The Dead

If Steward Li hadn't told him to teach Shen Chu that day, if Shen Chu hadn't talked back to him, he wouldn't have seized the chance to leave the Li Family;

If he hadn't left the Li Family, he wouldn't have ended up in this state!

The root of it all was that damned Steward Li and Shen Chu!

Just as Han Tieshan was drowning in boundless resentment, a deep voice rang in his ears, again and again:

"From the flames of tribulation, the Red Lotus blooms; the pure and turbid trade places, and the world is remade. A dynasty gathers a hundred sufferings; the primal force delivers all living beings!"

"Han Tieshan, your resentment runs deep. Only by joining my Red Lotus Sect can you attain true freedom!"

Han Tieshan jerked his head up. A group of people stood at the doorway.

The man at the front wore neither joy nor sorrow on his face. The words just spoken had come from him.

Behind him stood a crowd of refugees, all wearing expressions of fervent zeal!

After the incident with Han Tieshan, Shen Chu finally settled in at the Li Family.

His life fell into an unchanging routine. He spent his days forging blades and practiced his fists in private. He rarely left the house, living like a wooden stake rooted in the Li Family.

Though Li Chengwen had developed some goodwill toward Shen Chu because of what had happened with Li Jiwu, at first he paid him little attention.

But as time went by, he realized Shen Chu was utterly different from everyone else.

When others had free time, they gathered to drink, gamble, and chatter about nothing. Shen Chu never joined them.

The only other one who kept to himself was Sun Ping. The two of them quietly hammered away at blades in the courtyard.

"Master Sun and Shen Chu really are diligent workers," Li Chengwen remarked to Steward Li in private.

Steward Li seized the opportunity to advise him. "Young Master, when you get down to it, the whole affair with Han Tieshan happened because we usually paid too little attention to the masters working under us. That gave the Second Young Master a chance to take advantage. Now Master Sun has been promoted to low-grade weapon smith, and Shen Chu is a diligent young man with potential. Why not take this opportunity to win over the people in the Sword-Forging Courtyard?"

For once, Li Chengwen took his advice to heart.

Over the next few days, he started dropping by the Sword-Forging Courtyard every so often. Sometimes he brought meat and wine to treat everyone; other times he sat down and chatted with the masters about everyday matters. If someone had too much work on his hands, Li Chengwen would even arrange for extra help.

At lunchtime, several old bladesmiths sat together to eat.

One of them picked up a piece of red-braised pork, streaked with fat and lean meat, and clicked his tongue in amazement. "Hey, have you noticed? The First Young Master's like a different person lately. He's here every few days, and we don't even have to go to the canteen anymore. They send the food right over!"

"Isn't that the truth!" another man said with a laugh. "The First Young Master used to show up only a few times a year, and whenever he did, he'd wear a long face. Now he's bringing us wine and asking after our well-being. I'm still not used to it."

"What's wrong with that?" a third man chimed in. "When the First Young Master treats us well, we work with more enthusiasm. It's a lot better than before, when Han Tieshan and his people took all the benefits and we couldn't even get a taste."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and a warm, harmonious mood settled over the courtyard.

Steward Li stood not far away, listening to them, his heart swelling with satisfaction.

When the First Young Master did well, he, as steward, naturally rose along with him. After all these years working under the First Young Master, he had finally made it through the hard times.

That evening, Steward Li was in high spirits, so he invited a few old friends out for drinks.

They clinked cups and poured wine for one another until the moon rose above the willow branches. Only then did Steward Li bid them farewell, drunk and swaying, before making his way alone toward the back gate of the Li Residence.

The night breeze was cool, and the alley was deserted.

Steward Li leaned against the wall, still humming a little tune. Just after he turned the corner and neared the back gate of the Li Residence, his vision suddenly went black.

At daybreak the next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

A scream rang out from the alley behind the Li Residence, followed by a flurry of hurried footsteps.

Several servants who had risen early to go shopping found Steward Li sprawled on the flagstones.

His complexion looked normal, and there were no visible injuries on his body. But his eyes were wide open, deep terror frozen in his pupils, as though he had seen something horrifying just before he died.

The news spread quickly. The authorities sent constables to the scene. They covered Steward Li's body with a white cloth and cordoned off the area.

Several constables stood nearby, speaking in low voices.

"Brother, you've been doing this for decades. Have you ever seen someone die like this?"

"Never. Not a scratch on him, and his clothes are perfectly neat. It doesn't look like he was beaten or struggled. But look at those eyes—staring like copper bells. He must've been terrified out of his wits."

"Could he have run into something supernatural? Lately, around here..."

"Do you want to get yourself killed? Stop spouting nonsense! If you ask me, he probably drank too much and died suddenly. I've seen plenty of people like that. They look fine on the outside, but their insides can't take it anymore."

"But what about his eyes...?"

"Muscle spasms when he died, that's all. His muscles stiffened, so it's normal that he couldn't close them."

As they were talking,

Master Li led the way out, with Li Chengwen and Li Jiwu close behind. The three of them strode over.

Master Li's face was grave. He exchanged a few words with the servants, his brow furrowing.

Li Chengwen crouched down and reached for the white cloth, but a constable stopped him.

"First Young Master, please accept our condolences. We shouldn't move the body just yet."

Li Chengwen's hand froze in midair, and his eyes reddened at once.

Though he usually ordered Steward Li around and scolded him at the slightest provocation, he knew Steward Li was the person he trusted most.

If Steward Li hadn't managed all the affairs of the Sword-Forging Courtyard behind the scenes these past years, Li Chengwen would never have been able to hold his head up in front of his father.

"Old Li..."

Li Chengwen felt a pang of sorrow and called out softly.

Li Jiwu stepped forward as well, grief on his face. He patted Li Chengwen gently on the shoulder and sighed. "Elder Brother, you have my condolences. Steward Li spent most of his life working for our Li Family. He certainly did his best."

He spoke words of comfort, but inside, he was already overjoyed.

With Steward Li dead, his elder brother had lost an arm in the Sword-Forging Courtyard. It was as if Heaven itself were helping him.

Master Li took a deep breath and turned to the constables. "Officers, have you found out what happened?"

The leading constable cupped his hands and laughed it off. "Master Li, we've examined him preliminarily. Your steward has no injuries at all, and it doesn't look like anyone attacked him. He also drank last night. If you ask me, he most likely drank too much and died of alcohol poisoning. We see things like this all the time, so there's no need to worry too much."

The constable clearly didn't want to make trouble.

He was eager to close the case as soon as possible, so he tossed out the easiest explanation.

Master Li furrowed his brow and lifted the white cloth to look once more.

At some point, Steward Li's eyes had closed, and his face had returned to a peaceful, normal expression. He did indeed look as if he had died drunk.