Chapter Ten: Seizing by Force

Wishing all fellow readers a happy New Year, may everything go your way, and may you be in good health.

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Having just killed two men, Ghostbane was secretly in awe of Bu Jingxian’s formidable martial skills. Though somewhat anxious, he was not truly afraid, and answered as he followed him.

The two made their way to the magistrate’s residence, where the townsfolk who had earlier fled had now gathered again under the leadership of a plump old man in his sixties. When they saw Bu Jingxian and Ghostbane arrive, they all fell to their knees, crying, “Long live the King! Long live the King! Thank you for rescuing the people of Leper Town and slaying that fiend, Young Lord Ling!” and other such words.

Bu Jingxian exchanged a few courteous remarks, then asked the townsfolk to disperse. He invited the magistrate inside to speak and told the servants to withdraw.

He first pulled Ghostbane before the magistrate, saying, “This is my good brother Ghostbane. Today, it was largely thanks to his efforts that we were able to drive away Young Lord Ling and his band of scoundrels. Originally, no one would have dared to take on such a deadly task, but he has always admired your maid and was willing to risk life and limb for her!”

The magistrate immediately understood, and with a delighted smile, said, “Ah, I wonder which little maid has caught the eye of such a hero! I can certainly see to it that this happy match is made!” A mere maid was nothing for him to worry about; he knew that the men before him were not to be trifled with. Perhaps they were not as wicked as Young Lord Ling, but certainly far more terrifying.

Ghostbane was bewildered, but Bu Jingxian leaned in and whispered, “What is the name of the concubine you like?” Suddenly realizing Bu Jingxian’s intent, Ghostbane was both surprised and impressed. He put on an air of grave seriousness and declared, “It’s the maid called Bilian.”

The magistrate froze, his mouth agape, only to see Bu Jingxian smiling and watching him closely. A worldly man, he realized instantly that this was no misunderstanding. Could he refuse? Did he dare?

“So it’s Bilian! What excellent taste the hero has! Bilian is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I’ve never treated her as a mere maid, always as my adopted daughter. It is her great fortune to be chosen by such a young hero. And as luck would have it, today is an auspicious day…”

“No need for that. I am somewhat versed in such matters—today, this very moment, is a good day and a good hour.”

Seeing no way to evade this, the magistrate had no choice but to send for Bilian. When she arrived, Bu Jingxian saw a young woman with delicate brows and almond-shaped eyes, cheeks like peach blossoms, her gaze both alluring and haunting. She demurely bowed to the magistrate, her cherry lips just parting to speak when she was interrupted.

“Bilian, I have always treated you as my adopted daughter. Truly, it pains me to let you go, but a girl must marry one day. Now that you are favored by this hero, it is a blessing earned over eight lifetimes. And as luck would have it, today is an auspicious day…”

“Would the magistrate kindly see to some clothing and belongings for Bilian? We shall take her home at once.”

The magistrate hurried to comply, entering the inner rooms to give orders, all the while slamming his hand angrily on the wooden table. His wife, having already heard about the events outside, quickly entered with a tray of tea, trying to comfort him.

“Ah! What are you doing? Keep your voice down, lest someone overhear us!”

“Bandits! Bandits!” the magistrate cursed, still beside himself with rage.

“Hmph! Can’t bear to part with that vixen? If you refuse, they’ll just kill us all and take her anyway. Didn’t you see how Young Lord Ling’s elite soldiers were wiped out by a single man wielding only a sword…”

“Do you need to remind me?” the magistrate snapped, grinding his teeth. “If he only wanted Bilian, I’d let it go, but he also demanded a dowry. What does that mean? It means he’s robbing us! You foolish woman!”

His wife, worried, asked, “How much does he want?”

“How much? He didn’t say, but do you dare try to fob him off with a little silver? Do you?”

Just then, a servant knocked and reported, “Young Hero Zuo says if you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the auspicious hour, and when it’s over, misfortune may follow—perhaps even bloodshed.”

“I know!” As soon as the servant left, the magistrate slammed the table and cursed again. “See? They almost couldn’t be more obvious! What are you waiting for? Bring out all the gold!”

His wife, extremely reluctant, opened a secret compartment in the room and slowly began taking out the gold and silver ingots, biting her lip as she did. Suddenly a thought struck her, and she tried to persuade her husband, “Let’s try to stall for time. When the army from North Gate arrives, let’s see how well they fare…”

“Smart, are you?” the magistrate sneered. “Why do you think they’re in such a hurry for the woman and the money? They’ll take it and run! You try to stall, and before you can even succeed, we’ll already be dead!”

His wife, finally frightened, quickly brought out half their hidden treasures. The magistrate made her bring even more, and she, sobbing and trembling, complied. “It took us so long to save this little bit. Young Lord Ling took most of it these past two years, and now this fiend takes half of what’s left. How will we live after this?”

“Hurry up! Stop complaining. If we don’t hand it over, we won’t live to see tomorrow!”

Inside, the magistrate and his wife pounded on the table and shed tears.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, ever since Bilian entered, Ghostbane had been staring at her in a daze, so much so that Bilian, with her head bowed, felt she could not escape his gaze.

“Bilian is about to become my wife? Bilian is about to become my wife?” This question and exclamation spun through Ghostbane’s mind. It all seemed like a dream, but it was not. Suddenly coming to his senses, Ghostbane knelt before Bu Jingxian.

“I, I, I…” He wanted to express his gratitude, but his throat was so choked with joy that he couldn’t utter a single complete word. Bu Jingxian simply patted him on the shoulder and said, “No need for thanks between brothers. Get up, get up.”

When Bilian first entered, she hoped she would be married to Bu Jingxian. Stealing glances, she saw he was handsome and dignified, and she would not have objected. But after the magistrate went inside, Ghostbane kept staring at her in that fashion, making her uneasy and causing her heart to sink. When she overheard their conversation, the last of her hope was extinguished.

Ghostbane was not exactly ugly, but his skin was swarthy and he gave off an unpleasant odor from not bathing for ages. Besides, she hadn’t heard that he’d done anything of note in the day’s fighting. In looks and skill, he and Bu Jingxian were worlds apart!

But she could say nothing. In truth, she was just a delicate plaything, to be sold to the magistrate, handed over to Young Lord Ling for his pleasure, or, as today, given to anyone at will. She could only force a smile, swallowing her tears and humiliation.

After about a quarter of an hour, the magistrate emerged, displaying gold and silver ingots wrapped in red cloth.

“Hero, please look at these…”

“The magistrate is most generous. It would be ungracious for my brother to refuse. Our thanks, then—we must leave, as the auspicious hour is nearly past.”

Bu Jingxian wrapped the gold and silver in a cloth, slung it over his back, and strode away.

The magistrate and his wife, followed by their servants, saw them out the gate, only stopping when they were out of sight. Then the magistrate cursed, “Bandits! May you die a miserable death, bandits!” His wife sobbed without ceasing. “How are we supposed to live? How are we supposed to live now?”

“Enough with the crying! Starting tomorrow, we’ll just add another head tax.” He sighed, “And when the general from North Gate arrives, that’ll be another hefty sum to pay…”

After leaving Leper Town, Ghostbane finally recovered from his joy and grew sober, realizing they were now in grave danger and had to run for their lives. Afraid Bilian would slow them down, he carried her on his back as they hurried.

“I always thought you were a good man, but today you not only took the magistrate’s woman, you also took so much silver! I really misjudged you! If you’d had the guts and skill all along, why bother working as a laborer, fighting me over a few coppers… This time, we’re truly rich!”

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