Du Qujing.
She was the Central City Deputy Commander. Her rank was not particularly high—a seventh-rank official—but her power was far from small.
The Five City Wardens’ Office oversaw the security of the Capital City, handling everything from thefts and brawls to fires and the pursuit of criminals.
Both great and small matters fell under their jurisdiction.
Within the Central City district, Du Qujing’s word was law.
Qin Junyue dealt with her frequently and knew that despite her lazy demeanor, the woman was incredibly shrewd.
No one who could hold down such a position in a place like the Capital City was a simpleton.
Du Qujing stood up slowly and stretched, her bones letting out a series of sharp pops.
She was exceptionally tall, standing over half a head taller than Qin Junyue.
Wearing her majestic official uniform, she looked like an unsheathed long blade—slender, sharp, and possessing an aura of natural authority that commanded respect without a hint of anger.
Yet, her expression remained listless, her eyes half-closed.
“Your dear friend got married last night, and I didn’t even have time to go,” she said with a yawn, her tone laced with a hint of envy. “I’ve been too busy. I really envy those of you in the Capital Camp.”
The people in the Capital Camp lived a leisurely life—training, standing guard, and taking rotations. Their days were orderly and predictable.
The Five City Wardens’ Office was different. If a family in the east lost a chicken, they had to handle it.
If a fight broke out in the west, they had to handle it. Fires in the south or thieves in the north—all of it came to them.
From morning until night, their feet barely touched a bed, and they hardly had time to grab a drink of water.
Du Qujing had always been willing to maintain good relations with Qin Junyue.
Having risen through the ranks as a military officer, she felt a natural kinship with martial arts masters like Qin Junyue.
This was especially true since she herself was only a Fourth-rank Martial Artist; she felt a lack of confidence in front of Second-rank or Third-rank experts, making her inclined to build more connections.
She also felt a certain level of admiration and respect for a young master like Qin Junyue.
Qin Junyue did not indulge in small talk and got straight to the point.
“I want to check the Register of Experts for Second-rank Masters within the Capital City.”
Du Qujing’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her lazy expression pulled back, replaced by a look of seriousness.
“Check the records?” she repeated, her fingers tapping on the desk. “I do have them here.”
“But under what authority are you checking them? Is it the Ministry of War? Or the Capital Camp? There has to be a reason; I can’t just let you look at them on a whim.”
Qin Junyue smiled slightly and brought out her prepared excuse.
“Someone broke into the Capital Camp last night—an unknown Second-rank Master. I traded blows with her, but I couldn’t identify her style. I need to investigate, and I’m doing so in the name of the Capital Camp.”
This was the reason she had come up with the night before.
The Capital City sat at the foot of the Emperor, the pinnacle of civilization. It was strictly forbidden for an unknown Second-rank Martial Artist to trespass into a military stronghold like the Capital Camp.
The reasoning was perfectly logical.
Du Qujing thought it over and nodded. It was indeed a valid justification.
“Fine then,” she said with another yawn, holding out her hand. “Where are the papers? Let me see the official request.”
Qin Junyue’s smile stiffened.
How could she have actual formal paperwork for this? She had made the whole thing up.
Furthermore, going through official channels meant writing documents, getting stamps, and filing records, which would take at least three to five days.
She couldn’t wait that long. She had to find out who had tried to harm Song Ning and Qi Chuyao that night.
Qin Junyue quickly stepped forward, draped an arm around Du Qujing’s shoulders, and laughed.
“The formal process is too tedious. Why make it so complicated? I’m only looking for the Second-rank Masters. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done. How about a little favor?”
Du Qujing, held by the shoulder, glanced at her with a slight curl to her lips.
“Garrison Commander Qin,” she said slowly. “You’re asking me to break the rules.”
“Just this once,” Qin Junyue said, shaking her shoulder gently. “I’ll treat you to drinks another day.”
“Drinks?” Du Qujing snorted. “You said the same thing last time. Where’s the person? Where’s the wine?”
“I mean it this time!”
After a bit of playful pushing and shoving, Du Qujing finally relented. “Fine, fine, fine. You can look, but no copying, no taking anything with you, no…”
“I know, I know.” Qin Junyue let go of her and headed inside.
Du Qujing shouted from behind her, “It’s in the third room of the East Wing! The shelves are labeled—don’t make a mess!”
“Forget it, I’ll go with you.”
Qin Junyue called back in acknowledgement and walked quickly toward the East Wing. She pushed open the door to the third room and was about to enter.
“Junyue!”
An excited shout came from behind her, exploding through the quiet Government Office.
Qin Junyue’s lithe body suddenly stiffened.
It was such a familiar voice—clear, bold, and filled with lighthearted cheer.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across her back. Her throat swallowed involuntarily, and her fingers gripped the doorframe as she turned her head stiffly.
Qi Chuyao was standing in the courtyard, waving at her.
She had changed into a pale green riding outfit today, her hair tied back in a ponytail. Her face still carried a rosy flush from a morning run, making her look energetic and bright-eyed.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! So this is where you are!” She strode over, her boots clicking loudly against the green bricks. “Last night…”
The words ‘last night’ stabbed straight into Qin Junyue’s heart, leaving her stunned and terrified.
Countless images flashed through her mind in an instant: the dim Wedding Chamber, the glow of red candles, Song Ning’s face, his finger in her mouth, his hands cupping her face, the sound of his voice when he called her ‘Wife,’ the way his feet left the ground as he was tossed up, the red marks on his collarbone, and that thick, rigid—
And then there was Qi Chuyao, slumped over the table, sleeping soundly and oblivious to it all.
Qin Junyue’s throat went dry. Her heart hammered so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest. She almost felt like running away.
Qi Chuyao, who hadn’t even Entered the Ranks, had terrified a Second-rank Martial Artist like her so much that she couldn’t even move.
Du Qujing stood to the side, watching the scene and shaking her head helplessly.
The discipline at the Command was truly falling apart.
It was one thing to let someone with an official position like Qin Junyue in, but even the daughter of a high-ranking official like Qi Chuyao could just waltz in whenever she pleased.
There were no rules anymore.
She glanced at the two soldiers at the gate and gritted her teeth.
Qi Chuyao ran up to Qin Junyue, threw an arm around her shoulder, and smiled radiantly.
“I really drank too much last night. You wouldn’t believe where I ended up sleeping—I nearly froze to death! If I’d known, I would have stayed with you instead!”
“What about you? Where did you run off to?”
Qin Junyue’s mouth twitched as she forced a strained smile. Her back was drenched in sweat, her spine felt icy, and her expression was rigid.
“I… I had things to do last night,” she said, her voice dry. “I left… I left early this morning.”
Qi Chuyao didn’t notice her strange behavior and continued on her own.
“You stood up for me last night, so I have to treat you to a meal!”
“Come on! You’re going out to a restaurant with me at noon!”
Qin Junyue swallowed again and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Qi Chuyao wasn’t talking about that part of last night.
“Another day, another day,” she said vaguely. “I still have official business today.”
Only then did Qi Chuyao notice the official uniform and the medallion at her waist. She let out an ‘oh’ and released her shoulder.
“Fine then. You get to work. I’ll just wait for you outside.”
“Be quick about it!”
“Right, right…” Qin Junyue nodded repeatedly, the smile on her face barely holding.
Qi Chuyao turned and left, her steps light and full of vitality, showing none of the supposed maturity expected after marriage.
As she reached the gate, she turned back and waved at Qin Junyue, shouting, “Don’t forget!” before vanishing from sight.
Qin Junyue stood at the entrance of the East Wing, staring at the spot where the girl had disappeared for a long time.
She took a deep breath, then another, barely managing to suppress her panic.
‘I’ve truly wronged her, but how could I have…’
Du Qujing leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed, watching her. Her eyebrows quirked up.
“What is it?” she asked. “Have you seen a ghost?”
Qin Junyue’s lips pulled back. She wanted to say, ‘Something scarier than a ghost. When you have a guilty conscience, you’re always afraid of a ghost knocking on your door,’ but she swallowed the words.
“It’s nothing.” She turned and pushed the door to the East Wing open. “I’m going to check the records.”
Du Qujing watched the door close, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
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