The woman and the tiger

"The King of the Wheel, one of the Ten Courts of Yama?" Dong Qianqiu was stunned. "Why would a Yama try to assassinate the Great Emperor?"

"Even you find it suspicious, don't you?" Lady Houtu sighed. "As I see it, a Yama wouldn't have that much nerve, but someone above him would."

"I see..." Dong Qianqiu understood. "You mean the King of the Wheel was acting on orders from the Eastern Peak Great Emperor of Mount Tai, with the aim of killing the Northern Yin Great Emperor of Fengdu?"

"We don't know yet." Lady Houtu shook her head. "The judges are stepping up their interrogation of the King of the Wheel, but whatever the case, this is a major incident unlike anything that has happened since the Underworld was founded."

Dong Qianqiu finally understood the gravity of the whole affair.

"Lady Houtu, I understand," Dong Qianqiu said. "You want to know who the Legend Management Bureau would help if war really broke out? If that's the case, you should speak to the director, not an assistant like me."

"He Suoyi?" Lady Houtu curled her lip. "I don't like that man."

"You don't like him?"

"That's right. My intuition has always been accurate. Usually, I can tell at a glance whether someone is good or bad, but that He Suoyi... I can't see through him."

Dong Qianqiu gave a wry smile. "That doesn't mean the director is a bad person..."

"I never said he was." Lady Houtu returned to the subject and asked Dong Qianqiu, "Enough getting sidetracked. Tell me, what would you choose?"

Dong Qianqiu looked up at the three of them and said, "Then... Lady Houtu, what would you choose?"

Lady Houtu hadn't expected the question to be turned back on her. She gave a cold smile and said, "When two little children fight, naturally, I punish the one who struck first."

Her target went without saying: the Eastern Peak Great Emperor of Mount Tai.

Dong Qianqiu nodded. "I see. Although you've spoken to me heart to heart, I still have to apologize. The Legend Management Bureau's duty has always been to preserve the past, not to take the offensive. Even if war really breaks out, we can only do our own part."

"Ah..." Lady Houtu sighed. "Just as I thought. You won't help North Yin or Eastern Peak? Even if this Underworld is destroyed..."

"We've seen too much destruction, Lady Houtu," Dong Qianqiu said without a change in expression. "If war really breaks out this time, perhaps it will become a legend in the future, just like when the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor led the gods into battle. Though countless lives were lost and countless others wounded, it left behind moving legends. Only then will it fall within the scope of our work."

"Is that so..." Lady Houtu said, worry on her face.

"However, Lady Houtu, what I just expressed was only my own position. I don't know where our new Operator, Du Yu, stands," Dong Qianqiu said.

"Hmm?" Lady Houtu paused. "He... might choose differently?"

"Though Du Yu seems frivolous, I know he values personal bonds more than anyone. Perhaps it has something to do with his lonely upbringing. He treasures everyone's feelings, and he always repays a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. When Nine-Infant had Da Yi in its jaws, Du Yu grabbed an arrow and charged at Nine-Infant, simply because he considered Da Yi a friend. When Zhongli Chun was about to die in battle, Du Yu refused to abandon her even though he knew he had a way out, simply because Zhongli Chun cared about him. Though I don't know exactly what he'll choose, if war really breaks out, Du Yu will most likely stand with Cui Jue, Fan Wujiao, and Xie Bi'an."

"Ha!" Lady Houtu suddenly laughed. "Just as Wraith predicted. To win over the Operator, we must first win over the Eight Great Underworld Enforcers. The reason I had Du Yu enter their legends first was to establish where they stood. If they harbor thoughts of rebellion, I'll have Du Yu alter their histories so they can never become Underworld Enforcers."

"Erasing them at the root...?" Dong Qianqiu shook her head. "Du Yu won't necessarily obey an order like that."

"And that..." Lady Houtu looked at Dong Qianqiu. "Is why I kept you here, isn't it?"

Dong Qianqiu froze, sensing that the atmosphere had turned ominous. Was she really a hostage after all?

Just then, a little boy came skipping in through the door. He looked innocent and guileless, with a pair of deer antlers as well, and appeared to be only seven or eight years old.

"Old hag, old hag!" the child shouted as he ran.

"Oh, little Wraith is back? How did it go?" Lady Houtu asked.

The child called Wraith grabbed an apple off a table as soon as he entered and took big bites of it. "They got it out of him. The King of the Wheel did indeed attempt to assassinate the Northern Yin Great Emperor of Fengdu on the orders of the Eastern Peak Great Emperor of Mount Tai."

"So it's true?" Lady Houtu turned to Dong Qianqiu and said, "The war has already begun."

Du Yu stood before Cui Jue, who wore a thoughtful expression.

"Is what you just told me true? A fierce tiger ate someone, yet the old woman never reported it?"

"It's true, my lord." Du Yu nodded firmly. He had finally worked it out. There was no need for the old woman to report it herself. As long as he found a way to let Cui Jue know and got Fierce Tiger to cooperate, wouldn't everything flow naturally into place?

Following the account in the legend, Cui Jue would send Li Neng to arrest Fierce Tiger, interrogate him directly, and finally award him to the old woman as an adopted son in compensation.

This legend only needed Cui Jue and Fierce Tiger to take part. The old woman wasn't important.

Cui Jue nodded and told Du Yu, "You may leave. I'll handle this matter at once."

Du Yu was in excellent spirits. He was now well versed in intervening in legends. Sometimes, all it took was a little thought, and a difficult problem would fall apart like bamboo beneath a blade.

As Du Yu left the county office, he pondered silently. For some reason, something kept feeling off. This mission was clearly so simple, so why did it feel strange? Especially those suspicious points about the old woman...

"No..." Du Yu felt uneasy. "To be safe, I still need to see that old woman..."

He had barely gone a few steps when Du Yu ran into Constable Li.

"Isn't this Yuan Xiangqin, the newcomer from yesterday?" Constable Li asked.

"Oh, Constable Li. Something's come up, and I need to head out near Cloud Dream Mountain. Let's talk later!"

Watching Du Yu hurry away, Constable Li called after him, "Come back soon! His lordship just summoned me and said there was an urgent assignment."

"I know! That's why I'm going to Cloud Dream Mountain. I'll see you there in a bit!"

At the wooden house at the foot of Cloud Dream Mountain, Du Yu found the old woman for the second time.

"Officer, didn't this old woman make herself clear last time?" When she opened the door and saw Du Yu, displeasure plainly showed on her face. She turned sideways and tried to shut the door, but Du Yu hurriedly blocked it with his hand.

"You made yourself clear," Du Yu said. "I no longer care why you didn't report it, because I've already told the county magistrate for you. He promised me he would deal with it immediately. This will be resolved soon."

"What... did you say?" The old woman's eyes instantly widened.

"I said I've already reported it," Du Yu repeated.

The old woman stood stunned for a long while after hearing that, then silently turned around and searched for something on the table. Watching her back, Du Yu felt even more puzzled. He understood this old woman less and less.

After fumbling around for a while, the old woman finally found the Bone Blade on the table. She abruptly turned and slashed at Du Yu.

"Ah!" Du Yu jumped in fright. Fortunately, he had spent his recent days licking blood from the edge of a blade, and his reflexes had grown faster and faster. He twisted aside and rolled, putting distance between himself and the old woman.

"Ma'am, what are you doing? Trying to kill me?" Du Yu snapped.

"You... you..." The old woman's hands trembled violently with rage. "You actually reported it... to that damned corrupt official..."

"Corrupt official?"

Before Du Yu could figure out what she meant, Constable Li's voice came from behind him.

"Yuan Xiangqin, there you are!" Behind Constable Li were the two new Misfits from yesterday. All three carried bows and arrows, with blades at their sides. "Come with me. On Lord Cui Jue's orders, we're to execute the fierce tiger on this mountain today."

"Huh?" Du Yu froze, thinking he had misheard.

"Execute him on the spot?"

"You can't!" the old woman shouted, charging out of the house with the Bone Blade.

Du Yu froze. What was going on now?

Clutching the short Bone Blade, the old woman stood trembling before Li Neng and his two men. Seeing this, all three drew their blades.

"How dare you!" Li Neng roared. "Woman, what do you think you're doing?"

Du Yu hurried forward and stood in front of the old woman. "Constable Li, put your blades down first. Let's find out what's going on."

"Turning a blade on officers is already grounds for prosecution. What else is there to find out?" Li Neng snorted coldly, looking as though he had no intention of letting the old woman off.

"Brother Neng, Brother Neng! Calm down first!" Intent on protecting the old woman and terrified she might get hurt, Du Yu turned back to her and said, "Ma'am, you put your knife down too. It won't do anyone any good if this gets out of hand."

"No!" the old woman shouted. "No matter what, I won't let you go up the mountain and hurt Sihuang..."

"Sihuang?" Du Yu paused. The questions in his mind kept multiplying. It seemed this affair would never be over.

Li Neng stared at the old woman for a long while, a trace of puzzlement gradually appearing on his face. "You... could you be the woman who reported a case three years ago?"

The old woman said nothing. She only gripped the knife harder, her whole body beginning to shake.

Three years ago... she'd reported a case?

While Du Yu was still bewildered, trying to think of a way to resolve this, Li Neng slowly sheathed his blade.

"So it really is you?" Li Neng's expression was complicated, almost a smile but not quite, with a hint of amusement at her misfortune. "Since you're a madwoman, I won't hold this against you. Lord Cui Jue said an old woman's son was eaten by a fierce tiger. Was that you too? No matter how we tried to persuade you back then, you wouldn't listen. Now you've had a taste of the consequences."

It was as though some painful memory had been brought up. Tears as large as beans began streaming down the old woman's face, and soon she collapsed into a sitting position.

"Yuan Xiangqin, stop bothering with this old woman. Let's head up the mountain quickly. If we delay any longer, it'll be dark." With that, Li Neng turned toward the mountain path, taking the two men behind him along.

Knowing she was powerless, the old woman could only sit there and weep silently.

"Ma'am, don't worry," Du Yu told her before leaving. "I won't let them kill that fierce tiger. He's very important to me."

A glimmer of light gradually appeared in the old woman's cloudy eyes. "Really?"