If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

Xie Buci pressed the bottom of the cup against his forehead.

"The tree hasn't even borne fruit yet, but the tents are already all hung up."

Mo Chengyue put the three medicine bottles into his sleeve pocket.

"Senior brother, I don't usually see you carrying this teapot."

"If you reveal your hand too early, others will have their eyes on you."

"Are you willing to give it up today?"

Xie Buci looked down at the boundary marker, his casual smile fading slightly.

"Someone has set their sights on Qingquan Peak today."

Qin Wanzhuang followed his gaze and her hand had already landed on the hilt of the sword.

"Foreign Affairs Office".

In the middle of the mountain path in front of the boundary marker, there are three long tables with vermilion lacquer, with the verification stone pressed against the corner of the table and several black-patterned waist tags hanging on the wooden frame.

Several inner sect officers stood behind a long table, their faces grim, the outer sect insignia on their sleeves turned outwards, blocking the stone steps leading up the mountain.

A white jade wine pot landed a hundred paces away from the boundary marker, peach blossom branches drooping down like a ladder, and Qin Wanzhuang first lifted the sword box and landed.

Xie Buci followed, his shoes stepping on flower petals without getting a speck of mud or dust on them.

The leader took two steps forward, his gaze sweeping from the sword case to the young servant on the door panel.

"Everyone from Qingquan Peak, please stop here."

Xie Buci folded the white jade cup back into his palm.

"The Foreign Affairs Hall is welcoming guests today, and they're not even offering tea?"

The leading officer cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, but did not bend his back.

"Brother Xie, the Hongfengdu case involves the Foreign Affairs Department's escaped conscripts. The department has been ordered to inspect the boundary marker."

Qin Wanzhuang spoke.

"Give Way."

"Senior Sister Qin, the witness must first be verified by the External Affairs Hall."

The young laborer bit a strip of cloth on the door panel, leaving a damp mark on his forehead as he moved it against the wooden board.

Shopkeeper Hu placed the white paper lantern horizontally in front of the door.

"He did not desert his post."

The lead officer looked at her.

"Mortals remain outside the boundary marker; their words will be recorded again later."

Manager Hu pressed his silver hairpin against the lamp base, the tip of the hairpin brushing against the wooden surface.

"When will we turn back?"

"There are rules and regulations within the hall."

"Red Maple Ferry also waited for the regulations, but what it got was a boatload of black water."

The officers' faces darkened, and one of them pushed the verification stone towards the center of the table.

"Qingquan Peak privately detained a servant from the External Affairs Office; the person must be verified first."

Mo Chengyue helped Yuhua Sword down the peach blossom steps, his right sleeve hanging low, and his left hand holding a white silk handkerchief hidden behind his sleeve.

"The curse cast by human tongues is still fresh; who in the Foreign Affairs Office can guarantee he'll still be alive after entering?"

The lead officer looked at him.

"Mo Chengyue?"

"Before announcing your name, announce yours first."

"Yan Shao, Inner Affairs Officer of the Foreign Affairs Office."

Xie Buci smiled and twirled the rim of the cup in his palm.

"Junior Brother Yan, what a good name, and he's strict in his work too."

Yan Shao didn't take his joke seriously.

"By order of the court, any lost servants must be returned to the External Affairs Office."

Qin Wanzhuang asked.

"Paper Order".

Yan Shao raised his hand and pointed to the long table.

"The verification stone is here; the court order can be verified."

"Paper Order".

"Senior Sister Qin, why make things difficult? The External Affairs Hall and Qingquan Peak both belong to the sect, and lost servants are under the jurisdiction of the hall."

Xie Buci took half a step forward, and peach petals spread along the edge of his shoes.

"Because they belong to the same sect, the living witnesses brought back by Qingquan Peak must first see the peak master of Qingquan Peak."

Yan Shao's fingers curled up inside his sleeve for a moment, then relaxed.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. The case has been reported to the Elder."

Mo Chengyue looked up.

"Which elder?"

"The decree itself will clearly state this."

Qin Wanzhuang held her sword sheath horizontally in front of her.

"Take it out."

The two officers behind Yan Shao exchanged a glance, and the ink patterns on the verification stone flashed as their sleeves swayed.

Shopkeeper Hu clenched the silver hairpin in his palm, sweat dripping down the handle onto the lamp base, causing the lamplight to tilt to one side due to the dampness.

The young handyman made muffled, short sounds through the rag in his mouth, and the hemp rope on the door rustled as it rubbed against his shoulders and back.

Mo Chengyue did not turn around.

"Teeth closed."

The young servant immediately gripped the strip of cloth firmly.

Xie Buci glanced sideways at Mo Chengyue.

"Can it still hold on?"

"If you don't ask too many questions, I can hold out until dinner."

"Okay, I'll add some dishes for you later."

Qin Wanzhuang moved the scabbard half an inch in front of his boots.

"Let's get through this first."

Xie Buci tucked the cup into his sleeve, neatly removing the slight languor from his lips.

"Junior Brother Yan, if the Elder's decree is only for the purpose of verifying the body, then Qingquan Peak will cooperate and leave a message."

Yan Shao took out a scroll of imperial edict with a yellow background and vermilion patterns from his sleeve. The red seal was affixed with the elder's mark, and the spine of the paper had a layer of old ink sheen.

He raised the imperial edict and read it aloud in front of the boundary marker.

"By order of the elders, all disciples of Qingquan Peak must immediately hand over the complete list of spoils seized from Hongfeng Ferry, without fail!"

The yellow background and vermilion patterns of the calligraphy were unfolded in front of the boundary marker. The old ink flowed along the spine of the paper. Yan Shao raised his hand higher, and the markings of the Foreign Affairs Hall on his cuffs were turned out.

"By order of the elder, all disciples of Qingquan Peak must immediately hand over all the lists of spoils seized from Hongfeng Ferry without error."

The wind in front of the boundary marker paused for a moment, and the flame of the white paper lantern in Shopkeeper Hu's arms shrank into the lampshade, leaving a red mark on her palm from the pressure of the lamp handle.

The young handyman chewed on a strip of cloth, making soft, bubbling sounds in his throat, his shoulders and back pressed against the door panel as he shrugged backward, the hemp rope rubbing wood shavings onto his clothes.

Xie Buci held the white jade cup in his palm and gently turned the bottom of the cup once.

"Junior Brother Yan, please read it again. I'm afraid I'll get peach blossoms in my ears."

Yan Shao pushed the imperial edict forward an inch or so.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. The decree is here. If Qingquan Peak disobeys, the External Affairs Hall will report to the sect."

Qin Wanzhuang looked at the rolled-up imperial edict, her sword case lying across her knees, the blood jade against the scabbard making a soft sound.

"Which elder?"

Yan Shao raised his chin and glanced at the officers on both sides of the boundary marker.

"The imperial edict bears an official seal."

"Name."

"How can a disciple be allowed to question the elder in public according to his decree?"

Mo Chengyue stood by the Peach Blossom Ladder, supporting himself with the Rain Flower Sword. His right sleeve hung down, covering most of the medicine cloth.

"Junior Brother Yan, the decree requires a register, but not witnesses or the sword case."

Yan Shao's gaze shifted to his face.

"The roster, fragments, old ship tags, water spell sealed bottles, and mission tokens seized at Hongfeng Ferry are all evidence in the case file, which is under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Office."

Manager Hu immediately spoke up.

"Red Maple Ferry is the shore of my home, and the register is an account kept by both the living and the dead in my family. When did it become your family's responsibility?"

Yan Shao looked at her, his lips taut.

"Mortals are not allowed to disrupt the sect's investigation."

Shopkeeper Hu held the white paper lantern horizontally in front of him.

"Even mortals know to announce the owner's name before taking something. You just come in and reach for your things. Do you think the rules are hidden in your sleeves?"

Xie Buci let out a soft "Ah."

"Manager Hu's words are quite insightful and worthy of being written on a memorial tablet."

An officer behind Yan Shao pushed the verification stone in front of the table.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xie and Senior Sister Qin. The Verification Stone can verify the authenticity of the decree."

Qin Wanzhuang asked.

"Can you check where the person who gave the order is?"

The clerk opened and closed his lips twice, looking at Yan Shao.

Yan Shao pressed the imperial edict onto the verification stone, and the vermilion pattern lit up, revealing a faint red imprint on the edge of the long table.

"The decree is true."

Mo Chengyue looked at the imprinted image, his fingertip pausing on the hilt of the Rain Flower Sword.

"The seal is real, but the story may not be complete."

Yan Shao replied in a cold voice.

"Mo Chengyue, you've been illegally detaining servants from the External Affairs Hall and hiding the Red Maple Ferry register. Now you even dare to defame the Elder's decree?"

"I only have one question."

Mo Chengyue raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the end of the imperial edict.

"The imperial edict listed all the spoils seized at Hongfeng Ferry, but who told you that the list was on our possession?"

Yan Shao swallowed hard.

"This has already been explained in the case file."

"Who sent the message?"

"The Foreign Affairs Office has its own source."

"The paper offering at Hongfeng Ferry has not yet been submitted to the sect, the photo taken at Xunshan Hall has not been handed over, Manager Hu has not entered the inner gate, the coachman has not entered the boundary marker, and the servant still has a piece of cloth in his mouth."

As Mo Chengyue spoke, the black nail under the white silk on his left palm pressed against the skin, and the red thread at the end stuck to the palm lines in his sleeve.

"You know the roster, you know the spoils, you know the boundary markers at the Qingquan Summit, and you even know to place the imperial edict on this table for people to wait on."

Xie Buci nodded towards Yan Shao with the rim of his cup.

"Junior Brother Yan, you're quite diligent in your work and also quick to get information."

Yan Shao rolled up the imperial edict and gripped the red seal with his fingers.

"If Qingquanfeng has any questions, he can appeal to the Foreign Affairs Office later. Now, please submit the roster."