Vice Captain Han Anbo walked over, glanced at Yu Ping’s orange-juice-stained fingers, and smiled.
"That was a close call last time. I saw it with my own eyes—that Tenth-Grade bandit swung his blade right at you. It was this close to your neck; the edge had already sliced your collar," Han Anbo said, gesturing to his own left shoulder. "Luckily, Captain Zheng swung his saber at the back of the man’s head, forcing him to pull back his attack and saving your life. Looking back, a light blow would’ve taken off your left arm. A little heavier, and you’d have a nasty scar on your neck for sure."
Yu Ping rubbed his neck. "It really was dangerous. If that had been me, I’d have needed a change of pants."
Han Anbo said, "Either way, Qingxian, you have to thank Captain Zheng. To save you, he took a kick to the stomach from that guy. His guts were nearly ruptured; it took him half a month to fully recover."
Li Qingxian quickly said, "Thank you, Captain Zheng. Once I’m a little better off, I’ll be sure to pay a formal visit to express my gratitude."
A brilliant smile bloomed on Zheng Hui’s face. He planted his left hand on his hip, waved his right, and boomed, "Hah! We’re all brothers here. What’s all this talk of formal visits and thank-yous? You’re two years younger than my boy. Saving you is like saving my own kid—who could stand by and watch their own child in danger? You just focus on your training, so Lord Li can rest in peace. I had the utmost admiration for Lord Li. My biggest dream in this life is just to reach Ninth Grade, to wear a Copper Fish Pouch and carry an official iron seal, not like now, stuck with this homemade leather pouch just for show! Lord Li was five years younger than me, but he made it to Fourth Grade and wore a Silver Fish Nose Button. How I envy him. And another thing, you’re ridiculously weak, kid. You can’t even beat my son! Just wait a few days..."
Zheng Hui rambled on and on, leaving Li Qingxian dumbfounded.
The other two men exchanged a look, shot Li Qingxian a sympathetic glance, and quietly backed away.
Li Qingxian let it go in one ear and out the other, silently peeling an orange. He broke off half of the segments and offered them to Zheng Hui.
Zheng Hui, caught up in his passionate speech, didn’t take them. Li Qingxian had no choice but to eat them himself, one segment at a time.
The orange was bursting with juice, perfectly sweet and sour, leaving a refreshing scent on his lips and teeth.
A moment later, Yu Ping called out theatrically from a short distance away, "Vice Captain Han, Zhangg’s Lamb Soup is doing such great business. What if they get so popular they move away and we can never eat there again?"
"Could happen," Han Anbo replied with a perfectly straight face.
Zheng Hui’s voice screeched to a halt. He spun around, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Let’s go! Time for lamb soup!"
Zheng Hui started walking, holding a hand out to Li Qingxian.
"All gone," Li Qingxian said, showing his empty hands.
"Just like my boy, a heartless little rascal..." Zheng Hui muttered under his breath, striding forward.
Li Qingxian walked on, his gaze fixed on the distance.
The buildings in this city were much taller than those of a typical ancient era. Structures of three or four stories were commonplace, their rooftops, shrouded by greenery, obscuring the distant skyline.
Li Qingxian frowned. ’There are some giant shadows in my fuzzy memories, as if hiding behind the buildings.’
’Those shadows are unsettling.’
Zheng Hui led the way in his Brocade Robe and leather belt, while the other three followed in their dark green clothes and simple cloth sashes.
As he walked, Zheng Hui went over the day’s patrol duties as usual. "Wanping Street hasn’t been safe lately. Keep your eyes peeled. Don’t provoke anyone you shouldn’t, but as for the petty thieves, don’t let a single one get away. Oh, right, the Liu Family Trading Company has changed hands. I hear the Demon Sect was behind it. That’s how it is these days. No matter how good you are at business, if you don’t have power or Cultivation, you just end up paving the way for others. Old Liu was a decent fellow; his brocades and fabrics always sold well. A real shame... Also, I heard the Evil Sect and the Demon Sect are fighting over Changle Restaurant. Let’s stay far away from there for the time being. We can’t afford to get involved... Sigh. The Night Guard isn’t what it used to be. I remember a time when I was part of a raid on a Prince’s Mansion..."
Li Qingxian remained silent, observing quietly, but a strange feeling was growing inside him.
’This is the Divine Capital, the capital of the Qii Country—the largest and strongest nation on the continent. We’re right at the foot of the Imperial City, the heart of civilization. How can the Evil Sect and Demon Sect run so rampant here? And why is the Night Guard, a vital department of the Imperial Court, afraid of them?’
’What the hell kind of place is this Qii Country?’
Li Qingxian tried hard to remember, but the crucial memories remained a blur.
Along the way, people would occasionally greet "Zheng Hei," and Zheng Hui always responded with a smile.
Occasionally, someone would greet Han Anbo or Yu Ping as well.
But even after they left the Night Guard’s side gate and proceeded down Night Guard Street, no one had greeted Li Qingxian.
He recognized a few faces, but they looked right through him.
It dawned on Li Qingxian: ever since his father’s death—from ramming his head against a pillar—more and more people had been cutting ties with him.
Thinking back, only these three within the Night Guard still treated him as they always had, continuing to look out for him. A month ago, when a rival from the Military Department came looking for trouble, these three had stood up for him and driven the man off. There was also Ye Han, whom he’d met recently, and they were on good terms.
His aunt, uncle, and cousins hadn’t changed. Neither had the two childhood friends he’d grown up with, as close as brothers.
As for his old classmates from the Academy, he had lost contact with all but two of his closest friends.
Zheng Hui continued talking as they walked. "Don’t complain that all these social niceties are a hassle. Everyone cares about face. When people show me, Zheng Hui, respect, I have to show them respect in return. But remember this: face is something you earn for yourself, and it’s also something you can lose all by yourself..."
Han Anbo, who was beside them, glanced at the contemplative Li Qingxian. Seizing a pause in Zheng Hui’s lecture, he said, "Old Zheng, I heard someone from up high tried to make a move against Lord Zhou. Did it fail?"
Zheng Hui’s eyes lit up, and he let out a cold laugh. "That’s right! They don’t stop to think who Lord Zhou is! The late Emperor himself named him Tanhua, the third overall scholar in the imperial examinations. He’s a master calligrapher whose work the current Emperor has requested many times, a handsome man the Empress Dowager herself called ’truly dashing.’ His fame is known throughout the land. Forget about those petty schemers; even the Cabinet Elders would have to think twice before trying to move against Lord Zhou."
"There’s also a rumor that the Imperial Court wanted to promote Lord Zhou, but he wasn’t interested," Han Anbo added.
"That’s true. Lord Zhou doesn’t like playing politics. Some say he lost heart after his wife and daughter died. Otherwise, with Lord Zhou’s abilities and connections, he’d surely have advanced even further," said Zheng Hui.
Han Anbo turned to Li Qingxian. "When you first joined, Qingxian, some people said that Lord Li used his connection to Lord Zhou to get you in."
Li Qingxian froze.
He couldn’t recall his father, Li Gangfeng, ever mentioning Zhou Chunfeng. He himself had a faint impression of the man: the Disciplinary Officer of the Night Guard’s Divine Capital Bureau, who also held a concurrent post in the Imperial Prison Department. He was a famously handsome man in the Daqi Country, and romantic rumors about him were widespread.
Zheng Hui smiled. "Qingxian, you’ve fallen ill twice, and both times the department took the initiative to send Doctor Sun. That’s special treatment. An ordinary Night Guard wouldn’t warrant a personal visit from Doctor Sun."
Li Qingxian shook his head. "I really don’t remember any such connection. My father never spoke of it."
Han Anbo patted Li Qingxian’s right shoulder. "But it’s true that Lord Zhou is looking out for you."
"That’s right," Zheng Hui said, glancing at Han Anbo.
A thought struck Li Qingxian, and he looked at Han Anbo.
He looked to be in his thirties, with a square face, a flat nose bridge, short eyebrows, and small eyes. In the morning light, his features seemed especially kind.
Han Anbo simply smiled.
Li Qingxian nodded and took a deep breath, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.
"Team A9, halt!" A familiar voice rang out.
All four of them turned around.
Zheng Hui’s complexion was naturally dark, but now his face was practically purple with anger.
This man wore the same Official Uniform with a White Horse Patch as Zheng Hui, but the edge of his patch was embroidered with a faint gold thread, marking it as the Military Officer’s Uniform of a Senior Tenth Grade.
He was as tall as Zheng Hui but much thinner, with sunken cheeks and high cheekbones. He looked over at them with a smirk.
Li Qingxian recognized him. It was Dong Ying, an Instructor from the Street Patrol Room. Years ago, he had defeated Zheng Hui by a single move to claim that very position.
"Zheng Hui, have you considered the street reassignment?"
Zheng Hui gritted his teeth. "Instructor Dong, we’re doing just fine on Wanping Street. We’d have a hard time adjusting to the docks. Besides, our team only has four men. We can’t possibly manage a place that large."
"The docks are lucrative. I’m doing this for your own good," Dong Ying said with a laugh.
"No matter how lucrative it is, you have to be alive to spend it. Old Dong, you know me. I, Zheng Hei, never take what I shouldn’t. Ask any shopkeeper or clerk on Wanping Street; not one will say a bad word about me," Zheng Hui stated.
"Then what’s to be done? The Room Leader wants to find a reliable man for the job, and I think you’re the best candidate."
"Brother Dong, please reconsider," Zheng Hui pleaded, his face a mask of dejection.
"Yeah, Brother Dong, help us out. We’ll send some wild game your way later," Yu Ping chimed in with a grin.
"That’s right, Brother Dong," Han Anbo said. "We’re just a bunch of washouts who want to live a simple life. We wouldn’t last in a chaotic place like the docks, with its mix of sharks and minnows."
"I don’t want to make things difficult for you, but the Room Leader is pushing for a decision in the next day or two," Dong Ying said with a sigh.
Li Qingxian frowned. The docks were one of the most lawless parts of the city. Casualties among the Night Guard there were commonplace.
Even a Tenth-Grade Martial Cultivator like Zheng Hui would struggle to survive there, let alone a weakling like him.
An idea struck Li Qingxian. He silently activated his Qi Observation Skill and looked toward Dong Ying.
His eyes grew warm. The world exploded in light, with Dong Ying at its very center.
A three-foot-tall, withered yellow tree materialized above Dong Ying’s head. Images flickered across it, each one a scene from Dong Ying’s life.
There was Dong Ying eating with his family; Dong Ying weeping in an old woman’s arms; Dong Ying trashing his own kitchen; Dong Ying dressed in sackcloth, kneeling at a paper-money-strewn grave, kowtowing until his forehead bled...
An instant later, a wave of dizziness washed over Li Qingxian. His body swayed, and he quickly deactivated the Qi Observation Skill.
Han Anbo quickly steadied him. "Qingxian, are you all right?"
"I’m fine," Li Qingxian said quickly.
"Zheng Hui, are you going or not? Give me a straight answer," Dong Ying demanded.
Zheng Hui lowered his head slightly.
Li Qingxian suddenly clasped his fist. "Lord Dong, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. May I have a word in private?"
"Oh? Mr. Gangfeng’s son? Very well." Dong Ying shot Li Qingxian a look and then walked toward the other side of Night Guard Street.
Zheng Hui, Yu Ping, and Han Anbo stared at Li Qingxian curiously. He gave them a reassuring glance and followed Dong Ying.
"Lord Dong, I learned Fate Skill from my maternal grandfather," Li Qingxian said.
Dong Ying narrowed his eyes. "I seem to recall hearing that you dabble in Fate Skill. However, a Fate Master’s power is paramount. When a Low Grade Fate Master tries to perform a Divination on someone of a High Grade, the reading is often riddled with errors, and they might even suffer a backlash."
"I am No Grade, and you are Tenth Grade. Our Grade Level difference is only a single tier. Even if there’s a backlash, it will be minor," Li Qingxian said.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I noticed something unusual about your Qi Fortune, Lord Dong, and I instinctively used a Fate Skill. My Divination shows that you yourself are in no danger. However, your mother will face a great calamity today," Li Qingxian said.
"Nonsense. My mother is in perfect health. She can walk for an hour without even breathing hard. She’s busy from dawn till dusk. How could she possibly face a calamity?" Dong Ying’s eyes glinted with suspicion.