The Black Flood Dragon lay atop the wall, while the Daoist stood in the courtyard. The two chatted like that.
About half an incense stick's worth of time passed.
A paper crane fluttered over and landed lightly on Lin Wei's shoulder. She took it down and unfolded it, her brows drawing together slightly as she scanned the writing. Guessing there was news about the matter she had asked someone to investigate, Jin Si leaned his enormous head closer.
Lin Wei finished reading the note.
"I just had someone look into this. When the mountain floods broke out in summer, nobody there mentioned any Flood Dragon Crossing at all. Someone went there a few days ago, and only then did that story start spreading through the countryside."
Jin Si exhaled through his nostrils, a muffled rumble of air rising from his throat.
"Could it have been some wandering swindler making things up to cheat people out of money?"
He knew a little about such swindlers; he had heard people discuss their tricks while watching plays.
Some worked alone or in pairs, relying on silver tongues and a few lies to cheat people out of a little silver or copper before fleeing overnight. Others formed gangs of dozens, spending years constructing elaborate schemes to get their hands on large sums of money or merchandise.
But what could anyone gain by spreading rumors that a Flood Dragon Crossing had harmed people? The devastated villages were suffering terribly. Where would they find any money?
Lin Wei folded the letter and put it away.
"This doesn't look like the work of swindlers. It's very likely aimed at you, exactly like those Dragon Kings in the river fighting over incense offerings. They're deliberately framing you, splashing filthy water over your name to cut off your incense