Chapter 5 The Imperial Advisor: Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

Before dawn that day, Guan Ye was awakened by the commotion outside. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she pushed open the door and saw Pei Bi shouting at Aunt Lou in the courtyard, ordering her to gather everyone on the island, "No matter how old or young, as long as they can get up, hide their weapons and go to the beach. Not a single one can be missing! Do not move without my orders!"

Aunt Lou turned pale with fright, but still nodded firmly and stumbled off to call for help. Pei Bi saw Guan Ye's stunned expression, hesitated for a moment, then took out an unsharpened short blade from his pocket and shoved it into her hand. "Do you know how to use it?"

Guan Ye shook her head blankly, then suddenly nodded and said, "If we really push him to the limit, we don't care if he can do it or not."

Pei Bi gently pressed her shoulder, "If someone wanted to storm the island, what would you do?"

Guan Ye gripped the short blade tightly without hesitation, "Anyone who disturbs our peaceful life, then kill them."

In the blink of an eye, dozens of sword slaves in the workshop had been summoned, each clutching various old iron weapons. Although they didn't know what had happened, no one showed fear on their faces. Or perhaps they knew this day would eventually come, and whatever it was, they were prepared.

Lou Shitou, who was in the side room, also pushed open the door and came out. Seeing the scene outside, Lou Shitou was not afraid despite his confusion. He picked up the axe he usually used for chopping wood and beckoned Guan Ye to come to his side.

"Manager Pei..." Guan Ye couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"What's coming can't be avoided." Pei Bi's breathing was heavy as he tried his best to calm himself down. "Put your things away first, and then follow the others in a bit."

Guan Ye and Lou Shitou hurriedly left the neighborhood with the crowd. As they passed the Pei family's ancestral hall, they vaguely saw figures flashing by. Guan Ye slowed down and saw that the figures seemed to be a man and a woman. The young woman was slender and graceful, pushing a bamboo wheelchair facing her. Her eyes swept over Pei Bi, who was walking quickly at the front, and her gaze was calm. Sitting on the bamboo chair was a handsome young man with white ribbons tied in his hair. His face was like blue jade, his lips were thin and light red, and his eyes were warm and bright like stars. The young man wore a dark green satin robe with dark patterns on it that resembled scimitars.

Guan Ye stopped in her tracks. The candlelight in the ancestral hall illuminated the two people's delicate faces, making them look like immortals. Guan Ye recognized the man with crippled legs on the bamboo chair; he was Pei Chu, the young master of Xingguo Ward. The girl pushing the bamboo chair must be his personal maid. Her name was… Guan Ye recalled the name others had mentioned. Yes, her name was Jiang Muyun.

Seeing that Jiang Muyun had noticed her, Guan Ye lowered her eyes and dared not look again, quickly following the others away.

"You recognize her?" Pei Chu looked in that direction.

“I’ve seen her a few times.” Jiang Muyun withdrew his gaze. “Young Master has also seen her. She is a sword slave in the workshop. When you were teaching people to read and write in the school, she often hid in the back to learn secretly. If I remember correctly, she has been here for two or three years.”

"At such a tender age," Pei Chu sighed softly, seemingly grieving for the sword slave, but even more so for the woman beside him. "Father said there are no fewer than a hundred fully armed soldiers on the ship. If they are truly here for the Blood Crossbow Case from back then, and they suspect Xingguo Warehouse of any involvement, adhering to the principle of 'better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free,' not only the Pei clan, but I fear everyone on the island will be doomed. You are not a Pei, yet you are to lose your life for Xingguo Warehouse..."

"Everyone on Canglang Island has benefited from the Pei family for many years. As long as the island exists, so do we." Jiang Muyun said lightly. "Just like that little sword slave, she's only been here for a few years. Isn't she willing to protect the island? If someone really comes here to kill us..." Jiang Muyun smiled slightly without fear. "To be able to die on the same day, month, and year as the young master would be my good fortune."

Pei Chu pressed down on her soft hand, a look of relief spreading across his jade-colored face.

When Guan Ye arrived, a large crowd had already gathered on the beach. The salty morning breeze swept across the faces of the crowd, who were not particularly expressive. Guan Ye stared intently at the dragon-headed treasure ship that hissed through the wind.

"The shop owner is here." Pei Bi gestured for everyone to make way.

A dignified middle-aged man strode forward. Pei Yuan had red hair and a fierce face. He was tall and imposing, with eyes like copper bells and a nose like an eagle's hook. The sea breeze rose again, blowing Pei Yuan's red hair wildly. The sky changed suddenly amidst the rising wind and surging clouds. In a short while, a heavy rain poured down, and the waves rolled endlessly. The treasure ship cut through the undulating waves and rode the wind, like a dragon appearing in the world.

Pei Yuan's eyes didn't show much emotion. He tried his best to maintain his composure in front of everyone, but his occasional deep breaths betrayed his inner unease. His large, copper-bell-like eyes stared intently at the treasure ship sailing towards Canglang Island and the black-robed guest standing against the wind at the bow. Pei Yuan seemed to be filled with expectation, hoping that the black-robed guest would bring not calamity, but a new life.

Guan Ye gradually saw the black-robed man at the bow of the ship. His sharp single eye seemed to be a ghostly eye that could see through everything. Even though they were separated by half a mile of seawater, the coldness of that eye could penetrate Guan Ye's body. Guan Ye shivered and couldn't help but reach out to touch the short blade hidden in his bosom.

"You're crazy."

A familiar yet distant voice snapped at Guan Ye, startling her. She pulled her hand back and wiped the rain from her face before recognizing the person. "A-Jiu?"

Guan Ye didn't mistake him. Ajiu, whom she hadn't seen for three years, appeared beside her as if from the sky. Not only Ajiu, but Guan Ye also looked around and saw several other young men she had never seen before. They were about the same age as Ajiu, dressed in the same black clothes, with ribbons tied around their foreheads. They were agile and their faces were calm but wary. The young men were scattered throughout the crowd, their eyes fixed on the approaching treasure ship.

"Ah Jiu," Guan Ye whispered, "is it really you?"

Ah Jiu put her finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Hide your things well, and don't cause trouble for no reason."

"Manager Pei said..." Guan Ye was about to speak when A Jiu interrupted her again.

"Are you going to be stupid just because he's stupid?" Ajiu pulled Guan Ye behind her to protect her. "What's the rush? Let's see first."

"Who are those people on the ship?" Guan Ye stood on tiptoe to look again. "What an impressive ship!"

“Imperial Advisor Cui Jin.” Ajiu gazed at the treasure ship from afar.

“His face.” Guan Ye glanced at the man at the bow of the boat again. As the boat drew closer, the man in black robes tore off the satin cloth covering his face, revealing his raised face. The dim sunlight fell on his face, adding to his eerie appearance. Guan Ye could see his face clearly. It wasn’t a jumble of tattoos, but a string of unrecognizable characters. Guan Ye had learned many characters over the years, but she didn’t recognize a single one on that man’s face. “I don’t recognize a single one of the characters tattooed on his face.”

“The tattoos on his face aren’t words, they’re Taoist runes,” Ajiu said softly. “If I survive today, I’ll tell you the story slowly.”

As the treasure ship docked, before Cui Jin could disembark, Pei Yuan had already opened his robes and knelt down devoutly. Behind him, a group of people followed suit and knelt on the sand. Guan Ye was slightly dazed when A Jiu pulled her down, and her knees ached with a thud.

The black-robed Cui Jin wasn't in a hurry to disembark. He scanned the various faces, his single eye seemingly seeing through everything before fixing on Pei Yuan's face. "It seems someone is missing?"

"The Imperial Preceptor is wise." Pei Yuan's face twitched. "My son, Pei Chu, has difficulty walking and can only stay in the ward to wait for the Imperial Preceptor. I hope the Imperial Preceptor will forgive him."

"After years of treatment, Young Master Pei's leg still hasn't fully healed?"

Pei Yuan shook his head, "Being born like this makes it difficult to cure, and there are no capable doctors on the island. I can only spend the rest of my life with these crippled legs."

“Young Master Pei’s leg is also a regret in your life.” Cui Jin walked closer. “If you were in the capital city of Rongdu, where famous doctors from all over the country gather, there would still be hope for a cure. Young Master, you would be dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, and how successful you would be.”

Pei Yuan couldn't understand the meaning behind his words, and with his dry lips slightly parted, he dared not reply rashly.

"Master Pei led the welcoming party; his sincerity is as clear as the sun and moon." Cui Jin stepped off the treasure ship, reached out and helped Pei Yuan, who had been kneeling for a long time, to his feet. "Get up and speak."

"Seeing the Imperial Preceptor is like the Emperor himself; the entire island will surely welcome him." Pei Yuan trembled as he stood up, and Pei Bi led the others to their feet as well.

Ajiu nudged Guan Ye's back. "Get up." Guan Ye rubbed her knees, trying to see Cui Jin more clearly through the layered wall of people.

“I, Cui, have brought a great gift for Master Pei.” Cui Jin raised his right arm.

A grand gift? Pei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Pei Bi, and both master and servant were completely bewildered.

So it was a gift. Guan Ye felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. She thought she was going to fight to the death today, but who knew she would receive a gift. Guan Ye rubbed her palms together. What kind of grand gift could warrant such a show of force? A Jiu squeezed forward a few steps to the side. Guan Ye smiled inwardly, seeing that A Jiu was calm and collected, but was even more anxious than she was.

At Cui Jin's signal, eight burly men carried a heavy object covered with embroidered dragon-patterned yellow satin from the cabin. Shouting in unison, they placed the object in front of Pei Yuan. No one knew what kind of precious treasure was inside, that hundreds of soldiers preferred to crowd on the deck rather than share a room with it.

Cui Jin whispered a few words to Pei Yuan, who looked terrified. He then got up and knelt down again in front of Huang Duan, kowtowing three times.

Cui Jin's lips curled into a strange smile as he gently patted Pei Yuan's shoulder. The heavy rain gradually stopped, and the sea breeze howled. Pei Yuan's crimson hair seemed to be burning like flames, and a strange fire ignited in his wide-open pupils.

"—Pei Yuan of Xingguo Ward receives the imperial decree. The Pei family of Xingguo Ward possesses exquisite forging skills and a century-old reputation; the Imperial Blade Workshop has been vacant for many years, with no one capable of wielding its renowned craftsmanship. To promote the craftsmanship of Jin and strengthen the prestige of the Jin army, the Imperial Blades cannot be without a master for even a day. Looking across the land, even the finest forgings are rare, and only Xingguo Ward is capable of undertaking this great task..."

"A meteorite." Guan Ye looked up at the sound, "A meteorite..."

"The Imperial Preceptor... came here only for..." Pei Yuan hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

Cui Jin had already seen through his worries and smiled slightly, saying, "Otherwise what? What do you think I've come here for?"

Pei Bi let out a sigh of relief, and made a gesture with his right hand hidden behind his back. The black-clad youth hidden in the crowd immediately lowered his guard. A Jiu calmly lowered his arm and glanced at Guan Ye, saying, "You also know about meteorites?"

"If I survive today, I'll tell you the story slowly." Guan Ye smiled.

Pei Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Xingguo Workshop has not started casting for many years. If I may be so bold as to ask, what would happen if Xingguo Workshop could not cast meteorites?"

"You're too modest," Cui Jin said calmly. "Back then, your family was on par with the Lu family's Tianhu Workshop, renowned throughout the land for your casting skills. Your Heavenly Furnace was capable of melting anything. A meteorite shouldn't be a problem for Xingguo Workshop, right?" Cui Jin pointed to the thick smoke. "The Heavenly Furnace hasn't been extinguished; it's just waiting to be restarted. The fire still burns. Isn't this the day the Pei family has been waiting for?"

Seeing Pei Yuan's hesitant expression, Cui Jin smiled and remained silent. He knew that although Pei Yuan was not certain of success, he would still accept the imperial decree. The calmer the deep sea, the more undercurrents it harbors. Xingguo Ward had been quiet for many years, and the Pei family had long been eager to try. In the past, the imperial city and Canglang Island were separated by thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, but now, they were only separated by a sword.

A note from the author:

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