Mount up and strike.

Chapter Title: 033 Mount and Attack

The magistrate of Yin County waved his hand decisively, as if ready to close the case right then and there.

The constables, upon receiving the order, surged forward with their chains.

Jie Rou was so frightened that tears welled up in his eyes. Instinctively, he pushed his hands out, shouting, “Stay back! It’s you who are in the wrong, so why are you arresting us?”

Constable A paid no mind to a six-year-old child. All he saw was the smallest, easiest target among the monks—a perfect opportunity to take the lead in this arrest. Besides, the magistrate had ordered them all to be taken, and that included this child. With a flick, the chain was looped, capturing Jie Rou’s small body.

Jie Rou immediately burst into loud sobs, “Second Brother, he’s hurting me! It hurts!”

Jie Tang stepped forward, his left palm striking fiercely at the constable, while with his right hand he pulled Jie Rou to the back of the group. “So this is the true face of a so-called benevolent official! Not only do you refuse to investigate thoroughly, you even lay hands on a six-year-old child! Magistrate Yin, take my advice: Those who commit too many wrongs will bring destruction upon themselves!”

The spectators shifted their eyes back to the magistrate, following the voice. Though the monk had a point, attacking a defenseless child was surely wrong.

The magistrate remained unmoved and retorted righteously, “Good people, do not let yourselves be deceived by these wicked monks spouting nonsense! If this child is truly innocent, he should be placed with a good family, not left to endure the hardships of monastic life, never knowing the joys of family! In arresting him, I am in fact saving him!”

Madam Wang, whose heart ached seeing Jie Rou, who was about the same age as her own grandson, mustered her courage and asked softly, “Sir, how will you save him?”

The magistrate pounded his chest. “I give you my word: if the truth proves his innocence, I shall personally adopt this child as my own!”

The people fell silent. Compared to life as a monk, being raised as the young master of an official’s household was clearly preferable.

The constables charged forward again, but Jie Tang led the young monks in desperate resistance.

On one side were the constables, restrained by the slogan “love the people as one’s own children,” unable to act too brutally; on the other, the monks, with death looming, fought back without hesitation or fear. The scene became a stalemate, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Across several rows of people, Fang Rulai’s eyes met the scribe’s, a silent battle raging between them.

Who are you?

And who are you?

Sooner or later, I’ll strip away your facade for all to see.

Fine, if you have the skill, come and try. But right now, it seems you’re the one about to be unmasked!

Oh, really?

Fang Rulai pressed her lips into a smile, then declared loudly toward the magistrate, “Ignorant and corrupt official, this humble monk will fight you to the end!”

Seizing a gap in the chaos, Fang Rulai bent low and slipped out from the intertwining arms, then dashed swiftly toward the magistrate.

The constables were preoccupied with the struggle; no one stood before Magistrate Yin.

To the scribe, this was nothing more than a desperate final lunge. All he needed was to seize the moment and strike Fang Rulai down, and no one would protest.

Thus, the scribe, abandoning his earlier passive stance, drew upon his lightness skill and leaped forward. “Protect the lord!”

But Magistrate Yin stood firm, waiting for this very moment.

As Fang Rulai’s hands were about to grasp the magistrate’s robe, the scribe arrived just in time. He quietly gathered his strength and, in a show of ordinary force, pushed his hands outward toward Fang Rulai. “Attacking an official in court? Begone—”

The intended roar of authority unexpectedly elongated into a drawn-out, melodious note. The word “begone” lost its force, rising and stretching across the hall, before finally crashing with a “bang” against a column at the side.

Astonishingly, the one intending to push Fang Rulai away was instead sent flying. What had happened? The crowd’s eyes darted to the scene.

Beside Magistrate Yin stood Guan Shiyin, her arms still outstretched, her crimson bridal veil quivering with emotion. “Dare to lay hands on my husband? I’ll fight you myself!”

The sound cracked like thunder. The expressions of the townsfolk could hardly capture their feelings—they were all busy picking their jaws off the floor. Today had truly been extraordinary: monks willing to impersonate others, a “benevolent” magistrate publicly denounced as corrupt several times, and even the genteel Miss Guan, famed for her grace, now cursing and striking someone. Was the world about to turn upside down?

The people struggled to regain their composure, none remembering to question how the supposedly lame Miss Guan had managed to rush to the scene so swiftly.

Yet there was one who retained his wits.

Magistrate Yin.

He blinked repeatedly, suspicion fixed upon Guan Shiyin. Everyone knew of her infirmity, yet had anyone ever heard of her moving from her wheeled chair with such speed? Sanfengzi’s martial skills were renowned even among the Crown Prince’s men, yet he’d been caught off guard and sent flying? What was the true story here?

Plagued by these new doubts, the magistrate momentarily forgot about Fang Rulai directly before him.

Fang Rulai, indifferent to his surprise, kept up her momentum, crashing into the magistrate and knocking him flat. As he fell, she swung her leg over him, straddling him at once.

Her fists rained down on his chest, while her hips bounced repeatedly on his waist. “You call me a liar? Can I conjure up so many Daoists from thin air? You claim we’re weak and helpless—then how could we possibly lure such skilled Daoists into a trap? You also said they’d never fall for a hunter’s snare—so how could they be caught by mere novice monks like us?”

“Yes, we failed to report to the authorities immediately. That’s because we were afraid! Though our temple is humble, we didn’t want trouble that might bring about our ruin. The Qitian Daoist Temple is, after all, imperial. And these Daoists, clad in black over their robes, are clearly no ordinary men. Of course we worried we might be silenced!”

“Last night, none of our monks slept, agonizing over whether to report. If we did, there might be consequences; if not, we’d be betraying the compassion of the Buddha. After much turmoil, though we knew some things might remain unclear, we resolved to come at dawn! All for the sake of the lady who died before our eyes, so she might rest in peace!”

“And you—how dare you slander me, saying I’m that little maid in disguise? Fine, then take a good look and see whether I am that maid or not!”

With that, Fang Rulai raised her arm, as if to reach for the collar of her monk’s robe.

Thanks to dear Fengyun191, c Banxia/Ruyan), and &! Manman! ^_$ for your encouragement!

P.S.: Manman, have you noticed that your ID is always missing an exclamation mark when it’s posted here? The system deletes it automatically—I’ve tried copying it several times without success. It’s not that I’m deliberately leaving it incomplete…

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