Patrolling the Dungeon

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

"Brother Lin, the Corpse Collector's benefits are quite good: one tael of silver a month, meat at every meal, and a daily bowl of nourishing soup. The work isn't too demanding, either. You'll mainly patrol the Dungeon and handle corpses. Chief Constable Yang can explain the details when he arrives," Yu Qiuyu said.

"All right." Lin Qing nodded slightly.

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 downward, signaling 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 walked 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, where an imposing seven-story building stood.

"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 came from within, sounding faintly weary.

They pushed the door open, and the delicate scent of sandalwood greeted them. Lin Qing glanced across the room and saw a middle-aged man in black seated in a chair, frost touching his temples. He sat straight-backed and formal, with an extraordinary bearing.

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

Cheng Yannian studied Lin Qing. "Not bad. Minor Mastery in half a year. It's because talents like you join the Soul-Calming Office that it has a future."

"You're too kind," Lin Qing said solemnly.

Seeing Lin Qing's composure, Cheng Yannian's eyes flashed with approval. "Good. Many newcomers can barely get their words out when they first meet me. Very few are as respectful without being servile as you are. 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 get started with, but its quality is unremarkable. Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow is considerably stronger. Practice it diligently. 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, and silently committed the favor to memory.

"Yang Feng, train him well. He's a promising 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, he felt considerable pressure. Cheng Yannian's test was difficult.

If Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow really was a fine saber art, it might be even harder to learn than Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake. How could he master it just like that?

Grasping the basics in seven days would be difficult without the Rebirth Record's help.

After some thought, he asked, "Sir, when do I start collecting corpses?"

"Tomorrow. Today I'll take you on a patrol of the Dungeon," Yang Feng said gravely.

"All right."

Before long, they returned to the Corpse Collectors' courtyard and headed straight for the back.

On its northern side stood a building of gray-white stone blocks, thirty feet high. Yang Feng pushed open the door, and an icy gust struck Lin Qing's face. Beyond it, a stone staircase wound downward.

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

"Prisoners?" Lin Qing ventured.

"Of course not. Prisoners are kept in the yamen jail. The Dungeon holds resentful corpses and Evil Spirits. One walk through it and you'll understand." Yang Feng went in first, his figure swiftly swallowed by the darkness.

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

"The sinister energy here is several times thicker than outside. If you weren't a Bright Force Martial Artist, setting foot in here would mean death.

"For now, I'll show you the first level. Once you break through Bright Force and enter Hidden Strength, you can 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 in here, it's false. Just keep walking," Yang Feng added.

Lin Qing listened as he surveyed his surroundings. At the foot of the stairs lay a corridor lined with cells. A lantern cast a deep-red glow beside each door, while a bronze bell hung inside. Beneath each bell lay a corpse, its head and heart firmly pinned with copper nails.

Suddenly, strange voices reached Lin Qing's ears, and odd images kept flashing before his eyes.

"Come play with me, handsome..."

"Lin Qing, I have a supreme martial scripture in my hands..."

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

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

"Well? Do you feel it?" Yang Feng asked, looking back.

"There is something strange," Lin Qing replied.

"Indeed. You have Low-Grade Yin Bone, yet you can walk through here so naturally. You've got a strong mind." Yang Feng stopped outside a cell. "These cells hold resentful corpses, with Evil Spirits lurking inside them.

"When someone dies and the body isn't handled immediately, sinister energy can invade it and combine with its resentment, giving rise to an Evil Spirit. Anyone who touches it could lose their life with one careless move, and the harm it causes can spread without end.

"These corpses can't simply be burned. They must first be kept here, lit by a Rouge Lantern and bound with Soul-Suppressing Nails. Only when the sinister energy has dispersed can they be cremated."

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

Up close, Lin Qing saw that the corpse belonged to an old man. He had a sturdy build and calluses on his palms; 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 sinister energy. As long as it keeps trembling, resentment remains in the corpse. If it stops, the resentment has dispersed and the Evil Spirit has been destroyed. The corpse can then be taken from the cell and sent to the Cremation Ground," Yang Feng explained.

Lin Qing nodded slightly. "Understood."

"Sometimes Soul-Suppressing Nails fail. An Evil Spirit can burst from the corpse and scatter the Rouge Lantern hanging outside the door. If that happens, withdraw immediately and report to me. I'll send someone qualified to handle it," Yang Feng said.

"All right."

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

"This is Old Yang. He worked under me for eight years. His place on the Corpse Collection Team is the one you're filling. Unfortunately, he died at the hands of that old witch Yin Muhua." Yang Feng sighed again, sorrow surfacing in his eyes. "Come on. Let's take him to the Cremation Ground."

"I'm sorry." Filled with respect, Lin Qing carried the body out of the room.

Yang Feng came out and locked the cell door. Lin Qing's gaze swept to the end of the corridor, where a wooden door appeared to lead to the next level.

"The resentful corpses on this level belonged to either ordinary people or Bright Force Martial Artists. The Evil Spirits they spawn 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; it could cost you your life. We'll leave that for another time," Yang Feng explained.

"All right." Lin Qing nodded, his heart warming with anticipation. If I could perform the last rites for every corpse in this Dungeon and cremate them all, how many powerful martial arts might I gain?