Divining the Demon

Su Che placed the item he had obtained from the Withered Forest Zen Monastery in Shanyin County's Ever-Ready Treasury. This was also the conclusion he had reached after thinking it over last night.

"Though I don't know what this thing truly is, it is clearly extremely important to One-Eye, that demon. Otherwise, he would not have come looking for me again after suffering a loss."

"There are thieves who steal for a thousand days, but no guards who can stand watch for a thousand days. That demon must have some means of sensing his own severed body. Rather than keep it on me and waste the treasures I obtained from the Yellow Heaven Dao, I might as well find it the best possible use."

Thus, Su Che drew up a list in his mind.

What was the most pressing matter at present?

Cultivation.

He had already found a direction for cultivation. With the sword casket in hand, coupled with the method of the "Dingtian Jun Sword," he could not become fat from one bite or achieve results in a short span of time, but he was still advancing step by step.

So cultivation could be set aside for the moment.

What was the second issue?

It was doing a proper job as the County Commandant of Shanyin County.

In being a man, handling affairs, or serving as an official, the first task was to seize the key point.

If he wanted to serve well as the County Commandant of Shanyin County, what was the key point?

How to get along with the demons and fiends around him.

If he could settle them, then he would be free to act as County Commandant.

If he handled them poorly, they might even affect his core interests.

Namely, cultivation.

Whether the one from Withered Forest Zen Monastery said he had bad luck or called it a twist of fate, the relationship between the two sides was now somewhat awkward.

So it was the next key matter to deal with.

What other trivial, chicken-feather-and-garlic-skin matters lay before him?

The case of the stolen treasury silver.

Two taels of silver went missing every day. If County Deputy Jiang and Clerk Tian merely spat out a little, it would be enough to make up the sum.

Su Che had gone through the case files once.

He was not from a criminal investigation background. Of so-called detective novels, the only one he had read in its entirety was Neil Gaiman's "A Study in Emerald," a Cthulhu fanwork of Sherlock Holmes and thus a fantasy piece.

And this case might also involve demons, ghosts, and monsters, which brought Kyogoku Natsuhiko's Japanese works into the picture. He knew even less about those.

"So these two matters must be made into one. If the treasury silver case cannot be solved, that is only a minor detail. Even if the underlings are willing to transport silver with their chrysanthemums, they are only earning hard-earned money. Old Jiang and Old Tian are the true great scourges."

"The situation in Shanyin County, from top to bottom, is already crystal clear. Oppressing the common people is their true nature; when faced with demons, ghosts, and monsters, they flee as far away as they can. I need to think of a way to set them against each other. Only then will things be easier to handle."

If that one-eyed demon could turn Shanyin County's Ever-Ready Treasury upside down, preferably carry off that rotten storehouse clean, it would be doing him a huge favor.

Su Che did not summon the bookboy. He merely changed into the blue scholar's robe commonly worn by learned men and waited outside the county yamen for the bailiff to return.

The stolen treasury silver was one matter, but the old woman's affair could not be ignored.

"This humble subordinate pays respects to County Commandant."

Before long, the bailiff Zhang San returned, his face glowing with health.

"How much silver did the Qi Household give you?"

One look at his manner told Su Che that he had returned laden with spoils this time.

With Shanyin County's atmosphere, expecting a bailiff to be pure as ice and clean as jade, unstained by mud, was sheer lunacy.

Zhang San flushed red, unsure what this newly appointed County Commandant wanted.

He had just told me to teach that old woman a lesson. He should not be angry that I accepted someone else's silver.

Could it be that he wants me to share some of the silver the Qi Household gave me? I heard he is a young master from a great household, so he probably does not care for this money.

He was quick-witted enough to know he could not keep Su Che waiting at this juncture, so he immediately came clean.

"Reporting to you, sir, the Qi Household's young master gave me one tael of silver and also invited me out for drinks."

One tael was a thousand coins. Heh, the Qi Household was quite generous. A small business like tung oil could not support such lavish spending.

"Go back and change out of those clothes. If anyone asks, say I told you to accompany me out for a walk and pose as my attendant."

"Understood. No matter who asks, I will not mention the Qi family old lady beating the grievance drum. But if County Deputy Jiang and Clerk Tian ask..."

"The fact that you thought that far proves you are clever. If County Deputy Jiang and Clerk Tian ask, tell them that you were tired and dozing off at the time. When the grievance drum woke you, you happened to see the newly appointed County Commandant Su driving that old woman away."

"I drove her away. Understand?"

"This lowly one understands. I will go change at once."

Su Che looked at Zhang San with great satisfaction. As the saying went, fragrant grass could always be found within ten paces. Just yesterday, he had been thinking about Lu Yuhou and Granny Wang. Hadn't a ready-made candidate now appeared?

Before long, Zhang San had changed his clothes. His head was wrapped in a yellow cloth scarf, and he wore a hemp garment, looking very much like an attendant.

"Young Master Su, shall we head south?"

"Mm, south. Does your family follow the Dao?"

"Since my grandfather's generation, our family has revered the Celestial Masters."

"I follow the Dao too," Su Che said casually. "I recall there is no Daoist temple in this county. Where do you usually go to revere the Celestial Masters?"

"There truly is no Daoist temple around Shanyin, but beginning the year before last, a Celestial Master of the Yellow Heaven Dao came here to treat illnesses with talisman water. He usually resides in the City God Temple."

Someone from the Yellow Heaven Dao? He would have to find an opportunity to pay them a proper visit.

"You should know most of what happened with the Qi Household, right?"

"Ah?"

"I will have to ask you to clear up my doubts."

"This lowly one will tell all he knows."

"Shanyin County is not large. There are only so many people in town. If a household were truly haunted by a demon, they should not be able to keep it hidden, especially when you are a bailiff. Tell me, what have you heard happened?"

"Sir is truly prescient."

Zhang San first offered a small bit of flattery, then continued.

"The Qi Household in the south of town was not actually well-known. Their tung oil business was only a small operation, barely enough to scrape by. But three months ago, something strange happened in their household."

It seemed the demon had entered the household three months ago.

"The lady of the household seemed to become a different person overnight. She babbled nonsense for several days, then began dressing herself up."

"It is normal for most people to dress up, but that household's lady dressed herself for men."

Now that was something he could get interested in.

"What do you mean, dressed herself for men?"

"She dressed herself in the manner of a man. Her clothes, shoes, and hats all changed styles. Every day, she dressed herself up as a handsome young gentleman."

Perhaps her husband simply wanted to change his tastes.

"If that were all, it would not be especially strange. But after dressing as a man, she went out onto the streets every day to tell fortunes and interpret characters." Zhang San lowered his voice mysteriously. "And she was extremely accurate."

"You went to have your fortune told too?"

Zhang San nodded with great solemnity.

"Was she accurate?"

"Extremely accurate."

"Then I must go meet her."