Jianghu Rumors

Constable Luo strode into the county yamen with hurried steps, immediately gathering his men to close the case once and for all, when he happened upon Magistrate Liu, whose face was beaming with satisfaction.

As the magistrate of Yi Capital, Magistrate Liu was technically the chief official of the county, but Yi Capital was the seat of Yizhou. Great Yan's local administration basically followed a three-tier system of prefecture, commandery, and county, and the prefecture level was still quite significant at the time, roughly equivalent to a province. So the high officials from the prefecture and commandery were almost all gathered here. In comparison, Magistrate Liu's position, though higher than that of an ordinary county magistrate, still didn't carry much weight.

In recent days, the Earth-Diving Great Thief had been running rampant, targeting only the treasured possessions of noble households. Magistrate Liu secretly suspected that beyond gold, silver, jade, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and rare medicinal herbs, the thief had also taken items that the high officials didn't want outsiders to know about.

The pressure on him was immense.

Now that the major case had been cracked, even though it was Constable Luo's capable handling that did the job, Magistrate Liu had also shouldered the pressure and provided strong backing support. The city's nobles were showering him with praise. Judging by the momentum, if he handled the stolen goods matter a bit more neatly, a promotion wouldn't be difficult.

Magistrate Liu was naturally riding high on success.

Seeing Constable Luo in such a rush, he couldn't help but ask with a cheerful, concerned tone: "Mingyuan, what's happened now? Why are you in such a hurry again?"

"Your Honor, the Earth-Diving Great Thief case isn't fully resolved yet. I need to make another trip to Taian Temple."

"Mingyuan, Mingyuan, I know you're full of integrity and eager to solve the case, but now that the culprit has been caught, there's no need for you to work yourself so hard. Why not go home and rest for a couple of days? Leave the remaining loose ends to your subordinates to investigate slowly—there's no rush," Magistrate Liu advised. "You haven't slept a full night in days. If you don't rest now, even a body forged from iron won't hold up under this strain."

"Your Honor, you may not know this, but I've already found a lead. I'm about to close the case completely," Constable Luo said urgently. "Please go about your business, Your Honor. Once I've sorted out all the details of the case, I'll return and report the interesting parts to you in full."

"Interesting parts?"

"More interesting than you think, Your Honor."

"Then get to it!"

"Yes, sir!"

Constable Luo immediately directed his men to split into two groups. One group headed to Taian Temple to investigate the situation as quickly as possible, while he led the other into the county yamen's prison.

As expected, as soon as he entered the prison, he had the impoverished scholar who had learned the Earth-Diving Art brought out. The scholar was covered in injuries from torture, but Constable Luo was courteous enough to invite him to sit down, poured him a cup of tea, and even scolded the yamen runners who had used torture on him. Only then did he inform the scholar of the strange events that had occurred at Taian Temple that noon, dropping a few hints that he already knew about the scholar's dealings with Master Guanghong, and urged him to confess and receive leniency.

The scholar was greatly startled and immediately confessed.

A few years ago, the scholar had gone to Taian Temple to burn incense and pray for success in the imperial examinations. There, he met Master Guanghong. After they talked, Master Guanghong told him that he had no fate with officialdom but was an excellent candidate for studying esoteric arts.

From then on, the two were connected.

The scholar indeed proved to be a fine talent. In just two years, his achievement in the Earth-Diving Art surpassed Master Guanghong's. Then, under Master Guanghong's guidance, he began stealing from all over. The gold, silver, and jewels he stole were all his to keep. Antiques, calligraphy, and paintings were split half and half, with Master Guanghong choosing first. As for the rare medicinal herbs, they all went to Master Guanghong, who claimed he used them for alchemy.

Additionally, sometimes he would steal ledgers and other documents for Master Guanghong.

Constable Luo's heart pounded with alarm.

As the temple with the most incense and fire in the city, Taian Temple's status in Yizhou's religious circles might not match that of the thousand-year-old Taoist temple outside the city, but it had the advantage of location. Master Guanghong was also a frequent guest of honor among the city's nobles.

Constable Luo felt he needed to solve the case as quickly as possible.

So he rushed off to Taian Temple in a flurry.

Earlier, he had sent his most capable subordinate there, who had already gathered most of the details of what had happened. The onlookers were still there. It wasn't that his constables wouldn't let them leave; rather, driven by nosy curiosity, they had all gathered around on their own, faces glowing with excitement, waiting to see the drama unfold.

As soon as Constable Luo arrived, everyone started chattering at once.

Every word revolved around a handsome young man.

Some said they saw the young man enter the Five Views Hall with a cat. There were no seats available, so after politely asking, he sat down next to Master Guanghong. It seemed casual, like a coincidence.

Some said they saw the young man and Master Guanghong walking together along the winding corridor toward the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, talking quietly and politely, as if they knew each other, yet also as if they didn't.

Some said they heard Master Guanghong ask the young man what he wanted.

Some claimed the young man must be a demonic figure who used demonic fire to harm Master Guanghong. Others said Master Guanghong himself had a guilty conscience and had set himself ablaze before the Buddha to confess his sins.

Some said the fire had no heat, while others said they felt its scorching warmth from far away. Some said it was yellow, some said red, but the clothes that fell to the ground completely unharmed were undeniable proof.

Everyone vividly described the scene at the time.

Constable Luo listened with growing alarm.

Having served as constable for many years, he had seen many cases involving demons and ghosts, but rarely one that touched on gods and Buddhas.

Even his father had probably only seen a few.

Still, he kept his composure.

He first led his men to search Master Guanghong's residence.

Aside from this demonic monk, Taian Temple seemed to have no other practitioners of the Way. But then again, since they were on official duty, even if Master Guanghong were still alive, as long as he was involved in the case, the only way to stop them would be through pressure from the city's nobles.

So no one dared to obstruct them.

As expected, relying on years of experience, the constables quickly found the stolen goods Master Guanghong had hidden away.

A pile of unused medicinal herbs, some antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. As for the books and documents—whether Buddhist scriptures or anything else—Constable Luo didn't even glance at them. He simply packed them into a chest and brought them back to the yamen.

An hour later, at the Yi Capital yamen.

The sky had already darkened.

In the center of the courtroom stood a wooden chest, with candles flickering on the side, casting the shadows of several figures.

Magistrate Liu, short in stature, stood in the middle of the courtroom, in front of the chest. Behind him followed an advisor, while Constable Luo and two constables stood respectfully to the side.

Although the system of rotating officials meant that as the county's chief magistrate, he naturally had a hierarchy above the minor clerks, implementing policies still required the cooperation of those clerks. Coupled with the nuances of interpersonal relations, in their daily interactions, Constable Luo always showed great respect to Magistrate Liu, and Magistrate Liu was equally courteous in return. That was their mode of cooperation.

Constable Luo reported every detail without omission—from discovering the broken wall at Mister Song's residence that morning, to visiting Mister Song again in the afternoon and their conversation, to the trip to Taian Temple, and even his own related deductions—all laid out clearly for Magistrate Liu.

After hearing this, Magistrate Liu was silent for a long time.

After a moment, his aide whispered a reminder from behind: "Your Honor, perhaps you should first attend to the lost belongings of the distinguished guests..."

"Mm."

Only then did Magistrate Liu snap back to reality. He first looked at the chest, then turned to Constable Luo: "Have you inventoried the items inside?"

"Your Honor, I haven't laid a single glance on them."

Magistrate Liu turned and exchanged a look with his aide.

The aide nodded at him.

"Mingyuan, you are always meticulous in your work, and I trust you. I will have the distinguished guests come to identify their belongings," Magistrate Liu finally said. But after a pause, he couldn't help asking, "Is it true that the gentleman from Tianshui Lane only exchanged a few words with Master Guanghong, and that caused Master Guanghong to burn himself to death?"

"To answer Your Honor, at the time, Taian Temple was crowded with worshippers, and that is what everyone said."

"Tsk tsk..."

Magistrate Liu was inwardly shaken, feeling it was like the work of an immortal.

"And what about the damaged courtyard wall you mentioned..."

"Although I did not hear from Mister Song what kind of demon caused it, I heard from the criminal in prison that Master Guanghong kept three Green-faced Yakshas, each over ten feet tall and as large as an ox. Standing on the ground, they could look a second-floor person straight in the eye. I suspect it was these monsters."

"And yet you said there were no signs of a struggle in the courtyard..."

"Not only were there no signs of a struggle, when I went to ask in the afternoon, I saw that Mister Song appeared completely unconcerned. I suspect the yakshas were subdued in an instant."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu turned back to exchange another glance with his aide, then sighed with admiration: "Such a master usually cultivates in seclusion in the mountains. When did one come to our Yidu City..."

Constable Luo caught his meaning.

The magistrate had previously expressed a desire to make his acquaintance, and now likely harbored intentions of paying a visit.

"I heard that Mister Song is a wandering cultivator who has stopped here temporarily. He used to cultivate in the mountains as well. Even in the city, he lives alone, keeping only a cat as company. He values peace and quiet most, and comes and goes alone every day, perhaps to observe the mortal world," Constable Luo hinted subtly.

"A pity..."

Magistrate Liu shook his head.

In that case, he dared not disturb him. However, the Prefect in the city had long been drawn to such paths. Once the case of Master Guanghong spread, he would likely come to inquire. The magistrate could then recount the details to him—first, to cater to his interests and have something to talk about, and second, the Prefect held a high official position and was of distinguished status, naturally qualified to pay a visit.

As for Master Guanghong...

He had clearly violated the precepts and done something shameful, only to be consumed by karmic fire before the Buddha's hall.

Constable Luo repaired the courtyard wall for Song You.

Song You did not refuse—

He had devised a plan for Constable Luo in exchange for payment, settling that debt. Bearing the risk of retaliation from the criminal's backers was also part of the twenty taels of silver. But afterward, he had helped Constable Luo fully solve the case, so the constable repairing his wall was only fair.

In Song You's mind, they were still even.

Yet Constable Luo seemed to think otherwise.

He felt he still hadn't repaid Song You's help and often brought gifts—practical things like meat, vegetables, and fruit.

Song You sometimes accepted, sometimes not.

As always—

Sometimes accepting others' goodwill is a form of magnanimity.

Sometimes accepting eases Constable Luo's conscience. Sometimes refusing maintains a boundary, preventing excessive entanglement.

Thus the days passed quickly.

Extraordinary joy hid within the ordinary.

The news of Master Guanghong's self-immolation before the Buddha hall spread quickly, becoming a favorite topic of idle chatter among Yidu's common folk. It spread even wider in the martial world, growing more fantastical with each telling.

Such is the nature of worldly rumors.

Aside from listening to storytelling, Song You had also taken a liking to listening to zither music.

Pine Hut in the northern city was Lord Yang's residence. Lord Yang was renowned for his skill in playing the zither, often inviting a few friends to his home to play for pleasure. Many distinguished people in the city would visit, and since he played every evening, some music lovers would gather outside Pine Hut at that time, ordering a cup of tea at the stall and getting drunk on the zither's sound.

Pine Hut was not far away, and Song You often passed by, pausing for a while.

The weather was visibly turning cold.