Coercion with Ill Intent

The entrance to Three Trees Village was livelier today than on market day.

People crowded both sides of the dirt road. The old leaned on canes, the young stood on tiptoe, and children clung to adults' trouser legs to peek out.

In the distance, hooves kicked up yellow dust.

Four horses approached along the official road. Leading them was a constable in a dark blue-black uniform, a saber hanging at his waist and his back ramrod straight. His horse's coat gleamed, and one toss of its mane sent even the village's yellow dogs slinking to the walls with their tails tucked.

Village chief Yang Shuyu had stationed himself at the entrance early.

He had deliberately changed into a clean long tunic that day and combed his beard neatly. As the riders drew near, he hurried forward, bowing lower than he usually did when offering incense to his ancestors.

"Constable Wang, thank you for making the journey!"

Yang Shuyu clasped his hands, all the wrinkles on his face bunching together.

"That long serpent in the mountains has scared our Three Trees Village half to death these past few days. A chicken cries twice at night, and everyone jumps out of bed. You gentlemen coming here has truly saved our whole village!"

Wang Yue reined in his horse.

He was in his early thirties, with a long face and narrow eyes. He did not look particularly fierce, but he had the hard edge that came from serving in the county office.

Wang Yue dismounted and returned the clasped-hands greeting, speaking modestly. "You're too kind, village chief. Constable Yang gave us instructions. We can't let a snake terrorize Greenwood Mountain unchecked. We've come to assess the situation and kill it if we can, before it hurts anyone."

Those were fine words.

Hearing them eased the villagers' minds somewhat.

Someone muttered, "Men from town really are different. Even their words sound steady."

Yang Er squeezed out of the crowd.

He wore a silk-faced short jacket that day, his belly stretching its front taut. His flesh jiggled with every step, yet he insisted on putting on the airs of an important man.

"Uncle Shuyu, let me introduce him."

Yang Er pointed at Wang Yue and raised his voice, as though he wanted even the next village to hear.

"This is Constable Wang Yue, my elder brother's trusted fighting man in the county town! He usually works cases with my brother, and his skills are the real thing. For a little matter like ours, sending Brother Wang is like using an ox-cleaving blade to kill a chicken."

Wang Yue waved a hand. "You flatter me, Brother Yang Er. I merely follow the chief constable's orders. I'm hardly a trusted fighting man."

Modest though his words were, they took on quite a different flavor in the villagers' ears.

"My, Master Yang really has made something of himself."

"Hasn't he just? He even has constables at his beck and call now."

"Second Master Yang, blue smoke must be rising from your family's ancestral graves."

A few flattering remarks drifted his way, and Yang Er felt two ounces lighter.

He rested both hands on his belly, his nostrils almost pointing skyward.

"Oh, not at all. It's just that my brother has done well. You can't gain a foothold in the county without some ability." "If anything comes up in the future, you can all come to me."

Those words left quite a few people feeling sour.

Come to Yang Er when trouble struck?

How could anyone in the village not know what Yang Er was like?

The villagers who had wanted to get closer for a look at the martial artists from town gradually lost their enthusiasm.

The bustle at the village entrance faded quickly.

What had been a packed crowd soon dwindled to a few local thugs around Yang Er and some people hoping to curry favor with the Yang family.

Yang Shuyu looked embarrassed and gave two dry coughs.

"Constable Wang has come a long way. Let's get you settled so you can rest. The mountain matter can wait until tomorrow."

Yang Er hastily chimed in.

"Yes, yes, Brother Wang, come to my house first. I've prepared food and wine. Our village is humble, so please don't mind."

Wang Yue nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, Brother Yang Er."

At those words, Yang Er's fat face brightened.

The group headed to Yang Er's house.

In the main room of Yang Er's house.

Dishes covered the table.

A whole braised goose sat on the table, its oily skin golden and glossy. Thick slices of braised meat were neatly arranged beside pork knuckle in sauce, cured wild pheasant, peanuts, and a jar of good wine brought from town.

In Three Trees Village, a feast like this could keep many families talking for half a year.

Yang Er poured the wine himself, his fleshy hand gripping the pot, as attentive as any tavern waiter.

"Brother Wang, you must be tired from the journey. Have something to fill your stomach first. It's nothing special. We don't have much in the village, so please make do."

Wang Yue raised his cup and took a sip. His gaze swept over the dishes, but he offered neither praise nor criticism.

His three subordinates sat farther down the table.

The full-bearded man was the most restless, his eyes constantly straying toward the pork knuckle, though he did not reach for it first.

The thin-faced young man kept his head lowered and his hands on his knees.

The third, a burly man, was even quieter, sitting there like a door plank that had come to life.

Yang Er shut the door tightly, then propped a board over the window to block it.

Heat and the smell of meat mingled in the room, greasy and thick enough to make their chests feel stifled.

He lowered his voice, his face full of urgency. "Brother Wang, did my brother give you any other instructions?"

Wang Yue set down his wine cup, picked up a slice of braised meat, and chewed a few times before speaking.

"Constable Yang gave me instructions."

Yang Er's eyes lit up. He leaned forward, his belly pressing against the table's edge and making the wine cups wobble.

"What did he say?"

Wang Yue wiped the grease from his lips with a cloth, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

"Killing the snake is our official business. But the chief constable mentioned that old man's matter too."

Wang Yue tapped his chopsticks twice against the table.

"He said to take the old man with us when we go up the mountain tomorrow. Once we're there, we'll find a chance to question him properly. If we can't get answers..."

He left the rest unsaid.

But everyone in the room understood. Even Wang Yue's three subordinates, who did not know much about it, said nothing.

Yang Er slapped his thigh, making his fat wobble.

"Good! Excellent! Brother Wang, you certainly know how to get things done."

He picked up the wine pot and filled Wang Yue's cup again. Some spilled, but he did not bother wiping it up.

"Deep in the mountains, whether he falls into a ravine or gets bitten by a snake, who can say what happened? Then that little girl will be all alone, with no one to turn to, ours to knead however we please. And we won't have to worry about that piece of wood anymore."

When he mentioned Jiang Yuexin, Yang Er ran his tongue between his teeth, unable to hide the filth in his eyes.

The bearded man's chopsticks paused.

The thin-faced young man lowered his eyelids.

Veins bulged on the back of the silent burly man's hand before slowly relaxing again.

Wang Yue kept picking up food.

He had seen far too much rot at the county office.

Some rot was foul water in a gutter.

Some rot wore silk and sat before others, demanding they praise its fragrance.

Yang Er was the latter. Unfortunately, this fat worm bore the surname Yang and was Yang Da's own younger brother.

Yang Er rubbed his hands. "I'll leave this to you, Brother Wang. No wonder my brother thinks so highly of you! Once it's done, you'll have your share of the rewards."

Wang Yue nodded. "I'll follow the chief constable's instructions."

After three rounds of wine, Yang Er bragged some more about their connections in the county. By the end, he had almost talked Yang Da into being the county magistrate's own son.

Wang Yue listened, occasionally murmuring a reply.

As the sun sank westward, Yang Er arranged for the four men to stay in an empty house on the village's eastern side.

Its original owners had moved away with their whole family years ago. The house was old but reasonably clean, with bedding already laid out and the water jar filled.

"We'll leave close to noon tomorrow."

Wang Yue said, "The morning mist is thick, and the mountain paths will be wet and slippery. Once the mist clears, the snake's tracks will be easier to spot."

Yang Er hastily nodded.

"You've thought of everything, Brother Wang."

The four left Yang Er's house and walked along the village path.

The sun hung at an angle, and the cicadas shrilled until their brains ached.

The bearded man had held his tongue the whole way, but finally could not bear it anymore and cursed under his breath.

"That fat pig is fucking disgusting. He throws Constable Yang's name around and struts through the village like some lord of the manor. Even eating his food made me feel greasy."

The thin-faced young man sneered.

"Did you see him? When he mentioned that girl from Old Yi's family, his eyes practically stuck to her. Worse than pigs and dogs, but he just happens to be a Yang."

The third, burly man spat on the ground.

Wang Yue stopped and turned to look over the three of them. "Watch your mouths."

The three fell silent.

Wang Yue said, "It's not our place to discuss what sort of man Yang Er is. Do what Constable Yang ordered, then go back to the county and collect our reward. Keep your hands out of everything else."

The bearded man lowered his head.

"Yes."

Wang Yue turned and continued walking. Dealing with an old man was contemptible, but as long as it helped him climb higher, none of that mattered.

The next morning.

Yang Er had someone beat a gong to summon all the villagers to the entrance. They dragged their feet as they arrived, reluctance written on every face.

The giant snake was the village's problem, but going up the mountain to die was another matter.

Yang Er stood beside the large rock at the village entrance, hands on his hips.

"What are you all dawdling for? Constable Wang is going into the mountains to kill the snake. Someone has to guide him, don't they? You all keep saying you're afraid of it, but now that officers from town are here, you shrink back?"

No one answered. The village hunters had already agreed to send men up the mountain, so why were they putting everyone through this again this morning?

"We need more men besides the hunters."

Wang Yue stood beside him with one hand on his saber's hilt, ignoring the villagers' quiet complaints. His gaze swept through the crowd before settling on Yi Yang, and he spoke in a tone that brooked no argument:

"You, old sir. You'll come up the mountain with us."

The village entrance suddenly grew much quieter.

Jiang Yuexin panicked first and stepped in front of Yi Yang.

"Why should my grandfather go? He's almost sixty!"

Yang Hui squeezed out too, pointing at Yang Er as she cursed. "Yang Er, have you no shame? There are so many strong men in the village, yet you insist on sending Uncle Yi up the mountain? Did you get your head caught in a door?"

Yang Er's face hardened.

"Constable Wang chose him. Why are you shouting at me?"

Zhou Liang, the hunters' leader, frowned. "Constable Wang, Old Master Yi is getting on in years, and the mountain paths are difficult. I know the mountain. I'll take his place."

Wang Yue did not raise his voice, but his meaning was unmistakable.

"The old woodcutter has spent years going into the mountains. He knows the paths. He knows better than many hunters where the giant snake might hide and where the old trails are."

Put that way, the reasoning was hard to fault.

But no one present was a fool. Yang Er's gloating expression practically told them there was something fishy going on. Still, most stayed silent as long as they did not have to go themselves. After all, they still had to rely on Wang Yue to kill the snake.

Seeing everyone fall silent, Jiang Yuexin's eyes reddened, and she grabbed Yi Yang's sleeve.

"Grandpa, don't go."

Yi Yang patted the back of her hand and said softly, "It'll be all right. Trust Grandpa."

Yi Yang looked at Wang Yue, then at Yang Er.

Sure enough, they're coming for me.

Yang Da hasn't returned himself, but he's sent Wang Yue.

The snake hunt is a pretense with some truth in it; the Purplewood is the real goal, with murder woven through it.

Yi Yang's aged face still wore that miserable countryman's look as he spoke with helpless resignation:

"All right. I'll go."

Jiang Yuexin looked up, her voice thick with tears. "Grandpa!"

Yi Yang said, "Constable Wang isn't wrong. I've cut firewood for decades. I know Greenwood Mountain's paths."

Yang Hui stamped her foot in anger.

"Uncle Yi, you're being foolish!"

Yi Yang smiled. "This old man has been foolish all his life. One more time won't hurt."

And so the mountain party was settled.

Wang Yue, his three subordinates, the hunter Yang Dongxi, and Yi Yang.

Six men.

Wang Yue led the way, one hand resting on his saber's hilt, his steps steady.

His three subordinates flanked the group, occasionally exchanging glances.

The hunter Yang Dongxi walked toward the rear with a hunting bow on his back.

Yi Yang walked last. With a firewood basket on his back and an old chopping blade in hand, he trod the muddy path in straw sandals, neither hurried nor slow.

From a distance, he was merely an old farmer trailing a group of swordsmen-superfluous, weak, and in the way.

But though he kept his eyes lowered, he took in the positions, strides, saber placements, and breathing rhythms of all five men ahead.

At the village entrance.

Yang Er watched the party disappear into the distance, the smugness on his fat face slowly settling into a sinister curve.

Zhang Xiaoshan sidled up and lowered his voice.

"Second Master, will it really work?"

Yang Er snorted, his triangular eyes fixed on the mountain path.

"An old man with one foot in the grave-what can he do, overturn the heavens? Wang Yue is a real martial artist at the blood qi first stage. Dealing with that old stick will be no more than a casual stroke."

He rubbed his hands, his palms slick with sweat.

"Tonight, the Purplewood will be mine, and that girl Yuexin won't get away either."

Zhang Xiaoshan smiled ingratiatingly, already calculating how many mouthfuls of the broth he might get.