At the same time, Arima residence, Gelin City.
Arima Yukito's father was named Arima Hikaru. Usually, he was a stern, composed middle-aged man. Whenever his expression darkened even slightly, countless people would fall silent in fear.
But today, his hands would not stop shaking.
Arima Hikaru hid in the secret chamber behind his study, gathering up gold, silver, and valuables. Beneath the chamber was a hidden passage leading directly outside the city.
Run.
He had to run immediately.
"Arima Hikaru! Your mother is dead!"
"Get the hell out here!"
Several Gelin City officials were shouting outside. Through the shadows passing beyond the window, he could clearly see that they were holding knives, their voices filled with hatred.
Normally, these officials would drop to their knees before Arima Hikaru without hesitation. Now, they could not wait to tear him apart.
But Arima Hikaru understood them.
What kind of person was Lin Qing?
Different people had different answers.
But to people like Arima Hikaru, Lin Qing was a god of calamity.
Think of County Magistrate Senmura.
Think of the previous Feudal Lord of the Land of Water.
By now, officials in nearly every major nation shared a common understanding—
"Lin Qing had an utterly irrational favoritism toward those commoners lower than frog piss. He would kill officials without reason, just because they had collected a little extra tax."
Because of that, officials in every major nation had become somewhat more restrained than before, and they had reached a consensus:
Do whatever you wanted, just do not draw that god of calamity here.
And now, because of that bastard Arima Yukito, Lin Qing had been brought here.
Forget the bureaucrats outside—even Arima Hikaru himself, upon seeing his son in the family portrait hanging in the secret chamber, could not help but curse under