The Sun Family Arrives

The morning mist had yet to clear when Ye Yun pushed open the courtyard gate. Yan Xiao Liu was already pacing anxiously. The constable, who was usually all smiles and wisecracks, was deathly pale, his forehead beaded with sweat, and even his breathing came in quick, trembling gasps.

Brother Ye! Something terrible's happened! Yan Xiao Liu grabbed Ye Yun's arm, gripping it with astonishing strength. The Sun Family... the Sun Family's people are here!

Ye Yun furrowed his brow and calmly pulled his arm free. "Take it slowly. What happened?"

Yan Xiao Liu swallowed hard, words tumbling out at speed. "Sun Gan, the deputy officer from the garrison who died during the last bandit raid—his brother Sun Yu brought people here! I heard they barged straight into the garrison camp and beat Captain Zhao Meng until he coughed blood! Now they're coming to the County Yamen to question us. Head Chen told me to gather everyone who took part in the raid!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Yun's eyes. The cause of Sun Gan's death couldn't have been clearer—he'd been killed with a single slash by the bandit chief, and dozens of people had seen it happen. The Sun Family had made such a fuss; there was probably more to it.

"What sort of background does Sun Yu have?" Ye Yun asked in a low voice as he hurried toward the County Yamen.

"He's a direct descendant of the Sun Family in the prefectural capital!" Yan Xiao Liu lowered his voice, fear plain in his eyes. "I heard he's already a 7th Rank martial artist, and he brought two 8th Rank subordinates this time. Brother Ye, we'd better be careful. This Sun Family..."

Yan Xiao Liu didn't finish, but Ye Yun already understood what he was worried about. The Sun Family held considerable influence at the Great Zhou court, and many of its clan members held military posts. They'd always been domineering. Now that a son of a concubine had died, even if they knew it was an accident, they were bound to seize on the opportunity to make trouble.

A dozen or so constables who had taken part in the bandit raid had gathered in the open space before the County Yamen. Chen Qingzhou stood at the front. The normally smiling constable chief now looked solemn, and a not-yet-healed scar marked his right cheek—the remnant of the last bandit raid.

"Brothers," Chen Qingzhou said, his voice steady and firm. "Whatever the Sun Family asks, answer truthfully. Remember: don't talk back, and don't say more than you need to."

The constables murmured their assent, the air so oppressive it was almost suffocating. Ye Yun stood at the edge of the group and quietly circulated Turtle Breath Stillness, suppressing his aura to the utmost. To anyone looking at him, he seemed like an ordinary constable; no one would ever guess that he was an 8th Rank martial artist.

The orderly clatter of hooves rang out in the distance, drawing closer like the pounding of a death knell. Before long, a group of riders appeared at the far end of the street. The young man leading them looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. He wore a dark-blue brocade robe, with a gold-and-jade-inlaid longsword hanging at his waist. His features were handsome, but a sinister air clung to him, and an unrelenting malice was etched between his brows.

"Sun Yu..." Yan Xiao Liu whispered in Ye Yun's ear, his voice trembling slightly.

Ye Yun gave a faint nod, but his gaze fell on the two middle-aged men behind Sun Yu. They followed him like shadows, one to either side. The man on the left was powerfully built, his arms as thick as an ordinary man's thighs, the veins bulging across his exposed hands. The one on the right was thin as bamboo, with narrow eyes and a gaze as cold as a venomous snake's. Their auras were as steady as mountains, and they walked in perfect unison—clearly well-trained guards.

Peak 8th Rank... Ye Yun felt a quiet chill in his heart. Their strength was probably just one step short of the 7th Rank. With Sun Yu, a 7th Rank martial artist, the three of them were strong enough to sweep through all of Chun'an County.

"You're Constable Chief Chen, aren't you?" Sun Yu reined in his horse before the crowd and looked down at Chen Qingzhou. His voice was cold as ice. "Is everyone here?"

Chen Qingzhou stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Young Master Sun, all the brothers who took part in the bandit raid are here. What would you—"

Before Chen Qingzhou could finish, Sun Yu suddenly sprang from his horse and kicked him in the chest! The kick was as fast as lightning and shockingly powerful. Chen Qingzhou flew backward and slammed hard into the County Yamen's wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Head Chen!" the constables cried. Some had already grabbed the hilts of their sabers.

"Don't move!" Chen Qingzhou struggled to his feet and raised a hand to stop his hotheaded subordinates. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice still steady. "Young Master Sun, what is the meaning of this?"

Sun Yu sneered, his gaze sweeping over the constables like a blade. "My younger brother is dead, yet you useless lot are still alive and well. No one from the Sun Family is going to die without an explanation."

Ye Yun stood among the crowd, his gaze turning cold. Sun Yu's kick had clearly carried hidden force. Chen Qingzhou looked unharmed on the surface, but his internal organs had been badly injured. If Chen Qingzhou hadn't had some martial arts skill himself, he would have already collapsed.

"The garrison has already made a detailed record of the bandit raid..." Chen Qingzhou explained with difficulty.

"Shut up!" Sun Yu cut him off sharply. "Tell me, did you find any unusual objects during the raid?"

Ye Yun's heart stirred. As expected, Sun Yu hadn't come to investigate his brother's death.

Chen Qingzhou looked puzzled. "Everything we seized was recorded and catalogued. We didn't find any unusual objects..."

Sun Yu narrowed his eyes and suddenly reached out to seize Chen Qingzhou by the throat. "Are you sure?" His fingers tightened slowly, and Chen Qingzhou's face quickly flushed red.

"Young Master Sun!" Yan Xiao Liu couldn't help calling out. "We really didn't see anything unusual! Things were chaotic at the time, and the bandits were fleeing in all directions. Maybe..."

Sun Yu gave a cold snort and released Chen Qingzhou. "Take me to the place where you fought the bandits. Everyone, now!"

Half an hour later, the group reached the forest where the bandit raid had taken place. It was late autumn, and fallen leaves blanketed the ground, rustling underfoot. The traces of the battle had blurred with time. Only a few scorched patches of earth and broken trees still hinted at the ferocity of that bloody fight.

"Spread out, one person every ten paces. Search carefully," Sun Yu ordered. Then he took an exquisite copper disk from inside his robe. Intricate patterns covered its surface. "Report at once if you find anything unusual."

The constables exchanged glances, but still spread out as ordered. Ye Yun deliberately stayed behind, secretly watching Sun Yu. The young man held the copper disk as he walked slowly through the forest, stopping from time to time to adjust its direction. The patterns on its surface shimmered strangely in the sunlight, as if they could sense some unusual aura.

What is he looking for...? Ye Yun wondered. On the surface, however, he searched as earnestly as the other constables, pretending to rummage through the undergrowth.

After a long while, they still hadn't found anything. Sun Yu grew visibly impatient and suddenly raised his voice. "Everyone, come here!"

The constables gathered around Sun Yu. He took a sheet of paper bearing a design from inside his robe. "Do you see this mark?" It was a strange symbol, shaped like an eye, with tiny runes carved into its pupil. "This is the private seal of that Big Shot. Find the box bearing this seal. What's inside is worth more than all your lives put together!"

Ye Yun's pupils contracted. He had never seen that symbol before, yet it stirred a faint sense of familiarity, as though he'd heard of it somewhere.

"I'll show you how to identify the mark." Sun Yu took several wooden tokens carved with the same symbol from inside his robe and handed them out. "If a token grows warm within ten paces, it means the mark is nearby. Remember, whoever dares to conceal what they find..." His cold gaze swept over each person. "Your entire clan will be exterminated!"

The constables accepted the tokens fearfully and spread out to search again. Ye Yun held his icy-cold token, his mind filled with doubts. Whatever had made the Sun Family go to such lengths was no ordinary object. And judging by Sun Yu's attitude, he seemed certain it was somewhere at the site of the bandit raid...

"Brother Ye," Yan Xiao Liu whispered, edging closer. "I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. Could the thing the Sun Family's looking for be..."

"Shh..." Ye Yun gently shook his head, signaling him to say no more. Just then, the token in his hand suddenly grew faintly warm!

Ye Yun's heart leapt. He pretended to adjust his boot and crouched down, realizing the token's warmth came from an inconspicuous mound of earth to his front right. He carefully glanced around. The other constables were all searching with their heads down, while Sun Yu and his two guards were talking in the distance. No one was paying attention to him.

Ye Yun gently nudged the fallen leaves on the mound aside with the tip of his boot. A glint of metal caught his eye. It was a copper box, clearly engraved with the same eye-shaped symbol as the one on the token!

This is... Ye Yun hesitated over whether to report it, when a bone-chilling sensation suddenly swept over him. He jerked his head up and met Sun Yu's sinister eyes—somehow, the man had already turned to look his way!

"You! Come here!" Sun Yu barked, pointing at Ye Yun.

Ye Yun's heart raced, but not a trace of it showed on his face. He rose calmly, discreetly kicking the copper box deeper into the mound and covering it again with fallen leaves.

"What did you find?" Sun Yu strode over, his gaze as keen as an eagle's.

Ye Yun spread his hands and put on a bewildered expression. "Reporting to Young Master Sun, this humble one didn't find anything."

Sun Yu stared into Ye Yun's eyes, as though trying to see through his soul. Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a sudden cry came from the distance. "Found it! Over here!"