Where's My Head?

Mo Chuan didn't go far.

He casually picked a civilian house, found a secluded woodshed, and settled down to sort through his spoils from the corpse.

There were many spoils:

A stack of various Yin-Yang Talismans, Identity Passes, and even Sutras for Salvation;

A few taels of silver, half a string of copper coins;

Over ten talismans of unknown use;

And several Daoist Artifacts, and other items.

For example:

Over ten Yashou Coins with lingering mana, likely given to others to ward off evil and pray for blessings during his work of saving people;

A bronze Dharma Seal, which should be a form of identification;

A Thunder-Struck Peachwood Five-Thunder Token, within which a faint, heart-pounding thunderous power roamed;

A Fine Steel Seven-Star Sword, whether it was a prop for rituals or personal armor was unknown;

And the Three Pure Ones Bell that had once enveloped the Headless Ghost and Mo Chuan.

"Truly, no one gets rich without ill-gotten gains, and no horse gets fat without night fodder!"

Looking at the scattered items in his hands, Mo Chuan couldn't help but sigh.

However, upon closer inspection, he found that although there were many things, most of them couldn't be taken away.

In this world, he, Mo Chuan, was merely a wisp of a rootless soul, unable to carry mundane objects.

Unless he put on a Painted Skin.

However, doing so, while granting him the ability to interact with physical objects, severely limited his mobility, which was something he was unwilling to accept.

Moreover, a Painted Skin was ultimately inferior to a physical body, and even a small tear would cause it to lose its form like a deflating balloon.

Therefore, after some attempts, Mo Chuan discovered that only two items could be absorbed into his body and taken away.

The Three Pure Ones Bell;

And over ten talismans of unknown use.

This result left Mo Chuan quite depressed.

How could he be comfortable when the meat he had bitten into couldn't be swallowed?

Just as he was contemplating finding a hidden spot to stash the remaining items, his heart stirred, and he summoned the Sacrificial Dao Furnace.

At this moment, no one had offered incense, and the furnace mouth was empty.

He casually tossed a Yashou Coin into it.

Huh?

It actually worked!

Mo Chuan looked surprised. After trying it out, he discovered that the Sacrificial Dao Furnace was as vast as the sea, capable of holding even a three-foot-long Fine Steel Seven-Star Sword.

"What a treasure!"

Mo Chuan's face lit up with joy. With these miscellaneous items, like the Chong Shizi, his affairs in this world would be much more convenient in the future.

"Time to get down to business!"

After everything was tidied up, Mo Chuan rose, dispersed into qi, and left the civilian house's woodshed.

The Jade Rabbit set in the west, and the Golden Crow rose in the east.

The morning light was still hazy, but on the official road leading to the county town, figures hurrying to the market had already appeared.

The chilling dew dampened the pedestrians' trouser legs but couldn't extinguish the heat in their hearts!

Today, the county town had a beheading spectacle to watch; it had been rumored for ten miles around.

They heard it was even an official's head being cut off. Tsk, this news had so many people eagerly anticipating it.

Some came for the excitement;

Many villagers, carrying their goods, took advantage of the crowd to sell their wares;

Others, desperate and seeking any remedy, clutched steamed buns, hoping to find someone whose blood could cure the plague. [Note 1]

Even before dawn, the market square in the city was already filled with people.

Vendors set up their stalls, and visitors came and went incessantly.

What's more, some had already secured spots in front of the execution ground, seeking good viewing positions.

As the sun gradually rose.

The crowd at the execution ground grew even more overwhelming.

The cries of children, the angry curses of the strong, the calls of street vendors, the chatter of the marketplace, all rose and fell, filling the air.

As anxiety gripped the populace, the area outside the execution ground suddenly erupted in clamor.

Spectators who had secured front-row spots craned their necks, their eyes lighting up as they shouted:

"They're here! They're here!"

Amidst the general chaos, a prisoner covered in filth was escorted onto the execution ground.

The prisoner looked young, likely in the prime of his youth, around twenty years old. However, his sunken, haggard face made him appear much older.

Li Guanqi stared blankly at the dense crowd packed below the execution platform, his mind adrift as if in a dream.

"Corrupt official!"

A furious curse, like the first bark of a mountain dog, drew indignant roars from the entire crowd.

"Corrupt official, well done!"

"Kill him!"

"You're finally getting what you deserve? You leech who deserves a thousand curses!"

The torrent of curses gradually pulled Li Guanqi back from his daze.

He wanted to shout his innocence and defend himself, but alas, the meager food and water he'd received over the past few days had already drained him of all strength.

He lacked the energy not only to defend himself but even to cry out.

He could only stare blankly at his surroundings, a mix of shame and anger churning within him. The fear of impending death tormented him, twisting his heart like a knife, and cold sweat poured down his face!

"Esteemed colleagues, today the villain Li is executed, and the people rejoice. This brings peace and order from afar. This is a clear testament to the upright governance and strict laws of Qingshui County!"

"Qingshui County's current prosperity is all thanks to Magistrate Qin's tireless efforts. We are fortunate to have him..."

On the high platform behind the execution ground, County Assistant Zhu Zhi stood up and loudly praised.

"Well said!"

"Lord Zhu, your words are absolutely correct! Absolutely!"

The surrounding officials echoed his sentiments, and for a moment, the high platform was filled with thunderous applause.

Magistrate Qin, basking in the praise, wore a smug expression. Amidst his colleagues' flattery, his poetic inspiration struck:

"With greedy ambition, how proud he was; his wickedness now meets its end in the marketplace! Esteemed colleagues, with this scoundrel executed, we must all have a drink!"

As his words fell, he confidently took a token and threw it down, shouting:

"Execute!"

Instantly, the noisy execution ground fell silent.

Countless people held their breath, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks to witness the rare spectacle of an execution.

Under everyone's gaze, Li Guanqi trembled like a sieve. In despair, he closed his eyes.

"May I ask, sir, did you really steal the treasury's silver?"

Suddenly, a question reached his ears.

"...Who?"

Li Guanqi stammered, but no one answered.

Bound and kneeling, he couldn't look around.

"I've been in office for less than three months, how could I have stolen the treasury silver? It must have been the treasury clerks who often used side doors to smuggle small amounts of silver. They must have framed me."

Li Guanqi mustered his remaining strength to make his final plea.

His agitated defense drew a comforting remark from the executioner behind him: "Clerk Li, stop talking nonsense. I'll make sure my blade is sharp later. Have a good journey!"

Li Guanqi ignored the executioner's words, his eyes darting around, searching within his limited vision for the source of the mysterious voice.

"Mr. Li, I am the helper your wife hired. I've bribed the executioner. I will give the signal 'escape' to cut your ropes. Then you just need to rush off the platform and run home!"

"Remember, no matter what happens on the way, do not look back, and do not stop! Do you understand?"

The mysterious voice spoke again.

"I understand!"

An indescribable fervor and hope surged within Li Guanqi.

He scanned the crowd of wide-eyed spectators below, searching for an opening to escape.

His nerves were stretched taut like a lute string, awaiting the command.

At this moment, the vast execution ground was deathly silent.

Countless eyes were fixed on the executioner, who was drinking and preparing his blade!

As the executioner raised the executioner's blade high, several women timidly covered their children's eyes.

"Thwack!"

The blade sank into flesh and blood, a thunderous roar!

"Run—"

Li Guanqi lunged forward as he heard the words, the expert had indeed severed the ropes binding him.

He bolted away in excitement.

Ahead of him, countless women and children, like ignorant commoners, rushed forward with coarse steamed buns, scrambling to get them.

Instead of anger, he felt joy. The surging crowd opened up a gap for his escape.

He plunged into the throng, spreading his legs and running for his life. The thrill of escaping death made his heart pound like a drum, his face taut with strain!

"Ah—"

A scream suddenly erupted from the high platform behind the execution ground.

Magistrate Qin clutched his neck, shouting in sheer terror.

"My head!! Where's my head?!"

His colleagues stared in utter bewilderment at Magistrate Qin, who moments before had been so imposing and now was suddenly raving. Caught off guard, they stood stunned and helpless.

"Thump!"

In his panic, Magistrate Qin tumbled from the high platform.

He seemed oblivious, his eyes squeezed shut, desperately fumbling on the ground, muttering in alarm.

"My head... my head... my head..."

Suddenly!

He found it.

He found a bloody head.

Overjoyed, he scooped it up and tried to place it on his neck.

However, something foreign on his neck prevented him from setting his head in place.

He became furious, grabbing the foreign object with both hands and yanking it off with a sudden pull.

The world fell silent.

Only the crisp sound of a bell drifted from the horizon, faint and ethereal, seeming to be there and yet not.

"Tinkle..."