Early morning, the mist hung heavy.
Ye Kang ambled down to the riverside outside the city.
The Jiayang River was littered with burned-out boats and drifting corpses. Laborers volunteered to fish out the bodies and clear the battlefield. To prevent an outbreak of disease, all the corpses had to be gathered and burned.
It looked like the river bandits had been driven back. The only question was how many casualties there had been inside the city.
Ye Kang quietly returned to the inn. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the hall was full of familiar faces.
The two Azure Scale Guards sat in the middle. The Big Man had several bandages wrapped around him and had clearly been injured, while the young woman seemed to be doing fine, still wearing her innocent, beaming smile.
Jin Baobei and He Zhi sat off to one side. Neither looked too pleased, but they finally relaxed when they saw Ye Kang appear.
"Lord Ye, you're finally back! We were worried sick. Lord Jin said you went after that Flower Thief, and we searched the whole city but couldn't find a trace of you!"
He Zhi hurried over, his face full of relief.
Jin Baobei wiped the cold sweat from her brow and said, "You said you saw someone go inside and started the arrest. When we charged in, everyone was already down. There was only a beautiful concubine left. If she hadn't told us, we wouldn't have known what happened."
Ye Kang could only sigh inwardly. There was nothing to be done; his subordinates weren't strong enough to keep up with the pace of a thief hunt.
Those two were both concerned for Ye Kang's safety. The young woman from the Azure Scale Guard, however, stared at the blood-soaked Cloth Bag in his hand, surprise showing on her face.
"Congratulations, Lord Ye. You've rid Jiayang City of a great menace and earned another major merit."
Ye Kang set the head on the table and casually picked up a cup of tea.
"You two didn't happen to wait here just to see whether I'd caught him, did you?"
The young woman nodded. "Lord Ye is perceptive. I was thinking that if you failed, I'd gladly claim the credit myself. But it seems I underestimated you, Lord Ye. We'll take our leave now."
She didn't look particularly disappointed. If anything, she seemed more delighted.
Ye Kang didn't stop them, watching as the two walked away.
Only then did Jin Baobei cautiously ask, "My lord... what's in the bag?"
"The Flower Thief's head. Take it back as proof."
"My lord is mighty!"
All his subordinates immediately clasped their hands, their faces filled with admiration.
Only then did Ye Kang hear from them what had happened the night before.
Apparently, the river bandits had attacked in full force, and they'd come prepared. They had as many as four Xiantian Realm leaders.
They were determined to take Jiayang City, and their assault had been ferocious.
Zheng Hailong had arrived in time and fought the four with everything he had. But his opponents had outnumbered him, and he'd been beaten until he spat blood again and again.
Fortunately, the Azure Scale Guard had stepped in.
A young woman and a Big Man—just the two of them—had each displayed strength no weaker than Zheng Hailong's.
The three of them joined forces and swiftly killed the four Xiantian leaders. The remaining river bandits were no threat. The four of them fought through the night, leaving fewer than one or two in ten bandits to escape.
It was said that the Azure Scale Guard had sent even more men to secretly attack the bandits' stronghold. They seized the river camp and captured many prisoners.
Just like that, the scourge of bandits on the Jiayang River had been dealt with.
At this, He Zhi sighed. "We finally got to see what the Azure Scale Guard can do. No wonder the commander always says all we're good for is running errands. He wasn't wrong."
The subordinates all nodded in agreement.
"Thank goodness Lord Ye was wise and decisively switched assignments. Otherwise, we'd have been the ones facing those four Innate Masters."
"That means Lord Ye is our Savior!"
"My lord truly has a brilliant plan! We're in awe!"
The subordinates chimed in one after another, automatically piecing together a whole story. Somehow, Ye Kang's decision to change assignments had turned into a good deed.
What could he say? He could only accept their adulation with grace.
With the job done, his subordinates began packing up, preparing to return to the Imperial City Department and report in.
Meanwhile, two sedan chairs suddenly arrived outside the inn.
The lord of Jiayang City, Zheng Hailong, stepped out of one of them, bandages wrapped around him.
His beautiful concubine sat in the other sedan chair.
When she stepped out, every passerby turned to look. Ye Kang's subordinates were no exception; their eyes shone as they gazed at her.
Only such beauty could have kept Fan Shanyue yearning for her for so long.
Ye Kang watched them approach, sighing inwardly.
Zheng Hailong entered the inn and clasped his hands. "Lord Ye, I offended you the other day."
"You're too kind, Lord of the City. It was a trifling matter, not worth mentioning."
"Then let's not speak of that. Lord Ye, you protected my woman last night. I may have a foul temper, but I always repay a kindness. I've already had the biggest restaurant in the city prepare a feast. Please bring your men and honor us with your presence."
Ye Kang shook his head.
"No. It was my duty. If I accepted a feast, people might gossip. I hope you understand, Lord of the City."
"Fair enough. I won't press you, then."
Zheng Hailong was a decisive man. Seeing that Ye Kang wouldn't attend the feast, he immediately ordered his men to take a brocade box from the sedan chair.
He took the box, but his eyes stayed fixed on the head on the table.
"Could that be...?"
"It is."
"Are you certain?"
"Certain."
"Thank you, Lord Ye, for ridding us of this scoundrel!"
Zheng Hailong clasped his hands again, then bowed alongside his concubine.
After that, he moved closer to Ye Kang and handed him the brocade box.
"Lord Ye, if you ever have business in Jiayang City, come straight to me."
He didn't say anything more. He took his concubine by the hand and left.
Ye Kang opened the box. Inside lay a thick stack of Silver Notes and gold bars, gleaming brightly.
Lord Zheng was a man who clearly distinguished kindness from enmity. Unfortunately, gold and silver no longer held much appeal for Ye Kang; he still had plenty stored in the Ink Jade Ancient Treasure.
He took only the gold bars and handed all the Silver Notes to Jin Baobei.
"You brothers have worked hard. We didn't complete the mission to wipe out the river bandits, and I feel bad about that. Share this among yourselves, but keep your mouths shut."
Everyone was overjoyed.
"Rest assured, my lord! I'll cut down anyone who dares to talk!"
He Zhi beamed.
It was great to follow Lord Ye! Every time, they got to eat and drink their fill. That was what a good leader was like!
Once they'd divided the Silver Notes, everyone seemed like a new person, walking with a swagger and a spring in their step.
The group didn't linger and headed straight back.
They hurried along the road, and several more days passed.
Ye Kang returned to the Imperial City Department and submitted the case report along with Fan Shanyue's head.
Although the mission to wipe out the river bandits had been snatched away, it was already a rare feat for the Imperial City Department to earn any credit in Jiayang City.
What was more, the Flower Thief case was no small matter, so Leng Ruyi didn't say much.
With the case settled, Ye Kang was due a few days off.
But before that, he planned to return to Death Prison.
Before you continue