White Cloud Temple's Bad News

As night fell, a few dark clouds drifted into the sky, and sparse raindrops streaked across the darkness.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Chief Clerk Zhong! Something's wrong!"

A frantic knocking sound was followed by an anxious shout that reached inside the room.

Zhong Wuwei, the Chief Clerk of Qingshan County, groggily opened his eyes.

He pulled his hand out from beneath his concubine at his side, put on his clothes, and got out of bed.

"What's all the racket about? It's the middle of the night..."

Grumbling, Zhong Wuwei opened the door.

Outside the room, a young constable, drenched, quickly bowed. "Chief Clerk!"

"Go on, go on. What's so urgent?"

Zhong Wuwei's expression soured.

Last night, he had paid a hefty sum to summon the most prominent (and only) courtesan in Qingshan County to his home. After a night of revelry, he had only just closed his eyes before being woken up, and his mood was understandably foul.

"Chief Clerk! The people sent to White Cloud Temple have returned..."

"Returned? Was the case solved? Where's Li Xiang?"

The young constable's face was filled with terror, and he stammered, "Captain Li... didn't return..."

Zhong Wuwei yawned, pulled his clothes tighter, and shivered. "Is the case that difficult?"

"Only one person came back..."

The young constable swallowed hard and continued, "He said... Captain Li and the others... are all dead!"

"What?"

Zhong Wuwei gasped, nearly jumping out of his skin.

"More than twenty people went. How is that possible? Where is the one who returned?"

The young constable's voice cracked with tears. "He's dead too. He only managed to say two sentences before he died."

"What did he say?"

"The first sentence was, 'They're dead, all dead! Captain Li died horribly!'"

"And the other?"

"'The bodies... moved!'"

Rumble!

Distant thunder echoed through the sky, and the rain intensified.

Early the next morning, Old Master Qian was woken up.

Outside, the rain was pouring down, and thunder rumbled in the sky.

He enjoyed sitting and watching the rain on such weather, so it wasn't the downpour that had disturbed him.

From early morning, Qian Zhenghao's wails had been piercing through the rain and assaulting his ears.

His grandson's return from the prefecture was usually a cause for joy.

What made him unhappy was that the young man had spent a year studying in the prefecture without any improvement.

Upon his return, he hadn't even paid his respects to his grandfather before going out to bully people.

And to top it all off, he had run into that incorruptible Constable Kong.

The doctor at the Qian residence said that while Qian Zhenghao's leg injury looked gruesome, it wasn't actually severe. After setting the bone, a few months of rest would heal it.

Even so, Old Master Qian harbored a deep hatred for Kong Wu.

In fact, this hatred had been simmering ever since Kong Wu took on the role of constable.

Kong Wu enforced the law with impartiality, showing favoritism to no one. This had transformed Qingshan County into a place where no one picked up lost items and no doors were left unlocked at night, significantly improving the living conditions for the common folk.

However, this made life difficult for gentry and powerful families like the Qian family.

In the past, they could acquire a lot of land through illicit means every year. But this year, their operations had suffered a severe blow, and their income was far from that of previous years.

"Sigh,"

Old Master Qian sighed and asked the person beside him, "Master Zhou, can't even you deal with that brute?"

Beside him, a middle-aged man in a blue long gown, possessing an extraordinary aura, opened his eyes and stated concisely, "He cannot be killed!"

In all of Qingshan County, only the Qian family had the resources to hire a cultivator to protect their household.

Old Master Qian had witnessed Master Zhou's capabilities firsthand. With a single talisman, over a dozen bandits blocking their path had been instantly incinerated.

Yet, even such a formidable individual did not possess absolute confidence in killing Kong Wu.

Acting rashly could have dire consequences if they managed to escape.

The Qian family only had one cultivator, so it was impossible for them to protect everyone at all times.

"Then we can only wait and see."

Old Master Qian, having lived so many years, naturally understood the principle of avoiding a direct confrontation.

Just then, a servant ran in, saying in a panic, "Master, the Chief Clerk Zhong is here."

"Why is he here so early in the morning, in this heavy rain, instead of staying in his room sleeping with a woman?"

Old Master Qian was slightly surprised and said, "Please invite him to the main hall, and serve him good tea and snacks. I'll change my clothes and be right there."

When he finished changing and walked in, he saw Chief Clerk Zhong pacing back and forth, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Chief Clerk Zhong, what has you so restless?"

Upon seeing Old Master Qian, Zhong Wuwei immediately walked over, saying urgently, "Disaster! Old Master Qian, disaster has struck!"

"Oh?"

Old Master Qian had seen many storms in his life and was not alarmed by Zhong Wuwei's demeanor. He soothed, "Chief Clerk Zhong, please sit down, have some tea, and then tell me slowly."

Zhong Wuwei nodded, sat down, and took a sip of tea before speaking, "There's been an incident at White Cloud Temple on East Mountain. Li Xiang led a group to investigate, and everyone who went is dead."

"According to the information we've received, it might be... the work of demons."

Old Master Qian frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Are you asking my household's Master Zhou to take a trip?"

Zhong Wuwei nodded, sighing, "There are regulations from the court. When such incidents occur, they must be reported to the Demon Suppression Division immediately..."

"But those people from the Demon Suppression Division... it's easier to invite a god than to send one away."

The Demon Suppression Division was an organization specifically established by the Great Jing Dynasty, primarily responsible for suppressing demons.

However, when the founding emperor established the Demon Suppression Division, he had said, "The harm caused by corrupt officials is even greater than that of demons."

Therefore, the Demon Suppression Division also had a duty to investigate the moral character of officials.

Given how greedy Zhong Wuwei and the County Magistrate were, who knew how much money they had pocketed over the years.

If this matter couldn't be handled properly, and people from the Demon Suppression Division came to Qingshan County...

The thought of the consequences sent a shiver down Zhong Wuwei's spine. He quickly said, "If Old Master Qian can help this time, I believe the County Magistrate will remember this favor when he returns."

Old Master Qian pondered for a while. He felt that if people from the Demon Suppression Division truly came to Qingshan County, his own past misdeeds might also be unearthed. So, he called for a young servant and said, "Go and invite Master Zhou."

A moment later, the middle-aged man from before walked in.

Zhong Wuwei, disregarding his status as a chief clerk, quickly rose to bow, "I have long heard of Master Zhou's great abilities, and seeing you now, you truly have an extraordinary presence."

The middle-aged man casually nodded in response to the flattery from a county chief clerk.

Neither Old Master Qian nor Chief Clerk Zhong had any objections to this.

Cultivators, after all, were expected to have a certain arrogance.

After he sat down, Old Master Qian explained the entire situation.

Master Zhou nodded, pondered for a moment, and then asked Zhong Wuwei, "You said the person who returned shouted that the corpses had moved?"

Zhong Wuwei nodded.

Master Zhou considered for a while, then shook his head, "I am powerless to help with this matter."