Jianghu Rumors

Constable Luo walked into the county office with hurried steps, immediately gathering his subordinate bailiffs to thoroughly close the case once and for all, only to happen upon a glowing-faced Magistrate Liu.

As the magistrate of Yidu, Magistrate Liu was logically the chief official of a county, but Yidu was the seat of Yizhou, and the local administration of the Great Yan was basically a three-tiered system of prefecture, commandery, and county. The prefecture level was currently quite massive, roughly equivalent to a province, so nearly all the high-ranking lords of the prefecture and commandery were right here. By comparison, although Magistrate Liu's rank was higher than that of an ordinary magistrate, he still seemed somewhat insignificant.

The recent earth-diving great thief had been truly rampant, exclusively targeting rare treasures hidden in the manors of nobles. Magistrate Liu privately guessed that aside from gold, silver, jade wares, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and rare medicinal herbs, he had likely also stolen some items that the high lords preferred outsiders not to get their hands on.

His pressure was immense.

With the major case recently solved, while it was thanks to Constable Luo's effective handling, it was also credited to him as the magistrate standing firm under pressure and strongly supporting it from behind. The nobles in the city had also offered him continuous praise. Judging by that momentum, if he handled the matter of the stolen goods a bit more appropriately, rising to a higher post was hardly a difficult task.

Magistrate Liu was naturally in high spirits.

Seeing Constable Luo in such a rush now, he could not help but smile warmly and care, "Mingyuan, what happened again? Why are you in such a hurry once more?"

"Reporting to Your Honor, the earth-diving great thief case has not yet been fully investigated, and this subordinate must make another trip to Taian Temple."

"Mingyuan, oh Mingyuan, this official knows you are full of upright integrity and eager to solve cases, but since the criminal has already been captured, you no longer need to wear yourself out like this. Why not go home to rest for two days, and leave the remaining loose ends for your subordinates to slowly investigate—there is no need to rush, after all," Magistrate Liu advised. "You didn't sleep a wink for days on end recently, and if you still don't rest now, even an iron body couldn't withstand such tossing about."

"Your Honor does not understand, this subordinate has already found a lead and will thoroughly crack the case right away." Constable Luo spoke in a very hurried tone. "You go ahead and be busy, Your Honor; once this subordinate has sorted out all the details of the case, I will return to report the interesting parts to Your Honor in detail."

"Interesting parts?"

"Even more interesting than Your Honor thinks."

"Then go on with your busywork!"

"Yes!"

Constable Luo immediately directed his subordinates to split into two groups, one heading ahead to Taian Temple to race against time and figure out the situation, while he led the other group into the county prison.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the prison, he had that impoverished scholar who had learned the earth-diving method brought out. The scholar was already covered in injuries from beatings, yet Constable Luo quite courteously invited him to sit, poured him a cup of tea, and even reprimanded the bailiffs who had tortured him a few days ago. Only then did he inform him of the marvelous event that had occurred at Taian Temple at noon today, dropping a few hints that he already knew about his affair with Master Guanghong and urging him to make a clean breast of it.

The scholar was greatly startled and confessed on the spot.

A few years ago, the scholar had gone to Taian Temple to offer incense and pray for an official career, where he ran into Master Guanghong. During their conversation, Master Guanghong instead told him that he was destined never to have a career in officialdom, though he was a fine piece of timber for studying heterodox arts.

From then on, the two of them hooked up.

The scholar truly proved to be good timber, and in a mere two years, his achievements in the Earth-Diving Art surpassed those of Master Guanghong. Subsequently, under Master Guanghong's guidance, he carried out thefts everywhere. Among them, the stolen gold, silver, and jewels all went to him alone; the antiques, calligraphy, and paintings were split fifty-fifty, with Master Guanghong picking first; as for the rare medicinal herbs, they all went to Master Guanghong, supposedly to be used for refining pills.

In addition, sometimes he would also steal things like ledger books for Master Guanghong.

Constable Luo listened with a secret shock.

As the temple with the most thriving incense and fire in the city, although Taian Temple's status in Yizhou's religious circles could not compare to that thousand-year-old Taoist temple outside the city, it occupied a prime location, and Master Guanghong was also an honored guest of many nobles in the city.

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

Thus, he rushed toward Taian Temple full of whirlwind urgency.

He had earlier dispatched his most capable subordinates here, and they had already probed the ins and outs of the matter seven or eight tenths over. By now, those onlookers were still lingering here. It was not that the subordinate bailiffs refused to let them leave, but rather that their gossipy nature was at work, and they had spontaneously gathered around, faces glowing red, waiting to watch the excitement.

The moment Constable Luo arrived, everyone spoke at once.

Their words, inside and out, could not escape mention of a delicate and graceful young man.

Some said they saw that young man bring a cat into Five Views Hall; finding no seats, after politely inquiring, he sat right beside Master Guanghong, looking very casual and as if by coincidence.

Some said they saw that young man and Master Guanghong walking together along the winding corridor toward Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, conversing in low tones with great politeness, looking as if they knew each other yet did not.

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

Some said that young man must have been a fiend, using fiendish fire to murder Master Guanghong. Yet others said that Master Guanghong himself had a guilty conscience, which was why he burned himself alive to confess his sins before the Buddha.

Some said the fire had no temperature, while others said they felt the heat from far away; some said it was yellow, and others said it was red, but the clothes that fell to the ground without a single trace of damage could not be faked.

Everyone vividly described the scene at the time.

Constable Luo listened with a deep sense of shock.

Having served as a constable for many years, he had seen quite a few cases involving spirits and ghosts, but he had rarely handled such a case entailing gods and Buddhas.

Even his father had probably not seen it many times.

Yet he still maintained his composure.

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

Aside from this wicked monk, there seemed to be no other people with spiritual attainment in this Taian Temple. But then again, they held official posts, and even if Master Guanghong were still around, once involved in a case, the only way to try and stop them would be by exerting pressure through the nobles in the city.

Therefore, no one dared to block them.

Sure enough, relying on his years of experience, the group of bailiffs quickly found the stolen goods hidden by Master Guanghong.

A pile of unfinished medicinal herbs, some antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. As for those books and volumes, whether Buddhist scriptures or anything else, Constable Luo did not look at them at all, simply packing them into chests to bring back to the yamen.

An hour later, the Yidu yamen.

The sky had already grown dark.

A wooden chest sat in the middle of the courtroom, with candlelight flickering beside it, casting the trembling shadows of a few figures.

Magistrate Liu, of short stature, walked to the dead center of the courtroom, in front of the chest. Following behind him was a private advisor, while Constable Luo and two bailiffs stood respectfully to the side.

Although it was a system of floating officials, as the chief official of a county, he naturally had a distinction of rank from the minor clerks below. However, the execution of administrative orders by a chief official also depended on the cooperation of the clerks underneath, coupled with the social savvy of human relations. Therefore, in their daily interactions, Constable Luo had always been utterly respectful toward Magistrate Liu, and Magistrate Liu was likewise very courteous to him—this was their model of cooperation.

Constable Luo reported everything in meticulous detail, starting from seeing Mister Song's broken courtyard wall when he went to work this morning, to taking time in the afternoon to visit Mister Song and their conversation, then to their trip to Taian Temple, and even his own related conjectures, reporting it all clearly to Magistrate Liu.

After listening, Magistrate Liu remained silent for a long time.

After a moment, the advisor behind him softly reminded, "Your Honor, you should still deal with the lost items of the nobles first..."

"Mhm."

Only then did Magistrate Liu snap back to his senses, looking first at that wooden chest and then turning to Constable Luo, "Have you counted the items inside here?"

"Your Honor, this subordinate has not cast a single glance."

Magistrate Liu turned around and exchanged a glance with his advisor.

The advisor nodded at him.

"Mingyuan, you have always been thorough in handling affairs, so I am at ease. I will naturally invite the lords to come and claim these items," Magistrate Liu said then. Pausing, however, he still could not hold back and asked once more, "Did that gentleman of Tianshui Lane really only exchange a few words with Master Guanghong before causing Master Guanghong to immolate himself to death?"

"Reporting to Your Honor, there were numerous pilgrims at Taian Temple at the time, and everyone said the same."

"Tsk, tsk..."

Magistrate Liu felt internal shock, sensing it was nothing short of immortal arts.

"Then that matter you mentioned about the damaged courtyard wall..."

"Although this subordinate did not hear from Mister Song what sort of fiend caused that, I heard from that thief in the prison that Master Guanghong raised three green-faced yakshas, standing over a zhang tall and massive as oxen, able to look those on the second floor straight in the eye while standing on the ground. I imagine it was done by these monsters."

"And then you said there were no signs of a fight whatsoever in the courtyard..."

"Not only were there no signs of a fight, but when this subordinate went to ask in the afternoon, I saw that Mister Song looked utterly indifferent. I fear these yaksha ghosts were subdued in a mere instant."

"..."

Hearing this, Magistrate Liu turned back to exchange another glance with his advisor, before finally sighing with emotion, "Such a high man usually only cultivates in the mountains in quietude—when did one also arrive in our Yidu City..."

Constable Luo caught his meaning.

The magistrate had previously intended to make his acquaintance, and now he likely had the urge to pay a personal visit.

"This subordinate heard that Mister Song is wandering here as a cloud and resting for a time, having previously cultivated in the mountains as well. Even upon reaching the city, he lives entirely alone, keeping only a cat for company. He values peace and quiet above all else, and every day his comings and goings are completely solitary. I fear he has come to look past the mortal dust." Constable Luo obscurely reminded him.

"What a pity..."

Magistrate Liu shook his head.

That being the case, he himself dared not go and disturb him. However, the prefectural governor in the city had yearned for this path for a long time; once the Master Guanghong case spread, he would most likely come to inquire, and he could thoroughly recount it to him. For one, it would cater to his preferences and boost conversational material; for another, the prefectural governor held a high official rank and an extraordinary status, so he naturally possessed the qualifications to pay a visit.

As for that Master Guanghong...

He had evidently broken the commandments and committed misdeeds, which was why he was incinerated by karmic fire before the Buddha's hall.

Constable Luo mended the courtyard wall for Mister Song.

Mister Song did not refuse either—

He had devised the strategy for Constable Luo and received payment for it, so the two were already even, and bearing the risk of retaliation from the thief's backers was also as it should be, all accounted for within those twenty taels of silver. Yet later on, he had further helped Constable Luo thoroughly crack this case, so Constable Luo repairing his courtyard wall for him was also well-deserved.

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

Only, Constable Luo did not seem to think so.

Feeling that he still had not repaid the debt of Song You's assistance, he frequently sent over some items, which were always very practical meat dishes and fruits.

Song You would sometimes accept them, and sometimes not.

It came back to the same principle—

Sometimes, appropriately accepting the goodwill of others is actually a manifestation of magnanimity.

Accepting them at times was to make Constable Luo feel at ease in his heart. Refusing them at other times was to maintain a measure, lest it bring about excessive entanglements.

Thus, day by day, time passed quickly.

Extraordinary joys were hidden within the ordinary.

The affair of Master Guanghong's self-immolation in front of the Buddha hall quickly spread far and wide, becoming a favorite topic for Yidu commoners to relish after their meals, while spreading even more widely within the pugilistic circles, growing increasingly mystical with every retelling.

Worldly rumors were generally like this.

As for Song You, aside from listening to storytelling, he had grown fond of listening to the zither.

Pine Hut in the north city was the residence of Lord Yang. Lord Yang was famed for his skill in playing the zither, frequently inviting three or five friends to his home to play for pleasure, and many nobles in the city would visit him. Because he played the zither every evening at dusk, some people with a fondness for music would go outside Pine Hut at that time, order a cup of tea under the tea shed, and become intoxicated by the zither music.

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

The weather was visibly turning cool.