T/N: Xiao Jingduo’s official title is changed from “Assistant Magistrate” to “Vice Magistrate”.
Xiao Jingduo had been to many places over the years. Before the age of nine, he lived in Zhuo County. After that, he moved to Chang’an, and during the mourning period, he temporarily resided in Zhongnan Mountain. Although his residence changed frequently, his life had always been in the north. This time, however, due to an official transfer order, he moved to Jiannan, marking his first time in the south.
Xiao Jingduo, having trained in martial arts for many years, was in good physical condition. However, the women traveling with him struggled. Qiuju and Xiqi had never traveled such a long distance before. Ever since entering Shu territory, they had been plagued by constant vomiting and diarrhea due to acclimatization issues.
Fortunately, Xiao Jingduo had medical knowledge and had prepared ample medications before setting out. Serving as both the leader and the medic of the group, he managed to get everyone safely to Jinjiang County in one piece.
After crossing the Qinling Mountains and entering the plains, the climate of Jiannan Province improved significantly. Chengdu Prefecture, renowned as Jin City and Rong City, was a place where flowers bloomed year-round, earning it the reputation of being a vibrant and luxurious paradise. The only drawback, however, was that it wasn’t where Xiao Jingduo was assigned to serve.
After bidding farewell to Chengdu Prefecture, Xiao Jingduo and his group continued deeper into Shu territory.
Jiannan Province was surrounded by mountains, shielding it from strong winds, which kept it perpetually shrouded in mist. Having grown up in the north, Xiao Jingduo had never seen such dense fog before. From dawn to noon, a thick white mist enveloped the mountainsides, and the surrounding forests were so lush that the foliage was densely packed and shimmered in varying shades of green, resembling an exquisite landscape painting.
The further they traveled, the rougher the official road became. Eventually, the road disappeared entirely. Xiao Jingduo and his party had to ask for directions as they continued deeper into the territory.
Jinjiang County turned out to be even more remote than he had imagined.
The emperor had divided the country into ten regions, with Jiannan Province located in the southwest, named after its position south of Jianmen Pass. Jiannan Province was further divided into prefectures, with Chengdu Prefecture serving as the administrative center of Jiannan Province and often referred to as Yi Prefecture. Below the prefectures were the counties.
Jinjiang County, where Xiao Jingduo was to assume his position, was under the jurisdiction of Rong Prefecture. After a two-month journey with Xiao Lin, Qiuju, and the others, they finally reached Jinjiang County at dusk.
By then, Xiao Jingduo had changed into his official attire. As custom dictated, the arrival of a new county vice magistrate should have warranted some sort of reception from the county. Strangely enough, as they walked through the county, the locals merely glanced at them indifferently before returning to their business. The Jinjiang County government also showed no signs of activity.
“Master, what’s going on?”
Qiuju, having been worn down to a frail state from the journey, had hoped to find some relief upon reaching the county. However, just as she started to relax, her nerves tightened again.
Why did she feel that the county where they were about to live seemed unwelcoming?
Xiao Jingduo’s expression darkened. His instincts told him something was wrong with the county, but as the pillar of the group, he couldn’t show any hesitation or discouragement. Instead, he said calmly, “I am the officially appointed vice magistrate by the court. What’s there to be afraid of? Let’s head directly to the county office.”
Unfamiliar with the area, the group was at a loss. Xi Qi, eager to make a good impression on Xiao Jingduo after being brought out of Chang’an by him, volunteered to ask the locals for directions.
Her intentions were good, but she overlooked one crucial detail: though she came from Chang’an, the locals here had lived in this area for generations, and their accents were entirely different.
Xi Qi gestured and tried for a long time but couldn’t get the local to understand her question about the location of the county office. The passerby, seeing that this outsider repeated herself without comprehending, lost patience and simply turned and walked away.
Standing there, Xi Qi felt both angry and embarrassed, not knowing what to do. Finally, Xiao Jingduo intervened, calling out, “Come back. Our accents differ from theirs, and that won’t change anytime soon. Official buildings are always constructed in the same layout, typically in the center and toward the north. Follow me.”
Sure enough, after weaving through the streets, Xiao Jingduo soon found the county office in the northern section along the main axis of the county town. While relieved, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction.
This is a county government office. How can there not even be a gatekeeper at the entrance, and it’s not even dark yet?
Thrown into a completely unfamiliar place, Qiuju and the others were also visibly nervous, clinging closely to Xiao Jingduo. As vice magistrate, Xiao Jingduo’s first task upon arrival was naturally to pay his respects to his superior. However, with no one at the gate, he had no one to announce him. Left with no choice, he was forced to take the highly unconventional step of entering unannounced.
Official offices were generally laid out with administrative halls in the front and residences in the rear. Local officials worked in the front during the day and retired to the rear at night. To ensure the security of county offices, the court strictly prohibited officials from staying outside overnight. Following this standard, Xiao Jingduo entered the main gate and headed west, where the county magistrate’s quarters were typically located. The front areas were used for work and entertaining guests, while the back was reserved for family.
After passing through the corridors, Xiao Jingduo reached the flower hall and encountered a group of people.
These individuals were all wearing official attire, clearly the colleagues he would work with in the future. Xiao Jingduo cupped his hands in greeting and said proactively, “I am Xiao Jingduo, appointed by the Ministry of Personnel to serve as the vice magistrate of Jinjiang County. We are new here and unfamiliar with the area, so we only just arrived at the county office. Please forgive the delay.”
The people across from him, who appeared to be clerks, scrutinized Xiao Jingduo from head to toe before asking, “You’re the new vice magistrate?”
“I am,” Xiao Jingduo replied as he took out his credentials and travel documents.
One of the clerks reached out, took them, and flipped through them for a moment before passing them to the others. Xiao Jingduo maintained his composure, smiling without showing any displeasure. Once everyone had looked them over, he asked, “May I ask where the county magistrate is? I need to pay my respects to the prefect.”
“The county magistrate? He’s dead.”
Xiao Jingduo froze for a moment, stunned by what he had just heard. “What did you say?”
“Sigh, come with me.”
At this point, Xiao Jingduo couldn’t spare a thought for settling their luggage. He hastily gave Xiao Lin a couple of instructions before quickly following the clerk.
Behind the flower hall stood a black wooden coffin. The once solemn atmosphere of the county office was now shrouded in a sorrowful and chilling air. What was even more absurd was the chaos unfolding by the magistrate’s remains—rather than mourning respectfully, people were loudly arguing.
A burly man with a flushed face and bulging veins stood there, his ferocious demeanor making him appear extremely intimidating. Opposite him was a pale-faced scribe, refined and delicate in appearance, clearly a civil official of the county office.
From afar, Xiao Jingduo had been unable to make out their argument. However, as he drew closer, he caught fragments of words like “county magistrate,” “murderer,” and “night.”
It seemed they were disputing the cause of the magistrate’s death. Yet, regardless of the reason, such behavior was inappropriate beside the remains of the county’s leader.
Xiao Jingduo’s expression turned icy. Before he could speak, the burly man suddenly erupted. Snatching a blade, he charged toward the pale-faced scribe. “I’ve had enough of your nonsense. I’ll kill you, you pretentious weakling!”
No one in the county office had expected the man to act so suddenly, and in the chaos, he managed to seize a blade. The scholarly-looking man paled in fright, scrambling to flee while shouting, “This butcher not only killed the county magistrate but now he’s trying to murder us! Hurry and subdue him!”
The Feng family was notorious troublemakers in Jinjiang County, known for their generations in the butchery trade and their sheer ferocity. Feng the Butcher, in particular, was more formidable than his predecessors—he could shatter five tiles with a single punch. Frail officials like Sun Sizuo, the pale-faced scribe, were no match for him, and even the armed constables hesitated to confront him.
Relying on his physical strength, Feng the Butcher had long bullied his way through Jinjiang County. Already infuriated by Sun’s sharp words, he had decided to vent his anger by grabbing a weapon and teaching these so-called officials a harsh lesson.
With eyes blazing red, Feng the Butcher rampaged through the county office, scattering terrified officials in his wake. Their usual bravado vanished as they screamed and darted out of his path. Watching these supposedly powerful officials cower, Feng finally felt some satisfaction. Just as he was reveling in his triumph, a sharp pain shot through his hand, and he stumbled back a couple of steps.
Feng the Butcher froze, momentarily stunned. Then his eyes widened in disbelief. In all his years of dominating Jinjiang County, he had never encountered an opponent like this, nor had he expected anyone to dare stand up to him.
Feng the Butcher raised his head fiercely and saw a man in a deep green official’s robe standing ahead. The man’s face was like frost, his eyes cold as he gazed at him.
Feng sneered dismissively. “Another weakling.”
With that, he raised his blade and charged at Xiao Jingduo like a boulder rolling downhill.
Xiao Jingduo smirked coldly. “Just brute strength.”
As he spoke, he swiftly drew the long blade from a nearby constable and stepped forward without hesitation to meet Feng’s attack.
The constable, stunned by this sudden turn of events, shouted, “County Vice Magistrate, don’t!”
Feng the Butcher was known far and wide as a man of extraordinary strength, capable of cleaving pig bones with a single strike. How could the seemingly delicate county vice magistrate hope to stand against him? Just moments ago, this new official had borrowed the constable’s blade, executed a quick maneuver, and forced Feng back two steps. Before the constable could process what had happened, the blade was already sheathed again. The constable stood dumbfounded, unable to make sense of the situation.
But now, to his horror, the vice magistrate had unsheathed the blade again and was charging straight at Feng.
The constable’s heart nearly stopped. This was a county vice magistrate sent from Chang’an—if anything happened to him, they would be held responsible.
“This can’t be! He’s the vice magistrate—”
His protests trailed off as he watched, utterly dumbstruck. The young official, neither overly slender nor particularly robust, wielded the blade with precision and agility. He deftly parried Feng’s attacks, and with a final powerful move, locked blades with the butcher and forced him back several steps.
The constable stood there, mouth agape, incapable of speech. He could only stare in disbelief as Xiao Jingduo, calm and composed, casually returned the blade to its sheath with a sharp click. As if that weren’t enough, Xiao Jingduo then chastised him, “If your weapon can be so easily taken, your martial skills are sorely lacking. Train harder in the future.”
“I—this, I…” The constable stammered, utterly disoriented, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Having subdued the rampaging butcher and thoroughly intimidated the other officials with his strength, Xiao Jingduo assumed the commanding posture of an imperial appointee. He slowly asked, “Now, tell me. The county magistrate, the argument just now, and this so-called murderer—what exactly is going on?”
In a county office, the magistrate held the highest authority, with the vice magistrate ranking second. With the magistrate dead, it was only natural for Xiao Jingduo to take charge.
After confirming Xiao Jingduo’s identity, the clerks reluctantly bowed and saluted him. “Greetings, Vice Magistrate Xiao.”
“Hmm,” Xiao Jingduo acknowledged with a slight nod. He casually pointed to a clerk who looked particularly honest and said, “You, explain. What happened to the magistrate?”
The clerk, trembling with fear, replied, “Reporting to the vice magistrate: Last night, Magistrate Chen drank some wine and went to bed early. He left no instructions, so we did not dare disturb him and left him alone in his room. Then, in the middle of the night, we suddenly heard a scream. When we rushed out, we saw Feng the Butcher standing outside the magistrate’s door, surrounded by blood. When we went inside, we found the magistrate already dead.”
Officials spoke in the polished language of bureaucracy, so there was no communication barrier. Though the local clerks had an accent, Xiao Jingduo could still understand them without difficulty.
“When was the last time you saw Magistrate Chen last night?”
“Around the hour of Xu (7-9 PM). The magistrate was in a foul mood and had a servant bring him some wine. He also instructed us not to disturb him. We dared not disobey. After a while, when we heard no further sounds from his room, we assumed he had fallen asleep and did not check further.”
“And when did you discover Feng the Butcher?”
The clerk glanced at Sun Sizuo, who stepped forward to answer. “Vice Magistrate Xiao, I was the first to see Feng the Butcher. By then, it was already pitch dark—around the middle of the hour of Zi (midnight).”
“So, during this time, no one saw Magistrate Chen except for Feng the Butcher?”
“That’s correct,” Sun Sizuo replied, his tone heated as he pointed at Feng. “This brute has never respected Magistrate Chen’s authority. He took advantage of the late hour to commit the crime. Vice Magistrate, you must avenge Magistrate Chen!”
Feng the Butcher, equally agitated, retorted, “I despised that useless official, but I didn’t kill him! I’ve said it before—it wasn’t me!”
“Silence.” Xiao Jingduo raised his voice, coldly surveying the room. “I will determine the truth of this matter. Return to your posts for now. I will call each of you in for questioning later. Feng the Butcher will remain here at the county office until summoned. For now, take me to see Magistrate Chen’s body.”
Magistrate Chen’s body had already been placed in a black coffin and was lying in the main hall. Xiao Jingduo approached the coffin, respectfully lighting three sticks of incense for his late superior, whom he had never had the chance to meet.
He had just arrived in Jinjiang County today, and coincidentally, Magistrate Chen had died the previous night. It was a coincidence so uncanny that he didn’t know what to make of it.
After offering the incense, Xiao Jingduo looked around and noticed something odd. “Where is Magistrate Chen’s family?”
When an official died unexpectedly, their family would traditionally be present to mourn. Yet the mourning hall was desolate, with only the clerks present—no family in sight.
“Magistrate Chen’s wife passed away last year, leaving behind only a daughter. It’s truly tragic—Miss Chen suffered an accident earlier this year as well. The magistrate was deeply affected by this and became despondent, drinking heavily day after day.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jingduo could only sigh. “My apologies for being presumptuous. Does Magistrate Chen have any relatives? His remains should still be sent back to his ancestral home.”
“Magistrate Chen had been stationed in Jinjiang County for several years and didn’t appear to have any close ties with others. Regarding his relatives, we truly don’t know.”
“It seems this will require further consideration,” Xiao Jingduo said with a sigh. Then he added, “Open the coffin. I wish to pay my respects to Magistrate Chen one last time.”
“This—” The clerks exchanged hesitant glances before one of them cautiously said, “Vice Magistrate Xiao, this might not be appropriate.”
“Since Magistrate Chen has no surviving family, we must handle everything as best as we can. Though I was delayed on the road and could not meet him before his death, it is only right for me, as his subordinate, to show my respect. Open the coffin.”
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