Volume One: The Emperor's Decree Chapter Eight: The Lone Halberd Rides Out from the Southern City

In a single night, the Yu and Xue households were reduced to ruins. By dawn, a great crowd had gathered to witness the aftermath. Wisps of smoke lingered until noon before slowly dissipating. Throughout the whispers and murmurs, the consensus was that only two local powers could be behind such an act.

The Sacred Sovereign Hall lay closer to the border and often dealt with those beyond the pass; Banner Mountain blocked the only passage from the Southern Wilds to the Central Plains. If the pass fell, it would be the first line of defense. Given the audacity of the attack in Banner City, suspicion naturally fell upon the Sacred Sovereign Hall. That very night, the Xue family had sent out a message at a critical moment; the reply only arrived the following morning.

At noon, outside the city gate, the heat was so oppressive that a large yellow dog lay panting under a shade, unwilling to move. Its drooping eyelids fixed on a short, stout traveler, prompting a few sharp barks.

Startled from his midday doze, the old city guard snatched up his rifle and blocked the road. "Halt! These are troubled times. I must search you!"

The traveler produced a palm-sized token engraved with a five-clawed golden dragon—the Imperial Warrant.

The old guard recoiled in fright, nearly collapsing to his knees. "Official business for the Imperial Censor. Keep quiet." The man spoke quickly and quietly, and by the time the guard regained his wits, he had already vanished around the corner.

He appeared to be around thirty, with a square face and a hooked nose, wearing a broad-brimmed red hat, embroidered boots adorned with clouds, and a long double-bladed halberd slung over his shoulder, causing him to tilt to one side. From a distance, he looked almost comically like a walking skewer of meat.

The halberd was over twelve feet long, while the man himself barely measured five. His stride was brisk and dust-laden, covering the five hundred steps to his destination in no time. The crowd parted before the sharp blade as he strode into the ruins, carelessly grabbing a handful of ash from a charred corpse without needing to bend down.

He brought it to his nose and sniffed; it was still warm. The official count, taken earlier when the bodies were more distinguishable, listed three hundred and fifteen corpses between the two households.

A local officer, seeing what he took for a country bumpkin, cursed and moved to kick him—a job like this in August left one drenched in sweat, and no one relished it. But the raised foot was checked by the sight of the Imperial Warrant and fell back to the ground.

"So, the Imperial Censor is here already. You are swift, sir, very swift..." The officer's tone changed, a forced smile spreading over his face.

The Censor's voice was deep and resonant. "What’s the situation? Any clues?"

"The officials have checked the registers. The eldest Miss Xue’s house was untouched, but she’s missing. As for the Yu family, someone saw their eldest Miss leave the south gate at dawn, accompanied by a youth."

"Take your writs and question both families. If you find them, detain them. Do not mention my name."

The Censor handled matters swiftly and thoroughly, making his rounds of the ruins. Once he had verified the facts, he headed straight for the south gate.

A soldier hurried after him. "Sir, where are you going? The City Lord's residence is to the west!"

"Outside the south gate—to apprehend the suspects!"

With short, sturdy legs, he left a trail of deep, distinct footprints, and within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had exited the south gate.

Meanwhile, the Yu family’s eldest daughter was still sulking on someone’s back. Liu Xiaoyi hadn’t said a word, carrying her for over a hundred and fifty miles without stopping.

They had left the main road behind. The wildflowers and fragrant grass on either side eased the tension somewhat. Only hunger finally prompted Liu Xiaoyi to gently set the young lady down.

"I want to go back. I must return to Banner Mountain! I’m not going with you into the Wilds!" The young woman had wept herself dry along the way. The idea that both families, with hundreds of lives between them, could be slaughtered in a single night was unthinkable.

Clinging to hope, she turned back, walking more than thirty paces without hearing a word from behind her.

Liu Xiaoyi sat down on a flat boulder, paying her no mind. Yu Wenwan, seeing no other choice, braced herself and began to walk back.

How heartless this man was! Was his heart made of stone? The more Yu Wenwan thought about it, the angrier she became, stamping her feet and sending up clouds of dust.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the roadside undergrowth. It was just past noon—a time when travelers and horses alike were weary, and when bandits most liked to strike.

"Liu Xiaoyi! Bandits! Hurry, save me!"

From the grass emerged a bald, shiny head. Before the man could speak, he was struck hard on the head and collapsed, unconscious.

In her panic, Yu Wenwan had grabbed a stone and struck out. By the time Liu Xiaoyi arrived, the man was sprawled senseless in the grass once more.

Judging by his attire—a clean, neat monk's robe, a bundled pack, and a wooden staff—he was no local of the Southern Wilds. His fair, refined features were more handsome than a young lady’s; it seemed a waste for someone like him to be a monk.

Since he lay unconscious, the pair could not simply leave him there. An hour passed before the monk finally stirred, blinking at the two nearby.

"Ah! I’ve been set upon by bandits! Taste my staff!"

Off balance, the monk stumbled forward, his staff thrusting out. What seemed an accident was, in truth, a hidden strike. But Liu Xiaoyi crossed his arms at his waist, blocking the blow and being forced back two steps.

Such strength! "Don’t go starting trouble, little monk! It’s a misunderstanding; we thought you were the bandit," Yu Wenwan interjected, hurriedly stepping in to mediate.

"Not bandits? I suppose you don’t look it—who ever heard of a bandit bringing a maiden along? My apologies, truly." Rubbing his sore scalp, the monk winced at the rising bump.

"It was my fault for not looking first," Yu Wenwan admitted, head lowered in embarrassment. For a young lady from a noble house to behave so on her first day out of the city—what disgrace if word got out!

The monk had come from the west; monks were a rare sight in the Southern Wilds—Liu Xiaoyi had never met one in person.

"My dharma name is Jingkong. I am from the Great Huigui Monastery in Tianchi City by the Western Waters. Tell me, are we near the Central Plains?"

Both Liu Xiaoyi and Yu Wenwan couldn’t help but laugh. Not only was this monk rash, he was hopelessly lost! Tianchi City lay northwest of here; if he were heading for the Central Plains, he should have stayed on the eastbound road. He was far off course.

"What business takes you to the Central Plains? Is it urgent?" Liu Xiaoyi, suppressing his mirth, produced a simplified map, pointing to Banner City. "From here, even walking swiftly, it’s a month and a half; dawdle and it’ll be two months before you arrive."

Jingkong peered at the map, his eyes vacant, voice nearly breaking. "I knew it! This is terrible! They’re holding the Martial Arts Tournament before the Buddha in two months, and now I’ll be late again!"

With that, he straightened his robe, bowed in farewell, and was about to head for Banner City when, from the opposite direction, a short, stout middle-aged man arrived, halberd across his chest, barring Jingkong’s path.

"On Imperial Censor business. The three of you, come with me. Is one of you Yu Wenwan of the Yu family?" It was the Censor, sweat beading on his broad nose after his long pursuit.

Yu Wenwan recognized him at once and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "So it is you, High Censor Gao! Your reputation as one of the Four Great Censors of the Central Plains is well known. I am willing to return with you—I cannot rest until my family’s killer is brought to justice. But these two have nothing to do with the matter; I owe them my rescue."

She gestured toward Liu Xiaoyi, urging him to distance himself before he could be implicated.

The Four Great Censors of the Central Plains were directly appointed by the capital. They were known for their ruthlessness and unwavering focus on victims and criminals—there was no middle ground. Officials distrusted wanderers; better for Liu Xiaoyi to be clear of suspicion.

"With the Wilds in chaos, where do you intend to go?" High Censor Gao asked, clearly skeptical of Liu Xiaoyi’s innocence.

Liu Xiaoyi knew only that the jade slip sent him to the Wilds, but what did he know of war? Jingkong stepped between them, palms pressed together. "Amitabha, this is my junior brother from Great Huigui Monastery in Tianchi City. We met the young lady by chance and simply aided her in distress."