Chapter 7: No Kowtowing To Officials, Immune To Royal Law

Knock, knock.

The old temple keeper knocked on the study’s door.

“Enter.”

A dignified voice came from inside. The old keeper pushed open the door and said, “Chief Warden, the Justice Officer from Yanggu County has arrived.”

Hearing that, the middle-aged man inside, who had been reading reports, looked up. An invisible aura of authority immediately pressed down on Li Chaosheng. Li Chaosheng quickly bowed, trying to look as harmless as possible. The man glanced at Li Chaosheng, especially at the ghost-head blade strapped to his back, and said, “You’re even carrying that thing?”

Li Chaosheng hastily cupped his hands and said, “It’s a habit. I never leave home without a blade.”

The middle-aged man smiled and said, “Better to have it. After all, that blade has absorbed the cranial essence of a hundred people. It has condensed murderous qi and counts as a low-grade magical weapon, so carrying it can harm spirits. Speaking of spirits, it reminds me. Last night things weren’t peaceful at your place, were they?”

“How does Your Excellency know?” Hearing this, Li Chaosheng looked at the man and asked.

The middle-aged man closed the report in his hand and said, “On the execution ground, that seemingly innocent but extremely wicked female fiend used her cranial essence to inscribe a soul-pursuing mark. I saw it all. If such a mark forms, the marked one will inevitably attract spirits at night to claim their lives!”

“Ah!”

Hearing this, Li Chaosheng stared wide-eyed at the man and said, “Your Excellency, since you saw it clearly, why didn’t you warn this humble one and save my life?”

The middle-aged man sneered and looked at Li Chaosheng. “Why should I save you?”

The question left Li Chaosheng dumbfounded. Indeed, why would anyone save him? In this society there were no human rights, and no such concept of life being something supreme. If someone saved you it was their generosity. If not, it was normal. The chaos of the age had made human life worth less than a dog’s.

Li Chaosheng took it for granted. Though he had integrated into this era, deep inside he still kept the conscience of the civilized world he once knew.

“Your Excellency, forgive my offense. I’ve been presumptuous.”

Li Chaosheng cupped his hands in apology, but the man laughed. “No matter. You’re honest enough. But be careful, this world isn’t as beautiful as you imagine. And don’t hold grudges. I didn’t warn you because this was intended as a test I designed for you.”

“A test?”

“That’s right. Only by passing the test do you qualify to join the Nightwardens.”

“The Nightwardens?!”

This was the second time Li Chaosheng had heard the term, and he chewed it over. Seeing that Li Chaosheng didn’t understand, the middle-aged man smiled and said to the old temple keeper at his side, “Old Zhu, introduce it to the newcomer.”

“Yes.”

The old keeper looked at Li Chaosheng and said, “The Nightwardens is the cornerstone of the Great Gan Dynasty, established for four hundred years. It answers directly to His Majesty, ordinary officials may not interfere. Everyone inside the Nightwardens are the Emperor’s confidants, guarding the realm on the Emperor’s behalf. They enjoy the privileges of ‘no kowtowing to officials’ and being ‘immune to royal law,’ and when completing missions they may require local government assistance, which must be unconditionally obeyed, from provincial governors down to county magistrates, not a single exception!”

“No kowtowing to officials, immune to royal law?”

Hearing those two phrases, Li Chaosheng’s eyes nearly popped out. What incredible privileges! In the ancient world it was like having a pardon from all punishment.

Seeing Li Chaosheng like that, the old keeper’s mouth twitched into a smile. It reminded him of the shock he once felt upon hearing those words. How similar the two moments were.

“Exactly. No kowtowing to officials, we only kneel to His Majesty. No one else in the world is worth our kneeling. Even the crown prince, unless he sits on the throne, has no right to make us kneel. This privilege was granted to us by the Great Ancestor.”

“As for ‘immune to royal law,’ within the Nightwardens, from top to bottom, if anyone breaks the law, ordinary officials may not interrogate them. Only us within the Nightwardens may internally interrogate, convict, and pass judgment.”

The old keeper said this with pride, for there was no helping it.

This was the pride of all Nightwardens, showing they had risen above ordinary life and belonged to a loftier existence. Li Chaosheng was stunned for a long moment before asking again, “So what do us Nightwardens mainly do?”

Li Chaosheng unconsciously assumed the identity of a Nightwarden and even began to use the appropriate pronouns.

The old keeper glanced at the middle-aged man, who nodded, and the keeper continued, “The Nightwardens, as the name implies, is an office guarding the night. What does the night represent? Demons and ghosts, these are the representations of night. A Nightwardens’ duty is to deal with those creatures and protect ordinary people’s peace!”

“So that’s it!”

Hearing this, Li Chaosheng suddenly understood. The Nightwardens was actually in charge of such work. No wonder their status was so high. This was basically the ancient version of a bureau managing superpowered people!

As Li Chaosheng thought this, another question arose.

“But…Mr. Zhu, shouldn’t dealing with demons and spirits be the job of monks and Taoist priests? How did it fall to Nightwardens? Are all members of the Nightwardens monastics?”

Hearing this, the old keeper shook his head. “Though Buddhists and Taoists have people in the Nightwardens, the great sects’ masters are all placed in the Fengxian Pavilion. Only smaller sects and lone cultivators join the Nightwardens. Additionally, folk necromancers and especially executioners like you have long been the primary recruits for the Nightwardens. After all, having killed a hundred people you can condense a ghost-head blade imbued with blood malice, and your body, hardened by long killing, is suited to practicing cultivation techniques.”

The old keeper did not go into detail. If he did, he’d say executioners were indeed the easiest to join the Nightwardens but also the hardest to advance. Many remained stuck at the lowest rank their whole lives, yet that didn’t stop the Nightwardens from recruiting them. After all, the bureau needed a lot of low-level cannon fodder to do its work!

Hearing this, Li Chaosheng nodded. “I see. So the female ghost that attacked at midnight was Nightwardens’ test. Pass it and you can join the Nightwardens to become one, right?”

The middle-aged man, or the Chief Warden who had been prompting the keeper, smiled and said, “Exactly. Now it’s your turn to consider whether to join the Nightwardens. If you refuse, leave and don’t mention us to outsiders.”

Those words left him without reason to refuse. Just the privileges of ‘no kowtowing to officials’ and being ‘immune to royal law’ were enough to make Li Chaosheng accept.

In this devouring feudal society, without connections you’d be exhausted from kowtowing all day. If he joined the Nightwardens he would kneel to no one but the Emperor. Living in this backwater, the chance to see the Emperor was virtually zero, so no one could make him kneel. For that reason alone Li Chaosheng couldn’t refuse.

“I will join, not for myself, but for the Nightwardens. I will serve Your Excellency faithfully.”

Li Chaosheng clasped his hands and wore an expression of sincere devotion.