Chapter 237: Through The Rain and Mist

"We searched Danyang Academy throughout the night. The academy itself was completely deserted, and we found no clues there. We then checked the roster and discovered that everyone who failed to appear yesterday had vanished. Afterward, we sent out hunting dogs and found more than a dozen corpses in the hills behind the academy.

"After identification by the academy disciples, the dead were confirmed as the academy supervisor, clerks, treasurer, and servants who worked at the academy.

"The only person we failed to find was the Master of Sacrifices, Liu Danqiu!"

Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes. "He has no family?"

The commander of the garrison cupped his hands as he replied, "This subordinate has already made inquiries. Liu Danqiu is a Confucian cultivator who originally lived in Guizhou City. Ten years ago, the Maitreya Sect rebelled in the Guanzhong Plains. A plague later broke out on the battlefield and spread to Ezhou. Liu Danqiu's entire family died of the disease, leaving only one grandson.

"Later, that grandson left to pursue his studies, but was killed by river bandits along the way. From then on, Liu Danqiu built himself a hut in the mountains and lived there in seclusion. He would only return to the academy whenever sacrificial rites were held..."

Sha Lifei's eyes darted about, and he lowered his voice. "Brother Yan, why does that sound a little familiar? Could he be the same person who was causing trouble at Zhu Clan's Fort?"

Li Yan, however, found it strange. "We reported that long ago. If it really was him, judging by the time that's passed, the Confucian sect should have sent people to arrest him already..."

Zhou Kai hurriedly asked from beside them, "What are you two talking about?"

Li Yan did not conceal anything and explained what had happened. After all, Zhou Kai could also be considered a member of the Confucian tradition. Even if he was not a cultivator, he should still understand such matters.

Unexpectedly, after listening, Zhou Kai said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you two are unaware of this, but when an ordinary case is reported in Ezhou, it must first be sent to the Wenjin Academy. Only after that will official documents be issued to verify the Masters of Sacrifices at the various academies.

"That back-and-forth alone takes a considerable amount of time. But if the case involves prophetic arts, they would certainly use the imperial courier stations and fast horses to send word. Three days would be enough.

"Men, bring Wu Dehai over!"

The clatter of chains sounded as County Magistrate Wu Dehai was dragged in. Although imprisoned, he was still technically an official, so he had not been subjected to severe torture. His hair was merely disheveled, and he looked dazed and absent-minded.

Zhou Kai said coldly, "Wu Dehai, did the Wenjin Academy send any documents requiring you to verify the academy's Master of Sacrifices?"

Having caused such an enormous disaster, Wu Dehai knew there was no avoiding the calamity. His heart had long since turned to ashes, and he did not bother hiding anything.

Lowering his head, he muttered, "My private secretary handled all those matters."

Zhou Kai looked at him with utter disgust. "Useless assholes who can only eat and drink!"

He had Wu Dehai dragged away, and ordered the private secretary to be brought over from the jail. This private secretary was even more of a scoundrel. Although he was not a member of the Chaoshan Association, he had long since been bought off and had done no shortage of wicked things. During the interrogation the night before, he had already been beaten until his entire body was covered in blood.

Seeing the ferocious expressions of everyone present, how could he possibly dare conceal anything? He confessed everything in great detail.

Indeed, Wenjin Academy had sent a letter some days earlier. But Lu Yuan, the leader of the Chaoshan Association, had suddenly approached him and blackmailed him with evidence of his wrongdoings. Lu Yuan had forced him to write a reply, then secretly used the county magistrate's official seal to stamp it, thereby fooling the academy...

That alone was enough to confirm the other party's identity.

Daoist Feng shook his head. "This Master Liu... I have also dealt with him before. Ever since his family died, his personality became strange. I fear it was around that time that he first came into contact with the Ghost Sect. Although he was a Confucian cultivator, he was elderly and frail; knew no martial arts; and understood only some sacrificial rites. No one thought highly of him, and he lived rather poorly. I never expected that he had secretly learned the evil arts. I truly misjudged him."

The garrison captain cupped his hands again. "My lord, we have searched the nearby mountains, but found no trace of those evil practitioners. What should we do next? Please give your orders."

Zhou Kai said solemnly, "This matter may be connected to the tribal mountain cities. Your duty is simply to guard the city well. There must be no negligence whatsoever!"

"Yes!" The garrison captain cupped his hands in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

After he was gone, Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "Young Hero Li, judging from the confessions last night, Wu Shiqing was fond of Buddhist scriptures and frequently visited Bao'en Guangxiao Temple outside the north gate.

“When his accident occurred, he had also just returned from there. There may be something wrong with that place. There is also the Old Official Temple west of the city, where strange incidents have been occurring repeatedly.

"I ask that you leave secretly and investigate."

Li Yan immediately understood. "You suspect the garrison is part of it?"

Zhou Kai said gravely, "The Zigui garrison has been stationed here for years. Although its troops cannot leave without military orders, something this serious happened without a single report from them!

“The news also leaked far too quickly. I suspect that someone inside the garrison has already joined the Ghost Sect. Back in the Great Song era, they used enormous rewards to entice many officials into joining their sect, which was how the disaster grew so large.

"Zigui County is in a dangerous state now. We cannot afford not to guard against them. The fact they did not join yesterday's rebellion may mean they are plotting something even larger. Apart from the men I brought from Yunyang, you few are the only ones I can still trust."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Lord, aren't you afraid?"

Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai remained calm. "Young Hero Li, there is no need to test me. The officialdom may indeed be filthy, but this is a matter of the stability of the Divine Continent itself. If every official wallowed in the same mire, how could my Great Xuan have stood for a hundred years without falling?

“I must remain in the city to stabilize the people. Reinforcements dispatched from Yichang will arrive tomorrow. Only then can things truly settle down."

"Very well!" Li Yan cupped his hands and turned to leave.

Daoist Feng hurriedly stood up. "I will also go with you! There is a secret passage beneath the City God Temple that leads directly outside the city. You are unfamiliar with the roads here, so I can help guide you."

Li Yan replied, "That works too."

He could easily see what the old Daoist was thinking. Clearly, after hearing that even the garrison might have problems, he had grown fearful.

After they left, Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai sighed. He took out a map and slowly spread it open. The longer he looked, the darker his expression became.

"The Jingchu mountain tribes, the Heavenly Saint Cult, the Ghost Sect, the Yang clan of Bozhou..."

Sha Lifei's earlier remark had inadvertently reminded him of something. The Jingchu rebel forces had already occupied Zhushan County. As he traced their route, the only barrier between them and Zigui County was Shennongjia.

Shennongjia had always been a forbidden land shrouded in heavy mist. Not only was it infested with fierce beasts and poisonous insects, it was also filled with mountain spirits and strange monsters, bizarre beyond description. Few who entered those mountains ever emerged again.

But the Jingchu mountain tribes had occupied those mountains for hundreds of years. Perhaps they had long since discovered secret routes through them. If so, they could invade Zigui County with ease.

Further west lay Mount Wu, equally mysterious and unfathomable, and home to naturally formed secret realms. It had always been a stubborn piece of territory that the orthodox mystic path had never managed to subdue.

Beyond Mount Wu, the Yang clan of the Bozhou natives also wielded tremendous influence. Qingcheng Mountain could do well enough if they simply held its own territory.

Further south lay the entire western Xiang and Miao frontier. The Southern Great Wall had been constructed there, with numerous garrisons stationed along it to suppress the Miao territories and separate the unassimilated Miao from the assimilated Miao people.

Shizhou contained the assimilated Miao territories, including the Sanmao Clan, the Tangya Clan, the Jindong Clan, the Longtan Clan, the Zhongjian Clan, the Maoling Clan, the Shinan Clan, and numerous other cities ran by the native clans.

At present, the Tangya Clan had openly raised the banner of rebellion, and was the strongest among all the native people. The others were either still watching the situation or had sided with the imperial court.

Zhou Kai had come here precisely to placate them, and ensure that those native clans unwilling to join the rebellion remained still until the imperial court finished dealing with the Jingchu mountain tribes.

Zigui County happened to lie right between all three sides, separating the various forces like a nail hammered into the middle. It was also the crucial gateway into Bashu. If it fell, all those forces might link together into a single bloc. At that point, even the native clans currently siding with the imperial court could be swept along and forced into the rebel camp.

Thinking of the implications, Zhou Kai felt as though an enormous mountain had been placed upon his shoulders, pressing down so heavily that he could barely breathe.

He murmured, "Young Hero Li, I fear disaster is coming to Zigui!"

***

Inside the tunnel, Daoist Feng held up a torch, his face bitter. "I'm no fool either, but this place is special. Every move made by our Taixuan Orthodox Sect would attract trouble, so I can only remain at the City God Temple. Although the various mystic path lineages share the same origin and are all orthodox paths of the Divine Continent, relations between them are far from harmonious.

"The ancestral altar of the Zhushan Sect is in Mount Zhu. Now that even their stronghold has fallen, they are even less willing to relinquish control over this region. The two sides have restrained each other for so long that it eventually led to the bitter consequences we see today.

"Zigui County is too important. If the Ghost Sect is plotting here, they definitely aren't doing it merely to kill a few people and sacrifice them to ghosts and gods."

Sha Lifei felt his scalp go numb. "You suspect they're going to bring troops here to attack Zigui County? Do you think they are coming from the north or the south?"

Daoist Feng shook his head and sighed. "The Jingchu mountain tribes to the north would have to cross Shennongjia to get here. They're currently facing the imperial court's main forces, and reinforcements from the various prefectures are already on the way, so they probably can't spare the manpower. The most likely direction is from the south."

Sha Lifei scratched his head. "Then what do we do? Should we call the Daoist and get out of here while we still can?"

Li Yan said solemnly, "Since we agreed to help Assistant Prefect Zhou, we should investigate first. Besides, how could the military make no noise at all? Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, and many mystic path cultivators will be coming with them. We can leave then."

Daoist Feng also sighed and nodded. "There's no urgent need to flee right now, but we still have to be careful. Once war breaks out, even cultivators are worth no more than grass!"

The tunnel exit beneath the City God Temple had been excavated very cleverly. It opened at the bend of a small mountain hollow and was extremely well concealed. The three pushed up the trapdoor through falling dirt, climbed out, then scattered soil and stones back over it. Even if someone passed by, it would be very difficult to notice.

There were two places they needed to investigate: the old temple west of the city and Bao'en Guangxiao Temple outside the north gate. Since the tunnel exit was on the western side of the city, they naturally headed to the old temple first.

As they walked, Daoist Feng explained, "The temple is beside the Chixi River. The locals call it the Chishen Temple. It was built by the authorities, so it is also known as the Old Official Temple."

Li Yan casually asked, "Is it a Daoist temple or a Buddhist monastery?"

Daoist Feng shook his head in response. "It belongs to the local Daoist shrines, and has quite a history. This temple was originally called the Huangmo God Temple. It was first built during the Tang era.

“In the Xiantong era, Xiao Gou was demoted from his post as Right Historian and exiled to southern Qian. When he passed through the Three Gorges and stopped at Zigui, he dreamed of a divine being with red hair and green eyes, who called himself the Huangmo God and offered to protect him until he left the region. Xiao later became Chancellor. When the god appeared in another dream to bid him farewell, Xiao had this temple built.

"Afterward, the Huangmo God became a water deity of the Three Gorges and was said to be highly efficacious at the time. Boatmen and local commoners frequently came to worship him. But after the Song, during the Daxing era, the temple stopped displaying miracles, and its incense gradually declined.

"Now, after years without repairs, it is close to collapsing. Only one lonely old man lives in the temple, cleaning and maintaining it..."

As they spoke, the three had already reached the banks of the Chixi River. The sky was overcast that day, with a fine misty rain falling over the lands. Many commoners were walking along the riverside beneath oil-paper umbrellas, old and young alike. Some carried baskets, while others held paper streamers made from white paper folded into ingot shapes. They moved in small groups toward the nearby hills.

Seeing Li Yan and Sha Lifei notice the distinctive paper streamers, Daoist Feng explained briefly, "That's a local custom where they hang grave streamers on the tombs of their ancestors."

He then shook his head with a bitter smile. "The Qingming Festival has arrived. I should normally be extremely busy around now, but this year's Three Processions Festival probably won't be held."

Li Yan comforted him. "Once the chaos is over and enforcement spirit troops are established here, the Three Processions Festival will surely become even more lively."

The Qingming Festival, the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and the first day of the tenth lunar month were collectively known as the Three Great Ghost Festivals. Yin energy from the earth surged during these periods, and ghosts and wandering souls became especially active.

Thus, grand City God processions were held at such times throughout the Divine Continent. Processions would carry the City God through the streets amid deafening gongs and drums. Commoners who wished to fulfill vows or atone for sins would dress in prison clothes, put on shackles and cangues, and follow the procession disguised as prisoners, resembling ghost criminals being escorted through the underworld.

At the same time, enforcement spirit troops would also go out on patrol, roaming the nearby mountains and rivers to suppress ghosts and wandering spirits, preventing them from causing trouble.

The Three Processions Festival was extremely important for City God Temples throughout the land, even more so than the temple fairs held during the New Year. However, given Guizhou City's current situation, there was clearly no way to hold it.

As they talked, the group followed the Chixi River to a bend in the water. Peach trees had been planted all around, their blossoms blooming in clusters as petals drifted through the air. An old ruined temple could faintly be seen amid the peach grove.

Most of the outer wall had collapsed. Several side halls had also fallen into severe disrepair over the years; some had already collapsed, while others had roofs overgrown with wormwood, with large holes broken through them. Only the main hall still remained barely intact.

With the temple wall already collapsed, there was naturally nothing blocking the way. As they saw thin wisps of cooking smoke rising from within, the three entered the main hall beneath their oil-paper umbrellas in the fine rain.

"Daoist Feng, you're here."

The old man who guarded the temple came out at the sound of their arrival. His clothes were ragged, his hair entirely white, and he looked scarcely better than a beggar. He also walked with a limp.

Daoist Feng frowned. "Who beat you?"

The old man sighed repeatedly. "A few young beggars passing through wanted to seize the ruined temple for themselves. If something strange hadn't happened inside and scared them away, this old man might not even have survived."

Daoist Feng looked apologetic. "There's been too much going on lately, so I haven't had time to visit you. Once I return, I'll have someone send over some rice, flour, oil, and lamp fuel."

The old man's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly thanked him. "Daoist, you are truly compassionate."

Daoist Feng nodded and asked, "What strange thing exactly happened in the temple? We came here this time specifically to investigate it."

"It's nothing much." The old man turned to look toward the temple hall and sighed. "Lately, whenever night falls, faint crying can be heard from inside the main hall. But whenever I carry a torch inside, there's no one there.

"The moment I leave, the candles extinguish themselves and the crying starts again. The nearby villagers have been so frightened that none of them dare come close anymore. Perhaps some lonely wandering ghost has taken up residence in the temple."

Sha Lifei frowned and revealed a puzzled look. "Old man, aren't you afraid?"

The old man looked completely calm as he explained, "This old man has no family and no one to rely on. Living in this world, how am I any different from a lonely wandering ghost? We're all pitiful creatures. There's nothing to fear."

But Daoist Feng shook his head slightly. "Things have been unsettled lately. You should probably leave sooner rather than later, in case something happens."

The old man shook his head. "No need. I'm used to living here. Even if I die in this place, I'll die at peace."

Daoist Feng sighed and stopped trying to persuade him, instead asking the old man to lead them toward the main hall.

The wooden doors of the hall had long since disappeared, leaving the entrance wide open. Even before stepping inside, they could see how dilapidated it was. A fierce-looking statue was covered in grime, its paint peeling and mottled. The entire figure was already badly decayed.

Unlike the rest who felt nothing at sight of the once magnificent statue, the instant Li Yan stepped into the hall, the Summoning Writ started to heat up as white mist began rising all around them.