Chapter Seventeen: When the Constable Turns Bandit, Heaven Fails to Deliver, So I Take Action

The twilight, blood-red and ominous, stained the ramparts of the fortress overlooking the desolate Gobi Desert. Gazing at the grey-blue monoliths scattered across the vast, barren expanse, Chen An felt a heavy sigh escape his lips. In the blink of an eye, he had been stationed at this border outpost for over a month. From a mere sentry, he had risen to the rank of Centurion, commanding several dozen men. Such is the impermanence of life—everything passes in a fleeting moment.

Suddenly, a woman’s cry pierced the evening air. At this hour, as the sun dipped below the horizon, every household should have been busy preparing dinner. Could it be? Chen An’s brows knit together as he spurred his horse into a gallop.

Following the sound, he reached a dead-end alley. There, he discovered three bailiffs dragging a young woman into the shadows. Her skirt was shredded, her hair disheveled, and the bodice of her garment had been torn away, exposing large swathes of her pale skin.

"Let her go!" Chen An leapt from his horse, his eyes glinting with lethal coldness.

The lead bailiff, annoyed at having his fun interrupted, adjusted his belt with a look of indignation. "Where did this stray dog come from to meddle in my affairs?" the head bailiff sneered, looking Chen An up and down. "Just a lowly soldier, and you dare interfere with me? You’re a dog catching mice—busybodying where you don't belong."

"The law is clear: forced abduction of a citizen is intolerable under heaven!" Chen An’s voice was hard and cold.

"Hmph, the law?" the head bailiff scoffed. "Here, my word is the law! This wench is the daughter of a barbarian bandit; my brothers and I are just teaching her a lesson."

"Without a trial, you dare set up a private torture chamber? That is a crime punishable by death!"

"Oh, spare me! The military doesn't govern civil affairs; that’s the rule!" The head bailiff didn't care in the slightest.

Chen An could see that these men had been lording over this place for years; this girl was certainly not their first victim. "Since no one else will deal with you, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of the people you have oppressed."

"Look at this—a bug crawled out of the woodwork. Fine, let’s see if you can loosen up my muscles!"

Before the bailiff finished speaking, he swung his dao at Chen An. With a flicker of movement, Chen An dodged and slashed his dagger across the bailiff’s wrist. Compared to the battle-hardened cavalry of the grasslands, these bailiffs were utterly pathetic. The other two rushed in, but Chen An faced all three with fierce, precise blade work. Within moments, all three lay motionless on the ground.

The lead bailiff glared at Chen An, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Do you think killing us will help? These people are meant to be sent by the Magistrate to the manor of Prefect Cheng Qian! You dare obstruct this!"

Chen An felt a chill crawl from his feet to his heart. He remembered the villages he had passed that day, where the people were emaciated, their eyes filled with terror and despair. They were being treated like livestock! A surge of fury erupted within him. With a swift stroke, Chen An ended the lives of the three bailiffs. Was this the kind of scum he was supposed to be protecting?

"Miss! Are you alright?" Chen An asked with concern.

The girl sobbed, "My father... my father... please, kind hero, save my father."

Chen An vaulted onto his horse and galloped toward the place she indicated. The sound of hooves came to an abrupt halt at the mouth of an alley. The heavy scent of blood filled his nostrils. Chen An’s pupils contracted; an old man lay on the stone slabs, a broken blade protruding from his chest, and dark blood slowly seeped through the cracks in the masonry.

The girl knelt in the pool of blood, her embroidered dress stained crimson. Her hands clutched the old man’s hem, her shrill, agonizing wails piercing the silent night. Chen An dismounted, his boots making a sticky sound as he stepped through the gore. As the girl looked up, Chen An saw that her eyes, which should have held hope, were now hollow and despairing.

"Soldier..." the girl’s voice was hoarse, filled with helpless, tearful agony. "Can you... can you bring us justice?" Before she could finish, she collapsed into convulsive weeping.

Chen An’s hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword. An old man had died—not at the hands of the grassland tribes, but at the hands of his own people. In the distance, the rhythmic beating of a night watchman’s clapper echoed. Looking at the cooling body of the old man in his arms, Chen An felt the irony of his title as Centurion, earned through bloodshed on the battlefield. He had once believed that as long as he held the border, the people could live in peace. But the carnage before him shook the very foundations of his faith.

"Chen An... what shall we do?" Zhang Xiaojing asked.

When Chen An stood up again, his eyes were fierce. "Go. Send men to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

"The bailiffs are under local jurisdiction. This might not be appropriate."

Facing Zhang Xiaojing’s warning, Chen An was unmoved. He coldly uttered a single word: "Kill!"

He learned from the girl that Prefect Cheng Qian of Zhangkou County in Youzhou was celebrating his birthday soon. To curry favor with him, County Magistrate Shao Qiang intended to carve a massive stone statue. To this end, Shao Qiang had conscripted thousands of villagers to mine stone in the mountains. These people were mostly dressed in rags, their bodies skeletal. The bailiffs overseeing the labor held the reins, beating and cursing the laborers at every turn.

"Damn it, move faster! If you delay the Magistrate’s business, I’ll skin you alive!"

*Crack! Crack!*

The ox-hide whips struck the villagers incessantly, leaving bloody welts. In their hollow eyes, one could see that they had long grown accustomed to such abuse. It was clear the girl’s experience was far from unique. People collapsed one after another, only to be met with looks of utter contempt rather than pity.

Chen An frowned as he watched from the hillside. Northern Liang was already desolate; even with hard work, the people barely had enough to eat. If this continued, it would invite the wrath of both heaven and men.

Chen An turned to the girl. "Has it always been like this here?"

The girl nodded. "Ever since Magistrate Shao arrived. I heard he is a protégé of Prefect Cheng."

Wu Ergou leaned in and whispered, "This Prefect Cheng is no ordinary man. He was recommended by Prime Minister Wei and belongs to the Prime Minister’s faction."

"Hmph." A flicker of disdain crossed Chen An’s eyes. "We are going to visit this Magistrate. Drag those bailiff corpses behind our horses."

Zhang Xiaojing gasped. "That might not be wise. It will surely cause conflict."

"Conflict?" Chen An dismissed the thought. "I want to see exactly what this Magistrate is capable of! Giddyap!"

As Chen An took the lead, the others followed. Dust swirled into the air. When the people saw the corpses being dragged behind the horses, their eyes widened in shock. To these slaves, the bailiffs—who held the power of life and death over them—had always been untouchable. Now, those high and mighty figures were being dragged across the dirt like dead dogs.