Midnight Meeting in the Small Pavilion

That night, inside a small pavilion in Yan Prefecture City.

This was a room with extremely simple furnishings, containing only a single person, a table, and a bed.

A small oil lamp sat upon the table.

Above the oil lamp, a cluster of flame danced, casting rings of radiance outward into the surroundings.

A few side dishes were also set upon the table, and the person beside the table was pouring drinks and drinking alone by this dim light.

Suddenly, a gust of wind leaked through the cracks in the window, blowing the flame upon the oil lamp into a ceaseless flicker and dance.

Following that, the wind grew stronger, directly blowing the window open with a wide gap.

The flame upon the oil lamp dimmed all at once, nearly extinguishing.

When the sound of the wind subsided, the suppressed flame leaped up once more, and the room restored its previous brightness.

"I wonder what brings the two of you here visiting in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Zhizhou looked at the two figures concealed within black robes standing before him, his tone calm.

"Xiaozhou..."

One black-robed person removed the Veil Hat draped over their head, revealing a delicate face.

It was unexpectedly Yang Qing, who had crossed paths with Jiang Zhizhou a few days prior at the Wild Boar Forest outside Yan Prefecture City.

Upon hearing that form of address, Jiang Zhizhou's breathing hitched violently.

Yet very quickly, after sweeping his gaze around Yang Qing's face, he reeled it back in.

"I wonder what important business brings Master Yang here at this late hour?"

The hand Yang Qing had been slightly raising also stiffened for a moment.

After a long while, he leaned over to take the tiny wine cup from the small table and drained the wine inside in a single gulp.

"Xiaozhou..."

Jiang Zhizhou abruptly cut off Yang Qing's opening: "The one who could call me that died ten years ago. This commoner and the esteemed official are complete strangers, so I ask the official not to make things difficult for this commoner."

Jiang Zhizhou finished speaking these few words almost through gritted teeth. A layer of frost slowly gathered upon his face.

Yang Qing spoke no further, his gaze falling upon the small oil lamp set aside.

The light of that dancing little flame projected onto his face, stirring up a faint, gloomy shadow.

The two people thus plunged once more into boundless silence.

In the end, it was Jiang Zhizhou who conceded.

A layer of bloodshot veins floated within his eyes, suppressing the surging waves churning endlessly within his heart.

Jiang Zhizhou spoke with a hoarse voice: "Since you have already escaped with your life, why have you returned now?"

"Do you know how deep the waters are in this place?"

"Do you know how my uncle, Jiang Yuan, died?"

Asking as he advanced toward Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou's body almost collided with Yang Qing's frame.

"Yang Qing, Yan Prefecture is a place of right and wrong, and it is not somewhere you ought to come. Take advantage of the time before anyone notices you and leave quickly."

"A blood debt of ten years must be avenged. Xiaozhou, you understand."

Yang Qing's hands were clenched tightly, the knuckles turning pale.

"I do not understand, I understand nothing at all!"

Yang Qing suddenly laughed: "Since you do not understand, why are you here, and why have you kept tracking the movements of those fierce bandits?"

Jiang Zhizhou glared at him: "Why I am here is not something Master Yang has the right to question."

"Lord Yang, please leave!"

Gazing at the resolute expression upon Jiang Zhizhou's face, Yang Qing ultimately did not utter a single word, merely letting out a slight sigh before departing.

Only that window remained, swaying gently.

Jiang Zhizhou sat upright beside the table, the flame upon the oil lamp casting his lonely back onto the window lattice, swaying unsteadily.

Outside the window, a few barks of a dog faintly drifted over.

The next day, Yan Prefecture City, the Li Household estate.

Inside the study, a person was writing furiously.

One could see him make only a few strokes, and a goshawk standing alone atop a giant boulder leaped onto the paper.

Thinking him likely very satisfied with his own painting, the painter nodded slightly, then gently laid his writing brush upon the brush rest.

He lifted the painting with both hands once more, sizing it up from top to bottom before finally placing it back in its original spot.

"Master..."

Seeing the hawk-painter lay down his brush, the steward Li Hai, who had been waiting on the side for a long time, hurried forward.

"Reporting to Master, word came from outside that the one surnamed Yang gained nothing at all in the Wild Boar Forest."

Li Yi let out a loud laugh: "If that greenhorn could catch a handle on us with the likes of your methods, I'd say you wouldn't need to stand here!"

The steward chimed in with a humble, flattering laugh: "That goes without saying, but it is rumored that Jiang Zhizhou also went to the Wild Boar Forest..."

"Jiang Zhizhou?" Li Yi furrowed his brows. "He still dares to return?"

"Word from the people outside is that it was indeed that brat Jiang Zhizhou, without a doubt. The one surnamed Yang even wanted to speak with him, but it's a pity they didn't exchange two words before Jiang Zhizhou had a falling out with the one surnamed Yang and ran off."

"Merely a seconded regional commander, does he truly believe he can stir up any great waves in this patch of land in Yan Prefecture?"

"However, this fellow surnamed Yang has high spirits when it comes to catching bandits. Pass down the word for those people to behave themselves these few days and not cause me any major trouble."

"Understood!" Having received his orders, the steward quickly withdrew.

Yet very shortly, he returned once more: "Master, the one surnamed Yang has come."

"Who?" Li Yi was stunned, but immediately recovered his wits: "So it turns out to be our regional commander. A visitor never calls without a purpose. Let's go meet him."

Yang Qing stood within the main hall, gazing with rapt attention at the "Tiger Descending the Mountain Painting" hanging upon the front hall.

A flattering voice suddenly drifted over from behind: "Unaware that Master Yang had arrived, this commoner Li Yi failed to welcome him from afar—forgive me, forgive me!"

Yang Qing whipped around, gazing at this middle-aged man with sharp light gleaming in his eyes, and smiled faintly: "The household head need not stand on ceremony."

"Master Yang's grand arrival at my humble home makes it shine with reflected glory. Such an honor is something this commoner could not even dream of. Please take a seat, Master Yang."

Li Yi gestured for Yang Qing to take the seat of honor, then turned his head to command: "Someone, serve tea!"

"This official heard that one of the two merchant caravans attacked in the Wild Boar Forest the other day was spearheaded by the Li Household?"

Yang Qing stood on no ceremony, lifting his robe's hem to take the seat of honor.

"Lord Yang truly is a good official deeply attached to the common people, but Yan Prefecture has always been like this—bandit troubles are rampant and repeatedly banned to no avail. Not only our Li Household, but the common folk of the entire Yan Prefecture City suffer deeply from this calamity. Yet life still must go on, and we can only scatter wealth to avert disaster." Li Yi heaved a heavy sigh.

"Could it be that you all have never thought of completely eradicating these bandit troubles?" Yang Qing asked.

"Eradicate them? Lord Yang, you know nothing of this. These bandits have deep-rooted influence in this place, and their networks of relations are extremely complex and tangled. To deal with them, how easy is it said? For the likes of us, wealth and such external possessions are things that can be remade once lost; as long as our lives remain, that is enough."

"So you simply watch those bandits ravage the region and remain unwilling to openly oppose them?"

"Otherwise, what else can be done?"

Yang Qing spoke no further, simply rising to his feet once more to cast his gaze back upon the "Tiger Descending the Mountain Painting".

After a long while, he spoke once more: "In that case, it would seem this official has worried needlessly."