Chu Jin left after delivering the warning, and Lu Zheng continued on towards the Happy Peace Restaurant.
“The bad news is that Leng Li has entered Great Jing. The good news is that he’s gravely injured, and he escaped by blood flight on top of that, so he’s basically added injury to injury. In theory, he won’t be able to lift a finger for another five, six, seven, eight years.”
Lu Zheng muttered to himself, “If that’s the case, there’s actually no rush. If he really comes knocking, isn’t that just delivering himself on a plate?”
Of course, one couldn’t rule out the possibility that the master of Mount Duyushan possessed some heaven-defying healing treasure.
So…
He had only walked halfway when he looked up and saw Constable Liu hurrying towards the east gate with more than a dozen officers.
“Master Lu!”
“Constable Liu!” Lu Zheng cupped his hands. “So early, what’s happened?”
“Last night some wolf cubs came down from Tushan and injured a few people. We’ve been ordered to go into the mountains and cull them.”
Lu Zheng’s pupils contracted. “Wolf cubs?”
“That’s right.” Constable Liu nodded. “The wolf packs in the mountains, either they’ve bred too fast or they’ve run into a natural enemy, are coming down again looking for food. We have to kill a few and drive the rest back.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes flickered, then he asked, “Going into the mountains to hunt them, don’t you need to mobilise the garrison?”
Before Constable Liu could speak, another officer laughed. “Why does Master Lu look down on us? They’re only ordinary grey wolves. How could we possibly need the provincial garrison for that?”
The Great Jing dynasty stationed troops in every province, but Yizhou was inland and had few soldiers. They were all concentrated at the prefectural army camp; Tonglin County had none.
Constable Liu smiled. “If wild beasts became too much of a menace, the county magistrate might have to report to the prefecture and request troops. But for a mere pack of wolves, we don’t need the army. We’ll pick up a few hunters from Tushan Market and that will be enough.”
Lu Zheng understood.
Although Constable Liu and his men had not cultivated martial blood qi, they trained their bodies daily and, thanks to the environment, were actually quite strong. Armed with long blades and hard crossbows, ordinary wolves were no match for them.
Seeing that Constable Liu didn’t seem concerned, Lu Zheng simply asked, “Does this kind of thing happen often every year?”
“All the time. It’s spring; the beasts have energy to burn and keep probing the villages and towns. Most places drive them off with their own militia.”
Constable Liu explained, “Tushan Market is only a small settlement with hardly any militia, so they reported it and we have to go and take a look.”
“Got it. Then I wish you good hunting.” Lu Zheng cupped his hands with a smile.
“Not at all! Many thanks for your kind words, Master.” Constable Liu returned the courtesy cheerfully, then strode off energetically with his men.
Lu Zheng shook his head, telling himself he was being oversensitive, and carried on.
This time nothing else happened. He reached the Happy Peace Restaurant without further incident and, sure enough, ran into another acquaintance.
“Old Master Wang!”
“Master Lu! Long time no see!” Old Master Wang beamed, cupped his hands, then pulled Lu Zheng down to sit beside him.
“After the New Year, Xiao Wan came home. She and I paid a visit to your residence, but we heard you had returned to your sect. I was just wondering when to call again, and here you are, already back.” Old Master Wang laughed.
Lu Zheng nodded with a smile. “I stayed at the sect for over a month. Only just returned.”
Old Master Wang chuckled politely and chatted about things Wang Xiaowan had mentioned.
Wang Xiaowan had displayed extraordinary strength the moment she entered the sect. Old Master Wang had heard from her that, young as Lu Zheng was, his power was already almost on a par with her master’s.
So Old Master Wang knew his place: strict within the family, amiable outside, and especially deferential before Lu Zheng.
Tea and snacks were served. The storyteller strolled leisurely onto the stage.
A slap of the wood block, and the tale began.
…
Lu Zheng listened to stories all morning and chatted with Old Master Wang. He learned that Wang Xiaowan was currently cultivating hard at home.
“Cultivation should balance work and rest. Bitter seclusion alone is not ideal,” Lu Zheng remarked, then continued, “On ordinary days she could visit Qingyan and Yueyao for a chat or go to the theatre together. Of course, if Miss Wang is advancing by leaps and bounds, just pretend I said nothing.”
“That would be wonderful!”
Old Master Wang had been worrying about how to grow closer to Lu Zheng’s family, so he naturally agreed at once.
After tipping the storyteller a few copper coins, the two men went downstairs together. They had just reached the city centre and were about to part when they saw Constable Liu hurrying back with a few officers.
“Hm?”
“Master Lu!”
Constable Liu’s eyes lit up. He rushed over.
“What is it?”
“It’s an anomaly!” Constable Liu pulled a yellow paper talisman from his breast pocket. The edges were already slightly singed.
“This is the Anomaly-Detecting Talisman distributed by the prefecture to local yamen officers. It reveals whether a case involves ordinary crime or supernatural forces.”
Constable Liu showed the talisman to Lu Zheng. “I took my men to Tushan Market and followed the wolves’ trail into the mountains. We hadn’t gone far and hadn’t even seen the pack when this talisman in my pocket started burning.”
Encountering something supernatural, Constable Liu naturally dared not proceed. He immediately withdrew, left a few officers at the market, and hurried back to the county seat to decide whether to report to the Anomaly Suppression Department or send a visiting card to White Cloud Temple.
“I see.” Lu Zheng nodded. He knew this was standard procedure when county officers encountered demons or ghosts. If the matter was minor or no one had died, they usually avoided reporting upwards and simply asked White Cloud Temple for help.
If the county magistrate instructed Constable Liu to send a card to White Cloud Temple, Daoist Ming Zhang would probably pass the job straight to Lu Zheng.
“Fine. Go back and report to the magistrate first. I’ll take a look. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” Lu Zheng said.
“Yes, yes, yes! Many thanks, Master Lu! Many thanks!” Constable Liu bowed repeatedly.
Old Master Wang, standing to the side, interjected, “Is there anything my daughter can help with?”
“No need.” Lu Zheng shook his head. Though it probably wasn’t Leng Li making a move, Wang Xiaowan’s cultivation was still too low. Better to keep her out of it for safety.
He said goodbye to Old Master Wang, nodded to Constable Liu, then vanished on the spot, leaving both men staring in shock.
…
Using an invisibility spell, Lu Zheng summoned a white cloud, soared into the sky, and soon reached Tushan Market, thirty-odd li east of the city.
Lu Zheng had heard the name of this market town just a few days ago; Guangyue and Guangyi had stayed here one night on their way back.
Located not far from the official road, it had originally been a resting place for travellers who could not reach Tonglin County before nightfall. Over time, more people passed through, inns, restaurants, and shops sprang up, turning it into a small supply stop.
Because the residents were mostly merchants and few people lived there permanently, they had no organised militia. That was why, as soon as someone was injured, they reported it to the county and asked Constable Liu to bring men.
