Chapter Twenty-Eight: Let Us See What You, Chen Zhian, Intend to Do

In the front courtyard of the prefecture office, a pear tree happened to be in bloom. As the clouds parted at night to reveal the moon, the sight of the moon hanging above the pear blossoms was breathtakingly beautiful.

Xu Xiyue had hurried over to seek an audience with the Prefectural Magistrate. As luck would have it, he was in his residence that day, and surprisingly, Xu Xiyue found it unusually easy to gain an audience. After speaking for a short while, she walked out of the prefecture office beneath that very moon.

Steward Zhao and Xintong were waiting outside. Seeing her emerge, they hurried forward.

"Miss..." Xintong asked nervously, "Did you manage to see the Magistrate? Did he accept that..."

"Xintong." Steward Zhao interrupted the head maid, looking only at his mistress.

Xu Xiyue shook her head. The expressions on their faces changed instantly. Steward Zhao, in particular, looked withered. Chen Zhi'an now carried the weight of the Xu family's future trade; in other words, he held their very lives in his hands. If Chen Zhi'an were to die in prison, and the Xu family, having already signed a contract with the Songhuai Army, failed to supply the medicinal herbs on time, the consequences would be dire.

"The Magistrate did not refuse outright, but he said that the matter involving Chen Zhi'an is too grave and has already become a public scandal, so he cannot simply let it slide," Xu Xiyue said, knitting her brows as she stepped into her sedan chair.

Steward Zhao gave a bitter smile. The Magistrate had always been slick, never directly refusing the prominent families of Sunan Prefecture; he excelled at taking requests seriously in word but setting them aside in deed. Yet today, for him to claim the matter was too grave suggested there was likely no room for maneuver.

"Regardless, keep that 'Dew-Bearing Ring' we prepared safe for now. I could tell the Magistrate was quite tempted by it, but refrained from accepting it because of the gravity of the situation. Should there be any turn of events, we will still need to offer it to him," Xu Xiyue instructed carefully, though her brow remained furrowed with worry.

She truly could not fathom how Chen Zhi'an, a boy from the back alleys, had suddenly killed the guards of the Huang Gate and crippled their senior clerk, landing himself in the Sunan Prefecture prison. She had used the art of "Qi-gazing" on him not long ago, and at that time, he had lacked any aura of vitality—he was clearly not a practitioner. How then, in just over a month, could he have killed three guards who had entered the Nourishing Qi stage?

"Just as I suspected, Chen Zhi'an, you are truly no ordinary street urchin," she thought to herself, rubbing her temples.

The sedan chair swayed, and before she knew it, they had returned to the Xu residence on Xiqing Street. Several elders of the family were already waiting, and upon hearing the news, they fell into a panic. Xu Xiyue offered a few words of comfort, saying there was no final result yet and urging them not to worry, though her own anxiety was even greater.

*Perhaps I should ask my senior brother in Cangding Prefecture? But this is a major prefecture case; I fear a verdict will be reached by tomorrow, and I don't know if a letter to Cangding would arrive in time.*

Even during the Xu family's most difficult times, she had never considered turning to her sect, as her master lived a free and easy life, detached from worldly fame, and she did not wish to tarnish his reputation. Yet today, the Xu family seemed to be at death's door, and for some reason, Xu Xiyue did not want that mysterious, handsome boy to die in a prison cell.

Ultimately, she decided to write the letter. She went to the study, where Xintong had already laid out Luohe paper and prepared the ink. Just as she was about to write, a servant reported from the doorway, "Miss, the attendant watching the prefecture gate reports that Young Master Chen has left the prison safely and has gone to Dongfeng Street alone."

Xu Xiyue’s hand paused. Xintong, standing nearby, was overjoyed: "Miss, it seems the Magistrate really did fancy that priceless Dew-Bearing Ring!"

Xu Xiyue let out a long breath. She sat at the desk, closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples again. "Then have the ring ready. Let Steward Zhao make another trip to the prefecture office. It is still early; the Magistrate should not have retired yet."

***

Chen Zhi'an did not know that Xu Xiyue was running about for his sake. He walked alone into the moonlight toward Dongfeng Street, arriving before Chu Muye’s courtyard. The ginkgo tree in front of the gate still emanated a cinnabar-orange aura. To Chen Zhi'an’s surprise, this aura seemed even denser than before, and a portion of it had shifted in a way his current cultivation could not quite discern.

*It seems the lingering spiritual energy in this world has grades. The lowest must be the crimson red of the Red Ginger, followed by the cinnabar orange, like the new Blood-Burning Ginger fruit,* Chen Zhi'an thought.

The courtyard gate swung open, and a stern-faced guard in black stepped out, bowing to him. "Young Master Chen, Lord Chu is waiting inside."

Chen Zhi'an entered and saw Chu Muye sitting at the stone table with a pot of wine, looking up at the rare, bright moon.

"The chilly spring breeze has blown away the mist, making the moon in the sky all the brighter," Chu Muye said, gesturing for Chen Zhi'an to sit. His tone was helpless. "I told you to come to me if you had trouble, but I never imagined that your first request would be for a capital offense."

Chen Zhi'an looked apologetic. "Lord Chu, if I hadn't resisted that day at the Huang Gate, I would be the one dead."

Chu Muye nodded slowly and poured him a cup of wine. "Everything has a reason. I sent men to the prefecture office; the surviving guards and Wu Peilin have confessed everything, and Prefect Liu specifically interrogated the Workshop Clerk, Zheng Liu. Those two hundred taels of gold were indeed a reward from Zhou Xiujing of the Zhou family. Wu Peilin was blinded by greed; two hundred taels are enough to make anyone take a risk."

A glint flashed in Chen Zhi'an’s eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Even if Wu Peilin was blinded by greed, he has held the position of Huang Gate Clerk for four or five years and dealt with high-ranking officials. I believe that even if he were duller, he should have learned a thing or two about political maneuvering. The fact that Zhou Xiujing gave me the gold was known to Zheng Liu and the Zhou family. As it happened, the Warehouse Clerk and Miss Xu were passing by and saw it too. With so many people knowing the origin of that gold, for Wu Peilin to still take such a risk... I am quite curious how he ever managed to become a clerk in the first place."

Chu Muye signaled for him to drink. "That is precisely why the matter is so sensitive. The Prefect released you so readily because he does not want to delve deeper. Wu Peilin is already crippled and won't live long. As for Zheng Liu, his role was, at most, one of silence—turning a blind eye—which is hardly a major crime. This is the best possible outcome."

"Furthermore... the man I sent to interrogate Wu Peilin mentioned another name: Zhou Xiujing."

Chen Zhi'an showed no surprise, listening calmly.

"But no matter how we interrogated him, Zhou Xiujing only ever hinted at things; he never made any explicit promises. Just as you said, Wu Peilin has become too 'clever' in his position—clever enough to over-interpret the words of the powerful."

Chen Zhi'an laughed aloud and drank the wine as prompted. It was aromatic but burned like liquid fire going down.

"Young Master Zhou of the Zhou family certainly has his ways. No wonder he can manage the family business while still cultivating to the True Origin stage," Chen Zhi'an remarked quietly. The wine was no ordinary vintage; his blood was surging, and his cheeks were flushed.

"The Zhou family has roots in the capital, Xuantian. Zhou Xiujing’s uncle is a Grade 4a Inspectorate official with real power—that is why even a prefecture Workshop Clerk would fawn over him. The Prefect’s reluctance to investigate likely stems from this," Chu Muye explained while warming the wine.

The smile on Chen Zhi'an’s face faded. He fell silent for a few moments before asking, "Because the Zhou family has such a background, Zhou Xiujing can act against me with impunity? Now that I know he is the mastermind, am I to let him hide behind the scenes?"

Chu Muye laughed. "When it comes to backgrounds, what is a Grade 4a inspector? Do you know the origin of your mother’s family?"

"Your grandfather is the Minister of Revenue, a real power-holder at the Grade 2 level. Your uncle, Li Budu, is a General of the Profound Purple. By rank, he is only a Grade 4, but he is not a tributary general; he is a commander with real authority over ninety thousand Songhuai troops. Besides those two, you have other uncles in high office and many cultivation geniuses in your clan. Chen Zhi'an, when you truly count it up, your background is far greater than his."

Chen Zhi'an drank another cup, his face growing even redder. He shook his head. "The majesty of the Li family of Xuantian is not something I, Chen Zhi'an, can rely on. Lord Chu... I truly cannot swallow this, so what am I to do?"

Chu Muye’s expression turned serious. "Call me 'Uncle Chu,' and I will teach you a truth."

The man had asked Chen Zhi'an to call him uncle several times, but Chen Zhi'an had always addressed him as "Lord," which had caused some friction. After a moment of hesitation, Chen Zhi'an obediently called him "Uncle."

Chu Muye nodded slowly. "Most things in this world require you to swallow your teeth along with the blood! Especially in our Great Yu, family background is paramount. Zhou Xiujing is a powerful clan in Sunan, wealthy and luxurious, with many cultivators at his command, and he has support in the capital. And you, Chen Zhi'an?"

"I am but a commoner, the son of a private tutor, and a thorn in the side of the Li family of Xuantian. I have no support and no power," Chen Zhi'an replied.

Chu Muye clapped his hands. "Exactly. Recognizing your own position prevents you from dreaming foolish dreams. Once I am gone, the only thing you can rely on in Sunan is your own strength. Let Zhou Xiujing be for now; with your talent, there will come a day when you can regain your face."

Chen Zhi'an pondered until the moon hid behind the clouds. He finished his wine and stood up. "In the Great Yu, family background is paramount. But I am just a boy, a commoner with no attachments. Why should I fear his great clan?"

His face was flushed, perhaps from the wine. "If I must wait patiently for the day to regain my face against a mere Zhou Xiujing, then how am I to face the all-powerful Li family in the capital that you spoke of?"

Chu Muye watched him in silence. Chen Zhi'an bowed respectfully. "Thank you for this, Uncle. As for what comes next, you need not worry."

A glimmer of interest appeared in Chu Muye’s eyes. He nodded slightly. "You sent word to me through Wang Huan before you struck—that shows you are not a man of mere impulse."

"I am still in Sunan Prefecture. I shall sit back and see what you, Chen Zhi'an, intend to do!"