Chapter 114: Fury

The external injuries sustained by Master Huangfu were of no great consequence; the primary concern was the damage his soul had suffered from the monk Fuxiao’s sorcery, which required a long period of quiet recuperation to heal. Due to the severity of his condition, he was unable to even assume human form during this time and had to remain hidden in his room, away from the eyes of outsiders.

This was not a significant problem, as the servants dared not enter his room without explicit orders.

After speaking for some time, Master Huangfu’s energy began to wane. He slumped against the pillows in his bedding, yet he was reluctant to rest. Looking at Chen Jianchen, he said slowly, "Liuxian, you possess a nobility of spirit that is one in a million. I truly admire you."

Chen Jianchen replied, "It is merely something I happened to cultivate by chance."

Master Huangfu sighed. "A fine 'chance' indeed. I had always thought such nobility was nothing more than an ethereal concept, mere nonsense written in the books of sages. I never expected that you, Liuxian, would actually be able to cultivate it. Tsk, tsk, I hardly know what to say..."

Chen Jianchen blinked. "When I was a child, I also thought that tales of gods and ghosts were nothing but empty words on a page."

Master Huangfu laughed, but the movement agitated his injuries, and he was immediately overcome by a fit of painful coughing.

Jiao Na cast a sidelong glance at Chen Jianchen and said with concern, "Father, please stop talking and get some rest."

Chen Jianchen added, "Miss Huangfu is right. Since you are injured, Master, you should rest. I shall take my leave."

With that, he and Jiao Na stepped out and closed the door behind them.

Once they were outside, Jiao Na suddenly asked, "Sir, isn't today the day Sister Lu returns to Jiangzhou?"

Chen Jianchen nodded. He had promised to see them off at the prefecture in Suzhou, but a series of events had delayed him. By now, Wang Fu and Lu Xiyue were likely already on their way back to Jiangzhou.

Knowing why Chen Jianchen had failed to see them off, Jiao Na felt a pang of guilt. "Sir, I was ignorant in the past. I hope you can forgive me."

Chen Jianchen smiled. "Do I look like such a petty man to you, Miss Huangfu?"

Jiao Na looked at him earnestly. "I only know that you are different from other scholars. Well, Sir, it is time for our lesson."

A student so eager to learn could not be ignored, so he prepared to proceed. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside, and before long, the steward, Afu, arrived, supporting someone.

It was Wang Fu.

His clothes were torn to shreds, his left cheek was swollen like a large bun, and his left eye was nearly swollen shut.

Chen Jianchen was shocked and hurriedly asked, "Brother Futai, what has happened?"

Seeing him, Wang Fu burst into tears. "Liuxian, we were robbed. Miss Lu Xiyue has been abducted."

"What?"

Chen Jianchen’s expression shifted instantly. Troubles had been piling up one after another these past few days, leaving him no room to breathe.

Wang Fu sat down and recounted the events: they had left Suzhou early that morning to return to Jiangzhou. On the road, Lu Xiyue had been dejected because Chen Jianchen had not come to see them off.

As they passed through a forest, more than a dozen masked men armed with blades suddenly charged out. Without a word, they struck down Wang Fu and his companions. The maid, Xiang'er, had tried to hold onto Lu Xiyue’s hand, but she was viciously cut down by the attackers.

Xiang'er was dead?

Chen Jianchen’s fists clenched. He had been quite fond of that loyal and courageous little maid. He had not expected her life to end so abruptly and tragically.

Human life is as fragile as an epiphyllum; one moment it is in full bloom, and the next, it withers away.

Having faced an abduction and a murder, Wang Fu’s first instinct had been to return to Suzhou to report the crime. Being unfamiliar with the area, he had come to the Hu estate to seek Chen Jianchen’s counsel.

Faced with such a major crisis, even Chen Jianchen felt his mind in a state of turmoil. He composed himself and asked, "Brother Futai, did they abduct Miss Lu directly? Did they steal anything else?"

"Nothing. They didn't even take our money," Wang Fu replied.

Chen Jianchen took a long breath, a realization dawning on him. "Regardless, we must report this to the authorities. Let us go to the Suzhou prefectural office and strike the drum."

He turned to Jiao Na. "Miss Huangfu, you should stay at the estate and do not go wandering about."

Jiao Na had wanted to go along, but her father needed care. "Sir, I will do as you say. Also, please do not worry too much; I will have Song Niang make inquiries about Sister Lu... Though I don't know why, Song Niang hasn't been at the estate for these past two days. I don't know where she has flown off to."

Song Niang?

The name was unfamiliar; he did not know who she was.

Chen Jianchen had no time to ponder it. He hurriedly left the estate with Wang Fu and boarded his carriage for the Suzhou prefecture. They took two carriages; the body of Xiang'er was placed in the second one.

For such a young and tender girl to be struck down so ruthlessly—the perpetrators were truly cold-blooded.

Chen Jianchen did not look at the maid's body, which was said to have been pierced through the heart. He feared that if he saw it, he would be unable to hold back his tears.

The carriages sped along, whips cracking. Upon entering Suzhou, they headed straight for the prefectural office.

The layout of the Suzhou office was much like the one in Jiangzhou—in fact, the offices of officials everywhere were largely the same. They were vast, imposing, and built with a stern architectural style designed to instill awe in the common folk before they even stepped inside.

Outside the main gate, on a rack to the left, hung a large cowhide drum, white-faced with a red body.

Chen Jianchen was quick; before the carriage had even come to a full stop, he leaped out and rushed up the stairs to strike the drum and demand that the prefect hold court. But when he reached the drum, he saw it was bare—there was no mallet to be found.

What was the meaning of this?

As he looked around in confusion, an elderly bailiff walked over slowly. He glanced at Chen Jianchen’s worn clothes and asked listlessly, "Do you wish to strike the drum?"

"Yes," Chen Jianchen said.

"The old rules apply. You must pay one string of copper coins to use the mallet."

Chen Jianchen had never been to a government office and knew nothing of such absurd rules. Both shocked and enraged, he retorted, "You corrupt official! A murder has been committed! Summon the prefect to hear the case immediately!"

The old bailiff ignored him, lazily picking his ear with his pinky. "Even if someone is dead, you must pay first. Those are the rules."

"Hahaha!"

Chen Jianchen laughed in his fury. A blaze of rage ignited in his chest, so intense his eyes began to burn red. Driven by his anger, he raised his fist and slammed it against the drumhead with all his might.

*Boom!*