Daoist Wang was deeply moved, but-
"I appreciate your brotherly affection. Only in a true crisis can you tell the real from the false.
"But this isn't something where one person can simply stand in for another. It would be fine if no one found out, but once someone did, punishment for me wouldn't matter. Dragging you down with me, though, would be an unforgivable wrong. You have a bright future ahead of you, brother. There's no need to stumble over this.
"In our line of work, we tread carefully, afraid of giving anyone a handle to use against us. Passing off one living, breathing man as another, with who knows how many colleagues around? Absolutely not!"
Daoist Wang refused firmly, because he knew it could not be concealed. There were too many people and prying eyes; walls had ears.
Hou Niao smiled faintly and rose. "You're right, senior brother. Doing it without gods or ghosts knowing would certainly be difficult. But you know only half the story.
"How about this? Sit tight, senior brother. I'll be right back."
Ignoring Daoist Wang's surprise, he left on his own. The next moment, he appeared once again at the Commandant Prefecture he had visited only yesterday.
Commandant Ouyang greeted him with a smile, as though he had known he would come.
"What brings you back so soon, Junior Brother Hou?"
Hou Niao sighed. "To tell you the truth, Commandant, I'm an old acquaintance of Wang Shouzhong of the Commandant Prefecture. He's kind and generous, good at paperwork and planning, but weak when it comes to making decisions in the field. As it happens, I also want to see the scenery of the Great Canyon. Cultivation means both cultivating and traveling, after all. So why not give me this opportunity to supervise?"
Both