Chapter 234: Stirring the Pot

The scholars were infuriated by Li Yan’s unspoken scorn.

Usually, it was they who banded together and berated others until no one dared answer back. They had never expected a mere man of the jianghu to treat them with such disrespect. After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, scholars like them stood high above the masses.

Officials cared about their reputations among the scholarly class, and thus generally did not wish to offend them either. But when they ran into someone like Li Yan, they could only consider themselves unlucky. He simply did not take scholars seriously at all.

Academy Head Song, however, remained calm. He turned and glanced at the others, suppressing their anger before saying evenly, "Naturally, we have our reasons for being angry. Go ahead, then. What do you want to know?"

This old man had not become the head of the academy out of sheer chance; he was naturally no ordinary person. He could act unreasonable and obstinate when dealing with Magistrate Wu, but arguing with a man from the jianghu like Li Yan would only invite humiliation.

Li Yan nodded slightly and asked, "When trouble broke out at Two Stele Bay, how did all of you hear about it?"

Academy Head Song snorted. "The entire city was abuzz with it. How could we not know?"

Li Yan did not mind his dismissive attitude and continued, "Then in your opinion, was this caused by evil practitioners, or was Lord Sanlu manifesting his divine power?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of both Academy Head Song and Magistrate Wu changed.

There was no way to answer that question. If they said it was the work of evil practitioners, then what did that make the academy for joining in the uproar? Would that not mean they had deliberately harbored ill intentions, especially at such a critical time? But if they claimed Lord Sanlu had manifested, that would amount to saying the imperial court and local officials had lost virtue and drawn down disaster upon themselves.

Ordinary people could say such things. They absolutely could not.

Academy Head Song thought for a moment before replying, "A good question. This old man also finds the matter strange, but right and wrong will naturally be judged in time. The truth will eventually come to light.

"Moreover, is this how you investigate a case? Do you just make baseless guesses?"

"Of course I'm not guessing." Li Yan shot them a cold glance before speaking again. "Take a look at where all of you are standing. Don't you notice anything strange?"

The people from the academy looked at one another, but none noticed anything unusual.

Magistrate Wu, however, had sharp eyes. He glanced upward, stroked his beard, and smiled. "Academy Head Song, perhaps Young Hero Li was not entirely wrong to say you were feeling guilty. Look at yourselves. Why have all of you avoided standing beneath our plaque: The Bright Mirror Hangs High?

Only after he pointed it out did the academy members realize that although they had entered the main hall together, they had unconsciously avoided the center and moved off to either side.

"Don't rush to argue." Seeing Academy Head Song about to speak, Li Yan cut him off and said indifferently, "Look at that plaque yourselves and see how long you can keep staring at it."

Everyone temporarily forgot their anger and raised their heads. This time, many of them immediately noticed something was wrong. When they had first entered the hall, they had felt nauseated and irritated, but assumed it was simply because the sight of Wu Dehai annoyed them.

Only now, upon looking toward the plaque, did they realize where that feeling came from. Some people only looked at it twice before feeling intense disgust and discomfort. Others refused to yield and stubbornly stared at it, but before long, a wave of nausea and oppression surged through their chests. They could no longer control themselves, vomiting sour, foul-smelling fluid all over the floor.

"Tsk, tsk." Sha Lifei already disliked them at first glance, so he could not resist making a sarcastic remark. "No wonder people talk about sour, stinking pedants."

Academy Head Song endured the nausea rising in his chest. Ignoring Sha Lifei's mockery, he said solemnly, "Young Master Li, have we fallen under some evil spell?"

"No." Li Yan said calmly, "You've been tainted by demonic qi!"

In fact, he had noticed something was wrong the moment they had entered. Secretly forming the Yang Seal, he had immediately detected a faint trace of yin killing qi. The scent also carried a fishy, musky stench. One whiff was enough for Li Yan to realize it had come from some kind of demon.

He had originally intended to ask them about it, but they had stormed in, made a racket, and were thoroughly unpleasant, so he decided to teach them a lesson first.

"Ugh!"

Even now, people in the hall were still vomiting.

Although the entire place reeked of puke, Magistrate Wu found the miserable sight of the scholars extremely satisfying. He said lightly, "Men, clean up the filth in the hall."

His words carried an obvious double meaning, and were plainly intended as mockery. At this point, however, Academy Head Song had no attention to spare for him.

He looked toward Li Yan and cupped his hands slightly. "Young Master Li is indeed extraordinary. This old man was discourteous earlier. What exactly has happened to us?"

Li Yan shook his head. "Didn't I just tell you? You've been tainted by demonic qi. It won't cost you your lives for the time being, but if it remains too long, that may not stay true.

"We'll put that aside for now. I still have questions."

"Young Master Li, please, go ahead."

Academy Head Song was noticeably more subdued now.

Li Yan looked over the crowd and said solemnly, "The matter at Two Stele Bay is very likely connected to the chaos in the southwest. Someone is taking advantage of the situation to stir up trouble, incite public resentment, and prepare for war. With Academy Head Song's intelligence, surely you can see that?"

Academy Head Song fell silent for a moment. "To tell the truth, this old man has had the same suspicion."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you knew, then why did you still join the uproar? Were you acting under someone's instructions?"

Before he could finish, Magistrate Wu slammed the court block down hard. The previous amiability vanished entirely from his face as he said coldly, "Song Mingshu! You are the head of an academy, yet you dared collude with bandits. Do you intend to stage a rebellion?"

A flash of anger appeared in Academy Head Song's eyes. But before he could answer, Li Yan glanced toward the magistrate's seat and snapped impatiently, "Magistrate Wu, what are you in such a hurry for?! Why are you scheming against each other without even looking at the situation?!"

"I...!"

Magistrate Wu Dehai couldn't help but choke on his words, anger rising in his heart.

When he saw Li Yan rebuking the academy members, he had actually been rather pleased, thinking that this man was venting his anger for him. He had not expected Li Yan to show either side any courtesy.

As expected of a damn jianghu outlaw! This damn fellow had absolutely no restraint!

"Hmph!" Academy Head Song glanced coldly at the magistrate, then turned to Li Yan to say solemnly, "To tell the truth, this old man suspects this matter is connected to those native people. And the root of it lies with our esteemed Magistrate Wu!"

"This is utter nonsense!" Magistrate Wu could no longer maintain his composure. His face darkened as he said, "Song Mingshu, do not think that just because someone protects you, this official will not dare arrest you. Falsely accusing an imperial official, colluding with rebels, which of those crimes do you think you can bear?"

At this point, the two sides had completely torn off any pretense of cordiality.

Academy Head Song no longer held back either and said acidly, "You know perfectly well what kind of things you've done since coming to Zigui County! That Chaoshan Association you created not only uses salt permits to trade salt, but arbitrarily raises prices, making it difficult for the common people even to afford salt. You also secretly sell salt to those cities ruled by the native people and maintain extremely close dealings with them!

"The Chaoshan Association also lends money everywhere, giving out nine taels but demanding fourteen in repayment. How many families have you driven to ruin? How many people have had to sell their fields and daughters to pay their debts? Some commoners even went to Yunyang Prefecture to lodge complaints, only to be intercepted and killed by you along the way!"

"Shut up!" Magistrate Wu was already consumed by rage. His face flushed crimson as he shouted, "Men! Arrest this group of traitors!"

"Yes!"

The courthouse runners waiting outside the hall had already sensed that something was wrong and prepared themselves. The moment they heard the order, they rushed inside with staves and ropes.

Just then, furious shouts erupted from outside.

"May that dog official Wu die a miserable death!"

"Grab him! Skin him and use him as a lamp!"

"We can't live like this anymore!"

A considerable number of commoners had gathered outside to watch the commotion. Although they had been blocked from entering, they had clearly heard the argument taking place inside the hall. When they recalled the oppression they had suffered over the years, and seeing that even the Academy Head and instructors of Danyang Academy were now about to be arrested, their anger instantly erupted.

"Rebellion... This is rebellion..."

Seeing the public resentment explode into unrest, Magistrate Wu Dehai also began to panic. His face turned pale and he stood there at a loss. He had never imagined these mud-legged commoners would truly dare storm the county courthouse.

"None of you move! Are you trying to rebel?!"

At that moment, a thunderous shout rang out from the distance. A blue-robed official came galloping toward them on horseback, accompanied by more than a dozen fierce-looking cavalrymen. Every one of them wore armor and carried an iron spear, murderous aura rolling from their bodies.

One look was enough to tell that these were seasoned veterans who had killed without hesitation through countless battles. There were only a little more than a dozen of them, but the pounding of their warhorses made the entire street tremble, as though an army of thousands were charging forward.

The commoners had only been swept up in a moment of rage. Intimidated by the soldiers' overwhelming presence, they immediately retreated again, not daring to utter another word.

The official wore a black gauze hat and a blue round-collared robe, with an egret embroidered on his chest. His complexion was slightly dark, and three long strands of beard fluttered in the wind. Sitting upright on his horse, he cut a distinctly imposing figure.

He swept his gaze over the crowd, then cupped his hands solemnly. "My name is Zhou Kai, Assistant Prefect of the Yunyang Prefecture Office. By order of my Lord, I have come specifically to deal with the various cases in Zigui County.

"The imperial court has its laws and procedures. Whatever grievances you have, this official will seek justice on your behalf. But if you storm the county courthouse, that is equivalent to rebellion, punishable by death!"

Many of the commoners immediately dropped to their knees.

"Please uphold justice for us commoners, my lord!"

"Please uphold justice for us!"

"Everyone, rest assured." Zhou Kai nodded slightly.

After dismounting, he gave a subtle signal with his eyes. Several of the soldiers under him immediately took up positions with their spears at the entrance of the county courthouse, while the rest followed him into the main hall.

Naturally, the commotion did not escape the notice of those inside. County Magistrate Wu Dehai hurried down from the hall and respectfully cupped his hands. "Greetings, Lord Zhou."

An Assistant Prefect ranked slightly below a Prefect, but they still had the authority to supervise like the Prefect and could report directly to the Emperor. A mere county magistrate like him naturally could not compare.

"Greetings, Lord Zhou."

The many students in the hall, along with Academy Head Song Mingshu, also cupped their fists in unison.

"Hmph!" Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai was clearly furious.

He had secretly come to Zigui in order to placate those native chiefs who were still watching from the sidelines, lest the Jingchu mountain region descend into chaos again before the unrest there had even been fully pacified. Yet before he could accomplish his task, trouble had already broken out.

With a cold snort, he flicked his sleeves and sat down in the hall, then ordered solemnly, "Men, shut the gates!"

With a rumble, the county courthouse's gates were immediately closed.

Many of the commoners had only come to watch the excitement. They had been swept up in a moment of anger, and never truly intended to rebel. Seeing the courthouse gates close, those who had merely come for the spectacle were the first to leave. The rest, intimidated by the fierce-looking soldiers, also began to feel uneasy and gradually dispersed.

Inside the main hall, Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai gave County Magistrate Wu Dehai a cold glance, clearly extremely disappointed in him. Only then did he say in a deep voice, "One at a time. Tell me what happened!"

Academy Head Song Mingshu naturally understood the importance of seizing the initiative. He immediately cupped his hands and recounted the entire matter from beginning to end, ultimately placing all of Zigui County's current chaos squarely on Wu Dehai.

Wu Dehai became anxious as well. He quickly accused the people of the academy of disregarding the bigger picture, attempting to incite civil unrest, and even colluding with demons to cause trouble.

The two sides hurled accusations at each other, and it looked as though they were about to start fighting.

"All of you, shut up!" Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai was so angry that his eyelids twitched. Finally, his cold gaze landed on Li Yan as he said sternly, "Since you accepted a task from the City God Temple, you should simply investigate the case and exorcise evil. Why did you fan the flames and stir up further disorder?"

He was an old fox, and had immediately seen through what Li Yan had done.

"Lord, you jest." Li Yan's expression remained calm as he cupped his empty hands. "Zigui County is presently shrouded in clouds and fog, with clues deliberately concealed by someone. I merely wanted to clarify the situation. How does that amount to fanning the flames?"

Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai snorted. "Don't give me that!"

How could he possibly be unaware of Zigui County's situation? But some matters were just like that. They could not be exposed too openly.

Had Wu Dehai been an ordinary official, Zhou Kai would have arrested him long ago. But Wu Dehai was connected to the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, and through his illicit salt trade, he had also become entangled with those native chiefs.

Armies from various prefectures were currently assembling, and the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was responsible for raising supplies; transporting grain and provisions; and handling many other logistical matters. Even his efforts to placate the native chiefs needed Wu Dehai to serve as an intermediary. For the sake of the greater situation, there were certain matters Zhou Kai had chosen to turn a blind eye to.

Yet Li Yan had gone and ripped away the cloth covering everything.

How could such things be spoken out loud?!

At that thought, Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai changed the subject. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "An academy is a place for studying the teachings of sages, cultivating gentlemen, and nurturing righteous qi. How did all of you end up tainted with demonic qi?"

Academy Head Song's heart trembled. He cupped his hands and said hoarsely, "We have spoken on behalf of the common people. Most likely, we offended someone and were harmed by the mystic arts."

County Magistrate Wu immediately broke out in a sweat. "Don't make baseless accusations!"

"What is this?! All of you, shut up!" Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai looked at the two factions before him and felt the veins in his forehead throb. He then turned to Li Yan. "Since you discovered this, do you know the cause?"

Li Yan said solemnly, "I still need to ask some questions before reaching a conclusion."

He turned toward the people from the academy. "Has anything strange happened at the academy recently?"

Academy Head Song replied gravely, "The academy is a place of sages, and we have a Master of Sacrifices presiding over it. The students study diligently day and night. Nothing strange has happened."

The academies and Confucian temples throughout the Great Xuan Dynasty also maintained systems of ritual worship. The principal objects of worship were the First Teacher, as well as the Four Sages: Yanzi, the Restored Sage; Zengzi, the Ancestral Sage; Zisi, the Transmitting Sage; and Mengzi, the Second Sage. Beneath them were the Ten Philosophers and the various disciples who had personally studied under the sages, all collectively known as the Former Worthies and Masters.

The rites varied greatly depending on the circumstances, but broadly speaking, they were divided into incense ceremonies, vegetable offerings, and formal sacrificial rites. The Master of Sacrifices was the person in an academy responsible for overseeing these rites and offerings. Most were members of the Confucian branch of the mystic path.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't the Master of Sacrifices come?"

Academy Head Song replied, "Master Liu is advanced in age, and has long lived in a hut he built on a nearby mountain. He is unaware of this matter."

Li Yan nodded. He then formed the Yang Seal again and took another sniff. His brows furrowed tightly as he looked toward the filth one of the scholars had just vomited up. "What unclean thing have all of you eaten recently?"

Academy Head Song froze, a trace of unease flashing through his eyes.

Before he could speak, one of the scholars looked around and said shakily, "Could it be those Red Pills?"

"You all took them too?"

"You... You took them as well?"

"Why did I never hear you mention it...?"

Everyone looked at one another and began questioning each other in confusion.

Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai immediately sensed something wrong and said coldly, "What are these Red Pills? Tell me the truth, all of you!"

Academy Head Song's expression turned ugly. He sighed and cupped his hands. "My lord, the Red Pill is a kind of secret medicine. After taking it, one becomes full of energy and gains an astonishing memory. This old man is advanced in age. In recent years, I often lose focus while reading and frequently forget things. After taking the pill, my condition improved considerably."

Several of the scholars also admitted awkwardly, "We used it while preparing for the provincial examination."

Other students, however, were filled with anger. One of them grabbed one of the lecturers and snapped, "Master Lu, didn't you say this thing was a remnant tradition of ancient Chu? How could it have caused us to become tainted with demonic qi?"

Academy Head Song also turned toward him. The lecturer who had been seized immediately went deathly pale.

Academy Head Song said coldly, "Yuanfeng, when you gave this thing to me, you praised it to the heavens. How did it suddenly turn into a demonic pill?"

The lecturer's face was full of panic, and he did not know what to do. "I... I..."

"Hahaha..." Wu Dehai had been thoroughly frustrated earlier, but now he finally had something to seize upon. He sneered mockingly. "Every one of you acts so sanctimonious, yet who would have thought the academy had already become a den of filth and corruption?"

Academy Head Song seemed to age considerably in an instant. He sighed. "Yuanfeng, although you are obsessed with this path, you do not have the ability to refine pills like this yourself. Tell us. Where did they come from?"

The lecturer's face flushed bright red. Gritting his teeth, he looked toward Wu Dehai. "So it’s you! These pills are connected to your son's condition!"