Chapter Nineteen: One Must Not Be Greedy

When the old city lord knelt, the others quickly followed suit. Wu De's face turned ashen; he had been waiting, full of self-importance, for the city lord to avenge him, yet now even the city lord was kneeling—was this not the end for him?

Qian Mubai remained silent, eyes lowered as he sipped his fine wine, utterly indifferent to the roomful of people on their knees.

The old man, unable to kneel any longer, was the first to speak. “I was unaware of the Young Princess’s arrival and failed to welcome you properly. Today, someone from my residence has offended the Young Princess; if you would clarify the matter, I will see to it that the family law is enforced.”

Qian Mubai lifted his gaze slightly. “You may rise.”

“Thank you, Young Princess!” Wu De hastened to help the old city lord to his feet, fawning all the while.

“Wu De, is it true you bullied our honored guests?”

“I... I... City Lord, please judge fairly! These two came in, ordered chicken legs, and couldn’t pay. I was simply following the inn’s rules. How could I have known they were traveling with the Young Princess…”

“Thirty strikes to the mouth!” the city lord declared crisply. At that, the enforcers came forward, seized Wu De, and delivered a flurry of slaps—each one resounding through the hall.

“City... Lord... spare me!” Wu De sputtered at first, but soon could only whimper and beg for mercy. By the end, his face was grotesquely swollen.

“In full view of the public, your servant has humiliated my two brothers,” Qin Xiaomo raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t he apologize to them?”

“The punishment’s already been served,” the city lord replied in a courteous tone that nonetheless carried a hint of provocation.

Qin Xiaomo bristled. “From the city lord’s words, it sounds as though an apology would be an undue humiliation for your servant?”

“I wouldn’t dare. It’s true my servant was at fault, but he was only following the rules. After all, this is an inn, a place where money speaks. Admittedly, it was improper for them to enter without silver. If a grave error has been made, we will accept punishment. But for such a minor matter, the punishment has been meted out—would the Young Princess let this go?” He looked to Qian Mubai, clearly dismissing Qin Xiaomo.

“This matter is entirely at the discretion of my lady,” Qian Mubai replied, turning to Qin Xiaomo.

Qin Xiaomo had bristled at being called “lady” before, but now the title sounded inexplicably pleasing.

“So you are the Young Princess’s lady—my apologies!” The city lord forced a thin smile.

Qin Xiaomo had been about to let the matter rest with an apology, but the city lord’s attitude was truly irksome. Was this sexism, or was he trying to intimidate Qian Mubai?

“And what’s your punishment for theft in this establishment?” Qin Xiaomo asked with a cold smile.

“Theft?” The city lord frowned. “That would be the family law—the Dragonbone Whip. The hand would be beaten until the bone shows, and the thief must pay three times the value in compensation.”

Qin Xiaomo’s smile turned icy. “I lost some gold—two taels.”

The mention of lost gold caused a stir among the crowd. Wu De’s face flushed and paled by turns; the two taels of gold in his pocket now felt like a bundle of explosives.

The city lord’s brow furrowed. “When did you lose it?”

“It was there when I entered. Just now, when I checked, it was gone. Seems there’s a thief in your inn!”

The word “thief” was sharp as a blade. The city lord, seasoned by years in the world, could see through Qin Xiaomo’s little game. If word of theft spread, it would be far more than a matter of a few taels of gold.

“If the esteemed guest has lost money in my inn, it will be hard to recover quickly. A thief would have hidden it at once, not kept it on their person. Here’s what I’ll do: this meal is on me, and I’ll personally compensate you for the two taels of gold. Will that satisfy you, my lady?”

Qin Xiaomo thought to herself that he was a sly old fox. Suddenly, she glanced at Red Birthmark and Coldface, signaling subtly. “Since that’s the case, why not let bygones be bygones? The three of you can shake hands and part as friends—one less enemy on the road.”

Red Birthmark, reluctant at first, realized Qin Xiaomo’s intent. He dragged Coldface forward to reconcile with Wu De. As they drew near, he “accidentally” stumbled, tearing open Wu De’s jacket—sending two taels of gold clattering to the floor.

Wu De dropped to his knees in terror. “City Lord, this… this isn’t their gold, it’s my private savings!”

The city lord’s face darkened. “Explain yourself!”

“It’s like this: my mother is ill and urgently needed silver for treatment, so I gathered all my savings and borrowed some more, exchanged it for gold this evening. I planned to send it home after work tonight. That’s the truth!” Wu De stammered, even dabbing at imaginary tears, spinning a tale of filial piety so touching it nearly moved Qin Xiaomo.

Qin Xiaomo pressed him, “Nonsense. How can you prove this gold is yours?”

“And what proof have you that I’m lying?” Wu De shot back.

Qin Xiaomo grinned. “If I prove the gold is mine, what then?”

The city lord, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. “Family law will be enforced!”

At the mention of the Dragonbone Whip, Wu De’s knees gave out again. “City Lord, mercy!”

“Is the Dragonbone Whip so terrifying?” Qin Xiaomo asked Red Birthmark in a low voice.

“You don’t know, Miss Qin. The Dragonbone Whip is made from wild beast tendons, its length studded with hooked blades. One lash can strip off three layers of flesh,” Red Birthmark replied with a sympathetic grimace.

Qin Xiaomo was alarmed; death was not her aim—she simply wanted an apology, not anyone’s life.

“No! I’ll decide the punishment myself!” Qin Xiaomo fixed the city lord with a steady gaze.

The city lord’s mouth twitched as he forced out, “Fine!”

Qin Xiaomo pointed at the gold. “Both pieces were exchanged in Mirror Hollow City and bear its stamp. You claim you exchanged them for gold this evening? Tell me, how long does it take to travel from here to Mirror Hollow City?”

“Three hours at the very least,” Red Birthmark chimed in.

“Did you hear that? It’s been, at most, two hours since dusk. The round trip to Mirror Hollow City takes six. How did you make it back in two? Explain that!”

Wu De cursed his own guilty conscience—for fear of being found out, he hadn’t even inspected the gold closely. “City Lord, mercy! This gold… this gold was given to me by her, not stolen. Please, City Lord, see the truth!”

The city lord knew full well that this was a trap set by the woman before him—but a trap is a trap, and there was nothing to be done. “Family law!”

“Wait! City Lord, didn’t we agree I would decide the punishment?” Qin Xiaomo raised her hand, halting the guards.

“What does my lady propose?” the city lord asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“My request is simple: Go to the front gate, the spot where you humiliated my brothers. Knock your head on the ground three times and apologize. That’s all.”

The city lord was so enraged he could barely breathe, but after a moment, he managed, “Fine!”

Wu De knelt at the gate, his swollen face flushed, mumbling an apology. Though it was late, many townsfolk who had suffered at his hands roused themselves to watch the spectacle, secretly celebrating. News of the old city lord’s public disgrace spread quickly through the city. Red Birthmark and Coldface, their anger finally spent, were delighted, and their gratitude toward Qin Xiaomo deepened—they silently swore to protect her with their lives.

From a second-floor chamber, the old city lord watched Wu De kneeling and apologizing, his face twisted in fury as he crushed a jade cup in his hand. “From this day forth, we are sworn enemies of Mirror Hollow City. I will have my revenge, sooner or later! Go! Bring me my Dragonbone Whip! Drag that useless wretch out and flog him—once for his greed, twice for his stupidity, and thrice for letting others trample my honor. Beat him well! And summon the envoy from the Nether Sect now—tell him I have urgent business to discuss.” With that, his eyes glinted with sinister intent.