Chapter 208: Winter

~~~

By now, Yi Jiao should have reached Rumbling Thunder City and presented the evidence of Duke Lai’s treachery. Soon enough, General Dan will summon Duke Lai. If Duke Lai answers the summons, he will face a trial, his treachery will be exposed, and he will be punished. If Duke Lai tries to ignore them, he will face punishment anyway. Either way, the supplies will be freed, and they can all start focusing on more important matters. All Liu Jin needs to do is wait.

That had been the plan.

“Lady Bai!” Liu Jin shouts, doing his best to hold on to Bai Wen’s hooded cloak as she flies through the clouds. “Are you sure this is a wise idea?”

“Naturally!” she replies.

Bai Wen’s Qi brims with unshakeable confidence as she transmits her words through Qi. At the speed she is flying, it would be impossible for them to communicate otherwise. Liu Jin can almost imagine the bright smile on her face under her veil and cloak.

“Duke Lai is an evil man, is he not?”

“That is… fairly possible,” Liu Jin replies, willing himself not to look down. A fall from this height wouldn’t kill him, but that doesn’t mean he wants to think about it. “At the very least, we know he’s working with those Beyond the Dead Plains.”

“Exactly!” Bai Wen says. “He’s allowed their taint inside him and might even be working their vile arts on his citizens. Should we really let a man like that do as he wishes while we wait for General Dan to act? That sort of roundabout scheme is for lesser people.”

That sort of roundabout scheme is what Liu Jin is counting on.

“Nay! That is not wise at all!” Bai Wen continues. “Action must be taken!”

The clouds part and reveal Stone River City. It is but a small dot in the distance.

“It must be swift!”

The dot grows bigger. Already Liu Jin can make out the individual tiles on Duke Lai’s castle.

“It must be decisive!”

Bai Wen does not stop.

~~~

Song Daiyu has had a difficult time lately.

Ever since Jin brought her a host of unfortunate news, her objective in Stone River City has changed. All her plans have gone up in smoke, but she cannot let Duke Lai know that. She has to act as though things are proceeding as planned.

While there is a certain element of challenge to it she quite enjoys, Song Daiyu still finds herself lamenting the loss of such a potentially lucrative deal. She cannot even sign too many agreements with Duke Lai because being associated with him will soon be a minus in the Storm Dragon Empire. The best she can get out of him now is permits.

Such a pity.

Today is another one of the days she has been summoned before Duke Lai. The man does it quite often, likely so he can feel important by association. These visits become rather trying on her.

The ceiling caving in is almost a welcome reprieve.

Almost.

The entire castle is rocked as though it has been seized by an earthquake. Wood and stone break without end as something crashes into the castle and breaks through several floors all the way into Duke Lai’s main hall. The servants scream as they head for the exit. Song Daiyu’s faithful bodyguard, Shitou, puts his large body in front of her to protect her.

Alas, there is no need for it. Despite the chaos, no rubble lands on her or any of the servants.

The one who broke into the castle saw to that.

“And it must be just.”

Song Daiyu pales as the dust clears up to reveal someone who can only be Lady Bai Wen standing mere feet away from Duke Lai. Though she is covered from head to toe in a cloak, there is no way she could ever mistake that Qi. Right beside her, Song can see Jin struggling to regain his bearings after such an entrance.

“Duke Lai,” Bai Wen says with power in her voice. “You have been consorting with those beyond the Dead Plains, and in doing so, you have betrayed your lord, your countrymen, and your subjects. Surrender now, and I shall take you to General Dan so that you might receive fair judgment.”

Oh, dear.

~~~

All is silent. Of the people who remain in Duke Lai’s grand hall, not a single one of them can believe their eyes and ears. Things are so utterly quiet that Bai Wen’s strepitous entry merely a second ago feels like a lie.

And yet, no one can deny she is there, standing at the center of it all. Covered in a dirty cloak, yet somehow utterly immaculate and dignified.

“You dare!”

Duke Lai shouts as he rises from his throne. His Qi roars around him with such fury the remaining servants are forced to flee.

“You enter my city without permission, break into my castle, and demand my surrender?! Leave!” He points to the door. “Leave this place immediately, or I’ll have my soldiers execute you!”

“Threats you cannot realize are not threats at all, Duke Lai,” Bai Wen tells him calmly. “You could have a hundred times as many soldiers and be twice the cultivator you are now, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I will not move until you have acquiesced to my demands.”

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Her reply is so matter-of-fact, so utterly confident, that Duke Lai almost staggers back. His face is red and angry. The blood vessels on his forehead look like they are about to burst.

“And what if I refuse your demands?” He asks through gritted teeth.

“If you do, I shall beat you and drag your senseless body to Rumbling Thunder City,” Bai Wen replies without meeting a beat. The hood that covers her head rustles a bit, a sure sign she is tilting her head. “I thought that was obvious?”

Duke Lai fires a torrent of water at her.

All the power Duke Lai had been gathering around himself is unleashed in a furious attack. The walls crack and crumble, and his throne is blown to pieces. If any servants were still in the room, they’d have died instantly. Duke Lai is a cultivator in the Heaven Realm, someone who has reached lofty heights most can only dream of. It is why Liu Jin never once considered directly confronting him.

However, Bai Wen is different.