The Silver Clan estate was large enough to have many individual buildings for many different services and purposes.
Among them was the great Memorial Hall.
This was where the family collect the names of their ancestors in the form of tablets on religious stands, kept company with many elaborate busts and statues of gods in the major pantheon they pay tribute to.
Normally, the family of the Silver Clan would often visit the Memorial Halls to greet their ancestors in morning prayer or seek the wisdom of their elders in spiritual guidance. Sometimes secrets are shared to reduce the weight of a guilt, not like the dead can judge them.
Given what happened to Lady Peony, the indignation of her body mixed in with the corpses of strangers like a pile of laundry, it was only right the Memorial Hall be the perfect place to pass judgment.
And that judge will be the Deputy of the Silver Clan.
A man who has served the family for a decade in handling the affairs of security, armed protection, and the training of the soldiers who protect the clan’s legacy. If he were a proper member of the Empire and not just a piece of a chessboard under the leadership of a private family power, he would have the same badge of office as a local sheriff.
To make sure everyone in the hall knew exactly how high his position was within the Silver Clan, he would pace around the 30 odd prisoners dragged from Mutiny Hill to the Memorial Hall – grinding the tip of the saber across the marble floor.
Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.
The Deputy would circle around North Cloud Shipping Company, the staff, even the random travelers from the scene of the crime. All the while letting his sword just scratch and drag across the ground to constantly make the noise of nails on a chalk board.
“I see only two options in all this,” said the Deputy as he randomly flicked his fencing saber about like a teacher waving a lecture cane. Every now and then the tip of his weapon would leave fresh cuts across faces and necks of the prisoners to draw blood as well as their honesty. “Whoever was involved in Lady Peony’s death stand up and own their mistakes...Or everyone is executed.”
“Bastard!” The head of the North Cloud Guards would bark. Despite his bite, he did not chance rising from his knees to his feet, else the soldiers would cut him down before the Deputy paced around to his side. Still, the head of the North Cloud Guard was indignant of everything, “No one here even knew the dead lady! And we had no idea how she got into our cargo in the first place! You haven’t even properly investigated her death and you’ve skipped straight to the verdict!?”
“Lady Peony died in Mutiny Inn,” The Deputy would turn on the head of the North Cloud Guard, to slap the flat end of his saber across the other man’s nose. A fine cut form across the nose bridge and the Deputy cleaned his blade by sliding the dirt and blood of with a gloved finger. “By Moon Tavern’s own admission, no one left and no one came in during the time of her death. Meaning the wolves are amongst you. So, until the true killers stand up to shoulder the burden of their sin – it is only reasonable to conclude EVERYONE IS INVOLVED!”
The Deputy’s voice boomed in the Memorial Hall. Banners and cloths covering religious pedestals cowered from his roar, and tucked away as he marched in a heated circle to figure out WHO should he cut down.
“The blood of the Silver Clan has been spilled. The moment Lady Peony’s body went cold – you have become our sworn enemy! Meaning the Silver Clan will stop at NOTHING until vengeance has been achieved! And there WILL be retribution for what has happened!”
The Deputy suddenly kicked over the owner of Mutiny Inn, pinning his chest with a foot. He would draw small circles with the tip of his saber above the owner’s paling face as he muttered. “SO OUT WITH IT! WHICH ONE OF YOU BASTARDS MURDERED MY SISTER-IN-LAW!?”
“I-it’s not us, we swear!” One traveler from Mutiny Inn would plea from his kneeling. “I-it was the ghosts! Th-the haunted hills of Mutiny Inn!”
“Yes! Yes it was a killer phantom!” Another would chip in, hoping to rally the others to have the Deputy see reason. “W-we all saw, with out very own eyes! A ghost marched into Mutiny Inn and took Lady Peony away!”
“Dear gods. It must be the legend!” The owner would wheeze with the Deputy’s foot stamped on his brittle solar plexus. “Th-The Strangling General! I-it must be him! H-he used to own Mutiny Inn centuries ago, a-as an Imperial Outpost. Hi-his men got fed up with him and threw a mutiny! The general was found dead on top of the corpses of his troops, he having strangled each and every one of them with his bare hands until the general died of his countless wounds! I-it must be him! H-he always claims a life every week, it must be—”
The Deputy sighed and crushed the owner’s rib cage under his boot, forcing a geyser of blood out of the owner’s mouth. As the owner was a normal civilian and not a trained martial artist, he died instantly. Eyes still open.
The others screamed, turning away from the horror. Some tried to make a run for it, only for Silver Guard soldiers to cut them by the calves to cripple them on the spot and lock them down with spears.
“I don’t want ghost stories.” The Deputy would flick his one foot to whip off the excess blood from his pants. “I want ANSWERS!”
“MAD MAN!” Unable to stand it, the head of the North Cloud Guard leapt from his kneeling to tackle his shoulder against the Deputy’s shin, to forcefully free the owner’s corpses to save what dignity he had left.
He would bark with rage, “How many time must we waste the spit in our mouths to convince you! We are all innocent! Not a single one could have killed her! Not us, neither the residents of the inn! You call yourself a Deputy who upholds law and order in Silver Vein Valley. HAH! What good are your ears if you cannot listen to the truth!”
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The Deputy didn’t stumble. Rather he allowed the head of the guard to tackle him away. It was an idea: cut down the bush to scare out the fox, until it no longer has anything to hide behind. He was starting to get interested in this ‘self righteous’ North Cloud Shipping Company.
“All of this is just a show!” The man continued to howl as he knelt next to the dead owner’s body. Even with hands tied, he can’t help but ball them into white knuckled fists. “You’re showing off your anger to make yourself feel better. Curse you and your pride! If you truly want someone to blame, kill me! Slay me where I stand and let the others go!”
The head of the North Cloud Shipping Company would spit at the Deputy’s boot.
His fate, had been decided.
“Thank you” The Deputy gave a ‘respectful nod’ “I appreciate your confession.”
Lightning exploded from the Deputy’s palm with the howl of a beast in a hunt. Electricity shot out from his grip, taking the form of a fierce panther-like creature, before it coiled itself to charge the sabre in the Deputy’s hand to burn a bright white energy.
Sparks cracked from the edges from the absurd amount of mana fueled into the steel.
[Thunder Leopard Sabre Art]
The blade was charged with enough electric energy it could melt the floor of the Memorial Hall with a careless tap of the blade tip. It left pockets of red hot scorch marks as the Deputy marched over. He gave the head of the North Cloud Guards a look over – and stabbed at him!
“STAY THE BLADE! HEAVENS HAVE MERCY”
Martial Blue Sister rode into the Memorial Hall on a wall of spinning waves. Using a skill called <
The Deputy swung his electrifying saber to use the magnetism from his energy to quickly dart backwards in a reverse glide, evading the flood as if a pack of hounds biting at his toes. With a spin he slashed up and launched a wave of electric arcs.
Lightning incinerated the water across the entire floor in a blink of an eye. Only harmless steam was left in its place as the floor started to dry squeaky clean.
Martial Blue Sister fell down as she lost her concentration, if not losing a platform to ride on. Although she landed on her feet, she clutched her chest in pain with a muffled gag. Blood leaked from the corner of her mouth and she realized just how strong the electric shockwave was.
The Deputy’s attack caused internal organ damage to her. Nothing major, but given his counterattack crossed a 30 ft gap with such raw power – it made Martial Blue Sister started to break into a cold sweat.
“S-stay the blade, please!” Martial Blue Sister coughed with a bit more blood, then used her inner mana to begin a self-healing process to stabilize herself. Once she got a second wind she staggered to her feet to stand in front of the prisoners, arms wide open to shield them.
“Who are you?” The Deputy would growl, but his face soften when he realized something. “Ah. You were the unconscious one the lady in the kimono brought in. Did you leave something behind and just realized it now?”
A quick snort as he came over. Any excess water that survived his attack were shocked out of existed, just ZAP and turned into dead steam. “I thought we had an agreement, Moon Tavern. Did your martial sister not tell you? These prisoners belong to us. This is now a personal matter.”
“I-I understand you are angry!”
“Do not speak to me like you know my emotions. Stand aside.”
“Hear me out!” Martial Blue Sister cried out. She tried to voice her words, but the Deputy kept marching over and she was forced to stumble backwards. It was only when she bumped into the North Cloud Shipping Company prisoners did she realized she was forced into a corner.
“Wh-why was Lady Peony murdered? How and when was she killed? Who truly killed her!” Martial Blue Sister began to explain her stance, “There’s just too many questions left blank and answering them is the key to figuring out the motive of the real killer who did this! If you just execute everyone here to vent your rage, we’ll never know what truly happened in Mutiny Inn! Lady Peony’s would never know true rest!”
The Deputy just....pinched his nose bridge.
He started to point his electrifying saber at each and every prisoner before him. Whether they cried for mercy or claimed they have wife and children waiting for them, he cared not. Instead, he would bark out his true feelings.
“Lady Peony is a beloved member of the Silver Clan family, the gem of the Silver Vein Valley.” The Deputy would mutter while waving his blade about. “Our Chieftess cherishes her more than all the silver and gold in the world. Now she is heartbroken, to hear that her flesh and blood was murdered in the dirtiest place in the world and stuffed in a trunk with other random corpses like garbage! Her pride, dignity, even her reputation – all tarnished!”
The man howled, the electricity from his blade flashing all the way up to the ceiling, “She died in their presence – AND THEY DID NOTHING TO PREVENT HER TRAGEDY! These lowly commons, they all deserve death regardless if they held the bloody knife in their hands!”
“THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HER! IT ALL HAPPENED TOO FAST!”
“Even you, great Moon Tavern, failed to bring my sister in law back alive!” The Deputy made it personal and jabbed a finger into Martial Blue Sister’s chest to emphasize, making the latter shrink with every poke. “The Chieftess forgave you of your failures. She even paid you the reward to thank you for finding her sister. But here you are, stepping in with your pride for justice and self-righteousness to keep us from exacting revenge for our kin!? Have you no shame!? How do you expect us to properly mourn!?”
Veins were bulging up the Deputy’s neck. He took advantage of the fury building up in his body to charge his saber, making it glow hotter than before. Threads of lightning leapt out in vicious arcs, causing sparks and flame to dance off the marble pillars and setting some banners on slow fire.
He growled, “Stand aside. Now.”
Martial Blue Sister was an adept fighter but she had no clue what was the Deputy’s true power level. She could rely on various tricks and maneuvers Martial Kim taught her, but she never had a chance to test them out to see how effective they were in a real fight.
There were just too many factors to take into account, to calculate her likely chances of survival regardless of win or loss. Even right now she can clearly see she is at a complete elemental disadvantage.
Water fending off lightning, right after it evaporated any liquid like a food steamer? God what a joke of a century! She could feel the gods above are laughing – that or whispering for her to get out of there now!
Martial Blue Sister lacked the same level of courage as her friends. She wasn’t confident to up and say ‘Nah, I’d win’ and pull out a miracle from under her skirt in the last minute.
So she chose to say something else, “I...I-I-I...I-I r-refuse!”
[Azure Dragon Flowing Water] versus [Thunder Leopard Sabre Arts]
WHO WILL WIN!?