On the bed in the room lay a naked body.

A girl of thirteen or fourteen, covered in bite marks.

She had been cut across the neck with a single stroke, so hard her head had nearly come off.

The walls and the bed hangings were covered in spattered blood.

On the floor the blood had run together into a river of it.

Her eyes were still open. She had died without closing them.

Rage past all measure went through Ning Chen and set him shaking.

His fists were clenched, the knuckles white.

Ning Chen went slowly forward, reached out and closed the girl’s eyes, then pulled down the bed hangings and laid them gently over her.

Then he stood up and walked out of the room.

Chen Chong’s face changed completely when he saw Ning Chen come out.

“Stop— stop him, quickly!”

There was a shake in Chen Chong’s voice, and he was already running.

Ning Chen had had that same look in his eyes when he cut down the Empress’s brother.

Gao Ziping and Feng Qizheng hadn’t been there, but Chen Chong had. He would never forget the look on Ning Chen’s face that day.

Chen Chong got in front of him and tried to talk him down. “Ning Chen, calm down… These are the family of a convicted official. All these women are being sent to the courtesans’ quarter. This kind of thing happens from time to time. You’ll get used to it. Whatever you do, don’t—”

Ning Chen stared at him coldly.

“From time to time? Get used to it?”

Ning Chen’s leg came up without warning and he kicked him.

Chen Chong had no guard up at all, and it sent him sprawling.

Gao Ziping and Feng Qizheng were badly startled.

“Ning Chen, have you lost your mind?”

The two of them hurried over to help Chen Chong up.

“Never mind me. Stop Ning Chen.”

Chen Chong was so frantic the sweat stood out on his forehead.

Ning Chen had already reached the silver coat who had come out of that room hitching up his trousers.

The man’s name was Wu Dayuan, and he was Chen Lezhang’s right hand.

Chen Lezhang frowned and said heavily, “Ning Chen. What do you think you’re doing?”

They had both noticed the murder in Ning Chen’s eyes, and that he wasn’t troubling to hide it.

“Geng the Purple Coat, sir!”

Ning Chen was looking past the two of them, and he said it out of nowhere.

Chen Lezhang and Wu Dayuan both turned to look without thinking, and there was no sign of Geng Jing anywhere.

But in the instant they turned their heads, Ning Chen moved.

The saber came out of the sheath with a hiss.

Ning Chen took it in both hands, and with everything he had in him he brought it down at Wu Dayuan.

Chen Lezhang and Wu Dayuan were both good, and their reflexes were fast. They felt the danger and pulled back at once.

But they were a step too slow.

Shk—

The tip of the saber opened the silver fish-scale coat, tore through the skin and flesh beneath, and left a wound more than twenty centimeters long across Wu Dayuan’s chest, gaping open.

“Aagh—”

Wu Dayuan screamed like a pig on the block, went down hard, and rolled several times before he stopped.

Ning Chen roared and threw himself at Wu Dayuan with the saber.

“Insolence!”

Chen Lezhang bellowed it, and a vicious whipping kick came around with the wind behind it and caught Ning Chen full on.

Whump!

Ning Chen flew backwards as though he’d been hit by a carriage and came down several meters away, in enough pain that the cold sweat broke out all over him. His guts felt tied in a knot. His blood surged up in him and he coughed out a mouthful of it.

“Grievously wounding a colleague. The penalty is death.”

There was murder in Chen Lezhang’s eyes. He drew his own saber without hurrying and started toward Ning Chen.

Gao Ziping, Chen Chong and Feng Qizheng rushed over and put themselves between them.

“Move,” Chen Lezhang said furiously.

“Let Chen the Gold Coat’s anger cool. Whatever Ning Chen has done wrong, he is a man of the first department, and it is properly for Pan the Gold Coat to deal with him.”

Gao Ziping said it heavily.

Chen Lezhang’s eyes were cold. “Ning Chen has grievously wounded a colleague. I am a gold coat of the Inspectorate and I have the right to cut him down.”

Feng Qizheng said loudly, “Chen the Gold Coat, Ning Chen is a silver coat appointed by His Majesty himself… If he’s to be cut down, Geng the Purple Coat hears it and His Majesty decides it.”

Chen Lezhang’s face went iron-gray, and murder flickered in his eyes.

But Ning Chen was a silver coat His Majesty had appointed personally, and he truly did not dare kill him here.

“Ning Chen has grievously wounded a colleague, and Gao Ziping and these other two have refused an order… Someone take them back and put them in the cells.”

Several silver coats from the fourth department drew their sabers and closed in around them.

Gao Ziping and Feng Qizheng got Ning Chen on his feet.

“Ning Chen, don’t fight it. Wu Dayuan is Chen the Gold Coat’s own man, and a gold coat may execute first and report afterward. Force it now and there’s nothing good in it for us.”

Gao Ziping said it under his breath.

Ning Chen nodded. He knew he couldn’t kill Wu Dayuan now.

Chen Lezhang was a gold coat, so his skill went without saying… and there were all these silver coats and red coats besides.

If he fought them now he wouldn’t only finish himself. He’d drag Gao Ziping and the others down with him.

He stared coldly at Wu Dayuan, who was howling in pain.

The wound across Wu Dayuan’s chest was a horrible thing, and the blood had turned the silver fish-scale coat red.

Ning Chen only hated that his stroke had failed to split the animal in half.

“You beast. She was barely into her teens… How could you bring yourself to do it?”

“Wu Dayuan, I, Ning Chen, swear it here before heaven. If I don’t kill you I am not a man… While you live, I don’t stop.”

Ning Chen’s eyes were ice, and he said it one word at a time.

Chen Lezhang let out a snarl of a laugh. “Ning Chen, you’d do better to give some thought to how you’re going to stay alive. Putting a blade into a colleague — not even Geng the Purple Coat can shelter you from that.”

“Take them back. Put them in the cells.”

Ning Chen and the others were taken back to the Inspectorate and locked in the cells.

“Ning Chen, are you all right?”

Gao Ziping had noticed Ning Chen holding his stomach the whole way, and he was worried.

That whipping kick of Chen Lezhang’s had been no light thing.

Ning Chen shook his head and smiled bitterly. “I’m fine… I’ve dragged you all into this.”

Feng Qizheng said cheerfully, “Let’s not get precious with each other… If it really weighs on you, take us to the courtesans’ quarter when we get out.”

Ning Chen gave him a flat sidelong look. This man is still thinking about the courtesans’ quarter at a time like this. What a piece of work.

Chen Chong grinned. “All these years on the job and it’s always been us locking prisoners up. First time I’ve ever been locked in myself… Kind of interesting, actually.”

“Ning Chen must be used to it by now. This is his third time in.”

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. Is that supposed to be something to brag about?

Feng Qizheng laughed. “Ning Chen, don’t you worry… You cut down the Empress’s brother and nothing came of it. Nothing will come of this either. Trust us, we’ll be out soon enough.”

Gao Ziping frowned. “I’m afraid it won’t go that smoothly this time.”

Chen Chong looked at him. “Meaning what?”

Gao Ziping sighed. “Ning Chen cut down the Empress’s brother and His Majesty was merciful and spared his life… And now, a handful of days later, he’s put a blade into a silver coat. I’m afraid His Majesty will decide he’s presuming on favor. Turn His Majesty against him and we’re in trouble.”

Chen Chong wasn’t concerned in the least. “Relax. With the relationship between our boss and Geng the Purple Coat, Geng the Purple Coat is certain to put in a word for Ning Chen with His Majesty.”

“You’re making it too simple. Geng the Purple Coat commands the Inspectorate and he has to hold the bowl level… This time the fault is Ning Chen’s, and it isn’t easy for Geng the Purple Coat to take his side.”

Ning Chen frowned. “What do you mean, the fault is mine? Wu Dayuan is a beast, a pervert… You didn’t see it. That child was barely into her teens, covered in bite marks, her head all but cut off. Right now the only thing I regret is that my stroke didn’t cut the animal in two.”

Feng Qizheng said, “We don’t need to see it to know how bad it was for the girl… Who in the Inspectorate doesn’t know Wu Dayuan is a beast? Even the girls at the courtesans’ quarter and in the pleasure houses won’t take him.”

Ning Chen’s brows drew tight and he said angrily, “So nobody has ever done anything about it?”

Chen Chong sighed. “Wu Dayuan is Chen the Gold Coat’s trusted man. As a rule nobody wants to cross him… And besides, nobody is going to stand up for the family of a convicted official.”

“The Inspectorate belongs to His Majesty alone. Pity a convicted official and you’re questioning His Majesty’s judgment… Let a thing like that reach His Majesty’s ear, and what do you suppose he’d make of it?”

Ning Chen’s face was dark, and he laughed coldly. “His Majesty would decide I’m in league with convicted officials… That’s touching one of the places a man must never touch.”

Feng Qizheng said, with some anger in it, “If you understand all that perfectly well, then sticking your neck out for the family of a convicted official — how stupid is that?”

Ning Chen smiled faintly. “Some things in this world somebody has to do… It was stupid. But I don’t regret it.”

(End of Chapter 90)