Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Fiend's Cry - 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The wind howled fiercely. The old woman leaned on her staff as she shuffled forward. Hacking coughs rattled from her chest with every step. Sometimes she had to stop entirely just to catch her breath.
She had set out at dawn, but by the time she reached the grand gates of the Tian Clan manor, it was nearing noon. The ragged old woman addressed the gatekeeper.
"I've come to see my son."
The gatekeeper said nothing.
How many had lost their minds after two straight years of failed harvests? How many had tried to deceive the Tian Clan? He stood there like a boulder weighing a thousand catties, unmoving.
The old woman spoke again.
"My boy's locked up in there."
"What's your son's name?"
Even as he asked, a chill ran down his spine. Jiangming was a small city, and lately, only one man had been imprisoned by the Tian Clan.
A heinous criminal who had tried to poison the young masters at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering banquet and slaughter them all.
"His family name is Bai, given name Hui. Please, let me see my boy."
It was him. Even villains had mothers, it seemed, and the gatekeeper couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. Still, he steeled himself.
"You can't see a criminal. He'll be released once he pays for his crimes, so wait at home."
"My Hui would never do such a thing. There must be some mistake. He couldn't even kill an ant."
"If he's truly innocent, the clan head will uncover the truth. I can't let you inside."
That should do it, the gatekeeper thought. It was midwinter, with not a soul in sight on the streets. Even bundled up tight, the knife-like wind stung his skin.
She won't last long out here.
Once she gave up and left, he could slip behind the wall for a breather. No one in their right mind would be out on a day like this.
But the old woman didn't budge.
"Please, let me see my son. Grant this wish to an old woman."
"Trust us and wait. Any more insistence will be taken as an insult to the Tian Clan's justice."
The old woman remembered it all too clearly.
The Tian Clan's chief steward and officials, scheming ambitions on fine silk while silver slipped quietly into their pockets.
The venomous hearts that dragged an entire family to hell just because their son lost a martial duel.
With no way to fight back, she had endured and survived. Vowing to protect her one son, she had raised him against all odds.
But now, false accusations and traps again. Desperation clawed at her.
Things she couldn't trust, couldn't fight, couldn't overcome. She had never lived punching at stone, so she didn't know what to do.
Thus, the old woman stood firm.
Even if it meant begging for mercy with tears streaming down her face, she had to see her son.
She couldn't turn away until her own eyes confirmed he was unharmed. Her resolve was ironclad and unyielding.
"Call my son out. I'll stand here until you do."
Those words carried the weight of her entire life, forged solid. Before the impenetrable gate, she endured the cold like an ancient withered tree.
In the gusting wind, only sporadic coughs echoed faintly.
...
Drip of water.
Somewhere, droplets were falling. The underground cell was damp and musty. A few bundles of straw on the dirt floor—that was all they had given me.
Rats squeaked through cracks in the weathered walls. The wooden collar around my neck weighed heavy. The chill seeped into my stiff joints, making them scream.
When I came to, I was here.
I stared blankly into the darkness. I couldn't even guess what had happened. Where was this place? Why was I chained?
Why was I...
in death row?
When something too unreal happens, the human brain shuts down. A natural defense mechanism. When the unbelievable strikes, the mind halts judgment. That's what was happening to me now.
No answers came. The same questions looped endlessly. Why me? Why here?
Like an overturned beetle flailing its legs, my eyes darted around. The musty mold stench, the sturdy wooden bars—it was unmistakably death row.
What crime had I committed?
They offered to clear my hundred-nyang debt if I worked as a kitchen hand for a day. Yesterday, I went to the inn hosting the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. I took drunken beatings, food thrown in my face, and silently fetched more, over and over. I remembered doing nothing else.
Had I killed someone?
No. Fearing any mishap, I hadn't even drawn my sword. I'd knocked away two blades that came at me, dodging wildly with my life on the line—that was it.
I'd never killed anyone. I didn't have the skill for it. My opponents were the prized young heirs of great clans.
I sifted through hazy memories, searching for the cause. I hadn't harmed anyone. No threats, no intimidation. Blocking incoming sword strikes couldn't be a crime.
So why?
Then it came—creeeak—the death row door swung open. A figure entered, backlit by faint light.
A familiar voice.
"Sorry about this, Brother Bai."
"World Dragon...!"
The man in the hero's turban was World Dragon. He looked at me apologetically. I gripped the bars and shook with all my might, but it was useless.
"Calm down. You think I don't know you're innocent?"
"What the hell did you do to me?!"
"Listen. I'm just as frustrated as you are. But you have to trust me if I’m to help."
World Dragon reached through the bars. I glared at him silently. He gripped my hand tight and spoke.
"One week. Just wait one week. Then I'll get you out clean. As promised—hundred nyang? No, two hundred. I didn't expect this. I know it's hard to trust me. But this wasn't my plan. I'll roll up my sleeves and fix it."
The cell was stifling dark. Shadows hid World Dragon's face, making it hard to see. I strained to pierce the dim outline.
"You need to back my story."
"Back your story?"
"Trial's in five days. Testify that the Dragon Star Clan was behind you. Say you knew nothing, that they tricked you. You'll walk free."
"..."
"It's the truth. This was their scheme. I've got evidence, all secured. Just say the words, and it's done."
The Dragon Star Clan—a massive evil faction rivaling the Huangfu Clan in the northern mountains. Perfect suspects for sabotaging the righteous Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. They had motive and power.
My head spun. What was truth, what was lies?
"Those young masters harassing you—they're all outsiders. Once this blows over, they'll leave and never return. Whether Bai Hui lived, died, or walked free—I'll make sure the world never knows. I'm World Dragon. The Tian Clan's power makes it easy."
"...Is that true?"
"I meant to mess with you, not sacrifice you to die. Trust me just once."
A red arc.
World Dragon's sword at the inn had flown straight for my throat. If I hadn't dodged or blocked, I'd be dead. Tongue or blade—which weighed heavier was obvious.
But now, shackles bound my ankles. What could I do...
"..."
"Got it? Thanks for trusting me. Remember—it's all the Dragon Star Clan bastards."
Nothing.
Mistaking my silence for agreement, World Dragon hurried out. I was left alone on the straw.
Staring into the dark, stray thoughts crept in one by one. What steps led me here? Why was I meant to die in World Dragon's plan?
Who poisoned the inn? How could I escape? Endless worries came and went.
The sun set. Sunset scattered beyond the bars, darkness fell. Moonlight suddenly lit the dirt floor. It was a cold, cold, freezing night. The air bit sharper than ever.
Idly scratching the floor with straw, I lay down, but sleep wouldn't come.
Suddenly, I missed home.
"Mother..."
"Hey! The gates are closed—go home!"
"My son... cough. Bring him out."
"Gates are closed! You'll die out here!"
Creeeak. The great gates shut. They wouldn't open again tonight. But even as the gatekeeper slammed them, the old woman didn't move.
She had no intention of moving.
No feeling in her legs. Her face, her arms—no more pain from what felt like they might fall off. The old woman gazed at the gatekeeper with serene eyes.
Her pure, guileless will made him step back.
"I'm not moving. Not one step."
No passersby. Rumors of a murderer slaying martial artists had emptied the streets even more. The gatekeeper pitied and worried for her briefly, then recalled the stern, ominous mood inside the clan.
The wretch's son was a vicious criminal. Even if things went wrong, it was just punishment...
"Argh, not my problem! I told you to go home and rest!"
"Thank you. But I won't move until Hui comes!"
"Do what you want! Damn it!"
Thud. The gate shut. The old woman still stood.
All through the deepening night, only quiet coughs lingered on. Cough, cough—steady at first, then gradually fading. Faint, short, stifled.
And at some point, they stopped entirely.
Only the old woman remained, standing still.
Without the slightest twitch.