14. A Silver Tongue Turns Foes into Friends

Xie Wujie’s hands and feet were bound together, a stick threaded through the crook of his knees, and two disciples of Azure Cloud Sect carried him as if he were a wild boar. The night was still young, the streets crowded with people. When the onlookers saw Xie Wujie, bruised and battered, being carried off in such a humiliating manner, they immediately pointed and whispered among themselves.

“Look at this odd fellow, being carried away like that. He must have done something terrible, or else the Azure Cloud Sect wouldn’t treat him so harshly.”

“I bet he’s that notorious flower thief who’s been running rampant in Greenhide County lately. Who knows how many innocent girls he’s ruined! Serves him right!”

“What? He’s that flower thief?!”

With the rumor spreading like wildfire, Xie Wujie was instantly branded a criminal. Helpless, gagged and unable to speak, he became the target of the crowd’s scorn. Rotten eggs, withered vegetable stalks, and all sorts of filth were hurled his way. Xie Wujie suffered little from the onslaught, but the two unfortunate disciples carrying him were soon draped in vegetable leaves and sticky egg yolk.

A mischievous child even lobbed a lump of fresh cow dung, splattering it right across one disciple’s face. The man wiped it off, nearly in tears, but with the sect master walking ahead, he dared not complain, venting his frustration instead by kicking Xie Wujie.

Xie Wujie was stifled and aggrieved, but what could he do?

They arrived at a shop, where Qian Duoduo was gleefully counting his silver. In just one day, he’d made a profit of fifteen hundred taels and acquired a precious short sword. Humming a tune, his eyebrows dancing with delight, he was in high spirits.

“Shopkeeper Qian!” Sect Master Huang immediately ordered Xie Wujie to be tossed to the floor, then yanked the cloth from his mouth and addressed Qian Duoduo, “I have a question for you.”

“Well, what blessed wind brings the esteemed sect master to my humble door? It seems you’ve had some good fortune lately,” Qian Duoduo said obsequiously as he approached.

At the mention of good fortune, Huang Jinlong’s face darkened. The death of his son, good fortune? He suddenly wanted to slap this fat fool.

Suppressing his urge, Huang Jinlong asked, “Tell me, did this rascal come to you for a transaction earlier?”

“So it was this fellow,” Qian Duoduo replied with a forced smile. “Why didn’t you just kill him, my lord? He certainly deserves it!”

“Do you know who he and that woman are?” Huang Jinlong’s tone was icy.

Qian Duoduo hesitated, then forced a smile. “How would I know?”

“Then why didn’t you bring out that short sword? Don’t you recognize it?!” Xie Wujie shouted.

Bald-headed Akui, enraged, gave Xie Wujie another kick. “Shut up! Another word and I’ll sew your lips shut!”

Qian Duoduo stammered, “Well... I...”

“What short sword?” Huang Jinlong demanded.

After some forceful persuasion, Qian Duoduo finally produced the gold-inlaid short sword. No matter what, angering the sect master was a risk he dared not take, so he complied.

Huang Jinlong examined the blade. “What’s its origin?”

“Reporting to the sect master, this sword comes from the imperial court. Though not a magical weapon, the gemstones set in it are extremely rare — dragon’s eye stones. Even a fingernail-sized piece is worth a thousand taels, and this short sword has nine of them!” Qian Duoduo confessed honestly.

“Scoundrel, tell me, who are you, and why do you possess such a valuable sword?” Huang Jinlong demanded.

In truth, Xie Wujie didn’t know its provenance either, but he was shocked to learn how precious it was. He dared not say a word amiss and so wisely decided to deflect blame.

“Ask that fat man — he knows more than I do,” Xie Wujie retorted.

“Then you tell me,” Huang Jinlong turned to Qian Duoduo.

Qian Duoduo wiped the sweat from his brow. He knew well Huang Jinlong’s reputation for iron-fisted ruthlessness — it was how he’d built such a vast enterprise in just fifty years.

Lowering his voice, Qian Duoduo said, “Well, you see... nine dragon’s eye stones signify imperial authority. In other words, this sword belongs to the royal family. Anyone wielding it likely has close ties to the emperor himself.”

A sense of foreboding settled over him. He had thought Xie Wujie had stolen the blade, but now things seemed far more complicated.

Xie Wujie was even more dumbfounded. Who would have thought this sword was connected to the emperor?

A tense silence fell over the room. Bald-headed Akui, who had been about to sneak in another kick, hastily withdrew his foot. He was so shaken that even the look he gave Xie Wujie was tinged with fear.

Sweat trickled down Huang Jinlong’s brow. “Release him,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!” The two disciples, covered in garbage, set Xie Wujie down.

Realizing his life was no longer in immediate danger, Xie Wujie didn’t bother to use the ancient mirror.

But a new thought took root in his mind. Since the short sword had been left by Song Xiaoyu’s mother, it implied she might have ties to the royal family.

“Now that you know my identity,” Xie Wujie said, stepping forward, his face battered but defiant, “I’ll tell you something else.”

Huang Jinlong dared not stop him.

“My lady is already on her way to the capital, with escorts waiting along the route. Yet you dared to send men to pursue us…” Xie Wujie bowed deeply to the sky. “When my lady reports this to His Majesty, soon the emperor’s elite troops will come and raze Azure Cloud Sect to the ground. Perhaps even Greenhide County will suffer. Pity the innocent lives…”

As he spoke, Xie Wujie’s voice was filled with grief, as if every word were true.

Huang Jinlong gritted his teeth, about to speak, when Bald-headed Akui stepped forward. “So what if you’re of the royal family? You killed our young sect master. A life for a life — you must pay the price!”

“You dare threaten me?” Xie Wujie shot him a sly, mocking look.

Just then, Huang Jinlong suddenly spun around and, to everyone’s shock, struck Akui in the chest with his palm.

Xie Wujie couldn’t gauge Huang Jinlong’s true strength, but it was clearly far beyond his own. That single blow punched straight through Akui’s chest, leaving a gaping hole the size of a bowl.

Xie Wujie could almost see the street outside through the wound.

His scalp tingled with fear. It wasn’t the first corpse he’d seen, but to witness the Azure Cloud Sect’s leader slaughter his own disciple in a heartbeat was chilling.

Everyone immediately fell to their knees. “Please, sect master, calm your anger!”

Huang Jinlong turned to Xie Wujie and bowed. “My son didn’t realize a distinguished guest had arrived. If he offended you, I beg your forgiveness. Now that both you and your lady are safe, I hope you will return to the capital and inform His Majesty that our humble sect failed to restrain our juniors, causing offense to you and the lady. I ask for your leniency and hope you will not hold it against us.”

Huang Jinlong changed his demeanor as quickly as a magician, leaving Xie Wujie momentarily stunned.

“It’s… it’s fine. I still have half a month to catch up. If I meet my lady on the road, I can stop her…” Xie Wujie stammered, nervous. Huang Jinlong was terrifyingly decisive, willing to sacrifice his own son to save his sect, pinning all blame on the dead — who could hardly protest. What ruthless cunning!

Xie Wujie had always considered himself a master at shifting blame, but Huang Jinlong was clearly a veteran. Now, the supposed victim was Huang Jinlong himself.

Just then, Xie Wujie noticed the battered armguards on his wrists soaking up the blood from Akui’s corpse, as if absorbing it.

“Could those armguards be a spiritual artifact?” Huang Jinlong asked urgently.

“What do you mean, spiritual artifact?” Xie Wujie was puzzled.

Huang Jinlong’s thoughts were complicated. He couldn’t be sure that, once released, Xie Wujie would not secretly support the emperor’s campaign against him. He needed to make Xie Wujie owe him a favor.

“These armguards appear to absorb blood, but since their surface is damaged, they need repair. Why don’t you remain at our sect for a while? Allow me to host you properly and have your armguards restored as well,” Huang Jinlong suggested, his face all obsequiousness, not a trace of grief for his lost son.

Everyone was dumbfounded — especially Qian Duoduo, who remained kneeling on the floor, unable to rise.