Chapter 4: Xie Qi and Xie Jiu

The flash of white light turned out to be a long sword, embedded three steps away from the condemned man, its hilt still quivering from the impact. At this moment, Lord Zhang realized the newcomer wasn’t an envoy sent by the emperor but a woman in white, wearing a golden mask, with a treasured sword on her back and a scabbard in hand.

She seemed to be the one disrupting the execution.

Following her was a man in blue, wielding a long sword. The two rode swiftly, about to charge into the crowd gathered below the platform. The onlookers, regaining their senses, scattered in panic.

The two riders reined in their horses sharply, causing them to rear up. Before the horses had fully stopped, the woman leaped onto the execution platform. With agile movements, she evaded the guards’ attacks, drew her sword, and in a fluid motion, cut the ropes binding the scholar. The man positioned himself behind the scholar’s family, protecting them.

In just five or six breaths, such a dramatic change occurred. Lord Zhang initially felt joy, then furrowed his brows.

The goateed official on the left, though outwardly panicked, had a glint of glee in his small eyes. He shouted, “Who dares disrupt the execution? Seize them quickly!”

The person behind him frowned, saying, “They’re here.”

Suddenly, a large number of soldiers appeared, swiftly dividing into two groups: one to protect the officials on the execution platform, and the other to surround the execution stage. The soldiers moved with precision, like hunters waiting for their prey.

Ignoring the intense stares around her, the woman said, “Second Brother.”

The scholar exclaimed excitedly, “Xiao Jiu.”

The scholar’s family below looked at the woman with hope but remained silent.

The soldiers were restless, but the woman paid them no mind. She raised her sword and said loudly, “Do you recognize this sword, my lords?”

Ignoring others’ attempts to stop him, Lord Zhang quickly approached, exclaiming, “The Imperial Sword!”

The woman continued, “I am Xie Jiyan, with Xie Ling, the young master of the Xie family. By the order of the family head, we are here to investigate this case. With the token and the Imperial Sword, we present the situation to His Majesty. My seventh brother has already gone to the palace to plead with His Majesty. In this urgent situation, I have come with the Imperial Sword to save him. The emperor’s decree will arrive shortly. Please wait a moment.”

Lord Zhang immediately ordered, “Since we have the Imperial Sword, let’s wait a bit. Everyone, stand down.”

The two officials beside him objected, “Without a decree, we cannot release him. We should apprehend them immediately and deal with them on the spot.”

“I am the chief judge. You two are merely assisting. I will take full responsibility for any consequences. Now, follow my orders and stand down.”

“Yes.”

At this moment, the young boy and girl below shouted, “Aunt!” The woman turned to them with a smile, “It’s alright now.”

Just then, several assassins leaped forward, two heading towards the mother and children below, and three rushing to the platform. The woman drew her sword, shielding the scholar. The Imperial Sword proved its worth, and with a flash of its blade, the assassins fell at her feet.

The boy and girl below assumed defensive stances, protecting their mother, and the two assassins fell at the feet of the man in blue.

The woman nodded slightly at the man.

Someone in the crowd threw several hidden weapons, but they were all intercepted with the sound of metal clashing. The woman deftly flicked one of the hidden weapons back, hitting the assailant.

Lord Zhang hurriedly ordered his subordinates to restrain the person, but the assailant took his own life.

The scholar and the woman stood back to back on the high platform, their spines equally straight.

“Xiao Jiu, why did you and Xiao Qi come? I didn’t listen to Grandpa back then and insisted on staying as an official. Now, I’ve been falsely accused, and it’s utterly shameful.”

“Second Brother, the family teachings of our ancestors say the descendants of the Xie family may live freely. You have always wished to be an official to benefit the people. You’re merely staying true to yourself. There’s no shame in that. Don’t belittle yourself.”

That day, a woman rode into Yingdu’s undercurrents, and years later, many still remembered the brilliance of the sword in her hand.

tln : Xiao = Little / Younger