Chapter 35: Farewell, Old Tao!

Xu Yi stood in the center of his cell, a dried stalk of straw gripped like a blade in his hand. He moved through the forms – slash, sweep, thrust – fluid and precise. The Thirteen Phantom Blades.

The heavy clang of a cell door shattered the stillness. Voices echoed down the corridor: “Tao Qizhi! Your time has come!”

Xu Yi froze. Today was the day.

A moment later, the harsh scrape of metal on stone sounded as Tao Qizhi was dragged out.

Xu Yi rushed to the iron bars of his own cell, straining to see.

Separated by thick walls, strangers even in acquaintance, this was the first time Xu Yi laid eyes on the man.

Tao Qizhi was broken. Ragged clothes barely covered a torso mapped with livid scars – the legacy of torture. Matted hair obscured his face. His legs, shattered, were useless, dragged limply behind. Heavy manacles and leg irons still bound him.

Yet, as his gaze swept past Xu Yi’s cell, his eyes held a fierce glint, utterly devoid of fear.

“Guards! Wait!” Xu Yi cried out, desperate. “Please! Let me speak to him! Just a moment!”

A Surveillance Bureau agent in scale armor cast a cold glance Xu Yi’s way. “Save your breath. Your turn will come soon enough. Talk then… down below.” He turned away.

“He shouldn’t die! He’s a hero!” Xu Yi shouted, banging his fist against the iron bars.

The agents ignored him.

Tao Qizhi threw his head back and laughed, a sound both unburdened and defiant. “Kid! Live well! I’m off first!” Not a trace of fear, only acceptance.

He was dragged away.

Xu Yi stood rigid, knuckles white on the cold iron, powerless.

“In life, a hero among men; in death, a champion among ghosts! Old Tao… safe journey!” Xu Yi’s voice echoed down the grim corridor, thick with grief and respect.

“Hahaha! ‘Hero in life, champion in death!’ Well said!” Tao Qizhi’s voice rang back, touched with exultation. “To meet a kid like you before the end… this life was worth it! I die content!”

(Scene Shift - Dungeon, Next Day)

Geng Jing stood before Xu Yi’s cell, his expression tight with concern. Xu Yi hadn’t touched a bite of food since Tao Qizhi was taken. The Emperor’s explicit instructions regarding Xu Yi rang in his ears. If Xu Yi starved… Geng Jing shuddered at the thought.

Xu Yi sat slumped in a corner, staring blankly at the opposite wall. Had the execution shattered his spirit?

“Lan Xing!” Geng Jing rapped sharply on the bars. “Why refuse food?”

Xu Yi didn’t move.

Geng Jing pressed, his tone hardening. “Do you intend to starve yourself to death?”

Xu Yi finally looked up, his eyes cold, smile bitter. “Dead is dead. Starving at least leaves a whole corpse.”

Geng Jing’s cheek twitched. If you starve, I might just starve with you. “Is it because of Tao Qizhi?” he asked.

Xu Yi’s gaze was icy. “He didn’t deserve to die.”

“He killed a Magistrate and members of his household. Seven lives. Ten deaths wouldn’t be enough.”

“You know why he killed them!” Xu Yi surged to his feet, gripping the bars. “He slaughtered beasts, not men!”

He glared at Geng Jing, his voice dripping with contempt: “Imperial Inspector, self-proclaimed arbiter of clarity and justice!”

“Is your justice trading the life of a good man for a pack of mad dogs?”

“Your so-called ‘fairness’ is a sick joke! You’re nothing but stupid ghouls feasting in the depths of hell! The Bureau of Fools would suit you better!”

Geng Jing’s face darkened with fury.

“Lan Xing! What right do you have to lecture us?” he snapped.

Xu Yi’s laugh was pure scorn. “I wouldn’t waste breath teaching fools. I just despise you, look down on you, from the depths of my soul.”

He leaned closer, eyes glinting with mockery. “Tell you what, Lord Geng. A free poem. No charge. Carve it above the Bureau’s gate.”

Geng Jing knew it was likely an insult, but Xu Yi’s talent was undeniable. Curiosity warred with anger. “…What poem?”

Xu Yi smiled sweetly. “Listen well, my Lord:
Stitched backwards, the cloth pulls tight,
Eyes fixed firmly on their rear’s sight.
They see the robe, but fail to see,
The object of their own dear glee.”

Geng Jing’s face flushed crimson, then paled. The first lines mocked the Bureau’s hypocrisy and perversion of truth. The last two were a crude, direct insult. Carve this above the gate?

Xu Yi added cheerfully, “The title, Lord Geng? ‘Ode to the Surveillance Bureau.’ Satisfied?”

Geng Jing trembled with rage. The Bureau’s reputation was already infamous. This poem would immortalize its shame, cursing its name for centuries. The boy was vicious, determined to nail them to history’s pillory. If not for the Emperor’s decree… he’d rip Xu Yi’s teeth out one by one.

“You… will die!” Geng Jing snarled, a shaking finger pointed at Xu Yi. He spun on his heel, robes swirling.

“Lord Geng! Wait!”

Geng Jing stopped, turning back, murder in his eyes.

Xu Yi beamed a happy smile. “You forgot to say thank you.”

Geng Jing’s face contorted. He wanted to tear the boy apart. “Lan Xing,” he hissed, “Eat. At least die with a full belly. In a few days… you face the executioner.” He stalked away before Xu Yi could retort.

“Rude bastard,” Xu Yi muttered, retreating to his corner. “Free poem, not even a ‘thank you’.” He ignored the untouched food. He would keep vigil for Old Tao – three days without food or drink. Soon, his own head would roll. He felt no fear at the thought, only a strange sense of relief. Death was better than this endless, gilded cage.

(Scene Shift – Emperor’s Study)

Emperor Jing held a sheet of paper, reciting.
“In life, a hero among men;
In death, a champion among ghosts…”
He sighed. “Only two lines? Brilliant. Wasted on a common outlaw. A shame.” He was genuinely annoyed. Such verse should extol the Emperor, not a dead bandit.

His expression shifted abruptly as he read further. “Eyes fixed firmly on their rear’s sight, / They see the robe, but miss their dear delight.” A surprised chuckle escaped him, blossoming into genuine laughter. “Hahaha!”

Geng Jing stood rigidly below the dais, his face burning. What’s so funny?

The Emperor laughed harder.

Geng Jing couldn’t contain himself. “Your Majesty, the Bureau is merely Your tool! This poem mocks the Imperial authority! He must be severely punished!”

The laughter died instantly. The Emperor’s gaze turned cold. “Are you saying this poem insults Us?”

Realizing his blunder, Geng Jing broke into a cold sweat. He knelt. “Your Majesty, forgive my foolishness! I did not mean—”

The Emperor silenced him with a sharp gesture. After a tense pause, he spoke, his voice dangerously calm. “Geng Jing, this poem satirizes your failings, not Ours. We do not measure a man’s worth by his robe.” He paused. “The Zhenyuan Magistrate case… refresh Our memory.”

Geng Jing swallowed. “After the murders, we investigated. The Magistrate was indeed corrupt, exploiting the people… but since he was dead, and we were capturing Tao Qizhi… we did not delve deeper.”

The Emperor nodded slowly, digesting this. His expression darkened as he recalled Geng Jing’s earlier report. “And Xu Yi? You said he hasn’t eaten for two days?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Geng Jing bowed his head.

Emperor Jing’s face was grim.