Atop the walls of Anyii City, a man with brows like autumn blades and bright, shining eyes hurried past in official robes.
The rising sun hung high, its fierce light stretching ten thousand miles.
He pressed a hand to his sword as he entered the arrow tower, but just as he stepped into that patch of shadow, he suddenly looked back.
He saw the blazing sun on the horizon abruptly bloom with a red skirt of color amid the boundless dawnlight, then spread into vast clouds of crimson, like blood, like fire.
There was no other unusual movement, yet he distinctly heard a voice ask—
Was there righteousness in this world?
Yan Shaofei turned back and walked into the arrow tower.
His features were wholly obscured by shadow, though it was also a patch of cool shade.
Wei State was his great tree, and he was a tree to many others as well.
Today, he was the Great Wei inspector of peace.
This post had been created especially for him by the Son of Heaven of Great Wei. It held the authority to inspect crimes and maintain public order, yet was not supervised by the Three Offices. He received rank and salary but bore no accountability. There had never been such an office since ancient times; he alone held it in All-Under-Heaven City. This showed how highly the Son of Heaven valued him.
With official robes upon him, he was no longer a wandering hero!
Once, he had ridden with his sword for a thousand miles, crying out whenever he encountered injustice. Now, he sheathed his edge for the state, guarding its borders and bringing peace to its people.
He did not feel that he was nobler now than before, nor did he believe he had lost his backbone.
It