Chapter 6: The Bewildered Second Uncle

“Hey!” The yellow-dressed young girl, Cai Wei, blinked her beautiful eyes. “Why can salt be turned into silver?”

She hesitated, then pulled out a sugar cane and handed it to Xu Qi An. “Here, have this.”

Is she trying to bribe me?

The two adults had already disappeared. Xu Qi An withdrew his gaze and, after some thought, replied, “This commoner once saw an alchemical secret text in ancient books about turning salt into silver.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Which ancient book? Where is it? Who’s the author?”

Its name is High School Chemistry, and as for the author… well, the People’s Education Press? Xu Qi An said, “The ancient text has long been destroyed, but I still remember its contents.”

Her breathing quickened. “Quick, tell me!”

Xu Qi An sighed. “This commoner’s life is in peril. I’m not in the mood to teach.”

The girl gave him a side-eye, irritated. “You’re quite slick. Our Sky Monitoring Bureau doesn’t interfere with state affairs. How to deal with you is still up to His Majesty. There’s no point in haggling with me.”

“Why don’t you just take me in? With the Supervisor’s position in the court, getting a convicted criminal shouldn’t be a problem,” Xu Qi An said.

He needed insurance. What if the tax silver couldn’t be recovered?

Her bright eyes examined him. “You’re a martial artist. Why do you want to be a sorcerer?”

Cultivation should start early. Most cultivators laid their foundations young. For a martial artist, switching paths was too late.

“It doesn’t matter whether I latch onto a powerful patron or not. I mainly admire the Supervisor’s demeanor,” Xu Qi An said with devout tone and serious expression.

“Then first tell me the contents of the alchemy ancient text,” she said thoughtfully. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, black pupils distinct against the whites.

Xu Qi An had only seen such clean, beautiful eyes on children in his previous life.

“The content is abstruse and profound. Merely reciting it orally, I’m afraid you won’t understand. It requires in-depth and gradual teaching to take root,” Xu Qi An baited.

Chu Cai Wei rolled her eyes. “Throughout the Nine Provinces, when it comes to alchemy, our Sky Monitoring Bureau’s sorcerers are at the forefront.”

“Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus…” Xu Qi An recited fluently.

“???”

What on earth is he saying? The girl was dumbfounded, then furrowed her brows. “You’re fooling me. Our Sky Monitoring Bureau only takes in young boys as disciples.”

She snatched back the sugar cane from Xu Qi An’s hand and walked away with light steps, her skirt fluttering.

I’m a virgin too… Xu Qi An opened his mouth, then understood. The Bureau recruited disciples from childhood. That path was closed.

…

Two days passed swiftly. Xu Qi An spent them in fear and trepidation in his jail cell.

He feared the tax silver wouldn’t be recovered in time. If it happened after exile, even recovery wouldn’t change his fate.

And what if Magistrate Chen claimed all the credit? It would still be a dead end.

But he had done all he could. What more could a prisoner do?

Once again, Xu Qi An felt the terror of feudal society.

“Let fate decide…” he sighed mournfully.

“Clang!”

The iron door at the corridor’s end opened. A jailer entered with a fire stick, unlocked the door. “Xu Qi An, you can go now!”

Xu Qi An was overjoyed, fists clenched. “Has the tax silver been found?”

“Come with me to sign and fingerprint, then you can leave.” The jailer looked him over. “You’re one lucky bastard.”

“What about my Second Uncle?” Xu Qi An asked urgently.

“Stop talking nonsense, just follow me.” The jailer smacked his buttocks with the fire stick, hurrying him out.

At the yamen, a clerk arranged for him to sign and fingerprint. He received back the clothes taken when he was jailed.

A runner led him out through the back door. The east was dimly lit, streets quiet and cold.

…

Clang!

Xu Pingzhi was awakened by the iron door opening. His bloodshot eyes blinked.

Disheveled, his features resembled Xu Qi An’s, unlike his son Xu Xinnian’s handsome face.

Across the corridor, Li Ru shuddered awake, haggard and fearful.

She mourned, “My lord, even if I die, I won’t enter the Courtesans’ Training Institute.”

At thirty-five, she was still beautiful despite prison’s toll.

The Courtesans’ Training Institute was hell for women.

Xu Pingzhi wept. “My wife, I’ve let you down. Let’s go to the underworld together. In the next life, I’ll be your ox or horse to make it up to you. It’s just a pity for our children, and my nephew.”

Five days had passed. Execution loomed. His wife and daughters faced the Institute.

The five-year-old murmured “Mother,” unaware of her fate.

The sixteen-year-old sat up, her sculpted beauty trembling with fear.

Jailers strode in, swords at their waists.

Li Ru’s eyes flashed despair. Xu Pingzhi gripped the bars, knuckles white. He admitted his guilt, but to implicate his wife and daughters was unbearable.

“Xu Pingzhi, come with us. After signing and fingerprinting, you can leave,” a jailer said, tapping the bars.

“Eh? What did you say?” Second Uncle Xu doubted his ears.

“Can leave? You just said we can leave.” Xu Pingzhi couldn’t believe it. “Aren’t you taking me out for beheading?”

“Don’t know,” the jailer said impatiently. “Orders from above. Ask when you get out.”

Li Ru held her daughters’ hands, uneasy. The family followed silently.

“My lord… they’re not tricking us, are they?”

“They wouldn’t be so frivolous,” Xu Pingzhi limped, bewildered yet joyful.

Li Ru thought aloud. “It must be Xinnian. Surely he’s been pulling strings, making the court show leniency.”

She grew excited. “My lord, don’t forget, Xinnian’s teacher was Deputy Minister of Justice twenty years ago.”

Twenty years ago… Xu Pingzhi felt something was off, but had no other explanation.

“Perhaps,” he said.

“I always said our Xinnian was a dragon among men. Back then, I wanted him to practice martial arts, but you wouldn’t agree. You insisted on having that little brat Xu Qi An practice martial arts instead.”

“Mommy, bunnies are so cute. I want to eat a bunny,” the young daughter said, hungry.

“All you think about is eating…” Li Ru scolded, then softened. “Be good, you’ll have a bunny to eat soon.”

At the signing desk, Xu Pingzhi’s trembling hand pressed his fingerprint. It felt like transcendence, like a seed sprouting into sunlight.

His wife and daughters pressed their fingerprints too.

Curious, Xu Pingzhi asked, “Sir, may I ask why our crimes have been pardoned?”

“The case has been solved. The tax silver has been recovered,” the clerk replied.

“The tax silver has been recovered? Haha, good, good! Those damn demons, how dare they rob our Great Shang’s tax silver.”

But realization struck. Recovery wasn’t his achievement. Why pardon him?

“Lord Xu, here is your official robe. Keep it safe,” the clerk presented his seventh-rank robe.

Restored to position… Xu Pingzhi was stunned. “Sir, could you enlighten me?”

The clerk explained, “According to Great Shang’s laws, if an elder violates the law, children can atone by meritorious service.”

Li Ru wept with joy. “It was Xinnian. He helped the court recover the tax silver.”

“Xinnian…” Xu Pingzhi’s eyes moistened. “My good son.”

The clerk corrected gently. “It was your nephew Xu Qi An. He helped the Magistrate solve the case. He just left.”

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