Page 87 of The Wind Dancer
“Shen taught you well, boy. I think I’d be glad to have you visit me from time to time.” Thanks to my mentor, I had the opportunity to be in the presence of one of the leaders of the criminal world of Cloud City. No matter how powerful the guild elders thought they were, they would never even come close to this woman.
“I would be happy to take you up on that offer.”
“On the topic of offers...” She tilted her head slightly, still studying me. Her fingers had long, sharp nails with which she tapped on a jade cup.
“I have information about several places where foreigners have established themselves.” I was silent for a moment, assessing her reaction.
“Go on.”
“These islanders haven’t paid anyone, but they’ve been selling their goods on the streets. Our streets.”
“And you want my boys to make sure that these islanders vanish without a trace? What if I refuse?”
“Then very soon, there will be a lot more of them. They’ll start seizing territory, and you’ll have to shed blood to drive them away. There are already whispers in the streets that your Tongs should forge their own paths. Who’s ever seen an old woman running the whole underworld, anyway?” She laughed again. Her fingers, which were twirling the cup, paused for a moment. Then she moved again. It was quiet, slow, and her words were as gentle as the hum of steel
“Not bad, Feng Lao. Twenty years ago, I would’ve fallen for such a taunt. But now...” her lips curled into a contemptuous smile. “I don’t care what the youngsters say. As soon as they start acting up, my boys will remind the hotheads who rules this place.” She tapped her cup and continued, “Let’s say my people and I remove this trash from our beautiful city... What would I get out of it?”
“Everything you find on them is yours.”
“It would be mine anyway, you know our laws as well as I do.” I nodded. “And then the guards they paid off will come down on us.”
“The guards won’t meddle.”
“And why is that?”
“Because your involvement has been approved by the higher-ups.” I took out a small jade seal, which depicted a white silk cord tied in a complex knot that resembled a noose. The badge of the Secret Chancellery of the Sunset Empire.
At the sight of it, Mistress Lin fell silent.
As I waited for her response, I recalled what my mentor had told me about the ancient ritual behind that symbol.
There was an ancient custom dating back to the time of the Empire’s foundation. A noble sentenced to death was not sent an executioner. They were sent a silk cord.
Snow-white, as thin as a lock of hair, it arrived in a lacquered box sealed with the personal emblem of the Heavenly Lord. A smooth string of exquisite eternal silence.
It was a gift. The last mercy the Emperor could afford them. The right to leave without noise, without shame. To die with dignity, as befits a member of a noble family, in seclusion of their private chambers, facing their ancestral shrine.
It was an order. A quiet ultimatum wrapped in white silk. There was no cruelty in it, only the cold, perfected impartiality of the law.
It was also art, a ritual. The soul departed untouched by the filth of an execution, and the body remained undefiled, all to preserve the name and image of the family. This would never become a scandal in the records.
And, technically, it was a choice. To accept meant to die with honor and preserve the family. To refuse meant shame that would echo for generations.
Silk became the empire’s most refined instrument — one of grace and judgment. Then, it also became the symbol of the Secret Chancellery.
“Do you understand who you’re dealing with, Feng Lao?”
I nodded wearily. “Yes, mistress. But I didn’t have much choice. So I made a bet, put my life on the line, and won. The one who tried to kill me is dead.”
“So Fu Shang...” She began, but I interrupted by saluting with my cup.
“May Heaven have mercy on him.”
“When I look at you, I see Fen Shen. Just as ruthless and cocky. This path led him to his grave. Be careful, boy.”
“Thank you for the advice, mistress. But my proposal is related to his death.” After hearing that, she took a long sip.
“A respectful son cannot live under the same sky as his father’s murderer.” A quote from one of the authors of the first dynasty. Revenge for parents and teachers wasn’t a right. It was an obligation. Even now, the court could acquit a person if it sees that they did everything out of filial piety.
