Street Justice and Ancient Secrets

Stepping out from the immortal market, the two found themselves strolling along the somewhat bustling streets of the small town.

Qin Yan was just about to inquire of Xiao Miao the true marvels of the iron piece when a sudden clamor erupted before them. He focused his gaze, only to discover three ruffian-like figures relentlessly pursuing a beggar child, throwing the entire street into utter disarray.

Witnessing the scene, the surrounding crowd hastily retreated, giving the commotion a wide berth.

By contrast, Qin Yan and Xiao Miao remained the sole figures standing amidst the thoroughfare. The beggar child, seemingly driven to desperation by the chase, stumbled in a panic, collapsing abruptly right before their feet.

“Save me, please, save me—!”

As if a drowning person instinctively clawing for any chance of survival, the beggar child scrambled, covering ground in desperate lunges, until they reached Qin Yan’s feet.

An inexplicable sense of déjà vu washed over Qin Yan at this particular sight.

“Hey, I’d advise you two against meddling with our business,” one of the women growled. “If you fancy yourselves heroes, you’d best first consider your own strength.”

The three individuals pursuing the beggar child were clad in coarse, short-sleeved garments, their faces contorted into menacing scowls, exuding the unmistakable air of street ruffians.

While the villains indulged in their classic display of bluster and threats, Xiao Miao’s hand had already instinctively moved to the weapon strapped across her back. It was an iron ruler, a formidable implement, embodying the adage: ‘A heavy sword bears no edge, true mastery hides its craft’.

Qin Yan, however, remained motionless, utterly unaware of the unfolding circumstances.

“Little one,” Xiao Miao began, her gaze softening as she looked at the terrified beggar child, “What has happened? Why are these women pursuing you? Speak truthfully, and I shall ensure your safety.”

Though her immediate instinct was to offer aid in such a predicament, Xiao Miao was not one to act without discernment, and thus sought to understand the full story.

“I… I was just begging peacefully by the roadside,” the beggar child stammered, fear still etched on her face. “They… they said they wanted to seize me and sell me for a good price! Please, noble heroes, save my life!”

The beggar child’s pleas were relentless, directed at both Qin Yan and Xiao Miao, for indeed, both cut the figures of valiant knights-errant.

Upon hearing the child’s words, Xiao Miao turned her gaze to the three women. The trio exchanged a swift glance, then, without uttering another word, charged directly at Qin Yan and Xiao Miao.

Their movements were swift, their steps steady and purposeful, clearly indicating a measure of martial prowess. Yet, they were confronting two true cultivators.

Since they evinced no desire to explain themselves, it seemed plausible that the situation was precisely as the beggar child had described. Just as Xiao Miao prepared to make her move, a sharp, clear cry suddenly pierced the air, reaching both their ears.

“Stop! In broad daylight, under the clear heavens, does no justice prevail in this world anymore?!”

Both Qin Yan and Xiao Miao turned their eyes towards the source of the voice, a movement mirrored by the curious onlookers around them.

While such occurrences weren’t exceedingly common, they were far from rare. After all, few truly cared for the lives of these beggar children; disappearances were frequent, and they simply sprouted anew, like persistent weeds in a field.

The people of Qin were known for their martial inclinations, and street killings were not uncommon. Thus, in mere moments, the area was swarming with onlookers, packed three deep.

From the throng emerged a woman clad in a vibrant red dress, her long hair gathered into a sharp ponytail. Her demeanor exuded a certain keen edge, and in her hand, she carried a strikingly sharp longsword.

She was unmistakably a denizen of the jianghu.

The three women cast a wary glance at the red-dressed newcomer, then at Xiao Miao standing before them. It was as if failing to seize the beggar child would somehow cost them their very lives, for without a single word, they lunged directly at the frightened girl.

Witnessing their renewed assault, the red-dressed woman wasted no further breath. Before Xiao Miao could even intervene, the red-clad figure was already locked in a fierce skirmish with the three women.

There were no ethereal immortal artifacts or wondrous spells involved; it was purely a display of martial skill, yet it proved remarkably captivating. Under the relentless assault of the three, the woman moved with the grace of a soaring dragon. Seizing the opportunity, the beggar child quietly melted into the surrounding crowd, vanishing from sight.

“Swish—”

“Swish—”

“Swish—”

Three swift sword flashes cut through the air, and three heads soared skyward.

It appeared the red-dressed woman had been provoked to a furious rage, for she had summarily executed all three in the middle of the street. While a flicker of panic rippled through some of the onlookers, the majority erupted in cheers and applause.

Such was the prevailing custom of this society: should a feud arise, one would simply arrange a duel, taking swords to the mountains on an appointed day. Whether one lived or died, the enmity would thus be settled.

Having slain the three women, and perhaps fearing the arrival of authorities, the woman held her longsword, cupped her hands in a gesture of respect towards Qin Yan and Xiao Miao, and then spoke:

“Noble heroes,” she declared, “these three villains have been dealt with. I must take my leave now; I advise you both to depart swiftly as well, lest you become entangled in trouble.”

With that, the red-dressed woman flicked the blood from her longsword and melted back into the bustling crowd.

Qin Yan and Xiao Miao exchanged a knowing glance, then likewise blended into the throng. Moments later, only three lifeless bodies remained on the street, and the surrounding Qin citizens, after a brief look, simply resumed their daily affairs.

****

Afterward, Qin Yan and Xiao Miao set about finding lodging within the town.

Given the abundance of inns, securing a place to stay proved no difficult task. Qin Yan led Xiao Miao to the grandest establishment in town, for, being far from short on funds, he naturally desired a comfortable stay.

Thankfully, they were spared the cliché predicament of only a single room remaining.

Presently, within Qin Yan’s room, Xiao Miao sat poised and proper on a nearby chair, observing as Qin Yan retrieved the iron piece from his storage ring and extended it towards her.

“Xiao Miao,” Qin Yan inquired, “What precisely is the marvel of this iron piece?”

Xiao Miao reached out and accepted the iron piece, then, with a silent complaint to her Shizun, posed the question inwardly. ‘If even she cannot discern its secrets,’ Xiao Miao mused, ‘wouldn’t it be an embarrassing blunder, and an utter waste of Qin Yan’s considerable expense?’

“Shizun…”

She transmitted her query via divine sense, eager to avoid any loss of face before Qin Yan.

“Hush, not a word,” Xiao Miao’s Shizun interjected. “Would I ever allow you to suffer such an embarrassment?!”

Xiao Miao’s Shizun spoke, then meticulously examined the iron piece in Xiao Miao’s grasp, before issuing an instruction: “Use your unique water to cleanse this iron piece; let me observe.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Miao naturally complied, summoning forth her unique water. As the mystical liquid washed over the iron piece, the accumulated grime vanished within moments, revealing a series of intricate, peculiar patterns etched upon its surface.

“This… this is intriguing,” Xiao Miao’s Shizun mused, her expression deepening in thought. “Could it be a legacy left by that ancient powerhouse? A Mohist master of mechanisms, whose numerous secret treasures vanished from the world after her demise.”

“How can you discern that?” Xiao Miao asked, a hint of bewilderment in her tone.

“Examine these patterns closely,” Xiao Miao’s Shizun instructed, her voice guiding, “they are, in fact, the very language of Mohist mechanical arts.” This perfectly illustrated the wisdom of the adage: ‘To have an elder in the family is to possess a living treasure’.

This language of Mohist mechanisms, in essence, could be roughly understood as a form of binary code.

Once Xiao Miao fully comprehended her Shizun’s words, she realized this was a truly monumental discovery. Though merely a fragment, its inherent value was undoubtedly immeasurable, easily worth a king’s ransom.

She then reiterated her Shizun’s explanation to Qin Yan, before extending the fragment in her hand back to him.

“This… you just told him? And you just gave it to him?!”

Xiao Miao’s Shizun’s voice was laced with a familiar exasperation, the kind reserved for profound disappointment.

“But Qin Yan bought it, didn’t he?” Xiao Miao retorted, a hint of defiance in her tone. “Am I truly expected to deceive him?” She seemed utterly unconcerned by the palpable irritation emanating from her Shizun within the storage ring.