Shuli Go Stories Vol. 6: Liars and Cheats

In the twilight of the Shan dynasty, when magic-infused lawmen known as Shuli Go were stripped of their authority, Zhao Lian, once a proud protector of justice, now navigates a world where her skills are exploited for baser needs. Forced into freelance tax collection, she yearns for the days when she could truly arbitrate justice. But when a seemingly simple task leads her to uncover a sinister truth behind a noble family's façade, Lian is drawn into a web of deceit, betrayal, and a desperate search for a missing girl. Can she unravel the lies before it’s too late, or will the darkness of the Shan dynasty consume her too?

The air hung heavy with the stench of poverty and damp earth. Inside the hovel, a desperate family huddled, their cries a mournful chorus. Zhao Lian, a former Shuli Go now reduced to collecting taxes, felt the familiar ache in her head as the noise intensified.

"The money. Or we are going to have a problem." Her voice, though calm, carried the weight of her authority. She pointed to a new cooking pot, starkly out of place amidst the destitution.

"But I swear madam we don't have any," the father pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Lian sighed. "The pot is newer than everything else in here. It's too nice for you to have bought outright, so you're paying it back over time. Which means you've got at least ten more somewhere." She stepped forward, adjusting the sword belt that cinched diagonally across her chest. The father recoiled in terror. "Go get it. Now."

Shuli Go Stories Vol. 6: Liars and Cheats

Corruption Ancient China Investigation Mystery Family Secrets