Unsheathed

As the night grew darker, a burst of pleasant clip-clopping from horse hooves trotting along the ground rang out from the Flowing Cloud Water Valley outside the gates of the Autumn Reed Inn. Mistress Liu was standing outside the entrance by herself with a pair of tiger-shaped gold accessories hanging from her waist.

A horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the gates, and a middle-aged man in a scholarly robe emerged from within. The man gave off a natural sense of authority, and he seemed to be a man who was well-versed in both books and the martial arts. However, he was looking quite weary at this moment, and a smile appeared on his face at the sight of Mistress Liu as he said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go inside.”

Mistress Liu turned around to lead the way into the inn with an indifferent expression.

The man glanced at the tiger amulets hanging from her waist, and his brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “Do you really need to be that cautious around me?”

A cold smile appeared on Mistress Liu’s face as she replied, “I’m just a woman who runs a small inn, I can’t compare with the mighty prefectural office. Just a couple of days ago, our signature shadow wall was removed, and all I could do was suffer in silence.

“To add further insult to injury, the perpetrator has brought a bunch of disciples and grand-disciples to stay at my inn, and once again, all I can do is put on a smile and tend to the needs of those revered immortals. It’s all thanks to your exceptional governance over the prefecture that I’ve been blessed with the honor of serving these esteemed immortals…”

“That’s enough, Jiahui,” the man said in a stern voice. “I know that you’re angry about this situation, but I’m not in a much better situation than you are. In order to prepare for the water god temple worship ceremony, I’ve been running around like a headless chicken ever since dawn, and my throat feels like it’s on fire.

“I’ve come here to rest for a moment at your inn rather than return directly to the prefectural office because I wanted some peace and quiet, not to hear you ramble and complain.”

Mistress Liu turned to the man with a displeased look in her eyes, but as a woman who could see the big picture, she ultimately suppressed her emotions and changed the subject as she said, “You’ve been toiling away for this ceremony for the past half-year, and it’s definitely an ostentatious occasion.

“The old prefectural governor isn’t able to make it in person due to health reasons, but he’s sent his most trusted subordinate to attend the ceremony, and that’s more than sufficient as a gesture of support.

“On top of that, all of those renowned scholars, monks, and anchorites will be in attendance to offer their support, and that’s not even to mention everything that our prefecture has pledged to this event. If the funding provided by our prefecture in private were to be taken elsewhere, surely it would be enough to support a pair of river gods.”

“That is indeed true,” the man replied with a nod.

“Has the Cold Food Great River God finally taken a liking to you this time?” Mistress Liu asked in a quiet voice. “Has he agreed to help you lay claim to the position of governor?”

The man clasped his hands behind his back and he was clearly very familiar with the layout of the inn as he made his way into an elegant courtyard, then shook his head as he sighed, “That itinerant cultivator truly showed up at a bad time. His actions have far-reaching consequences in all areas.

“He wanted to avenge those mortals who had been wrongfully killed, so he came to your Autumn Reed Inn and sought out that cultivator from the Spirit Charm Sect, and he inflicted severe injuries upon the cultivator during their battle, destroying the foundation of your inn’s shadow wall in the process. If that had been the extent of the incident, then I would’ve still been able to contain the situation.

“For example, I could report this matter to the imperial court and pin the blame solely on that itinerant cultivator to spare that cultivator from the Spirit Charm Sect of all wrongdoing, thereby consoling the Spirit Charm Sect, which has deep-rooted ties with our Yellow Court Nation. However, at the same time, I would also allow that itinerant cultivator to slip away in secret.

“I would arrange a manhunt within our prefecture, but it would only be for show, and the true purpose of the manhunt would be to stall?for time to allow him to get away. Seeing as he’s an itinerant cultivator, he must be used to traveling across the land anyway, so I’m sure it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to get away.”

A hint of vexation appeared in the man’s eyes here, and he continued, “But this just had to have happened right before the Cold Food River worship ceremony. Not only is this ceremony one that’s receiving widespread attention and scrutiny, everyone knows that during the initial stage of the great river god’s rise to godhood, he was only able to gain a foothold with the assistance of one of the Spirit Charm Sect’s patriarchs.

“This relationship has been carefully maintained by the Spirit Charm Sect for over 200 years, and during that, not only have they not troubled the great river god over anything, they’ve sent people to visit the great river god once a year, carrying lavish presents with them each time.

“With the exception of that period of time in which the sect was forced to endure a major crisis, that annual tradition has never been interrupted, so which side do you think the great river god would be more inclined toward in the wake of this incident?”

The man was constantly pacing around the courtyard, unwilling to take a seat, and Mistress Liu handed him a cup of hot tea as she smiled and jibed, “My esteemed prefectural overseer, can we please sit down to talk? If you keep pacing in circles like this, I’m going to get dizzy and pass out.”

The man finally sat down, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face as he said, “I found out the location where that itinerant cultivator is hiding three days ago, and my initial thought was to stall for as long as possible.

“At the very least, I wanted to stall out the matter until after the ceremony, and if I can do that, perhaps he’ll be able to escape alive, but today, the Cold Food Great River God revealed his godly body to me in the water god temple, and do you know what he said to me?”

Mistress Liu shook her head in response. She was naturally unable to glean the thoughts of a great river god.

As the manager of the Autumn Reed Inn, the sect that Mistress Liu belonged to was actually quite comparable to the Spirit Charm Sect. However, every renowned cultivating sect had its own set territory, and the Spirit Charm Sect was the leader of the dozen or so cultivating sects in the three northern prefectures of Yellow Court Nation.

Essentially, the cultivators of the Spirit Charm Sect could do whatever they wanted in the northern region of Yellow Court Nation, but they held a great deal of respect and veneration for the great river god that had been assigned by the emperor himself.

After all, Yellow Court Nation wasn’t a mighty empire like the Great Li Empire or Great Sui Nation. Ever since the founding of Yellow Court Nation, it had always been one of Great Sui Nation’s 12 subsidiary nations, and it had barely any mountain and river gods that had been assigned by the emperor.

To put it in blunt terms, even if Great Sui Nation were to lift all restrictions and allow the Hong Clan of Yellow Court Nation to appoint as many mountain and river gods as they pleased, the limitations of the nation would’ve still prevented them from appointing many at all.

Firstly, the nation’s territory was limited, and secondly, the vast majority of desirable cultivation locations with abundant spiritual energy had been claimed by the immortal clans in the region.

Hence, when it came to a great river god that controlled the fortune of a mighty body of water, that was an important figure that even the prefectural overseer had to do everything in their power to suck up to.

The man set down his teacup, then began massaging his temples as he said, “The great river god told me that he had already uncovered the hiding spot of that itinerant cultivator a day before me.

“He says that even though he can see that I’m unwilling to perform my duty and enforce justice, as the great river god of the Cold Food River, he must abide by the rules and refrain from interfering with the official matters of Yellow Court Nation for no good reason.

“He acknowledged that I’ve made some decent contributions during my time working in the prefectural office, and that if I were to be replaced, there’s a chance that my successor could be an incompetent fool who’s constantly causing trouble, which he would then have to step in and resolve. Hence, that would be detrimental to his cultivation, and for that reason, he won’t report my inaction to the imperial court.”

Mistress Liu’s face paled slightly upon hearing this. “Does that mean that he won’t assist you in progressing further up the ranks?”

A wry smile appeared on the man’s face as he replied, “Not only that, but if I want to keep my current position, I’ll have to apprehend that itinerant cultivator tonight.”

A remorseful look appeared on Mistress Liu’s face as she sighed, “I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you earlier.”

An indignant look then surfaced in her eyes as she continued, “The Cold Food Great River God has maintained a good reputation for the past few centuries, but when it comes to this matter that concerns?his personal interests, he’s still chosen to selfishly take sides, rather than do the right thing.

“That man was just a third-generation disciple of the Spirit Charm Clan, yet he dared to blatantly lust after a woman at the city god temple. First, he killed a couple outside the city, and after hearing that one of their children managed to escape, he pursued that child without mercy or remorse, killing an entire village of over 30 people in one night! These heinous actions are completely unforgivable!

“That itinerant cultivator just so happened to run into him, and prior to avenging that village, he made the smart decision to spread word of the perpetrator’s crimes across the entire city, and posters denoting his transgressions were even put up at the entrance of your prefectural office.

“Only after doing all of that did the itinerant cultivator come to my Autumn Reed Inn to challenge the perpetrator. The great river god has informants all throughout the prefectural city, so there’s no way he wouldn’t have been aware of all of this.”

In response to Mistress Liu’s indignant complaints, the man merely heaved a forlorn sigh. “Cultivators pursue the Great Dao of heaven and earth, and in their eyes, mortal lives are worth next to nothing. Compared with their pursuit of the Great Dao, things like upholding justice and doing the right thing pale into insignificance.

“Objectively speaking, it’s not like the Cold Food Great River God is completely above the law, it’s just that a fourth-rank official like me doesn’t have the jurisdictive power to hold him to the law. The old governor would be able to do more than I can, but only His Majesty would be able to truly hold the great river god accountable.”

“What if you were a prefectural overseer of the Great Li Empire?” Mistress Liu mused in a quiet voice.

A stern look appeared in the man’s eyes, and he slammed a hand heavily down onto the armrest of his chair as he scolded, “Watch your mouth, Liu Jiahui! No matter how powerful the Great Li Empire is, it was still once a nation of northern savages. If the Great Li Empire were to take over the northern region of the continent, then that would be the day that civilization falls in the north of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent!”

An enraged look appeared on Mistress Liu’s face as she countered, “If you truly have a spine, then why don’t you go against the great river god’s wishes and insist on protecting that itinerant cultivator to the end? He may be a great river god, but I’m sure he’s not omnipotent!

“Are you telling me that he can just do whatever he pleases in the northern region of our Yellow Court Nation without any consequences? If worse comes to worst, I’ll call upon my sect and have them duke it out against?the Spirit Charm Sect to see who comes out on top!”

The man was so bewildered by Mistress Liu’s outburst that he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “How old are you? How could you still be so childish and laughable at your age? Do you think that the Great Li Empire enjoyed a smooth ascent the entire time en route to reaching its current heights?

.

“There’s so much injustice in this prefecture of ours alone, think about how many compromises would have to have been made across the vast territory of the Great Li Empire! The emperor of the Great Li Empire would’ve undoubtedly been forced to endure and tolerate far more filth and injustice than we could ever imagine!”

Mistress Liu fell silent upon hearing this.

The man took a sip of tea, then leaned against the back of his chair with an exhausted expression, pulling on his own collar as he mused, “I am a student of Confucianism, so I must do my best to better myself and abide by the rules. However, at the same time, I’m also an official of Yellow Court Nation, and there are millions of citizens in the territory under my jurisdiction.

“I have to ensure that they can live peaceful lives and aren’t stricken down by poverty. Hence, I can’t serve as an official while abiding by the same standards that I enforce upon myself as a person. I have to suck up to those immortal sects and implore them to grant us people and treasures to ward off all types of droughts and natural disasters.

“I have to present gifts and appease those arrogant mountain and river gods so that they’ll impart some of their fortune in our prefecture. For all mortals, regardless of whether they be impoverished peasants or wealthy merchants, if they’re oppressed by immortals, all I can do is offer temporary solutions and console them as much as possible.”

The man closed his eyes?as he continued, “If I hadn’t gone?against my conscience this entire time, I would’ve resigned from my position or been stripped of it long ago. If that had happened, then as soon as that itinerant cultivator put up the first poster outside the prefectural office, my successor would’ve immediately apprehended him in order to suck up to the great river god.

“If someone else were in my position, after that itinerant cultivator dies tonight, there won’t even be a tombstone erected for him. Then again, if someone is already dead, what does it matter if they have a tombstone, if they have people offering wine to them during festivals, or if people remember the good deeds that they had done during their lifetime?”

The man rose to his feet, then made his way over to the window as he continued in a solemn voice, “The second year of Yellow Court Nation’s Jialu Period, which was 10 years ago, an earthquake struck at midnight, affecting three states, including the Praise Sate, which was the most heavily affected of the three states.

“Countless houses, city walls, and temples collapsed, killing over 60,000 people. For an entire month after that, an aftershock would take place once every few days, causing all of the large rivers in the north, including the Cold Food River, to become extremely turbulent. Close to 100 people perished by drowning in our prefecture alone. During the fourth year of the Jialu Period, a landslide took place in the Lush State.

“During the eighth year of the Jialu Period, a boat on a river in the southeastern Balance State erupted into flames on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The fire spread to all of the boats gathered on the river that night, of which there were over 1,000, resulting in over 10,000 people being burned to death.”

A despairing look appeared on the man’s face, and his lips were quivering as he sighed, “Were those disasters really just natural disasters? The people don’t know the truth, but I do.”

The man turned to Mistress Liu as he continued, “In fact, I can even imagine that prior to his capture and death, that itinerant cultivator will be sure to curse me as a lapdog of the Spirit Charm Sect and the Cold Food Great River God, and his resentment for me will exceed his resentment for them.”

Mistress Liu wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say.

A placid look gradually returned to the man’s face as he mused, “I’m certain that after that itinerant cultivator’s death, the wealthy clans in the city will immediately begin spreading false rumors, claiming that I went out of my way to find the itinerant cultivator’s hiding spot before having him killed, all to appease the Spirit Charm Sect.”

“That will most likely be the case,” Mistress Liu sighed.

The man smiled as he said, “I’m not saying this for you to hear, I’m saying this to myself…”

There was white mist constantly rising up out?of the old well in the Autumn Reed Inn before dissipating in all directions, but the water level in the well was actually extremely low, and its internal walls were covered in moss.

All of a sudden, the water level in the well began to rise rapidly, and once the water had risen to the same level as the opening of the well, a tall and imposing armored man wielding a short halberd stepped out from within. The man had a long feeler growing out of each side of his face, but aside from that, he looked no different from a normal person.

The man inspected his surroundings, paying no heed to Lin Shouyi, who was seated in silent meditation over at the pavilion. He then rose up into the air, instantly landing in the courtyard where Mistress Liu and the prefectural overseer were situated before declaring, “I’ve already personally decapitated that itinerant cultivator, Prefectural Overseer Wei.

“At the time, there were many bystanders at the scene, and that accursed scoundrel began directing all manners of foul insults at you. He also revealed many embarrassing secrets of yours, and he dared to extend those insults to my master as well. I had originally intended to grant him a swift death, but I was infuriated by his insolence, so I stabbed a few holes into him first before chopping off his head.

“Once I return to my master, I’ll be sure to clear up the situation with him, so rest assured, that scoundrel’s insolent words definitely won’t impact your relationship with my master.”

After making this report, the subordinates of the Cold Food Great River God departed without any hesitation, while Mistress Liu looked on with a dazed expression.

Given that itinerant cultivator’s strong sense of justice, it was only to be expected that he would denounce the prefectural overseer as a lapdog before he was killed. However, it didn’t make any sense for?him to reveal a bunch of embarrassing secrets about the prefectural overseer in front of the Spirit Charm Sect and so many bystanders from the city.

The prefectural overseer had met the itinerant cultivator in secret before, so each of them had an idea of what the other person was thinking. It could be said that it was rather strange that the prefectural overseer had suddenly decided to betray the itinerant cultivator, but it was even stranger that the itinerant cultivator would direct so much slander at the prefectural overseer as his final words.

“It seems like I still underestimated him, after all.”

Having served as an official for so many years, the prefectural overseer was much more familiar with these matters, and he quickly developed a rough idea of what had to have transpired.