Auspicious County

The Minor Seal of Little Water Township was named Hou Decai. He was about forty and was said to keep an ancestral household god, relying on its protection to resolve supernatural incidents.

Wang Qilin knew about the case of the water ghost returning to its coffin. Information circulated promptly within the Heaven-Listening Bureau.

Compared with the two supernatural incidents he had experienced-the Zhong Clan's reincarnation at Dismount Ridge and the ghostly body swap at the general's residence-the water ghost returning to its coffin was hardly worth mentioning.

There had been no twists or turns. Hou Decai had asked his household god to capture the water ghost, and that had been the end of it.

The dead woman's family had been delighted. They had originally planned to erect a cenotaph, but now they at least had an intact corpse to bury in their ancestral graveyard.

But the old boatman had a gift. He turned a case as plain as water into a tale of sinister twists and turns.

The young unmarried women and young wives aboard trembled.

That was because Xu Da was egging things on, exclaiming loudly one moment and sidling up to them the next.

He frightened the young women and wives out of their wits.

Wang Qilin gazed at the river in thought. He had heard of supernatural incidents back in his village too, but never so many.

Clearly, the effects of the New Yin Road's emergence were gradually becoming apparent.

The ferry cut through the wind and waves, rocking over the river.

Wang Qilin's shadow swayed and wavered in the water.

Gradually, he felt his shadow growing fainter.

Meanwhile, a dark shape beneath the water was growing steadily darker.

It was as though that dark shape was feeding on his shadow.

Instinctively, he began silently reciting the Vajrasattva Heart Mantra: Om Benza Sato Hum...

At the same time, his fingers shifted, beginning a sequence of Fundamental Mudras.

He examined the water carefully again and found nothing unusual.

But since he had already employed the Lin Syllable Mantra, he simply sat cross-legged at the bow and began cultivating.

Absorbed in cultivation, time flew by.

The ferry gave a violent lurch. They had reached the bank.

The young women and wives hurriedly gathered their luggage and disembarked. Xu Da called after them reluctantly, "Ladies, I've got a tale from the countryside too. Don't you want to hear it? This one really happened! Hey, hey, don't run! Watch you don't trip."

All the women left, and Xu Da turned back in frustration.

One grown man, however, followed him with an ingratiating smile. "Sir, I'll listen. Tell it to me."

"Scram!"

Wang Qilin put away his saber and went ashore. Mule carts here took passengers to the county town, and the fare was cheap: two copper zhu a seat.

Auspicious County was an old town founded during the Sui dynasty. Through nearly a thousand years, it had endured wind and rain, blades and fire, and still stood upon the earth in greater majesty than ever.

A ring of thick bluestone walls surrounded the little town, with four gates opening in its four sides: Eastern Splendor Gate, Western Splendor Gate, Literary Star Gate, and Martial Star Gate. The tallest building within was a drum tower. Should war come, its drumbeats would carry unobstructed throughout the town.

The walls were imposing and sturdy, built from mountain stone with mortar mixed from lime, tung oil, glutinous rice water, and other ingredients. Poured into place, it set as hard as iron and stone, resisting erosion by wind and rain and attacks by armed troops.

Four soldiers in leather armor stood guard at the gate. Since its founding, the New Han Dynasty had enjoyed great national strength and peace throughout the land, so security was not strict. The soldiers merely glanced at the villagers' faces before letting them through.

When Wang Qilin's cart arrived, the guards delayed it even less. The moment they saw his and Xu Da's black uniforms, they waved them through.

Things grew lively once they entered. The streets were as old as the town itself. Bluestone paving shattered by cartwheels had been replaced with gray bricks, leaving an uneven patchwork of brick and stone, but it was already quite refined compared with the countryside.

Over the endless years, countless wheels and footsteps had rolled and trodden along the road into town, leaving traces behind.

Under New Han Dynasty law, no homes could stand within fifty feet of either side of the walls, lest they obstruct the deployment of troops to the ramparts in wartime.

But Auspicious County had seen no warfare since New Han's founding, so this law was not strictly enforced. A market had spread out inside the walls, with livestock, grain, meat, and vegetable markets all gathered here.

Someone wandered just inside the gate carrying a straw-covered pole studded with candied hawthorn skewers. Whenever children appeared, he approached and called out his wares.

Unfortunately, common folk lived hard lives. Simply feeding a family was difficult enough, and most had no spare money to buy their children snacks. A group of children in worn clothing had therefore gathered by the gate, staring longingly and drooling.

The candied hawthorn skewers were cheap: one copper zhu bought two.

Xu Da generously tossed out five copper zhu. The vendor hastily bowed and scraped. "How many would you like, sir?"

"One each for those children." He pointed at them.

The vendor had already noticed that there were eight children. Thinking he had got the better of Xu Da, he scampered over, handed each child a skewer, and prepared to leave.

Xu Da reached out and plucked off another three skewers.

You might make a little profit, but I never take a loss.

Xu Da gave Wang Qilin one. Wang Qilin examined it: the hawthorns had only a dusting of sugar, without any syrup at all. No wonder they were cheap.

Farther into town, houses with small courtyards appeared on either side of the road.

These were the homes of ordinary people, with crisscrossing lanes, low houses, stinking ditches, and heaps of rubbish, all full of the signs of daily life.

Several adult beggars were chasing a ragged youth. One shouted as he ran, "Stop running, you little bastard!"

"Only a bastard would stop, and the ones chasing me are bastards too!" the youth retorted.

"I'll pound your guts out!"

"Why don't you suck them out for me instead?"

Wang Qilin stepped forward and drew his demon saber, displaying it. The beggars turned ashen, spun around, and fled wildly.

Surprisingly, the youth was unafraid. Watching the beggars flee, he looked astonished. "They were actually holding something back when they chased me?"

"Of course. They had to save some strength to beat you," Xu Da said with a laugh.

The youth showed no gratitude. He tilted his head to look at the pair, spat, and took to his heels.

Xu Da swore furiously, "Little bastard!"

Farther toward the center of town, elegant houses with their own gates and courtyards appeared, followed by teahouses, taverns, medical clinics, cloth shops, and other businesses.

Here, Wang Qilin saw the Leaning on Emerald Pavilion, renowned both within Auspicious County and beyond. Unfortunately, they had arrived too early. Its doors were closed, and all they could detect was the fragrance of rouge and powder.

Wang Qilin instinctively stopped to look.

Xu Da gave a lewd grin. "Feeling the itch?"

Wang Qilin was solemn. "No. The killing intent here reaches the heavens, and there are countless wronged souls. This is no good place."

Two streets farther on stood the county government offices. Beside them was the Heaven-Listening Bureau's station, with its own gate and courtyard and scarcely a visitor.

Nobody wanted anything to do with the Heaven-Listening Bureau, so anyone passing its gate hurried by as though fleeing for their life.

When Wang Qilin reached the gate, he felt he might have guessed wrong. A smell that every man knew well but did not wish to smell hung around the station. Covering his nose, he asked, "Is someone inside shooting at the sky?"

"The photinias are flowering," Xu Da said. "It's April, after all."

Because of their distinctive floral scent, Daoists considered photinias the trees richest in yang energy. Many local stations and Daoist temples planted them.

A row of photinias stood in the county station's courtyard, so the air smelled rather potent this season.

A black-clad man with graying temples pushed open the gate and came out. Seeing the pair, he smiled. "Xu Da, could this young fellow be Brother Wang, the newly appointed Minor Seal of your Crouching Dragon Township?"

Wang Qilin cupped his fist. "I am Wang Qilin. Greetings, Lord Hou."

This unremarkable-looking man in black was Hou Decai, one of Auspicious County's five Minor Seals. They had only just heard the boatman mention him on the ferry.

Hou Decai looked less like an official than an old farmer. Smiling, he returned the cupped-fist salute and stepped aside.

But Wang Qilin noticed something odd about the sidelong glances he stole at him.

Hou Decai had spent many years in the Heaven-Listening Bureau. He certainly knew the inside story of the Minor Seal curse.

A thought stirred in Wang Qilin's mind. Cupping his hands, he asked, "Lord Hou, there's something I'd like to ask you..."

Before he could finish, Hou Decai said with an apologetic expression, "Sorry, Lord Wang. I still have business to attend to, so I can't stay and chat."

Watching him leave, Wang Qilin felt both angry and helpless.

Hou Decai was an old hand. He had clearly guessed what Wang Qilin wanted to ask and deliberately left.