Chapter 183: Urgent Report!
After burying Yue Qing and his wife, dawn began to break.
Chu Yang and the others had planned to take Xia'er away, but she insisted on staying at Yunjian Temple to keep vigil for her parents.
The group had no choice but to bid her farewell and return to Jinling City.
Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou came back unscathed, and with the silver note case completely resolved, Magistrate Xu could hardly contain his joy. As the top official in Jinling, he had been treading on thin ice these past few days.
If nothing else, the mere disappearance of the Flower Clan's Seventh Young Master from Jiangnan would have been enough to end his official career.
Now that the great demon was eliminated and the missing person had returned, not only was he free of blame, but he could also chalk up a merit on his record. His prospects were looking up—he'd truly profited from this ordeal.
So, Magistrate Xu generously played host, inviting Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Yang, and the others to dine at the city's finest restaurant.
Lu Xiaofeng didn't hold back, ordering a lavish feast that made Magistrate Xu's face twitch in pain as he winced from the prices with every bite.
After several rounds of wine—
Magistrate Xu, unable to hold his liquor, was the first to excuse himself. After he left, Chu Yang and his companions finally opened up and chatted freely.
"I honestly never thought the two of you would ever leave the capital. I figured you'd live out your days in that den of indulgence," Lu Xiaofeng remarked with a sigh.
"That 'den of indulgence'... is a fitting term." Chu Yang let out a sigh. "If it hadn't been for this journey, I wouldn't have known the outside world was such a living hell."
"Demonic beasts wreaking havoc, powerful demons roaming free, and countless commoners struggling just to survive. On our way here, we came across an abandoned village…"
Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou listened silently to Chu Yang's account, and a thought gradually formed in their minds: they truly knew nothing about the world beyond.
"It's hard to believe you've never stepped outside the capital your entire life," Hua Manlou exclaimed in disbelief. "Seems like you've been well protected."
"Protected?" Chu Yang paused, then burst out laughing. "More like a caged bird!"
"In all those years, my greatest act of defiance was fouling up the birdcage just enough to disgust the ones cleaning it."
Hua Manlou mused, "I never expected Brother Chu to carry such burdens."
"I used to," Chu Yang replied, shaking his head with a smile. "But not anymore. From the moment I stepped out of that cage, nothing can confine my heart again."
Lu Xiaofeng raised his cup with a hearty laugh. "Then let us drink to the freedom of Young Master Chu!"
Li Gexiao stood with a complicated expression and raised his cup as well, nodding toward Chu Yang.
Hua Manlou also rose silently.
The four clinked glasses and drank together.
"To be honest, I'm quite touched," Lu Xiaofeng said with a grin. "I didn't expect you two to come find me right after leaving the capital. If not for you, I probably wouldn't have survived. Seems like I do have some real friends after all."
"After years of drunken revelry, most of my companions were little more than fair-weather friends. You, Lu Xiaofeng, are one of the few I could actually talk to."
Chu Yang spoke quietly, tracing the rim of his cup, his face filled with nostalgia.
Hua Manlou smiled gently. "Brother Chu, could you count me in as well? After today, we should be friends too, right?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Of course. Though we see the world differently, that doesn't stop me from admiring you. People like you are needed in this world."
Hua Manlou wore a pensive expression.
"So, where are you headed next?" Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously.
"This trip was spontaneous. There's no real destination—just going wherever I feel like," Chu Yang replied. "But right now, I'm not exactly in high spirits."
Lu Xiaofeng seemed to understand Chu Yang's mood. "What was supposed to be a joyful outing turned bleak the moment you stepped outside and saw beggars everywhere. Their poverty may have nothing to do with you, but hearing their pleas still dampens the heart. So much for a pleasant trip."
Chu Yang smirked. "That's quite the metaphor."
Lu Xiaofeng, sounding like someone who'd seen it all, offered, "Let me give you some advice: there's a limit to what one man can do. Just being able to draw your sword when needed is already commendable. Don't try to shoulder the peace and happiness of the entire world."
"You simply don't have that power. And even if you did, trying to carry that burden would only kill you. Better to live freely like me."
Li Gexiao burst out laughing, slapping the table. "Lu Xiaofeng, the nosiest man in the world, telling someone not to meddle? And saying you live freely? I haven't seen you enjoy much freedom at all. You're full of it."
Hua Manlou chuckled as well.
Lu Xiaofeng flushed with embarrassment and shouted, "Drunkard! After all these years, is this how you treat a friend?!"
Li Gexiao shook his head with a smile. "It's not just that you're talking nonsense—more importantly, your advice doesn't apply to him. Some people can choose a carefree life like you, but others are born without that option."
"Some are destined to carry the fate of humanity. No matter how far they run, they'll eventually have to face it."
As he spoke, Li Gexiao looked solemnly at Chu Yang and said seriously, "On this journey, you've seen much of the world. I know you don't want to be caged again and long for the freedom Lu Xiaofeng describes."
"But if you truly give everything up, then the world will lose its last chance to change."
"The one dreaming in the lap of luxury won't care whether the people live or die."
Chu Yang didn't answer. He silently set down his cup and walked to the window, gazing at the bustling streets below.
He truly had no interest in the throne. After so many years trapped in the capital, he had finally gained his freedom. To go back now would be unbearably cruel.
Lu Xiaofeng, listening from the side, grew increasingly uneasy. Combined with things he'd noticed earlier, odd suspicions began forming in his mind.
Just as he was hesitating over how to speak up—
Suddenly, a shout came from outside.
"Urgent report!"
"General Qi's army has fallen into an ambush in Donghai's Wanglong City!"
"The Wokou and the great demons have joined forces to trap them with a formation!"
"The Sea Tribe's great demon is leading an army to attack Jinling!"
"General Qi has ordered all forces to defend Jinling to the death!"
"Jinling must not fall!"
"If it does, humanity will lose its last coastal stronghold to stop the great demons from reaching the Central Plains!"
A blood-soaked soldier, riding a similarly bloodied warhorse, galloped down the street, screaming the message at the top of his lungs as he raced toward the yamen.
But before he could reach it, he suddenly lost all strength and fell from his horse, crashing to the ground with ragged breaths.
The townsfolk and shopkeepers rushed out with medicine, trying to treat his wounds. No one minded the filth on his body.
Everyone understood—those wounds had been suffered for them.
But…
His injuries were too severe. He was barely breathing, death rapidly approaching.
Someone began to sob, and like a contagion, more and more people gathered around the dying soldier in tears.
"To the death… defend Jinling…"
As the color faded from the soldier's vision, someone gripped his hand tightly, and a surge of warmth flowed into his body.
Chu Yang, holding the bloodied hand, turned and glanced up at Li Gexiao on the restaurant floor above.
As if to say—
Fine!
Then this world is mine to take!
…
Magistrate Xu, who had just passed out drunk, rushed out of the yamen still half-dressed.
"Quick, tell the county assistant to shut the gates!"
"Now!"
"Send a rider to the capital immediately—we need reinforcements!"
"Damn it! How did the demons make it this far?!"
"That damn Qi is useless—"
Before he could finish, a hand lashed across his face, striking him so hard his vision went black and he nearly passed out.
The magistrate's aide rushed forward and shielded him. "Who dares strike a government official?! Are you not afraid of execution?!"
Magistrate Xu, clutching his face, looked up and realized it was none other than the very man he'd just hosted at the banquet: Chu Yang of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"You hit me, Chu?! Drunk and lashing out at a county magistrate?! Even as a Embroidered Uniform Guard, you'll pay for this! Assaulting an official is a serious offense!"
Chu Yang stared at him coldly. "While General Qi is fighting for his life at the front, you—an official—fail to calm the people and instead slander the Qi army. Don't you deserve to be hit?"
Enraged by the public humiliation, Magistrate Xu exploded. "What are you all standing around for?! Arrest him!"
The yamen soldiers, armed with batons, surrounded Chu Yang.
Due to frequent monster incursions in the south, local security forces were much larger than in the north. In a crucial hub like Jinling, even excluding the military, the city had thousands of martial yamen soldiers.
All of them were trained martial artists. If thousands attacked in formation, what martial artist could stand against them?
Let alone a lone Embroidered Uniform Guard.
That was exactly why Magistrate Xu was so cocky. In Jinling, with the Qi army gone, he ruled like a king.
Without hesitation, Li Gexiao, Lu Xiaofeng, and Hua Manlou leapt down from the restaurant, landing in front of Chu Yang to protect him.
"This isn't the capital—nobody here cares if you're Young Master Chu. And that slap was pretty damn hard," Lu Xiaofeng complained, then grinned, "But damn, it was satisfying! I've had it with that pompous magistrate."
"That bastard slacked off the moment General Qi left town. The entire defense was neglected, and even the gate guards were taking bribes to let people in without checks. Outrageous!"
Magistrate Xu turned pale as Lu Xiaofeng aired his dirty laundry and began shouting, "Lu Xiaofeng! Solving one case doesn't give you the right to slander me!"
Lu Xiaofeng chuckled. "You know better than anyone whether it's slander."
Even the always mild-mannered Hua Manlou frowned and said coldly, "Magistrate Xu, our Flower Clan may be wealthy, but we earn it properly. Some money must never be touched. Jinling is the southern gateway, the bulwark against the Sea Tribe's demons. How dare you treat it this way?"
"If the court hears of this, it'll be your whole clan that pays!"
The mention of execution by clan struck fear into Magistrate Xu. Realizing his crimes were laid bare, his face turned red with panic and rage. He pointed at Hua Manlou and roared—
"You think being a Flower Clan heir makes you untouchable?! Even if I offend your clan, I'll make sure none of you leave Jinling alive today!"
Yamen soldiers swarmed in, surrounding the group in tight ranks. Onlookers were pushed to the outskirts, unable to hear what was being said, though they caught snippets of Xu's shouting.
As the encirclement grew tighter, the people realized something serious was happening and began to retreat, afraid of being dragged into the conflict.
"The moment I laid eyes on you, you damn crooked official, I felt something was off. Turns out that even after all these years away from the Embroidered Guards, my instincts haven't dulled one bit."
Li Gexiao drew his Embroidered Spring Blade and pointed it at Magistrate Xu, cursing him.
"You're not with the Embroidered Guards?" Magistrate Xu froze for a moment, then began trembling with excitement. He burst into arrogant laughter. "Impersonating the Embroidered Guards is a serious crime. Killing you today will not only clear my name, but earn me merit. Heaven truly favors me!"
Lu Xiaofeng shot Li Gexiao a glare and said irritably, "Are you nuts? Why'd you bring that up with him? Great, now look at how smug he looks!"
Li Gexiao didn't care in the slightest and said calmly, "Well, at least he'll die knowing the truth."
Hua Manlou smiled faintly. "Brother Li Gexiao, you might as well give him the whole story. Half the truth still makes him a clueless fool."
Li Gexiao looked at Hua Manlou in surprise. Though the man was clearly blind, Li Gexiao felt as though those unseeing eyes were dazzlingly bright, as if they could see through all things.
Chu Yang said with a wry smile, "Trying to invoke my name won't help now. He's desperate and cornered. All it'll do is strengthen his resolve to kill us."
Li Gexiao clicked his tongue. "No harm in trying. Worst-case scenario, how much worse can it get?"
In the next instant, he shouted, "Xu, let me give you a word of advice! Think of it as your granddaddy here showing mercy, giving you one last chance. Otherwise, when your whole clan is executed, don't blame grandpa here from the depths of the Yellow Springs!"
Just as Magistrate Xu was about to order his constables to attack, he signaled for them to hold back a moment!
A sneer tugged at the corners of Magistrate Xu's mouth. Holding absolute advantage, his arrogance surged as he said, "On death's doorstep and still so much to say? Fine, out with it. This official will be merciful and listen."
"Oh, and by the way—this official doesn't recognize such an unfilial descendant as you!"
Lu Xiaofeng chuckled playfully. "He really won't let you get the last word, huh?"
Li Gexiao cleared his throat.
"Listen up, you little brat!"
"The one who slapped you earlier is a prince granted title by the late emperor himself—the current emperor's younger brother, His Highness the Virtuous Prince!"
The words "Virtuous Prince" were like a thunderclap crashing into the group of constables!
In an instant, the whole place erupted!
Voices exploded into a clamor!
Even Magistrate Xu was caught off guard. A look of panic flickered across his face.
The Virtuous Prince!
Wasn't he that useless royal who never left the capital?
Why would he suddenly show up here…
A sharp glint flashed in Magistrate Xu's eyes as he barked, "You damn scoundrel! First you pretend to be Embroidered Guards, now you spread these outrageous lies!"
"Everyone knows the Virtuous Prince never leaves the capital. He would never travel all the way to Jinling!"
"And even if he did, he wouldn't show up with just two or three people. The Virtuous Prince is notorious for his extravagance. Whenever he goes out, it's always a grand affair, and his full princely entourage follows—there's no mistaking it!"
"You expect me to believe some prince rode into town with no fanfare? Who are you trying to fool?!"
As he spoke, the previously panicked constables gradually calmed down.
Chu Yang sighed. "You had to go and drag me into this, huh? Now I've taken a beating for nothing."
Li Gexiao spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
Lu Xiaofeng whispered, "Is it true?"
Chu Yang nodded. "It's true."
Thinking back to his earlier disrespect, Lu Xiaofeng felt like just losing his head once wouldn't be enough. He shut his eyes, looking as if life had lost all meaning.
"We're totally screwed now."