Stranger Danger

Chapter 94: Screw Ups Never Die

“Yes you did, yes you did! On behalf of all of Anyang, I thank you for saving our lives!” Yan Yufei laughed happily and tried to bow to the young man, but Ye Qing hurriedly caught him before he could do so.

“You flatter me, my lord. I’m just doing my duty. Plus, I’m the one who suggested this plan, and because I underestimated the Strangers it nearly ended in an unthinkable tragedy. If anything, I should be begging for forgiveness from you two!”

Yan Yufei guffawed. “Hahaha! You’re forgiven then! It is thanks to your plan that we are able to wipe out all the Strangers near Anyang, and barring the unforeseeable the county will be a far safer place for at least a hundred generations to come! If that isn’t worth praising, then what is?”

He then put a hand on Ye Qing’s shoulder and added in a meaningful tone, “Sometimes, the result is the only thing that matters. Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Wise words, my lord!” Ye Qing smiled back.

At the side, Ling Jianqiu patiently waited for them to finish exchanging pleasantries before asking, “So, who are the bastards behind the ritual, Joyless? And how did you find them?”

Ye Qing saluted him and said, “I was just about to give you a report, Chief Ling. The long story short is that Evergreen Ivy is the one behind this. As it turns out, her plan from the start wasn’t to destroy the county with the Strangers, but to use the death, blood, and slaughter created by our battle to summon the Nether Lord.”

“The Nether Lord?” Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow sternly.

Noticing that Ling Jianqiu recognized the name, Ye Qing asked curiously, “Do you know who the Nether Lord is, Chief Ling?”

Ling Jianqiu shook his head. “He’s a powerful and evil intelligent-type Stranger, but that is none of your concern at the moment. Please, continue!”

And so Ye Qing continued, “As to how I managed to find the location Evergreen Ivy is holding the ritual, it’s a bit of a happy coincidence. Earlier, I tasked Faceless to follow Rotten Crown and Dark Eye because—”

He told them exactly how he had found the secret room, though he didn’t mention the fact that he didn’t actually think well of his chances of success, and he was totally ready to make a run for it if Faceless had failed.

Yan Yufei fell silent for a bit after listening to Ye Qing’s story until the end. “He then said with lingering trepidation, “Thank the heavens that you’re a lucky man, Joyless. We would’ve all died if not for you.”

“I’m not going to deny that. My luck has always been pretty good,” Ye Qing said smilingly, “but Anyang is pretty lucky too, don’t you agree?”

“Hahaha! You’re right! The heavens’ grace is on Anyang and Chu today!” Yan Yufei launched into another guffaw.

Ling Jianqiu snapped out of his thoughts and asked, “Where are Evergreen Ivy, Dark Eye and Rotten Crown right now?”

“I killed Dark Eye and Rotten Crown, but Evergreen Ivy managed to escape. She was prepared.”

Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow again. “So our positions are reversed yet again. She is a threat so long as she continues to exist. We must uncover her and eliminate her as soon as possible!”

Ye Qing nodded. “I completely agree!” Considering Evergreen Ivy’s skill and intelligence, she could definitely create a disaster like this again if she was left to her devices. It might take her another decade or two, but they could not rest until she was truly eliminated from this world.

More importantly, Evergreen Ivy now remembered him as the man who thwarted her whole plan and had vowed to enact bloody vengeance upon him. While he was now strong enough to protect himself, he did not fancy the idea of having to watch out for her for god knows how long, and heavens forbid if she summoned the Nether Lord to come after him or something. The sooner she was dead, the sooner he could rest easy.

“I’m glad to hear that. In that case, I leave her to you, Joyless!”

“......!?”

When Ye Qing finally realized what Ling Jianqiu was saying, he wheeled around and stared at the Chief of Bureau incredulously. I thought this is a Pacification Bureau matter? Why are you dumping this in my lap? Do I really give off a free laborer vibe or something?

Sure, he too wanted to find Evergreen Ivy as soon as possible, but it was one thing to act on his own volition and another to be carrying orders, especially if he didn’t get a reward for it!

As if he could read his mind, Ling Jianqiu tossed a badge into his hands and said, “This is the Pacification Badge. Think of it as a symbol of the Chief of Bureau position. From now on, you may command any Sentinel, enter any Pacification Bureau branch, and look through any file in our archives as you please.”

“...”

Ye Qing caught the badge, but he did not understand what Ling Jianqiu’s gesture meant. The Chief of Bureau turned to Yan Yufei without giving him an answer. “It’s time for us to perform our duty, Lord Yan. Let’s go.”

Yan Yufei hmphed. “You did not just steal one of mine and pretend that nothing had happened, Chief Ling.”

Ling Jianqiu’s expression remained unchanged. “What distinction does it make? We are all people of Chu, and we are all doing this for the good of the people, are we not?”

Yan Yufei looked taken aback for a second. Then, he clicked his tongue in astonishment and said, “You really had me fooled during our first meeting. Who would’ve thought that a straight-laced man like you could spout such nonsense with a straight face?”

“You flatter me, Lord Yan. I still have a long way to go before I can reach your level!” Ling Jianqiu replied with a salute.

“Not at all! Now I’m certain that you are who we should strive to be, Chief Ling!” Yan Yufei hmphed again before walking up to the Chief Ling and facing forward where You Da was walking toward them.

Oh. Ling Jianqiu was… inviting me to join the Pacification Bureau?

Meanwhile, Ye Qing had finally figured out what Ling Jianqiu meant from his interaction with Yan Yufei. It would seem that both Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu thought very highly of him. Who would’ve thought that he would become so popular one day? It would be even better if they were two women instead of two men, but hey, he wasn’t complaining!

Smiling, Ye Qing toyed with the Pacification Badge for a bit before putting it away. Regardless of his intentions to join the Pacification Bureau or not, obtaining the badge was definitely a good thing. It would have been so much more difficult to suss Evergreen Ivy out of the Pacification Bureau otherwise.

Meanwhile, the vice magistrate, You Da, had reached Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei to give his report. His armor was coated in dry blood, and his expression was ridden with deep sorrow. He saluted both men before facing Lord Yan. “My lord. We managed to kill over ten thousand Mundane-class Strangers, a thousand Red-class Strangers, and eight Malice-class Strangers. However, the Shenwu Defense Force has also suffered three hundred fatalities and eight hundred injuries!”

The Pacification Bureau member standing next to You Da was also reporting to Ling Jianqiu in a solemn voice, “My lord. The Sentinels have taken one hundred fatalities and three hundred injuries. Of the hundred fatalities, two of them are Lieutenants, and five are Guardians.”

Generally speaking, a county had a garrison of one thousand Shenwu Defense Force soldiers and five hundred Sentinels. This meant that both defense forces had lost over half their numbers in a single night. They might have secured Anyang for at least decades to come, but the price they had to pay was terrible to put it mildly.

A pyrrhic victory was almost as bad as a defeat, so it was no wonder that no one was happy.

“Thank you all for your hard work!” Yan Yufei nodded at them before shooting his right-hand-man, Yan Feng a look. The bailiff understood his meaning instantly and placed his saber on You Da’s neck.

You Da wasn’t expecting this as a matter of course, not to mention that he was terribly exhausted after the grueling battle. It wasn’t until the cold metal was pricking his skin that he realized what just happened and exclaimed in shock, “What is the meaning of this, my lord!?”

His voice drew everyone’s attention as a matter of course.

“You will see very soon. Bring him over, Yang Guan!” Yan Yufei ordered. A while later, the young bailiff returned with a prisoner in tow. His cultivation was sealed away by two metallic chains passing through his shoulder blades, and he looked like he had gone through hell. He was none other than Tang Yi’an. The gate captain wailed as soon as he saw You Da, “Save me, brother-in-law! Save me!”

You Da’s eyes turned bloodshot and murderous when he saw this. “My lord! What on earth did Yi’an do to deserve such treatment?”

“Hah! What did he do, you ask?” Yan Yufei sneered. “Who did you think opened the gates to the Strangers, You Da? It was your brother-in-law. He was the reason Anyang was almost destroyed tonight!”

You Da’s voice rose to a new octave. “WHAT? Impossible! Yi’an would never do such a thing! You must’ve been mistaken!”

He wasn’t lying to save his brother-in-law. Forget the fact that Yi’an was the one who opened the gates, he didn’t even know an invasion was coming until everyone was in position, and Yan Yufei had told him about it at the last minute.

“I didn’t do it, brother-in-law! I’m innocent!” Tang Yi’an shouted even louder when he heard this, “Save me, brother-in-law!”

In response, Yan Yufei said disdainfully, “Innocent? Answer this then. Three days ago, did you not accept a bribe from a merchant and promised him that you would open the gates for him tonight?”

Tang Yi’an’s jaw slackened. He wasn’t able to answer the question, not that Yan Yufei wasn’t expecting him to. He continued, “I can tell you right now that that ‘merchant’ who bribed you is really a Stranger. His plan was to convince you to open the gates so that he can lead an army of Strangers into the county, slaughter our people, destroy our home, and wipe Anyang from the surface of the earth. It is only by the grace of the heavens that we are still standing right now, so tell me, do you still think you’re innocent?”

Tang Yi’an collapsed to his knees then. His eyes both looked horrified and hopeless.

You Da’s heart sank when he saw Tang Yi’an’s reaction. It was practically an admission of guilt.

He had always known that Tang Yi’an was a greedy and licentious man, but he still treated him like a son because he and his wife weren’t able to conceive a child. He thought that Tang Yi’an was smart enough to not go overboard, and even if he did his offense should not be so severe that he, the vice magistrate of Anyang, could not protect him.

But this? This was beyond his wildest imagination. Forget protecting Yi’an, even he wasn’t exempt from blame as he was guilty by association!

“Tang Yi’an, it is bad enough that you, the guard captain of Anyang, was derelict in your duty, but your treacherous greed had nearly led to its destruction. If we hadn\'t discovered the Stranger’s ploy in time, tens of thousands of people would’ve died because of you. The destruction of Anyang would’ve had unimaginable consequences to Chu as well.”

“You, Tang Yi’an, deserve death!”

Yan Yufei’s voice was harsh and unrelenting. Everyone in the area was glaring at Tang Yi’an with anger and bloodthirst as well.

“You Da, I know that you have no clue of Tang Yi’an’s treachery, but the law of Chu states that all colluders of Strangers are to be exterminated to the three generations! Do you submit?”

Thump! You Da also collapsed to his knees with hopeless, despairing eyes. He bowed his head and replied in a lifeless voice, “I submit, my lord.”

It was the only answer he could give. Had he tried to resist in any shape or form, Yan Yufei would’ve had cause to execute him on the spot. And even if he miraculously managed to escape, there was no place in the entire realm that would accommodate him. Heck, there was no human nation in the entire world who would accept a colluder of Strangers!

“Good!” Yan Yufei said before changing his tune suddenly, “That said, the crime was committed by Tang Yi’an and Tang Yi’an only, and you have no knowledge of his wrongdoing. Moreover, you have fought valiantly to defend the people of Anyang, so I shan’t execute you as per our law.”

“That said, you still must answer to your crime if only for all the lives that were lost today. Your post will be stripped, your possessions will be confiscated, and you will be temporarily demoted to a sinner [1]. You may not leave Anyang until you have served your sentence and regained your citizenship!”

“I… thank you for not killing me, my lord!” You Da pressed his head to the ground and started weeping openly.

It was at this moment Tang Yi’an broke out of his stupor and pounced toward You Da. He screamed on top of his lungs, “B-brother-in-law! Don’t leave me behind! Please save me as well! Please!”

Yan Yufei looked at the man with disgust as he ordered, “Take him away! I want him beheaded in front of the gates three days later so that the heroic souls who have died defending Chu today may rest in peace!”

“At once!”

Yang Guan accepted the order and dragged Tang Yi’an away.

Ye Qing let out a small sigh as he stared at the hysterical Tang Yi’an and the dazed You Da. He had no sympathy for Tang Yi’an, but You Da’s fate could only be described as tragic. Unfortunately, there would always be screw-ups so long as life continued to exist in this world. You Da was just one unfortunate soul in an endless line of victims.

“Yan Feng, make the arrangements to give our warriors a dignified burial and compensate their families handsomely.”

“At once!”

“Chen Hou, take some men with you and sort out the bodies of the Strangers. Put those that can be used in our treasury and burn the rest. We don’t need a plague right now!”

“At once!”

“Yu Yuan, take the rest of the men with you and scour Anyang for stragglers. The sooner we rid the streets of Strangers, the sooner our people will be safe!”

“At once!”

1. A status quo thing. You know how slaves are a class below common citizens? This is that, but not slavery