Seeking justice

Chu Liang returned to Silver Sword Peak and carefully reviewed the Shushan Code.

There were only a few passages concerning the Red Cotton Market, and as for stall fees, there was just a single clause: if one was selling large goods, occupying a significant amount of space, and disrupting the normal order of the market, then a fee amounting to ten percent of earnings must be paid.

His own fruit tea stall merely had a line of customers and clearly did not fall under this rule.

Furthermore, regarding fines, only after repeated demands for the stall fee went unpaid would the entirety of one’s income be confiscated as a penalty.

His actions obviously were not subject to such sanctions.

Earlier, unfamiliar with these regulations and wary of the other party seizing the opportunity to pick a fight, he hadn’t argued with the disciples from the Disciplinary Hall. Now, having checked everything, it was clear that their behavior was entirely unreasonable.

After a thorough analysis, Chu Liang arrived at a conclusion:

He had been bullied.

Moreover, he had every reason to suspect it was a targeted act.

With this in mind, he went to his master’s small pavilion.

He waited for about an hour before a streak of fire landed—the Princess Phoenix returned, her expression dark and stormy.

She had been in a foul mood all day; every meeting between the various peaks inevitably devolved into arguments, and now her temper had reached its limit. Normally, when she was out of sorts, this disciple would be the first to avoid her, so why had he come to see her today?

“What is it?” she asked.

“Master,” Chu Liang replied calmly, “I’ve been bullied.”

“Hm?” Princess Phoenix frowned, her face showing disbelief.

Chu Liang briefly described how he had set up a stall at Red Cotton Market and been extorted for money without justification, analyzed the Shushan regulations, and concluded, “This was, without a doubt, extortion.”

Princess Phoenix waved her hand. “I don’t understand all this talk of Shushan regulations. Just tell me—are you in the right?”

Chu Liang answered without hesitation, “Absolutely.”

A subtle look flickered across Princess Phoenix’s face. She shook her head, and after a moment, couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Ha! Ha ha ha…”

“Cloud Soar Peak, is it?” After laughing, she turned and strode out, muttering to herself, “It’s so rare to have such a justified fight…”

Chu Liang hurried to follow her with quick, small steps.

...

This time, Princess Phoenix didn’t soar ahead in a blaze of fire as she usually did, but instead flew at a leisurely pace toward Cloud Soar Peak.

Master and disciple hovered over the peak.

Cloud Soar Peak had dozens of disciples, with the peak master’s pavilion surrounded by many small wooden cottages. Rosy clouds and verdant mountains, a stream nearby—the elegant buildings nestled against the slopes made it look almost like a well-managed little town.

Princess Phoenix looked down, took a deep breath, and suddenly called out, “Shang Shuwen! I have three things to ask you—get out here!”

Boom—

At her shout, the leaves of the trees all over Cloud Soar Peak turned from green to yellow, the river’s flow halted for a moment, and a wave of heat crashed down from the sky. For an instant, everyone atop the peak felt as if they stood in a blazing inferno.

After her call, Princess Phoenix descended, landing in front of the peak master’s pavilion.

Bang!

Her landing unleashed another wave of scorching heat.

Countless birds fled the peak.

“Princess Phoenix?” came a startled voice. A white-robed figure flew from the pavilion. “What brings you here?”

He was a refined-looking middle-aged man, dressed in long scholar’s robes, with sleek hair and a beardless, pale face, his eyes bright and clear. But for the steadiness in his gaze, one would never guess his age.

This was none other than Shang Shuwen, Cloud Soar Peak’s master and a renowned Confucian cultivator on Shushan.

“One of your disciples from Cloud Soar Peak bullied my disciple from Silver Sword Peak. I’ve come to seek justice for him,” Princess Phoenix said, her fiery gaze fixed on Shang Shuwen, her imposing presence overwhelming.

“I see…” Shang Shuwen remained calm. “What exactly happened between the disciples? Which one was involved? Tell me the details first. If my disciple is at fault, I will certainly deal with it impartially.”

Princess Phoenix glanced at Chu Liang behind her.

She likely hadn’t remembered the details he’d just recounted.

Chu Liang stepped forward and bowed to Shang Shuwen. “Greetings, Uncle-Master Shang. It was a senior surnamed Zhang from Cloud Soar Peak, a steward in the Disciplinary Hall. He extorted me without reason on Red Cotton Peak.”

“Zhang? The Disciplinary Hall?” Shang Shuwen pondered, then said, “That must be Zhang Xingyuan.”

He extended a finger, and with a flourish in the air, wrote the name Zhang Xingyuan, then gently pushed.

Dust swirled, a whirlwind rose, scattering leaves with a whoosh—then, within the spinning wind, a tall figure materialized.

As the wind settled, the Disciplinary Hall disciple from Red Cotton Market appeared.

Chu Liang was slightly amazed by this. Such a technique for summoning someone by name was surely a Confucian art, rarely seen on Shushan.

He merely found it curious; Zhang, on the other hand, was thoroughly alarmed.

In fact, he had finished his patrol earlier and returned to Cloud Soar Peak, resting in his room. When Princess Phoenix shouted, he too was startled, but knowing that was above his rank, he hadn’t thought much of it and was just about to step out to watch the commotion.

Who would have guessed he’d be summoned by his master in a blink?

Seeing Chu Liang, he realized with a jolt—so he was Princess Phoenix’s disciple?

Had they come for revenge?

An uneasy premonition crept into his mind—he might really be in trouble.

“Zhang Xingyuan, I have a question for you. Answer truthfully,” Shang Shuwen said sternly.

He too was somewhat helpless; such minor frictions between ordinary disciples were hardly worth noting. If it were any other peak master, they’d likely ignore it. But this was Princess Phoenix—even if he knew she was making a fuss over nothing, he dared not dismiss her.

He had joined Shushan later, and had only heard rumors of Princess Phoenix’s fearsome reputation in her youth; he’d not experienced her wrath firsthand. Yet he’d seen her clash with the likes of Elder Wang several times, never yielding an inch, and knew she was not to be trifled with.

“Yes.” Zhang Xingyuan could barely keep his composure.

“Did you see this junior on Red Cotton Peak today and extort him?” Shang Shuwen asked, pointing to Chu Liang.

“Absolutely not, Master!” Zhang Xingyuan protested loudly. “I serve in the Disciplinary Hall and always act according to Shushan regulations! How could I dare… dare do such a thing?”

Shang Shuwen turned to Princess Phoenix, his tone gentle. “There must be some misunderstanding. Why don’t we go inside and discuss this calmly?”

Princess Phoenix tilted her head and regarded him with amusement. “Did you not hear what I said? I told you: your disciple bullied mine, and I have come to seek justice. Or do you think I’ve come to investigate?”

“It’s normal for juniors to have disputes. Zhang Xingyuan is a steward in the Disciplinary Hall and may have conflicts with other disciples. Let’s go inside, sort through the facts, and clarify right from wrong. There’s no need to escalate—” Shang Shuwen said, gesturing toward the pavilion.

But before he could finish—

Princess Phoenix’s expression turned impatient, and she snapped her fingers.

Snap.

A spark appeared, erupting into a roaring inferno within the pavilion.

Boom—

One snap—and the pavilion exploded.

A mushroom cloud rose above Cloud Soar Peak.

There was no going inside now.

“What are you doing?!” Shang Shuwen’s pupils narrowed in shock and fury; he had never expected such brazen violence.

“I’ve told you three times now: I’m here to seek justice for my disciple.” Princess Phoenix tilted her head, regarding him with one eye, her gaze profound. “I don’t care to waste another word.”

“But you haven’t even made the situation clear—how are we to determine what’s fair? You—” Shang Shuwen, a scholar at heart, could scarcely maintain his composure in such a scene, yet he could not bring himself to lose his temper as she had. Knowing he couldn’t win if it came to blows, he could only shout, “You’re being completely unreasonable!”

“Tch.” Princess Phoenix replied with a cold sneer.

Her scornful gaze seemed to say: Is this your first day realizing I’m unreasonable?

Watching her idly rubbing her fingers together, as if preparing for the next explosion, it was clear: to build a mountain peak might take years, but to destroy one—only a moment’s whim.

“Enough, I won’t argue with you.” Shang Shuwen suppressed his fury, waved his sleeve, and looked to Chu Liang. “How much did he extort from you? I’ll return it.”

He directed his words at Chu Liang, finding Princess Phoenix hopelessly unreasonable and seeking respite. The disciple looked gentle, spoke logically, and seemed honest enough—surely not as troublesome as his master.

Thus, under Shang Shuwen’s gaze, the seemingly meek and well-behaved Chu Liang glanced at Zhang Xingyuan, then at his own master, Princess Phoenix. At last, with a timid expression, he replied softly, “Fifty… thousand.”