Chapter 65: Kill Me If You Must!

“I am indeed a member of the Restoration Gate. If you wish to kill me, then do it!”
Ling Xiao struggled to stand, his body frail, yet he did not beg Li Rui for mercy. Instead, he faced Li Rui with a look of heroic resolve, openly admitting his identity as a member of the Restoration Gate.

“Ling Xiao!”
Zhang Xiaolan cried out in exasperation.

She wished she could clamp his mouth shut. Such a direct admission was tantamount to giving Li Rui every reason to seize him at once and bring him to justice. Zhang Xiaolan was determined to plead for Ling Xiao’s life—his pitiable circumstances compelled her to speak for him.

“Hmph! Then I shall now apprehend you. Last time, when your organization was eradicated, not one member was left alive. Now, I have the chance to capture you for interrogation.”
As expected, the moment Li Rui heard Ling Xiao’s confession, he donned the authoritative bearing of an official, intent on arresting Ling Xiao and punishing him according to the law.

“Brother Li, Ling Xiao is a wretched soul. He lost his parents as a child, and was seized by this organization at a young age, subjected to endless torment and pain. Is it not the court’s incompetence that left these children without proper care? Had they been protected, would they have fallen into such dire straits?”
Zhang Xiaolan tried to appeal to Li Rui’s compassion with Ling Xiao’s tragic history, for it was indeed the truth.

She knew that if Ling Xiao were captured, he would likely be condemned for a serious crime. Moreover, Ling Xiao’s unyielding nature and blunt speech would surely do him no favors.

“You can’t say that. The Li Dynasty has countless subjects; how could we possibly look after all the orphaned children?”
Li Rui was unmoved by Zhang Xiaolan’s argument. No dynasty had ever enacted laws to help these children.

Besides, were the court to do as Zhang Xiaolan suggested, it would place a tremendous burden upon the government. Who would willingly shoulder such responsibility? Even Li Rui thought this way, and so he countered Zhang Xiaolan’s words—but she seized upon his response to further refute him.

“That is why you nobles and officials, seeing orphaned and wandering children, merely scoff, considering them a burden to the nation. You let them fend for themselves, or worse, allow them to be sold as slaves, or, as with Ling Xiao, stolen by murderous organizations—and you do nothing. Perhaps these groups even abduct children with families. You officials remain ignorant of it all, remembering only to collect taxes year after year, but never thinking to truly care for the people and bring them benefit!”

Every word Zhang Xiaolan spoke brimmed with righteous indignation. Li Rui was left speechless; indeed, her arguments held merit, and for one with a compassionate heart, such words struck even deeper.

“This…”
Li Rui’s expression grew grave; what Zhang Xiaolan said was not without reason. Seeing him lost in thought, Zhang Xiaolan knew his resolve was wavering, and pressed on, hoping to move him with emotion.

“Perhaps it is difficult to realize these ideals now, but if you could harbor even a single thought for the welfare of the people, individuals like Ling Xiao would never exist. In a way, is this not the responsibility of people like you?”
Her words carried both criticism and understanding, but now was not the time for debate; the most important thing was to persuade Li Rui not to bring Ling Xiao to justice.

“But this man may have committed grave crimes. How can I simply let him go?”
Li Rui’s face betrayed his dilemma—torn between compassion and his duty to uphold the law, he could not easily accept letting an assassin walk free.

“I am indeed a member of the Restoration Gate. If you wish to kill me, then do it!”
Ling Xiao struggled to stand, his body frail, yet he did not beg Li Rui for mercy. Instead, he faced Li Rui with a look of heroic resolve, openly admitting his identity as a member of the Restoration Gate.

“Ling Xiao!”
Zhang Xiaolan cried out in exasperation.

She wished she could clamp his mouth shut. Such a direct admission was tantamount to giving Li Rui every reason to seize him at once and bring him to justice. Zhang Xiaolan was determined to plead for Ling Xiao’s life—his pitiable circumstances compelled her to speak for him.

“Hmph! Then I shall now apprehend you. Last time, when your organization was eradicated, not one member was left alive. Now, I have the chance to capture you for interrogation.”
As expected, the moment Li Rui heard Ling Xiao’s confession, he donned the authoritative bearing of an official, intent on arresting Ling Xiao and punishing him according to the law.

“Brother Li, Ling Xiao is a wretched soul. He lost his parents as a child, and was seized by this organization at a young age, subjected to endless torment and pain. Is it not the court’s incompetence that left these children without proper care? Had they been protected, would they have fallen into such dire straits?”
Zhang Xiaolan tried to appeal to Li Rui’s compassion with Ling Xiao’s tragic history, for it was indeed the truth.

She knew that if Ling Xiao were captured, he would likely be condemned for a serious crime. Moreover, Ling Xiao’s unyielding nature and blunt speech would surely do him no favors.

“You can’t say that. The Li Dynasty has countless subjects; how could we possibly look after all the orphaned children?”
Li Rui was unmoved by Zhang Xiaolan’s argument. No dynasty had ever enacted laws to help these children.

Besides, were the court to do as Zhang Xiaolan suggested, it would place a tremendous burden upon the government. Who would willingly shoulder such responsibility? Even Li Rui thought this way, and so he countered Zhang Xiaolan’s words—but she seized upon his response to further refute him.

“That is why you nobles and officials, seeing orphaned and wandering children, merely scoff, considering them a burden to the nation. You let them fend for themselves, or worse, allow them to be sold as slaves, or, as with Ling Xiao, stolen by murderous organizations—and you do nothing. Perhaps these groups even abduct children with families. You officials remain ignorant of it all, remembering only to collect taxes year after year, but never thinking to truly care for the people and bring them benefit!”

Every word Zhang Xiaolan spoke brimmed with righteous indignation. Li Rui was left speechless; indeed, her arguments held merit, and for one with a compassionate heart, such words struck even deeper.

“This…”
Li Rui’s expression grew grave; what Zhang Xiaolan said was not without reason. Seeing him lost in thought, Zhang Xiaolan knew his resolve was wavering, and pressed on, hoping to move him with emotion.

“Perhaps it is difficult to realize these ideals now, but if you could harbor even a single thought for the welfare of the people, individuals like Ling Xiao would never exist. In a way, is this not the responsibility of people like you?”
Her words carried both criticism and understanding, but now was not the time for debate; the most important thing was to persuade Li Rui not to bring Ling Xiao to justice.

“But this man may have committed grave crimes. How can I simply let him go?”
Li Rui’s face betrayed his dilemma—torn between compassion and his duty to uphold the law, he could not easily accept letting an assassin walk free.