After a crisp clashing sound, the short knife broke once more. Seizing the opportunity, Hua Zhi kicked her opponent's weapon away, closed the distance in an instant, and pressed a dagger against her neck.
Just as she was about to speak, Hua Zhi sensed something amiss beneath her hand. Instinctively, she withdrew the dagger and drove her knee into the woman, sending her stumbling back. She swiftly followed up, dislocating the woman's jaw. Due to her lack of practice, the Zhu family woman showed clear agony.
"Be careful. Don't give her a chance to kill herself," Hua Zhi said, slightly breathless, her shoulder throbbing with pain. "Give her paper and a brush. Let her write."
Bao Xia glanced at the Zhu family woman, who was now drooling uncontrollably, and her eyes gleamed with a sudden idea. "Should we leave her jaw like this? If it stays dislocated for too long, it might not recover properly..."
"That's not my concern," Hua Zhi replied, tucking her trembling left hand into her cloak. She gave Bao Xia an appreciative look—the coordination had been perfect. A person determined to die would exert their full strength the first time, but if they failed, their resolve might waver by the second attempt. As long as she lived, no woman could remain indifferent to her appearance.
This was an invisible pressure on the Zhu family woman.
Liu Zheng signaled his subordinate to quickly take the woman away, then stepped forward to apologize. "I was too slow to react. Please forgive me, Miss Hua."
Hua Zhi responded indifferently. Deep down, she knew Liu Zheng might not have been slow to react but had instead been testing her limits. Yet, what did she have to fear?
By then, Wang Yu had approached. Not daring to get too close, she stopped three steps away. "Hua... Hua Zhi, I..."
Hua Zhi did not offer any comforting words, merely watching her in silence.
Wang Yu lowered her head in embarrassment, burying her thoughts deep within. When she looked up again, her expression had steadied. She curtsied and asked, "Might Miss Hua inform us of the current situation in the city? Are our families... safe?"
"The city is under strict curfew, and a citywide search for remnants of the Chao Li Tribe is underway. All of you, wait here," Hua Zhi replied. Her gaze swept over the crowd, and no one dared meet her eyes. Just as they expected her to say more, she turned and descended from the viewing platform.
Some words were not worth repeating. She had no obligation to reshape their perspectives.
Wang Yu wanted to press for more details, but after taking a step forward, she halted. The Hua Ling before her was unfamiliar—no, this was not the carefree Hua Ling who had gambled with them, indifferent to losses. This was Hua Zhi, the eldest daughter of the Hua family. Why should she expect Hua Zhi to divulge more? Just because they had gambled together a few times? Did she dare bring that up now?
She did not.
Bitterness welled up in Wang Yu's heart. She remembered what Jin Yang had been like in the past and knew that treating gambling as a serious matter throughout the city was wrong. Yet, compared to the days when women could hardly step outside their homes, their current lives were far better. She dared not, and did not want, to think too deeply about it.
She was terrified of being confined again. The life of staying indoors, never venturing beyond the inner courtyards, had been suffocating—especially after tasting such freedom and joy.
Standing at the edge of the viewing platform, Wang Yu watched as Hua Zhi was treated with respect by a man clad in armor. She couldn't help but wonder: Could a woman, by her own strength, command such deference even outside the confines of a specific environment?
On the way back, Hua Zhi applied medicine to her shoulder again. It seemed even more swollen than before.
"Miss, someone is approaching ahead," Li He reported as the carriage came to a stop.
Hua Zhi quickly straightened her clothes.
Just then, Bao Xia's voice came from outside. "Miss, it's Jia Yang."Hua Zhi lifted the curtain and looked over. The person galloping swiftly on horseback was none other than Jia Yang. As he drew near, he reined in his horse, dismounted swiftly, and clasped his hands in salute. "Young Mistress, I've found Qi Qiu."
"Excellent." Hua Zhi visibly relaxed. "According to the information Zeng Xianglin left behind, Qi Qiu is also a member of the Chao Li Tribe, though I suspect he arrived later. Where did you find him?"
"You might have seen him before—he was hiding among the Manor Guards surrounding the Zeng residence, disguised in their uniform."
"..." That was indeed a clever hiding spot. Who would have thought he'd go there? If she hadn't ordered the guards to only surround the place without entering, those two account books might not have ended up in her hands.
Recalling Zeng Xianglin's letter, Hua Zhi instructed, "Arrest Lü Xinming's advisor immediately. Yu Mu acted quickly and should have prevented anyone from leaving the government office. This advisor is the last one at large."
"Yes." Jia Yang sniffed the air, recognizing the familiar scent of medicinal herbs—a common item they carried. "Are you injured?"
Hua Zhi instinctively rubbed her shoulder. "The Yu family had another hidden member who hadn't shown himself earlier. I took a punch."
Jia Yang knew well how heavy the fists of the Chao Li Tribe could be, and concern showed on his face.
Hua Zhi smiled faintly. "Pain is unavoidable, but no bones were broken. Let's focus on the task at hand."
"Yes."
By now, the sun had dipped westward, its rays noticeably less warm. Hua Zhi realized she had been rushing about outside for most of the day without realizing it. She hadn't eaten a single grain since morning—no wonder she felt both hungry and thirsty.
Hmm, she wondered if any of the young masters or ladies at the horse racing track would send food. Still, missing one meal wouldn't starve anyone. Hua Zhi didn't have a favorable impression of Jin Yang's noble families. If the Chao Li Tribe were leeches sucking the blood of Jin Yang's commoners, these people were like flies. Though they drew less blood, it didn't change the fact that they too fed on their own kind—a betrayal even harder to forgive than that of outsiders.
The title "Little Capital" for Jin Yang—she wondered when it would ever live up to its name again. Destruction always came easier than construction, especially when the rot lay in human nature.
Entering the city, the sound of carriage wheels rolling over the empty streets echoed loudly. Without even trying, Hua Zhi knew that behind every door, at least one pair of eyes was watching her. She could almost imagine their thoughts: Jin Yang City is about to undergo a major change.
And indeed, Jin Yang City needed change. Watching the sun obscured by layers of clouds, Hua Zhi withdrew into the carriage.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the government office. Alighting, she saw Liu Zheng already approaching and speaking with the elite soldiers guarding the premises.
Soon, he returned and reported, "Lord Yu left word that if you arrived, you should go straight in."
The atmosphere inside the government office was even more tense than outside. Soldiers stood at intervals of ten paces, echoing each other's positions, with no one else moving about.
In the main hall, Hua Zhi found Yu Mu and all of Jin Yang's officials, who were trapped there and unable to leave. At that moment, one person was being tightly bound by Jia Yang—without asking, Hua Zhi knew it was the advisor.
And there, standing with a dark expression, still wearing his Official Uniform...
Yu Mu stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed. "Young Mistress."
Just as Hua Zhi was about to speak, the standing man spoke first, "Who is this? How can a woman come here?"Yu Mu didn't even spare him a glance, bending deeply at the waist as he respectfully returned the Seven Constellation Bureau leader's seal to Hua Zhi with both hands. "This subordinate has fulfilled the mission. All officials from Jin Yang are present here."
Jia Yang also stepped forward to pay respects. "Reporting to Miss, the last remnant of the Chao Li Tribe has been captured. We await your instructions on how to deal with them."
Hua Zhi's gaze swept between the two men. She accepted the seal and acknowledged their protective gesture.
PS: Thank you to the reader with phone number ending in 2365 for the generous tip - it's too much! Also thanks to all readers for your tips and monthly votes. Mwah to everyone! Yesterday's missed update was due to system issues preventing access to the backend. Whenever I had time today, I kept revising what I wrote yesterday, so I decided to post everything together. I posted on Weibo that I burned my hand - it's not too serious, but with medication and bandaging, typing is still quite affected. Today's chapter was typed on my phone. Well, though belated, happy Winter Solstice to everyone!
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