Chapter 96: World Three【10】

Jing Ke led the horse over and motioned for her little disciple to mount up. “It’ll only take half a shichen. Just come with me. You can describe what happened when it’s time to give your testimony.”

Going to the yamen to cooperate in an investigation was something that would happen more often in the future, not less. Getting some experience beforehand wasn’t a bad idea.

Furthermore, that man had died far too easily. As a replacement assassin sent after the first one had already failed, he should have done his homework, right?

Her beating a Martial Arts Alliance member half to death wasn’t exactly a top-secret matter. Anyone casually inquiring would have heard about it. Unless this Rakshasa Tower assassin was brainless, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try an assassination attempt in that manner.

Rakshasa Tower’s selection standards shouldn’t be that abysmal. Eliminating the possibility of a brainless assassin, the only remaining option was that this was a trap.

Luo Yuezhu still lacked a clear understanding of Rakshasa Tower assassins’ strength and knew very little about Jianghu factions. So, she simply thought her Master was exceedingly powerful and didn’t give it any further thought.

If her Master hadn’t been shielding her from behind just now, she would have been hit by that volley of hidden weapons long ago. She might already be reuniting with her family in the afterlife.

Luo Yuezhu nodded obediently. “Yes, Master.”

Then, stepping into the stirrup, she also mounted the horse with a relatively crisp, fluid motion.

“Head Constable Liu, please lead the way,” Jing Ke said, mounting as well and circling an arm around her little disciple.

“Of course, right this way, you two,” Head Constable Liu said, unable to resist glancing at Luo Yuezhu.

Heroine Jing was taking excellent care of Miss Luo. He rarely saw a Master so fiercely protective of their disciple. As far as he could recall, only disciples raised from childhood like one’s own child received this kind of treatment. If Miss Luo could settle her heart and seriously train in martial arts, her future would be limitless.

Head Constable Liu sighed inwardly. He quickly led his men back towards the yamen, aiming to finish the testimony as fast as possible so as not to delay mealtime for the protective Master and her little disciple.

Seeing Luo Yuezhu taken away along with Jing Ke, a certain assassin lurking within the crowd couldn’t help but click his tongue, inwardly distressed over the hidden weapons and identity token he’d lost.

Had his scheme been seen through? Or was this Jing Ke simply too overprotective of her disciple? Treating her little disciple like a portable charm she carried everywhere?

The Rakshasa Tower killer wasn’t satisfied with this outcome, but he also didn’t dare act rashly. Jing Ke’s display of Inner Energy Projection alone was enough to deal with him as well. If he didn’t want to end up like the previous assassin, he would have to bide his time and formulate a new, meticulous plan.

The yamen wasn’t too unfamiliar to Luo Yuezhu. On the day she received news of her relatives’ passing, she’d come here once already and stayed inside for a very long time.

The yamen runners inside clearly recognized Luo Yuezhu as well. Seeing her arrive behind Jing Ke, they even specially prepared some tea and pastries for her.

Squire Luo had been a good man and a shrewd businessman. He could open so many shops in Peace Offering City, so his relationship with the government yamen was naturally not bad. Yamen personnel who patronized Squire Luo’s shops usually received favorable treatment. Over time, everyone owed him a favor and gave the Luo family members some extra care.

Regardless of whether they would have specifically looked after Luo Yuezhu before, now that Jing Ke was backing her, their attitude was quite good.

No one made things difficult for Luo Yuezhu, and naturally, no one dared to trouble Jing Ke even less. Seeing that it was Luo Yuezhu recounting the scene, the clerk taking notes didn’t utter a word of complaint and efficiently completed the task.

After the so-called testimony was finished, Head Constable Liu shooed the unrelated people out of the yamen and, with a hint of ingratiation, sat down next to Jing Ke.

“Heroine Jing, the end of the year is approaching, and people are traveling between different areas much more frequently. I was wondering if you’d be willing to cooperate with the yamen? Take on an official post here and help us resolve some minor issues in your spare time?” Head Constable Liu spoke very politely.

Jing Ke raised an eyebrow slightly. “Is your yamen short on manpower?”

“To be frank, the friction between the Martial Arts Alliance and the Devil Sect has increased considerably recently. The Devil Sect, originally headquartered in the Northwest, has started sending people into the Central Plains in batches.” Head Constable Liu sighed.

“You should be well aware of Peace Offering City’s location, Heroine Jing. Though it borders Jiangnan somewhat, it isn’t excessively far from Outside the Pass either. If the Devil Sect wants to strike against the Central Plains Wulin, Peace Offering City is a perfect place for them to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys.”

Since he was asking for a favor, Head Constable Liu didn’t hide information, telling Jing Ke basically everything the higher-ups had relayed.

In fact, the Devil Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance had started clashing back at the end of October. Initially, it was limited to small-scale skirmishes—raiding outposts back and forth. But after November, the Devil Sect suddenly became assertive, sending out large numbers of their followers into nearby towns. Once they identified Martial Arts Alliance members or Jianghu figures with close ties to the Alliance, they were to be killed without exception.

Naturally, the Martial Arts Alliance wouldn’t just sit and wait for death. They tightened patrols near their headquarters. Although they suffered losses, they also eliminated quite a few Devil Sect members.

“Anyone who walks the Jianghu can’t completely sever ties with the Martial Arts Alliance. The same goes for the martial artists in Peace Offering City. But the Martial Arts Alliance has limited manpower and hasn’t sent any reinforcements. We can only rely on our own efforts.”

Head Constable Liu sighed again. “The Devil Sect has no scruples when they act. And Squire Luo was… In short, we need you, Heroine Jing, to garrison Peace Offering City. If any Devil Sect members attack, we hope you will lend us your aid.”

“This shouldn’t be difficult for you, Heroine Jing. We earnestly hope you will offer a helping hand so the Devil Sect doesn’t act too rampantly.” Head Constable Liu’s tone was sincere, but it also carried a subtle hint of moral coercion.

There was a deep blood feud between the Devil Sect and Squire Luo. Since Jing Ke was protecting Miss Luo and had even taken her as a disciple, she couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye to Devil Sect members.

Jing Ke caught the implication in Head Constable Liu’s words. From his personal perspective, getting a martial arts expert like herself to help was indeed a good idea.

But Jing Ke was never a good person. Her gentle and considerate side was usually reserved for a specific few individuals.

So Jing Ke didn’t respond immediately. She merely looked at Head Constable Liu with a calm expression until he involuntarily swallowed. Then, she let out a soft laugh.

“Since you know the Devil Sect people are coming, don’t tell me the Four Seas Pavilion hasn’t heard this news?” Jing Ke asked. “The Devil Sect is targeting the Martial Arts Alliance and those close to them. If these people are afraid, why don’t they just retreat to Yangzhou?”

“That would be the best solution, wouldn’t it? The yamen wouldn’t have to worry about the Devil Sect causing trouble, and the city’s commoners wouldn’t have to fear being dragged in.” Jing Ke countered.

“Or is it that those targeted by the Devil Sect, for the sake of their so-called face, insist on staying here, spreading the calamity that belongs solely to them onto every citizen of Peace Offering City?”

“Is their so-called Jianghu code of honor to make commoners pay the price for them? To lose their lives for them?” Jing Ke asked, her tone eerily calm.

Moral coercion? Anyone could play that game. Jing Ke had experienced it countless times in her previous worlds and had met plenty of people far more skilled at it than Head Constable Liu. Jing Ke didn’t even need to make herself amoral. With just a few words, she could deflect this burden they tried to pin on her right back at them, multiplied.

“This…” Head Constable Liu hesitated.

That reasoning wasn’t without merit. But if those people actually did that, they would likely have no place left for them in the Central Plains Wulin.

“Head Constable Liu, if a particularly dangerous fugitive comes to Peace Offering City to cause trouble, you can find me at the Luo Residence. I will deal with them alongside my little disciple.” Jing Ke stated.

After giving them a metaphorical club to the head, Jing Ke offered a small carrot. “But if it’s the Devil Sect aiming at a specific group of people, that’s outside my purview to assist with. They should learn to take responsibility for their own actions.”

Jing Ke’s tone was very calm as she spoke, her expression barely changing, betraying none of her true thoughts.

Luo Yuezhu, for her part, hadn’t joined this ‘adult’ conversation yet. She sat to the side, listening intently, striving to decipher the deeper meaning hidden in their words.

Head Constable Liu seemed not to have anticipated such a direct refusal. But hearing she was only unwilling to help the Martial Arts Alliance, not refusing to help apprehend fugitives, he couldn’t say much.

He also knew about the previous incident where a certain Martial Arts Alliance member was suspected of stealing a treasure from Jing Ke. He’d stiffly brought it up twice and dared not mention it a third time.

“Then, on behalf of the citizens of Peace Offering City, I thank you, Heroine Jing. If any criminals sneak into the city, I will notify you immediately,” Head Constable Liu said in the end, reluctantly abandoning his hope for a free helper.

Without a martial expert to shield them, they would have to find another solution. Either get the Martial Arts Alliance to send more people and directly beat back the Devil Sect, or do as Jing Ke suggested: have the Jianghu people closely tied to the Alliance temporarily leave the city to avoid the storm. Both methods were extremely difficult to implement, and he had no idea if they’d succeed.

“Master, will Devil Sect people still come to Peace Offering City?” Luo Yuezhu asked, held securely in her Master’s arms as they left the yamen.

“Possibly, but they’ll likely be lower-level members. The Devil Sect’s experts don’t need to kill commoners to vent their anger. They’ll probably be active in the Yangzhou area,” Jing Ke said, directing her white horse at a steady pace towards a nearby restaurant.

The so-called testimony had wasted half a shichen of their time. If they dawdled further, they wouldn’t make it back for the midday meal.

Luo Yuezhu nodded. Her lips twitched slightly, but she chose to swallow the unspoken question.

Master must have her own reasons for doing things this way. Being ignorant as she was, she shouldn’t make careless judgments. She just needed to focus on learning martial arts from Master.

Just like that, Luo Yuezhu accompanied Jing Ke to the nearby restaurant for lunch. After returning home, she received barely a quarter shichen of rest before continuing her practice of the Basic Sword Techniques.

The escalating conflict between the Devil Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance piqued some of Jing Ke’s curiosity. She found herself going out for strolls every so often, hoping to glean information from conversations around her. Considering Rakshasa Tower assassins might be lurking nearby, Jing Ke didn’t go too far, never leaving for more than half a shichen at a time.

After three consecutive days of heading out, Jing Ke got the information she needed.

Sometime at the end of October, the Martial Arts Alliance, using unknown methods, had secretly infiltrated the Devil Sect headquarters. Not only had the Devil Sect Leader’s sleeping quarters been set ablaze, but it seemed the Martial Arts Alliance had also taken something very important with them. The Devil Sect Leader had lost face, both outwardly and inwardly.

These relatively general details were what Jing Ke obtained through her sharp hearing and a few scattered silver coins. As for the specifics, she’d have to hear those firsthand from a person directly involved—Yin Honglian.

Perhaps because Jing Ke hadn’t directly finished off Yin Honglian with her sword last time, when they met face-to-face, Yin Honglian didn’t flee. Instead, she very politely invited Jing Ke for tea.

Needing more information sources, Jing Ke readily agreed. And so, the two sat down in a private booth in a teahouse.

“You guessed right. All the Martial Arts Alliance’s painstaking efforts were to rescue Lin Yuxiu. Just to save him alone, they lost ten elite disciples at the Devil Sect headquarters,” Yin Honglian said.

Yin Honglian had initially wanted to invite Jing Ke for drinks and meat, but Jing Ke refused, citing the distance. She had to settle for tea.

“Your Cult Leader didn’t kill Lin Yuxiu?” Jing Ke asked. “He was an inside agent for the Martial Arts Alliance, and he betrayed your Cult Leader once.”

“No. However, the Leader severed his meridians and shattered his pipa bones. Lin Yuxiu is now a cripple. No matter how many miraculous pills the Martial Arts Alliance has, they won’t be able to restore Lin Yuxiu to his original state.”

Yin Honglian took a sip of hot tea. “I thought what you said made sense, and I advised the Leader accordingly. But the Leader insisted on making Lin Yuxiu wish he were dead, so that’s what happened.”

Jing Ke nodded. The person chosen by the System had become a cripple. This wasn’t bad news for her.

“Regarding Lin Yuxiu, do you have any new information?” Jing Ke asked.

Yin Honglian smiled. “Yes. Lin Yuxiu’s backbone isn’t very hard either. After having two pipa bones broken, he revealed some intelligence that still holds some value.”

“What is it?” Jing Ke pressed.

“Jing Ke, I’m not providing this information for free. It should be a mutual exchange,” Yin Honglian said, teasingly pausing.

Jing Ke swirled her teacup. “Ask.”

“I heard you destroyed a treasure Lin Yuxiu had on him. Can you tell me about it?” Yin Honglian asked, feigning nonchalance, but the intensity in her eyes betrayed her nervousness.

Jing Ke showed little reaction to the question. “That treasure never belonged to Lin Yuxiu in the first place. At most, I simply reclaimed it.”

“You didn’t destroy the treasure?” Yin Honglian pressed.

“I did. I wouldn’t want something another person wore for years. I find it filthy,” Jing Ke stated flatly, meeting Yin Honglian’s gaze.

“Why, do you seem curious about this treasure?” Jing Ke countered.