Perhaps the sugar paste was too thick. After the torch burned for a while, a sudden cracking sound was heard, followed by faint flames. Fortunately, Xiao Jingduo hadn’t applied too much paste to the torch, and since the pool of water was nearby, the torch toppled to the ground within moments, and the sparks were quickly extinguished, avoiding any irreparable consequences.
Still, the others were thoroughly frightened.
Qiuju turned pale with fear and weakly asked, “Young Master, do you still want to experiment?”
“No need.” Before Qiuju could breathe a sigh of relief, Xiao Jingduo added, “Next time, we should choose a place with better conditions. This time was too rushed.”
The others fell silent.
Xiao Jingduo glanced up at the sky and said, “Hurry up and clean this place up. The commotion just now was too loud, and with all this smoke, it’ll be trouble if anyone comes to investigate.”
After concealing the traces, Xiao Jingduo and his group pretended to be on an outing and returned to the city. When their carriage entered the government office, a bailiff eagerly approached to take the reins of the horse. “Vice Magistrate Xiao, you’re back?”
“Mm.” Xiao Jingduo was about to ask about the day’s happenings at the county office when he suddenly heard a loud explosion from the southwest.
He immediately turned his head and could only see faint smoke rising from the southwest. Xiao Jingduo asked, “What was that just now?”
“That’s the Immortal Master practicing immortal arts and refining elixirs. You’ll get used to it after staying here for a while.”
“Refining elixirs?” Xiao Jingduo looked in that direction again but said nothing.
“Vice Magistrate Xiao, the registrar and the county captain have arranged to hold a ritual for Magistrate Chen in a few days. Do you want to take a look?”
Xiao Jingduo silently cursed their ignorance. But since he had no evidence in hand, he could only let the Tai Li sect deceive the people for now. He was about to refuse outright, but then, just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly changed his mind.
“Are the registrar and the county captain currently discussing the ritual?”
“Yes, they’re all gathered in the former Magistrate Chen’s courtyard, currently preparing the ritual site.”
“I see.” Xiao Jingduo nodded, then turned to Xiao Lin and said, “Take Qiuju and the others back first. I’ll go find the registrar and the others.”
“Understood,” Xiao Lin replied.
The courtyard of Magistrate Chen’s residence was bustling, indeed. In addition to the registrar and the county captain, many minor officials were crowded there. When they saw Xiao Jingduo enter, they all came forward to greet him.
“Vice Magistrate Xiao, you’re back?”
Xiao Jingduo nodded to each of them, then silently approached the registrar, watching him work busily.
“The ritual is to be held here in a few days?”
“That’s right.” The registrar turned and, upon seeing Xiao Jingduo, enthusiastically explained, “The Immortal Master said that performing the ritual at the site of death is most effective. This way, Magistrate Chen can quickly escape his suffering and be reborn into a new life.”
If seeing Qi Ling (The “Immortal” Master) brazenly parade around the county office were possible for the deceased Magistrate Chen, that might truly have been his suffering. Xiao Jingduo stood outside for a while before saying, “You all carry on. I’ll go inside to pay my final respects to the magistrate.”
The rooms in Magistrate Chen’s residence hadn’t changed much over the past few days. The eastern room was still quiet and elegant, the furnishings in the western room were largely untouched, and only the bedding on the bed had been replaced with new ones. Xiao Jingduo circled the western room before heading to the study.
In the eastern room, against the wall, stood a tall bookshelf filled with scrolls and books. Dust had gathered thickly, as no one had touched them for a long time.
Xiao Jingduo casually picked up a scroll, but the dust that stirred made him cough twice. He waved his hand to disperse the dust, waited until his breathing steadied, and then slowly opened the scroll.
It was a collection of poems, presumably copied down by Magistrate Chen during his leisure time. Xiao Jingduo skimmed through it briefly before rolling it back up and returning it to its place.
This time, he picked a scroll with less dust. As he unrolled it halfway, something suddenly fell out.
Xiao Jingduo crouched down and picked up the piece of white paper that had fallen to the ground. Though his expression remained calm, after reading it, he discreetly pocketed the slip.
After returning the second scroll to its original place, Xiao Jingduo didn’t linger any longer. He immediately went outside to take his leave. The registrar, puzzled by why Xiao Jingduo was leaving so soon after arriving, called out, “Alright, leave this to us, Vice Magistrate Xiao. You can head back now.”
It was almost time for the county office to close, and the area was bustling with people coming and going. Xiao Jingduo left Magistrate Chen’s courtyard and walked quickly eastward, seemingly eager to return. However, since it was the end of the workday, the roads were crowded with clerks, and nearly everyone stopped to greet Xiao Jingduo. This forced him to pause repeatedly for polite exchanges.
By the time Xiao Jingduo finally broke free of the interruptions and returned to his own residence, quite a bit of time had passed. He seemed to exhale a long sigh of relief and immediately quickened his pace as he entered the courtyard.
Crossing the threshold, Xiao Jingduo took a couple of casual steps before turning into a spot hidden from outside view. At that moment, his expression turned cold and detached. He stopped, glanced back over his shoulder, and then continued forward.
Outside the courtyard, someone had been watching. Seeing Xiao Jingduo enter and waiting a while longer to ensure nothing unusual happened, they quietly left.
That night, in an alley behind the county office, two figures cloaked in black whispered to each other:
“He went to Magistrate Chen’s house again today. It seemed like he took something.”
The other person’s eyes widened in disbelief. “The Immortal Master hasn’t been able to find the evidence Magistrate Chen supposedly hid. Could it be…”
Meanwhile, Xiao Jingduo said to Xiao Lin, “I retrieved something from Magistrate Chen’s house today. Now, I need you to do something for me.”
The following morning, Xiao Jingduo carried out his usual duties, going through past records and acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. However, after the day’s work ended, he discreetly avoided others and went to find Feng the butcher.
This time, instead of visiting Feng the butcher’s home, Xiao Jingduo went directly to his stall at the marketplace. Feng was busy cutting pork for customers when he squinted and noticed Xiao Jingduo standing across the street. Understanding the unspoken signal, he smiled and addressed the crowd, “I’ve got urgent matters at home, so today’s business will end here. If any of you still need pork, please come back tomorrow. For your trouble, I’ll waive the small change for everyone tomorrow.”
The crowd gathered around the stall wasn’t happy, grumbling as they blocked his way. But Feng insisted on closing shop, and with his promise of waiving tomorrow’s small balances, they reluctantly accepted and dispersed, though not without complaints.
Feng the butcher quickly detached himself from his stall, carrying his oversized bag as he hurried toward Xiao Jingduo. “Vice Magistrate Xiao, what brings you here? If you have instructions, you could’ve just sent someone to pass the message. Why come in person?”
Feng spoke quickly and endlessly, but Xiao Jingduo remained calm and quiet, saying nothing. Once they reached a secluded spot, Xiao Jingduo suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Do you still remember what we discussed last time?”
Feng was startled by the question. His casual demeanor disappeared, and he cautiously replied, “Vice Magistrate, are you talking about those vile scum?”
Although Xiao Jingduo found the wording crude, he didn’t deny it. He nodded lightly. “Yes. I’ve found the evidence that Magistrate Chen had hidden.”
Feng was stunned for a long moment before realization dawned on him. He burst into excitement, almost shouting, “Vice Magistrate, are you saying you’ve got evidence now?”
Xiao Jingduo gave a quiet “Mm,” while Feng was so overjoyed he could hardly contain himself, gesturing wildly with his hands and feet. “This is incredible! Heaven truly has eyes!”
Like in Chang’an, the shops and markets in Jinjiang County were concentrated in a single district. Though much smaller than Chang’an, the streets were still bustling with people. In his excitement, Feng accidentally bumped into a passerby, who glared at him angrily. Realizing his mistake, Feng quickly clasped his hands in apology. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Please don’t take offense, good sir.”
Feng, being a large man, still took up considerable space even when bowing apologetically. The passerby, unwilling to provoke such an intimidating figure, muttered a few words and hurried away.
Afterward, Feng noticed others in the market staring at him curiously. Embarrassed, he repeatedly reassured them, “Nothing happened just now. I was just lost in thought. Don’t mind me, don’t mind me. Hahaha…”
While Feng was busy trying to explain himself, Xiao Jingduo stood a short distance away. Once Feng finally calmed down, Xiao Jingduo approached and doused his enthusiasm with cold reality. “All we’ve done is obtain the evidence. It’s not like we can deliver it anywhere. You’re celebrating too early.”
Feng’s smile froze. “You’re right. Here in Jinjiang County, who could actually do anything to them?”
“It’s not entirely hopeless,” Xiao Jingduo said. “If we can deliver this evidence to the Inspector of Rong Prefecture, he could mobilize troops to eliminate the rebel faction in one decisive move.”
“Ah, Vice Magistrate, can’t you just say everything at once?” Feng groaned, his emotions swinging up and down in the span of a few sentences. He quickly grew serious, though, and said, “I understand now why you’ve come to me. You need someone to deliver the evidence to the Inspector, right?”
Finally understanding, Feng received a nod from Xiao Jingduo. “Exactly.”
“Vice Magistrate Xiao, our Feng family owes you a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. Let me handle delivering the message. Since I was a child, my mother used to say I was as strong as a bear, and our family elders always praised my strength, saying I was born to slaughter pigs. With my build, ordinary people won’t be able to touch me. And if I run into someone I can’t fight, I’ll just run. Even if I have to risk my life, I will make sure the evidence reaches the Inspector.”
“It’s not that serious,” Xiao Jingduo shook his head with a faint smile. “While you do have brute strength and can handle ordinary people, if you encounter someone trained in martial arts, you’ll end up at their mercy.”
Naturally, Feng the butcher didn’t agree. He opened his mouth to argue but, meeting Xiao Jingduo’s gaze, grudgingly shut it. Yes, he couldn’t beat Assistant Magistrate Xiao.
After silencing Feng with a mere look, Xiao Jingduo continued, “It’s too dangerous for you to go alone. When the time is right, I’ll go with you to Rong Prefecture.”
Feng was startled. “Assistant Magistrate Xiao, absolutely not! The journey is treacherous, and if anything were to happen to you—”
“No need to say more. My mind is made up,” Xiao Jingduo replied. “Besides, you’re a commoner. How could you gain an audience with the Inspector? It’s more appropriate for me to deliver it personally. And if we travel together, we can watch each other’s backs.”
Seeing that further persuasion was futile, Feng let out a heavy sigh. Then, with a sudden movement, he clasped his fists and said, “Vice Magistrate Xiao, in all my life, I’ve never truly admired anyone. You’re the first. Don’t worry—no matter what happens along the way, I, Feng Xiang, will lay down my life to protect you.”
Xiao Jingduo didn’t refuse his words, but he secretly thought to himself, ‘Who will be protecting whom remains to be seen’.
The day of the ritual at the county office drew closer and closer. While Xiao Jingduo showed no signs of concern outwardly, he was making many preparations in secret.
One night, a shadow pushed open the back gate of the county office and silently led a horse outside.
Feng the butcher had been waiting for some time. When he saw the tall figure leading the horse, he immediately rushed over and lowered his voice. “Vice Magistrate Xiao, you’re here!”
“Keep your voice down. Don’t alert anyone. We’re leaving now.”
“But it’s curfew.”
“I know the patrol routes of the constables. We’ll avoid them.”
Hearing this, Feng felt a mix of emotions. Xiao Jingduo swiftly mounted the horse, then turned around when he noticed Feng wasn’t moving. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
The area was shrouded in mist, and a bright moon hung high in the sky, sometimes hidden by clouds, sometimes breaking free. The ground alternated between light and shadow. The forest path was muddy, with puddles from the day’s rain. The dark horse’s hooves splashed through the water, shattering the moon’s reflection with a crisp sound.
The figures of Xiao Jingduo and Feng quickly disappeared into the mountain forest. In the distance loomed an impenetrable green jungle, so dark it appeared almost black. In the moonlit night, the dense forest seemed like a lurking beast, its gaping maw wide open, watching the travelers with a predatory gaze.
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