World-Crossing Yama

Late in the Xu hour.

Golden Splendor Tower, Room 101.

Scholar and the others had put on what they considered their most valuable clothes. After all, they had heard of Golden Splendor Tower's reputation back in Baiyun County; those who frequented it were either wealthy or noble.

Scholar straightened his chest, wearing a white robe, and took several deep breaths to appear more relaxed.

He turned his head and saw Old Li staring blankly. Scholar patted his shoulder.

"Old Li, what are you spacing out for? We need to keep our composure and not let them look down on us."

Old Li chuckled, "Nah~"

Lin Zikai sat bolt upright, clearly a little nervous, with a bead of sweat on his forehead.

He smiled, "This room is really a bit hot. Let's open a window for some fresh air."

As soon as the window was opened, the sounds of the bustling street came in along with the deep autumn wind.

Lin Zikai gave a wry smile.

"This window's soundproofing is really not bad."

He was about to close the window.

"Just leave it open. It adds a bit of life."

Shen Qing stopped Lin Zikai. He actually quite liked this feeling.

In his previous life, Shen Qing used to wander the small food streets downstairs after work.

Amidst the clamor, Shen Qing and the others completely devoured the Glutinous Rice Fermented Duck, Steamed Eight-Treasure Pork, Candied Millet, Fresh Shrimp Balls, and Lotus Root and Swallow's Nest Soup on the table.

Everyone ate their fill and sat in their chairs, drinking tea and listening to the storyteller downstairs to digest.

The storyteller had just finished a story and was about to clear the table.

The surrounding listeners clamored, "Not enough! Tell another one, tell another one!"

The storyteller hesitated for a moment before sitting down, "I actually have a new story. Do you want to hear it?"

Someone immediately threw a few copper coins, "Tell us then."

The storyteller collected the coins and smiled mysteriously, "Have you all heard the name of the World-Crossing Yama, Shen Qing?"

"Oh! You mean the new Lord Shen from the West City Hundred Households Office?"

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow. Why did it sound like he was involved?

Lin Zikai immediately looked at Scholar, Black Dog and the others also looked at Scholar, and Shen Qing shifted his gaze.

Scholar explained, "Boss, actually, this title spread throughout Luoshui City as soon as you caught the Cloud-Piercing Hand, Sun Yun. The storytellers were busy making up stories."

"However, each storyteller came up with a different title. I went around and found that the most famous were three: one is World-Crossing Yama, another is Green Yaksha, and the last is Bloody Hand Butcher."

"I feel the other two titles don't sound that great. In the entire Great Wu martial arts world, there are at least eight hundred people called Yaksha, if not a thousand."

"Bloody Hand Butcher is less common, but it's also a cliché name."

"I just slipped some silver to the storytellers and had them unify their narrative, all calling him World-Crossing Yama."

The storyteller rapped his wooden clapper: "That's right! It is indeed Centurion Shen Qing."

"Speaking of which, this World-Crossing Yama is truly legendary. He went undercover for two years to expose a traitorous Commander, captured a wicked disciple of the White Dragon Cult, personally slew the three bandits of the Xu family, wiped out the man-eating Zhang family, and arrested the notorious bandit, the Cloud-Piercing Hand, Sun Yun! He was incredibly mighty!"

Someone in the crowd asked, "Then why is he called Yama?"

"Good question. Legend has it that Shen Qing, clad in a silver Flying Fish Robe, wielding the Qing He saber, left behind a trail of severed limbs wherever he went, fully displaying the methods of Yama. He was incredibly mighty, a peerless young master."

"I've heard that before, but wasn't the original saying 'On the road, a man like jade, a peerless young master'?"

A voice rang out, "Isn't jade fragile? Lord Shen Qing is quite tough!"

"Oh? Have you tried him?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

The storyteller rapped his wooden clapper again: "After talking about Yama, do you want to know where the 'World-Crossing' part comes from?"

Seeing the curious looks around him, he paused his storytelling and pushed the small collection basket forward.

A chorus of boos came from the crowd, but several copper coins were still tossed in.

The storyteller chuckled and continued, "There are two explanations. One is that Yama only kills evildoers, and Yama ferries them to the underworld. The second is that Shen Qing himself is a celestial being from the heavens, merely making a journey in this world, crossing one lifetime."

Everyone nodded, their faces showing sudden understanding.

"Next, I will tell you how the World-Crossing Yama went undercover for two years, personally slew traitors, and captured members of the White Dragon Cult. As soon as Shen Qing arrived at the Baiyun County Commander's Office, he noticed something was amiss with Commander Sun Yan. Alas, he devised a plan and led Sun Yan step by step into a trap..."

Shen Qing, sitting upstairs, couldn't help but laugh. If he hadn't heard it himself, he wouldn't have known he was so amazing.

Just as the storyteller was getting animated, the sound of flapping wings approached. A white dove flew through the window and landed on Scholar's hand.

This white dove had a light red silk thread tied around its neck. It was a Red Carrier Pigeon from the Pacification Bureau. These carrier pigeons were generally used for urgent messages. Compared to ordinary carrier pigeons, they were more accurate and could precisely locate their target by scent.

This corresponding scent was produced by a special sachet. Each Hundred Households Office was equipped with such a special sachet, usually worn by the Centurion. However, Shen Qing found it troublesome and had hung it on Scholar instead.

Scholar took down the secret message and read it.

"Boss, several people have gone missing in Lijia Slope to the north in the past few days. The yamen suspects ferocious beasts, and quite powerful ones at that. One person managed to escape and was washed downstream by the river. He said a pack of wolves attacked him, but a five-meter-long carp saved him. The Pacification Bureau wants us to investigate."

Lin Zikai asked, "To the north? That's not our territory. How did this job fall on us? Is there a trap?"

The Scholar looked at the secret letter. "It explains the reason here. Because of that diary you submitted, Boss, the Pacification Bureau immediately sent out troops to catch Japanese pirates. Right after they left, the yamen's plea for help arrived."

"Boss, so what do we do?"

Shen Qing felt a bit awkward listening to the storyteller downstairs exaggerate his tales, but the title "World-Crossing Yama" wasn't bad. Shen Qing flicked his finger, sending a tael of silver precisely into the storyteller's small basket downstairs.

"Let's go to Lijia Slope."

The storyteller downstairs stared at the silver for a moment before quickly getting up and giving a very martial-arts-style bow to the floor above.

"A golden signboard and silver ingots are no match for the good fortune of the gentleman upstairs! I wish you blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea and a journey as boundless as a roc's flight!"

The storyteller was silent for a moment, then continued.

"But I have to be upfront, your one tael of silver..."

"I can only tell one night's worth of stories."

North of Luoshui City, Lijia Slope.

Flames still flickered in the night, and a young yamen runner waved a torch, urging everyone on.

"Everyone, hurry! Those wolves might come again."

An old farmer in homespun clothes asked tremblingly, "Sir, are there really wolves?"

The yamen runner didn't even look back, his eyes darting towards the darkness at the other end of the village. "Old man, just sit on the donkey cart and don't cause trouble."

"Li Lao Er's body was just brought back from the village entrance, gnawed beyond recognition."

"A few nights ago, it was just a few wolves, but tonight, there might be many more."

The old farmer fell silent. A childish voice came from behind him.

"Grandpa... hold..."

The old farmer turned to look at the little girl sitting obediently on a box. Her clothes were clean, and her face was round.

This was the old farmer's granddaughter, who had just turned three.

A look of affection welled up in the old farmer's cloudy eyes as he reached out and picked up the little girl.

"Little Bud, be good."

"Grandpa will take you to town to buy candied hawthorn, okay?"

A gleam flashed in the little girl's bright eyes. "Okay, Grandpa, you eat too."

Suddenly, a red flare exploded in the night sky behind them.

The yamen runner's face changed drastically, and he immediately turned back and shouted, "Everyone get on the carts! Forget your luggage! Quick!"

Immediately after, several wolf howls rang out, seemingly from the other end of the village.

A flaming arrow streaked across the night sky, and a line of fire suddenly lit up the other end of the village. It was a fire wall hastily built with wood and straw. It might be of little use, but it could buy them some time.

Suddenly, the old farmer saw a timid, peeking child in the darkness. It was Li Lao Er's baby, who had been snatched by the wolves at the village entrance the day before yesterday.

"What careless fools."

The old man cursed under his breath, then got off the donkey cart. Everyone was only thinking about moving their belongings and had forgotten a child.

But the old man's legs were not nimble. As soon as he picked up the baby, the yamen runner roared, "Depart immediately!"

All the yamen runners immediately fed a black pill to the donkeys pulling the carts. Within a few breaths, the donkeys' eyes were filled with a scarlet glow, and their slow pace suddenly quickened.

This was the Blood-Bursting Pill developed by Zhenyao Pavilion for beasts. Ordinary livestock that consumed it would burn their life force, unleashing extraordinary speed and endurance, but would die within half an hour.

Little Bud murmured, "Grandpa..."

The old woman in front of the donkey cart turned back. "Little Bud, be good, wait for Grandpa..."

But behind the donkey cart, only Little Bud was sandwiched between several boxes. There was no sign of the old farmer.

"Little Bud, where's Grandpa?"

Little Bud pointed her finger. Following her gaze, the old woman saw the old farmer standing at the village entrance.

"Old man!"

The old woman cried out and tried to jump off the cart but was held back tightly by a yamen runner.

"There's no time!"

Before long, the sound of the wolf pack grew closer; they had already circled around from both sides of the fire wall.

The old farmer's face changed, and he cursed.

"Damn beasts."

Then, his eyes darted around wildly. He noticed a water tank on the side and quickly hid the baby inside. However, it was too late for him to find a hiding place.

Listening to the increasingly close wolf howls, he could even see pairs of deep, emerald green pupils in the darkness. A trace of hatred flashed in his eyes.

The old farmer picked up a shoulder pole lying on the ground and walked shakily towards those emerald green pupils.

"Damn beast..."

After a brief pause, the wolf pack realized that the old farmer in front of them had no power to resist them.

One wolf let out a howl and lunged at the old farmer.

However, the old farmer quickly threw the shoulder pole aside and closed his eyes.

Did his life only have a few breaths left? Then why waste it on dealing with a wild wolf?

He should think about other things.

The crops in the field had grown exceptionally well this year, but he wouldn't get to harvest them.

His son had written saying he received a gift from a prominent figure in Luoshui City and would soon return to the village to build a new house. He hadn't even had a chance to live in it yet.

His wife, who had been with him for sixty years, had never lived a good day.

Gradually, a smell of blood wafted towards him. The wolf had opened its bloody maw and was right in front of him.

In the last moment of his life, he thought of Little Bud. He hadn't seen his adorable granddaughter grow up and get married yet.

The old farmer tilted his head back, exposing his neck, waiting for death. He just hoped it would be quick. But the anticipated pain never came.

The old farmer slowly opened his eyes. Shen Qing, dressed in a magnificent robe, stood in front of him, one hand pinching the wolf's mouth.

"Old man, where are you going?"

"If it's the underworld, you might have to change your plans."

"The road to the underworld is getting full."

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