April fifth.
On the imperial road leading to Southern Yu Prefecture.
The sky was washed a clear blue, with a few white clouds suspended overhead. Gentle sunlight spilled onto the ground.
A carriage slowly made its way toward Southern Yu Prefecture.
"Southern Yu Prefecture is another six hours away. There's a tea stall up ahead that serves the prefecture's authentic cooling tea. You two have worked hard preparing for the Prefectural Examination, so we brothers would like to treat you to some tea and take a short rest. What do you think?"
The driver spoke from the carriage. He was one of Cheng Lidong's subordinates.
Over the past few days, Chen Xinghe had remained aloof and proud, rarely speaking with the two men. Xu Qingxiao, however, was a shrewd judge of people. They had been somewhat wary of one another at first, but later, Xu Qingxiao would strike up conversations now and then, explain a few things to them, and occasionally tell stories when there was nothing to do, easing the tedium of the journey.
It was through these conversations that the two men had lowered their guard around Xu Qingxiao. They had even become fairly friendly.
After all, they were merely subordinates-Cheng Lidong's subordinates-and bore no deep grudge against Xu Qingxiao. Besides, even if Cheng Lidong suspected Xu Qingxiao of practicing an unorthodox art, at least he appeared perfectly normal right now.
And there was no evidence whatsoever.
"Of course. I've long heard that Southern Yu Prefecture's cooling tea is famous, so I certainly have to try it. But let me pay. You brothers have escorted us all this way. If we made you pay for our tea too, wouldn't that show a lack of manners on our part?"
Xu Qingxiao lifted the carriage curtain and spoke with a broad smile.
"You're too polite, too polite! It's only a little tea money. Brother Qingxiao, we're constables, after all, and our monthly pay is decent. Let us cover the tea."
The driver replied.
His name was Yang Bao, and the other man was Yang Hu. They were brothers.
They were good-natured and talkative. Besides, Xu Qingxiao and Chen Xinghe were traveling to take the Prefectural Examination. Whether they passed or not, they were at least scholars. These days, most people respected scholars, especially men serving in official posts.
Xu Qingxiao might become their superior one day, so it was only natural to show him some courtesy.
He did not argue over the tea money.
Xu Qingxiao smiled and nodded.
Then he returned to the carriage. Chen Xinghe was still reading. Xu Qingxiao had also spent much of the past few days reading, though he would always stop midway to ponder.
The main reason was motion sickness. Road construction in ancient times was nothing special, and even imperial roads had steep stretches. Whenever the carriage picked up speed, the whole thing rocked and swayed, leaving Xu Qingxiao nauseated.
And that was with his strong constitution. An ordinary person would probably have thrown up already.
Chen Xinghe, on the other hand, remained utterly still. Xu Qingxiao could not help admiring him.
Less than an hour later.
At last, the carriage reached a tea stall.
Yet the tea stall was utterly deserted. The stall was still there, but there was not a single customer. Even the area outside had been cleared away. Only an old man remained, packing things up.
"Shopkeeper, why are you packing up in broad daylight? Not doing business anymore?"
Seeing this, Yang Bao, who was driving, called out to question the old man.
The old man was packing up when he saw Yang Bao's official uniform, and immediately grew respectful.
"Sir, it's not that I don't want to do business. Strange things have been happening in Southern Yu Prefecture lately. There's a demon eating people, and the prefectural authorities have posted a notice. How would I dare keep doing business? I can only go home for a while and come back once this is over."
"But if you gentlemen would like some cooling tea, I'll prepare it for you now."
The old man was very respectful toward the officers.
"A demon eating people? What nonsense is that? We're less than thirty li from the prefectural capital. If there really were a demon, someone from the city would have come to suppress it long ago."
Yang Bao's first reaction was disbelief.
Demons might be causing havoc throughout the world, but that did not mean they were as numerous as hairs on an ox. It was like theft and robbery: such things happened everywhere, but that did not mean they happened everywhere at every moment.
It was simply a matter of how serious the problem was.
Hearing Yang Bao's words, the old man's face crumpled.
"Sir, that's what I thought too, but what can I do? The prefecture has issued a notice. Look, this is it. I was going to put it up before leaving."
"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll prepare the cooling tea."
The old man placed the prefecture's notice on the table. He was miserable too. Everyone in the surrounding villages knew how good his cooling tea was. He earned at least several taels of silver every day, but now a man-eating demon had thrown everyone into a panic.
He was miserable too.
"All right. Sorry for the trouble, shopkeeper."
Yang Bao was not the sort to bully ordinary people. He was simply parched from the journey. Besides, he had promised to treat Xu Qingxiao to cooling tea. Wouldn't it be embarrassing to spoil the occasion?
While the old man went to prepare the tea.
Xu Qingxiao also climbed out of the carriage.
Hearing little activity outside, he decided to get down and have a look.
"Brother Bao, Brother Hu, what's wrong?"
Xu Qingxiao stepped down from the carriage and looked at the two men curiously.
"Nothing much. The tea stall's owner says a man-eating demon has appeared in Southern Yu Prefecture. The prefectural capital has issued a notice warning the public."
Yang Bao pointed at the notice on the table.
"A man-eating demon?"
Somewhat surprised, Xu Qingxiao turned his gaze to the notice.
[Notice] Wuchang Year One. March twenty-fifth. A demon has been wreaking havoc. The authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Traveling merchants, traders, visitors, and other travelers in all areas are advised to exercise caution. Upon noticing anything unusual, report it to the authorities immediately. Do not linger. Notice issued by the prefectural capital's yamen, Southern Yu Prefecture. Official seal: Li Guangxin, Prefectural Lord of Southern Yu Prefecture, Great Wei.
The notice was very brief.
Having lived two lives, Xu Qingxiao understood one principle: the fewer the words, the bigger the trouble.
"Demons sowing chaos in remote, impoverished places is one thing. But daring to commit evil around Southern Yu Prefecture? Isn't that courting death?"
Xu Qingxiao looked away, somewhat puzzled.
Demons harming people was not particularly rare, but they generally chose remote, impoverished places. After all, the sky was high and the emperor far away, and incidents in small places were difficult to investigate.
The imperial court had repeatedly stationed troops and established numerous agencies and organizations, but the results had been poor.
They rarely chose places like a prefectural capital.
Such incidents were virtually impossible in the imperial capital, for instance. If one happened, it would disgrace the nation.
That was precisely why most ordinary people hoped to live in cities.
"Exactly. Southern Yu Prefecture has hundreds of counties and villages under it, large and small. There have been plenty of demon attacks there, but I've never heard of one in the prefectural capital. This demon is far too bold."
Yang Bao nodded in agreement with Xu Qingxiao.
"The court will stamp out this demonic scourge sooner or later. I heard His Majesty has already sent people to establish a new organization called the Embroidered Guard. They intend to select outstanding talents from across the land and cooperate with the Taoist sects."
"Their sole purpose is to deal with these demons and people who practice unorthodox arts."
Yang Hu spoke up. He had heard some information and shared it directly.
"The Embroidered Guard?"
This was the first time Xu Qingxiao had heard that name. It sounded a little like the Brocade Guard, though the Embroidered Guard sounded rather grander.
"Yes, the Embroidered Guard. They answer directly to His Majesty and wield enormous authority."
"Apparently, wherever they go in Great Wei-commanderies, prefectures, counties, towns, or villages-the local officials must cooperate fully. They have the authority to execute first and report afterward."
Yang Bao joined in, offering more information.
"Full cooperation from local officials, and authority to execute first and report afterward?"
Xu Qingxiao clicked his tongue. That authority really was absurdly vast.
The requirement for full cooperation alone showed how seriously the court took this. The authority to execute first and report afterward went even further.
For a dynasty, the judiciary was its backbone. Every matter, large or small, had to follow a set procedure.
Whether someone was executed or released, the case had to be reported up through each level of local government before the Court of Judicial Review examined it.
Responsibility lasted a lifetime, and names were recorded at every level.
If a wrongful conviction was discovered, the officials of the Court of Judicial Review suffered most, and then every level below them would suffer in turn.
The judiciary was the foundation of the nation.
But executing first and reporting afterward placed one above the judiciary. It was a double-edged sword. After all, no one was perfect. If they truly did something wrong or killed the wrong person, there was no controlling it.
Since ancient times, the greatest authority had been nothing more than the power to execute first and report afterward.
Good grief.
If I ever get the chance, I'll have to build good relations with people like that. Otherwise, if they set their sights on me, I won't even know how I died.
Xu Qingxiao made a mental note to be cautious.
He practiced an unorthodox art. Whether or not it could be detected, if someone discovered even a hint and reported it, these people would not hesitate over this and that the way Cheng Lidong did.
They would cut him down first and talk afterward.
While Xu Qingxiao was thinking, the old man brought over several bowls of cooling tea.
Yang Bao set down a few copper coins and warmly invited Xu Qingxiao to drink.
The cooling tea was clear and pale green. Xu Qingxiao held his bowl and was just about to drink when the Righteous Haoran Qi inside him suddenly surged.
In an instant, a cool sensation passed through his eyes. When he looked at the tea in his hands again, he saw a faint white mist rising from it.
"Something's wrong!"
"Don't drink it!"
Xu Qingxiao acted immediately, moving with extraordinary speed to knock the bowls from Yang Bao's and Yang Hu's hands.
Crash.
The bowls hit the ground and shattered.
The two men were confused, but they were not fools. Almost instantly, they put their hands on their saber hilts and scanned their surroundings warily.
Chen Xinghe sensed something from inside the carriage and immediately came out.
"The tea has been tampered with."
Xu Qingxiao wasted no words, stating the problem plainly.
They sucked in a sharp breath.
The Yang brothers were stunned. Both fixed their eyes on the old man, their gazes brimming with murderous intent.
"Sirs, sirs, I'm innocent! I'm innocent! How would I dare do anything like that?"
"Sir, I brewed this cooling tea myself. There can't be anything wrong with it!"
The old man was utterly terrified. He dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling with fear.
"Brother Bao, keep an eye on him. Brother Hu, sorry for the trouble, but protect my senior brother. I'll go inside and look."
Xu Qingxiao frowned. Something was definitely wrong with the tea. The Righteous Haoran Qi within him had detected something unnatural and reacted to protect him.
Otherwise, he would not have noticed anything either.
As for the old man, Xu Qingxiao did not know whether he was involved. He would at least have to investigate inside.
"Brother Qingxiao, I'll go in with you."
Yang Hu spoke, gripping his saber tightly. He was worried that Xu Qingxiao would encounter danger alone.
"No need. If they're using poison, they can't be that strong. Besides, I've entered the ranks, after all. I have no fear of evil spirits."
Xu Qingxiao shook his head. He was a Tenth Rank martial artist now, after all, and he also possessed Righteous Haoran Qi.
If the enemy was using poison, they could not be particularly strong. Otherwise, why would they need poison?
Simple logic allowed Xu Qingxiao to make the best judgment.
"All right. If you haven't come out within seven or eight minutes, Brother Xu, we'll kill this man first, then fight our way inside."
Yang Bao drew his saber and laid it against the old man's neck, speaking in earnest.
At those words, the old man fainted on the spot.
Xu Qingxiao nodded without concerning himself with that.
"Junior brother, I'll go in with you."
Chen Xinghe spoke up. He did not want to stay here under someone else's protection.
"No need. Wait here a moment, senior brother."
Without giving Chen Xinghe a chance to say anything more, Xu Qingxiao walked straight into the tea stall.
Before you continue