Chapter 144: Malevolence Hidden Within the Eulogy

Li Shun feigned confusion as he asked, "Senior Brother Kong, what exactly happened? Weren't we agreed that I would serve as Acting Magistrate for three months? Why have I suddenly been ordered back to Dongshan?"

Only after a long while did several lines of text slowly appear across the jade pendant.

"Junior Brother Li, do not be alarmed."

"A sudden Heavenly Dao Severance Qi Calamity has struck Dongshan. In order to protect the people under his jurisdiction, Martial Uncle Fang gave his life in glorious sacrifice!"

Only then did Li Shun reveal the perfect expression of utter shock.

"What?!"

He immediately sprang to his feet and shouted sternly,

"Li Qing, prepare the horses at once! We're returning to Dongshan immediately!"

Under normal circumstances, Li Shun always called him "Little Tuanzi."

Only in moments of extreme urgency would he address him by his full name, Li Qing.

Li Qing naturally dared not delay in the slightest. He acknowledged the order solemnly and hurried off.

Not long afterward, the two rode through the night at full speed.

Behind them, the officials of Shangyu County could only stare at one another in bewilderment, each secretly speculating.

"This... something earth-shattering must have happened!"

Fourth Month, 23rd Day.

Li Shun finally returned to what had become the ruins of Dongshan Town.

As far as the eye could see, the land was covered in scars.

Although most of the buildings still stood in roughly their original shape, every surface was coated in a layer of lifeless black ash, as though all creation had been consumed by an inferno before settling into silent cinders.

The surviving townspeople sat slumped among the shattered walls and broken ruins. Their eyes were vacant and unfocused, like walking corpses that had long since lost their souls.

"What kind of Heavenly Dao Calamity could be this terrifying?"

Seeing his familiar hometown reduced to such a miserable state, Li Qing spoke in disbelief.

Having already received news of Li Shun's return, Zheng Zhi hurried out to greet them.

He sighed deeply before saying, "It truly was a world-ending disaster. Fortunately, Garrison Commander Fang acted decisively and evacuated the townspeople in time. Otherwise, the casualties would have been far worse."

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything from beginning to end."

"And... where is my master's body?"

Li Shun's expression was incomparably grave.

Zheng Zhi opened his mouth before replying bitterly,

"Garrison Commander Fang was swallowed by the Heavenly Dao Severance Qi... There wasn't even a corpse left behind."

Li Shun stopped dead in his tracks.

An uncontrollable grief welled up within his eyes.

After quietly listening to Zheng Zhi recount the entire incident, however, a trace of suspicion gradually appeared on his face.

"I know my master better than anyone."

"Although he previously sent me to the Imperial Mausoleum's Sealed Earth, that was only because Grand Martial Uncle had reached the critical moment of breaking through. My master and I had already reconciled long ago. The rumors claiming I was driven out of Dongshan are complete fabrication."

"When I left Dongshan, it was to rescue a close friend. Both Senior Duan Jiuzhang and Senior Sun Chengyou can testify to that."

"So why did the rumors become so wildly distorted? To the point that when my master tried to evacuate the townspeople, no one believed him, wasting so much precious time?"

Li Shun's expression darkened as one sharp question followed another.

"Th-this..."

Cold sweat drenched Zheng Zhi's forehead.

Now that the disaster had passed, his spiritual consciousness had gradually regained its clarity.

Only after Li Shun pointed it out did he vaguely realize how strangely public opinion had shifted before the catastrophe.

Yet with his own understanding, he simply had no answers.

Li Shun strode into the county office.

The mourning hall had already been hastily arranged.

Inside rested nothing more than an empty wooden coffin and a cold memorial tablet.

Fang Han knelt before the coffin, his face deathly pale. His eyes were swollen red from crying, and his voice had long since become hoarse.

Without a word, Li Shun knelt as well.

He respectfully kowtowed once before the empty spirit tablet.

Then he rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

Seeing Li Shun preparing to leave almost immediately after returning, Fang Han clenched his teeth and demanded resentfully.

Without looking back, Li Shun answered, "I'm going to seek justice for my master."

"My master cannot be allowed to die in vain."

Fang Han froze.

Only then did he seem to awaken from a dream. Hastily climbing to his feet, he rushed after Li Shun.

After leaving the county office, Li Shun began visiting households throughout Dongshan Town, carefully questioning every surviving resident about everything that had happened on that fateful day.

Whenever the topic turned to the misunderstanding and hostility they had once directed toward Fang Xun, most of the townspeople lowered their heads in shame.

Yet under Li Shun's calm but relentless questioning, they eventually gritted their teeth and told him the truth.

As they recalled how Fang Xun had sacrificed his own life to save everyone that night, cries of grief echoed throughout the streets once again.

Li Shun remained calm.

While listening attentively, he swiftly recorded every testimony with pen and paper, carefully signing each statement with the witness's name.

Among the crowd, someone quick-witted suddenly shouted, "My Lord, are you trying to clear Lord Fang's name?"

"I am willing to sign my name and leave my seal. I swear every word I said is true!"

Once someone took the initiative, Li Shun naturally had no reason to refuse.

He immediately agreed.

After all...

He had more than enough paper.

After interviewing several hundred people, Li Shun gradually pieced together the full truth behind the incident.

"Brother."

Li Qing transmitted his voice.

"The spread of these rumors feels... very strange."

"It almost resembles someone's Tribulation Transference."

Li Shun nodded slightly.

But he said nothing.

Afterward, Li Shun traveled through the other thirteen counties of Dongshan, as well as the rest of Guling Commandery, including the seat of the Commandery Governor.

Only then did he piece together everything that had transpired that day.

After appearing to ponder for a long while, he finally sent a message to Kong Zhao.

"Senior Brother Kong, please tell me truthfully. Before all of this happened, did someone undergo tribulation in Dongshan?"

Only after quite some time did a line of text slowly appear upon the jade pendant.

"That is indeed the case."

"However, that person has already perished, body and Dao alike extinguished. The karmic ties have been settled. It is not advisable to investigate the matter any further."

A sharp glint flashed through Li Shun's eyes.

He immediately asked another question.

"And what about the others?"

Kong Zhao was an exceptionally shrewd man. Naturally, he understood at once whom Li Shun was truly referring to.

"He had only just assumed office as prefect of Guling Commandery when this calamity broke out within his jurisdiction. There is no escaping this disaster for him."

"You might as well kick him while he's down."

The words lingered in the air for only a brief instant before shattering into countless fragments.

"Although Junior Uncle Fang's unfortunate death is deeply lamentable, for Junior Brother Li, this is nothing less than a heaven-sent opportunity. Do not allow grief to ruin your future. You should know that, at this very moment, countless pairs of eyes within the imperial court are fixed upon Guling Commandery."

As the final line faded away, the jade pendant fell completely silent.

Li Shun let out a cold snort.

He then entered the study, picked up his brush, and began to write.

"A Memorial in Honor of Commander Fang of Dongshan, Together with a Declaration Calling for the Punishment of the Traitors..."

Fang Han, who had remained by his side the entire time, hurriedly stepped closer.

Watching the vigorous strokes that seemed to carve through the paper like soaring dragons and dancing serpents, his breathing gradually became heavy with emotion.

The following day, the article was posted throughout every corner of Guling Commandery.

It shook the entire commandery.

Alas!

The clouds above Dongshan have turned wholly black.

The veins of the earth have split asunder.

Such boundless grief between Heaven and Earth is born from the anguished cries of hundreds of thousands of common people.

Commander Fang Xun of Dongshan, a loyal martyr of Great Qian, has perished with his very soul extinguished amidst the overwhelming tide of Severance Qi.

Lord Fang was born into the lineage of Confucian scholars, inheriting the subtle teachings of the Sage and wielding the upright brush of Master Dong. Before reaching twenty years of age, his unparalleled talent had already astonished the world, earning the admiration of all beneath heaven.

Yet his character was upright and incorruptible. Never willing to flatter those in power, he repeatedly submitted frank memorials exposing the faults of state affairs, only to be exiled to distant Lengshan.

Though later transferred to Dongshan, he never once forgot the welfare of the countless people under his governance.

Who could have imagined that a sudden catastrophe would descend?

Rumors spread like molten gold, destroying reputations with terrifying ease.

Lord Fang became the target of endless slander.

The world denounced him as cruel and corrupt.

All beneath heaven branded him as the vilest of officials.

Yet on the night of the fifteenth day of the fourth month, the Nine Darknesss split apart.

Black Qi surged like a boundless sea.

Upon a lone mountain barely one hundred and fifty zhang high stood over one hundred thousand displaced refugees.

The Severance Qi advanced inch by inch.

Death drew nearer with every passing moment.

At that desperate hour, when countless lives hung by a single thread, Lord Fang glared toward the heavens and roared,

"We are the people's guardians. There is nowhere left to retreat! If someone must die today, then let Fang Xun be the first!"

Thereupon, he exhausted every last fragment of his life.

A trace of Spiritual Resonance became a heavenly beacon.

A will forged through countless brushes with death became an unshakable wall.

Even after flesh had vanished and bones had turned to flying ash, Lord Fang did not retreat even half a step.

He exchanged the destruction of his own body for the survival of countless lives.

He used a single blazing instant to wash away the slanders that had stained his name for generations.

His boundless righteousness.

His unyielding integrity.

Even the brilliance of the sun and moon cannot overshadow such sincerity.

Yet before the bloodstains of Commander Fang had even dried...

Governor Yin Fengshuo leisurely arrived on horseback.

He enjoys the salary of the state and bears the responsibility of governing an entire commandery.

Yet among all those who occupy high office while accomplishing nothing, he is the worst.

Among all who covet merit and envy the worthy, he is a traitor whose infamy shall endure for eternity.

While the people stood upon the brink of annihilation, suffering amidst fire and ruin, he hid himself in fear of death.

Not a single soldier did he dispatch.

Not a single arrow did he loose in aid of the dying.

Only after Lord Fang had burned away completely...

Only after the catastrophe had ended...

Did he leisurely straighten his robes, dust off his sleeves, fan himself with composed elegance, and arrive upon the field of white bones and shattered ruins.

There he shamelessly delivered lofty speeches to deceive the world.

He claimed heaven's merit as though it were his own.

Most hateful of all...

Upon witnessing Lord Fang's sacrifice, not only did he show not the slightest trace of grief...

He even rejoiced in another man's misfortune.

While countless people still wept in sorrow, he coldly smiled and asked, "Where is Fang Xun?"

His words were veiled accusations.

Even after death, he still sought to heap crimes upon the fallen.

How can such a venomous snake wearing a human face remain seated in the prefect's hall, commanding the people of the realm?

So long as the traitor Yin remains alive, neither Heaven's justice nor the principles of the world can be upheld.

How could I ever face Lord Fang's loyal spirit in the Nine Heavens?

Furthermore...

Natural disasters may yet be resisted.

Man-made calamities are intolerable.

Dongshan has shattered again and again.

Severance Qi pours forth like a river of darkness bursting from beneath the earth.

Judging from the clean fractures and violent collapses, this was by no means a natural catastrophe.

It is unmistakably the result of human hands.

If the true culprit behind this disaster is not thoroughly investigated...

If the ruptured earth veins are allowed to continue collapsing...

Then Guling Commandery will surely follow in the footsteps of Langya Commandery, whose lands sank into ruin.

A catastrophe shall come in which the entire earth collapses and Heaven and Earth themselves split apart.

When that day arrives, the foundations of the state shall tremble, and even the ancestral temples shall face destruction.

Therefore, I earnestly beseech the Imperial Court to display the thunderous majesty of the law.

Strip the traitor Yin of his official seal and authority.

Judge his crimes according to the law.

Offer him as a sacrifice to Lord Fang's spirit.

Furthermore, capable ministers skilled in the Ink Dao should be appointed to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Let them search the highest heavens and delve into the deepest underworld.

Let them uncover the true culprit responsible for piercing the earth's veins.

Restore Lord Fang's innocence.

Restore righteousness to the realm.

For if the law shelters the wicked while the loyal and virtuous die with unredressed grievances...

Would that not become the greatest tragedy of Great Qian?

[May Lord Fang's name endure for all eternity.]

[May his loyalty and righteousness live on forever.]