Chapter Thirty-Seven: Turning Truth Upside Down

In the study of the Li residence, Li Pisun, who had been reading, put his copy of The Analects back on the shelf and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Lei, what kind of behavior is this, rushing about in such a panic?"

The house guard, Zhao Lei, replied anxiously, "Master, the authorities have arrived."

Li Pisun responded calmly, "If the officials are here, invite them to the drawing room and serve them tea. Why are you so flustered?"

Zhao Lei stammered, "But, Master, this time there are a hundred or two hundred yamen officers from the county office. They've surrounded the residence."

"Is there no law and order left?" Li Pisun slammed his palm heavily on the desk, his face full of rage. "I, Li Pisun, have never broken the law. Why have they surrounded my house? Zhao Lei, come with me and let us see for ourselves."

With his servants in tow, Li Pisun went to the entrance and called out, "May I ask which official has graced us with his presence?"

Sanshengshi stepped forward. "Greetings, Master Li. There has been a report that the bandit, Broadblade Wang Wu, is hiding in your residence. By order of County Bailiff Liu, we are here to search. We ask for your cooperation, Master Li."

Li Pisun's anger boiled over. "My household has always respected the law. What nonsense about bandits? You come to search my home on the basis of rumors? Absurd! Let me see who dares to conduct such a search."

There was no turning back now for Sanshengshi. He stepped forward and said, "Master Li, I am acting under the orders of the county bailiff. This residence must be searched. If you have any complaints, you may take them up with the bailiff at the county office."

Li Pisun, enraged to the point of laughter, replied, "Very well! Search, then. But if you find no bandit here, I will see to it that justice is done."

A large number of yamen officers had already gathered at the gates of the Li residence, attracting the attention of many players. To their surprise, the one leading the search was a player himself. The faces of the surrounding players were filled with admiration.

Since the launch of the game, most players were still struggling to find food and shelter. Yet here was a player already commanding officials? That was truly impressive!

Amidst the envious and jealous stares of the other players, Sanshengshi led the constables into the Li residence, searching everywhere for Wang Wu. The NPC constables were sly and opportunistic; some with sticky fingers quietly pocketed valuables as they searched, leaving the entire Li household in utter chaos.

Sanshengshi and his men searched the Li residence three times over but still found no trace of Wang Wu—or even of Chen Baxian, who had entered the residence. His face grew dark as he ordered the officers to search a fourth time, but these officers, having already lined their pockets, began to go through the motions listlessly, showing clear dissatisfaction with Sanshengshi.

Even in the county office, Sanshengshi was only a low-ranking constable. The only reason he had been given the task of searching the Li residence was because he was a player and Liu Shengkui, the county bailiff, had entrusted him with the job. Still, few of the officers under his command took him seriously. They'd searched three times for the sake of profit, but a fourth time was too much for them.

After a perfunctory fourth search, Sanshengshi left the Li residence in disappointment. The officers had taken their spoils, but they would have preferred to actually find the bandit. Otherwise, if Li Pisun was proven innocent, they might have to return what they'd stolen. So they had done their best. The Li residence wasn't large, and with all those seasoned officers searching, it was clear Wang Wu was not hiding there. Sanshengshi's judgment had been wrong.

As they reached the main gate, Sanshengshi bowed to Li Pisun and said, "Master Li, I apologize for the offense. I will report to the county bailiff and see that the slanderous informant is punished..."

"Get out, all of you!" Li Pisun roared in anger. "I will write to the prefect himself and demand justice!"

Watching Li Pisun storm off, Sanshengshi's face twisted with distress. He knew he was in trouble now. Since entering the game, he had invested heavily in Liu Shengkui, the county bailiff, and after confirming that Chen Baxian was staying at the Li residence, he had reported it—only for the search to come up empty-handed.

Now, with NPC Li Pisun threatening to write to the prefect, it was clear he had powerful backing. If the matter was pursued, Liu Shengkui would surely be in trouble, and if Liu Shengkui suffered, Sanshengshi would not be spared either. He might not only lose his position as a constable but end up humiliated by Liu Shengkui.

Face clouded, Sanshengshi walked a few steps, then said to Wang Yu at his side, "Wang Yu, log out immediately and exchange for half a million RMB worth of silver dollars."

At this stage of the game, the exchange rate for silver dollars was high—500 RMB for one silver dollar. Sanshengshi had already spent a hundred thousand RMB to exchange for silver dollars in order to climb the ranks quickly. Now, facing trouble, he had no choice but to spend even more to avert disaster.

He had already devised a solution: the county bailiff was the second most powerful figure in the county, but if Liu Shengkui was about to abandon him, he might as well find an even bigger patron. After Wang Yu completed the exchange, Sanshengshi took a thousand silver dollars and returned to the county office—not to see Liu Shengkui, but to seek out County Magistrate Liu Ziyuan.

Liu Ziyuan eyed the silver dollars Sanshengshi placed on his desk, his face like frost. "Sanshengshi, foreigner in this land, what is the meaning of this?"

Sanshengshi had already learned that Liu Ziyuan was greedy for both wealth and pleasure. He replied respectfully, "Your Excellency cares for the people like your own children, laboring tirelessly for the citizens of Penglai every day. The people are grateful and have pooled together a little money for your wine. I am merely delivering it on their behalf."

Liu Ziyuan stroked his beard and said, "If this were a bribe, I would never accept it. But since it is the people's heartfelt offering, I shall accept it for their sake. Sanshengshi, I hear you entered the county office thanks to the bailiff. Have you been adjusting well?"

Liu Ziyuan's inquiry was a clear signal to reward Sanshengshi for his tribute. Hearing the magistrate's question, Sanshengshi quickly stood and replied, "All is well, Your Excellency. Only today, the county bailiff ordered me to lead a search of Master Li's residence for Wang Wu. But I found nothing, and I fear the bailiff will not forgive me..."

"Liu Shengkui is being ridiculous," Liu Ziyuan snorted. "Li Pisun is close to the prefect, and the assistant magistrate Wang Mingyuan is his prized pupil. They are not to be trifled with. I’d like to see how Liu Shengkui gets himself out of this mess."

With that, Liu Ziyuan took up his tea and said, "Sanshengshi, since Liu Shengkui is unwilling to keep you as a constable, you need not continue in that post. The accounts office is short a registrar. Why don't you handle the finances for me?"

Sanshengshi's face lit up with joy. "Thank you for Your Excellency's favor."

Originally, Sanshengshi had wanted to be an inspector, as that would allow him to wield real power, but inspectors were under the county bailiff's control, beyond the magistrate's direct influence. Though a registrar could not wield territorial authority, the position was even higher than an inspector’s, and for a player seeking a political path, it was more than suitable.

By spending a thousand silver dollars, Sanshengshi not only averted disaster but also secured a prestigious position as registrar, resolving his crisis and advancing his ambitions.

"Player Sanshengshi, congratulations on deftly resolving your crisis and avoiding punishment. Your cunning is remarkable. Political Acumen +1."

"Player Sanshengshi, congratulations on comprehending the skill: Turning Black into White. Turning Black into White: In political struggles, you have a 20% chance to turn a disadvantageous situation into an advantageous one. Cooldown: 24 hours."