Intolerable

Dong Commandery, south of the commandery city, Clearwater Alley.

Two figures paced through the alley.

Both wore black uniforms with Wild Goose Sabers at their waists—the standard attire of the Pacification Office's black-clad runners in Dong Commandery.

There was only a single small courtyard in the alley.

From within came the intermittent, alluring murmurs of a woman.

Outside the courtyard gate, one black-clad runner complained under his breath:

"Fuck, why haven't the boss and that bastard Xu Ping started yet?! It's making me itch too."

He looked toward the other runner at the gate, his eyes turning cold.

One hand holding his cap, the other gripping his saber hilt, he threw out a half-hearted kick and cursed,

"You idiot Shen Yi, don't fucking give me that sour face. I can't fuck women, but can't I fucking beat you?!"

The runner called Shen Yi shifted slightly backward.

Avoiding the kick.

Without saying a word, he merely moved farther away.

His arms crossed over his chest, he leaned against the wall at an angle, his entire body melting into the shadows.

"Fuck, at least you know what's good for you!"

"You know damn well you piss me off!"

The runner muttered under his breath.

Then he spewed a string of filthy insults, every sentence thick with vulgarities.

Hearing those grating, ugly words, Shen Yi still showed no reaction, only pressing his lips tightly together.

Such humiliation and abuse.

He had heard it far too many times over the past half month.

Shen Yi often wondered.

What sin had he committed in his previous life to transmigrate into such a world, neither human nor ghost.

Half a month ago.

Shen Yi's soul had crossed over. After absorbing the original owner's memories, he learned that he was a lowliest black-clad runner of the Pacification Office.

Under normal circumstances,

it was actually not a bad position.

He counted as an unofficial employee of the state, with drought or flood, his pay remained secure.

Especially now, when the emperor was critically ill with no heir and the feudal lords had carved up the land, in this turbulent age before chaos erupted, the Pacification Office was bound to be a prize courted by every faction.

At the very least, Shen Yi had a great tree against which he could lean for a little shade.

Yet reality was nothing like that.

In the original owner's memories.

Shen Yi was an orphan, both parents dead.

Before his father died, he had spent every last saving to buy him this job as a black-clad runner, hoping to ensure his son a peaceful life for the rest of his days.

But in the eyes of the other black-clad runners, such a background meant he had no patron, making him someone anyone could bully and trample.

Most directly, Shen Yi had suffered bitterly under the bullying of his immediate superior, Captain Niu Ben.

Verbal abuse was commonplace. Every few days, he was beaten like a sandbag for Niu Ben and his lackeys to enjoy.

It was not as if Shen Yi had never considered resisting.

But Niu Ben had connections in the Pacification Office, and he himself was a Captain, officially entered into the Pacification Office's rolls.

His uncle was named Cui Kui, a Squad Leader of the Pacification Office.

A Black Guard Squad Leader held the power of life and death over lowly black-clad runners like them.

With a single word, he could expel Shen Yi from the Pacification Office. Afterward, he could casually kill him and toss him into a mass grave, and no one would ask after him.

After all, in this age where bandits ran rampant.

There were countless nameless corpses by the roadside, left uncared for.

When Shen Yi had first transmigrated, he had nearly been unable to endure it as well. Whenever he was bullied and beaten, countless times he had wanted to rise up and fight for his life.

But unfortunately.

Shen Yi's aptitude for martial arts was mediocre too.

The Pacification Office had taught him a set of Wind Severing Blade techniques and a set of Bone Dislocation Hand techniques, but he had only barely entered the door with either, unable to grasp their true essence.

He was no match for Niu Ben.

Not to mention that Niu Ben always kept two lackeys at his side, leaving Shen Yi no chance to launch a secret attack.

So he had kept desperately enduring.

Even if he felt that living in such a world was worse than death.

He still had to find an opportunity to drag someone down with him!

Yet endurance itself was a torment.

A vile man like Niu Ben naturally did not reserve his evil solely for Shen Yi.

The duty of Captains and black-clad runners had originally been to patrol the streets and stand guard, protecting the peace of one area. Yet Niu Ben had become the tyrant of the Southern District.

He bullied the common people and ran wild without restraint.

Over the past half month, Shen Yi had seen Niu Ben bully civilians and harass respectable women in the streets several times, each time burning with rage.

Yet Xu Ping and Liu Fang, Niu Ben's two lackeys, noticed the disgust in him and beat him viciously instead, leaving him unable to get up for days.

And after Niu Ben discovered Shen Yi's loathing, whether out of perverse amusement or some twisted mentality.

Whenever he went out afterward, he insisted on bringing Shen Yi along, especially when he was oppressing the local people and bullying others.

As though he could draw some warped pleasure from it.

Today, Niu Ben had said he was coming to Clearwater Alley to play with women, and once again insisted on bringing Shen Yi, preferably making him listen outside to their noises.

But Shen Yi knew exactly what Niu Ben was plotting.

After they were done, whether the woman was dead or crippled, they would pin all the blame on Shen Yi.

That way.

They got their pleasure, while Shen Yi took the blame.

Then Niu Ben would pin the charge of dereliction of duty and wanton murder on him. The Pacification Office uniform on his back would definitely be stripped away.

At that point, he would be completely at others' mercy.

Death would not be far off.

Shen Yi had learned of this scheme by accidentally overhearing Niu Ben and his two lackeys plotting.

Yet Shen Yi had no chance to run either.

Leaving aside that deserting the Pacification Office was also a grave crime that would bring pursuit, Liu Fang followed Shen Yi every moment, precisely because he feared Shen Yi might flee.

Then they would have nothing left to play with.

In the darkness, Shen Yi's thoughts raced.

After turning it over and over in his mind, perhaps his only choice was to risk his life and escape the commandery city.

Then he could become a bandit gathering in the mountains and forests.

That would still be freer than this.

Just as Shen Yi leaned against the wall, staring at Liu Fang while still wavering in his heart, the lewd sounds from inside suddenly changed in tone, becoming utterly terrified!

Shen Yi's eyes flew open.

He focused and listened carefully.

Faintly, he heard the woman's panicked voice from inside:

"Master Niu, Master Niu..."

"What are you doing?!"

"Someone will... will die..."

Then a coarse voice, laced with a lascivious laugh, rang out. "Heh heh, what do you think I'm doing..."

"If I weren't going to play with something special, why would I lower myself enough to come to Clearwater Alley?"

Suddenly, unlike the seductive softness from before, a shrill scream burst from inside the house, piercing enough to cut through everything.

It was especially conspicuous in the dark of night.

"Xu Ping, you idiot, shut her mouth already!"

"What if she draws people here?!"

But there were no respectable households near Clearwater Alley. Even if others heard the scream, they would only sigh to themselves that they were playing far too rough.

Inside the house.

A burst of angry shouting and furniture crashing together immediately followed.

Then, faintly, came Niu Ben's wild laughter again and again, along with the woman's pained wails.

Outside the courtyard stood Shen Yi.

His fists clenched tightly. Those anguished cries seemed to urge Shen Yi to make up his mind.

Yet no matter how tightly he clenched his fists or dug his nails into his palms, he seemed unable to suppress the rage that had built up for so long!

If he did not gamble today!

Once he was framed in the future, he would have even less chance to turn things around!

Shen Yi made his decision and moved several steps closer to the gate. Watching Liu Fang scratch at his ears and cheeks in excitement, he heard him keep complaining under his breath:

"Fuck, the boss is playing something this exciting and brought Xu Ping instead of me. No way, I should get my turn to go in and have some fun later!"

From the corner of his eye, he caught Shen Yi approaching.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, making Shen Yi's face, dark as still water, impossible to see. Liu Fang impatiently waved a hand.

"What? You finally get it too? Kneel and beg the boss. Maybe he'll let you have a sip of the broth and break you in, heh heh..."

Shen Yi said nothing, only slowly raising a hand to rest on his saber hilt in the darkness.

At that moment, Niu Ben's voice drifted out from the courtyard again.

"Xu Ping, remember to leave her breathing."

"Later, let Liu Fang go in and enjoy himself. And Shen Yi, that idiot, has to watch too. Hahaha!"

Joy flashed through Liu Fang's eyes.

Heh.

The boss still remembered us!

But Shen Yi suddenly sprang into motion—if he did not erupt in silence, then he would perish in silence!

At worst, he would die. He fucking would not endure this anymore!

Clang! The long saber left its sheath!