Senior Brother Zheng arrived.
The scene was a complete mess: two sides stood facing off, with a corpse lying between them.
This was the worst possible outcome, bearing directly on his career assessment. One characteristic of the Quanzhen Sect was that it fed no idlers. Cultivation and work went hand in hand; spending every day meditating in seclusion in a cave abode was out of the question. Everyone was assigned a post.
To cultivate was to enter the world; to enter the world was to cultivate.
Promotion rested on two things: advancing in cultivation or handling affairs competently. Advancing in cultivation was not easy, but working conscientiously was entirely achievable. At the very least, it could earn someone a posting with richer pickings, greater importance, or fewer demands.
Now, his two years of hard work in the outer courtyard had gone to ruin. He was already at the Bridge Linking realm; would this incident affect the resources supplied for his advancement to the next realm?
He went straight to the corpse. A touch told him there was no saving the man: his heart had been sliced in two, and a major artery severed in the process. There might not have been much blood at the scene, but it had all pooled inside the body...
An experienced killer!
A few brief exchanges established the whole story. No one dared lie here, because their accounts would not stand up to a review of what had happened. The only thing they could put their own spin on was their state of mind: for instance, that they had only come to joke around, not deliberately stir up trouble, much less force their way into a private residence.
Senior Brother Zheng stared coldly at the killer. He truly had not expected someone who appeared so mild, deferential, courteous, and law-abiding to strike with such ruthless brutality, leaving no room whatsoever.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Hou Niao bowed. "Under the Great Shan Law, when someone trespasses into a private residence carrying a deadly weapon and refuses to leave when warned, I have the right to defend myself.
"I warned them three times in all, and sent a message talisman at the first opportunity. I said everything I should have said and did everything I should have done. There was nowhere left for me to retreat. I ask you to judge the matter fairly, Senior Brother!"
Senior Brother Zheng was furious, but knew he could not lose his temper now. More and more cultivators had gathered around, and everything he did now represented the Quanzhen Sect's dignity. He could not give these habitually unruly fellows anything to seize on, much less leave the Venerable Masters with the impression that he was incompetent.
He turned toward the drinking party. "You trespassed into another person's residence. Whether you were joking around or merely passing by makes no difference to me: you were the source of this trouble. I will report everything that happened today for consideration in deciding whether you are admitted. Now disperse."
Although he was only a Bridge Linking cultivator, just one or two minor stages above those present, and the gap in strength might not have been that great, he represented the Quanzhen Sect now. No one dared challenge him.
Then he pointed at Hou Niao. "You, come back with me!"
Under the onlookers' gazes, the two returned single file to the outer courtyard's steward's office. Senior Brother Zheng brewed himself a pot of tea, considering just how he should handle this affair.
Hou Niao stood ramrod straight without saying anything more, merely watching Senior Brother Zheng leaf through a dossier. There was no need to guess whose it was: it had to be his.
Only after a long while did Senior Brother Zheng let out a long breath, close the dossier, and snort.
"A criminal investigator? Convicted of killing someone in court? It seems you knowingly broke the law and refuse to mend your ways despite repeated correction!"
He leaned back in his chair. "Tell me, then. How should I deal with you?"
Hou Niao offered his advice in all seriousness. "You cannot punish me, because none of us has joined the sect yet. This was merely a feud of the martial world, something perfectly normal among rogue cultivators.
"My suggestion is to inform all the cultivators in the outer courtyard, rectify conduct and restore order, and publicize this incident as a positive teaching example!
"At the same time, promote character education for new disciples after admission. Draw broader lessons from this one case, learn from past mistakes to prevent future ones, and cure the illness to save the patient."
Senior Brother Zheng stared at him. This was not merely a thug, but a legal shyster! It really was a good approach. It might not entirely absolve him of inadequate supervision, but it could minimize the incident's repercussions. A Venerable Master might even appreciate his flexible handling of the matter.
But he did not want to let this fellow off so easily, not when he had killed someone and still acted as though he had every right. The Demonic Sect did not care about killing, but it cared a great deal about internal harmony.
"Flies don't settle on an egg without cracks. Why did these people single you out? I think there are still omissions and falsehoods in your account! You may not be entirely blameless!"
Hou Niao said quietly, "Senior Brother, they weren't looking for me. They were looking for Young Lady Xiao! I didn't mention it earlier because I was afraid word would get out and damage the Outer Residence's reputation, as well as yours..."
Young Lady Xiao's change of residence had been arranged through this very Senior Brother Zheng. Hou Niao could work out with his backside that there had to be some connection involved, which was why he had nothing to fear.
Sure enough, once he heard these people's true purpose, Senior Brother Zheng found it a little hard to maintain his composure. "Really?"
Hou Niao nodded. "Really! As for why Young Lady Xiao left that courtyard in the first place, I suspect she sensed something too, but was too embarrassed to make it public. For a great household like theirs, reputation matters. And I ended up shouldering the blame. Wouldn't you say I've been wronged?"
Senior Brother Zheng finally untangled the matter. He did, of course, have some ties to the Dugu Household, so if they picked this affair apart, he too had played a certain role in it-a role that would be very difficult to explain clearly.
Fortunately, those bastards would not volunteer that information, and this Hou Niao knew what mattered. In that case...
"You were still too impulsive..."
Hou Niao readily admitted his fault. "Yes, I was too impulsive. There wasn't much room left to retreat at the time, and you were still on your way..."
Senior Brother Zheng turned it over in his mind and found that this shyster's proposal really was the best solution. Who cared about the dead man? As long as everyone still alive was doing well, that was what truly counted.
"Hou Niao, which Venerable Master did you meet during your assessment?"
Hou Niao replied respectfully, "Li Chuping, Commandant Li."
Senior Brother Zheng remembered. Hadn't Daoist Wang personally brought him over, too?
The three leading figures of the Great Wind Plains were responsible for this large-scale Quanzhen recruitment: Governor You Sunzhi, Gentleman General Gao Jianli, and Commandant Li Chuping. Commandant Li might rank last among the three, but he had formidable backing, and the Commandant Prefecture under his control had authority over internal investigations. He was not someone to offend lightly.
He certainly found himself a mighty thigh to cling to!
The three were the chief officials, but rarely participated in assessing disciples themselves. They were not the only senior Profound Connection cultivators of the Quanzhen Sect in Jincheng, either. Since Commandant Li had personally given his approval, the handling of this matter required care, lest Senior Brother Zheng offend someone without even realizing it.
Such was the reality of the Quanzhen Demonic Sect. Its ties to the mortal world were close, ensuring that the authorities could act decisively. Of course, there were many disadvantages too, but that was another matter.
When it came to controlling developments in the mortal world, the Demonic Sect truly lacked the Daoist Sect's ability to lift heavy burdens as though they weighed nothing. That was the difference in their philosophies: ordinary mortals were more receptive to the Daoist approach.
He waved a weary hand. "Go back for now. I'll think about it some more."
Providing you with The Sword Was Originally Demonic by the acclaimed author Duo Duo.