You Haven't Paid Yet

Causing trouble in the Capital City would lead straight to the Ministry of Justice. However, their minor scuffle naturally did not warrant disturbing high-ranking officials; a Director of the Ministry of Justice was more than enough to handle it.

Thinking of the heavy workload lately, the Director of the Ministry of Justice, who had dark circles under his eyes, complained the moment he showed his face: "What is it today?"

Upon seeing the Director, Mu Shiqi could not wait to point at Mu Xiangli: "My Lord, I report him! He is the escaped major criminal from Dong City, Mu Kuan."

The Director tried to stay alert: "Who are you? Do you have any evidence?"

Mu Shiqi immediately said: "I am Mu Shiqi of the Mu Clan in Dong City. This is my younger cousin, Mu Wanqiu, who has passed the assessment of the Wenhua Academy. And these two are my attendants; we are all witnesses. If Your Lordship still doubts us, you can arrest this man first and send someone to Dong City to inquire."

Hearing that Mu Wanqiu had entered the Wenhua Academy, both the Director and Mu Xiangli, who was watching the show, were somewhat surprised.

Although Mu Xiangli was not clear on the testing rules of the Wenhua Academy, he assumed they were similar to those of the Longwu Academy. For Mu Wanqiu to pass the assessment on only the second day, regardless of which subject she was tested on, was absolutely no simple feat.

Seeing her cousin drag her into this, Mu Wanqiu hastily advised: "Cousin, let it go. It might just be a misunderstanding. Even if it is truly him, we were in the wrong before. Harmony is precious."

Mu Shiqi flared up upon hearing this: "We were in the wrong? Why are you siding with an outsider? What, now that you've entered the Wenhua Academy, do you look down on the Mu Clan?"

Mu Wanqiu frowned: "Cousin, what are you saying? Second Uncle allowed you to accompany me to the Royal City to broaden your horizons, not to cause trouble."

Mu Shiqi said angrily: "You dare lecture me."

The Director, who had given some weight to the case upon hearing that Mu Wanqiu had entered the Wenhua Academy, was now perplexed by their sudden bickering: "What on earth is going on with you all? One insists he is a fugitive, while the other claims it is a misunderstanding. Are you here to make a mockery of this official?"

Mu Xiangli, having watched enough of the spectacle, wanted to step forward but was stopped by the bailiffs. He addressed the Director: "My Lord, may I take a step forward to speak?"

The Director looked at him: "What words do you have that must be spoken in close proximity?"

Mu Xiangli explained: "I wish to show Your Lordship an object that can prove my innocence."

Hearing this, Mu Shiqi blurted out: "Are you trying to bribe the Lord?"

Mu Xiangli glanced at him: "What do you mean by that? The Lord is upright and honest. Even if I wished to bribe him, he would surely refuse. What are you afraid of?"

The Director also glared at Mu Shiqi: "Are you questioning this official?"

Mu Shiqi realized his slip of the tongue and quickly apologized: "I dare not."

But with his interruption, it was no longer convenient for the Director to let Mu Xiangli approach and whisper: "Whatever evidence you have, let the bailiff bring it up."

That was fine. Although Mu Xiangli was an agent of the Night Patrol Office, he was not a deep-cover operative who needed to hide his identity absolutely. Thus, he took out his token and handed it to the bailiff.

The bailiff glanced at it, dared not delay, and hastily presented it to the Director.

Seeing the character "Ye" on the pitch-black token, the Director's heart trembled. Matters concerning the Night Patrol Office had been highly sensitive recently. As a mere Director of the Ministry of Justice, he did not wish to wade into these muddy waters.

Furthermore, what kind of place was the Night Patrol Office? Anyone who entered its gates would have had their background thoroughly investigated. Therefore, since Mu Xiangli could produce a token from the Night Patrol Office, no matter his past identity, he was currently clean.

"My Lord, is my evidence credible?" Mu Xiangli asked at the right moment.

"Credible, indeed credible." The Director hastily ordered the token to be returned to Mu Xiangli.

Mu Xiangli then asked: "Then what punishment should he receive for falsely accusing me of being a fugitive?"

Hearing this question, how could the Director not understand Mu Xiangli's meaning? It was impossible to brush this off as a mere "misunderstanding."

He pointed at Mu Shiqi: "Falsely accusing another without evidence! Men, drag him down and punish him with twenty strokes of the cane."

Mu Shiqi was still curious about what the black token was when he suddenly heard he was to be beaten. He was dazed: "Why beat me? What I said is the truth!"

Mu Xiangli taunted from the side: "If you feel it is not enough, you may continue to shout. I support you."

Hearing this, Mu Shiqi dared not question further, but his mouth did not stop wailing: "My Lord, I am wronged! I am truly wronged! Cousin, save me!"

How could Mu Wanqiu save him? She cast a pleading look toward Mu Xiangli.

Mu Xiangli naturally would not let Mu Shiqi off, but he had a decent impression of Mu Wanqiu, so he warned her: "Stay far away from this cousin of yours in the future. Walking too close to his kind will only get you struck by lightning when his retribution comes."

Mu Wanqiu could not refute him. The Director's lips twitched; what a venomous tongue.

Mu Xiangli: "My Lord, since the matter is resolved, I shall take my leave."

The Director naturally did not detain him.

"Ah... Ah..." Hearing the miserable shrieks with each strike of the cane, Mu Xiangli cheerfully departed from the Ministry of Justice.

"Sigh, having a backer is indeed wonderful. It saves so much bloody trouble," Mu Xiangli lamented.

He was in no hurry to leave. Seeing a small stall selling candied hawthorns by the entrance, he walked over and bought two skewers.

Before long, the two attendants carried Mu Shiqi out of the office. He had been beaten into a daze, muttering incessantly. Mu Wanqiu followed behind. The moment she stepped out, she saw Mu Xiangli waving at her.

Mu Wanqiu walked over, feeling somewhat anxious. Her heart was filled with doubts, but in the end, she did not ask. Perhaps not asking was the best outcome.

"Here." Mu Xiangli handed her one of the candied hawthorn skewers.

"Ah? Thank you." Mu Wanqiu was utterly surprised as she accepted it.

Mu Xiangli asked curiously: "When you entered the Wenhua Academy, did you test in scholarly studies, or was it Crafting and Artifact Creation?"

Mu Wanqiu replied: "The Six Arts and the Eight Elegant Arts."

Mu Xiangli almost forgot there was such a department. The Six Arts consisted of Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics, while the Eight Elegant Arts comprised Zither, Go, Calligraphy, Painting, Poetry, Wine, Flowers, and Tea—a curriculum highly suited for training spies.

"Not bad. Study well," Mu Xiangli offered a somewhat abrupt word of encouragement, then turned and left.

Mu Wanqiu stood in a daze, looking at the candied hawthorn skewer in her hand, her heart filled with a complex mixture of feelings.

Holding the candied hawthorns, she was about to leave when the stall owner blocked her path: "Young lady, you haven't paid yet. The gentleman just now said you would pay for the candied hawthorns."

Mu Wanqiu, who had just snapped out of her daze, was stunned again. She looked back toward Mu Xiangli, only to find that he had already vanished into the crowd.

She silently took out copper coins to pay. As she walked away, she thought to herself that she must have truly mistaken him for someone else; this man was absolutely not Mu Kuan.

Having enjoyed free candied hawthorns, Mu Xiangli ran to the teahouse to listen to storytelling.

Today, the storyteller was explaining that to open the Qi Mansion, one did not necessarily have to practice martial arts. The world was vast, and there were countless extraordinary people and strange occurrences.

It was said that some people looked up to the sky and recited a poem, instantly connecting with heaven and earth, opening their Qi Mansion, and even advancing three realms in succession. Some wrote calligraphy, their brushes dancing like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, and in their excitement, they wrote the character "Open," and their Qi Mansion opened. There were also those who...

Mu Xiangli could not help but curse inwardly: "A bunch of cheaters!"