The Codename Problem

Inside the county yamen, red lanterns hung high. Under the leadership of the three patrol inspectors, the bailiffs and watchmen had not removed their armor. They split into three squads and kept circling the county yamen on patrol.

Who knew which little genius had come up with such a marvelous idea.

Since County Lieutenant Su would not let them search for the lost valuables, they would retreat to defend the yamen and wait for the monsters to come back and kill again.

The three patrol inspectors knew perfectly well that this excuse did not hold water.

If monsters truly came back, their little group would not even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth—the meat would be too stringy.

Still, they tirelessly marched round and round the county yamen's walls, calling it a patrol.

In the end, the patrol inspectors were doing this to help Magistrate Jiang save a scrap of face.

Yet they could not make it too obvious that they were opposing their immediate superior.

Especially when they passed County Lieutenant Su's residence, they had to straighten their uniforms, shake their armor into place, and shout a few patrol calls, as though that could recover some of the face Magistrate Jiang had lost.

Su Che understood very well.

Once one entered official service, it was like carrying a mountain on one's back, every rule and regulation pressing down hard upon everyone.

It was like that line from The Water Margin about Song Jiang: "Like a fierce tiger lying upon a barren hill, hiding claws and fangs, enduring in silence."

No matter how many ravines and gullies filled your heart, once you entered official service, endurance was the first word hanging over your head.

That was true for the three patrol inspectors, the bailiffs, and the watchmen behind them. It was true for him as well.

When he returned to his room, he found three people inside.

The first was naturally Miss Qingqiu, tied up in a thoroughly humiliating manner. A rag was stuffed into her mouth, a towel covered her eyes, and she sat there obediently.

The second was the little bookboy, who had hidden himself entirely beneath the bed. His legs trembled, and he refused to come out.

The last was the bailiff Zhang San. His saber had been removed and set on the table, strips of cloth were stuffed into both ears, and several slits had been cut into his black robe. It seemed the cloth in his ears had been cut from his uniform.

Su Che examined the situation. The rope sent by the Yellow Heaven Sect was still firmly bound around Qingqiu, its configuration quite distinctive.

No problem there.

The spiritual sword within the Sword Case showed no change in its aura. At the very least, it did not seem to have been tainted by blood, its killing intent was not heavy, and there was no problem there either.

So where was the problem?

Su Che recalled that Records of the Hidden Within recorded how fox demons excelled at bewitching people's minds. Sometimes, a mere lift of the hand or turn of the body could lead someone astray.

Looking at things now, the little bookboy and Zhang San had most likely been tampered with by Qingqiu.

And not lightly, either.

Su Che removed the cloth strips from Zhang San's ears.

"What happened?"

"This humble one pays respects to County Lieutenant."

"No need for ceremony. Tell me what happened."

"Ever since you left, sir, this humble one has been guarding the Qi Household's sister-in-law here."

Zhang San carefully considered his wording.

"At first, nothing changed. Then, for some reason, a demonic wind suddenly came from nowhere. It was terrifying—the doors and windows all began creaking together. Following your instructions, sir, this humble one stayed here and kept watch over him."

"What exactly did I instruct you to do?"

Su Che sat on a round stool and listened as Zhang San recounted what had happened.

Zhang San and the little bookboy had initially been waiting outside the door. Later, they directly saw Su Che emerge from the room.

He said only that he had received urgent information and needed to handle it at once. The monster inside was to be strictly guarded by Zhang San and the little bookboy.

After saying that, Su Che hurried out of the yamen.

Zhang San and the little bookboy entered the room and watched Qingqiu. Then a demonic wind suddenly blew in from nowhere, throwing the entire county yamen into chaos.

Following Su Che's instructions, Zhang San honestly kept his eyes on Qingqiu and paid no attention to what was happening outside.

The trouble came from the little bookboy. The monster cursed him a few times, and unable to bear it, he wanted to slap the Qi Household woman several times.

How could Zhang San allow that? Leaving aside the fact that this monster was someone Su Che had specifically ordered him to watch closely, the body she occupied belonged to the Qi Household's daughter-in-law.

Even if he beat her badly, it would not harm the monster. While Zhang San was trying to persuade him otherwise, the little bookboy inexplicably seemed to lose his soul. He burrowed beneath the bed and did not dare even breathe loudly.

Seeing that, how could Zhang San dare be negligent? He first found an old rag beneath the bed and stuffed it into Qingqiu's mouth. Then he dug out one of Su Che's towels and blindfolded the monster.

Had there been a black dog in the yamen, Zhang San would have drenched the monster in dog blood.

Finally, he tore his own clothing to plug his ears. Only then had the standoff lasted until now.

Su Che looked at the little bookboy, still trembling beneath the bed like chaff in a sieve, and sighed. This would count as a lesson for him, lest he someday die somewhere without even knowing how.

"Enough. Drag him out, find a place, and treat him to a bowl of rotten-meat noodles. Have the owner warm a pot of wine for him. I'll have a private talk with this one."

Su Che took out a silver ingot weighing a full tael from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"Sir, a bowl of rotten-meat noodles does not cost nearly that much..."

Zhang San said uncertainly.

"Then order two bowls, plus a bowl of stewed pork knuckle. Put more vegetable leaves in my noodles. When you finish eating, bring those two bowls of noodles back to me. Keep the rest of the money for now; use it for any future expenses."

Bailiff Zhang tucked the silver from the table into his robes, then dragged the little bookboy out from beneath the bed like a dead dog.

"All right, let's talk."

Su Che removed every restraint from Miss Qingqiu, even putting away the rope sent by the Yellow Heaven Sect.

"Whew. That old bastard from the Yellow Heaven Sect—I say, where did you learn such a way of tying people up?" The Qi Household's sister-in-law stretched lazily in comfort.

"The sisters at Jiankang's Jade Pavilion taught me hand in hand."

Su Che looked at the little fox before him. "Have you ever seen a great dragon carrying a candle in its jaws, swimming through the endless night?"

"I have. I've also seen someone wearing a mask staring blankly at a group of statues."

The Qi Household's sister-in-law loosened up her body and frowned at Su Che.

"What's your codename?"

"I am..."

"Don't tell me. Let me guess."

The little fox happily gave Su Che a thorough once-over.

"Looking at you, you're definitely something like Ba Serpent or Feng Boar."

At her mention of it, Su Che suddenly thought of a problem Mount Zhong Association had when naming its members.

According to Records of the Hidden Within, Lord Dongwang was the god of Eastern Yi Wood, among the most exalted of all gods between Heaven and Earth.

Plain Maiden and Gushe, though not revered deities, still counted among the immortal maidens.

As for Yuqiang and Wu Zhiqi, they lay somewhere between demonic beasts and ferocious gods.

But this Qingqiu...

She seemed to be merely an ordinary demonic beast, and one of the plentiful, all-you-could-eat variety at that.

"You care so much about such things. It seems you have not cultivated for long—at most, you're just a little demon."

"You guessed quite accurately. My codename is Feng Boar."

Su Che answered without the slightest moral scruple.