Inspecting the Dungeon

The storeroom was in the back courtyard. When Lin Qing emerged, he had changed into a neat, warm, dark-blue cotton uniform, with a Waist Saber at his left hip and an identity token at his right.

"Brother Lin, the Corpse Collector's pay is quite good: one tael of silver a month, meat at every meal, and a bowl of nourishing soup every day. The work isn't too demanding, either. It mainly involves inspecting the dungeon and dealing with bodies. Chief Constable Yang can explain the details when he arrives," Yu Qiuyu said.

"All right." Lin Qing nodded.

The two chatted as they entered a small room nearby, where they drank tea and waited for Yang Feng.

Before long, the door creaked open and Yang Feng stepped in.

"Greetings, sir." Both men rose.

Yang Feng pressed a hand down, gesturing for them to sit. "No need for so much ceremony with me. Lin Qing, come with me."

"All right."

They left one after the other. As Yang Feng headed out of the courtyard, he said quietly, "I'm taking you to meet Commissioner Cheng. Every constable goes through this, so don't be nervous. Commissioner Cheng is a man of excellent character."

"All right," Lin Qing replied.

They soon reached the center of the Soul-Calming Office compound. A towering Pavilion stood there, seven stories high.

"Is Commissioner Cheng here?" Yang Feng asked the constable standing guard at the entrance.

"On the top floor," the man replied.

They went straight to the seventh floor, where another constable led them to a room farther inside.

"Commissioner Cheng, Chief Constable Yang requests an audience."

"Come in." A man's voice sounded from within, carrying a trace of weariness.

They pushed the door open. A delicate sandalwood fragrance greeted Lin Qing, and a glance revealed a middle-aged man in black seated upright in a chair. Frost touched his temples; his posture was straight, his bearing extraordinary.

"Greetings, Commissioner Cheng!" Lin Qing said loudly.

Cheng Yannian studied him. "Not bad. Minor Mastery in half a year. The Soul-Calming Office has hope for the future precisely because talents like you are joining us."

"You flatter me," Lin Qing said solemnly.

Seeing Lin Qing's expression remain steady, Cheng Yannian's eyes flashed with approval. "Good. Many newcomers can barely string a sentence together the first time they meet me. Few are as composed and self-possessed as you. I'm pleased with you."

As he spoke, Cheng Yannian drew a thick book from a nearby shelf.

"This is a Saber Art called Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow. Ordinary constables learn Clear Wind Saber Art. It's easy to begin, but its quality is average. Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow is considerably stronger. Practice it well. If you can grasp the basics within seven days, I'll give you a fine saber."

"Thank you, sir." Lin Qing accepted the book, deeply grateful. He silently committed the favor to memory.

"Yang Feng, cultivate him well. He's a fine seedling; don't let him go to waste," Cheng Yannian instructed.

"Yes, sir," Yang Feng answered clearly.

"You may go." Cheng Yannian waved a hand.

The two left the room.

"Commissioner Cheng thinks highly of you. Be sure to practice this Saber Art diligently," Yang Feng said.

"I will. I won't disappoint Commissioner Cheng," Lin Qing replied. Even so, the pressure weighed on him. Cheng Yannian's test was difficult.

If Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow truly was a fine Saber Art, it might be even harder to learn than Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake. How could anyone master its basics so easily?

Seven days—without the Rebirth Record's help, that would be hard to accomplish.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Sir, when do I start collecting bodies?"

"Tomorrow. Today, I'll take you to inspect the Dungeon," Yang Feng said.

"All right."

Before long, they returned to the Corpse Collectors' courtyard and went straight to the rear.

At the north end stood a building of gray-white stone blocks, three zhang tall. Yang Feng opened its door, and a cold, eerie gust struck Lin Qing's face. Beyond it, stone steps wound downward.

"Do you know what's in the Dungeon?" Yang Feng asked.

"Prisoners?" Lin Qing guessed.

"Of course not. Prisoners are held in the yamen jail. The Dungeon holds resentful corpses and evil spirits. Walk through it once and you'll understand." Yang Feng headed in first, his figure swiftly swallowed by darkness.

Lin Qing followed at once. The moment he stepped into the shadows, a chill seeped through his entire body.

"The malign energy here is several times denser than outside. If you weren't a Bright Force Martial Artist, stepping inside would mean death.

For now, I'll show you the first level. Once you break through Bright Force and enter Hidden Strength, you may go down to the second." Yang Feng's voice echoed along the dark corridor.

"All right," Lin Qing answered.

"Remember: no matter what you hear or see here, it's false. Just keep walking," Yang Feng added.

Lin Qing listened while studying his surroundings. At the bottom of the stairs lay a corridor lined with cells. A lantern casting a deep-red glow hung outside each door. Inside each cell, a bronze bell hung above a corpse, with copper nails driven firmly through its skull and heart.

Suddenly, strange voices reached Lin Qing's ears, and bizarre images flickered before his eyes.

"Come and have some fun, handsome..."

"Lin Qing, I have a peerless martial scripture..."

"Lin Qing, help me escape, and I'll grant you eternal life..."

Lin Qing's expression did not change. He ignored it all.

"Well? Did you feel it?" Yang Feng asked, glancing back.

"There's certainly something unusual," Lin Qing replied.

"Not bad. You have a Low-Grade Yin Bone, yet you can walk through here so calmly. You've got a strong mind." Yang Feng stopped outside a cell. "These cells hold resentful corpses with evil spirits lurking inside them.

If a body isn't dealt with immediately after death, malign energy can invade it and mingle with its resentment, easily giving rise to an evil spirit. Anyone who touches it could lose their life through a moment's carelessness. The harm it can cause is endless.

Such bodies can't simply be burned. They must first be stored here, illuminated by a Rouge Lantern and sealed with Soul-Suppressing Nails. Only when the malign energy has dissipated can they be cremated."

As he spoke, Yang Feng unlocked the copper lock on the door and led Lin Qing into the cell.

Up close, Lin Qing saw that the corpse belonged to an old man. His physique was sturdy and his palms calloused; he had plainly been a Martial Artist in life.

Yang Feng pointed to the bronze bell above the corpse's head.

"This bell was specially made by the Artisans' Office to detect malign energy. As long as it keeps trembling, resentment remains in the body. If it stops, the resentment has dispersed and the evil spirit has been destroyed. The corpse can then be taken out and sent to the Cremation Ground," Yang Feng explained.

Lin Qing nodded. "Understood."

"Sometimes the Soul-Suppressing Nails fail, and an evil spirit bursts from the body and scatters the glow of the Rouge Lantern hanging outside. If that happens, retreat immediately and report to me. I'll send someone to handle it," Yang Feng said.

"All right."

Yang Feng pulled the Soul-Suppressing Nails from the corpse's forehead and heart, one after the other, then suddenly sighed.

"This is Old Yang. He worked with me for eight years. You joined the Corpse Collection Team to fill the place he left behind. A pity he died at the hands of that old witch Yin Muhua." Yang Feng sighed again, grief surfacing in his eyes. "Come on. Let's take him to the Cremation Ground."

"Forgive me." Respect rose in Lin Qing's heart as he carried the body out of the cell.

Yang Feng came out and locked the door. Lin Qing's gaze fell on a wooden door at the end of the corridor. It seemed to lead down to the next level.

"The resentful corpses on this level were either ordinary people or Bright Force Martial Artists in life. The evil spirits they spawned aren't too strong. The next level holds the bodies of Hidden Strength Martial Artists. Going down there now would be too dangerous for you—you could lose your life. We'll leave it for another time," Yang Feng explained.

"All right." Lin Qing nodded, his heart burning with anticipation. If he could lay every corpse in this Dungeon to rest and cremate them, how many powerful martial arts might he obtain?