Chapter 1050: The Law

Chapter 1050: The Law

Soon, another woman came down from the second floor, looking enraged. Clearly, she was the one who had thrown the punch.

Curiously, the one who got hit was smiling, while the one who threw the punch looked furious, as if she were wronged.

Qi Xuansu withdrew his gaze and said nothing.

In Jade Capital, such scenes were rare because everyone behaved cautiously, fearing trouble. But outside of the Jade Capital, petty tyrants were everywhere. They were often arrogant and lawless, constantly causing scandals. Some even brought their arrogance into Jade Capital, as can be seen when Wang Danqing provoked Qi Xuansu.

Back then, Qi Xuansu spent his days wondering how Wang Danqing dared cause trouble in Jade Capital and inside the Ziwei Hall, no less, even mobilizing a Spirit Guard. Even the Junior Imperial Preceptor Li Changge would not dare act so recklessly. Later, Qi Xuansu finally understood. Wang Danqing was simply too used to being a tyrant in Poluo, and old habits die hard. Thus, the pudgy man thought that Jade Capital was his own backyard.

The outcome was predictable. Sage Donghua handled the matter personally, leaving Wang Jiaohe at a loss for words. Wang Danqing was fined 30,000 Taiping coins and demoted from the fifth to the seventh rank and banned from entering Jade Capital for three years. Only out of respect for Wang Jiaohe was the arrogant boy spared imprisonment or hard labor. This would have ruined one’s entire career. Someone like Qi Xuansu, who actually cared about career advancement, would never act so recklessly, fearing irreversible consequences.

Qi Xuansu kept drinking while the drama continued.

The young noble who had been knocked downstairs spoke calmly. “You hit me.”

The woman glared at him. “I hit you because you’re a scoundrel!”

The young noble brushed his sleeve and smirked. “You dare strike someone in broad daylight in Thanglong? Does the law still exist in your eyes?”

The woman became even more infuriated. “Because you deserve it!”

The noble kept smiling. “Whether I deserve to be hit should be judged by the authorities—either the royal court or the Daoist Mansion. It’s certainly not up to you. You can’t just declare guilt, unless you’re saying your word is the law?”

Driven by fury, the woman blurted recklessly, “I’m from the Daoist Mansion, so that means I have the right to hit you, right?”

Qi Xuansu immediately knew that she had stepped right into the man’s trap.

Sure enough, the young noble’s smile grew wider. “Oh? An officer from the Daoist Mansion? That means you are knowingly breaking the law! Look who’s abusing authority to oppress civilians!”

The woman instantly realized she had fallen into his trap. Her face flushed red as she pointed at the young noble. “You—you shameless man!”

“Shameless? Me?” The young noble clicked his tongue and laughed. “What exactly did I do that’s shameless? You, on the other hand, have abused your authority as a Daoist to attack someone publicly. If I were to report this to the Daoist Mansion’s Fengxian Hall, do you know what crime that would be?”

The female Daoist trembled with rage. “You were the one who spoke filthy words first! So why can’t I hit you? Even if we went to Jade Capital’s Fengxian Hall, I would still be in the right!”

Who heard me uttering filthy words?” The young noble appeared perfectly innocent. “The Fengxian Hall won’t convict someone just because you said so. But everyone here saw you attacking me. You can’t deny that.”

Qi Xuansu set down his cup and said softly, “He’s no commoner. Clearly, he’s some noble’s son. Judging from the female Daoist’s attire, she probably has no strong backing.”

Within the Daoist Order, not everyone came from a noble lineage. Many, like Qi Xuansu, were born poor. Qi Xuansu was an orphan raised by the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, and though he had opportunities that allowed him to climb upward later, calling him a noble scion would be a stretch.

The onlookers were excited for the drama. Here, the public opinion of the Daoist Mansion was mixed at best. Some believed that they were merely bad people who deserved each other, while most were simply fearful and cautious. So, no one dared to step forward and help the female Daoist.

Chen Jianchou, who had been orphaned as well, had seen enough coldness and cruelty from the world. After years in the Green Phoenix Guard, his youthful passion had long since worn away. He simply watched silently, knowing he could neither control nor change the situation.

But Ke Qingqing was different. She was a flowerbed Daoist who had served in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion under Shi Bingyun and later served under Qi Xuansu. So, she was still somewhat idealistic. She could not help but speak up for the lady. “That’s enough.”

The young noble’s gaze immediately shifted toward Ke Qingqing. He casually swept across Qi Xuansu and Chen Jianchou as well.

Chen Jianchou had never been a notable figure. Few knew that Xu Jiaorong was his godmother, so he did not draw any attention. Qi Xuansu had only appeared at the welcome banquet but left soon after to tour the other kingdoms. Thus, few in Thanglong Prefecture recognized him.

In truth, that welcome banquet had few young attendees. They were mostly powerful local magnates, envoys, and dignitaries, mostly older men. Not everyone had the chance to approach Qi Xuansu and toast him. Most only watched from afar and left with a vague impression.

Even Chen Jianqiu only met Qi Xuansu personally through Qi Muyu’s introduction.

To a commoner, the Second Deputy Mansion Master was a lofty and unapproachable figure. Back then in Jinling, even Qi Xuansu himself had only met the Second Deputy Li Tianlan at the final confrontation even though he was a superintendent with the seven-person investigation team.

If they could not recognize Qi Xuansu, there was no way they would recognize his secretary, Ke Qingqing.

Thus, the young noble showed no trace of fear. He said with a playful tone, “When one sees injustice on the road, one must shout. Young lady, are you also from the Daoist Mansion?”

Ke Qingqing countered, “So what if I am? Should principles change depending on the person?”

The young noble chuckled, “Well said. In this world, principles often depend on who speaks them. If you weren’t from the Daoist Mansion, I would simply think you ignorant of the facts, speaking nonsense. But if you are, then I must assume you’re using authority to shield your colleague. As I said, everything must follow the law. No one heard the words she accuses me of. It’s merely her claim, not evidence. But everyone here saw that she struck me. That is solid proof.”

Ke Qingqing narrowed her eyes. “And who are you?”

“Does it matter who I am?” The young noble smiled faintly. “Does your Daoist Mansion intend to retaliate afterward?”

Ke Qingqing replied, “My Daoist Mansion, huh? Even in the Imperial Capital, few dare to say such a thing. So it seems you must come from an extraordinary background for you to speak so boldly. Don’t pretend that you’re a commoner being bullied. Your robe alone costs more than ordinary folk see in a year!”

Throughout the exchange, Qi Xuansu merely watched from the side.

This man clearly knew that the Daoist Order emphasized reputation, so he portrayed himself as the oppressed side, implying that the Daoist Mansion was persecuting him, thus seizing the moral high ground. It was indeed a clever tactic.

But Ke Qingqing was right too. Those luxurious robes were worth hundreds of Taiping coins, which made it impossible for him to convincingly play the commoner. The moral pedestal he built for himself was shakier now, though still enough to muddy the waters.

Ke Qingqing understood this, so instead of asserting authority, she said, “You can report this to Fengxian Hall immediately. Why keep pestering us? If you have a demand, just say it.”

The young noble chuckled. “At least this young lady is sensible. By the way, may I know your name?”

Ke Qingqing replied, “Is that necessary?”

“There is definitely such a need.” Most of the young noble’s attention shifted to Ke Qingqing, though his eyes occasionally flicked toward Qi Xuansu and Chen Jianchou. He was puzzled. The older man just drank quietly, while the younger one remained expressionless, as if none of this concerned them.

Something felt off about it.

But it did not matter. Most personnel from the Daoist Mansion were not that capable. Most were cowards who would just watch from the sidelines, unlike the Jianghu heroes who would help at the sight of injustice.

The young noble said, “My request is simple. You two young ladies should toast to me and offer an apology. Then, I can pretend nothing happened, and we can turn the page. Call it a newfound acquaintance born from a quarrel.”

Ke Qingqing replied coldly, “What does this have to do with me? Why should I apologize?”

“Oh? Are you refusing?” The noble looked at Ke Qingqing with a sly grin. “Then we’ll meet at Fengxian Hall. Assaulting someone on the street is quite a serious crime. Also, that young lady won’t escape punishment either.”

Chen Jianchou pursed his lips. In just a few words, the noble had already twisted this into an assault case.

Ke Qingqing laughed in exasperation. “Is Fengxian Hall run by your family? Who are you to say we can’t escape?”

The young noble replied, “Of course, Fengxian Hall isn’t ours. But the evidence is conclusive. You all won’t escape punishment. Are you unconvinced?”

Ke Qingqing said, “Of course, I’m unconvinced. There’s no logic in this! I don’t care what background or what ties you claim to have with Fengxian Hall. The Golden Tower Council has decided to clean up the Daoist Mansion, and the newly appointed Second Deputy is in charge of discipline. One day, the truth will come to light. You arrogant lawbreakers won’t escape justice!”

The noble laughed loudly. “Trying to pressure me with the Second Deputy? So what? Does power allow him to act willfully and punish whoever he wants without evidence? Has the rule of law disappeared? Don’t forget. The Daoist Mansion is still under Mansion Master Wang, not that Second Deputy Qi.”

Chen Jianchou secretly glanced at Qi Xuansu, who remained expressionless while still calmly sipping his wine.