Chapter 9: The Good Man
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Lord of Lecheng County?
So young yet holding such high rank and power—either royal blood or nobility. Although she claimed she would uphold justice, Yan Qing would not truly place his hopes in her—justice is never granted by others; it must be fought for oneself.
Especially in this unfamiliar world.
“He framed me,” Yan Qing replied.
Before Ying Rushi could speak, a nearby general shouted harshly, “Who do you think you are, a country bumpkin? The Hundred Guards of the Northern Territory could crush you underfoot, yet you still claim a Central Plains man like you was framed?”
Except for those wearing masks, most soldiers in the camp had broad faces, long noses, and thick beards. ‘Yan San’, being the default male face from a modern game, naturally had features more aligned with contemporary aesthetics. Even with maximum height and muscle, ‘Yan San’ carried a heroic and vigorous air. Lacking facial hair, it was obvious to others he was not of their kin.
Such ethnic prejudice did not surprise Yan Qing; perhaps this was why Wu Maru’s faction acted so recklessly. After all, framing an outsider would draw little concern.
“Wait.”
Ying Rushi glanced at the general beside her, who immediately stepped back.
She looked at ‘Yan San’ and asked, “Why would the Wu Maru Chief frame you?”
“First, he withheld intelligence about the secret realm’s monsters, nearly causing my death. Since he harmed me, naturally he fears my revenge. Second, today was my first time entering the secret realm, and I’ve already advanced to the Messenger class. He’s jealous.”
“How dare you deceive a noble!”
“A messenger? What right does a country bumpkin like you have to become one?”
“Do you think you’re noble? To advance to messenger at your age?”
“County Lord, this man is desperate and babbling nonsense. Ignore him!”
The officials following Ying Rushi either mocked or refuted Yan San’s claims; almost no one believed him.
Only Ying Rushi looked toward the silent Wu Maru Chief.
“Wu Maru Chief, is it true he advanced to Messenger inside the secret realm?”
“Indeed,” Wu Maru replied. “After defeating the monster king, his vitality surged and his wounds healed instantly. These are signs of class advancement.”
Even through the screen, Yan Qing could see the Northern officials beside Ying Rushi were shocked, then skeptical, followed by disdain, jealousy, and contempt. He guessed they were officials from Ping City, many likely not Messengers themselves. Seeing a Central Plains man surpass them as a Messenger naturally grated on their pride.
Ying Rushi then turned to the quartermaster by the dungeon entrance, her expression serious.
“Are you sure you couldn’t find the Thunderblade manual?”
The quartermaster knelt immediately. “We truly couldn’t find it. The big treasure chest was missing just that.”
“Surely some Central Plains barbarian saw the treasure and took it. Search him!”
“That’s impossible; he must have already used it!”
“Central Plains people are never trustworthy!”
Voices rose in indignation, as if ‘Yan San’ had murdered their entire families. Ying Rushi was silent for a moment, then looked at the nearby general.
“Do you have any extra copies of the Thunderblade manual?”
“Yes, yes, yes. We’ve stored the recent gains. County Lord, are you planning to send them back to the Sleepless City?”
“Bring me one.”
An order from a lord is swiftly executed. Soon, a copy of the Thunderblade manual was handed to Ying Rushi.
Ying Rushi beckoned ‘Yan San’. “Come here.”
Yan Qing did not move, maintaining a three-meter distance from Wu Maru.
Others, seeing this ungrateful Central Plains man, began shouting insults again. But Ying Rushi showed no anger. She raised her hand, signaling them to stop, then stepped before ‘Yan San’ under the protection of the Ghost Samurai, handing him the manual.
“Take this sword manual and study it silently in your heart. If you haven’t stolen any secrets from the realm, you will learn it. If you have, you won’t.”
The general beside her was astonished. “County Lord, this is a secret realm manual. How can you so easily give it to a Central Plains man… especially one not even enlisted as a Hundred Guard Cavalryman?”
“In my eyes, there’s no distinction between Northerners and Central Plains people. There is only Qi people,” Ying Rushi said solemnly, scanning the room. “If any Qi person can enter the secret realm for the first time and advance to Messenger, such talent deserves the manual. If we cannot promote true talent fairly, who will defend the mountains and rivers of Qi?”
With her declaration, the crowd bowed their heads. Yet Yan Qing could tell even through the screen that their submission was to her authority, not conviction.
‘Yan San’ took the manual but did not study it; instead, he stored it personally before transferring it to the communal storehouse. To Ying Rushi and others, it appeared as if the manual vanished, indistinguishable from being consumed by study.
“Since he can learn the manual, it proves he didn’t steal from the secret realm,” Ying Rushi said, looking at Wu Maru. “Wu Maru Chief, do you accept this outcome?”
Wu Maru bowed his head. “I accept.”
“This matter ends here, but only this once!” Ying Rushi’s tone turned stern. “The Ping City secret realm is a national treasure entrusted to me by His Majesty. I will not tolerate anyone disrupting its operation! If such incidents recur, I will uncover the truth. If no culprit is found, every Hundred Guard and auxiliary soldier involved in cleansing and looting the realm that day will be hanged, and their families reduced to military slaves. Do you hear me?”
“We hear you!”
They all knelt. Seeing ‘Yan San’ still standing, they cursed, “You barbarian, why don’t you kneel and thank the County Lord for her grace?”
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“Almost forgot.” Ying Rushi turned her gaze. “I haven’t asked your name, warrior.”
“Yan San.”
“Yan San, I hereby promote you to leader of the Hundred Guard squad, with a monthly salary of six hundred jade coins and a bonus of one hundred jade coins per secret realm cleansing mission. You may borrow first-tier tokens like the Ghost Mask from the Great Qi Treasury, but you must repay by cleansing the secret realm hundreds of times.” Ying Rushi paused. “Building Supervisor, Yan Squad Leader will be under your command. Is that agreeable?”
The silent veteran beside nodded. “Such a fierce warrior, who wouldn’t be pleased? Thank you, County Lord.”
“Yan San, are you satisfied?”
“Yes.”
“Any other requests, don’t hesitate to say.”
“I wish to cleanse the secret realm every day.”
Ying Rushi exchanged surprised looks with the other generals.
“I must say, you’ve given me quite a surprise. Even many Messengers are reluctant to cleanse the secret realm; few are willing to battle the death-defying monsters… I’ll give you a warrant. If you wish, you may join the cleansing squads on the day of operation. But you should know your limits—combat is not the only path to growth.”
“Thank you,” Yan Qing replied. “County Lord, you are a good person.”
Ying Rushi visibly stiffened, then smiled. “This is the first time I’ve heard someone say that about me. Thank you.”
With the matter settled, Ying Rushi had many duties awaiting her and departed with the others. Wu Maru remained silent throughout, only standing now. He looked up to see ‘Yan San’ standing before him.
“Though it means little, I still want to ask,” Yan Qing looked at the Ghost Samurai in the screen, “Why?”
In truth, Yan Qing had many questions—why Wu Maru casually killed Yan Er walking down the street, why he didn’t inform Yan San of Zheng Shan’s news, and more…
Wu Maru’s answer seemed to address all these unspoken doubts—
“I like it,” Wu Maru said calmly, but to Yan Qing’s ears, his voice was venomous like a demon’s: “Don’t think you’ve won. This is the Northern Territory. Crushing you is as easy as crushing an ant.”
With that, Wu Maru strode past ‘Yan San’ proudly, heading to the waiting Hundred Guard cavalry.
They wore heavy armor, bore swords and bows, their faces hidden behind demon masks. From afar, they resembled a horde of demons walking the human world.
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