Chapter 5: The guardian of justice

Chapter 5

Guardian of Justice

Hearing the screams of curses and the noise of battle, the villagers of the ethnic market gathered in a large crowd to witness. The old woman woke her husband from his sleep, urging him to stand up and look at the chaos. Many, horrified by the barbarity before them, rushed to flee, while those who stayed behind wore sadistic satisfaction:

- Behold, God's punishment is coming upon them!

- Such a fate is deserved! These wretches must be struck down and crippled!

- These poor souls must be killed as a warning to others!

Thiet Nam raised his hand for silence, and the air became heavy as the crowd awaited his command. His gaze swept over the gathered crowd, searching for the elder and his wife, but saw neither. Finally, he drew a sharp blade. The villains, trembling with fear at the sound of cold steel, tried to beg for mercy, but only stammered incoherent words. Thiet Nam's voice rang out, full of authority:

- Put your hands on the ground!

They obeyed, trembling with fear. His judgment was delivered, stern and unwavering:

- According to the laws of the empire, those who gamble will have their fingers cut off! And those who cause serious injury, bloodshed or take lives, must pay with their lives!

They thought they could not escape death, but fate was merciful; they only had their fingers cut off. One by one, they bowed low, prostrated themselves, their voices trembling:

- We kneel down to thank you for your mercy!

But those condemned to death were terrified, weeping and kneeling on the ground, desperately begging for mercy. However, the onlookers, long disillusioned with imperial law, cried out with fierce indignation:

- These gamblers, those who torment the villagers and destroy peace deserve to die a thousand times over!

- This place has been abandoned by the court for a long time, the court's laws are just pieces of parchment!

- Kill them and appease the people's anger!

The crowd roared like thunder, their cries for revenge rang out endlessly. Everything was going smoothly, until the crowd rose up and brought destruction to it. The gamblers bowed their heads, gritting their teeth in restrained rage, covering themselves with a veil of regret, hoping that Thiet Nam would not overturn his judgment. Thiet Nam sneered coldly, disdaining their fake miserable appearance, and solemnly declared:

- Resentment and reckless indulgence; once there is no discipline and no limits, this land will fall into an era of chaos. If discipline wavers in all circumstances, even heaven will be powerless to save!

Thiet Nam suddenly shouted:

- The people above may not be righteous, but the people below cannot fall into chaos.

His angry cry for revenge exploded, pouring out like a storm that engulfed the sinners. The accusations against the court pierced with a serious weight, resonating deeply with the elder and his wife. In their lives, they had met countless virtuous souls and countless evildoers. However, except for one who risked his life to save his loved ones, Thiet Nam stood out as the second person who dared to uphold justice for the benefit of the people.

The world is full of meddlers, but no one would risk their lives to help a stranger without regard for their own safety. And here, Thiet Nam, acting with unbridled autonomy, enforces imperial law on behalf of the court.

If the common people dare to punish wrongdoers, they will be executed for defying the laws of the emperor and the kingdom. Although the emperor's decrees have long been promulgated throughout the land, Thiet Nam is still steadfast in restoring order, so that everyone will pay attention and obey. Alas, he cannot open the way to light for those mired in ignorance, for the masses know nothing but blood for blood.

A crowd of people who often lamented injustice now gathered, their numbers even more than ants, screaming for violence to vent their anger. Thiet Nam sneered, his rage uncontrollable, silencing those who feared peace more than chaos. The chaos subsided in an instant. The depraved people, their faces filled with fear, their limbs trembling, did not dare to seize the opportunity to attack the gamblers, but instead retreated step by step.

The old man and his wife worried that Thiet Nam consumed by rage, might lose his mind, while the agitators might push the situation into deeper chaos. However, the mad beast held his nerve, did not succumb to the storm of emotions, and quelled the budding rebellion before it could grow.

As a rule, the righteous find peace in loss, but the angry lose their virtue. The elder and his wife did not react during this time, just standing aside, observing the events unfolding. Seeing that Thiet Nam almost did not kill the man, the elder clasped his hands behind his back and calmly said to his wife:

- The smell of blood is too strong, let's change the dish tonight, no more blood porridge.

A joke said in a cold voice, although it sounded like mockery, but it carried more truth than any so-called reality. Sharing life with such a strange husband, the wife had long since become insensitive to his jokes. The husband, indifferent to every situation, even considered those who were beaten as lower than animals. The wife did not show any surprise, only smiled faintly:

- And what do you wish for, my lord? Perhaps to join the 'party' of discovering the treasures bestowed by heaven?

Except for his cunning wife, the husband could play with the whole world. He sneered comfortably, watching Thiet Nam prepare to cut off the criminal's hand... just to let his wife know that he admired a man who sacrificed everything for the people and the country.

The husband burst out laughing, startling everyone present. All eyes turned to the man who was laughing when there was nothing to laugh about. Thiet Nam stopped in his tracks from cutting off the gambler's hand at the strange laughter. With a voice filled with carefree relief, as if he had been relieved of a thousand burdens, the husband put on a blank expression and gave a warning.

- Do you know? Any commoner who dares to arbitrarily enforce the law will certainly be executed.

Thiet Nam could scarcely believe the one before him to be a sickly old man. Yet the man was no longer the frail elder who had feigned unconsciousness in wrath and despair. He now bore a composed demeanor, as if the two were strangers unacquainted. Upon facing the elder a second time, Thiet Nam's feeling was akin to beholding him for the first time. This strange transformation stirred his vexation.

- If royal laws are just parchment, then let the laws of the knights errant govern this matter. If the court takes my life, it will only prove that I have done nothing wrong.

The elder curled his lips slightly, shaking his head mocking the stubborn man:

- How funny. I used to think you were wise, but it seems I was wrong. - The elder stuck out his tongue and continued - You are just a fool who let your emotions kill your reason!

Thiet Nam ignored all the provocations and attacked with all his strength. The elder, his voice indifferent, quickly said:

- If you are beheaded, who will seek justice for the people in the future? 

A father who has lost his son must yearn for revenge, but this man, time and again, sought to calm Thiet Nam's rage. His actions seemed at odds with his dire circumstances. Thiet Nam looked at him, puzzled by such inconsistency. The old man, calm as ever, let Thiet Nam act as he pleased—a stark contrast to his earlier urgency, when he had hastily intervened, as if afraid that the opportunity to intervene might be lost.

Thiet Nam pondered for a long time before the old man's mysterious attitude but could not find an answer. Finally, in a sudden rage, he shouted:

- I don't believe I'm the only one seeking justice for the people:

He used all his strength to raise his weapon and slashed. From behind the old man, a nimble figure rushed out, using a dagger to block the attack. Thiet Nam fiercely pushed the figure away, stabbing the blade into the gambler's finger.

The figure moved with haste, pressing the dagger against the hilt of Thiet Nam's knife. Like a vengeful spirit, black fumes surged forth from his form, his wrathful glare fixed upon his opponent.

This was a man of great stature and mighty build, with brown skin and cropped hair. His attire, humble and worn, reflected that of the common folk. Yet his solemn bearing betrayed an air of authority, his guise of destitution masking a far greater identity.

The two stood face to face, and the raging fury in Thiet Nam's heart turned to astonishment:

- Trung Hieu, why is it you?

Thiet Nam gripped his weapon with unwavering resolve. Upon the sudden encounter with an old acquaintance, his hold upon the hilt faltered for but a moment. The brown-skinned man sought to wrest the blade from him, yet Thiet Nam held fast, thwarting the attempt with steadfast determination. Trung Hieu spoke in a measured voice:

- Steady thyself, brother.

The elder and his wife watched their exchange, faint smiles playing on their lips. Trung Hieu, his voice light and teasing:

- Years apart, and yet you're still the same hothead.

Thiet Nam paid no heed to the familiar jests, his attention fixed instead upon the enigmatic smiles etched upon the elder couple's faces. Their expressions betrayed contradictions, their actions defied comprehension, and with the arrival of the brown-skinned man, the air of mystery deepened. Thiet Nam, beset by doubt, wrestled with his thoughts in a tempest of uncertainty, unable to unravel the myriad coincidences that bore no mark of chance.

A myriad of questions swirled in his mind, taunting his spirit, making him feel as though all this were but a cruel jest—and he, the clown crafted for the mirth of onlookers. Unwilling to waste further time, Thiet Nam spoke in stern and harsh tones:

- Do not toy with me! If you continue to evade the truth, blame me not for my ruthlessness! - His voice turned cold as that of a summoned demon - What is truly happening here? Do not claim your presence is sheer happenstance, I refuse to believe in so many coincidences.

As he spoke the words 'by sheer happenstance,' his gaze, keen and resolute, fell upon the elderly couple. The pair remained silent and unmoved, their inscrutable countenances challenging the wary observer.

Trung Hieu, his face darkened with unease, sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in vexation. He had journeyed many years alongside Thiet Nam and knew his nature well, yet the sinister edge in his voice never failed to send a chill coursing through his veins.

Whenever Thiet Nam was consumed by fury, the brown-skinned man could only shake his head, click his tongue in dismay, and urgently turn to entreat the elder:

- Grand Chancellor, will you yet stand idly by as this matter unfolds?

Thiet Nam, upon hearing the name "Grand Chancellor," felt his agitated heart grow ever more restless. In the Imperial Court, there existed but one Grand Chancellor—Tran Thu Do. The elder, proud and arrogant by nature, had always regarded even the heavens as smaller than the hand with which he could veil the sky entirely. How much less, then, should such a man deign to appear in a place smaller than the palm of his hand, for he was entrusted by the Emperor with the great task of organizing Grand Assembly of Martial Arts. In the eyes of the world, it was unthinkable for the Grand Chancellor to be present in such a diminutive locale. Even upon his first encounter with Thiet Nam, the elder feigned frailty and decrepitude, coughing and gasping as though teetering on the brink of death.

And there stood Thu Do, beside the woman who was both his wife and his older cousin. The Grand Chancellor had but one consort—Lady Tran Thi Dung—a figure renowned across the land for her cunning, matching that of her husband.

How peculiar, indeed, that those of such high rank should appear before commoners. The crowd grew alarmed, unable to fathom the purpose of their presence. Thiet Nam fixed his gaze upon Thu Do and his wife. Thu Do laughed, deriding the sight of Thiet Nam being spun around like a pinwheel.

Though their identities were unmasked, the elderly couple still retained their layer of disguise. Thu Do cleared his throat, silencing the murmurs. The crowd, upon hearing him, was gripped by fear, falling into an ominous stillness, holding their breath.

- There remains much to set in order. - Thu Do declared with a nod - Yet my efforts have not been in vain.

His wife parted her lips, a faint smile mocking her husband's verbosity:

- Do not delay any further; you have already incited his wrath.

Thiet Nam, repeatedly ridiculed, his patience wore thin. His composure shattered, he roared in fury:

- Cease this empty talk! Speak plainly, and explain it now!

From the crowd emerged a towering figure—a bald man of fearsome stature. His thick brows framed a broad face, shoulders brimming with sinewy strength. Casting a cold glare at Thiet Nam, his eyes ablaze with wrath, he thundered in a voice grave and foreboding:

- How dare you...

All eyes turned toward the bald man. The air around him grew dense with tension, weighted by his oppressive aura. Step by deliberate step, he advanced, akin to a great mountain shifting its mass.

Thu Do, amused, gestured for him to halt. To the elder, seldom was he accosted with raised voices, least of all by a mere nobody daring to speak above him. Though discomfort from past lowly days resurfaced, Thu Do found it transformed into the perfect spice, sprinkled upon the flavorless monotony of a life filled only with hollow praise and ceaseless flattery. Thiet Nam, bold and unyielding, brought amusement to the elder, who waved his hand and commanded the bald man.

- The stench of blood overwhelms all sensibilities. Cu Chich, seize these fools and cast them into prison to await judgment!

The bald man, Cu Chich, placed his fingers in his mouth and emitted a piercing cry. From every corner, waves of figures emerged, clad in plain garments. They had been disguised all along—some as diners relishing their meals, others as merchants plying their trade. Even poets who moments ago passionately recited verses now abandoned their wine gourds and inkstones. All of them, without exception, revealed their true forms as imperial soldiers, fully prepared to seize and drag the criminals from the ethnic market. The onlookers stood as statues, silenced by dread, their gazes darting furtively toward Thiet Nam, hoping he would reassert control amidst the chaos.

At the outset, Thiet Nam could not fathom the reason why the elderly couple chose to conceal their identities. At this moment, he was methodically linking various events together, intertwining them with Trung Hieu's role as the commander of the imperial court's regular army, deeply pondering the connections and causality.

Years ago, the dark-skinned man had fought alongside him, sharing life and death on the battlefield, their blood-stained blades shining as they valiantly struck down their foes. Thiet Nam could never banish from his mind the battlefield of old, a tragic and fierce struggle that forever lingered in his heart.

The scorching sun burned the heavens; flames leapt skyward; smoke and dust blanketed the earth, consuming the charred corpses scattered across the land. Soldiers' remains were piled as high as mountains.

Thiet Nam and Trung Hieu stood back-to-back, their faces smeared with blood and ash. They wielded bloodstained swords, fiercely repelling enemies from all sides, slaying them one by one. As one foe fell, another swiftly took their place. In the heat of battle, an arrow flew, cutting through the air toward Thiet Nam. Trung Hieu, alarmed, pushed his comrade aside. The arrow struck his shoulder, drawing blood; he snapped arrow in two, and his fervor rose tenfold. The memory remained indelibly etched upon the heart of Thiet Nam. He was certain that Trung Hieu had recounted their shared trials of life and death to the Grand Chancellor.

Thiet Nam vaguely guessed the elder couple's reasoning for disguising themselves, weaving tales of ruin and desolation to provoke him into quelling the unrest, so as to prove Trung Hieu's words were true.

To ordeal him, Thu Do turned a blind eye to rampant criminals, casting the realm into disarray and nearly inciting rebellion. Yet he is but a nameless figure; the Grand Chancellor need not trouble himself over disturbing the peace of this place.

The Grand Chancellor, ever a maverick, untethered by rites or reason, conducted himself with disregard for principles. Such matters, perhaps, were as a matter of course as the myriad strange deeds he had committed in the past. Yet, Thiet Nam still found it difficult to believe that this was truly the elder's intent. The Grand Chancellor, possessing myriad methods to test one's talent, would surely not resort to a reckless trial of danger without gain.

Thiet Nam remained silent, patiently waiting for the mastermind to speak. His face was cold and stern, like an unbreakable sheet of ice, underneath was boiling hot lava, ready to erupt at any moment. The Grand Chancellor sneered and said:

- Ha, I thought I was the only one who enjoyed this game of predator and prey...

Thiet Nam dismissed the joke that unintentionally contained many hidden meanings. But the following words confused him:

- I still want to participate in other entertainments, but I can't let this place be destroyed again.

This sentence implied that if the Grand Chancellor still hesitated and did not want to explain, Thiet Nam would use force to demand an answer, at that time, a fierce clash would be inevitable.

At first, the Grand Chancellor concealed his thoughts, but in the end, he exposed Thiet Nam's intentions, intentionally letting him grasp his true intentions.

Thiet Nam was stuck in uncertainty, thinking restlessly about the Grand Chancellor's intentions, his thoughts were in turmoil and his rage grew to the point of madness. The elder, feeling that he was approaching Thiet Nam's breaking point, chuckled softly to himself:

- Bring those people here!