Soaring the Heavens

Since they now knew that the six ladies were taken away by the Martial Manor’s enforcers, their first thought was to head back and check with the Martial Manor. The group quickly turned around to try and reenter the manor.

However, they were stopped by the guard stationed at the mountain gates. That said, the other party knew that these people would soon have an audience with the Overlord, so he didn’t make things too difficult for them and simply gave a reminder, “This is the entrance to the administrative department. If you wish to look for detained criminals, you should head to the judicial department.”

The group immediately rushed down the mountain. As Lin Pingping only possessed a limited amount of influence within the capital city, Miao Yi decided to head straight for the Chamber of Commerce to look for Luo Ping.

Luo Ping was shocked to hear what happened. It was taboo for a cultivator to kill a follower, no matter the country. After all, followers were the source for Orbs of Will for every single cultivator in the world. What’s more, the incident had happened right inside the capital city. Things were as bad as it could get now that the girls had fallen into the hands of the Martial Manor.

Things were even more troublesome considering that the person they offended was someone from the Huyan family, the number one major clan within the entire Celestial Nation. It wasn’t as though the Huyan family was a terrifyingly powerful clan or anything. No matter how much influence a mortal clan possessed, it was nothing in the eyes of a cultivator. The problem was that the person standing behind the Huyan family was Huyan Taibao, the first disciple of Celestial Sage Mu Fanjun. His status within the Celestial Nation was second only to the Celestial Sage herself, and his influence paled only in comparison to Mu Fanjun and no other!

“Wait a moment. I’ll go seek help from a senior,” Luo Ping said quickly before rushing back into the Chamber of Commerce.

Soon, a white-haired old man walked out with him. The old man had a flushed nose and rosy cheeks that came from drinking alcohol. Miao Yi was familiar with this person as well. It was the appraiser who once visited Mount Calming Sea to evaluate all his wine—Uncle Hua. Miao Yi quickly stepped forward and bowed, “Miao Yi greets Uncle Hua!”

“So it’s really you, kid! Your subordinates sure have some guts. They even dared to kill people from the Huyan family!” Uncle Hua shook his head and clicked his tongue. He then waved his hand and said, “Let’s go! We’ll see how bad the situation is for now.”

Miao Yi and the others followed Uncle Hua around the back of Jade Capital Peak. Evidently, the old timer was quite familiar with the officers from the judicial department. It didn’t take long for Miao Yi and the others to be granted special entry into the judiciary office. As for Yan Xiu as well as Zhao Fei’s and Sikong Wuwei’s subordinates, they remained outside. The judicial department was not some marketplace where they could just enter in droves without a care, after all.

As they walked into the Martial Manor’s judiciary office, Uncle Hua made use of his connections again and brought Miao Yi and the others straight to High Magistrate Pu Yigong. If they had solely relied on Luo Ping instead, they wouldn’t have been able to meet such a person.

Uncle Hua was clearly quite close to Pu Yigong. It didn’t take long for him to find out from the latter that the interrogation was already over. During the interrogation, the six ladies stated that Huyan Shou was the one who sexually harassed them first. And in contrast, Huyan Shou denied their accusations and said that he simply bumped into them accidentally. High Magistrate Pu only briefly explained what happened, as it would be inappropriate for him to reveal too much inside information to Uncle Hua.

“Since the interrogation is already over, you should be announcing your verdict now, right?” Sitting on the chair, Uncle Hua asked as he raised a cup of tea to his lips. Miao Yi and the others stood behind him.

High Magistrate Pu chuckled and said, “Old Hua, I’m not going to lie to you. As this incident involves the Huyan family, I don’t have much say in the matter either. I need to ask the Governor to make the decision. Once he’s made up his mind, you will naturally get your verdict. For now, all you can do is wait for the news to come.”

The other party’s words made the current situation very clear. As such, being the hot-headed one, Sikong Wuwei couldn’t contain his anger and spoke out resentfully, “It sure must be nice to have a good background.”

Magistrate Pu was not fond of these words at all. He cast an icy glance at Sikong Wuwei and asked, “Are you trying to suggest that the Martial Manor is biased? If you have some background, you are free to use that influence to your advantage as well. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to change the Martial Manor’s verdict!”

“Shut up!” Uncle Hua immediately snapped at Sikong Wuwei furiously. Zhao Fei also pulled him aside, transmitting a voice message over to the latter and reminding him that now was not the time to lose his temper.

Uncle Hua then smiled at Magistrate Pu and said, “Alright, stop giving us that nasty attitude of yours already. Aren’t you going to consult the Governor? Hurry along then. We’ll wait here for you.”

High Magistrate Pu chuckled and lifted his cup to his lips. Casting a suspicious smile towards Miao Yi and the others, he asked, “These people are all the ones that came back from the Sea of Constellations, right?”

Uncle Hua rolled his eyes in disdain. He seemed to have caught on to what Pu Yigong was implying. He quickly turned around and asked Miao Yi and the others, “Normal folk will never be able to set foot in this place. You youngsters are lucky to be here and have Magistrate Pu personally clearing your doubts for you. Didn’t you guys just come back from the Sea of Constellations? Isn’t there something you can show to Magistrate Pu?”

Anyone who wasn’t a fool would understand what Uncle Hua was trying to say—this man was openly demanding bribes!

Miao Yi immediately took out a storage ring and handed it over to High Magistrate Pu. “I have a tiny trinket inside here. Feel free to admire it as long as you please, High Magistrate.”

Pu Yigong took the storage ring and examined it to find a set of Second Grade Armor Artifacts inside. This was something that was worth quite the fortune. He smiled and tucked it away, then nodded and said, “Since you’re being this sincere about it, I’ll keep it with me for now then.”

Miao Yi smiled and added, “The Hall Master of Moon Traversing Palace’s Suppressing Second Hall is this junior’s sworn big brother. Big Brother has always thought of the girls as his own younger sisters. They’ve never experienced the hardship of prison before, so I wish to trouble High Magistrate to help keep an eye on them for me. Afterward, I will be sure to bring Big Brother along to thank you personally.”

Miao Yi didn’t care if Huo Lingxiao’s name was effective here or not; he had to use any connection at his disposal right now so that the girls wouldn’t suffer too much in prison. He was even thinking of ways to drag Huo Lingxiao here if all else failed. Since the latter had been a Hall Master for so many years, Miao Yi was confident that he had some degree of influence in the capital city.

Pu Yigong was somewhat surprised. He asked curiously, “Huo Lingxiao is your sworn big brother?”

He wasn’t the only one taken aback; even Uncle Hua and the others were just as shocked by this revelation.

“Yes!” Miao Yi smiled and nodded.

“I’m quite close to Huo Lingxiao. We even drank together on several occasions.” Pu Yigong stood up and continued, “Just wait here for now. I’ll go look for the Governor right away.”

Surprisingly, the other party was acquainted with Huo Lingxiao. Miao Yi immediately cupped his fists and said, “Thank you, High Magistrate!”

Outside of the Martial Manor rested a quiet pavilion, and inscribed on the overhead plaque were the words ‘Transient Life’.

There was one man seated within the Transient Life Pavilion. His hair was neatly tied up, and he wore a golden-purple diadem on his head. His body was garbed in a broad purple robe beautifully decorated with gold embroidery, and around his waist hung a jade belt. His face exuded an aura of solemnity. Below his sharp eyebrows shone a pair of deep, piercing eyes brimming with clarity. His facial features were sharp and delicate, and his complexion was flawless like jade. Like a hawk, his gaze was cold and sharp, and his presence was strong and commanding. With his natural good looks, it was easy to tell that this man was not your average cultivator.

This man was none other than Governor Lan Hou. He had both sleeves pulled back as he vigorously brushed black ink across a sheet of white paper that was being held down by several paperweights. Mountains and rivers came alive upon the sheet of paper under the stroke of his brush. He was painting the scenery of the capital city under Jade Capital Peak. His masterful strokes belied a profoundness that few would comprehend.

Two beautiful handmaidens were by his side. One of them was grinding up an inkstone, while the other was focused on Lan Hou’s brushwork.

High Magistrate Pu arrived and was just about to greet Lan Hou, but one of his handmaidens quickly turned around and gestured for him to keep quiet. He immediately stopped outside the pavilion and patiently waited.

Lan Hou didn’t even turn his head around as he asked, “What is it?”

Pu Yigong finally entered the pavilion and greeted Lan Hou, then reported, “There’s a bit of a problem down the mountain. Several cultivators just killed a few of Huyan Shou’s subordinates.”

“Huyan Shou? That good-for-nothing descendant from the Huyan family?” Lan Hou asked.

For even someone like Lan Hou to know of Huyan Shou’s name, it was evident that his infamy had preceded the person himself.

“That’s the one!” Pu Yigong replied.

“Who are the ones bold enough to attack people from the Huyan family?”

“They’re just a few handmaidens! However, these handmaidens coincidentally belong to those returnees from the Sea of Constellations who are waiting for the Overlord’s summons…” Pu Yigong briefly described the situation at the time of the incident, then continued, “Eyewitness accounts from the scene of the crime prove that Huyan Shou was indeed the one who sexually harassed the other party first. However, those witnesses soon changed their statements and simply said that they didn’t see what happened clearly. As such, the situation is looking rather unfavorable for those handmaidens. And as it involves the Huyan family, I dare not make a decision on my own. Thus, I implore you to make the verdict instead, Governor!”

Lan Hou said indifferently, “All they did was kill a bunch of ruffians. It’s not like anyone’s expecting these loafers to contribute any willpower to begin with. If they’re dead, then so be it. It saves everyone else the hassle of dealing with a bunch of troublemakers. As for those handmaidens, just let them go. Try not to complicate their masters’ meeting with the Overlord if you can. As for Huyan Shou, lock him up for ten years for the time being. Since his family is rich anyway, you can think about whether to release him or not after you’ve profited enough from them!”

Lan Hou never stopped his subordinates from taking in bribes, but he had one rule: ‘You are free to take in as many bribes as you please, but once you do, you must make sure to fulfill your responsibility to the person who bribed you. I will not forgive anyone who abuses their authority for personal gain!’

“Lock him up for ten years?” Pu Yigong couldn’t help feeling a little surprised. Mortals were different from cultivators after all. They could only live for a handful of decades. He asked cautiously, “Huyan Taibao is the one standing behind the Huyan family. Won’t we be upsetting him by doing this?”

Lan Hou’s brush didn’t even stop for a moment as he scoffed, “Huyan Taibao has thousands upon thousands of descendants all over the capital cities of every Earthly Branch in the Celestial Nation. Does he even have the luxury to be concerned about every single one of them? I’m spending effort to properly educate his descendant here. He should be thanking me instead. Don’t worry. He won’t be too concerned about the wellbeing of some descendant from god knows how many generations away. Just do as I say. If Huyan Taibou does step forward, I will report to the Overlord and let him take care of it!”

“Understood!” Pu Yigong cupped his fists and acknowledged the order.

As he was about to turn around and leave, Lan Hou’s voice suddenly came from behind, questioning, “To give me such a quick report on something that happened not too long ago; the ones meeting the Overlord must have some connections of their own, yes?”

For Lan Hou to wield such high authority in a place like the capital city, he was clearly no fool. His subordinate had swiftly sought him out for a verdict despite knowing full well the influence that the Huyan family possessed—this was undoubtedly a slap to their face. As such, Lan Hou was sure that the other party must have had someone step forward for them as well.

Pu Yigong’s figure instantly froze. Since Lan Hou was already asking him so bluntly about it, he didn’t dare conceal the truth any longer. With an awkward smile, he replied, “Governor is perceptive indeed. Truth be told, it wasn’t anyone special. They simply asked that drunkard Hua from the Chamber of Commerce to look for me. You know him as well, sir. He and I drink together quite often. Besides him, there’s also the one from the rankings—Miao Yi. His sworn big brother is the Hall Master from Traversing Moon Palace’s Suppressing Second Hall. Your subordinate is rather well-acquainted with him, and I suppose you can consider us friends. I must say, sir, even though your subordinate might have acted a little biased towards these people, I have not lost my professionalism on this matter.”

“Traversing Moon Palace’s Suppressing Second Hall?” The brush in Lan Hou’s hand finally stopped. He slowly turned his head to Pu Yigong and asked, “You mean Huo Lingxiao?”

Pu Yigong was surprised to hear that the Governor was familiar with Huo Lingxiao as well. He immediately replied, “Yes, it’s him!”

Lan Hou turned back to the painting, then dipped his brush on the inkstone. As he slowly lathered the brush with ink, he mildly instructed, “Continue to keep those handmaidens under lockdown for now. Also, I want you to detain those three Subjugation Crusade rank holders.”

Pu Yigong was taken aback. He didn’t understand why things had turned out this way, and he couldn’t help asking, “Governor, may I ask on what charges are we to detain them?”

With an indifferent expression on his face, Lan Hou replied, “Allowing their servants to commit murder! Besides that, I want you to send a message to Traversing Moon Palace’s Suppressing Second Hall. Tell Huo Lingxiao to come look for me himself if he wants me to let these people go!”

Pu Yigong was completely lost for words. He could only cup his fists and acknowledge the order, then take his leave…

By the time he returned to the judiciary office, there were already several other people following behind him.

When he saw Pu Yigong returning, Uncle Hua noticed the peculiar expression on his face. He stood up and asked, “How did it go?”

Suddenly, with a deadpan expression on his face, Pu Yigong pointed towards Miao Yi, Zhao Fei, and Sikong Wuwei and then commanded, “Apprehend them!”

The people behind him immediately rushed over and restrained the trio by the wrists, completely subduing them before they even had a chance to react to the sudden development.