The Old City God

Little Yin Qing's curiosity drove him to secretly watch Ji Yuan for some time, thinking he was hiding himself well. Yet the longer he watched, the more his hair stood on end. In the end, he could not bear it any longer and fled.

After that fright, Yin Qing did not dare go back to find the little companions he had come out to play with. What did children do when they were scared? Run home to find their parents, of course!

And so Yin Qing did the same, panting as he ran straight home.

Yin Qing's home was also in Tianniu Quarter. Even though Ju'an Pavilion lay in such a remote corner, the straight-line distance was only a few hundred meters.

The Yin Family had a small courtyard enclosed by low walls, with a house containing a front hall and an inner room. A simple folding screen divided the fairly spacious front hall, creating a reception hall as well as a place for Father Yin and Son to study. The kitchen was attached outside the main house. Overall, they were an ordinary family, though somewhat better off than most.

Yin Qing ran home in one breath, slammed open the courtyard gate with a "bang," then rushed into the entry hall, startling Mother Yin, who was weaving cloth at home.

"Mother, Mother! Over there, there was a Great Mister, he—huff, huff... that Great Mister and a ghost—huff, huff..."

"Don't rush. Speak properly. What Great Mister and not-great-mister?"

Mother Yin took out a handkerchief and wiped Yin Qing's sweat.

"You're not that young anymore. What sort of behavior is this, talking in such a muddle?"

A stern voice rang out, startling Yin Qing so badly that it even suppressed the fear from his suspected encounter with a ghost.

"Daddy, you're home..."

Yin Qing turned around and only then noticed his father sitting by the window in the hall, flipping through a Book.

"Qing'er, Master Zhu and Master Zhou have recommended your daddy to become the Master of the newly established academy in the county. From now on, I won't need to serve as a Private Tutor at the Zhu Residence."

"Master? Really, daddy? When will it begin?"

Yin Qing looked extremely excited upon hearing the news.

"Hehe, naturally it is true. It will still take a few days, but not too long!"

Father Yin answered as he stroked his beard with considerable self-satisfaction.

"When the time comes, you will go to the school with me and study. Stop fooling around outside all day. Study the books of sages and worthies, then earning scholarly honors in the future—that is the proper path!"

"Oh..."

Yin Qing actually hated reading, but he did not dare argue with his father.

There had originally been places to study in Ning'an County, but most were Private Schools run by old scholars whose learning was neither here nor there.

This academy, however, could be considered a relatively proper and high-class place of learning in Ning'an County. In theory, it ranked only below those academies. Moreover, the academy catered to younger students, while academies catered to older ones. If they had the means, many families would send their children to the academy when they were young, then to an academy once they had grown older.

As a scholar who had properly attained a Grade B ranking in the Prefectural Examination, Yin Zhaoxian was unquestionably a notable figure among the scholars of all Ning'an County. He naturally felt it perfectly normal that he had been recommended as an academy master, though he was proud of it as well.

"By the way, what was that frantic business just now?"

Yin Zhaoxian set down the Book and looked toward Yin Qing.

"Oh, right! Daddy, Ju'an Pavilion over there has a new resident again. He is a refined and amiable Great Mister, but... but he spoke with the ghost inside, boo..."

"Shh."

Mother Yin immediately covered Yin Qing's mouth.

"Is that something you can speak nonsense about?"

Yin Zhaoxian's expression did not look good either. Though his learning was fairly broad and he knew of many ignorant ways among the villagers, he remained tight-lipped about Ju'an Pavilion. That residence was simply too uncanny.

Then Yin Zhaoxian suddenly realized something and stared at his son.

"How did you know?"

"Uh... well... the Great Mister's eyes did not work well. Just now, he was fetching water at Double Well Inlet, and water splashed everywhere and even knocked over his buckets. So I—I helped him carry the water. Who knew he lived in Ju'an Pavilion..."

Yin Qing lowered his voice fearfully.

"You went inside?"

Mother Yin asked nervously. Entering Ju'an Pavilion in broad daylight should have been fine, but that place was too uncanny, and Yin Qing was still a child with weak vital fire. How could his parents not be worried?

"No, no. Daddy and mother have warned me so many times—how would I dare go in? I only set down the water there at the gate. But after I ran away, I saw from far off that the Great Mister was speaking toward some direction outside the courtyard. He carried the water into the courtyard and came back out. He kept talking as he walked, as if something were following beside him. He even spoke about before death and after death—it was so scary that I ran home!"

After saying that, Yin Qing asked his father another question, both frightened and curious.

"Daddy, do you think the ghost from inside Ju'an Pavilion came out with that Great Mister?"

Even Yin Zhaoxian got goosebumps listening to this, while Mother Yin covered Yin Qing's mouth again.

"Enough, enough. Don't go play over there again in the future. And this matter... absolutely do not speak of it outside, understand?"

"Mhm, I understand!"

Mother Yin hugged Yin Qing and rubbed his head.

"Husband, take Qing'er to the City God Temple to pay respects to the City God, to wash away the Unlucky air?"

It concerned her own son, after all, and Yin Zhaoxian was not so rigid-minded either. Some extreme scholars might have sneered about Supernatural and Chaotic Beings, but Ju'an Pavilion truly was rather uncanny.

"Good! After lunch, I'll take Qing'er to the City God Temple and offer a stick of incense!"

A few years ago, when they had held a ritual, a trembling old Master had mentioned in passing that the Ning'an County City God was suppressing it. Since then, the people of Tianniu Quarter had been especially diligent in worshipping the City God during holidays.

Ji Yuan followed the Day Patrol Emissary across half of Ning'an County to the City God Temple in Temple Quarter. Once they gradually reached more crowded areas, Ji Yuan and the Day Patrol Emissary stopped chatting much.

When they arrived before the bustling City God Temple, an old man stood by an incense stall, and the Day Patrol Emissary hastily stepped forward to salute him.

"Reporting to Lord City God, Mister Ji has arrived!"

With worshippers and common folk passing nearby, the Old City God merely nodded at the patrol emissary.

With a cry of "This subordinate takes his leave," the latter drifted away on his own.

Ji Yuan had assumed they would go somewhere relatively secluded inside the temple before the City God appeared. He had not expected the City God to directly appear outside the temple in the form of an ordinary old man.

He stood somewhat stunned as he sized up the City God. Yet with Ji Yuan's pale eyes half-open, he could not tell whether his gaze was focused or unfocused. It was truly as still as an ancient well without ripples.

There was also a faint scent of Sandalwood Incense on the City God's body, but it was far lighter than that of the Four Department Heads before.

The City God was likewise observing Ji Yuan. Those eyes were clearly dead, yet Mister Ji had arrived no differently from an ordinary person. Though blind in both eyes, there was not the slightest cloudiness to them. Instead, they carried a trace of calm vastness. He was certainly no mortal!

Their mutual observation lasted only a few seconds before the old man broke the silence first.

"Song Shichang, Ning'an County City God, thanks Mister Ji for his noble righteousness in taking action to help us eradicate the Evil Entity!"

Seeing the old man cup his hands, Ji Yuan did not dare put on airs. The other party was the City God of an entire county, a great figure among ghosts and gods. He hurriedly cupped his hands as well, even more respectfully than the old man.

"Lord City God, you flatter me. I merely possess a few insignificant means and happened to help the various Department Heads. It was nothing, nothing at all!!"

"Hehehehe, Mister Ji is too modest. I know Mister Ji has surely not eaten breakfast. I have reserved a table of light refreshments at the Temple Outbuilding. Let us go there and talk. Please!"

Ji Yuan also hurriedly imitated the City God, extending a hand in invitation, not daring to put on airs in the slightest.

"Respectfully, I dare not refuse. Please!"

Seeing the lively bustle around the City God Temple, with common folk constantly entering and leaving the temple to worship the City God, while the City God himself stood right beside him, Ji Yuan was even more nervous than when he had arrived.

Relax, relax. Don't let your legs stiffen...

If someone could watch the clay statue of a god inside the temple step down and chat with them, they would probably understand how Ji Yuan felt right now.