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Chronicles of the Immortal Realm
墨書 Inktalez
In the Great Liang Kingdom, in Mengzhou, lies Jiangyue Town. The town is not large, built along the official road, with all the merchants and trades lining both sides of the street.
At this moment, the sun was setting in the west, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of the small town. A few children were playing mischievously, while some shopkeepers were already closing their stalls, preparing to rest for the night.
Suddenly, three magnificent horses kicked up a cloud of dust as they galloped down the official road. On each horse sat a figure dressed like a martial arts hero, weapons hanging from their sides, wrapped in cloth but clearly visible.
Leading them was a middle-aged man nearly six feet tall, with a purple face and prominent eyes. He wore a fire-red robe and a black-lined red cloak that billowed behind him as he rode. His steed was as red as blood, resembling a fiery blaze racing forward, the cloak fluttering dramatically behind him.
Following closely behind were two others: one was a burly man with a long beard who appeared to be the youngest among them based on his features.
The other was a one-armed giant, the most intimidating of the trio. His massive frame resembled an iron tower, with a blackened face marred by a deep scar that ran from his forehead down across his nose and onto his cheek. The wound had evidently been untreated for years, leaving his flesh grotesquely exposed and making it difficult for anyone to look at him twice.
The children playing by the roadside caught sight of him and immediately scattered in fear, rushing back home. The shopkeepers hastened their movements as well.
As they entered the town, the purple-faced man suddenly pulled on the reins, causing his fiery steed to rear up with a loud neigh.
He looked up at a sign hanging outside one of the shops that read "Guest, Please Come Again." Turning to his companions, he said, "Let’s rest here for the night."
With that, he dismounted and tossed the reins to a young attendant at the inn's entrance. He swiftly removed a weapon from his horse's back. The weapon was covered in a black cloth sheath but appeared to be a long polearm based on its length.
The other two men silently dismounted and took their weapons before following the purple-faced man into the inn. This establishment had rooms for lodging upstairs and served food and drinks downstairs.
As soon as these three martial artists entered, those dining inside fell silent. They quickly lowered their heads to eat, not daring to look up at these fearsome figures.
Seated directly across from the inn's entrance was a boy around fifteen or sixteen years old. He wore a coarse blue shirt, with long hair tied back in a scholar's bun.
The boy was slender and looked quite ordinary. His fair face still bore traces of youthfulness. Only his strong jawline and deep-set eyes hinted at his resolute character and maturity beyond his years.
Upon seeing these men—especially the one-armed giant—the boy felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him. His brow furrowed slightly.
He recognized this man; his name was River Dolphin, a notorious bandit in the Great Liang Kingdom. Not long ago, this boy had crossed paths with him; River Dolphin's lost arm had some connection to him.
The purple-faced man stood before the counter. To the short and stout innkeeper, he appeared like a deity. The purple-faced man didn’t bother engaging in conversation with him.
Once these three fearsome martial artists entered their room, those dining downstairs let out sighs of relief; even those timid souls abandoned their meals and hurriedly settled their bills to leave.
The three martial artists paid no attention to the diners, nor did they notice the young boy.
In fact, this boy had undergone significant changes in appearance and stature since his family's misfortune a year ago, which left him wandering the rivers and lakes. Even those familiar with him might not recognize him at first glance. Moreover, his encounter with the River Dolphin had occurred late at night, where they had only seen each other briefly.
The boy, dressed in coarse blue cloth, did not rush to leave. Instead, he paused for a moment. As the three entered the room, he suddenly unleashed his Divine Sense, probing into that room. Instantly, everything within was laid bare before him.
Speaking of Divine Sense, the boy himself felt quite confused about it. This ability was enhanced in the Dan Jue but originated from the Huayang Classic. The origins of these two remarkable martial arts texts could be traced back to the calamity that befell his family a year ago.
This boy's name was Xunuo, a native of the Great Liang Kingdom. His father, Xu Guorui, served as the Deputy Magistrate of Suxzhou in the Great Liang Kingdom.
The Xu family was renowned for its scholarly lineage in the Great Liang Kingdom, and Xu Guorui was known as a talented scholar with a strong sense of integrity. During his tenure in Suxzhou, he worked diligently for the welfare of the local people. However, he found himself at odds with the local magistrate.
This High Technique was a son-in-law of the Minister of Revenue and was notorious for his corruption. Yet, because he shared jurisdiction with Xu Guorui in the same region, he constantly undermined him. Not to mention his corrupt practices were well-known; he viewed Xu Guorui as a thorn in his side and sought to eliminate him.
As fate would have it, a severe drought struck that year, exacerbating conditions in Suxzhou, which was already a barren land with scarce water resources. This natural disaster compounded the suffering of the people, leading to widespread famine.
Xu Guorui joined forces with local scholars and prominent figures to petition the court for grain relief during this disaster.
Gao Qiu had been keeping a close watch on Xu Guorui, waiting for any misstep from Xu Shaoyin to report to higher authorities. On this day, upon hearing reports that Xu Shaoyin had submitted a petition for disaster relief, he recognized an opportunity and quickly summoned Zhao Shiye.
Zhao Shiye was an unscrupulous scribe who once possessed some talent and could have easily passed examinations for official titles. However, driven by greed, he became embroiled in legal disputes that turned innocent lives into scapegoats while allowing true culprits to escape justice.
Upon hearing of Xu Shaoyin's reputation for integrity, Zhao sought to submit a petition against him.
Xu Shaoyin was an appointed official by the court and ranked just below High Technique. He governed on behalf of the emperor. Upon receiving Zhao's petition, he reviewed the case thoroughly and ultimately cleared the unjustly accused while bringing true culprits to justice.
At that time, Zhao was in the capital preparing for examinations, believing he would soon achieve fame and fortune. However, he was unexpectedly taken from the examination hall by officials. After receiving a beating and being stripped of his title, he spent several years in hardship before being permanently barred from official service.
Years later, when he returned home without any intention of repentance, he harbored resentment against Xu Shaoyin. He sought connections with High Technique; both shared mutual disdain for Xu Shaoyin. Thus, Zhao became High Technique's scribe.
Hearing Gao Qiu mention that Xu Shaoyin had submitted a petition regarding disaster relief, Zhao Shiye's eyes sparkled with a cunning idea. That night, the two of them drafted the memorial in a secret chamber and sent a trusted aide to deliver it urgently to the hands of High Technique's father-in-law in the capital.
The Minister of Revenue was an upright scholar, but unfortunately, he was old and senile. Upon reading the memorial, he was taken aback.
The memorial accused Xu Shaoyin of unjustly demanding money and grain from the court for personal gain, claiming that he was hoarding resources during a disaster and colluding with others for selfish purposes. The Old Minister believed it to be true and, not daring to make a unilateral decision, hurriedly arranged for a carriage to present the memorial to the emperor.
Upon seeing the memorial, the emperor was alarmed and quickly dispatched a censor to investigate the matter in Suxzhou.
The censor, surnamed Wang, was a former student of the Old Minister. Upon arriving in Suxzhou, he was received by High Technique, who hosted several lavish banquets. Despite his hospitality, Wang felt uneasy and wondered if something was amiss.
After investigating in Suxzhou, he found that the facts did not align with the accusations. However, feeling indebted to his mentor's son-in-law and knowing that those who eat from others' plates must tread carefully, he could only conduct a superficial inquiry. Yet, collusion for personal gain was a crime punishable by extermination of entire families; he dared not speak lightly of it. He returned to court only stating that Xu Shaoyin had embezzled funds. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice dismissed Xu Shaoyin from his position and imprisoned his entire family.
In the end, as Xu Shaoyin was an official appointed by the court, his fate rested with the emperor. The emperor despised corruption above all else and sentenced Xu Shaoyin's entire family to exile in the western regions, where they would serve as slaves.
The most unfortunate were those scholars from Suxzhou who had jointly petitioned on behalf of Xu Shaoyin; they too were implicated. Some lost their titles, some were exiled to remote borders, and others were conscripted into military service—each suffered from this unwarranted disaster.
As for Censor Wang, after returning home, he shut himself away. Having been manipulated by High Technique into committing such treacherous acts against his conscience, he fell seriously ill from stress and anxiety.
Meanwhile, High Technique reveled in his success over Xu Guorui and celebrated daily with Zhao Shiye and others.
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