Chapter 031 – Making Inquiries
Uncle Ma collapsed onto the ground. He hadn’t heard what the bailiff had whispered to Li Yuan, but he sensed it boded ill. He started wailing like a scoundrel in a street brawl.
“Help! Somebody help! Murder!”
This was the county office, so he assumed shouting for help would surely draw more bailiffs. But he was wrong. No matter how much he screamed, the gates remained firmly shut.
At one point, Tian Bao looked like he wanted to gag the old man, but Li Yuan shot him a warning glance. Li Yuan simply allowed Uncle Ma to howl until his voice was ragged.
Even so, the gates stayed closed. Narrowing his eyes, Li Yuan realized that Cai Ze wasn't lying. It’s really come to this…
For all Uncle Ma’s screaming, not a single bailiff reappeared. That meant government authorities no longer maintained order in Gemhill County.
The villagers from Little Ink Village grew uneasy. One of them asked, “Li Yuan, what’s going on?”
Keeping his voice light, Li Yuan said, “Nothing, really. The bailiff from a moment ago, he’s an old friend of mine. We recognized each other, and he told me I could handle this any way I like. Said even if I killed someone, it’d be fine.”
Someone blurted out, “That’s impossible! What about the law?”
Another onlooker shook his head in disbelief. “No way. Wasn’t Monk Pan executed for his crimes not too long ago?”
Li Yuan didn’t argue. He simply strode forward, grabbed Uncle Ma, slapped him silent, then twisted and broke his other arm. Uncle Ma howled in agony, but the county office gates never opened.
Terror flooded Uncle Ma's eyes.
Glancing at the crowd, Li Yuan said, “Take him back first.”
With that, he turned slightly to look at Tian Bao, who was watching him with unconcealed admiration.
“Don’t worry, Li Yuan,” Tian Bao said. “I’ll drag this old man back myself.”
Li Yuan nodded, handed him two large coins, and said, “Go exchange these for small copper coins. Give 10 to each person; whatever’s left, you keep.”
Tian Bao hesitated. “I don’t need much… I-I just want to follow you!”
Li Yuan patted him on the shoulder. “Trust me, living your own life well is better than tagging along with me.”
“Li Yuan, I…” Tian Bao stammered a bit but swallowed the words. All he could do was bow. “Okay….”
With that, he and the others led Uncle Ma back the way they came, leaving Li Yuan behind.
Though he seemed outwardly calm, Li Yuan was inwardly shaken. what Cai Ze had informed him still echoed in his mind.
If he could kill people with impunity, wouldn’t others be just as free to kill him? That wouldn’t do. He had to figure out what was really happening.
Once the others left, Li Yuan took a deep breath, steadied himself, and knocked on the county office gate again. When no one answered, he paced in hesitation, then grabbed the drum mallet and banged on the drum once more.
Eventually, the gate opened, once again revealing the same bailiff, Cai Ze.
He looked annoyed at first, ready to bark at whoever was outside. But seeing it was Li Yuan, he reined in his temper and asked, “Didn't we just speak? What do you want now?”
Li Yuan cupped his hands in greeting. “Well, it’s nearly noon. I thought maybe you and I could share a meal. We hit it off so well earlier, so I thought…perfect time to raise a glass or two, don’t you think?”
Sizing up the iron bow slung across Li Yuan’s back, Cai Ze nodded. “Are you a local?”
Li Yuan grinned. “Yes, though I moved out to Little Ink Village three years ago to make a living as a hunter.”
“A hunter, are you? This county hasn’t issued many hunting permits, and I don’t recall any going to a family named Li,” Cai Ze said.
Li Yuan replied, “I got mine back when the previous magistrate was in office.”
“The previous magistrate…” A flicker of recognition crossed Cai Ze’s face. “What’s your father’s name?”
“Li Zhao.”
It took him a moment to place it, then his eyes lit up. With a hearty laugh, he clapped Li Yuan on the shoulder. “So you’re Li Zhao’s boy! When I first joined the county office, your father was still on duty. Heard he was badly wounded on some case for the magistrate and then retired…”
Li Yuan paused. He knew his father had worked at the county office ages ago. But by the time his father had passed away from the outbreak, no one had shown up at the funeral. It was a pleasant surprise to discover a connection with someone in the current county office.
Feigning excitement, he said, “What a coincidence indeed!”
Laughing, Cai Ze gave Li Yuan’s arm a squeeze. “Then our meeting today is fate. All right, let’s raise a glass together.”
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Moments later, Li Yuan found himself pulled into the Heavenly Scent Pavilion, with a young courtesan brought over to pour drinks. He inwardly winced at the likely cost, but he needed information and couldn’t just refuse. He kept a careful eye on the fruit, wine, and other luxuries on the table, ready to put a stop to things if they got too expensive, even at the cost of losing face.
Before that moment arrived, though, he toasted Cai Ze and cut straight to the point. “Cai Ze, all I want is a stable life. But now it seems the county is in chaos. Can you tell me what’s really going on?”
Smiling, Cai Ze pointed at the courtesan. “Better to ask her. She knows the ins and outs here as well as anyone.”
Li Yuan turned toward her. “May I ask your name, Miss?”
She giggled. “Oh my, I’m not just any miss. You can call me Madam Yun.” Gently swaying her hips, she slipped into his lap, settling onto his thigh. “Now, what would you like to know, handsome?”
Li Yuan didn’t resist. He wasn’t some virtuous monk or bashful teen; having a pretty stranger in his lap didn’t bother him. Besides, he was paying for it. Might as well enjoy the moment.
“All right, Madam Yun. Please enlighten me.”
She pouted playfully. “Let’s have you drink another cup first, then I’ll talk.”
Li Yuan obliged, downing his wine in one go.
Madam Yun then explained, “Right now, it’s all in the hands of two families and one sect—the Wei Family, Sun Family, and the Blood Blade Sect. Our Heavenly Scent Pavilion is under the Blood Blade Sect’s protection, which also extends over Silver Creek, Violet Haven, and Parasol Town, the three best townships in Gemhill County.”
“What about the government?” Li Yuan asked.
She giggled again. “Another cup, handsome.”
He downed a second one without hesitation.
“Well,” she continued, “it’s hardly a secret. Here at Heavenly Scent Pavilion, we recognize only the Blood Blade Sect, not the government. It’s been that way for ages. It used to be that Violet Haven and Parasol Town were held by the magistrate and the county captain. But since they’re gone now, those townships naturally fell under the sect. The Wei and Sun families did something similar. Each originally ran just one town, but they’ve taken over three apiece. As for somewhere poor like Little Ink Village, nobody cares enough to claim it, so it’s left to its own devices.”
Li Yuan’s mind whirled. Everything he once knew about this place was just the tip of the iceberg. People like Madam Yun, those hovering at the edges of society, seemed to have a better sense of how things really worked.
So in Gemhill County, it appeared that local powerhouses overshadowed the government authorities.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He jiggled his leg slightly and said, “Madam Yun, why don’t you pour a drink for Cai Ze over there? Don’t mind me.”
Reluctant to move from Li Yuan’s lap, she stood and sashayed toward Cai Ze, swaying her hips all the while. But the bailiff blocked her with one hand and barked a laugh. “Come on, one girl shifting from lap to lap is dull. Let’s call in another.”
Li Yuan felt his stomach drop. “Cai Ze, about our bill…”
Frowning, Cai Ze said, “How much money do you have left?”
Li Yuan forced a chuckle. “Not to hide anything, but I’ve only got 48 large coins, no more.”
“That’s plenty,” the bailiff replied. Then, pointing to Madam Yun, he added, “You make sure to look after my brother here.”
Madam Yun giggled. “Of course.”
Then she went off to summon another girl. Li Yuan watched her go, silently lamenting how fast his money was disappearing. Yan Yu had given him 100 large coins, and already half were spent in a single day.
“Fine. If I’m blowing this much money, I’d better get something in return,” Li Yuan muttered to himself. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Cai Ze, I grew up in Silver Creek, but I moved away. Now that I’m older, I’d like to settle down back in my old neighborhood. Do you think there’s room for me to come home?”
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