He was a Ninth Rank martial artist. Lowly though his cultivation realm was, it was more than enough to serve as a chief constable in a small place like Cangshi Town.
Before long, the three guests staying at the inn stepped out and came to a halt in the small courtyard.
At their head was a bald man of tall stature, while the other two looked entirely ordinary. They were dressed like commoners, the kind of people who would disappear entirely if thrown into a crowd.
"What business do you officials have with us? We are law-abiding citizens, merely passing through your esteemed domain to conduct some small trade," the bald man said politely.
"Where were you last night?" Wu Dachuan demanded in a deep voice.
"Nowhere at all. We were just sleeping at the inn, and the innkeeper can vouch that we never stepped outside," the bald man replied.
"We have to be on the road tomorrow, so who has the energy to go wandering around at night?"
"Exactly. We small-traders have to rise early and work late; it's not easy for us."
The other two chimed in with complaints.
Wu Dachuan looked the three of them over carefully. Aside from the bald man, who looked somewhat out of the ordinary, the other two showed no suspicious traits whatsoever.
Calling the innkeeper over, Wu Dachuan asked,
"Have these fellows been in the inn the entire night? If you can't give me a straight answer, you're coming back to the yamen with me to think it over!"
The innkeeper, an old man who had long since been scared out of his wits by the squad of bailiffs, stammered hastily,
"They were here the whole time! I didn't see them go out."
Wu Dachuan was in a bind.
With the innkeeper's testimony, since they hadn't left the premises at all during the night, they were effectively cleared of suspicion.
Just as he was agonizing over what to do, Wu Dachuan saw Yun Que suddenly lash out with a kick aimed straight at the guest on the left.
That person was wearing a small cap, dressed like a porter, and was short and lean—much like any peddler in town.
Wu Dachuan knew all too well what Yun Que was capable of.
If that kick landed squarely, it could kill an ordinary person outright!
Even as Wu Dachuan was wondering why Yun Que had suddenly attacked, the cap-wearing guest raised a leg with lightning speed to parry, blocking Yun Que's kick with his knee.
The man was forced back more than a dozen paces before firmly regaining his footing.
However, his expression turned ugly, and vexation showed on his face.
Yun Que chuckled and said,
"A Ninth Rank martial artist playing the porter—you fellows are running quite a large-scale business."
With that previous kick, Yun Que had exerted the force of the Ninth Rank; an ordinary person could never have blocked it.
Hearing this, Wu Dachuan gave a thumbs-up.
Brilliant!
Instead of painstakingly picking apart clues through interrogation, a single kick had flushed out the opponent's true identity.
Wu Dachuan bellowed, "Ninth Rank martial artists posing as porters—you harbor ill intentions! Seize them!"
With his own Ninth Rank cultivation, backed by a hundred surrounding officers and bailiffs, Wu Dachuan had no fear of facing three Ninth Rank martial artists, let alone with Yun Que—whose combat prowess was terrifying—present on the scene.
While the lowest-tier Ninth Rank martial artists possessed formidable strength, making it easy enough to handle ten or twenty men at once,
if the numbers were overwhelming enough, a Ninth Rank martial artist surrounded by a hundred well-trained officers still faced the danger of being killed.
Ninth Rank Body-Refining focused primarily on tempering the physique and refining qi and blood. Their physical stamina far surpassed that of ordinary people, and they practiced external cultivation methods, reputed to be a match for a hundred enemies.
Yet no matter how great one's stamina, it had its limits.
Once a Ninth Rank martial artist exhausted their physical energy, they would be no different from a weakened ordinary person.
Unless one reached the Rank Eight Bone Refining Realm, possessing a body of copper and iron that allowed one to slaughter enemies by the hundreds in a melee and take the enemy general's head from amidst a million troops.
Faced with the closing circle of officers, the bald man at the head remained as steady as ever, smiling as he said:
"Wait! I possess a commercial tally issued by the Jin State. I am a legitimate businessman, so hiring a couple of martial artists shouldn't be a problem, right?"
With that, the bald man produced an ivory-carved tablet trimmed with gold at the edges—clearly a valuable item at first glance.
Wu Dachuan instantly hesitated and turned back to seek instructions from Magistrate Ma Yong.
Ma Yong's expression also grew somewhat unsightly.
He recognized that kind of tablet; it was something only immensely wealthy grand merchants could obtain, equivalent to a safe-conduct pass from the Jin State!
In any regional or prefectural yamen, the moment someone flashed such a tablet, even a magistrate had to treat them with utmost politeness.
Niu Bucai beside them sucked in a cold breath.
His family was in business, yet after generations they had never managed to acquire a commercial tally. He had coveted one for years, so how could he not feel envious upon seeing the real thing today?
Ma Yong pondered for a moment and said,
"Since you carry a commercial tally, Your Excellency is presumably cleared of suspicion. Let's go, we'll check elsewhere."
A commercial tally represented far more than mere wealth; it represented extensive connections.
It might even involve some high-ranking minister within the imperial court.
A merchant holding a tally could commit murder and still use money to smooth everything over.
Rather than offend a wealthy magnate, Magistrate Ma Yong preferred to leave an unsolved case behind.
An unsolved case at worst affected his performance review, while at worst it might cost him his official cap.
But offending a grand merchant with a tally could very well cost him his head!
Making a prompt decision, Ma Yong prepared to leave.
"Wait."
Yun Que's voice interrupted the magistrate's steps.
"A businessman hiring martial artists certainly isn't anything much, but since you've killed someone, you must pay with your life."
Gazing at the bald man opposite him, Yun Que said with absolute certainty.
"Little brother, where did you see me kill anyone? Everything requires evidence. Since you're hurling baseless accusations and spitting venom, I can go to the county yamen to sue you," the bald man said with a smile.
Turning the tables!
Yun Que calmly replied, "I didn't see you kill anyone, but I have evidence that you did. She can testify."
With that, he gestured toward Mu Qingyao.
Ma Yong, Niu Bucai, and Wu Dachuan all looked over in astonishment.
They had all noticed that Yun Que had been traveling with a young girl for the past two days; aside from her delicate appearance, there seemed to be nothing special about her.
The bald man said, "Is that so? Then let her prove it to me."
Yun Que glanced at Mu Qingyao.
Mu Qingyao nodded slightly and asked the empty air beside her:
"Is this the person who murdered you?"
The entrance of the inn fell silent for a moment.
The group of bailiffs felt a chill run down their spines.
In the eyes of these mortals, Mu Qingyao speaking to empty air appeared eerie and bizarre.
Magistrate Ma Yong and Chief Clerk Niu Bucai exchanged glances, both finding it utterly baffling and concluding that the little girl accompanying Yun Que had something wrong with her head.
"Don't be afraid, just point him out, and I will make the decision for you," Mu Qingyao said softly, yet with absolute solemnity.
Soon, Mu Qingyao received confirmation from the wandering soul.
She raised her ivory-white finger, pointed at the bald, burly man, and declared:
"The ghost of the deceased has confirmed it. She was murdered by you."
At these words, everyone nearby felt their hair stand on end.
Seeing ghosts wasn't all that rare.
After all, the world was full of demons and specters, and ghostly entities appeared from time to time.
Yet being able to communicate with ghosts was something none of the people present had ever heard of!
Hearing this, the bald man burst out laughing:
"Hahaha! You actually believe ghost stories? Since when did the grand Dajin come up with such rules, where even ghosts can testify?"
The two martial artists beside the burly man let out mocking, eccentric laughs, showing utter disdain for Mu Qingyao's identification.
Feeling humiliated, Ma Yong said,
"Enough! Stop making a scene here, everyone back inside!"
Niu Bucai hurriedly pulled Mu Qingyao back, intending to have Yun Que take this mentally unstable little girl and leave immediately.
"Dajin indeed has no such rule, but I am an exception."
Mu Qingyao produced a special waist token forged from purple gold, lifted her chin, and declared: "I am the second daughter of the Prince of Funan, Princess Lingyun. Born with the power of spirit communication, His Majesty bestowed upon me the Yin-Yang Decree, granting me the privilege to judge nether-world cases."
The moment the Yin-Yang Decree appeared, the eyes of Ma Yong, Niu Bucai, and Wu Dachuan widened in shock. Stunned for a long moment, they dropped to their knees in unison and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Ladyship Princess!"
There were quite a few princes and marquesses in the Jin State, and princesses and commandery princesses were countless.
The ordinary populace knew nothing of the titles belonging to the vast majority of princesses, nor had they ever heard of them.
Only Princess Lingyun was known to virtually everyone!
Princess Lingyun was a unique exception within the imperial family; the Emperor had held her in high regard since birth, bestowing upon her the title Lingyun, meaning the finest spirit among all living beings.
The deeds of Princess Lingyun were frequently sung by actors, and storytellers had even adapted her experiences into a tale titled The Legend of Lingyun, which mesmerized every commoner who heard it.
Perhaps the people of Cangshi Town were not entirely clear on Princess Lingyun's other exploits.
Yet there was one matter that even illiterate Niu Bucai knew by heart.
Among the three existing demon-subduing grand arrays in the Jin State, the spirit flower—the most crucial material for one of those arrays—had been found by Princess Lingyun!
Though it might not be salvation for all living beings, the prestige of Princess Lingyun among the common people of Dajin was matched by very few.
Though Mu Qingyao was dressed in Yun Que's ordinary cloth garments, her bearing at this moment appeared noble and holy.
Her ivory-white finger remained completely steady as she pointed at the bald, burly man and said:
"I judge this murder case in the name of Lingyun, with the nether-world spirit of the victim as testimony. You! You are the murderer."
Chapter 10: The Blade That Slays Demons
The spirit of the dead as testimony.
A phrase that sounded utterly ridiculous under normal circumstances.
Yet coming from Mu Qingyao's lips, it became ironclad proof!
Princess Lingyun held the Yin-Yang Decree bestowed by the Emperor, empowering her to judge cases involving the nether world.
In other words, Mu Qingyao possessed the privileged authority to use nether-world spirits as testimony—a privilege issued personally by the Emperor!
Whenever a suspended case involved ghostly spirits and souls, the evidence found by Mu Qingyao was ironclad truth.
Even if she were to make a random accusation, Ma Yong, Niu Bucai, and the others had no choice but to believe it.
To disbelieve was to question the Emperor!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The bailiffs and officers drew their blades in unison, surrounding the three men.
Yun Que said coldly:
"Passing off murder and robbery as mere trade—you're quite skilled at calling black white. What do you have to say for yourself now?"
The bald man said:
"Nothing to say. Since we've run into Princess Lingyun, whether we killed someone or not, we can't refute it and must simply accept our bad luck. You can just handle things by the book and drag us back."
The bald man spoke with utter fearlessness.
The two martial artists by his side were equally unconcerned, acting as though being hauled off to the county dungeon was no different from changing inns.
Yun Que slowly raised his blade and said, "Since the evidence is conclusive, it's time to execute you on the spot!"
Hum!
The sound of a heavy object slicing through the air suddenly rang out.
Clad in black, Yun Que leaped forward in a single stride, swinging his scabbard straight at the bald man.
From stillness to motion, the shift was instantaneous.
As he charged, a swirling vortex of wind actually burst forth beneath his feet!
Scabbard though it was, the sheer force of this strike made Wu Dachuan gasp.
With his own Ninth Rank martial arts skills, he definitely couldn't block it!
No wonder this fellow dared to hunt demons; just looking at this explosive power was immensely astonishing!
While shocked, Wu Dachuan assumed the bald man opposite would surely be beaten down by a single blow.
The result, however, was entirely unexpected.
The scabbard swung by Yun Que was actually blocked by the bald man!
Blocking the scabbard was a heavy iron-steel staff.
The bald man's weapon was quite ordinary, but the weight of the iron-steel staff was terrifyingly heavy. When it collided with the scabbard head-on, both men were simultaneously jarred backward by the impact.
The bald man slammed the iron-steel staff into the ground with a dull, booming thud.
The ground immediately shattered into a basin-sized crater.
Wu Dachuan instantly estimated the weight of the iron-steel staff, crying out in alarm:
"Over five hundred catties! He's at the Rank Eight Bone Refining Realm!"
A weapon of that weight was something a Ninth Rank Body-Refining martial artist could lift and bear, and carrying it while running was no problem, but using it as a weapon was utterly out of the question.
A weapon weighing over five hundred catties was something only an Eighth Rank martial artist of the Bone Refining Realm could wield casually.
The bald man sneered:
"I've long heard that Zhiyuan County has a demon hunter of extraordinary strength. Seeing you today, you certainly live up to your reputation. However, a demon hunter ought to hunt demons; you'd best stay out of human affairs, or you might easily lose your little life."
"I am hunting demons, you know," Yun Que flicked his wrist and said. "Aren't you a demon yourself, just wearing a human skin?"
"Hahaha! It would be an absolute honor to become a demon! Today, let me test this demon hunter of yours!"
With a roar, the bald man whipped the hundreds-of-catties iron-steel staff through the air with a whistling rush, forming a blur of staff shadows around him.
This display frightened the surrounding officers and bailiffs into retreating hastily.
They didn't even need to trade blows; just brushing against the edge would result in broken bones and shattered tendons!
Wu Dachuan gritted his teeth, drew his long saber, and shouted:
"Brother Yun will handle the bald one! The rest of you, follow me to capture the other two thieves!"
Since a fierce battle was unavoidable, Wu Dachuan steeled himself.
He would fight one Ninth Rank martial artist alone, while the remaining officers and bailiffs swarmed the other Ninth Rank.
Both battle lines formed on either side of the courtyard, leaving the central area clear for Yun Que and the bald man.
Ma Yong and Niu Bucai had long since retreated out of the inn, waiting with hammering hearts at the main entrance.
Mu Qingyao knew her limits; seeing Yun Que make his move, she immediately stepped back and stood at a distance with the magistrate and the others.
Not daring to slack off, Ma Yong instructed the few remaining guards to protect the princess well.
Should anything happen to the princess, his head as magistrate wouldn't stay on his shoulders.
At the center of the open space.
Yun Que made his second charge, moving even faster—like a blurred afterimage breaking through the iron staff's defense.
The scabbard swept horizontally, aiming straight for the bald man's throat.
The bald man felt a slight jolt of surprise, not expecting his opponent's speed to increase further.
Remaining calm, he exerted force through his feet, stomping a deep footprint into the ground as he lunged backward in a hasty retreat. At the same time, the iron-steel staff whipped around to sweep at the back of Yun Que's head.
This move was known as burning the boats.
It was a contest of who could strike their opponent faster.
If Yun Que's scabbard arrived first, the bald man's neck would surely be smashed.
If the iron-steel staff arrived first, Yun Que's skull would likewise be cracked open.
The speeds of the scabbard and the iron-steel staff were nearly identical, one attacking while the other retreated in a mortal struggle.
The bald man tapped his feet repeatedly, flying backward into the inn's doorway, with Yun Que following closely on his heels.
The interior of the inn was relatively dim.
The moment he stepped through the door, a ferocious grin spread across the bald man's mouth.
His body suddenly spun, pivoting on his feet like a top as he forcefully shifted three feet sideways, narrowly dodging the scabbard. At the same time, the speed of his counter-attacking iron-steel staff surged manifold, smashing toward the back of Yun Que's head!
Utilizing the sudden dimness inside the inn, the bald man unleashed his maximum strength without holding anything back, intent on annihilating Yun Que in a single strike.
His mind was sharp, and his calculation was executed to perfection.
The earlier sweeping staff strike hadn't used full force either; he was waiting for this exact moment to decide the outcome.
In a fierce martial battle, the slightest lapse in attention meant death on the spot.
Though the bald man's calculations were sound, Yun Que's reactions were even faster.
The instant the scabbard missed its target, Yun Que tilted his head, and the iron-steel staff whistled through empty air right past the back of his head.
Originally, the distance afforded by this tilt of the head wouldn't have been enough to clear the iron-steel staff. It was because the bald man himself had shifted three feet sideways that the attack range of the iron-steel staff had correspondingly shortened by three feet.
The ice-cold iron-steel staff brushed past Yun Que's cheek, the wind of the staff stirring a few strands of his hair.
Without even glancing back, Yun Que had precisely calculated the lethal range of the iron-steel staff.
This dodge, accurate to a hair's breadth, forced even the bald man to feel a measure of respect.
"It's not over yet!"
Before his feet could even plant firmly, the bald man's hand squeezed.
With a strange, creaking snap, a piercing cold glint burst from the tip of the iron-steel staff!
A sharp spear blade sprang out from the end of the iron-steel staff!
The bald man's weapon appeared to be an iron-steel staff on the outside, but was in reality a spear.
The suddenly appearing spear tip was right beside Yun Que's cheek, its cold gleam stabbing straight toward his temple.
If it landed, Yun Que's head would be pierced straight through!
In that unseen moment of peril, the scabbard in Yun Que's hand moved.
Clang!
The long saber cleared its scabbard by three inches!
The spear tip struck squarely against the side of the long saber, producing a crisp, metallic clashing sound.
Yun Que landed gracefully, standing firmly inside the inn.
The danger contained within that momentary clash was breathtaking.
"Fine skill! Truly worthy of a demon hunter!"
Gripping the middle of the iron-steel staff with both hands, the bald man gave it a hard twist, splitting the metal rod into two sections. Both upper and lower ends now featured spear tips, and beneath each spear tip was a barb-shaped secondary blade.
Iron-steel hook-scythe spears!
And he had two of them!
"These two weapons of mine were forged using nearly a thousand catties of iron-steel, capable of withstanding magical tools head-on—and you only have a single blade." The bald man said coldly.
"One blade is enough to slaughter you."
Yun Que's tone was flat, his expression calm as if he couldn't muster any interest.
Sensing the other's disdain, the bald man flew into a rage, roaring as he went all out with full force.
The two hook-scythe spears, each weighing three to four hundred catties, danced like flying wheels amidst a whistling gale.
The bald man's offensive was astonishingly fierce, resembling a human-shaped demonic beast.
Under that immense force, every table and chair in the inn shattered upon contact, turning the entire room into a pile of splintered wood in the blink of an eye.
While evading, Yun Que slowly drew his long saber.
The moment the long saber cleared its scabbard entirely, a layer of blood-red light flashed across the dim inn!
For no apparent reason, the bald man's heart sank heavily.
For some unknown reason, Yun Que without a blade had given him a feeling of being evenly matched, but the moment Yun Que grasped that black blade, the bald man felt the illusion of facing his natural predator!
The qi-and-blood power of an Eighth Rank martial artist erupted from the bald man to the fullest extent.
Roaring, he leaped into the air, smashing down with his hook-scythe spears with the force of a collapsing Mount Tai.
Yun Que did not move, standing quietly in place.
A faint, cold smile curled the corners of his lips.
Hum!!!
Just as the bald man's immensely heavy twin spears were about to descend, Yun Que slashed upward from below.
That single slash cleaved out a streak of crimson blood shadow!
Like a vicious dragon soaring into the sky!
Crack! ! !
The two hook-scythe spears, weighing hundreds of catties, snapped in two upon impact.
With a single slash, Yun Que cleaved both his opponent and the two hook-scythe spears apart!
The bald man was sliced clean through at the waist!
Thud!
The two halves of the bald man's body hit the ground simultaneously, blood spraying everywhere.
The floor of the inn was quickly dyed crimson.
Still retaining the upper half of his body, the bald man did not die instantly. Staring with bloodshot eyes, he roared in disbelief:
"A single slash... a single slash to kill an equal! That's impossible!"
During their exchange of blows, the bald man had confirmed that Yun Que was also an Eighth Rank martial artist, sharing the same rank as himself.
Martial artists of the same rank found battles extremely troublesome; a fierce fight lasting half a day often failed to determine a winner, leaving them to rely on whose physical strength lasted longer.
Eighth Rank martial artists possessed nearly identical combat prowess, and even if differences existed, achieving a quick victory or defeat was exceedingly difficult.
Yet Yun Que had used only a single slash.
To cut down a fellow Eighth Rank martial artist right on the spot!
What terrified the bald man most of all was that his two hook-scythe spears might not even have been severed by a magical tool, so how could they have been sliced open with a single stroke!
"What, exactly, is that blade you're holding?!" the bald man roared, struggling fiercely.
"A blade that slays demons. Works fine for cutting men, too."