Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 382 - 19 The Great Banquet

Chapter 382: Chapter 19 The Great Banquet

Chapter 382: Chapter 19 The Great Banquet

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The tipsy Supervisor Guo rubbed his eyes and, upon seeing the young military official with a great sword at his waist, involuntarily shivered as a cold breeze blew by.

He was utterly drunk, speaking without restraint, but now that the person he was talking about had caught him in the act, he tensed up a bit—though seeing the young officer’s smiling face made his embarrassment and subtle sense of fear dissipate into thin air.

After all, who in the court of civil and military officials wouldn’t show a hint of fear towards the Heavenly Master Tao of Dragon Tiger Mountain?

“Hey, you’re Governor Li, huh? You called for me, and here I am! What’s the case, spill it!”

Supervisor Guo waved his sleeve carelessly.

“No rush, no rush. I was just discussing with County Magistrate Li about inviting Supervisor Guo for a drink. That’s why I sent someone to invite you. As for the case, it’s just a trifle,” said Li Yan, his smile devoid of any worldly concern.

“A drink?” Supervisor Guo snorted through his nose and grumbled, “What a time to choose.”

It was his day off today. He had spent silver to invite two private courtesans to his house since an official in the Great Ming was not allowed to summon prostitutes, and the prohibitions of Dragon Tiger Mountain were even stricter, leaving him to indulge in secret. But having been interrupted twice by Li Yan, and with his own uncle in the Heavenly Master Tao pressing down on him, he was understandably irritated.

You, this external Governor, want my help with a case, but you start off without offering any gold or silver, acting all arrogant and smug. If the Taoist priest is happy, then it’s fine, but you’ve not only lacked courtesy, you’ve spoiled my fun. If I don’t teach you a lesson, I’d have failed as a Supervisor!

With that thought, Supervisor Guo’s drunken courage surged, and with a snort, he looked down his nose and asked, “What food and drink have you prepared?”

Li Yan was not the slightest bit annoyed and looked toward Li Wuyi.

“This…”

Li Wuyi, momentarily unable to grasp the situation, dared not respond. But Li Yan said cheerfully, “Lord Li, are you being stingy with even a good drink?”

After a moment of contemplation, Li Wuyi called a Government Official over and whispered a few instructions.

Supervisor Guo flicked his sleeve, his thick fingers pointing at Li Yan, “You, fellow, lack tact. To invite me for a drink without having it prepared in advance.”

He was quite shorter than Li Yan and more rotund. At this moment, strutting over to Li Yan’s side, he appeared somewhat comical.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and watched him pass by, then turned and headed into the house without paying further attention to Li Wuyi’s pondering figure.

About fifteen minutes later, dishes and drinks arrived one after another. Li Yan placed the vermilion Sword Box on the table and set aside the Jumu Great Sword, and the three of them began to drink.

In the Great Ming, among its one thousand four hundred and twenty counties, practically each was appointed a Dragon Tiger Supervisor, although only at the ninth rank. They were not under the command of local authorities, only the Heavenly Master Tao of Dragon Tiger Mountain could dispatch them, and their salary and leave benefits were far superior to those of average civil and military officials. Even if a Dragon Tiger Supervisor accidentally caused a death in the execution of their duties, and the Ministry of Justice captured the individual involved, they would have to hand them back over to the Heavenly Master Tao, who would handle the matter internally.

In the early years of the Wanli era, there had even been a case where a Dragon Tiger Supervisor killed an official, and the outcome was the same—it was handed over to the Heavenly Master Tao.

How much the Divine Emperor trusted the Heavenly Master Tao could be seen from this.

This particular Supervisor Guo, among the fourth generation of disciples of the Heavenly Master Tao, was merely a senior from the regular third generation, only one generation above a novice Taoist Boy. Yet, since becoming the Dragon Tiger Supervisor assigned to Liaozhen, he had been notoriously overbearing. Several County Magistrates had endured humiliation from him.

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Supervisor Guo sat at the head of the table, a mere ninth-rank Supervisor who blithely referred to one as “Governor” and the other as “Wuyi,” completely disregarding that these two civil and military officials ranked above him in status.

Li Wuyi was accustomed to eating his humble pie, but what he did not expect was that the newly arrived Governor from Daning Guard Bureau appeared to be utterly without temper as well.

The overweight Supervisor Guo, born a Taoist priest, was so insolent, yet Li Yan showed no sign of anger, instead becoming increasingly amiable, lavishing Supervisor Guo with compliments that made him beam with delight as he enthusiastically slapped Li Yan on the shoulder, his demeanor growing increasingly unrestrained.

Amid the feasting and toasting, most of the time it was Li Yan who took the initiative to toast Supervisor Guo, giving rise to sights of Guo tilting his large mouth to drink.

The table was empty of several jars of liquor in no time. The already intoxicated Supervisor Guo was even more bleary-eyed and could only remember Li Yan complaining to him about the hardships of escorting Dragon Tiger Mountain’s treasures on military orders—how tough the journey had been, eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew.

“In my opinion, what sort of business are you military officers guarding, fighting to the death with Tartars and Japanese pirates? What’s the use? It’s nowhere as worthy as our Dragon Tiger Mountain. Brother, this is the honest truth,” he said, patting Li Yan on the shoulder.

“Coming from a military background, used to living with hardships, when tasked with protecting precious items, one must devote heart and soul, never wavering even unto death,” said Li Yan, light as a breeze.

“Eh, you keep talking about a treasure, this treasure, that precious thing—what exactly is it?” Supervisor Guo blurted out.

Li Yan waved his hand, “Don’t mention it, Supervisor, don’t mention it.”

“What do you mean, ‘don’t mention it’? Bring it out and let me have a look,” demanded Supervisor Guo, his face flushed red. He was already blind drunk and felt like he was on top of the world, second only to Earth itself—considering the position of Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Tao of Dragon Tiger Mountain as within easy reach, he thought nothing of it.

“`

Li Yan pressed his hand against the vermilion sword box at the edge of the table, “Absolutely not, this is a significant item personally entrusted by Commander-in-chief Li Rumei.”

Supervisor Guo rose unsteadily to his feet and leaned over to examine the vermilion sword box, “Is this the thing?”

“Supervisor, this is no joking matter. If the commander-in-chief blames us…”

Li Yan said, in a tone neither salty nor bland.

Li Wuyi, who had been drinking sullenly with his head down, was somewhat drunk, but at this moment, he felt that the atmosphere was off, and a cold shiver went down his back, sobering him up immediately.

He sobered up, but some people would never have the chance to sober up again in their lifetime.

“What commander-in-chief! Don’t scare me; can’t I see something from Dragon Tiger Mountain?”

Supervisor Guo’s face flushed red with neck thickening.

He grabbed at the sword box, but Li Yan’s hand held firm and unmoved, and with his other hand, he finished his drink in one gulp before raising his head:

“Supervisor, General Li has ordered that this treasure concerns the state’s welfare. He told me ‘better to kill the wrong person than to let one go.’ The General has been kind to me, and even if I had to sacrifice my life, I will ensure this treasure is kept safe.”

Supervisor Guo had tried with all his might several times, but couldn’t move the sword box at all.

Feeling invincible at the moment, his inability to move the sword box from Li Yan’s grip filled him with a frustrated rage, and he suddenly roared like an angry rooster: “Move aside, move aside, how much is your liver and brain worth?!”

As if blessed with divine strength, Li Yan’s grip indeed loosened, and Supervisor Guo suddenly snatched the sword box. Somehow, as soon as he hugged it to his chest, the sword box opened, immediately revealing the dazzling treasure light.

Fourteen Dragon Tiger Banner lights shone gold as the blazing sun, red as fresh blood.

“Do you like what you see?”

A hoarse voice sounded right next to Supervisor Guo’s ear.

Before Supervisor Guo could turn his head, he felt an irresistible force hit his cheek, and his stout body flipped in mid-air, his head striking the ground with a thud.

Li Yan caught the vermilion sword box in mid-air with his right hand, secured it, and placed it behind his back. His foot lifted up and propelled the unconscious Supervisor Guo’s upper body upward. With his left hand, he grasped Guo’s hair and dragged him toward the wine table.

Thump!

Supervisor Guo’s head slammed onto the table, half his face smeared with blood.

Li Wuyi stood up, but his throat was dry, and he couldn’t utter a word,

Swish~

The Jumu Great Sword slowly left its scabbard. Li Yan, holding the sword with its blade standing upright, slowly advanced.

Only then did Li Wuyi react, “Governor, what are you doing, Governor?”

Li Yan placed one hand on Supervisor Guo’s neck.

“Supervisor!” Li Yan exhaled the alcohol fumes: “I didn’t emphasize sacrificing my life; it’s the damn…”

Supervisor Guo’s mind was still in chaos, between madness and fear, his bloodied face trembling as he repeated, “The damn what?”

“That’s right, the damned.”

Li Yan repeated slowly, articulating each word: “It’s the damned ‘better to kill the wrong person than to let one go’!”

As he swung the great sword in his hand, a chilling brightness followed by a surge of blood splattered all over Li Wuyi.

Thud, the headless corpse slid down, and Li Wuyi sat down abruptly in his chair.

A severed head rolled around the table, its eyes wide open, staring fixedly at Li Wuyi in front of the wine table.

Li Yan wiped the fresh blood off the Jumu Great Sword with a towel, then grabbed the head on the table before speaking:

“Lord Li!”

Li Wuyi, startled, replied subconsciously, “Your subordinate is here.”

“Get me a horse; I’m going to the Dragon Tiger Office to accuse him of a crime: knowing the law and yet violating it, showing contempt for the imperial command.”