The next day, Zhou Dafu came to the gates of Virtuous Cloud Temple again.
This surprised Li Chu somewhat.
He glanced at Zhou Dafu's lower half, wondering if something had gone wrong down there, making him want to donate the money he had spent on the clock to burn incense in hopes of earning back his capital.
Zhou Dafu's furrowed, miserable expression only confirmed his guess.
Constable Zhou would not worry when cases happened in town. He only fretted over his own family affairs.
But Li Chu had truly guessed wrong.
This time, a case really had happened in town—but Zhou Dafu was indeed worried over his own affairs as well.
"Little Daoist Priest Li, tell me, why am I so unlucky?" Zhou Dafu's ugly face was nearly wrinkled into a bun.
"The New County Magistrate has just taken office. I spent several days beforehand setting everything in order, top to bottom, because I wanted to leave him a good impression. Who knew that just two days after the Xue Family Tragedy, another major murder case would erupt? From the looks of it, it seems to have been committed by a Vengeful Spirit again."
"Though fewer people died than a few days ago, this is a family extermination case! There are not even a few such cases in the entire He Luo Dynasty each year. This will definitely draw Zhao Ge City's attention."
"County Magistrate will not ask why Yuhang Town has so many ghosts. He will only ask why I, the Head Constable, cannot solve cases!"
"Tell me, why does Yuhang Town have so many ghosts?" As Zhou Dafu spoke, he was nearly in tears.
Li Chu was rather puzzled too.
Vengeful Spirits were not cabbages growing in the fields, appearing one after another whenever one pleased.
As the saying went, troubled times bred Evil Spirits. Conversely, the realm was now peaceful and prosperous, so Evil Things should not be flourishing.
Why had Vengeful Spirits been coming crop after crop lately?
Looking at the entire He Luo Dynasty, people who died with resentment every day numbered countless. Roughly one Vengeful Spirit emerged from every ten thousand such dead people.
Yet within Yuhang Town's palm-sized territory, two had appeared in three days. It was truly rather strange.
The two talked for a while before deciding that Li Chu would go to the county government office after dinner that evening to find Zhou Dafu, and they would inspect the scene together.
Li Chu had learned from the previous time. Since ghosts would not emerge during the day anyway, it was better to wait until nightfall before going over. It would not delay anything.
There was no use in going too early. Waiting around was boring, and he might easily become entangled by women at the scene...
Although this time was a family extermination case, so there would not be any plot involving surviving widows, still... it was good to cultivate good habits.
For no reason, he felt that Yuhang Town would likely not be very peaceful in the days ahead.
The evening sky was beautiful, with brilliant clouds glowing along the horizon.
Zhou Dafu had finished the case interviews, investigation, reports, and other work early. He waited eagerly inside the Prefectural Government Office, hoping Li Chu would come, hoping tonight's proceedings would go smoothly.
If Li Chu's exorcism did not go smoothly, then Zhou Dafu's future might not go smoothly either.
Yet what arrived before Li Chu was not a person, but a plaque.
It was a heavy plaque forged from dark iron, seven inches long and five inches wide. A towering treasure pagoda was carved on the front, while three neat characters were engraved on the back: Facing Heaven Pavilion.
The plaque fell from the sky and landed on Zhou Dafu's desk with a clanging crash.
The person who had thrown it inside was a young-looking girl dressed in violet brocade robes cinched at the waist.
A red ribbon bound her high ponytail. Her skin was fair, her willow-leaf brows framed almond eyes, and beneath a pert nose were red lips. Her beauty was bright and vivid, like a peach blossom still glistening with dew.
Her waist was slender, her legs long, and her figure graceful.
As she walked, her two long legs swung, her slim waist swayed, and the ponytail behind her head bounced. The entire yamen's Constables felt their hearts tremble along with her.
Only, the young Constables trembled because of those legs, while Zhou Dafu trembled because of that plaque.
One young man wanted to go up and strike up a conversation. Wearing his usual expression, he opened with, "Miss, you look a little familiar. Are you here to find..."
"I think your mother looks familiar too!"
Zhou Dafu darted over and kicked his disappointing subordinate flying with one foot.
The young man flailed a few times and rolled outside the yamen jail. He was nearly dazed by the fall, but still remembered to straighten his hat first, then hurriedly gave Zhou Dafu a fawning smile.
"Chief, sorry about that. I didn't know you had your eye on her first. Heh heh."
He even laughed foolishly twice, thinking that just like at Spring Full Pavilion, Zhou Dafu was angry because someone else was competing with him for a girl.
Zhou Dafu's pupils shook as he hurriedly roared, "I had my eye on your mother first! Scram!"
The young man looked as though he had been struck by lightning. After freezing for an instant, he said hesitantly, "Then... then my father might have a problem with that. How about... let me think of a way?"
What a filial son you are! Zhou Dafu wished he could rush over and give him one quick, clean slash.
But the girl before him was smiling as she watched him. How could he dare make a move?
Rookies could only see that her smile was lovely. Only seasoned hands could sense just how sharp her gaze was!
At once, Zhou Dafu wiped away his cold sweat and said with an ingratiating smile, "This lowly one is Zhou Dafu, head of Yuhang Town's Constables. Greetings, superior."
A superior?
The yamen jail erupted in commotion. Those slouching Constables immediately stood ramrod straight, producing a burst of chaotic noise.
"Constable Zhou, there is no need to be so polite."
Though she said so, the girl crossed the distance to Zhou Dafu's seat in several strides of her long legs, sat down without ceremony, and retrieved the heavy plaque.
"I am Li Xinyi, a Violet-Clad guard stationed by Facing Heaven Pavilion in Hangzhou Prefecture," the girl introduced herself. "We have no subordinate relationship, and I am not your superior."
In theory, that was indeed true.
But in theory, Facing Heaven Pavilion was merely a martial world sect.
Many matters had to be judged by reality.
Facing Heaven Pavilion had received an imperial mandate to oversee ghosts and gods. In cases involving Evil Spirits, it possessed the authority to execute first and report afterward.
Even the lowest-ranking violet-clad members of Facing Heaven Pavilion were Cultivators with profound cultivation. When ordinary officials saw them, who would not treat them with utmost courtesy?
This pressure was also one reason Zhou Dafu disliked inviting Facing Heaven Pavilion down to handle cases.
"Supe... Miss Li, what brings you here?" Zhou Dafu asked cautiously.
"Hm?" Li Xinyi's willow-leaf brows knit beautifully. "You do not know why I came?"
"Uh, is it because of the family extermination case in Xia Liu Village?"
"Yes, but not only that." Li Xinyi smiled faintly. "I have also been ordered to ask you why Evil Spirits occur so frequently in the Yuhang Town under your jurisdiction. Over the past year, you have reported six cases of Evil Spirits committing crimes. This time, there were even two Vengeful Spirit Cases within three days."
She stood up again. Her tall figure did not lose to Zhou Dafu's in the slightest, while in terms of bearing, she utterly crushed him.
"I am very curious. What secret is hidden in tiny Yuhang Town, allowing Evil Things to appear without end? Or perhaps there were no ghosts in these cases at all, and Constable Zhou, there is a ghost in your heart? Were you using Evil Spirits to take the blame because you could not solve the cases?"
The situation she described was actually not uncommon.
There were too many unsolved major cases under the heavens. But when divided among every Head Constable in the He Luo Dynasty, each would only have a few.
Sometimes, in order to give those above an explanation, it was perfectly normal to use Evil Spirits as an excuse.
After all, crimes committed by Evil Spirits had neither beginning nor end. Some ghosts and monsters left no evidence even after they were eliminated, making it easy for underhanded dealings to arise.
But such things could not happen too often. Six cases in a year, as with Zhou Dafu, was a frequency that naturally aroused great suspicion.
As for two Vengeful Spirit Cases in three days, that was even more excessive.
If it was true, Facing Heaven Pavilion would certainly have to investigate. If it was false, then it was simply too insulting to people's intelligence, and Facing Heaven Pavilion would have to punish him as well.
"Heaven and earth bear witness!" Zhou Dafu said bitterly. "Miss Li, I am also baffled as to why there are so many Evil Spirits in my jurisdiction! I am not an idiot. Even if I were making up stories, I would not fabricate two Vengeful Spirit Cases in three days. But that is truly what my investigation found. I cannot lie, can I?"
Li Xinyi's smile was neither cold nor warm. "If there is no ghost in your heart, why have you never sought out anyone from Facing Heaven Pavilion? Instead, you have always spent imperial court rewards to hire outside cultivators to drive away Evil Spirits. I would also like to know whether a small place like Yuhang Town truly has a cultivator with such profound cultivation, capable of helping you solve weird cases time and again!"
Zhou Dafu said, "In all my years as a Head Constable, I cannot say I have always fulfilled my duty to the utmost, but no matter what, I would never dare deceive those above and below. I did not invite Facing Heaven Pavilion's superiors because there truly is a Daoist Temple in the area, with Cultivators inside. They are fairly convenient to invite, so I did not think to trouble you."
"Oh?"
Li Xinyi's gaze roamed over his ugly face. "I will remain here for a while and thoroughly investigate the source of Yuhang Town's Evil Spirits. As for the one Constable Zhou invited... he may not be free of suspicion for raising ghosts to bolster himself. Do not let him come here during this period."
"Of course." Zhou Dafu nodded repeatedly.
Since someone from Facing Heaven Pavilion had arrived, there was naturally no need for Li Chu anymore.
No matter how highly Zhou Dafu regarded Li Chu, he did not believe that a wild mountain sect like his could be stronger than an orthodox cultivator from Facing Heaven Pavilion.
As for the ghost raising Li Xinyi mentioned, there had been cases like that before. Local Cultivators deliberately raised Evil Spirits to commit crimes, then helped people exorcise them afterward, earning huge rewards.
The first choice for those committing such crimes was a place like Yuhang Town—not too close to the prefectural city, yet somewhat prosperous.
This was precisely what Facing Heaven Pavilion loathed most deeply.
Zhou Dafu wanted to say a few words in Li Chu's defense, to explain that the Little Daoist Priest was not such a person, but when the words reached his lips, he stopped himself.
Li Xinyi already did not think well of him. Speaking for someone else now would be purely superfluous.
Just as they were speaking, a clear, bright voice sounded from beyond the main gate.
"Is Constable Zhou here? I have arrived."
"The Daoist I invited has come. I will have him go back first," Zhou Dafu said, then turned to greet him.
Li Xinyi followed him outside as well, wanting to see what this suspicious Daoist looked like.
And so she saw...
A Little Daoist Priest with clear brows and eyes, a gentle warmth in his gaze, dressed in clean, simple azure robes, standing beneath a poplar tree outside the gate. His cloudlike hair swayed and his robes fluttered.
In an instant, it seemed as if all the sunset glow in the sky had gathered upon him.
Like an immortal banished from the heavens.
Zhou Dafu called to Li Chu, "Little Daoist Priest Li, sorry, but..."
Smack.
A crisp, decisive hand chop struck the back of his neck, cutting off his next words in time.
Li Chu's brows lifted in surprise.
After Zhou Dafu crumpled softly to the ground, a radiant girl was revealed behind him. She looked at him tenderly, her smile blooming like a flower.
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