Bang, bang, bang-
In the dead of night, a sudden pounding on the door shattered the silence of the summer evening.
Ye Xingge ran down the stairs. Hearing the front door creak under the pounding, he grew annoyed and thought to himself:
Which blind, reckless fool is this?
There are so many embroidered-robed kings of hell outside, and Mantanghong and the Flower Judge are upstairs, evenly matched. Is he looking to die?
But when he reached the main hall, he found the street outside ablaze with light, as though a great many torches had lit it up. Yet it was also eerily quiet. Apart from the pounding, there was no other sound.
What's going on?
Sensing something was wrong, Ye Xingge called out first:
"The inn is closed. Who is it?"
"It's me, your Uncle Wang. Quick, quick, quick, open up..."
Wang Shouyin's voice came again, but this time it lacked the elder's bearing he had shown earlier. Instead, it carried a trace of tension, as though someone had taken him hostage...
Ye Xingge frowned slightly, stepped forward, and removed the door bar before taking a cautious look.
Creak...
Outside the inn stood Constable Wang Shouyin, a lantern in his hand. When he saw Ye Xingge poke his head out, he pursed his lips and gestured behind him.
On the old flagstone street behind him stood more than twenty embroidered-robed officers in rust-green brocade robes, sabers at their waists and lanterns in their hands. By the look of things, they had surrounded the inn.
And in front of several of them sat an ornately carved sedan chair.
A military officer sat in the chair. He looked to be in his forties, wore a black gauze hat threaded with gold, and had carp embroidered on his voluminous brocade robe. His attire looked very formal.
But his face was exceedingly pale, without the texture of a woman's skin, and his dark, gleaming eyes were more like a snake's. He gave off a sense of danger that sent a chill down the spine...
"Xingge, this is Grand Commander Ruan of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion. Has Lord Luo retired?"
When Wang Shouyin had introduced the Flower Judge and brought her here to stay, he had been playing matchmaker for Ye Xingge and bringing him good news. This time, he was clearly bringing a death notice.
After all, Ye Xingge knew the Heaven-Observing Pavilion's four great commanders like the treasures in his own home: the Flower Judge, Luo Xuanqing; the Leopard General, Gongsun Yanwu; the Snake Eunuch, Ruan Jinyu; and the Ghost Scholar, Mei Wuchang.
One look at the man outside told Ye Xingge he was the Snake Eunuch, a former palace eunuch who oversaw intelligence and ranked among the top hundred martial artists under heaven!
Ye Xingge knew all this because the man had spent years gathering information on the world's experts and submitting it to the Heaven-Observing Pavilion.
People in the jianghu also regarded that list as the Gold List.
The eleven strongest people under heaven on it were honored as the First Rank. There was even a rhyme about them in the jianghu:
"One Lü, two Zhang, three Ming'an; four Liu, five Li, six Jingnan; seven Yun, eight Chu, nine beyond the court; one Cao, one Wu, guard the realm!"
The Cloud and Rain Tower, his first choice, held seventh place in the First Rank.
The Second Rank consisted of the next hundred people. Mantanghong was eighth, and the Flower Judge was fifteenth.
Ruan Jinyu ranked seventy-fourth in the Second Rank. It sounded a little unremarkable, but there was still a Third Rank below it on the Gold List!
Several hundred people were listed in the Third Rank. Like those who passed the imperial examination with the lowest degree, they were considered a little inferior.
But the list covered all of Later Zhou and Western Shu. Anyone whose name appeared on the Gold List was a marvel in a small county town!
Ruan Jinyu's ranking was enough to show his strength.
According to rumors on the streets, the four great commanders did not get along, and the Snake Eunuch in particular was notorious.
Seeing the scene outside, Ye Xingge knew in his heart that things were bad. He opened the door wide.
"My lords, please come inside."
But nobody outside moved.
The twenty-odd embroidered-robed officers on the street, and even Ruan Jinyu in the sedan chair, paid the innkeeper at the door no mind. Their gazes were fixed instead on the stairs in the main hall.
Tap, tap...
Amid the faint sound of footsteps, Luo Xuanqing descended slowly into the hall. Her voice floated out, ethereal and somewhat condescending:
"Commander Ruan, what have you come to report?"
The Heaven-Observing Pavilion's four great commanders held equal rank, but her tone was plainly that of someone questioning a subordinate.
The embroidered-robed officers outside, there to make a show of strength, all darkened slightly at her words.
Ruan Jinyu, however, remained composed. He raised a finger to tell his men to be polite, then spoke in a somewhat shrill voice:
"I was pursuing an assassin outside the city, but I heard that Mantanghong had yet to be caught and that Commander Luo had been injured. As your colleague, I was worried, so I came to see you.
"The city has now been sealed tight. Even with wings, the villain cannot escape. If you are unwell, Commander Luo, you may return to the capital to recuperate. I will handle the matter in Qingxi in your stead, and if anything goes wrong, the responsibility will be entirely mine."
Ye Xingge brought a chair for Luo Xuanqing and understood what Ruan Jinyu meant when he heard this.
Mantanghong was trapped; catching her was only a matter of time.
This damned eunuch wants to send Luo Xuanqing back and steal the credit...
Luo Xuanqing naturally would not agree to such an unreasonable demand. She sat down casually in the hall without so much as glancing outside.
"Even if one of my hands and one of my feet were injured, it would still be hard to say which of us was stronger, Commander Ruan. Mantanghong is beyond your ability to handle. Just attend to your own duties."
Seeing this, Ye Xingge silently praised her.
What domineering spirit! That's more like the Flower Judge...
Outside, Ruan Jinyu's expression soured at her words, but he showed no intention of slinking away.
"Commander Luo's martial prowess is known throughout the land, but taking a strike from Mantanghong is no easy thing to endure. You are staying alone at an inn now. If anything goes wrong because no one is watching over you while you recuperate, the consequences would be unthinkable. Even if you will not let me take over the pursuit, Lord Luo, for the sake of caution, you should at least recall some people to stand guard nearby."
Faced with all this meddling, Luo Xuanqing frowned and replied:
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"
"Ah."
Ruan Jinyu waved a hand.
"I am only worried that Lord Luo is too proud. You are injured, yet you will not let your subordinates watch over you. If something goes wrong, given your current condition, if Mantanghong were to slip in here, or even be 'harbored' at the inn..."
Fuck-?!
Ye Xingge had been eating melon and genuinely hadn't expected the line of fire to swing toward him!
If it were a false accusation, that would have been one thing. A man could bear a little injustice. But the bastard had fucking guessed right!
What if Luo Xuanqing searched the inn to eliminate any hidden danger and leave Ruan Jinyu with nothing to say...
Though Luo Xuanqing was unlikely to feel the need to prove herself, Ye Xingge interjected just in case.
"You jest, Lord Ruan. I have been at the inn all day. There is no possibility I would let the villain disturb Lord Luo."
Wang Shouyin was also worried that the damned eunuch would invent a charge to make trouble for the inn, so he hastily cupped his hands.
"You misunderstand, Lord Ruan. I patrol here often, and Ye Xingge frequently helps the county yamen capture roving bandits..."
Clang-
Before he could finish, the Embroidered-Robe Commandant behind Ruan Jinyu drew his saber three inches from its sheath and glared furiously.
"Fuck, who said you two could speak here?!"
Ye Xingge frowned and was about to smooth things over, but before he could speak, he saw the Embroidered-Robe Commandant, who had been borrowing another's power to throw his weight around, quickly sheathe his saber and shrink back. He even lowered his gaze a little.
Ye Xingge turned to look and saw the great beauty Luo holding a teacup, staring expressionlessly at the people outside. Though she said nothing, the force of her bearing was so great that it plunged the inside and outside of the inn into a deathly silence in an instant. Not a sound remained.
Whoosh...
The night breeze stirred the lanterns by the door. For a moment, all was quiet inside and out.
Ruan Jinyu fell silent briefly, then turned to the Embroidered-Robe Commandant who had spoken.
"Commander Luo has not yet spoken. What do you think you're doing, shouting orders? Slap your own face."
"Yes!"
The Embroidered-Robe Commandant hastily raised his hand and struck his cheek.
Slap, slap, slap...
The crisp smacks echoed down the street.
After watching for a moment, Luo Xuanqing picked up her teacup again.
"That's enough. You needn't trouble yourself over my safety, Commander Ruan. Go back."
Ruan Jinyu was persistent and still showed no intention of giving up. He spoke pleasantly.
"My concern is not groundless. Lord Luo is a top expert in internal martial arts and cultivates Mount Jiuhua's Great Pure Yin. Now that the Mountains and Rivers Association's Qianyuan Silk-Reeling Force has locked your Governing Vessel, you can scarcely use your full power, and your six senses must also be affected.
"If Lord Luo does not summon people to guard her, her safety will rest entirely in this young innkeeper's hands. Does Lord Luo think this greenhorn is fit to stand watch through the night?"
Ruan Jinyu wanted to meddle in the case and claim a share of the credit, but the reason he had given was indeed sound.
But if Mantanghong truly lost her mind and dared sneak into the inn, then with the experience and nerve befitting someone ranked eighth in the Second Rank, even if she had lost all her power, ordinary embroidered-robed officers would have no assurance of detecting her.
Following this line of argument to its conclusion, Luo Xuanqing would still have to return to the capital to recuperate, while Ruan Jinyu took her place as Subduer of Qingxi.
Luo Xuanqing certainly would not let him lead her around by the nose. After a moment's thought, she gestured to Ye Xingge beside her.
"County Magistrate Shen mentioned that this young man has exceptional abilities. I am having him stand watch partly to see what he can do. I will take responsibility for whatever merit or fault results. If you have nothing else, Lord Ruan, please leave."
Ruan Jinyu had found a pretext, only to have it blocked by her talk of testing a newcomer and taking responsibility herself. He frowned and fell silent for a moment before speaking earnestly.
"A martial artist speaks with his fists and feet. Admiration alone won't do. Since Lord Luo wants to see what this young man can do, why not let him pick someone behind me and exchange a few moves? As long as he can last ten moves..."
Smack-
Luo Xuanqing lightly slapped the table, her gaze turning cold.
"Ruan Jinyu, I have shown you some courtesy only because we are colleagues. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Does someone I employ need you to test his abilities?"
Ruan Jinyu spoke pleasantly.
"Lord Luo's safety comes first. If this young man is to protect you, he must at least have some skill. I am not asking the impossible. I am only asking him to pick anyone he likes and exchange a few moves. If he cannot even manage that, the inn might as well be undefended. How could I be at ease?"
"If anything truly happened to Lord Luo, I would have no way to answer to Duke Zhang when I returned. However much Lord Luo might dislike it, I would have to steel myself and remain in Qingxi to look after matters in your stead."
By this point, Ruan Jinyu was simply making unreasonable trouble and forcing his way in for a share of the credit.
And Luo Xuanqing really had no answer to such shameless talk. After all, if Ruan Jinyu insisted on staying, she could hardly give him a beating.
Even if she did, a beating would not make the damned eunuch leave, given his character. Once he returned, he would even complain to the Heaven-Observing Decree as though justice were on his side, saying something like:
"I was only thinking of Commander Luo's safety. Please judge for yourself, sir..."
Then the Heaven-Observing Decree would surely give her a scolding...
At the thought, Luo Xuanqing frowned inwardly. She was pondering how to drive the damned eunuch away when she suddenly heard a voice beside her.
"I have practiced martial arts since childhood. I am indeed capable of standing watch through the night..."
The clear voice brought a brief hush inside and outside the inn.
Every gaze turned as one toward the young innkeeper standing to the side of the main hall.
Constable Wang was already nervous. When he saw Ye Xingge beside him butting in, he hastily tugged his sleeve.
"Kid, don't go showing off..."
Ye Xingge had spoken up not because he wanted to show off, but because the two great commanders were confronting each other downstairs while Mantanghong was hiding upstairs.
The great beauty Luo's power had been impaired, but Ruan Jinyu's had not. The longer this dragged on, the more likely the truth was to come out.
And according to Mantanghong, he had to get on good terms with Luo Xuanqing, obtain permission to leave the city, and seize the magic treasure that concealed heavenly secrets.
If he didn't seize this chance to win her appreciation and had no chance later, was he supposed to seduce the Flower Judge?
Seeing everyone looking at him, Ye Xingge spoke politely.
"Lord Luo has acknowledged my ability, so there is surely no need for anyone else to test me. But I have long looked up to the Heaven-Observing Pavilion. If Lord Ruan gives me a chance to seek instruction, it would be a rare honor. So I hope Lord Luo will give me this chance as well..."
By presenting it as seeking instruction rather than letting Ruan Jinyu test his abilities, he spared the great beauty Luo from losing face.
Luo Xuanqing had already seen that Ye Xingge had a foundation in martial arts, and the Qingxi county magistrate had told her of his past exploits. He should have no trouble exchanging moves with an ordinary embroidered-robed officer.
But the damned eunuch was full of dirty schemes, and letting a commoner get involved was no good thing. Seeing the young man volunteer, Luo Xuanqing asked him first:
"It is good for a young man to seek instruction, but fists and feet have no eyes. Do you understand what is at stake?"
Ye Xingge replied, "If I happen to make a mistake, I only ask that Lord Luo not blame me."
Luo Xuanqing thought to herself, If you can't beat him, this damned eunuch will have his excuse. How could I not blame you? But since the young man had stepped forward, he must be confident. After some thought, she nodded.
"Very well. Since you want to seek instruction, there is no harm in letting them see your skills. Go on."
With that, Luo Xuanqing rose casually and walked over near Ye Xingge. She appeared to be looking around for the cat, but in fact she lowered her voice to warn him:
"The third from the left is Assistant Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel's nephew. He got in through connections and came last in the assessment last month."
Her ethereal voice sounded like a whisper against his earlobe.
*?*
Caught off guard, Ye Xingge was momentarily dazed by the alluring voice. But his expression barely changed. He turned, walked outside, and cupped his hands.
"I am Ye Xingge. Thank you for this opportunity, Lord Ruan."
There was nothing particularly fierce or menacing in Ruan Jinyu's gaze. Leaning back in his sedan chair, he gestured to the attendants behind him and spoke casually in his drake-like voice:
"Good lad, you've got nerve. Come, pick one."
As the young innkeeper looked over the twenty-odd embroidered-robed officers with their sabers and lanterns, most met his gaze with disdain or expressionless faces.
Only the young man standing third from the left stood out conspicuously. He held his head high and chest out, gazing eagerly ahead, all but shouting, "Pick me, pick me!" He plainly wanted to use this chance to show what he could do in front of Ruan Jinyu.
Ye Xingge looked up and saw that the young officer was about his own age. His feelings showed plainly on his face, and he had no guile. He was clearly a newcomer. Ye Xingge turned his head and asked:
"My lord, would you be willing to offer me some instruction?"
The Embroidered-Robe Commandant who had slapped himself several times was already seething. At the question, he had intended to order the newcomer forward and hint that he should strike hard.
But when he looked closely, the young innkeeper seemed to be looking at him...
The fuck?!
The Embroidered-Robe Commandant was visibly stunned. He looked to either side, and once he was sure Ye Xingge was speaking to him, his expression changed. He raised a hand and pointed at himself.
"You? Pick me?! Last ten moves?"