Chains of Fate

On-the-Job Injury and Paid Leave

After his injury, Ralph was granted paid leave.

During his time off, he attended several funerals for fallen colleagues, sending customary condolences. Though he hadn't been particularly close with some of these colleagues and there had even been some friction between them, seeing how ordinary lives could be snuffed out so easily left Ralph reflective. As small people in the grand scheme, they had no rights and couldn't even decide their own fate.

An unexpected but welcome surprise: Blake had survived, entirely unscathed.

It turned out that Blake had dodged the chaos of that night simply because he was out of money and deeply in debt. Instead of gambling, he'd hidden away in an empty office to nap and avoid temptation, unwittingly escaping the deadly incident.

Blake visited Ralph, bringing along two pounds of meat as a gift.

Ralph's older sister, Charlotte, warmly welcomed Blake inside.

Since Ralph's injury, Charlotte had been beside herself with worry, practically moving back to Ralph's home to care for him. If Ralph hadn't talked her out of it, she would've moved in permanently. After much back and forth, he'd managed to convince her to only come during the day and return to her in-laws' home at night.

Ralph knew his injury wasn't severe, though it looked dramatic. His sister didn't need to struggle on his behalf; otherwise, it might cause her even more hardship with her husband's family. His brother-in-law was decent, but the matriarch of the household, Madam Su, was notoriously controlling and heartless—the type of stereotypical, meddling mother-in-law from a storybook.

When their parents passed within two years, Madam Su had initially wanted to break the engagement. However, Ralph's brother-in-law, Charlie, had insisted on honoring the commitment, deciding that their family shouldn't abandon Ralph and Charlotte in such hard times. And so, they took in Charlotte and fed Ralph for two years until he could make his way independently.

Luckily, Charlotte and her husband had a strong relationship; otherwise, life under Madam Su's scrutiny would have been even harder to bear.

"Your visit is enough; you didn't need to bring anything," Charlotte said to Blake, pleased as she led him inside. "Ralph has been waiting for you. You two catch up; I'll make something to go with your drinks. But remember, no letting him drink—you know he's still recovering."

"Of course, I won't let him drink. Don't worry, Charlotte," Blake assured her.

As Blake entered Ralph's study, he saw Ralph reading an old government gazette with genuine interest.

"Blake, welcome! Please, have a seat," Ralph greeted, rising to pour tea.

"Stop fussing," Blake said, taking the kettle. "You're the one with an injury. I'll get my own tea."

After a couple of cups, Blake sighed heavily and set his cup down.

"Prison Chief Jiang...he's gone," he said, shaking his head.

Ralph raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Gone?"

"Word is he drowned after falling into a river drunk," Blake replied with a scoff. "Do you believe that?"

Ralph opened his mouth, but of course, he didn't buy the story. The excuse was so thin, they hadn't even bothered to cover it up. They may as well have written "silenced" on his forehead.

Ralph let out a sigh. "So many have died lately... When will it end? What are the officials doing about the jailbreak?"

Ever since the night of the breakout, he'd never mentioned the name "Ghost Gate." Officially, the statement from the authorities was that it had been an organized prison break committed by bandits who had disregarded the law.

The words "Ghost Gate" weren't seen in any reports, and no one spoke of it aloud. To everyone else, the Ghost Gate Hall Master who had escaped was merely an audacious criminal.

Ralph couldn't be sure whether the authorities knew the truth or if Chief Jiang was indeed innocent. But from his perspective, the story surrounding the Hall Master of Ghost Gate—disguised as a mere bandit to steal tax silver, getting captured and tortured—was bizarre and highly suspicious.

It seemed more like some kind of "show of loyalty." Ralph wasn't certain whom the Hall Master's loyalty was meant to impress, but he knew the situation was far beyond his reach.

The officials' power plays had led to innocent guards getting caught in the crossfire and dying senselessly. Dead men have no voice, and who could they blame? Ralph quietly resolved to be more cautious in the future. Quick thinking had saved him once, but he would need to grow stronger to avoid falling victim to a similar situation. He needed to continue honing his martial skills and rising in rank. Even if he couldn't defeat powerful martial artists, at least he'd have a fighting chance to escape.

After all, survival was the only path to the future.

"With Chief Jiang gone, will they keep investigating?" Ralph asked.

Blake, with his ear to the ground, nodded knowingly. "That's for higher-ups to worry about. The Ministry of Justice will be busy—heads will roll, but ours should be safe from here on out."

Hearing this, Ralph felt some relief. So long as the investigation didn't involve anyone further down the chain, he could resume work soon.

"Rumor has it you went out of your way to pay respects to the families of the deceased," Blake noted with surprise, a hint of respect in his voice. In the past, Ralph had just been a drinking buddy, but hearing that Ralph had paid tribute even to colleagues he wasn't close with made Blake view him in a new light.

Ralph nodded. "They were my colleagues, and it's only right to help."

Blake shook his head, half-smiling. "You're a decent man, Ralph. Most of the others, well... I heard they couldn't even bother to show their faces, let alone leave any tribute. Cold-hearted, that lot. If I die one day, I hope I can at least count on you to give me a decent send-off."

"Don't jinx it," Ralph replied with a slight laugh. "May we all live long lives."

Ralph suspected Blake's near escape had rattled him deeply, making him morbid. Here he was, alive and well, yet already talking about his own death. It was hardly an uplifting topic.

"All right, I won't talk about death," Blake chuckled, slapping Ralph on the back. "A good man like you, I'll never forget when I get a stroke of luck."

"If you don't ask me for gambling money again, I'll consider myself lucky," Ralph retorted.

"Not every game's a loss! Next time, I'll double my winnings."

Ralph stared, unconvinced. He had an abiding hatred for gambling.

After two weeks of rest, Ralph officially returned to work.

New faces stood at the main gate; most of the old guards had perished. The guard post looked the same as ever, a mess of smoke, drink, and noise, filled with both new and familiar faces.

During lunch, Bartlett, whom Ralph hadn't seen since his first day on the job, approached him and suggested they have a chat. Ralph hadn't often crossed paths with Bartlett as they worked in different areas, so Bartlett's sudden visit made him wary. With his luck lately, he doubted it was good news.

His suspicions were confirmed.

"Ralph," Bartlett began, his tone shifting to one of forced formality, "it's come to our attention that you may have been... bending some rules. Not only bringing food and drink for prisoners but also passing messages outside the prison."