound had been carved across Uwan Ryu's abdomen, and his intestines spilled out through it. But Uwan Ryu had also been driven to fury. He drew the long blade at his waist. He was a battle-hardened member of the Northern Border's Hundred Guard Cavalry. He had fled only because he had believed Yan San could not break through his defenses. Being wounded had instead awakened his ferocity.

An ordinary person with such a grave wound would have gone cold all over and collapsed. But Uwan Ryu was a first-advancement Messenger with nearly ten points of vitality. His surging vitality suppressed his pain and granted him the strength to strike back!

Yet even Uwan Ryu, a savage who had crawled out from piles of corpses, felt indescribable terror and chill seize his heart when he saw the man before him. Arrows had pierced the man's entire body, but he still held the straight blade steadily, his expression unchanged.

Clang!

A brutal fourth slash!

At the same time, the second crossbow squad, now replacing the first, knew that the blade light could deflect arrows. They deliberately waited until Yan San had unleashed his blade light before firing. Thirty-three refined-steel crossbow bolts pierced straight through Yan San's flesh!

Yet the first thing to fall to the ground was not Yan San's corpse, but Uwan Ryu's head.

The Evil Spirit Mask still clung tightly to his face, as though it had fused with him.

But even an evil spirit could not withstand the blazing moon ring after four consecutive slashes.

Ying Ru Shi pushed through the crowd, ignoring the generals' and warriors' attempts to dissuade her, and insisted on approaching the burly man still standing in the center of the open ground. He no longer looked human. Crossbow bolts had pierced nearly every part of his body, and not a patch of good flesh remained on his face. It seemed as though there was more iron than flesh inside him.

"Why?"

Ying Ru Shi truly could not understand. "I cleared your name, gave you justice, compensated you for your losses, pointed out your future, and fulfilled your request—why did you have to kill him?"

The burly man did not answer. For a moment, Ying Ru Shi thought he was already dead. But just as she turned around, she heard a faint laugh from behind her:

"Because I was happy."

Smack.

The burly man crashed to the ground. Blood gushed from his wounds and pooled into a blood pond, yet the corners of his mouth, pierced by crossbow bolts, curled faintly upward as if he were smiling. Ying Ru Shi watched this scene. Countless people around her were talking, but she could not make out a single word. The scorching sun hung overhead, yet she felt a chill pierce her heart.

"Still haven't found it?"

"County lord, give us a little more time. We definitely can—"

"Forget it. There's no need. Even if we find it, it's only a first-advancement token. You may leave."

Inside the commander's residence in Ping City's military camp, Ying Ru Shi dismissed the military secretary and signaled for the warriors to guard the door and let no one in. She then opened the chest and stripped off her entire outfit, changing into the White Fox Mask and ordinary Qi-style clothing. But as she undressed, she was so distracted that she nearly removed her chest bindings as well.

What had happened today had shaken her deeply.

Someone had actually disregarded his future and his life simply to seek justice for himself and vent his anger.

How many people like that were there in Qi?

Moreover, Yan San was a powerfully built man. If she had not happened to be there today, he might have been framed.

Were acts of ostracizing and framing Central Plains natives happening across Qi every day? Were people like Yan San being born every day, waiting for a chance to reclaim justice?

Compared with that, although Yan San's straight-blade token was a new token she had never seen before, it was not particularly important.

With her mind weighed down by troubles, Ying Ru Shi closed her eyes and silently repeated, "Thieves' Den." After a faint tremor, when she opened her eyes again, she had already arrived in her private room at the Thieves' Den.

When she stepped outside, Ying Ru Shi found that everyone else was already seated. She immediately put on an apologetic expression, unfolded her fan, and said with a smile, "Sorry, the girls were too clingy. I was a little late—"

Her voice abruptly stopped, and her eyes fixed on Yellow Dog.

Yellow Dog noticed her gaze and asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just saw that you brought a blade, so I realized weapons are allowed in here." Ying Ru Shi sat down casually. "Then I'll have to bring a weapon next time too."

"I tried." Red Snake Shang Xin Lei spread a small tablecloth over the stone table, took out teacups and a kettle, and spoke while drinking tea. "This place is the same as the main city. Tokens cannot be activated."

"For safety's sake, keep at least three steps away from one another." Black Wolf Yaoshi Yuan said, "Any sudden approach will be treated as hostile."

"Understood, understood." Ying Ru Shi fanned herself, her gaze briefly sweeping over Yellow Dog's blade.

It was a White Iron Straight Blade.