Chapter Nine: Confrontation in Court

“Grandpa, living ancestor! I was wrong. Please, take pity on a dog and spare my life!” The jailer, who just moments ago had been arrogant and unyielding, was now banging his head on the ground until blood and flesh mingled, begging Yu Lang for mercy.

Though Yu Lang felt a pang of compassion, he knew this matter was not really in his hands. Besides, the jailer’s words, however sincere and pitiable, could not erase the fact that if he survived this ordeal, he would inevitably become Yu Lang’s mortal enemy. This was an era where people devoured one another; showing pity to your adversary was a sure path to ruin.

Yu Lang replied leisurely, “You’ve stained yourself with enough blood in this prison. Leaving like this will settle the score for those unjust souls. Say another useless word and I fear not even your family will be spared.”

The jailer took a deep breath and wiped away his tears. “Thank you, sir, for granting me death.”

Before the words had faded, the jailer, his eyes burning red, lunged at Yu Lang, flipping a dagger from his palm and stabbing straight for Yu Lang’s chest. Almost simultaneously, the fool crashed into the jailer with a roar, causing the blade to swerve, though it still gouged a chunk of flesh from Yu Lang’s side. Yu Lang clenched his teeth tightly, enduring the agony in silence. He knew that venomous man was surely hidden in the shadows, observing everything; any hint of fear toward death would place Yu Lang utterly at a disadvantage in this deadly game.

Li Yu, lurking in the darkness, strode out and slapped the jailer across the face. The man was flung sideways, smashing into a beam before vomiting a mouthful of blood and teeth. Li Yu elegantly wiped his hand clean. “Take him away. Chop him up with his family and feed them to the dogs. Remember—make sure it’s those dying, pus-covered stray dogs.”

“Understood!” came several voices from the shadows.

“Master Li, clearly it was you—”

Li Yu slapped again, and the man died instantly.

Yu Lang watched with alarm: Li Yu was indeed a cultivator, able to kill with a single blow to a non-vital spot—how ruthless. Yu Lang recalled Qing Qing’s mention of the Tang rule forbidding cultivators from harming ordinary folk. How ironic it seemed now; that so-called protection was nothing but the wishful thinking of pedantic scholars.

Rules have always existed to protect the interests of the powerful. Even those seemingly favoring the weak are, at their core, meant to maintain stability and ultimately shield the privileged.

Li Yu cast Yu Lang a cold glance, as if searching for any flaw, then smiled and addressed the trembling jailers around him. “For the next few days, take good care of Master Yu. Anyone who displeases him will meet the same fate—fed to the dogs.”

The jailers nodded furiously, desperately repeating their compliance.

Li Yu departed.

For the following two days, Yu Lang became the tyrant of the prison, enjoying wine and meat as he pleased, sharing the spoils with the fool who had saved his life. With idle time, Yu Lang even bestowed a name upon the fool—Yu Dan.

The night before the trial, Yu Dan whispered mysteriously to Yu Lang, “Tomorrow you’ll face the court and surely be beaten. My mind may be dull, and I can’t remember who I am, but I do know a few tricks about enduring beatings.”

Yu Lang laughed. “The art of taking a beating is nothing but closing your eyes and steeling your heart—is there really some secret?”

“Of course not. Do you know why they chopped off my limbs but didn’t kill me?”

“Why?”

Yu Dan grinned with pride. “Because they can’t kill me. They can only sever my limbs, so they keep me as a monster, too scared to let others know.”

Whether this was the ravings of a madman or if Yu Dan truly possessed some supernatural gift, Yu Lang could not tell. But he was certain Yu Dan would never harm him.

“So, teach me—what should I do?”

Yu Dan’s smile faded. “Eat my flesh, drink my blood. If you eat my meat, you’ll gain powerful regenerative abilities—the more you eat, the stronger the effect. Don’t mind my missing hands and feet; they’ll grow back soon enough, though I might forget even more things then.”

Yu Lang smacked his head. “Fool, go to sleep! If surviving means eating human flesh, I’d rather die clean! And never speak of this to anyone else. I imagine you dread the idea of being kept like a pig, with pieces of you cut off every few days. When you’re out of here, if I’m dead, remember to pick a fine spring day and drink at my grave—just pour out half a jug for me, and I’ll be content.”

The next morning, at dawn, several jailers respectfully escorted Yu Lang out of his cell. The wild conversation of the previous night seemed nothing but a strange dream.

The county constable himself led two squads of officers to escort Yu Lang to the magistrate’s court, the journey uneventful.

The main hall was far less splendid than Yu Lang had imagined, shabby compared to a modern office lobby. Presiding at the center was the county magistrate, Lord Xie. The chief seats to his sides belonged to Secretary Li Shangyin and the plaintiff, Zhang Jiuling. Below them sat two squads of constables.

Yu Lang knelt in the back row, absentmindedly listening as Zhang Jiuling’s chief guard and the leader among the fishermen presented their testimonies, nearly drifting off to sleep. The guard, Song Mian, held an honorary title as a martial officer, ranking higher than the magistrate. If not for the presence of the powerful Secretary from the Governor’s Office of Yangzhou, he would have long since dragged the magistrate down for a beating. Thus, his testimony was domineering, repeatedly interrupting the fishermen, causing Secretary Li to frown time and again.

Magistrate Xie glanced down at the case file, perhaps searching for Yu Lang’s name, then struck his gavel. “Yu Lang, as a witness to the incident, did you clearly see whether these fishermen wore masks?”

Yu Lang replied, “May I rise to answer? I’ve suffered some injuries in prison; kneeling hurts too much, and I can’t recall the details.”

Magistrate Xie seemed impatient, but after looking at the faces of the two distinguished guests, he relented. “You may sit.”

Yu Lang took his seat, still feigning weakness. “I’ve been ill recently and my health is poor. After the shocks in prison, I can’t recall if those men were masked.”

Xie was annoyed but could hardly make an example of a mere youth, especially as a witness and not an accused. He could not simply have him beaten, and for the moment was at a loss.

Guard Song Mian raised his brows, clearly disdainful of Yu Lang’s conduct, while the fishermen’s leader shot him a threatening look. With one sentence, Yu Lang had managed to offend everyone in the hall.

Yu Lang continued, “It’s not for me, a commoner, to decide whether the fishermen covered their faces. With over twenty lives lost, such a grave matter should not rest solely on my testimony. Chancellor Zhang’s character and virtue are recognized by His Majesty; his words carry the greatest weight.”

“Coward,” Song Mian cursed.

Yu Lang met Song Mian’s gaze without flinching, raising his voice. “Over twenty lives lost, and the famed Tang Chancellor dares not take responsibility, yet you expect a barely grown youth to bear it?”

Yu Lang was gambling, staking everything on Zhang Jiuling’s integrity—he would not shrink from responsibility at such a moment.

“Impudent!”

“Enough!” Zhang Jiuling cut off Song Mian. With his keen insight, he guessed Yu Lang’s evasive answers were due to threats in prison; the political strife of the court should not fall upon the shoulders of this naive youth. “The boy speaks wisely. I, Zhang Jiuling, testify truthfully: the fishermen were masked at the time.”

Yu Lang smiled. “Well then, does Magistrate Xie trust Chancellor Zhang’s word?”

Sweat began to bead on Xie’s forehead. He was Zhang Jiuling’s student, but had also accepted rich gifts from Li Linfu. He had planned to use the boy as his pawn, only for Yu Lang to hand him a blunt knife. He dared not pass this hot potato to Secretary Li either—that would be a disaster.

Handled poorly, this could spell utter ruin. Offending Zhang Jiuling, the fallen Chancellor, would only earn scorn, but crossing Li Linfu meant losing his head. He gritted his teeth and struck the gavel again. “This case remains in doubt. Song Mian and others are to be detained! Court dismissed!” With that, he swept his sleeves and left, avoiding the two distinguished guests.

He had just done Li Linfu a great favor. Even if he lost his position, his future in officialdom would be secure. He need no longer bow to these two men. Magistrate Xie calculated silently.

Yu Lang left the court and let out a long breath. His courage to openly defy Li Yu’s wishes stemmed from a note Yu Chaoran had slipped into his meal box three days earlier—Once you’re out, fear no one, adapt as needed.

Had he made any reckless accusations, the magistrate could have shamelessly convicted him. But Yu Lang had said nothing, and as a mere witness, was untouchable.

Secretary Li Shangyin, always upright, would not trouble the youth further. However, the powerful figures involved were beyond his influence; he could only swallow his anger and return to the Governor’s Office.

Zhang Jiuling smiled at Yu Lang. “Come, let’s visit your home. It’s been ages since I drank with Yu Chaoran.”

Yu Chaoran’s friends were truly remarkable—now even the former Prime Minister had stepped into the fray.