Knocking Ghost

Paying tribute money is an old tradition in Wen'an County.

It is much the same in other counties, unless they are truly too poor to scrape anything together.

Since the founding of the Great Liang, every year during the Lantern Festival, the city's guilds, wealthy merchants, and gentry have always pooled together a tribute to thank the magistrate for his protection over the past year.

The amounts have been passed down through the years, becoming a set rule known to all, high and low.

A magistrate holds the power of life and death over a county, with the treasury and the courts in his hands; calling him a local emperor is no exaggeration.

But this year, this Magistrate Chen Mingyuan has opened his mouth and demanded triple the amount!

Everyone felt a secret resentment, yet they maintained a facade of decorum.

Aside from the hot-tempered head of the Martial Arts Guild who questioned him on the spot, the rest remained silent, waiting for the magistrate to provide an explanation.

Chen Mingyuan took a slow sip of tea before finally speaking: "Demanding these three portions of tribute this year is not out of greed, but out of necessity."

He held up one finger: "Between the locust plague in the north and the Bone Ghost people invading our borders, military levies have increased by twenty percent, and the county treasury is already empty. This money must come from somewhere."

He held up a second finger: "Governor Yang in the provincial capital is celebrating his birthday after the new year. If the gift is too thin and the Governor takes offense, my life will be difficult, and I fear the many businesses you all run in Wen'an will face quite a few obstacles."

He held up a third finger, his voice dropping: "The neighboring Wenwu County is plagued by the Knocking Ghost, and thousands have died. If that thing rushes over here, can our county escape it? We must prepare the funds for prevention."

He spread his hands, his expression helpless: "Of these three sums, one fills the military coffers, one is for the birthday celebration, and one is for ghost prevention. To put it plainly, not a single copper falls into my own pocket."

Chen Mingyuan brushed off his sleeves, remaining as unhurried as ever:

"At worst, I can resign and return to my hometown to live as a wealthy man. But what about you all? Wen'an County is a piece of fat meat that many are eyeing. If a new official comes, I fear they will not be as considerate of you as I am, and by then, they will likely empty your purses entirely."

With the matter put this way, the stakes were clear.

After a moment of silence, Old Master Du, the head of the Martial Arts Guild, darkened his face, raised his wine cup, and toasted toward the head of the table: "Magistrate Chen, I was reckless just now. I am a crude man, and in the heat of the moment, I spoke without thinking. I should not have spoken to you that way."

Chen Mingyuan raised his cup with a smile: "Old Du, you speak too seriously. What is most important right now is finding a way to fill this hole."

With the step down provided, no one else dared to object.

The others exchanged glances, some sighing and others shaking their heads, but no one spoke up again.

Silence meant acceptance.

The Lantern Tower, which had been filled with a festive atmosphere just moments ago, was suddenly flooded with hushed discussions, rapid calculations, and the occasional heated argument.

Zhou Lan fanned himself and sighed: "It seems every family will have to shell out a large sum again."

His wife frowned slightly, also sighing: "It seems we will have to be more careful with the school's expenses from now on."

Lu Chen asked curiously: "What is the Knocking Ghost?"

His wife replied: "It is a terrifying monster that specializes in knocking on doors in the middle of the night. If you open the door, death is certain."

"And if you don't?" Lu Chen pressed.

His wife shook her head: "Sometimes it leaves, sometimes it breaks the door down. External Force martial artists find it hard to survive an encounter, though those with Hidden Force might be able to hold their own."

Zheng Tie chimed in with a muffled voice: "When I traveled the world, I heard seniors say that even Hidden Force cannot kill that thing. If commoners run into it, they should just hide and stay quiet. If martial artists encounter it, they should just run; don't even think about fighting it head-on."

Lu Chen asked: "Can one escape it?"

"Yes. That monster only haunts villages or cities; in the wild, it rarely kills," Zheng Tie said.

A look of worry appeared in Zhou Lan's eyes: "This world is becoming increasingly unstable."

"Indeed."

Lu Chen felt a heavy weight in his heart.

The urge to become stronger burned in his chest like a fire, growing more urgent by the second.

He had thought he understood this world, but now he realized that the dangers hidden in the shadows were layered one after another, each deeper than the last.

The next morning.

Lu Chen arrived at the backyard of the inner residence.

His teacher's wife was practicing martial arts in the courtyard, and her eldest daughter, Mei Dai, was there as well. Mother and daughter were very much alike, both tall with long legs and slender waists.

His teacher's wife had broken into a light sweat, her moon-white training tunic clinging to her body.

Mei Dai stood to the side, already as tall as her mother, though leaner, with a cold expression in her eyes.

Seeing Lu Chen arrive, his teacher's wife stopped her movements.

"Teacher's wife." Lu Chen bowed.

She nodded slightly and turned to Mei Dai, speaking in a gentle tone:

"Dai'er, let's stop here for today. Go wake your sister; don't let her sleep in."

Mei Dai nodded and left.

A maid brought over a silver-gray fox fur cloak. She took it and draped it loosely over her shoulders, concealing the striking figure she had displayed while practicing. She smoothed her hair and said to Lu Chen:

"Follow me."

Lu Chen followed silently, arriving at a quiet room deep within the inner residence.

The room was furnished simply, with layers of memorial tablets for the past masters of the Plum Blossom Martial Hall arranged behind the altar table.

The mistress walked to the altar, lit three sticks of incense, and inserted them respectfully.

"Kneel." Her voice was solemn.

Lu Chen obeyed, kneeling on the prayer mat before the altar.

The mistress turned to face him, and by extension, the wall of ancestors.

In the morning light, her expression was grave as never before.

"Lu Chen, since you have entered the gates of my Plum Blossom Martial Hall, I shall formally pass on the final two forms of the Plum Blossom Fist to you today before these ancestors. Before that, you must remember the three rules of our Plum Blossom lineage."

Lu Chen straightened his back, listening with focused attention.

"First, you must not rely on strength to bully the weak or oppress the good."

"Second, you must not harm your fellow disciples or betray your trust."

"Third, while the fist techniques may be taught, the essence of the mental cultivation method shall not be imparted to any but direct disciples of pure character. Should you violate these rules, the lightest punishment will be the crippling of your martial arts and expulsion from the sect; the heaviest... will be the purging of the sect."

"This disciple will keep these teachings in mind."

"Good, follow me to learn the final two forms."

In the courtyard, the mistress demonstrated and explained the fist forms one by one, and Lu Chen memorized them in his heart.

At noon, the mistress kept Lu Chen for a meal as usual.

This time at the dining table, the mistress, Master Deng, and both young ladies were present.

The mistress said warmly, "Since Lu Chen has broken through to External Force and has officially become a direct disciple, this meal today can be considered a small celebration."

Master Deng, who had always looked down on Lu Chen, was all smiles today and spoke much more, even personally picking up a piece of food for Lu Chen with his chopsticks.

Mei Dai remained her usual cold and detached self, eating quietly without saying much.

Mei Ying, however, was different.

Her large eyes darted over Lu Chen, and a sweet smile hung on her face: "Senior Brother Lu has such great skill; does this mean you can come to our home for meals often from now on?"

"Perhaps," Lu Chen replied perfunctorily.

This father and daughter were equally snobbish, always judging people by their status.

The mistress advised him gently, "Now that you are an External Force martial artist, you have truly stepped into the martial world. Aside from focusing on your cultivation, you must also make plans for your livelihood. There are many ways for an External Force martial artist to earn money: becoming a guest advisor for a gang, serving as a guard for a wealthy household, joining a security firm to escort goods, or even taking a position at the yamen. In any case, do not let this talent of yours go to waste."

Lu Chen nodded and replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Mistress. This disciple is currently running a small business with a friend, so there is no rush to seek such work for now. If a suitable opportunity arises, I will certainly keep it in mind."

Hearing this, the mistress nodded slightly, a hint of gratification showing in her eyes: "It is good that you have your own plans. The path of the pugilistic world is long; having a bit of extra money in your pocket is never a bad thing."