Chapter 19: The Great Ning Code
Just as Chu Chen stood before the creaking, dilapidated courtyard gate, a man’s voice immediately rang out from within.
“You worthless loser, why are you back so late?”
The little girl said nothing and pushed open the gate.
Hidden in the shadows by the gate, Chu Chen saw a burly man sitting on a small stool. Another identical stool stood before him, holding a wine cup and some peanuts.
It was hard to imagine that if the girl truly had stolen the Demon-Slaying Sword, how could she possibly have harmed such a man?
The man draped a long robe over his shoulders, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows, revealing a thick, powerful arm.
Noticing a guest entering, he tossed a peeled peanut into his mouth, placing the unpeeled ones back on the stool.
Raising the wine cup, he took a hearty gulp.
Standing up, he shook off the peanut shells clinging to his body, a smile on his face as he approached the visitor.
But as Chu Chen stepped out of the gate’s shadow, the smile on the man’s face slowly faded.
“You worthless loser, do you even have eyes?”
“I told you to go find someone! How have I taught you to behave?”
“If you can’t find someone dressed in gold and silver, then go after those wandering beggars.”
“What the hell did you bring back for me?”
“You just dragged some random beggar off the street! Don’t bother eating dinner tonight!”
“He’s here to kill you!” The little girl spoke fiercely.
The man paused, then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, kill me?”
He looked the beggar up and down.
Shorter and less imposing than himself, how could he possibly pose a threat?
But then he noticed the beggar had three long swords hanging at his waist, and his eyes flickered with a hint of caution.
The man was somewhat notorious in town. The woman he had deceived from afar was the mother of the girl, his own daughter, yet he had never fulfilled a day’s duty as a father.
Every time he went out to cheat, he put on a guise of honesty.
Relying on his imposing physique and strength, many women believed life would improve if they followed him.
But once they left with him, they realized the person they trusted was more terrifying than any demon.
Some women, unwilling to endure humiliation, ended their own lives.
With no livelihood, the man would go out and find another.
This woman had lasted longest, thanks to giving birth to this useless child—otherwise, she might have dared to die.
Though he had seen swords worn at the waist, he had never seen anyone carry three at once. He suspected the beggar was a sword merchant.
Still, since the man was armed, he remained cautious.
“What’s this loser talking about?” Chu Chen naturally did not reveal his intentions right away; he needed to learn more.
“Don’t you know why I’m here?”
The man laughed loudly.
“Can you come up with a thousand coins?”
His tone turned mocking.
Chu Chen truly had no such money; only a single ingot of twenty taels was in his pocket.
As he fumbled inside his sleeve, a sword suddenly slid from the beggar’s waist, and the girl flashed past him.
Chu Chen immediately reached out to stop her, just grabbing the corner of her coarse cloth as he heard the man curse, delivering a fierce kick to the girl’s chest.
“You’re defiant!”
“Pfft…”
The girl instantly spat blood, the sword falling at the man’s feet.
Chu Chen pulled her into his arms, feeling a sudden chill on his face.
“Pah!”
The girl weakly spat blood at Chu Chen’s face, her voice faint.
“Put me down... you liar...”
She struggled briefly before fainting in his embrace.
Chu Chen glared furiously at the man.
What kind of body does he have? What’s the situation with this child?
Even if she held a sword, could she really harm him?
“What’re you staring at?” the man sneered, picking up the sword from the ground and pointing it at the beggar.
“If you have money, go inside and enjoy yourself. If not, get lost.”
As the man finished speaking, the door behind him creaked open.
A woman’s head appeared, her long hair disheveled, face drained of color, as if from endless nights of overwork.
Shielding her eyes from the glaring sunlight, she finally took in the scene in the courtyard.
“...Xiao Yao.”
Her voice was soft, like waking a sleeping child.
“Get back inside!” The man immediately turned, brandishing the sword at her.
“Did I tell you to come out?”
But the woman ignored him, stepping slowly into the yard.
“Xiao Yao, what’s wrong with you?”
She wore only a thin white dress, barefoot, staggering with every step.
Her eyes were full of panic, her whole body trembling.
Like a drunk, she kept murmuring “Xiao Yao, Xiao Yao…”
The man, seeing her disobedience, raised his sword to strike.
He had long wanted to replace this worthless woman; now was the perfect chance to kill her.
Dead or alive made no difference; she had no relatives in town.
As long as no one reported to the magistrate, the authorities wouldn’t care who died in your family.
Big or small, they’d all be sent to meet the King of Hell.
Tomorrow, he’d go farther afield to find a young, beautiful girl to bring back and live comfortably for a few years.
“Clang…”
A sword suddenly blocked the man’s blow above the woman’s head.
She seemed unaware she had narrowly escaped death.
Her gaze was fixed solely on her daughter leaning against the courtyard wall.
“The Demon-Slaying Agency’s sword has always been meant to cut down demons alone.”
Hearing this, the man looked at the beggar beside him.
“You’re... from the Demon-Slaying Agency?”
He never would have guessed that this ragged-looking beggar was actually from the agency.
“I’ll tell you, impersonating someone from the Demon-Slaying Agency is a capital offense.”
With a flick of his wrist, Chu Chen unleashed a mighty force that sent the man flying backward, crashing hard against the wall behind him.
Dazed, the man’s wine cup shattered, peanuts scattering across the ground.
Now he knew the beggar before him was no ordinary foe.
In the Danning Kingdom, laws were strict, and the more villainous a man, the better he understood the law.
Seeing he was outmatched, the man quickly invoked the kingdom’s laws.
“If you really are from the Demon-Slaying Agency, then I have nothing to fear.”
“Don’t think I don’t know—according to Danning law, the agency has no authority over civilian affairs.”
Chu Chen took slow steps toward the man, his sword crackling sharply.
“Didn’t you hear?”
“The Demon-Slaying Agency only slays demons.”
“You just said their swords only kill demons.”
“What exactly are you implying now?”
“The Demon-Slaying Agency has killed a man!” The man shouted loudly.
“Come see! The agency’s killed someone!”
With a single stroke, a clean severed head rolled to the ground.
Chu Chen turned to the mother and daughter just as nearby townsfolk peeked around the gate, watching secretly.
“My name is Chu Chen. If you have any questions, you can come find me at the Demon-Slaying Agency in Jinnan County.”
He knelt beside the little girl, placing a pill into her mouth.
After a moment, the girl awoke.
“Xiao Yao, you’re awake. You finally woke up…” The woman held her child, tears streaming with joy.
Looking over their situation, Chu Chen saw no one was caring for them, their fate grim.
Helping others to the very end, like delivering a Buddha all the way west.
“Get your things together and come with me to the Demon-Slaying Agency in Jinnan County.”
The woman stared blankly at Chu Chen.
“You’re going to take us in?”
“Not exactly take in; first to Jinnan County, then find a job within our means.”
“Thank you, thank you.” The woman knelt, repeatedly bowing her head.
“Get up quickly.”
Chu Chen helped her up and asked,
“Do you need time to pack?”
“Wait for me a moment; I have a few clothes to bring.”
She hurried back inside.
Passing by the man’s corpse, Chu Chen kicked it hard.
After waiting outside for some time with no sign of her, a bad feeling crept into his heart.
“I’m going in to check. Wait here.”
He added a warning.
“If you don’t behave, I won’t take you or your mother to Jinnan County.”
“I’ll behave.”
Chu Chen stepped inside.
In the bedroom, hanging from a beam, was a woman in a simple white dress.
Sure enough, she had feared becoming a mother her daughter would be ashamed of in the future.