Tragedy Strikes
Assessing himself in the mirror located inside his food-scented room, Ming Feizhen eventually uttered, “… Am I really that ugly?”
Ming Feizhen had no idea that the rules of the pugilistic world had evolved so much since he left it; he never imagined appearances had become a prerequisite for a partnership in the pugilistic world. However, upon introspection, it dawned upon him that it was logical since Hua Yumeng had set the new standard in Hangzhou for what dictated handsome.
“Do I really have to change my style?”
To be clear, Ming Feizhen did not have doubts about his appearance. After all, Song Yanluo never saw his real appearance. Nevertheless, it seemed that a change in his disguise was necessary for him to find success in Hangzhou. Instead of using human skin for his mask, he caked himself in materials and ingredients. While that was not sufficient to drastically alter his appearance, it was enough to help him appear younger and better.
Not long after Ming Feizhen commenced his new face job, someone knocked on his door and voiced, “Mr. Ming, please come out.”
What is your deal, people? How am I supposed to stay out of Shifu’s sights if I’m constantly going in and out?
“Does Miss Yan want me again?”
“Lord Yan wishes to see you.”
Yan Buer wants to see me?
Yan Buer was a nut as tough to crack as Ming Huayu – at least in terms of bothersome-ness. Ming Huayu also gave an order to not harm Yan Buer, so Ming Feizhen could only reason with him, but who was going to ever out-reason Yan Buer, a legitimate winner of the imperial exams?!
“Uh, can you let him know that I can’t make it?”
“He said that he will personally pay you a visit if you do not go see him?”
“Coming.” Ming Feizhen hurriedly dropped what he was doing, rubbed his face and rushed out the door.
As he followed the servant, Ming Feizhen felt something was amiss, but he could not put his finger on the source of his unease. Anybody familiar with him would agree that he was “mindless”. He was not a fool, or he would not have been able to keep up with Ming Huayu. He had enough “real world” experience to dismantle schemes without being calculative. Unfortunately, owing to his physical prowess, he was able to overcome insurmountable odds and schemes through sheer physical prowess, which led to him often overlooking many things. For instance, a wild horse colliding with him would be totally different for someone else. As a consequence, his diagnostic threshold for threats was abnormally high compared to others and was the reason he often was his own undoing.
Ming Feizhen caught a glimpse of himself in Yan Buer’s copper mirror before the latter could finish raising his head to greet him.
I just removed my makeup!
“What’s the matter?”
“N-nothing.”
“Then why are you hiding your face behind your sleeves?”
“I have contracted leprosy.”
“Let’s move, then.”
Shouldn’t you be worried?! This is contagious!
As he did not know what Yan Buer wanted to see him for, Ming Feizhen followed behind the former, although he kept his face hidden. Yan Buer led him out of his manor and into the court room, where he used to visit whenever his Night Fortress brethren were arrested.
“Stand by and listen in,” instructed Yan Buer, taking a seat at the table and hitting the table. “Commence court.”
After the guards along the two columns announced the commencement of court, Ming Feizhen listened in on the hearing of a granny complaining about an egg thief. The thief was caught in the act with ample evidence to lock him up, yet Yan Buer followed the proper procedures to press charges. Had it not been for his efficiency, people would have complained about him being excessively verbose without good reason.
It appeared Yan Buer was ready to speak to him once he was done and had a sip of tea, only for Ming Feizhen to hear, “Commence court,” again. The next case, which revolved around a horse sabotaging a stall at the market, was slightly more complicated. Nonetheless, he found the horse owner – Young Master Kuo – guilty in about the same amount of time as he spent on the first case.
When Ming Feizhen heard Yan Buer call for the third case to commence, Ming Feizhen lost his patience and asked, “Lord Yan, can I ask, ‘Why’?”
Without sparing Ming Feizhen a glance, Yan Buer answered, “I heard you had accomplished quite a fair few achievements ever since you were conferred an official rank. How are you still so dull?”
“???” Ming Feizhen was so surprised that he even lowered his arm to see clearly, hoping to glean something he might have missed.
Keeping his gaze fixed on the documents before him, Yan Buer continued, “I won’t comment since His Majesty allowed you to hold the post. That said, you aren’t doing the people any favours if you continue behaving the way you have in the past. I called you hear to share some experience. Focus instead of being distracted.”
Though Ming Feizhen could refer to Yan Buer as an uncle considering his age, Ming Feizhen never expected to receive pointers from him. On account of his friendship with Ming Huayu, Ming Feizhen offered a salute and expressed, “I apologise for not appreciating your efforts and your relationship with Shifu, Uncle Yan.”
“I’m no friend of his. Don’t get the wrong idea. He’s a wanted criminal. If I could detain him, do you think I’d let him go?” Seemingly recalling memories of Ming Huayu, he softened his expression. “Focus. Summon…” He frowned when he saw the name on the document and uttered, “Cha Hao.”
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