The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 1: Chapter 7

After daybreak, Zhu Que went to the Wang Residence and informed the Second Young Master about the connection between the woman singing in the middle of the night and the Zhou family rebellion case.

The Second Young Master replied, “If you find Zhang Yudie, tell her I will investigate the Zhou family’s case. If it’s indeed a wrongful accusation, I will report to the Emperor and give her an explanation. Lately, the Emperor has eased the investigation on the White Lotus Sect. Only the leader will be executed, while the followers will receive corporal punishment. However, even so, try not to get too involved with them. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to mediate if things go wrong. You should continue to find out who is the mastermind behind the Zhou family case.”

When Zhu Que and Li Mizong met again, Li Mizong brought unexpected news.

According to his investigation based on Wang Gangxiong, Li Bocai, and Sun Jinzhong, none of them seem to be the ones who secretly reported Zhou Weiyong.

Based on this deduction, the only ones who could report directly to the emperor were the members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If it was indeed the Embroidered Uniform Guard, then it was following the orders of the Eastern Chamber to investigate further. The most likely scenario was that the Emperor himself wanted to eliminate the Zhou family.

This matter had reached a dead end here. As for why the Emperor wanted to eliminate the Zhou family, who would dare to speculate the imperial intentions?

Zhu Que knew that Li Mizong had reached this point in his investigation and had already withdrawn. Li had worked hard on this matter, which was rare. Zhu Que decided to show some kindness and revealed to Li that Duamyu Yingyang was killed by the White Lotus Sect’s Falconry Hall but did not mention the booklet. He said that the reason the Falconry Hall killed him was because he was corrupt and unjust; hence, Li could go back and close the case.

Li Mizong was grateful but also worried. He stated, “If the White Lotus Sect killed the imperial official and the culprit is not caught, I wonder how the Ministry of Justice will handle the aftermath?’

Zhu Que reminded him, “Doesn’t the Ministry of Justice have its own way of dealing with elusive criminals? Just go back and report the truth. I assure you that this matter will pass.”

After being reminded by Zhu Que, Li Mizong suddenly understood, he thanked Zhu Que and then took the case file back to Jizhou.

Based on the location Gongsun Bai told him, Zhu Que easily found Zhang Yudie.

Zhang Yudie was dressed in plain white clothes, had a beautiful appearance, and did not look as crazy as imagined.

Zhu Que had already guessed that her madness was all an act in order to leave the White Lotus Sect and seek revenge for her husband. Such painstaking efforts were truly admirable.

Zhang Yudie did not know who Zhu Que was, and she was unwilling to say anything at first. It wasn’t until Zhu Que took out the Sacred Lotus Order that Zhang Yudie finally believed him.

Zhu Que advised her not to cause trouble at the Wang Residence anymore, as the Second Young Master had already started investigating the matter. However, this matter was quite tricky because it was a case approved by the Emperor, who held the highest authority as the Son of Heaven. It would be difficult to overturn.

Zhang Yudie said, “I am just a woman who seeks justice for my husband’s family, not someone who stirs up trouble. I only hope to get a fair outcome. Since it has come to this, I can only wait for news from all of you.” After speaking, her eyes turned red, but she held back her tears and did not let them fall in front of Zhu Que.

This woman was not as fragile as she appeared on the surface, but her determination was stronger than most men’s.

Zhu Que asked her how she could sing all night behind the Wang Residence without anyone noticing her presence. Zhang Yudie explained that it was all trivial, as the White Lotus Sect had many methods to achieve this, similar to their secret transmission of information in the martial world.

Zhu Que then inquired about Zhang Beicheng’s death, and Zhang Yudie did not conceal the truth, admitting that she was the one who killed him. Her main concern was that Wang’s Second Young Master would not take the matter seriously, so she poisoned a servant to solidify her position.

Zhu Que saw her treating human lives as insignificant and shuddered in his heart. The White Lotus Sect was called an evil cult not only because of inciting rebellion but also for its truly sinister aspects. 

Zhang Yudie said, “If there’s nothing else, this widow should not keep the esteemed guest for long. I hope Zhu Que can go back and explain to the Second Young Master. Everything I’ve done is out of helplessness, and with the Second Young Master’s kindness, he should be able to forgive my many reckless actions.”

Zhu Que nodded, looking at her sorrowful expression, not knowing how to comfort her. With everything settled, he bid farewell and left.

Before long, the Second Young Master entered the palace and reported everything to the Emperor. The Emperor sighed at Zhang Yudie’s extraordinary talent but lamented that she had fallen into a cult. Fortunately, she was no longer associated with the cult, so she was not held accountable.

As for the Zhou family case, it had already been settled. The Emperor’s words were final and could not be changed. There was no need to discuss overturning the case, only to have their bodies adequately buried to comfort Zhang Yudie.

Although Zhang Yudie was not entirely satisfied with this outcome, she had no choice. People died like a lamp extinguished, and all the past tenderness and sweetness vanished into memories with Zhou Shuyao’s departure.

After settling this matter, Zhang Yudie returned to Hangzhou and became a nun in a nunnery by the West Lake, shaving her head and taking the Dharma name Chen. From then on, she accompanied the ancient Buddha statues, reciting scriptures, and had no more dealings with the White Lotus Sect.

With Zhang Yudie gone, the Wang Residence returned to its peaceful state.

Zhu Que bid farewell to the Wang’s Second Young Master and returned the Wang Residence’s golden token to him. After receiving the token, the Second Young Master pondered for a moment, then handed it back, saying, “Keep this token with you. In the future, when you travel in the martial world, facing unknown dangers, with this token, you can summon the yamen’s men to help you in times of crisis.”

Zhu Que nodded and took the gold token into his arms, and the Second Young Master said, “After this farewell, I wonder when we will meet again. Where are you planning to go, Brother Zhu?”

Zhu Que replied, “I have some good friends in Jiangnan who have invited me several times, all of which I have declined. Now that things are settled here, I might as well take the opportunity to go there and relax.”

The Second Young Master said, “I truly envy your carefree and unrestrained. Unfortunately, although I am of noble imperial lineage, I cannot go wherever I please.”

Zhu Que said, “Do you know how many people envy your noble identity? Is the grass always greener on the other side?”

While laughing and chatting with the Second Young Master, his mind had already flown to the lush grasses, singing birds, and misty rain of Jiangnan.

But life is unpredictable. Before he could reach the gentle Jiangnan, he ended up in the dry and desolate desert with no signs of life.

Puyu: With that, we have come to the end of the first case. Next, we’re heading to the desert with Zhu Que.