Chapter 27: Across the Three Realms and Six Paths, There Is Still No Blade That Can Slay Me

Magistrate Fang did not know how he had managed to make his way to the executioner’s dais.

All he could remember was the raucous, resounding laughter that had erupted from Du Yuan when he announced the death sentence. It was a sound he found impossible to describe.

The gloomy firmament pressed down upon the execution ground, and the rhythmic clanging of the bailiffs’ gongs, meant to command the crowd, echoed sharply against the flagstones. Magistrate Fang’s fingernails dug into the wood of the dais, and cold sweat streamed incessantly down the inside of his official cap. He could not fathom what had gone wrong, yet he felt a gnawing certainty that he had committed a catastrophic error.

He forced himself to recall the sagely texts he had studied for the past thirty years.

"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, feats of strength, rebellions, or gods..."

I am not wrong. I am not wrong.

After repeating these words like a mantra, Magistrate Fang began to jot down his arrangements for what was to follow. He did not believe his judgment was flawed; the southwestern provinces were teetering on the brink of chaos, and as an official appointed by the Emperor, he had to eliminate every potential threat. Yet, he knew he lacked the authority to bypass national law and execute a man summarily. He intended to proceed with the execution, notify the regional inspector, and then voluntarily surrender his official robes and seal to enter prison and seek atonement.

But why, he wondered, was he so adamant about executing this man? Even if the situation demanded expediency, the procedure was irregular, and the law was clear. Had he been too arbitrary? Why could he not have simply imprisoned the man as he had done the day before?

The confusion, coupled with his growing bewilderment, brought on a sharp, splitting headache. A wisp of black aura swirled and coiled around his forehead, refusing to dissipate.

Du Yuan observed all of this, but he remained silent, turning his gaze instead to the growing crowd of onlookers. Ever since he had noticed the black miasma clinging to the Magistrate, Du Yuan had altered his original plan. He decided to focus on reinforcing his own state first, then proceed to uncover the true nature of what was happening. After all, he needed to be on firm ground. If this failed, he could at least tell himself he had done his best.

The Magistrate’s decision to summon the public played right into his hands. Whether the Magistrate was merely a hollow vessel hiding behind a mask of integrity—requiring Du Yuan to expose him and turn the tables—or whether the Magistrate was merely a puppet being used as a scapegoat, requiring Du Yuan to clear away the fog, this public setting was ideal.

Magistrate Fang likely still wondered why Du Yuan had laughed. He thought he was executing a man, but in reality, he was delivering exactly what Du Yuan needed. However, looking at him now, was the Magistrate truly bewitched by dark sorcery?

Du Yuan was neither shackled nor dressed in prison garb; he stood calmly on the execution ground. This was partly due to Qian Youcai’s interventions, as the Magistrate feared provoking him further, and partly because the affair had been so rushed that proper preparations had been neglected.

At this moment, Qian Youcai rushed onto the execution ground, desperate to pull Du Yuan away. "My dear Daoist, what are you doing? Your precious self—how could you let that damned corrupt official toy with you like this?"

As a member of a prominent family, Qian Youcai was accustomed to ignoring legal formalities, and even the Magistrate tended to overlook his transgressions.

Du Yuan waved a hand and smiled. "Do not worry. Many things cannot be made clear unless one proceeds in this manner. Since I have come, I shall see this through to the end."

"But Daoist, this is a matter of life and death! You, you, you—" Qian Youcai sputtered, unable to find the right words.

Du Yuan looked at him, then out at the sea of faces in the crowd, and smiled. "Rest assured, no harm will come to me." He leaned in slightly and added, "Do you not trust me?"

Looking at the unfailingly confident Du Yuan, Qian Youcai shook his head immediately. "Of course I do."

"Then why act this way?"

Qian Youcai froze. It was true. If the Daoist would come to no harm, then it was the man named Fang who would suffer in the end. At this thought, Qian Youcai chuckled. "Ah, you are right, Daoist! But tell me, why must you come to the execution ground?"

What did the Daoist mean by "things that cannot be made clear"? He couldn't possibly say it was because there were more people here. Du Yuan pondered for a moment, offered a cryptic smile, and turned his attention to the crowd.

Seeing Du Yuan look toward them, the men at the front began to shout:

"Magistrate! There must be a misunderstanding here!"

"Indeed! You cannot execute the Daoist!"

"He is a true master!"

Magistrate Fang remained silent; for some reason, the pain in his head was worsening. With the Magistrate unresponsive, the bailiffs were at a loss, and the crowd, led by the men, grew increasingly agitated.

Just then, Du Yuan spoke. "My dear elders and neighbors, please, stay calm."

As soon as Du Yuan spoke, the crowd, swayed by the influence of the men at the front, subconsciously felt that he was truly extraordinary. They fell silent, watching him. Having seized control of the scene, Du Yuan turned back to the Magistrate.

"Magistrate Fang, you came to Qing County three years ago. In these three years, the weather has been favorable, the people have lived in peace, and the old ills of the county have been cured. You are a good official, and for that reason, I stand here and allow you to strike me three times."

Magistrate Fang clutched his forehead tighter, unable to respond. He felt as though his brain were about to burst.

"But after those three strikes," Du Yuan continued, his gaze shifting from the black aura on the Magistrate’s brow to the dark, swirling clouds above the Magistrate's inner courtyard, "I shall hold you accountable!"

Du Yuan remembered rumors that the Magistrate had once brought a woman home from a mass grave. His voice rang out with such clarity and conviction that the crowd gasped. This Daoist dared to challenge the Magistrate to strike him three times? Did he truly possess such power that common steel could not harm him? Otherwise, why claim he would hold the Magistrate accountable afterward?

The crowd was filled with astonishment, and within that astonishment, belief began to take root.

Seeing this, Du Yuan turned to the executioner. "May I see your blade?"

The executioner hesitated, glancing at Qian Youcai and then at the Magistrate. Seeing no opposition, he handed over his broadsword. Du Yuan plucked the blade, then pressed his finger against the edge. It was razor-sharp, yet he remained unharmed. He understood now.

"A fine blade. It will serve to strike down evil."

The executioner could not help but ask, "Do you not find it strange to say such a thing?"

Du Yuan laughed. "Because this is not the blade meant to execute me."

"Why?"

Du Yuan looked up at the sky. The clouds that had obscured the sun were scattering, save for a dense, unmoving mass hanging over the Magistrate's residence. A single ray of sunlight fell upon Du Yuan’s shoulder.

"In the three realms and six paths," Du Yuan declared, "no blade exists that has the authority to execute me."

For some reason, the executioner felt his heart tremble violently.

"Then what do you mean by 'strike down evil'?"

Du Yuan did not look at him, but fixed his eyes on Magistrate Fang. "Magistrate, you harbor a monster in your home—do you not know?"

"You have been bewitched by this monster, casting aside the laws of the land—do you not know?"

Du Yuan’s questioning voice was not loud, but it pierced through the execution ground and struck directly into the mind of the beast. It gave Magistrate Fang a momentary flash of clarity.

*What monster?*

The question rang out like a thunderclap, like the tolling of a great bell!

In his shock and pain, the monster shrieked, "Execute him!"

Magistrate Fang, plunging back into chaos, rose abruptly and shouted:

"Execute him!"