White-Bearded Daoist, Out-of-Town Swindlers, and a Fat-Headed Monk

Fan Wu opened his mouth and asked for silver, nearly leaving County Magistrate He Caisheng at a loss for words.

Fortunately, he had served as County Magistrate for many years and had seen his share of storms and waves.

His mind quickly caught up.

He looked up at the tall, powerfully built Fan Wu before him, his expression carrying a faint trace of awkwardness.

Because.

He felt that the way Fan Wu opened his mouth to demand silver...

Looked extremely familiar!

Hey!

Wasn't that exactly the face He Caisheng made when asking others for money?

The only difference was that he was not as direct as Fan Wu. He would still beat around the bush a little; after all, some things could not be stated too bluntly.

Good heavens!

The Old Heavenly Master's disciple might have inherited the true teachings, but his temperament... did not seem like that of some detached master free from worldly desires!

He Caisheng felt a little conflicted.

Because early this morning, he had promised that whoever resolved the evil ghost haunting the County Yamen would receive five hundred taels of silver and twenty mu of fertile land.

After turning it over and over in his mind, that was already a number he could accept.

But if he added the rewards he had promised Fan Wu a few days ago...

It would be far more than that.

Damn!

He had miscalculated!

Just as He Caisheng wanted to find an excuse to brush him off, the words reached his throat but refused to come out.

Because Fan Wu, standing before him, was looking at him with an indescribable gaze.

Under that gaze, He Caisheng actually felt a sense of pressure!

And he did not know whether it was merely an illusion, but after only a few days apart from Daoist Master Fan, he felt as though the other man had become even taller and sturdier than before.

Especially the exaggerated greatsword on Fan Wu's back, which made He Caisheng's eyelids twitch wildly.

An animal instinct was warning him—do not fob him off! Do not make excuses!

Otherwise...

He would die!!

He Caisheng was startled by his own thoughts. This was right outside the Prison Dragon County Yamen; he was the County Magistrate of Prison Dragon County, and all around him were his own people. How could his life possibly be in danger?

Besides, although Daoist Master Fan was indeed a little too burly and fierce-looking, he would not draw his sword and kill someone in the street, would he?

But...

He Caisheng coughed, swallowed the evasive words lodged in his throat, and hurriedly said with a solemn expression, "Naturally, I remember... It is only that Daoist Master Fan's reward is inside the yamen. Though I am the father and mother official of Prison Dragon County, I truly do not know the arts of catching ghosts and subduing demons. That is the Imperial Astronomy Bureau's work."

"Unfortunately, Prison Dragon County lies in a remote place, and the Imperial Astronomy Bureau has not established a branch here. Therefore, we have no choice but to ask Daoist Master Fan and the other esteemed masters to rid Prison Dragon County of this great evil ghost menace."

Faced with that inexplicable pressure.

He chickened out, just as expected.

Hearing this, Fan Wu caught a key phrase. "The Imperial Astronomy Bureau?!"

He was not unfamiliar with those three words; he had heard of them before.

But he did not know much about them.

"Daoist Master Fan, you have remained in Prison Dragon County learning Daoist arts from the Old Heavenly Master all this time, so perhaps you do not know much about the outside world. The Imperial Astronomy Bureau was an office established by the founding sage emperor of Great Zhou Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Its principal duty is to oversee all strange and bizarre affairs within the realm."

He Caisheng explained, "For example, what happened today should rightfully have been handled by the Imperial Astronomy Bureau. But Prison Dragon County is too remote, and also too small, so there is no Imperial Astronomy Bureau here."

"It is said that every person within the Imperial Astronomy Bureau is an extraordinary talent, but their reputation among the people... is not particularly good."

Not particularly good? In the eyes of a County Magistrate with dirty hands like He Caisheng, the Imperial Astronomy Bureau was simply a pack of life-snatching jackals, tigers, and leopards!

They were even more terrifying than evil ghosts and demons!

Fan Wu, hearing this.

Fell into thought.

So... if he encountered strange incidents involving demons or monsters causing trouble, he could hand them entirely over to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

Because the people there were professionals in that field.

Fan Wu finally understood why his swindler master had deceived people in Prison Dragon County for so many years without ever being exposed.

Apparently, everyone capable of seeing through the old man's tricks was nowhere near this dump of a place called Prison Dragon County.

Fortunately, there was no Imperial Astronomy Bureau here.

Otherwise...

If his swindler master had gone in, then as the man's disciple, Fan Wu probably would not have escaped unscathed either.

Perhaps the moment he had transmigrated...

He would have ended up rotting in prison!

Under the hopeful and trusting gazes of County Magistrate He, the County Assistant, the registrar, Constable Liu, and the others, Fan Wu's cheek twitched imperceptibly.

These people all thought he truly had real skills!

Good heavens!

Fortunately, his bargain-bin master had not been a failed art student. Otherwise, with such godlike swindling skills, would he not have turned Great Zhou Dynasty completely upside down?

After casting the group a glance as though looking at fools, he stepped into the County Yamen.

The moment he entered.

He saw several Daoists dressed somewhat similarly to himself, as well as several monks whose expressions were grim to the extreme.

There were no yamen runners or officials inside, because all of them had been frightened out of their wits and did not dare enter.

Fan Wu's appearance always drew attention. His height, which forced others to crane their necks to look up at him, was enough to make him impossible to overlook.

"Limitless Heavenly Worthy of Blessings! Could this be... Fellow Daoist Fan of Dragon-Imprisoning Monastery?"

Fan Wu felt that his reputation was truly enormous. Even these "colleagues," whom he had never met before, recognized him.

The speaker was a White-Bearded Old Daoist, accompanied by two young Daoist acolytes.

The two Daoist acolytes looked only around ten years old, and their clothes were exceedingly plain.

Their Daoist robes had been washed until they were white.

They were even slightly tattered.

By contrast, Fan Wu himself...

When his swindler master had still been alive, the old man had cared greatly about keeping up appearances. Even the Daoist robes he had made for his disciple were sewn from the finest fabric.

Fan Wu could see that as the two Daoist acolytes stared at him curiously, their eyes also carried a hint of envy.

"Hm?"

Fan Wu suddenly stared at the White-Bearded Old Daoist—or rather, at the top of the old man's head.

[A somewhat capable old Daoist—Lifespan: 144—Strength: 4.5—Skills: Five Viscera Protection Charm, Twelve Forms of Evil-Repelling Talismans]

[A deadweight Daoist acolyte A—Lifespan: 76—Strength: 2.5—Skills: Five Viscera Protection Charm]

[A deadweight Daoist acolyte B—Lifespan: 70—Strength: 2.8—Skills: Five Viscera Protection Charm]

More people with [Skills]!

And their [Skills] differed from those possessed by the government officials.

Their [Skills] were Daoist arts!

Genuine Daoist arts!!!

There were actually people in Prison Dragon County who possessed real abilities.

Especially that White-Bearded Old Daoist, who looked frail and thin at first glance—his [Strength] attribute was actually 4.5, higher than Fan Wu's before he had added points.

The White-Bearded Old Daoist's [Lifespan] attribute was not low either, which meant that barring accidents, he could live to at least one hundred and forty-four.

The County Yamen contained more than just this old Daoist and his two Daoist acolytes.

There were other Daoists as well.

And three monks.

Fan Wu turned his gaze toward a Daoist who looked a little fat-headed and big-eared. The man's expression carried a faint hint of panic...

[A wandering swindler newly arrived in Prison Dragon County—Lifespan: 43—Strength: 1.2—Skills: None]

One of this wandering swindler's companions was also dressed as a Daoist. He too was plump and greasy-looking, and he too was an ordinary person.

They had probably only arrived in Prison Dragon County recently, then raised some banner about being Heavenly Masters who expelled ghosts.

And the Prison Dragon County authorities had actually believed them...

They had invited these two swindlers over.

These were Fan Wu's true colleagues—only, their luck was rather terrible.

After all, Fan Wu's swindler master had never encountered a genuine strange incident in his entire life.

These two brothers had only been in Prison Dragon County for a short while...

And had already struck the grand prize.

They had it coming, more or less!

Finally...

There were those monks.

Those monks all wore sorrowful, bitter expressions, as though some problem had them deeply perplexed.

Among them, two sturdier monks were watching Fan Wu with grave eyes.

They sensed a kind of pressure from Fan Wu.

It made them extremely wary.

The fat-headed, big-eared monk leading them, however, did not turn his gaze toward Fan Wu like the others.

He merely stood there, frowning in distress.

[Abbot of Golden Dragon Temple—Lifespan: 123—Strength: 4.5—Skills: Fragment of the Diamond Sutra]

[Warrior Monk A—Lifespan: 43—Strength: 3—Skills: None]

[Warrior Monk B—Lifespan: 49—Strength: 3—Skills: None]

Unexpectedly, these monks had real abilities.

Even though the Abbot of Golden Dragon Temple looked just as fat-headed and big-eared as that wandering swindler.

One truly could not judge a person by appearances!

This Abbot of Golden Dragon Temple had the same [Strength] attribute as the White-Bearded Old Daoist, but he clearly possessed one fewer [Skill].

Who would have thought that tiny Prison Dragon County...

Contained quite a few people with real abilities!

In just a few short seconds, Fan Wu had gained a rough understanding of everyone before him.

"Damn it! That makes no sense!"

Before Fan Wu could respond to the White-Bearded Old Daoist, an irritable, vexed voice suddenly rang out. "Could that money-grubbing County Magistrate with sores growing on his ass be talking nonsense? Every county's yamen is protected by imperial aura. How would those damned demons and ghosts dare enter and cause trouble there?"

"A-Abbot, you have broken the precept against anger again..."

A Warrior Monk beside him gave a timid reminder.

"Is that so? Then pretend this Buddha never said it!" The Abbot of Golden Dragon Temple's expression did not change. Pressing his palms together, he uttered a Buddhist invocation.

"Amitabha~"

"..."