Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ren Fengjue, the Vice Minister of Justice, and Yu Lang, the Junior Minister of Dali Temple, had been traveling south in disguise for over half a month to conduct a secret investigation into the case of the Minister of Works, who had allegedly committed suicide to escape punishment for his crimes.

Three days ago, an urgent summons arrived from the capital, forcing the two men to return overnight.

Driven by the urgency of the situation, Yu Lang had sought out local officials to arrange passage on the earliest merchant ship heading for the city.

Unexpectedly, before they could even reach the Capital, trouble broke out on the vessel.

How could a few lowly river pirates have guessed that two such prominent figures were hidden aboard this unremarkable, ramshackle boat?

After asking his question and still receiving no response from Ren Fengjue, Yu Lang felt a wave of boredom.

With a sudden movement, he vaulted over the window and landed on the deck. Leaning against the ship’s railing, he chuckled. “If Lord Ren won’t step in, I certainly can’t hold back. I haven’t been in a fight for over half a month; I’m bored to death.”

Though his tone was lazy and casual, his actions were swift and decisive. He lunged forward, reaching for the pirate leader with his bare hands.

The leader saw at a glance that he was facing a trained martial artist. Knowing he was outmatched, he dared not meet the attack head-on.

He feinted with a slash of his blade and dodged to the side, shouting, “Who are you? Mind your own business!”

Yu Lang narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, “The Dali Temple… admittedly doesn’t usually handle such trivial matters. But meeting me? Consider it your bad luck.”

At the mention of the “Dali Temple,” the pirate leader’s expression shifted instantly, a cold dread creeping into his heart.

But having come this far, there was no turning back. He immediately barked, “Everyone, get him!”

Five or six pirates gritted their teeth and swung their blades, charging forward.

Chaos erupted on the ship.

Yu Lang was unarmed, yet he moved through the encirclement like a fish in water, perfectly at ease. As the fight progressed, he clearly gained the upper hand.

Seeing the situation turn dire and unwilling to be captured without a fight, the pirate leader scanned the deck. He lunged forward and snatched a swaddled infant from the arms of a nearby woman.

“Don’t move!”

Standing at the edge of the ship, he held the child out over the water, threatening loudly, “Move again… and I’ll throw this brat into the river!”

The woman was paralyzed with terror, and the child began to wail incessantly.

Yu Lang’s expression shifted. He couldn’t swim, and the current here was treacherous. Even if he could defeat the group alone, it would be difficult to save the child if they fell into the water.

During the standoff, he took a step back. His face hardened into a rare, solemn expression. “You’re already doomed. If you add this child’s life to your list, your sentence will be even more severe.”

The leader sneered. “A desperate man doesn’t care about one more crime. If you won’t let me go today, I’ll take someone down with me!”

Yu Lang felt a headache coming on. He turned his head toward the man in black who was leisurely sipping tea in the second-floor cabin. “Lord Ren, what do you suggest we do now?”

Ren Fengjue glanced sideways at the sky.

The morning sun was just beginning to rise, and the light of dawn had not yet fully broken through.

He narrowed his long, narrow eyes and finally spoke. “We should reach the Capital in less than half an hour. The reinforcements on the shore should be arriving about now, shouldn’t they?”

His words were ambiguous, but the pirate leader felt a shiver run down his spine.

Yu Lang frowned, feeling suspicious. When they had left the city, no one in the Ministry of Justice or the Dali Temple knew. Their return was supposed to be a secret as well-who could possibly be so well-informed?

Then, Ren Fengjue stood up. He descended the wooden stairs with slow, measured steps.

He was tall and strikingly handsome. The faint morning light reflected off his black cloak with its silver embroidery, further emphasizing his noble and extraordinary bearing.

The pirate leader stared blankly for a moment, instinctively sensing that this man was the truly dangerous one.

Ren Fengjue walked as if strolling through a quiet garden, speaking as he moved. “If you kill that child, I won’t sentence you immediately. I’m sure you’ve heard of the punishments in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeons, even if you haven’t experienced them yourself.”
“Regardless, no one can leave this ship before we dock. Once we enter the capital, you will come with me directly to the Ministry of Justice.”

“How does that sound?”

His voice was clear and resonant, his tone gentle. Every word fell upon the ears with a pleasant, melodic quality.

Yet, upon closer reflection, the content of his words was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

The bandit leader’s voice trembled as he retorted, “Don’t think you can bluff me! Who do you think you are?!”

At the mention of the Ministry of Justice’s prison, his confidence inexplicably vanished.

Then, a sudden realization struck him. His legs turned to jelly, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

“You are… Ren…”

Ren Fengjue, the Vice Minister of Justice, was the only son of Marquis Renxuan. Since childhood, he had frequented military camps alongside generals, becoming a man of both exceptional wit and martial prowess.

He had entered the Ministry of Justice at eighteen. In a mere two years, he had received an exceptional promotion to Vice Minister of Justice, a high-ranking official of the third rank.

At only twenty years of age, he was already a pillar of the imperial court and a favorite of the Emperor.

A year ago, when the Minister fell ill, Ren Fengjue took charge of the Ministry of Justice. In just a few months, he collaborated with the Dali Temple and the Censorate to solve three cold cases that had remained unsolved for years.

His name became famous throughout the land overnight.

The Emperor, cherishing such talent, granted him special authority. Any case handled by Ren Fengjue enjoyed the independent jurisdiction of the Three Judicial Offices, with a direct line of report to the throne.

From then on, the officials of the court kept a respectful distance, while outlaws and bandits trembled at the mere mention of his name.

Word had it that he had recently earned the moniker “Living Yama.”

The bandit leader could never have dreamed that he would stumble right into the hands of such a ruthless character.

With a loud thud, he dropped his blade and knelt on the deck.

“Lord Ren, have mercy! We were truly at the end of our rope, which is why… why we had to resort to this line of work!”

“I swear… my hands have never been stained with the blood of the living, and I have never taken a life!”

“I beg your Lordship to show leniency!”

The situation had shifted so rapidly that Yu Lang was left somewhat speechless.

As expected of Lord Ren; he didn’t even need to lift a finger.

By comparison, he, the Junior Minister of Dali Temple, felt rather inadequate.

Ren Fengjue approached slowly. To show his sincerity, the bandit leader hurriedly held out the crying child with both hands.

But at that moment, the sound of a weapon tearing through the air came rushing toward them.

Yu Lang was sharp-eyed. “Lord Ren, watch out!”

Ren Fengjue’s ears caught the sound, and his reaction was instantaneous. After taking the child, he swiftly dodged to the side, only to hear a muffled groan beside him.

The bandit leader, who had been kneeling on the ground, was struck squarely between the eyebrows by an arrow, dying instantly.

“Ah?!”

Panic erupted once more.

Yu Lang’s gaze sharpened as he saw a dark shadow vanish into the ship’s cabin.

He gripped the hilt of his waist saber, annoyed. “I knew something felt off along the way. It turns out someone was watching us!”

He was about to give chase when he was called back.

“The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the light. Stay here for now. Stay alert and look after the people on the ship.”

Ren Fengjue returned the child to the mother and turned to look at the bandit lying in a pool of blood, his brow furrowing.

On the surface, he hadn’t made many enemies in court, but there were plenty who secretly wanted him dead.

However, this trip out of the capital was based on a verbal decree from the Emperor. No one in the court should have known about it. He didn’t know who had leaked the news.

Ren Fengjue walked quickly to the cabin. After scanning the area and confirming there were no other exits, he pushed open the heavy cabin door.

However, what greeted him was a thick, mellow scent of wine.

He looked closely, and in that moment, his expression underwent a subtle change.