Chapter 114: Detention

Returning to White Horse Ferry, all of this was caused by the Young Marshal; the 300 knights under her command were only obeying orders, Li Bucai solemnly warned them not to violate the village rules, and had Yan Qiu write the village regulations on a notice board, erecting a notice at White Horse Ferry, San Shui Mouth, and Zhuowang, then returning the horses and weapons to them and sending them back to Zhuowang, with the Young Marshal identified as the culprit and only she being taken into custody.

In the Young Marshal's hands, the twelve blue‑clad guards dared not act rashly, staying close behind, and Li Bucai forced the Young Marshal into the small fortress's main cell.

Beside the square of the Xinggong small fortress, diagonally opposite the gate stood the Huachi village office; to manage the villagers, when the village office was established, a prison was built nearby, but to date no one has broken the law, and it has never housed a prisoner.

At this moment the Young Marshal had not yet awakened; a servant supported her, standing outside the cell door.

"Wake her up."

Yue Ji answered, extending a hand to draw a white flash that swept past ten centimeters from her cheek, and the Young Marshal instantly woke.

"Li Bucai, you despicable scoundrel, you plotted against me, what skill do you claim? If you have the ability, bring your horse; we will meet in an open battle with swords and spears. Secret arrows that wound—what skill is that? Let me go, let me go, or the Young Marshal will have no end with you."

Jian Yu and the others did not expect Li Bucai to actually dare seize the Young Marshal, even binding her with rope. They had only been silently following, saying nothing. When the Young Marshal awoke, the crowd pushed forward, realizing that these few were not their opponents and dared not act rashly, only wishing to confront Li Bucai.

Jian Yu said: "Lord Li, as the Young Marshal's attendant, I should address you as Lord Li, but your actions today even make even I, Xiaoxiao, the attendant blush. If it weren't for your secret arrows, could you and your men even hold the Young Marshal? How can we be convinced? Release the Young Marshal, bring us to Zhuowang, and then we would willingly submit to your village rules. Do you dare?"

Li Bucai shouted angrily: "The village rules are that if you wish to be bound you are, if you don't you aren't. You think a single sentence can make me release them? Village rules are no child's play, war is no game. With people like you, I, Li Bucai, have ten thousand ways; I can release you ten times and recapture you ten times. I'll leave this statement here; if you're interested, we can try again later. The Young Marshal has already broken the law, don't think your few provocations will make Li Bucai act unlawfully and let her go."

Seeing the provocation method ineffective, Jian Yu shifted tone: "Lord Li, you are ungrateful. The Young Marshal came to your Territory to train troops; that is your blessing. If you don't serve the Young Marshal well, that's fine. The Young Marshal merely wanted to train beyond the mountain, yet you dare be so disrespectful over such a trivial matter. Do you know the Young Marshal is the Emperor's cherished jewel? Even if she offends the Imperial Will, the Emperor would not harshly rebuke her. Your village chief was appointed by the Emperor, your villagers are the Emperor's subjects, and you, Lord Li, are a wise man. Must I spell out all the stakes to you? If you still refuse to release her, hmph, I happen to have matters to attend back at Sky City..." At this point, he said to Township Jing: "Take good care of the Young Marshal; I'll be right back. (hand-typed, first release on Shouda8. Com)" He pushed through the crowd, heading toward Tengyun Station.

"Stop." Li Bucai barked sharply, and immediately several attendants surrounded her.

Li Bucai waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back.

Jian Yu stood there smugly, waiting for him to release her.

Li Bucai turned to Yan Qiu and said: "Yan's aide, my Huachi land is not a marketplace; it cannot allow anyone to come and go at will. From today onward, whether at Tengyun Station, the dock, or the ferry, checkpoints must be established. Without my personally approved passage documents, no one may cross the border on their own."

"Returning, my lord, a few days ago we already followed your orders and set up checkpoints everywhere. Yan Qiu will now assign more personnel; without your handwritten decree, no one will be allowed entry."

Li Bucai nodded.

Jian Yu shouted angrily: "Li Bucai, you have such nerve. Don't think you can block this; anywhere in the world, as long as the Emperor nods, there is no place the Young Marshal cannot go."

Li Bucai let her stay, not to block her, and ignored Jian Yu, turning to the Young Marshal: "The Young Marshal came to Huachi to borrow land for training, yet disregarded Huachi's village rules. Now you have two choices. First, follow the village rules, which will inevitably bring physical hardship; the Young Marshal, being of noble birth, if you cannot endure, you are not my Huachi villagers, you may leave, and you will still have a way to live. Better to go back with Jian Yu and the others, stay peacefully in Sky City. This place has many unpredictable dangers, but Sky City is full of talent and will not collapse such that you have to support it later."

Li Bucai naturally did not want them to stay here causing trouble, but since she is a descendant of the Emperor and his superior, he could not completely break ties. Li Bucai also acted out of concern for her safety; if she leaves now, there would be explanations before the Emperor.

The Young Marshal's purpose in coming was to settle old scores; not only were past grudges unavenged, new hatred was added. She did not wish to use her princess status to be accused of bullying, so she always presented herself as the Young Marshal, seeking a fair contest. Though she avoided invoking the princess title, others still feared her rank and constantly yielded, leading her to win every duel—except against Li Bucai, where she suffered consecutive defeats and was now bound before everyone's eyes. If she leaves now, it would mean conceding defeat; later Li Bucai would never allow her here, and she would lose even the chance for revenge.

The Young Marshal snarled: "Stop making alarmist statements here, and stop pretending to be a saintly ruler. Others can cross the mountains; why must I be barred? This new rule was made just to trouble me. Listen up, the Young Marshal wants to train troops; I've always gone wherever I please, and it's not for a petty lord like you to interfere. If you don't release me, I will make all of you suffer."

Clearly trying to use the Emperor as leverage, Li Bucai was instantly enraged by her words: "Since you know this village rule was set up especially for you, do you realize it was for the safety of our all‑doing Young Marshal? Our Young Marshal's pedigree is vast, her abilities great. Even on another's land she goes wherever she wishes; not only can we not stop her, we must dispatch many to protect our exceedingly wise Grand Marshal. Who told you you have a supreme lord behind you? If it were elsewhere, I, Li Bucai, would have no right to intervene, but now that you're on my ground, you think I will flatter you like others? Don't think that when you were in Sky City no one dared challenge you; you are not invincible, not everyone is willing to revolve around you. If it weren't for the thousand‑plus mouths that now need a way out, you couldn't just walk away. Someone like you, a spoiled rich brat who only brings trouble, I will teach you the height of the heavens and the thickness of the earth."

It was the first time in the Young Marshal's life that she was berated so bluntly, and two tears kept swirling in her eyes.

Gasping, she said: "You... you dare accuse me of bullying? I... I did bully you, so what! You dare use scheming tricks against me—on what grounds can I not bully you! If you lay a hand on me, Jian Yu! Immediately return to Sky City and report this to the Emperor!"

Hearing this, several undead soldiers immediately surrounded Jian Yu.

The truth cannot be smothered; she wanted to file a complaint and would eventually do so. Li Bucai barked, "Step aside, let her go." He then asked the Young Marshal: "So, the Young Marshal, you are willing to accept the penalty?"

"You dare..."

"Yan's aide! How should we deal with the Young Marshal's violation of the village rules?"

Yan Qiu hesitated briefly; now it was too late to be lenient. Fearing a harsh outcome, she said, "Imprison for one day."

"Imprison for one day?" Li Bucai's questioning gaze turned to her.

Yan Qiu, startled by Li Bucai's cold, lightning‑like stare, quickly added, "No food during that time."

Since the Young Marshal would not leave, this first punishment could not be too severe; otherwise, given her temperament, she might later break many village rules and commit graver offenses—some might even call for her death. Imprisoning for a day without food serves as a lesson for the Young Marshal. Li Bucai gestured, ordering her to be taken to the cell. Jian Yu had already stepped onto the Transport Cloud; eleven other guards attempted to follow, but Li Bucai ordered them driven away.

"My lord, could this anger the Emperor and bring many disadvantages to you?" Yan Qiu said with genuine concern.

There is only one compliant method: set aside the Territory's development plans, ignore even the villagers' lives, and whenever the Young Marshal wishes to go somewhere, dispatch all soldiers to protect her and follow her wherever she goes; this will inevitably lead other lords to eliminate her. Otherwise, letting her act freely on this perilous continent, with her temperament, a single misstep could bring danger and cause her death; then the Emperor would question the crime, and the problem would be severe. The only balanced solution is to restrain her, though that may easily anger the Emperor.

"No time to chat idly with his precious daughter; this is for her safety. Anyway, the Young Marshal's arrival is a challenge for us; this is the balanced solution. If the Emperor is unreasonable, let him be."

Yan Qiu nodded in understanding.

Li Bucai said: "The Young Marshal came here because of some grudges with me; I caused all this trouble, so I cannot escape responsibility. According to the village rules, how should we punish?"

"This... how can we blame my lord?"

Jian Yu returned to Sky City to lodge a complaint; the Emperor will surely send investigators. If only the Young Marshal were locked up, it would be hard to justify, so Li Bucai volunteered to share the same crime, being confined in the cell opposite the Young Marshal.