The Heavenly Wandering Sword

Chapter 27

As the tax collector was dragged away, Liao Ping looked over at Li Jian with a puzzled look on his face. “Lord Benefactor, who is the young man you have brought with you then?” Li Jian casually waved a hand. “Oh it’s just the Crown Prince of Huaxia.” Liao Ping’s eye budged out slightly before quickly getting on all fours in front of Prince Jing. “Your Royal Highness please forgive me for my transgression, I was not aware and did not recognize your Roy-“Jing Wu Die quickly cut him off and reached down, gently pulling him up. “Master, please no need to kneel. You and your compatriots have suffered greatly under the yoke of tyranny, this is something that I as Crown Prince am obligated to do. Imperial Guard, take an edict.”

The head of the Imperial Guard bowed respectfully in front of him. “My first edict as Crown Prince. The members of the Baiyang Street Vendor association do not need to kneel for me.” The Imperial Guardsman bowed. “This edict has been received your Royal Highness.” Li Jian nodded slightly in approval. A Crown Prince needed the support of the people. He thought about his past experiences with Kings and Emperors and contemplated his current actions. In the past when he had been on the path of ascension, he had used brute force to correct what he perceived as wrongs but he had learned after thousands of years that brute force was not the correct method. Much like cultivation, a strong foundation had to be established properly.

“Brother Li, I will have to trouble you to accompany me then. I will need to speak to the Governor about this issue. There is a rule of non-interference in the affairs of the city but as the tax collector dared to threaten to cut my legs off, the pact is null and void at this moment. Do you think the Governor is involved?” Jing Wu Die looked over at Li Jian who mulled over the question. “Involved or not, the Governor must know about it.” He mused upon his own words carefully and gave Jing Wu Die a calculated look. “Prince Jing, as a future ruler you must have the support of the cities. Brute force and fear are not the best ways because you will never have their cooperation. Power must be consolidated through the right approach.”

Jing Wu Die thought about his words carefully. Truthfully, he imagined that he would have to storm the Governors palace and demand an explanation but after careful thought, Li Jian’s words made much more sense.

Giving out the orders, the Royal Carriage was summoned and after a short distance of travel, the carriage arrived with the Imperial Guard in front of the Governor’s palace. A member of the Imperial Guard went into the palace to announce the arrival of the Crown Prince while many civil servants would blink with surprise at the arrival of a member of the Imperial family. When Prince Jing walked in through the doors of the palace, the Governor was there waiting along with his own staff. The Imperial Guard quickly lined the main hall as well as blocked off the entrance and exit. “Crown Prince, you honour me.” Governor Tao Min said as he bowed deeply. “Governor, please rise. I apologize for the sudden intrusion but I am afraid there is a rather serious matter that must be resolved quickly.” The Governor in his mind wondered which tavern or brothel had denied the Crown Prince free service and now needed him to be involved.

“Bring out the tax collector.” Two members of the Imperial Guard brought in the tax collector who was restrained with chains, pushing him down onto the floor in front of the two after the Crown Prince and the Governor had both been seated. “This is one of my tax collectors?” Governor Tao said curiously. Perhaps the tax collector had refused to move out of the way of this spoiled young prince? He figured at most a stiff fine and some jail sentence would be acceptable. Perhaps he would need to bribe the Crown Prince with some “sincerity” to make it go away. That was the usual Royal way after all.

“Governor, this tax collector has been arrested by the Imperial Guard for threatening to cut off my legs.” Jing Wu Die knew that he had a reputation as carefree and simple but that was before he was made the Crown prince. At that time, he still was able to afford casual leisure. “I was here to visit a benefactor of the Imperial family, and he was kind enough to take me through to Travelers street. When your tax collector came, he not only demanded bribes from the hard-working auntie and uncle street vendors, but also threatened harm to me.” He paused and let the words sink in. The Governor’s face became progressively paler and paler.

“Please do not misunderstand me Governor. In truth, I owe you quite a debt. I know that you have taken excellent care of my sister Lady Bai the past few years.” He offered the Governor a lifesaving rope, hoping that the Governor would take it. “I… Your Royal Highness, please forgive me. I have failed in instructing my own servants. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” The Governor could only say these words now, city governors have been removed and executed for far less in the past. Jing Wu Die however shook his head. “I am not here to punish you, Governor Tao. The tax collector, he must be put to death. I cannot let a threat against the Imperial family be treated with a slap nor bought off with silver.” At his words, Jing Hong stepped up and drew her sword before beheading the tax collector with a single swipe. The Governor stared at this, seeing that the Third Princess acting with much more assertiveness than previously rumoured.

“My other concern is also the corruption from the tax collector. Daring to force protection money from the citizens, that is something I find absolutely unacceptable.” Jing Wu Die put up a hand before the Governor can speak. “I understand that corruption is everyone. I also understand it is not as simple an issue as stamping it out completely. I think that you will agree though, when we see it then we must act.” The Governor nodded furiously. “Of-Of course your Royal Highness.” Jing Wu Die smiled before standing up. “Governor, please do not misplace my trust in you. I am not investigating this matter any further because I trust that you and I have an understanding.” The Governor got up and bowed down on his hands and knees. “Yes I understand your Royal Highness. Thank you for your mercy today.”

After the Crown Prince had departed, the Governor mulled over what had just happened. It seemed that the Crown Prince wanted him to clean up his own house. After all, he had even mentioned the mistress of the Purple Pavilion. Tao Min sighed to himself, the Crown Prince was quite different than the carefree brat that he had heard about. In the future, he was sure to be more powerful than his father.

The next morning, the city was greeted by the arrival of a multitude of powerful figures who now came to the city. The various Sects had finally come to Baiyang City for the Inter-Sect competition. The city streets were filled with a much larger number of variously coloured uniforms of the different sects. Part of the reason why Jing Wu Die was here as well, was to observe the Inter-Sect competition. Traditionally, it had been the Crown Prince or Princess who attended and so this responsibility fell to Jing Wu Die.

The arena was set up in the territory of the Thousand Sword Sect, a massive structure that was able to house up to 50 thousand spectators with five massive fighting rings. Each fighting ring was fortified with a variety of different arrays to protect spectators from the powers that might be unleashed in this fight. Li Jian frowned to himself. After doing so much to get out of the competition, here he was watching the competition from the sideline. He had declined to sit in the Royal booth set up for Prince Jing Wu Die and Princess Jing Hong. Instead, he lounged in the booth of the Purple Pavilion. He would not have come if Prince Jing as well as Lady Bai had both asked him to.

Lady Bai was sitting beside him, looking out the window at the various fights that took place. She had many things to be thankful to Li Jian for, although he was overly casual. “Brother Li, I hope everything is to your liking?” Li Jian nodded slightly. “Sister Bai, why does the Purple Pavilion come to these events?” It was something that he had wondered ever since her invitation. From just a casual understanding, it seemed that the Purple Pavilion itself had very little to do with who wins or loses in a competition like this. “It’s like this, every year during the fight itself there inevitably results in a top ten list. From the top ten list, various factions will find someone that they will choose to support. The hope is that the disciple will become powerful in their Sect and it is a way of building a connection between the factions and the winners.”

“So it’s like that.” Li Jian thought to himself before nodding. “Are there any disciples that you think will be a good candidate?” Lady Bai thought about it for a moment. “Ling Feng, the disciple from the Spirtblade Sect. He has good potential and Spiritblade is a small sect, so it would be much easier to influence.” Li Jian laughed at her words much to her surprise and confusion. “Sister Bai, I too think that Ling Feng is an excellent candidate. Perhaps the one with the most potential in the entire Sect.” Li Jian however had mixed feelings about the Spiritblade Sect.

The fight did eventually get to the semi-finals. It was Ling Feng against a member of the Skysoul Sect, while Liang Wei the top disciple of the Thousand Sword Sect was fighting off against a member of the Bloody Fist Sect. The fight went as expected, Ling Feng coming out over the Skysoul member and Liang Wei defeating the Bloody Sect disciple. The final match would be between Liang Wei and Ling Feng. Ling Feng had progressed much since the last time that Li Jian had seen him, moving onto the second level of nascent soul. The progress was quite fast but Ling Feng had always seemed like a determined individual

“Looks like Sister Bai had her eye on a good candidate.” Li Jian said, looking back at her just in time to catch the second Princess of the Imperial family staring at him fondly. She blushed and looked away quickly, nodding slightly. The fight for the top spot was starting. It seemed that neither one of them wished for a break. This was a fight that Li Jian would pay more attention to.

Ling Feng attacked first, drawing out his spiritual essence and sending out blast after blast of force with his sword but Liang Wei was more powerful. A larger sect like the Thousand Sword Sect had better resources. With a slight swing of his sword, Liang Wei was able to break through Ling Feng’s attack easily before quickly appearing behind him and kicking him in the lower back, sending him crashing down onto the arena. Ling Feng to his credit recovered quickly, back flipping the instant he landed and swung his blade again. The attack forced the overly aggressive Liang Wei to step back slightly and hold up his own blade to block the strike. This gave Ling Feng the space he needed to pull his blade back and strike forward with his sword in a piercing attack. Liang Wei however had only been toying with him. Letting Ling Feng’s blade pass within millimeters of his face, he stabbed his own blade forward and thrusted his blade forward to stab through Ling Feng’s stomach. He missed his heart but Ling Feng was sent flying back and out of the arena, crashing down onto the ground.

“The winner is Liang Wei!” The referee announced. Money changed hands quickly in the bet but something was off. Li Jian could sense that the Thousand Sword Sect was not quite jubilant. The Sect Master Zhen Yi Mu floated up out of his observation booth in the center of the arena.

“As we can see, the Thousand Sword Sect time and time again proves its greatness. I believe that we have proven our power again and again. I am formally announcing that all Level 2 and Level 3 Sects will be absorbed by the Thousand Sword Sect as of today.”