PS: Old Duo has started a new book, the third in the Sword Disciple trilogy, though it probably has little connection to Sword Disciple or Sword Soldier;
I originally named it [In the Name of the Sword], but someone beat me to it, so I had to use the backup title. Sorry, everyone.
New readers and old, your corrections and bookmarks are welcome.
Brocade Continent, Anhe Kingdom, Fufeng City.
"Broad rivers flowed in quiet streams; I rode my horse across the long isle. Magpies flew beneath the mountain moon at dawn; cicadas clamored in the autumn wind across the wilds."
The verse spoke of Guangchuan Continent, the foremost continent within Anhe Kingdom, a land of outstanding people and blessed terrain, where nature's spiritual essence gathered in beauty. Fufeng City was a small city under the jurisdiction of Sanjiang Prefecture in Guangchuan Continent.
Small though Fufeng City was, it governed several towns. One of them, Huangguo Town, had seen a series of strange cases in recent years. Several sons of wealthy households had died mysterious deaths in succession over two years, leaving Huangguo Town gripped by fear. Even Fufeng City was rife with rumors, with no end to the differing speculations and stories.
Monsters making mischief, stealing yin and draining yang, disputes over profits, struggles over land, romantic jealousy-the list went on.
One particularly widespread rumor claimed that Old Meng, an herb gatherer in Huangguo Town, had secretly poisoned them out of grief over his granddaughter's death. He ordinarily seemed an honest man, but a biting dog did not bark. Once he acted, he was tenacious and ruthless, secretly laying his murderous plans over two years without leaving a single crack for water to seep through.
This rumor stemmed from the rape and murder of Old Meng's granddaughter in the wilderness during an herb-gathering trip two years earlier. Her killer remained unknown. Several wealthy young men had happened to be there on a sightseeing outing at the time, which gave rise to the suspicion.
There was no evidence for any of it, only coincidence embroidered by imagination. Thus, whatever the rumors said, the authorities had produced no result over those two years. The case hung there, neither dead nor alive, awaiting a possible turn from shadowed willows into bright flowers-or an injustice that would never be cleared.
Countless such cold cases existed among the common people. Limited by circumstances, most would remain mysteries, eventually fading from conversation. This was a dangerous world, with threats coming from every direction. Death could befall anyone at any moment, and those who lived here had long grown accustomed to it.
But there were always exceptions, especially in a world where supernatural powers existed. When an Anhe Kingdom Daoist Sect wind inspector arrived in Fufeng City on his inspection tour, made once every few years, one victim's family pulled strings to place their grievance before him. His party also happened to want to use the case to rectify public conduct and guide popular sentiment. Thus, under the direction of an accomplished Daoist Sect disciple, the unsolved case reached a resolution.
Today, in the great hall of Fufeng City's government offices, the four characters proclaiming "The bright mirror hangs high" stood out with particular clarity. Fufeng officials, bailiffs, victims' relatives, suspects, spectators... and three rotting coffins were gathered there. Sanjiang Prefecture had extensive waterways and abundant groundwater; though the coffins had been buried for only a year or two, they were already badly decayed.
The crowd packed the government offices so tightly that not even water could pass through. Everyone wanted to learn the truth of this unsolved case at the earliest moment and, along the way, behold the bearing of a Daoist Sect disciple.
"Call not the pear blossom frail; the willow catkin is more pitiful still. Its rain-soaked sorrow scattered by the wind, it lingers always before a traveler's window."
A middle-aged Daoist with his hair bound up softly recited the verse, shaking his head with a sigh. As the wind inspector for this circuit of Anhe Kingdom, he had seen far too much wickedness in the mortal world-so much that the strange no longer surprised him, and he had long since grown numb.
He collected himself and gave a cold snort. The sound pierced straight into the minds of everyone present, jolting them alert. Knowing that the Daoist official was about to hear the case, they all closed their mouths, not daring to make a sound.
"Bring in the accused, Old Meng..."
What Old Meng's actual name was could no longer be established. A man of the hills who spent his days gathering herbs for a living, he had little contact with others, and his true name was unknown. Everyone simply called him Old Meng, as was common among country folk.
Several bailiffs escorted him into the hall. Since he had not yet been convicted, he wore neither a heavy cangue nor leg irons; only his hands were bound with rope. But here in this hall, with countless officers and an accomplished Daoist before him, no one could stir up any waves.
The middle-aged Daoist cupped his hands toward the magistrate in the main seat. "Lord Sun, if there is nothing else, shall I begin?"
His salute was casual, but the magistrate dared not take him lightly. In Anhe, the Daoist Sect was heaven itself. Though it seldom involved itself in official disputes, its underlying influence ran deep, far beyond what an ordinary mortal official like him could afford to offend.
He hurriedly rose and returned the salute. "Please proceed as you see fit, Daoist Chongling. We await your words with freshly washed ears!"
Daoist Chongling nodded. His expression grew stern, and the imposing force of his gaze spread outward, its pressure almost tangible as it plunged straight into the suspect's heart.
"Old Meng, herb gatherer, do you acknowledge your guilt?"
This was the scene everyone present had most eagerly anticipated: the suspect denying his crimes, the Daoist Sect displaying wondrous powers to solve the mystery, drawing silk from the cocoon strand by strand and following the traces to their source. Perhaps it would become another fine tale passed down in storybooks.
Though Old Meng was advanced in years, a lifetime of walking through the wilderness had left his back unbowed and his waist unbent. Only his face resembled dried orange peel, crisscrossed with furrows that made it impossible to discern his inner thoughts from his expression. He was like an ancient vine that had weathered wind and rain until nothing could stir it again.
He raised his head, his cloudy eyes like an old well or a stagnant pool, and straightened his already upright back once more. His voice was exceptionally calm.
"This old man acknowledges his guilt. I killed all three of them!"
An uproar swept through the spectators. Over the past two years, officers had used all manner of methods to pressure him, yet Old Meng had kept his lips sealed tight as a bottle, letting nothing slip and giving them nowhere to begin. Had he now confessed to spare himself suffering, knowing that the Daoist possessed supernatural abilities?
He truly looked honest while being crafty underneath, unwilling to suffer even the slightest immediate loss.
Daoist Chongling was not disappointed in the least. Displaying wonders before mortals? He had no interest in that whatsoever. It was good that the man knew his place and how to behave; it saved him wasting Law Power and time.
"How did you do it? Give an account of each! The Daoist Sect never wrongs a good person, nor will it ever let a villain escape!"
Old Meng spread his lips. He might have been smiling, but beneath those furrows, people seemed to see a weathered stone crumbling apart.
"In the fifth month of Brocade year 1453, the thirteenth year of Anhe's Yuanhao era, I poisoned the Wu son's breakfast box. The principal ingredients were mukuzi, thorn apple, and Chinese alangium...
"In the eleventh month of the following year, I burned incense and fumigating herbs to suffocate the Li son in his study. The mixture contained anisodamine herb, nux-vomica, and wormseed...
"At the beginning of Anhe's fifteenth year, I released a hundred army bees while the Duan son was practicing martial arts. I had happened upon them while gathering herbs and caught them in a bag!
"All three were killed by this old man. The facts are clear, the evidence conclusive. I said nothing before because one person remained, and my wish was not yet fulfilled..."
There had actually been four young masters on that outing two years earlier. The highest-ranking one, the instigator, Young Master Wang, remained alive. That was what Old Meng meant by his unfulfilled wish!
All three of the dead had lived in Huangguo Town, making them relatively easy targets for Old Meng, who knew every aspect of the place. Only Young Master Wang lived in Fufeng City. For an old herb gatherer who had spent his entire life collecting medicinal plants and had entered the city only a handful of times, that was a much harder undertaking.
Hearing this old man, who looked every inch an honest herb gatherer, recount his deeds so placidly, every listener felt a chill rise within. There were far, far too many people like him in Anhe Kingdom!
What had turned Old Meng from a thoroughly honest herb gatherer into a killer who did not blink at murder? Everyone had their own scales within their heart.
Daoist Chongling remained unmoved. "Did you have any accomplices?"
Old Meng stood with his feet apart. He was a short, thin old man, yet now many felt as though they were gazing up at a lofty mountain.
"No accomplices. It was all the learning this old man accumulated over a lifetime. I would not dare entrust it to another!"
Daoist Chongling's expression was cold and stern. He felt that, despite being a dignified practitioner of the Dao, his presence was now faintly being overpowered by a mere mortal. This displeased him greatly.
"For what reason did you commit such depraved acts?"
Bloody tears flowed from Old Meng's eyes. "For the murder of my granddaughter Qiaolian on Hebi Mountain..."
Daoist Chongling shouted, "Without evidence, how can you recklessly accuse others? Had you appealed to the authorities, perhaps a day might have come when your buried grievance was cleared! How could you settle it yourself like this? Where does that leave the law?"
Old Meng raised his voice in defiance. "There's no evidence! But I know it was them!"
He closed his eyes and said nothing more!
Daoist Chongling felt somewhat frustrated. Faced with this coarse rustic, this stubborn old fellow who knew he had little time left, he understood perfectly well that if the man refused to speak, he could learn nothing more unless he employed special measures.
Beside him, the magistrate coughed softly. "Daoist..."
Chongling felt irritated. He knew what the magistrate meant: now that the true culprit had been revealed, they really should not grow new branches from the trunk and drag in unrelated matters that would leave everyone stripped of face.
"In that case, the facts are clear and the sequence plain. Since this is a mortal affair, I must trouble you, my lord, to have the confession signed and pass judgment."
In Anhe Kingdom, mortal affairs were handled by the authorities. Daoist practitioners generally did not meddle unnecessarily. Why invite karmic entanglements upon themselves for no reason?
With the confession given, the rest was familiar work for these veteran officials. They went through the procedures, obtaining signatures and marks, placing him in a cangue, and committing him to prison. All that remained was to report to the continental authorities and execute him after autumn.
A clerk also polished a written account explaining the case clearly from beginning to end, to be posted publicly and reassure the populace. Driven along by the officers, the spectators slowly dispersed. Only the bailiffs, officials, and several aggrieved parties remained, showing no intention of leaving.
This was a tacit understanding among the officials and gentry. They needed this opportunity to resolve a certain nuisance, and the wind inspector's arrival provided it. Once they passed this village, there would be no such inn again.
Daoist Chongling sighed, sweeping his gaze over those below. "Who is Hou Niao? Step forward!"
A young man took one step forward and stood straight as a spear, neither servile nor arrogant. "Hou Niao is here. Please give your instructions."
Daoist Chongling narrowed his eyes. "As one of Fufeng's criminal investigators, why did you repeatedly delay a case as readily solvable as Huangguo Town's serial murders for two whole years, causing further tragedies in the mortal world?
"Aggrieved parties have accused you of bending the law for personal ends, treating human life as worthless, and even turning around to accuse others in an attempt to frame the innocent!
"Whatever you have to say, you may say it before everyone!"
Hou Niao's gaze was cold and stern as it passed over the faces of those seated. He knew that nothing he said would help. His harsh enforcement of the law in Fufeng over the years had offended far too many people-an entire class, not merely a few individuals.
This was blatant retaliation. Of course, his own knowing violation of the law was also part of it. They had caught him by a weakness, and he had nothing to say.
"I failed to solve the case effectively. I am willing to accept punishment!"
A young man leaped forward. It was Young Master Wang, the companion of the three victims. Given such an opportunity, how could he possibly let the matter rest?
"Hou Niao, this isn't a question of ineffectiveness at all! You conspired with Old Meng to slaughter the innocent!"
Hou Niao did not so much as glance at him, keeping his gaze fixed on Daoist Chongling. He too was a Daoist practitioner, even if he stood at the very bottom, having only just entered the path. Mortals had no right to judge him. Only the Daoist Sect could pronounce him guilty.
Daoist Chongling frowned slightly. "With the Dao as your witness, did you ever collude with Old Meng?"
Hou Niao answered without hesitation. "I do not know him!"
Daoist Chongling knew he was telling the truth, but that could not erase his responsibility as a criminal investigator. As one of Fufeng City's six Daoist investigators and the officer handling Huangguo Town's serial murders, he could not be blamed for the Wu son's death, but the deaths of the Li and Duan sons had no small connection to him. Even if he was not an accomplice, he could not escape the charge of helping a tyrant work evil. That, too, was an offense within the Daoist Sect.
He hesitated greatly. He did not want to punish a Daoist practitioner simply according to mortal wishes, yet neither did he want to disappoint all of Fufeng City. There were still many matters on this inspection tour for which he needed local support.
While he was still hesitating, Hou Niao smiled faintly and addressed the young man with a smile:
"Young Master Wang, I'm sorry. I've caused you far too much trouble over the years. It was all a misunderstanding. Please allow me to offer a small apology!"
As he spoke, he slowly stepped forward, feeling around inside his robe. Was he intending to take something out to appease the Wang family's anger?
The Wang family was a truly powerful clan in Fufeng City, with members throughout officialdom and commerce, and others serving as officials elsewhere. Even the magistrate dared not offend them lightly. It was therefore perfectly normal for Hou Niao to adopt such an attitude now. Everyone had moments when they bowed their head and yielded; the crucial question was who stood before them!
Young Master Wang was immensely pleased with himself, thoroughly enjoying the glory of this moment. In his heart, however, he knew he must never let this man off, or none of the city's powerful and wealthy would have peaceful days ahead!
"Hou Niao, don't try offering a bribe in public. We Wangs of Fufeng are not such a shortsighted lineage!"
Hou Niao's smile was sincere. As he gradually drew closer, the object inside his robe began to emerge. It was neither gold nor silver nor precious treasure, but a short blade!
Here in the great hall, beneath the high-hanging bright mirror, who would have imagined that a criminal investigator would commit such a brazen act before everyone?
Young Master Wang realized something was wrong, but how could he dodge now? Hou Niao seized his collar and thrust the short blade straight into his heart, then twisted it...
Turning around, he gave Chongling a Daoist bow. "Now I have conspired with Old Meng!"
Providing you with the celebrated author Duo Duo's The Sword Was Demonic.