A Courtroom Play (Part 1)
“… Why… are you here?” From her seat in the court room, Boss pierced me with her gaze.
I flipped my hands into supination.
Baffled, Boss turned to the other person accusing me. “Li Muye, why are you back?”
The white-robed youth replied, “I’m also wondering the same thing…”
“S-, Captain Song. What business do you have here?” Boss stumbled on her words because, one, she wasn’t used to addressing Song Ou by his work name and, two, wasn’t used to seeing him with an extra lumpy face with black and purple makeup, plus two scarlet trails coming from his nose and sausages for lips.
I sincerely respected Song Ou for being able to sit smugly in court as if he was the chicken who won the chicken fight despite the state he was in. That said, I sincerely respected Boss even more for being able to tell it was him.
“So, what exactly happened?” Boss questioned.
An hour ago, when I tried to ditch Song Ou and escape, Song Ou caught me trying to leave him for dead. He dropped Zhao Xin and company using his clan’s “Sundering the Nine Heavens” so that he could stop my plan bearing fruit.
Even though he was a walking punch line people seldom spared attention to, there was no denying Song Ou had improved his combat abilities after Huzhou and Nanjiang even to surpass those he used to be inferior to by a large margin.
There was no way I could outrun Song Ou when he could utilise his qi. Upon closing the distance, with his hands as blades, he vaulted and yelled, “Where do you think you’re going!” as he came down on me.
Hong Jiu was already waiting along Song Ou’s descent trajectory and extended his arm in a timely manner. Like a swatted fly, Song Ou crashed into the ground at my feet, prompting me to cover my nose so as to not breathe in dust.
Given Liu Shan Men’s flooring was concrete, I thought Song Ou would pass out from the way he was bleeding, yet he managed to crawl up and seize my leg. “I won’t let you escape! I won’t let you ruin my good name! Kill me! I won’t let you take one step away! Not one! Waaaaah!”
Neither Second nor I imagined Song ou could be so shameless and courageous. Hong Jiu could’ve easily subdued him, but… we couldn’t bear to when he was trying so hard. He couldn’t harm me, but his screaming galvanised all the personnel at Liu Shan Men to assemble to find out what was going on. I could see all of their faces saying, “Ming Feizhen is bullying Captain Song.” I could see Zhao Xin’s shaken group thinking, “He’s ruthless. Even his superior fears him.” I didn’t know if Song Ou was stupid or his brain was stupid. Whatever the case, instead of feeling ashamed, he gleefully cried, “Everyone, look! This Ming Feizhen is bullying his superior and framing me for theft just because his sect is on friendly terms with His Majesty!”
Me: “I didn’t frame him for nothing! Zhao Xin and whatever their names were misunderstood the circumstances! I merely didn’t clarify, but I had my reasons for that.”
“Huh? What reason?”
“Uh, because I have what they’re searching for.”
“I knew it was you!”
“Put a sock in it!”
“Oh, so you do have a sense of shame. Since you have a sense of shame, why do you sneak into my wife’s room every night, you shameless prick?!”
“Don’t frame me! I visit her for work! How many people can nobly sacrifice their bed time for work like me?! This is Wen-Tianxiang-Yue-Fei spirit!”
“More like Ximen Qing spirit! I will never wear the green hat! You think I’ll let you off the hook!?’
“The hat you’re wearing right now is green! How is it my fault?! Let go!”
Li Muye rolled up on the scene to see how Zhao Xin was progressing with his mission. Li Muye expected to have trouble infiltrating a heavily guarded office, but he ended up being able to stroll straight through unhindered. Even Zhao Xin’s group was easy to find. “You found h-, what’s going on?”
Grinning from ear to ear, Lu Feiming jogged over to relay, “You are finally here! You have to see this. That tall fella is the thief. His name is Ming Feizhen, I believe. I think he is a constable of Liu Shan Men. The one clinging to his leg is his superior. Apparently, Ming Feizhen stole his wife! They are arguing about it right now!”
Li Muye looked as if he swallowed a snail. Not only did he know Ming Feizhen’s superior, but he even had a bone to pick with him. Song Ou’s wife needed no introduction.
Someone who treats Liu Shan Men more important than her life would have an affair and leave evidence to get caught? Just who is this Ming Feizhen guy for even Song Ou to abandon his dignity? Surely there must be more to it. Song Ou is Liu Shan Men’s captain, after all…
“You’re annoying. Let go.” I finally got my leg out of Song Ou’s hold.
Song Ou rolled over in the direction I sent him and cried, “Look! Look! Ming Feizhen assaulted me!”
“No, I didn’t hit anyone!”
Li Muye: He… hit Liu Shan Men’s captain?
Glossary
Wen Tianxiang – Duke of Xinguo was a Chinese poet and politician in the last years of the Southern Song Dynasty. For his resistance to Kublai Khan’s invasion of the Song Dynasty, and for his refusal to yield to the Yuan Dynasty despite being captured and tortured, he is a popular symbol of patriotism and righteousness in China
Yue Fei – A lauded Chinese military general during the Southern Song Dynasty who met his end 90% (framed by an influential minister and incompetent Emperor) the same way as this series’ God of Battle, Ran Feikong. He, too, has evolved to become a symbol of loyalty.
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