Chapter 142: Irreconcilable to the Death

Du Shiyi had been somewhat troubled about how to handle the aftermath ever since the attackers resorted to threats.

In the initial flash of thought, he had considered simply letting them escape. However, when the archer signaled the two rear-guard men to run off immediately for reinforcements, he dismissed that impractical idea. It is better to resolve enmities than to perpetuate them, but the problem was that these people had resorted to arson and murder right from the start, clearly leaving no room for survival. If he were still to harbor compassion at this point, it would be sheer foolishness. At this very moment, Yue Wuniang’s words made him truly understand the origin of this unprovoked disaster, and after a brief moment of contemplation, his brows furrowed.

"Has Lady Yue been keeping an eye on Wang Shuzhen?"

"That's right. After my master entered the palace, she once performed a sword dance. He was among those who went to watch alongside the Crown Prince back then, and he was completely infatuated, soul-stirringly captivated. Coupled with the previous incident, now that I am a free woman, naturally I have to keep an eye on him. My master has bestowed kindness upon me as heavy as a mountain; how could I watch her lose her freedom and still be coveted by such a scion of a noble family?"

"Then has he ever met anyone else?"

"Anyone else? He is the eldest legitimate son of General Wang, and he sees plenty of people on ordinary days. Who are you referring to?" Yue Wuniang raised an eyebrow with a half-smile, but ultimately turned serious. "Naturally, it is related to your other adversary. During the days you hurried to Luoyang, that Tenth Young Master Liu abandoned the imminent Jingzhao Prefecture examination and met with Wang Shuzhen several times. They kept guards both inside and out, and one couldn't possibly hear what wicked schemes they were plotting!"

This was not an overly unexpected answer. Du Shiyi let out a gentle sigh, then looked out into the night toward the direction where Chibi had just vanished, and his expression grew stern once more. Presumably, because this man recognized Yue Wuniang, coupled with the fact that Yue Wuniang had just eliminated the two rear-guard fellows and then quietly crept all the way in for a sneak attack, he had let down his guard after she revealed herself. Most importantly, this fellow, who had clearly witnessed bloodshed and possessed rich combat experience, had now rushed ahead to clean up the mess. However, unlike the previous occasion in Taolin County where County Magistrate Liu could simply silence Liu Wanxing with murder to hush things up and restore peace, this time there were at least seven or eight people involved!

Things had reached this stage; hushing it up was clearly no longer feasible!

"Master Du, I can only help to this extent. As for what comes next, make your own decisions. Right, take this." Stuffing something into Du Shiyi's hand without giving him room for refusal, Yue Wuniang smiled brightly and said, "I'll leave this flying sword with you as a souvenir. I'm off!"

Hearing these last three words, Du Shiyi snapped back to his senses. He focused his gaze, but the graceful figure from just a moment ago had already vanished without a trace. Compared to the naive young girl he had met three years ago, Yue Wuniang today had not only blossomed into a stunningly mature beauty, but her temperament and actions had also undergone drastic changes. Especially her ability to come and go without a trace today left him with a persistent sense of being caught off guard. Meanwhile, the three-inch flying sword in his hand looked more like the flying daggers of his impression.

"Master Du!"

As Chibi hurried back holding a lantern in one hand and a bow in the other, what he saw was Du Shiyi standing alone in isolation. Although he had no idea why Yue Wuniang had drifted away, a great burden was lifted from his heart. Putting aside that thought, he stepped forward and presented the bow with both hands. After Du Shiyi reached out and took it, Chibi said in a deep voice, "All seven of them have been captured, and none of them are willing to reveal their backgrounds or motives. I stripped them of their weapons, but found no insignia belonging to official troops; I only managed to get the bow carried by their leader. This bow is not a standard-issue military weapon, but its craftsmanship is exquisite, and it shouldn't have been procured temporarily just for tonight. Moreover, Master Du, look at the inscription on it."

Guided by Chibi as he raised the lantern higher, Du Shiyi saw the character "Xiao" carved on the back of the bow, with the words "Yulin" engraved beside it. Almost instinctively, he thought of the Captain Xiao whom Liu Wanxing had mentioned back in Taolin County. Both incidents, one after the other, were utterly audacious; it was hard for him to imagine that the Left Yulin Guard could actually have two such daring individuals sharing the same surname!

"Master Du, this matter is of grave importance. I could only order them to be tied up first and kept under watch right on the spot. As for how to deal with them... it is simply too tricky." As if fearing Du Shiyi might not understand, Chibi explained, "Nowadays, the militia system exists in name only, and the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Courts have become a structure of generals without soldiers, where military titles are merely nominal. On the other hand, the Left and Right Yulin Guards and the Left and Right Longwu Guards—the Four Northern Gates—are truly the absolute core of the palace city's defense. Therefore, if this man is truly a member of the Yulin Guard, exposing this case today will not only cause a massive stir, but nine times out of ten it will turn into an uncontrollable tempest. But if we kill them... a sudden shortage of these few men in the Yulin Guard will likewise cause a considerable uproar. Thus, I find it extremely tricky and have no idea what to do."

Du Shiyi gazed at the Earth God Temple still blazing fiercely in the distance. Recalling that the inn he had stayed at earlier was not too far away, it was impossible that such a massive commotion had gone entirely unnoticed, and a trace of a cold smile crept onto his lips. Remembering little monk Luo Ying of Anguo Temple who sought justice for others only to be wronged, the unresolved case in Taolin County, the courtyard full of mourning white in the Cui residence in Luoyang, and the fact that tomorrow was the Jingzhao Prefecture examination, he suddenly turned his head to look at Chibi and said, "At this point, it is like sailing against the current; not to advance is to retreat... By the way, was anyone injured just now?"

"They launched a sneak attack, and their strikes were accurate and ruthless, but only one of us was slightly grazed by carelessness; it's nothing serious." Speaking of such a battle, a hint of pride inevitably showed on Chibi's face, but facing a more pressing problem now, he had to urgently ask, "Does Master Du have a plan?"

"Besides this bow, let me first take a look at the weapons you confiscated."

"They are all piled outside."

When Du Shiyi followed Chibi out of the small grove and walked along the winding path to the clearing in front of the still-burning Earth God Temple, he saw seven or eight blood-soaked fellows tied tightly and thrown onto the ground, with numerous weapons scattered nearby. He glanced at Chibi once more. At this moment, Chibi said in a deep voice, "To be on the safe side, these people have all been knocked unconscious. Sansai also found a few mounts outside; they must have tied their horses and crept all the way here on foot."

Stooping down to pick up a saber from the ground, Du Shiyi casually drew it from its scabbard. Seeing that the blade was bright and reflective, it indeed bore no obvious markings like the ones on the bow. He lightly rubbed the edge of the blade with his hand, then suddenly reversed the hilt and handed it to Chibi.

"Master Du?"

"Fighting five against eight without a single injury on our side makes it hard to reflect the tragic intensity of tonight's battle. Even if we send them to the officials later, we might not be able to explain ourselves clearly. Since we are in the capital region, and this case cannot be suppressed, we might as well blow it wide open. Since you are skilled in martial arts, casually leave a few wounds on my body. At dawn, we will immediately enter the city of Chang'an, take these people straight to the gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture office, and I will go right ahead to take the Jingzhao Prefecture examination just like this!"

Faced with such an utterly unexpected request, bold and meticulous though Chibi was, he stood stunned for a long time. Realizing that Du Shiyi's plan was to throw caution to the wind and escalate the matter drastically, his throat felt dry, and it took him a long while to spit out a sentence: "Master Du must think this through. Once these people are dumped all at once into the Jingzhao Prefecture, there will be no turning back!"

"But you should have seen the situation earlier; first they set a fire, then they plotted murder—did they leave the slightest margin of mercy? If we let them go once, there will inevitably be a second and third time in the future. We might as well take advantage of tonight's bloodshed to lay it all out on the table. If we don't show an attitude of fighting to the bitter death, others will surely continue to act with such blatant audacity in the future!"

Several of the Cui family retainers were daring men. Hearing Du Shiyi explain it so simply, they all had a sudden realization and immediately looked at Chibi in unison. Seeing Chibi hesitate and struggle to decide, one of the hot-headed young family servants couldn't help but blurt out, "Big Brother Chibi, we can neither kill them nor let them go. We might as well risk it all. What Master Du says makes sense!"

"However, is there any need to go to such extremes?" Chibi swallowed hard, finally hardening his heart. "The few of us can exchange some blows and leave enough traces and bloodstains at those spots just now, but why must Master Du risk his own person? Tomorrow is the Jingzhao Prefecture examination; if by any chance my hand slips and I ruin Master Du's major endeavor..."

"Ever since I hurried to Luoyang on a fast horse, I had long prepared for the possibility of blowing this year's Jingzhao Prefecture provincial examination. What else is there to ruin! You must know that injuring someone versus not injuring someone carries completely different penalties under the penal code; injuring me versus injuring you also incurs different punishments! Moreover, even if I really cannot take the exam due to severe injuries, the worst that can happen is that I return next year to stage a comeback. Alright, enough nonsense, I trust that you know how to measure your strikes!"

Chibi had killed more than one person, but asking him to slash a blade against one of his own people was a first for him. At this moment, seeing the other retainers looking at him—clearly depending on no one else to share this extraordinary responsibility—he could only take a deep breath, grit his teeth, and accept the saber handed over by Du Shiyi. For the very first time in his life, he felt his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the blade. Seeing Du Shiyi's expression resolute and his gaze devoid of even a shred of retreat, Chibi suddenly stepped forward. The saber in his hand swept across Du Shiyi's left shoulder, abdomen, and calf as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water, and the very next moment, those spots immediately bloomed with a patch of bright crimson.

Without waiting for his command, two family servants hurriedly stepped forward and busied themselves applying medicine and wrapping bandages for Du Shiyi's wounds. The remaining two also picked up the confiscated weapons without a word and headed to the initial ambush site to fabricate all sorts of traces and wounds. Seeing that Du Shiyi was slightly frowning yet endured the pain without groaning, Chibi felt a mix of profound admiration and lingering fear in his heart.

For people caught in a dilemma of advance or retreat, this tactic of inflicting self-harm to survive was indeed finding a way to live by placing oneself in a position of death! Yet, to not hesitate in self-mutilation at the crucial moment—this Master Du was truly audacious!