Torsten Hewson
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v3c10: Payback
🕑 Added 2022-05-01 03:09:51 +0000 UTC“The Lord Magistrate will receive you now.” The guard said, clicking the butt of his sheathed spear against the ground. Guan Chyou glanced at the guard from where she had been considering the colourful curtains. The guard’s bearing was immaculate. His march was quick and precise, and the man’s diction only barely marred by his northern accent.
He was a far cry from the other guards they had met on the journey to Verdant Hills. Hells, they hadn’t even needed to bribe the men in the town to look after their things properly. Not that anybody likely would have tried anything with the presence of their own guards, but that was just how business was done.
Instead, her brother had just talked for a few moments with the guard captain and then they were through. No exchange of coins necessary.
It was a welcome sign, but still a bit strange to see guards with such moral fortitude so far on the frontier. They were all remarkably well drilled and polite. They wouldn’t have been out of place among the elite guards of Pale Moon Lake City.
It was another quirk of this already quirky little town. Like the cleanliness, the order, even the general smell. It was almost too nice.
It really shouldn’t be this way, from everything that she had seen so far. It was an enigma.
The roads and quality of the villages they had stopped in on the way here had progressively worsened as she had expected while traveling further north. Dirt roads, untidy villages, grubby farmers. Everything one would expect as you left the centers of commerce for the hinterlands.
This town wouldn’t have looked too out of place in the south. This far north? It was an outlier. Verdant Hills was clean, orderly. Even the smell of the place was nice. Almost too nice.
Chyou and her brother had arrived after exchanging the usual formalities at the Palace of the Lord Magistrate. She had been expecting a dirt room and creaky chairs. Instead she found herself in a well appointed waiting room, one they had barely been in for long. The Lord Magistrate apparently did not feel like playing too many games with them. Chyou checked her hair and clothes one last time in a small mirror she kept on her person. Her scarlet locks were done up immaculately in the most recent style of the provincial capital. Chyou was garbed in the persona of the perfect flower. A peach silk robe and an array of subtly placed flowers. Her brother was a bit more subdued in his clothing, but it was still an extremely expensive silk garment, one that would surpass the quality of anything a frontier magistrate should have. A display of wealth and power to ensure this Lord Magistrate knew to whom he spoke. It would be less trouble if he took the hint.
Chyou mentally reviewed the information they had on the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill as they followed behind the guard. Her brother had met the man before, but his description had been rather vague. He had found the man irritatingly stuck up and by the books, which wasn’t too odd, but pointed to him being unlikely to be bribed, if he would act this way even to the Azure Jade Trading Company.
Most frontier Magistrates were men who had scored poorly on their exams, yet had still barely made the cut. They were the bottom of the rung men who couldn’t refuse the poor postings they were granted. To be banished to such places as Verdant Hills with no hope of advancement was often considered a punishment for men who had spent their lives learning and training to manage cities. Why would they ever be satisfied with the obedience of a handful of rice farmers in far flung outposts? Especially the most northern town in the province. The winters here were supposed to be brutal compared to the ones in the south.
Their intelligence had come back with his records from the Grand Palace in the provincial capital.
Top five in his class and wed to Lady Wu Zei Qi of the Wu Clan.
He had been top of his class until some incident had bumped him down the rankings, but he had still been slated to be taken in by the Grand Palace upon his graduation… until he had requested the transfer.
Was it a coincidence? Or was he here because Master Jin was here? Was he some manner of servant? It would make sense…
Chyou sighed. She hated going in without complete information. All they had was her brother’s vagueness and old, old records. Normally they would have paid somebody for a more comprehensive review.
Normally, they would have used the Plum Blossom’s Shadow. However, for this, they were alone. Though the new and extremely powerful information brokers were on good terms with their company… they had cited standing orders from their enigmatic “Master Scribe” that Verdant Hills was forbidden to them, on account that they were to respect Master Jin’s privacy. So there had been nothing from that front.
They’d had to send out their own men last night for a quick and dirty information gathering session. The people of the Azure Hills had been only too happy to wax poetic about their ruler. The entire town had nothing but positive things to say of “The Patriarch of Verdant Hill”
It was a bit suspicious that the man was so universally loved, but they had nothing else to go on.
Ideally, the man would be compliant to the Azure Jade Trading Company’s wishes. He likely had some powerful friends and, from what they had learned last night, removal from his position if he proved combative would be a fool's errand.
Such things were a measure of last resort, anyway.
Hopefully.
They were admitted to a private meeting room with servants lining the walls. Chyou had expected little and was surprised. The room was tastefully decorated, and lavishly furnished. Clean, and well lit by hanging lanterns artfully placed. It was the room of a noble official, from Pale Moon Lake City, transported all the way up north.
Three figures were waiting for them properly arrayed. A lady and a portly man flanked what could only be the vaunted Patriarch of the Verdant Hills. Guan Chyou finally got her first glimpse of the Lord Magistrate.
She nearly froze in her tracks when saw the man.
Chyou’s image of a normal Magistrate was of a corpulent, corrupt creature, soft and decadent. The south was rife with them, to varying degrees.
Oh, many were skilled administrators, and there were even a few who had little corruption to their name, but they all seemed like the same kind of creature.
The Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill looked more like the drawings of the Scholar-Generals, the men who aided the First Emperor in founding the Crimson Phoenix Empire.
There was barely a shred of fat on him. He was solid, but not overly muscled. Their men had observed him training with the guards. He had handily defeated the younger men, after taking his horse through its paces, getting it to leap over obstacles like he was hounding some evildoer through a forest.
He was starting to show signs of age. Wrinkles along with a salt and pepper beard, yet neither of those detracted from the admittedly still handsome man.
The single feature that drew her in had to be his eyes. Will and determination. Intelligence and drive. They shone in the evening light. She knew those eyes intimately, her grandmother wore them every day.
She forced herself to keep moving under the Lord Magistrate’s impressive gaze, and was nearly pinned by two more.
Lady Wu looked remarkably hale and hearty for a supposed cripple sitting calmly beside The Lord Magistrate. Her silken robes equaled that of anything the Azure Jade Trading Company had provided to Chyou. Her makeup was barely needed to accentuate an already stately beauty. Her lower face was covered by her fan, depicting the Soaring Phoenix.
A brazen display, calling on the image of Imperial Majesty. It was practically a declaration of war in the language of the court fans.
Behind her fan, the Lady was the image of grace. Chyou was not fooled. Her eyes gave the impression of a smile, but all Chyou felt was that there was a tiger watching her from behind a patch of grass.
A third figure stood waiting nearby, a man who looked more like what she thought of when she first imagined the Lord Magistrate. He was fat and jolly looking, wearing the traditional robes of an Archivist. He would not be out of place among her foolish uncles. But she did not miss that sharp intelligence as he carefully looked Chyou and her brother over.
Chyou felt like she and her brother were being weighted, and found… wanting.
Her grandmother would have the face and the guts to stroll in like she owned the place, uncowed by these clearly experienced and prepared people. Perhaps a phoenix would have come out of her own sleeves to challenge Lady Wu directly.
Grandmother wasn’t here though, and Chyou wasn’t stupid enough to attempt something like that against these three old tigers. There was knowing the power her name held.. And then there was rank arrogance. These men and women were confident for a reason.
Still, the name of the Azure Jade required the Magistrate to rise to his feet to receive them.
“We greet the Lord Magistrate.” She and her brother intoned, bowing politely.
“Esteemed guests of the Azure Jade Trading Company.” the Lord Magistrate replied, clasping his hands but not bowing. “Please, be seated.”
They bowed again and sat down as the servants started moving into place. Even the servants were well appointed and moved as if they knew the dance of courtly rules intimately.
Chyou carefully got out her own fan, one with drifting blossoms. Peace and reconciliation.
The lady raised an eyebrow, but made no move to close her fan. Chyou swallowed.
This was going to be harder than she had ever expected.
“My dear wife, Lady Wu, and the First Archivist, Lin Bao, shall attend us this evening.” The Lord Magistrate continued.
Lin Bao? The name immediately seemed familiar to Chyou. Something about a scandal in the provincial capital? Her grandmother had talked about it maybe? The exact nuances of what had happened escaped her for the moment. She could not think about it long, however, as the meeting had begun.
“It is a long Journey from Pale Moon Lake City. I trust it was pleasant?” The Lord Magistrate asked as they settled in and received the first course. A clear invitation to begin but Chyou hesitated. The food placed before her distracted her. It was some sort of flat disk that smelled slightly sweet.
Her brother nodded his head, still managing to stay chipper in spite of the pressure.
“Yes, sir. It was hard, but uneventful—until we hit your wonderful road of course. Then it was the perfect journey.”
Guan Chyou stared down at the disk. It was the same dish Master Jin had made when he showed them what went well with maple syrup.
Then the servants placed before each of them an entire cup of syrup. It took all her skill not to gape in astonishment. High end restaurants were even now clamoring for more of the golden liquid, they used a thimble.
“Most excellent. A quiet journey is a good journey, no matter what fools say about boredom. But it was a bit abrupt of a visit, was it not?” The Lord Magistrate mused casually as he picked up the cup of syrup that was on his tray, looked them in the eyes, and then emptied the entire vessel onto the plate.
Both of them watched. They were rather used to displays of decadence, but the man was drizzling pure silver onto his plate with utter casualness.
The man raised an eyebrow at them, when he noticed their stares.
Bo glanced at her.
Chyou taped her leg three times.
Bo swallowed. “We of the Azure Jade Trading Company apologize for the timing of the transmission, and for any inconvenience it laid on you.”
The Lord Magistrate made a considering noise.
“It is just you two then? You seem quite young.”
“Our… powerful client requested us.” Bo stated carefully. “He is a good friend to the company, and we endeavour to complete all his requests.”
“Ah, it is indeed troublesome when there are such requests, but what can one do?” Lady Wu spoke up. “Our good friend is a bit of a handful, but he is ever so generous in his gifts, don’t you find it so Guan Chyou?” She liberally poured the syrup over her own stack of cakes as well. She smiled like a mother at them. “Please, do eat. There's plenty more where this came from.”
“Indeed. We servants are ever obedient.” Lin Bao decreed. “But there is value and honour in serving, is there not? So, let us all work together on bringing prosperity.” The man chuckled, as he cut a stack of cakes and took a large bite. “I’ll be having seconds, my dear.” he said to the serving girl, who bowed immediately.
“...yes, there is honour in serving, and in working together for prosperity.” Chyou ventured. She carefully picked up the cup of syrup…and started to pour.
All eyes were on her.
The Lord Magistrate broke out into a smile.
“Very good!” the Lord Magistrate decreed, raising a cup in toast to them. “So, let us decide the specifics of your little operation in my Verdant Hill.” The Lord Magistrate looked very pleased.
Chyou saw her brother swallow.
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“Oh my, we haven't done that in years.” Lady Wu said, looking far too amused as she fanned herself. “And you, darling. ‘May we ever have a beneficial relationship?’ that was just mean to the poor boy.”
The Lord Magistrate smiled as he watched two stunned merchants stagger their way back to their hideout. It indeed had been a long time since he had last really dueled with words.
“You were entirely too cruel to that girl, my dear. I thought she was going to trip when you brought out your fan.”
“Oh? But those wide eyes were rather cute. I just want to tie her up.” His wife said with a sadistic smile. “Red rope made of red hair. It has a certain appeal, no?”
The Lord Magistrate shivered. Guan Chyou’s hair was indeed appealing, but he had no desire to offend the Azure Jade Trading Company more than he had.
“...it was easier than I thought it would be,” he stated.
Indeed, he was expecting the more experienced members to lead the negotiations. Instead, he had encountered two relative novices. Competent enough, but unused to being truly challenged.
He had driven a bargain the merchants had gulped at before politely accepting, but he’d have none of their meddling in his town.
And it was rather fun, visiting some of the torment he had felt back on them.
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TLM gets a full W on screen, after realizing Jin has his back. Maybe this is a bit interlude-y, but I enjoyed writing it.
Secondly! The Wandering in just released book 6! If anybody enjoys the story, be sure to check it out! https://www.audible.com/pd/The-General-of-Izril-Audiobook/B09SJ1T9KF?action_code=SNGGBWS072717001P&ipRedirectOverride=true&shareTest=TestShare
Comments
WyldFyr3 Damon
So of all the things in this novel I ever thought I would be complimenting, this particular topic hadn't really been on my list. Having said that, I absolutely love the way you portray the Lord Magistrate and Lady Wu's private games. How they pick it up in private to play and put it down in public when its time to work. Even better you get what I perceive to be the right tone of that lifestyle without invoking the frustration that is 50 shades of life sentence worthy crimes against human sexuality.
Carl Mason
It would still be fun, like the order of the white lotus from Avatar:TLA.
Carl Mason
After seeing this post I checked into it and apparently the "covers" are actually properly called "sheaths", but for axes and spears and other suchlike they just slip over the head rather than being attached to your belt. So the "sheathed spear" is just a spear being held at arms that is sheathed (blade covered).
Imspinnennetz
Chapter is delayed again to tomorrow.
Akki
From the time Sean Bean got killed by a cup of coffee. Good ol' Ronin.
Einhander
Just to show my age... "You just got ambushed by a cup of coffee!"
Manu Sniter
yep
Quentin Long
Jin already <i>has</i> introduced pancakes. From The Final Stretch: <blockquote>Jin came in at that moment, plates piled high with what looked like hundreds of layers of his “pancakes.” They were thin as a sheet of paper, and perfectly circular.</blockquote>
Byron Hu
TWI was pulled from the Royal Road, but is still available free on Pirate's site.. Also this volume will be the culmination of a ton of plot lines, so hopefully there will be some more of the light hearted stuff...but i've been on pins and needles basically the whole volume, lol
chumponimys
@scout to the contrary, the quote is attributed to Mark Twain originally: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/03/27/swordsman/#more-439361
BargleNawdleZouss
I look forward to a future chapter in which TLM and Lady Wu have a face-off with the principals of the AJTC, Bo and Chyou's grandparents Shan Daiyu and Guan Ping. Clash of the Titans!
Nicholas Grey
It's a mild semantic issue. Generally, protective enclosures that you put *on* the weapon, as opposed to putting the weapon *into*, could be called "covers". This applies to axes and polearms (including spears), for example. As Thomas as said, these covers tend not to be attached to the body. If these weapons are attached to the body, it will usually be in a harness. In this case, while "sheathed spear" may be slightly confusing and technically minorly incorrect, it's still clearer than the more correct "covered spear"
BZD
The magistrate in action. MIA
Thomas Hendrix
I think there are spear sheaths, after all sheaths are made to protect the blades of swords and daggers and I don't see why that would be any different with spears. It would obviously not be attached to the body like a sword or dagger sheath but they would have one none the less.
Vector
How do you sheath a spear? I’m pretty sure you don’t.
Zarik0
And baring teeth if they came close to them and begin to try to reach it :)
Sebastian Rubin
And they will be ever so confused - insulted even - until the movements of the Azure Jade Trading Company enlightens them to the existence of, not a single goose, but an entire flock of golden-egg-laying geese, which have ever so auspiciously decided to nest in his sleepy little province.
Leeland
i always picture him a little bit as Jafar from Disneys Aladdin. Just without the evil :D
BlueMage_VT
There is at least one art of him, I think. And an earlier chapter mentioned him going through his exercises to make sure he didn't get fat
BlueMage_VT
I mean, Jin is literally putting his energy into the food and giving large amounts of it to the other people lol
Daniel Gesualdi
That would fit very well considering how every thing jin makes is supposed to be great for cultivators being full of qi. The magistrate is already a focused person many he unintentionally culture that potential.
Martin
I have a feeling that TLM will get noticed by imperial administration and get promotion offer for his distinguished service but he will graciously decline and refuse move to bigger & more important city
Oskatat
He's more of a grand vizier style
Oskatat
seems like it, yes.
Weldt
I always pictured that the Magistrate was a fatty not sure why though
Carsten Bak Larsen
"Chyou felt like she and her brother were being weighted" I think that should be "weighed", if their weight was being determined. Weighted would indicate that weights were placed upon them.
Thomas Todd
I personally think they do, the Magistrate and his wife seem to have a sex life that is open and full of trust, it would make sense for them to include someone else of they both wanted to
Sassy
I love this chapter. TLM finally gets to flex on someone
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
Krisjanis Jansons
Understandable but ther are signs down line some serius thing will happen I doubt it will go full doom & gloom but hints are there.
Prometheus
Jin is basically the political equivalent of a man with a fully automatic who has no idea how to shoot it. Anyone competent in the Lord Magistrate's situation would be screaming internally.
paksheet
I really loved WInn for the longest time. It cycles from lighthearted goofy stuff and tragedy and despair really well. Until "the innkeeper got removed from the main character position for a while." And the story became all doom and gloom and more doom. Author even did a fakeout, here is the very, very, long, 200-books-ago anticipated event, enjoy.... nope. You will get DOOM AND GLOOM instead!!! Surprise!! I stayed another 30 chapters of everybody-but-the-MC povs, and dropped it. And with WInn's chapter length, that was like 10 volumes of nothing but tragedy and despair. Even more, I read author pulled out of Royalroad so he can make it even more serious and tragic. Like slavery and mind control and child abuse or something. At least the brief skim I did in RR forums said so when I noticed WInn disappear from my bookmarks. BOC is really what I wanted from WInn, the lighthearted, fun, refreshing innkeeper story.
Nicholas Grey
I honestly can’t tell if Lady Wu is just teasing, or whether she’s implying that *they* (as a couple) do occasionally include a third..? Perhaps it’s something they did in the past and she is now considering again, with her improved health…?
Joel Bullock
At the beginning of the chapter you have two paragraphs that both reference that the smell is almost too nice, I think you forgot to delete one
KnightRider007
What a wonderful way to put it 😄
Louisthau
I think he refers to that with arrow hiting the carriage? There is a line I kind of remember in the earlier chapters
Aaron Martinez
My problem was wandering inn would take sudden dives into tragedy and despair. I just gave up after a while.
Garrett
I highly doubt it. The whole providence is effectively the boonies, Verdant Hills is just the most removed part. Gramps would never have a need to come someplace so weak and so far removed from the Cloudy Sword Sect.
John
I think Jin's food has been doing both of them a world of good, even if they aren't low level cultivators right now. Truly, I wouldn't be surprised if TLM's wife had an ops moment. "Oh dear, how embarrassing. Dear it seems that I am pregnant again. I will have to ask little Meiling to look me over when she comes over next time." ... "I'm sorry Meiling, did you say twins?"
Benjamin Lawton
That "scandal in the provincial capital" that Bao was apparently involved in – was that one of the "adventures" that he, Xian, and Meimei's mother had gotten up to in their youth?
Will mILLER
He deserves it
RedFaux
The protagonist energy is spreading. And this is xianxia, so that's almost definitely actually a thing
Benjamin Lawton
Jin needs to hurry up and introduce pancakes.
ericksond
I wonder if TLM knows Gramps? Them being close to the empire and such. And the old lady with the goat. The Old Powers
Teh One & TrueTabi
The Lord Magistrate already inadvertently takes to the tenants of Jin’s style of Cultivation. Simply incorporating the basics into his life would allow him to access that power.
STORRM
i got my mum listening to it as well and she said the same thing and just skipped over those parts, mild spoiler but Ryoka becomes a lot better charter after she brakes the mind control, after that she grows a lot as a person and stops being a total bitch to everyone
Arexio R.
this was a fun one. also TWI is great! highly, highly recommend other readers give it a shot if they havent already.
Kyfe
TLM had a hernia or something. He had been having severe stomach pains for a while from stress, but he has been healed of those.
Pierre laplant
Woo
Kittora
I love the wandering inn the character growth is amazing. As for the chapter It was a great one!
Rat with a Pick
Revenge is a plate best served sticky.
Winston Smith
Great chapter. I like this look on TLM.
Scruffleupagas
Healed? TLM is healthy though starting to show his age. His wife is the one who was injured by a cultivator and is even now recovering with the help of Meiling. Edit: it should be noted that his wife's injury was not new either. Though its effects seemed to be worsening as she aged it has afflicted her in some way since before her marriage to TLM
Robert Mullins
I didn't know Xian Sr. Was hung.
Empty Shelf
I laughed when he poured the syrup. Such a power play.
Arnon Parenti
It would hurt if healed Lord Magistrate turns out to be a cruel man, I really hope their meeting with master Jin goes better before Washy crashes in.
Ichypa
I hope that someday we get to know about everything that happened “back in the day” as it were: the incident with TLM and Lady Wu and the cultivator, and the scandal that brought together Bao and Hung Xian Sr. and his wife. Not sure if those two incident were related, or if they were separate things.
chumponimys
Lol this is still classic magistrate. When he’s in his zone, he kicks ass. Just look at all of Verdant hill! The internal screaming comes from Jin-shaped cultivators who don’t follow the courtly rules. There’s an old saying that the world’s best swordsman doesn’t fear the second best, because he knows exactly what the second best will do in a fight. But someone with little to no sword skill? They’re unpredictable. Jin is the latter, but with a stupid amount of firepower.
Andrew
Thank you!
ShadeByTheSea
I really wanted to like wandering inn, and while I liked that parts with the innkeeper, I couldn't stand the runner girl parts. :/ sadly half the audio book was her so i never finished the first one.
StarBat
It seems like they underestimated Master Jin's ability. Just because he doesn't act like he controls everything doesn't mean he doesn't.
Kyle
Seeing TLM dominate was fun. The man has ambition to make the world around him better. His motives aren't always the most noble but he is believable for it.
Sean Ulrich
Hey Casual. I just wanted to thank you for the great content. I’ve been going through some difficulties lately, and your story always gets a laugh out of me. Keep up the great work!
Imspinnennetz
Lord Magistrate enjoys a meeting without screaming internally. Which imposter took the place of our anxious magistrate.
