Volume Three: Fame on the Rise Chapter Nineteen: Currents from All Sides

In the latter half of the night, only then did a messenger, mounted on a beast renowned for its speed, ride out from the encampment toward the lands of the Qing clan. Not only that, but within the tent, a formation upon a stone flared with light; the envelope placed atop it was burned to ash by the radiance, while in the Qing clan territory, the same formation produced an envelope in its place.

When he finished, Qing Yangde let out a sigh of relief. If not for his considerable cultivation, this scant rest would have left him with dark circles under his eyes the next day.

Elsewhere, Li Yu, having returned to his carriage, was already deep in slumber with Xiao Cui tending to him.

At dawn the next day, Li Yu saw that the soldiers had already formed into groups, dismantling the defensive works they had constructed. By the time the army was ready to depart, Li Yu was seated in his carriage, the three attendants close by his side.

"Young master, next time you must take me with you!"

Xiao Cui gazed at him pleadingly. Last night, Li Yu had used the excuse of exhaustion to silence her, but she had no intention of letting him off so easily. Who could have guessed that Li Yu, summoned away for a meal, would sneak off with Qing Yangde? The Duke himself had issued strict orders that they were not to let Li Yu out of their sight, yet how long had it been before he managed to slip away?

"This must not be allowed!" she thought to herself. If she let this go unpunished, would there not be a second or third time?

Li Yu, beset by Xiao Cui's incessant chatter, could only apologize repeatedly and promise it would not happen again, barely escaping her lecture.

"Then if you absolutely must go out next time, young master, you must remember to take me with you!"

Hearing his promise, Xiao Cui finally smiled again, no longer looking so aggrieved. To take her along naturally meant bringing the other two as well, thus freeing her from blame. She recalled how, out of habit, she had climbed into the carriage at Li Yu's summons, and had nearly been scolded to tears for her carelessness afterward.

A woman nearby overheard their exchange and frowned. How could such a maid be assigned to Li Yu?

"Utterly unprofessional! What a disgrace!"

Yet she was soon surprised to see that, though Li Yu's brow furrowed, he did not appear angered—merely helpless. In the end, he even agreed to Xiao Cui's request.

Xiao Cui, having spent so much time with Li Yu, knew well that he was not one to care much for social hierarchy. Their relationship was more akin to that of an attentive elder sister to a younger brother. She was well aware of this, which emboldened her to act so freely; otherwise, her training within the Qing clan would have strictly forbidden such behavior. Who would tolerate a bodyguard-like attendant who was a constant nuisance?

At the rear of the army, a dozen or so prison carts rumbled along, holding the main bandit leaders, who would be handed over at the next stop. As for the other bandits not in the carts, their mobility had been crippled and they were handed over to the village they had plundered—their fate easily imagined.

"We're doomed," Qing Gaoyang muttered, his gaze falling on the prison cart beside him.

The procession ahead stretched on endlessly—a force perhaps half the size of a full legion, led by none other than the Duke’s son. Why would such a group need to curry favor with a mere city lord? If they were truly brought face-to-face with the city lord for judgment, he'd likely abandon them in a heartbeat.

Only the middle-aged man still muttered to himself, "Father will save me, Father will save me!"

Qing Gaoyang shook his head at the sight. What a useless, helpless man—such a giant child, yet so favored in the city lord’s household! If it were his own father, he’d have made sure to sire another while still young.

In the prison carts behind, many of the bandits wept bitterly. While they could watch others suffer with cold indifference, when calamity befell themselves, remorse surged uncontrollably. Some, however, remained silent and cold-eyed—mostly fugitives who had fled to this city after causing trouble elsewhere, gradually drawn to Qing Zhiming’s wealth and ability. They tolerated a man in his thirties with little maturity because they sensed he was no ordinary clansman, wagering everything on him.

"The city lord’s only son—perhaps there’s still a chance for survival," they thought.

Far behind this mighty procession, a small group concealed themselves among the treetops of a hill. From this vantage, they could both hide and observe the army’s movements.

"It's certain—one of our targets is among this company," one of them said.

"As we expected, Qing Yangde seems to be leading this 'military contest.' What do you all think?"

Each kept a distance from the others, their identities well concealed, their voices altered.

"According to the intelligence, Qing Yangde is in charge. With two key figures present, I think it’s worth making a move!"

"How reliable is your information? I think we need to watch a while longer. It’s a long journey—a premature move would only alert them."

The man questioned gave a cold snort and said no more.

Each belonged to a different power. Every word and deed would influence their clans' assessment and dealings with the Qing clan’s force. One could never be too cautious. Elsewhere, perhaps their own people and Qing clan agents were plotting against yet another family.

Their discussion yielded little; as the saying went, "The mountains are far, the road is long—there’s plenty of time to dig a trap."

Elsewhere again, within a palatial mansion in the city center, the city lord, resplendent yet graying at the temples, flew into a rage, smashing his third priceless vase. Two maids, executed for nothing more than breathing too loudly, had already been dragged away.

The rest of the servants trembled, fearing they would be next.

It was only when the city lord’s wife entered the courtyard and dismissed everyone else that she allowed herself to weep.

"Our son—what’s become of him?"

"And you have the nerve to ask!" the man roared. "I told you, with the clan deploying troops for the upcoming council, he was to keep a low profile and stay home, not go out and provoke trouble! Why did you let him out again?"

"I just wanted to let him get some fresh air—how could I have known this would happen?"

Qing Yuanxun said nothing more. With a sweep of his sleeve, he commanded coldly, "Ming Yan, take some men, find an opportunity, and bring him back. As for the others…"

A silent man in the corner nodded and leapt away.