Chapter 109 I Beg Lord Bai to Be Merciful

Chapter 109: Pleading for Lord Bai's Mercy

After the sun set, lights flickered on within Xiling City. Outside the vermilion gates of the Prince of Xiling's residence hung two pale lanterns, as if for a funeral procession.

A Chan and Bai Xiuming had just entered the manor when Shen Zhuo appeared from nowhere.

Shen Zhuo first observed Bai Xiuming from afar. Noticing that his expression was much gentler than when they had met that morning, and that his hostile aura had dissipated, he finally relaxed.

He approached, his tone noticeably more relaxed. "You're back."

Bai Xiuming gave a slight nod.

Spotting A Chan beside him, Shen Zhuo was surprised but didn’t ask why she had come so late. Instead, he got straight to business. "Your mother's remains have been placed in the Star-Gazing Tower. Let's go."

Bai Xiuming followed Shen Zhuo toward the tower, with A Chan following behind. None of them spoke along the way.

The closer they got to the Star-Gazing Tower, the more oppressive the atmosphere grew.

Eight Bright Mirror Bureau Guards stood guard outside the tower. Though no one would dare trespass in the Prince of Xiling's residence now, it was clear Shen Zhuo had given the matter his full attention.

The first floor of the Star-Gazing Tower was normally empty, but now it held a coffin. Beside it lay a white cloth laid out with bones arranged in the shape of a human figure.

Though the light was dim, it was still possible to see that the bones on the cloth had turned gray tinged with red. While the discoloration on the body's bones was less pronounced, the skull bore marks that were especially pronounced.

These were the traces left after the remains had been altered through cultivation.

No one knew how the Prince of Xiling had used these bones for his cultivation, but Shen Zhuo had worked tirelessly to gather the scattered remains from various parts of the underground palace.

He didn't plan to describe the process to Bai Xiuming. Having spent the entire previous night here, Bai Xiuming likely already knew his mother's bones had not been buried together.

At this thought, Shen Zhuo sighed to himself and silently cursed the Prince of Xiling again before cautiously speaking while observing Bai Xiuming's expression. "When we unearthed your mother's remains from the underground, they were already this color."

Bai Xiuming's expression was impassive. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I also had someone select a coffin. If you don’t like this style—"

"It’s fine. This one will do." Bai Xiuming slowly lowered himself beside the remains. He could no longer recognize anything of his mother in these bones.

So, she had already been dead for many years.

Once a vibrant person, now reduced to mere bones. The past he thought would haunt him forever had finally passed.

From now on, she would no longer appear in his dreams, begging endlessly for him to kill her.

Gazing at the remains before him, Bai Xiuming murmured, "Every autumn, she loved visiting Frostwood Mountain to take in the views. With the season being perfect, let’s bury her there."

"You don’t plan to take your mother’s remains back to the capital?" Shen Zhuo asked, surprised.

Bai Xiuming shook his head. "No need. Let her stay in Xiling. Those who wronged her will soon leave this place and never disturb her again."

They would go to the capital and face the fate they deserved—whether reduced to ashes or cut into a thousand pieces, none would escape.

Since it was Bai Xiuming’s wish, Shen Zhuo naturally didn't object.

Then, A Chan and Shen Zhuo looked on as Bai Xiuming carefully placed his mother’s bones into the coffin one by one before sealing the lid.

With a soft click, the Princess Consort of Xiling, who had found no rest even in death for over a decade, could finally rest.

After tending to his mother’s remains, Bai Xiuming stood motionless by the coffin for a long time before turning to Shen Zhuo once more. "Thank you for today. You should go rest now."

Shen Zhuo smiled wryly. "No rest for me. There’s still half the dungeon’s worth of prisoners waiting to be interrogated."

Aside from the Shen family, the entire Prince of Xiling’s household had been detained, along with many of his officials—over a hundred people in total.

Even though the Prince of Xiling had been caught conspiring with demons, they still needed to gather sufficient evidence to ensure a solid case once they returned to the capital, to prevent political challenges.

After all, many officials at court already believed the Bright Mirror Bureau wielded too much power. Now that they were bringing back a prince, countless eyes would be watching.

"I’ll handle the interrogations."

"Really?" Shen Zhuo looked skeptical. Was Bai Xiuming different now?

"Really."

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Zhuo glanced at A Chan before nodding. "Alright then. I’ll leave it to you tonight."

He didn’t know what Bai Xiuming was planning, but since it wasn’t his shift tonight, why should he care?

After Shen Zhuo left, Bai Xiuming took A Chan to the dungeons beneath the Prince of Xiling’s residence.

The dungeon was relatively new, likely because it had never held many prisoners before, so it lacked the usual foul stench of such places.

But now, it was packed to the brim.

Seeing Bai Xiuming arrive with someone, the Qianhu guarding the dungeon entrance hurried forward and gave a respectful bow. "My lord."

This Qianhu looked somewhat familiar—A Chan recalled seeing him at the Bright Mirror Bureau’s headquarters in the capital.

So, he was Bai Xiuming’s subordinate.

"Are you the only one guarding the dungeons tonight?"

"Yes." The Qianhu was sharp. Catching his meaning, he added, "The guards inside are also my men. Do you have orders, my lord?"

"Find two female corpses and bring them here."

Without questioning why, the Qianhu bowed again. "Right away."

If this had been earlier, finding corpses would have been difficult. But now, it was simple.

When the Flood Dragon Mother raised by the Shen family went berserk, countless people had been killed. The mortuary was now overflowing with bodies.

After giving the order, Bai Xiuming led A Chan into the dungeon.

Past the narrow entrance was a spacious area where two Bright Mirror Bureau Guards sat resting at a table. They quickly stood and greeted Bai Xiuming upon seeing him.

"Take me to Shen Qingwu and Shen Huixue’s cells."

"Yes." The two guards immediately grabbed the keys and led the way.

After walking down a short passage and turning left, they reached a row of cells.

By the dim light of the wall-mounted oil lamps, A Chan spotted a familiar face in one of the outer cells.

"My lord, that’s the one," the guard said, pointing to the cell A Chan had noticed.

Bai Xiuming nodded but remained where he was, while the two guards stood silently aside. Only A Chan stepped forward.

She stood outside the cell and called softly to the figure leaning against the wall. "Hui Xue."

Shen Huixue was in a light sleep when she suddenly heard A Chan's voice, thinking she was dreaming.

Only when she heard it again did she open her eyes and see A Chan standing right outside the cell.

"A Chan, why are you here?" Shen Huixue stood up, disturbing Shen Qingwu, who had been sitting beside her.

Seeing it was A Chan, Shen Qingwu remained silent, just watching as her daughter stepped forward to speak with her.

"I came to see you—are you hurt?" A Chan asked.

Shen Huixue shook her head. "No."

"Good."

"You..." Shen Huixue wanted to say more but spotted Bai Xiuming standing not far away and immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Catching her look, A Chan turned and saw Bai Xiuming watching them.

She waved at him, motioning for him to back off and not disturb their conversation.

Bai Xiuming stared at her for a moment before actually turning around and pulling back with his two men.

Though with his abilities, he could eavesdrop if he wished, the space still helped Shen Huixue relax.

Only after Bai Xiuming moved away did Shen Huixue lower her voice and speak. "A Chan, I'm fine. They just arrested me and Mother. No one’s questioned us yet."

She tilted her chin, gesturing for A Chan to look at the neighboring cell. "We’ve got it easy compared to them."

A Chan hadn’t noticed before, but the cell next to Shen Huixue’s held none other than Shen Yingzhu.

Her usual elegance was gone—her hair was disheveled, and she was crumpled on a heap of straw, her back still bleeding, clearly from a brutal beating.

Beside her lay an unfamiliar woman, while the third person in the cell... was Xue Ying.

A Chan had only caught a glimpse of Xue Ying on the way to Xiling and hadn’t seen her since.

Meeting here now—wasn’t this fate?

Xue Ying sat expressionless by the bars near the walkway. She was just as battered as Shen Yingzhu—her clothes torn, rags bandaging her left forearm and right leg.

When the Flood Dragon Mother had snapped yesterday, she had been with Shen Yingxiao and was thrown to the ground, breaking bones in several places.

But compared to Shen Yingxiao, she was still lucky to be alive.

Xue Ying was still trapped in the nightmare of yesterday’s bloodbath. She couldn’t understand—everything had been fine, so how did it all fall apart so fast?

Back then, she had thought that since her parents no longer cared for her, she’d be happy to stay here with Shen Yingxiao and Shen Zhiheng’s family, who treated her well.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the entire Shen clan had been imprisoned for a crime punishable by the extermination of their nine clans, and Shen Yingxiao had been killed by the monstrous Flood Dragon Mother. What was she supposed to do now?

Xue Ying kept turning the question over in her mind. She was still so young—she couldn’t possibly sink with the Shen family.

She and Shen Yingxiao hadn’t held a wedding banquet, so they weren’t officially married. She wasn’t even a Shen by name.

Besides, she was the daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang. Those who had arrested her surely didn’t know—if she revealed her identity, she could definitely be exonerated!

At this thought, hope flared in Xue Ying’s eyes. She needed to get word to the Bright Mirror Bureau and tell them who she really was.

Lost in her thoughts, it was only now that Xue Ying noticed the newcomer outside the cell.

She looked up and immediately saw that face so familiar it filled her with loathing—the face that had haunted her entire family's sleepless nights.

"Ji Chan." Xue Ying ground out the name through clenched teeth.

She never imagined encountering her in prison.

A Chan gazed at Xue Ying through the prison bars, the corners of her lips curling slightly. "Xue Ying, what a coincidence."

Xue Ying glared at her.

Unfazed by her hostility, A Chan spoke softly, "Come to think of it, fate really has a way of connecting me to your Xue family. Last time, I saw your brother off to his grave. And now, so soon, it’s your turn."

Xue Ying gripped the bars, her eyes brimming with hatred. "You admit it! You *did* kill my brother!"

"You must be out of your mind, Miss Xue. How is his death my fault? Just because I was there and failed to save him, does that make me the murderer?" A Chan countered with a smile. "Just like now—I’d save you if I could, but there’s nothing I can do. If you end up in the afterlife, Miss Xue, don’t blame me."

"I won’t die. My father is the Marquis of Jinyang. They wouldn’t dare touch me."

"Is that so? Then here’s hoping you get your wish, Miss Xue."

A Chan just kept smiling.

She turned and beckoned to someone nearby. A Bright Mirror Bureau Guard holding the prison keys stepped forward and unlocked the cell holding Shen Huixue and Shen Qingwu.

Clueless about what was going on, the mother and daughter heard A Chan say, "Hui Xue, it’s getting late. Let’s go home."

"H-home?" Shen Huixue stammered, stunned.

"Yes, quickly help your mother out." After only a brief pause, Shen Huixue hurriedly turned to assist her mother. As they stepped out of the cell, the Bright Mirror Bureau Guard standing nearby didn’t even blink.

"A Chan, we..." Shen Huixue faltered, unsure what to say.

She wasn’t ignorant—this was a crime punishable by the execution of nine clans. Under such an edict, even the innocent were doomed.

Yet A Chan had managed to bring them out of prison. What had it cost her?

How could she repay a debt this deep?

"Let’s go." A Chan didn’t elaborate further and turned to walk toward Bai Xiuming.

The Bright Mirror Bureau Guard shut the cell door behind them but hadn’t even turned around when Xue Ying’s shrill voice pierced from the next cell: "Wait! Why are they being released? They’re named Shen—they’re part of the Shen family!"

No one answered her question.

"Someone! Someone, come quickly! Prisoners are being let out!" Xue Ying’s shouts continued relentlessly.

Other prisoners, riled up by her, joined the outcry, and the dungeon erupted in chaos.

The Bright Mirror Bureau Guard cast a cold glance at Xue Ying and barked angrily, "Anyone who dares speak again, I’ll send them to their death first."

Most of the rowdy prisoners had already been tortured during the day. Even if they saw no hope of survival, they still wished to cling to life for a few more days and immediately fell silent.

Only Xue Ying remained defiant, snapping at the guard, "What are you glaring at? I won’t be intimidated by you. My father is the Marquis of Jinyang—call your superior here! I demand to speak with him!"

The guard looked away, biting back a laugh.

Did this girl not grasp the gravity of a nine-clan extermination? Not even the Marquis of Jinyang—much less the imperial family—would touch this case now.

Just then, Xue Ying suddenly spotted Bai Xiuming in the distance, like a drowning woman clutching at straws, and raised her voice even louder: "Bai Xiuming! Lord Bai! My father is the Marquis of Jinyang! I’m innocent! Let me out! My father will reward you!"

Xue Ying wailed through her tears, her sobs sounding unusually pitiful.

A Chan thought to herself, if Xue Shi were here to hear her daughter's cries, her heart would surely break.

This news should be the first thing Xue Shi learns upon returning to the capital.

A Chan went up to Bai Xiuming and said, "Lord Bai, let us go."

Bai Xiuming remained silent, stepping forward without a word. Xue Ying's harrowing screams didn't even flicker his expression.

Amid Xue Ying's cries, A Chan remarked, "What do you think will happen to Miss Xue in the end? Will Lord Bai spare her because she's the Marquis of Jinyang's daughter?"

"That depends on the Marquis of Jinyang's capabilities."

"What capabilities?"

"If he can get the emperor to pardon her, I might consider it."

"And if the emperor does show mercy?" A Chan suddenly felt that even the grave crime of exterminating nine clans might not stick.

Bai Xiuming shot A Chan a look and said leisurely, "Any mercy would come too late."

A Chan's eyes darted as she asked, "I took Shen Huixue and her mother away in front of so many prisoners. What if one of them speaks of this?"

"To whom?"

All those imprisoned here are Shen clan members. From the day they entered, only death would release them.

By the time they reached the prison gate, Shen Huixue was nearly trembling with anticipation. Suddenly, she heard Bai Xiuming call her name.

"Shen Huixue."

Shen Huixue jolted to attention, her body tensing. "Lord Bai, your orders?"

Bai Xiuming stared at her coldly, then raised a finger and pressed it against her forehead.

Shen Huixue felt a surge of Internal Energy forcefully invade her body, followed by a ringing in her ears and her mind went momentarily blank.

When Bai Xiuming withdrew his hand, Shen Huixue instinctively lowered her head to look at her hands. The distinct mark on the back of her hand had vanished.

Could it be... she was free?

Before Shen Huixue could fully process it, Bai Xiuming said to A Chan, "Let's go."

A Chan left through the side gate of the prince's residence, where the usual guards had been withdrawn, allowing her to lead the two women away without hindrance.

After A Chan departed, the Bright Mirror Bureau's Qianhu who had been guarding the prison returned to report to Bai Xiuming, "My lord, the bodies are ready."

"Record it—Shen Qingwu and Shen Huixue succumbed suddenly tonight."

"Understood. And their remains?"

"Get rid of them as soon as possible, along with the other deceased members of the Shen family."

The Qianhu nodded. "As soon as possible" meant tonight, of course.

When the Bright Mirror Bureau dealt with bodies, they returned intact bodies to families if possible. If there were no surviving relatives, to prevent future complications, they cremated them directly.

"I will take care of it right away."

By the time A Chan brought Shen Huixue and Shen Qingwu back to her residence, the mother and daughter were, on paper, already dead.

Early the next morning, Bai Xiuming, who had been busy late into the night, had just gotten up when a Bright Mirror Bureau Guard's voice sounded outside: "My lord, Lord Zhang Jinghuai asks to see you."

"Let him in."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhang Jinghuai strode in.

Zhang Jinghuai's expression was grim. Without any pleasantries, he got right to it: "I beg Lord Bai to show mercy and release one person."