Chapter 29
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Lu Family Village wasn’t large, nor did it have many fields. The young man in a scholar’s robe was busy setting up a stone formation in a patch of unused land near the riverbank.
On the surface of seventy-two stones, characters of talisman scripts were written with the brush and ink.
Though his cultivation was shallow, he recovered quickly after a night’s rest. Infusing each stone with his meager cultivation power to activate them had left him quite exhausted.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he struggled to stand up, his stomach growling loudly with hunger. After packing up his brush and ink, he began his journey back. After this small formation is activated, it would now work in tandem with others buried at the bottom of the river, enhancing the spiritual energy of the river’s water and nourishing the surrounding life.
As he made his way back to the village, Lu Pan spotted him from a distance and hurried over to walk beside him.
“Liangsheng, why did you take so long to come back?”
The young man flicked the ink off his wolf-hair brush and wrapped it in an oilcloth, turning his head slightly. “Did something happen?”
“Not really, but someone from the county yamen is waiting for you at your house.”
Lu Liangsheng furrowed his brow as he tucked the brush into the inner pocket of his wide sleeve. Why would someone from the yamen be looking for me? He quickened his pace without realizing it.
Outside the courtyard fenced with bamboo, a crowd had already gathered. In these times, anything unusual drew attention, and the arrival of someone from the yamen was enough to bring out the curious villagers eager to watch.
When someone saw Lu Liangsheng approaching, they couldn’t resist calling out to him. Inside the yard, the yamen officer, who had been casually sipping from a bowl, quickly stood up. Seeing the young man squeeze through the crowd, the officer showed no hint of disrespect.
“I’m a constable from Fushui County’s yamen. The chief registrar requests your presence…”
Outside the bamboo fence, the villagers began whispering among themselves.
“Hey, it’s the chief registrar from the county yamen…”
“Liangsheng, you really climbed up a high branch this time.”
“Maybe he’ll become an official one day. This morning, a matchmaker even came to propose marriage, but she seemed to have been driven away.”
“Well, of course. Our Liangsheng can’t just marry any random girl from the northern village.”
Among the murmured conversations, Li Jinhua brought a bowl of thin porridge to Lu Liangsheng, observing her son but hesitant to speak. In the end, she chose not to mention the events of the morning.
After taking a few gulps of the porridge, the yamen constable, who had arrived on horseback, set his bowl down.
“I came on horseback, you…”
Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey out from the grass hut, patting the animal’s head. “I can ride it just fine. Don’t worry, it will keep up with you.”
The old donkey brayed and stamped its hooves excitedly.
Traveling from Lu Family Village to Fushui County could be done in half a day with a fast horse, but given the slow pace of the old donkey, the constable was concerned whether they would make it back to the county yamen in a day. Nevertheless, since the young man had said so, the constable could not refuse.
As they left the village, the constable mounted his horse while Lu Liangsheng climbed onto the donkey’s back, placing the Toad Daoist on it. He whispered: “Master, hold on tight.”
The Toad Daoist grunted indifferently in response.
The young man then cupped his hands in a polite gesture.
“Big Brother, let’s go. Just lead the way.”
The constable nodded, gave a flick of the reins, and urged the horse to start moving slowly. The old donkey grunted, disdainfully snorted, and shook itself a couple of times before leisurely setting off. The toad on its back fell off, but neither the man nor the donkey noticed, as they followed the horse at a slow trot.
The toad landed on the ground with a thud and cursed: “What use is this donkey!” After picking itself up, covered in dust and dirt, it stared stunned as Lu Liangsheng, riding the donkey, had already bounced several paces ahead. The toad hurriedly hopped on its webbed feet, running and shouting.
“I haven’t even gotten on the donkey yet!!”
Ahead on the road, the constable, considering the slow pace of the old donkey, glanced back and was surprised to see it steadily maintaining a distance of about ten yards behind. He was amazed by the scene.
Lu Liangsheng, riding leisurely on the donkey’s back. A talisman infused with spiritual energy stuck beneath the old donkey’s mane.
The included a technique called “Tail-Holding,” a minor spell that allowed one to reduce great distances to mere inches. The spiritual energy would form a connection to the person in front, so while the traveler moved a hundred miles, you also traveled the same distance without fatigue.
“Master, this minor spell is quite effective and saves a lot of effort… Master?”
Lu Liangsheng looked down and suddenly realized that the toad who had been perched on the donkey was nowhere to be seen. He sighed, stopped, and looked back.
He saw the Toad Daoist panting heavily and running behind them.
Lu Liangsheng quickly dismounted, helped the Toad Daoist back onto the donkey, and then mounted the donkey himself. With a tug on the reins, he resumed following the yamen constable.
“Master, are you exercising your body?”
The toad lay on the donkey’s back, his limbs twitching with exhaustion.
“Don’t talk, just let Master… rest for a while.”
Shortly after noon, the pair on horse and donkey arrived in Fushui County. The town was as bustling as it had been during Lu Liangsheng’s previous visit, but he still sensed a lingering air of desolation.
“Isn’t the city a bit different from the last time I came here?”
The constable glanced around at the passing crowds and stalls, letting out a sigh. “It’s still because of the recent disturbances caused by the vengeful spirit at Landlord Chen’s house. Head Constable Zuo believes it’s the work of cultivators. They’ve conducted a thorough search of nearby temples and examined passing monks. Many have been too afraid to come this way, and even the pilgrims are hesitant to leave the city.”
Lu Liangsheng nodded. “I see.” He was alert in his heart. The Head Constable Zuo must have realized that Chen Yaoke wasn’t killed by a ghost.
Soon, he found a stall to grab a meal. Afterward, he looked for a spot where he could practice the technique in front of the slanted afternoon sun. A short while later, the chief registrar was finally free. But he didn’t invite him to the yamen, but to a small courtyard set up in the city.
It’s primarily used to test academic knowledge.
The afternoon sunlight slanted down, casting its rays on the foothills about fifty miles southwest of Fushui County.
Light spots scattered on the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground, and the sound of footsteps rustled through the trees as someone followed a familiar path, heading up the stone steps halfway up the mountain.
Lu Erlai rested for a moment.
“Just wait for me…”
He muttered something, then got up and continued his ascent. He turned off the main path at a fork, choosing a concealed trail, and hurried into a narrow mountain crevice that could fit two or three people. After walking a bit and passing through a narrow gap, a broader area unfolded in his view.
It was a stockade surrounded by wooden fences, with people moving around inside visible from a distance.
Before he could approach, he was intercepted by a hidden lookout. If it hadn’t been for the familiarity between them, he might have been dealt with immediately.
Lu Erlai forced a smile and cupped his hands in a bow. “Brother, please let me through. Erlai is here to deliver money to Second Master.”
The lookout sized him up. With the coarse linen clothes, it was hard to hide any weapons. He stepped aside, allowing Lu Erlai to pass, and coldly warned: “Don’t look around once you’re inside.”
“Understood! Understood!”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Erlai maneuvered around the lookout’s menacing blade and entered the stockade. The bandits here were not numerous, about thirty people. The leader, Liu Erlong, also known as Second Master, had a gambling den in the city and occasionally led his men down the mountain to rob travelers. Although this area was close to Fushui County, it actually fell under the jurisdiction of Tongling County on the other side.
Liu Erlong, with his bushy beard and dressed in coarse clothing, sat on a wolf-skin chair with a golden saber, chewing on fatty meat and watching Lu Erlai with a discerning eye.
“I heard from below that you came to deliver money. And here I thought you were planning to run away these days.”
Lu Erlai rubbed his hands together, smiling obsequiously. “Second Master, where would I go? I have to repay what I owe you… Well, I’ll bring it to you now.”
Someone from the side approached and extended their hand, signaling Lu Erlai to hand over the money.
Seeing the outstretched hand, Lu Erlai felt embarrassed. He bowed again, “Second Master, the amount is too much for me to carry alone…”
Liu Erlong wiped the grease off his mouth and rubbed it against the wolf pelt. Annoyed, he waved his hand dismissively. “Drag him out and cut out his tongue.”
“Second Master, I’m telling the truth!”
Lu Erlai was lifted up by two men, hanging in mid-air, shouting with his legs flailing. “I know where hundreds of taels of silver are!”
The room fell silent as Liu Erlong stared at him for a while. He took a swig from the wine on the table, tossed the cup aside with a clatter, and with his beard stained with wine and his thick lips parting to reveal a set of large yellow teeth, he said.
“Let him lead the way.”
A short while later, more than thirty people, including Lu Erlai, descended the mountain while there was still some daylight left.