Chapter Four: The Justice Office Envoy and the Black Cloud Tiger

Han Chong focused his mind, attempting to seek out the trace of the blood-shadow serpent at his chest. Yet all he sensed was a vague haze, as though shrouded by a layer of fog—he found nothing.

He opened his eyes, shook his head, and surveyed his surroundings.

It was the hour of the Pig. Those nine constables had long since fled in panic.

He needed to catch up with them quickly and transport the three carriages of silver back.

At this moment, Han Chong’s strength was surging, as if he had inexhaustible energy. He sprinted back along the path they’d come, knowing that the nine constables, most of them severely wounded, could not have gotten far.

Indeed, after half an hour’s pursuit, he spotted a few of those cowards ahead, supporting each other, staggering and cursing as they crept back along the road.

“Stop!” Han Chong thundered.

The nine constables were startled, collapsing to their knees in terror, begging for mercy and calling him “Grandfather Monster” in their panic.

“Hmph! Who’s the monster here? Open your eyes and see who I am!”

Han Chong’s face was stern as water as he spoke in a low voice.

“Ah! Deputy Chief Han! You’re not dead?”

The constables rubbed their eyes hard, their eyeballs nearly popping out, mouths agape wide enough to swallow an egg.

“My life isn’t so easily taken. Get up, now! Return with me! The headless ghost has already been vanquished by me!”

Han Chong checked his system—his essence had only recovered two points, not even enough to spit a spark.

If that old fox were to double back, he truly would be doomed.

“Yes, yes! At your command, Chief Han! Your might is unmatched, your life as long as heaven’s!”

“Enough flattery. Move quickly!”

Han Chong’s thoughts churned. Now he was certain the county magistrate was a fox spirit in disguise, but he did not know if the official documents were genuine.

Yet even if they were, it mattered little. The fox spirit, having lost its right arm, would never dare return to accuse him.

“Chief, are we still going to Peijun Prefecture?”

“No, we’re heading back! The county magistrate is a fox spirit in disguise, the documents are forgeries. Our only duty is to escort the treasury silver back and await our superiors’ orders.”

Han Chong sat atop the silver-laden carriage, meditating to restore his essence.

That old fox, likely scared senseless, did not dare return.

By dawn, Han Chong’s essence had recovered to twelve points—enough to sleep easy.

At the hour of the Dragon, Han Chong’s group swaggered back into the county office, causing the townsfolk to scratch their heads in wonder.

Before Han Chong could so much as sit for a sip of water, he spotted Kong Liyan inside the yamen, bowing and scraping to a burly man dressed in light blue with a flatfish-stone belt, a bitter gourd face and an upturned nose, apologizing profusely.

Catching sight of Han Chong and the others, Chief Constable Kong seemed to be granted amnesty, hurrying over to pull Han Chong aside.

“Deputy Chief Han, you’re back! Did you see the magistrate?

This is Lord Wang Hongda, a ninth-rank inspector from the Judicial Commissioner’s Yunzhou Division. He arrived early this morning demanding to see the magistrate.

We searched the entire rear office but found no trace of him. I nearly went mad with worry!”

Kong Liyan rattled off a string of words, nearly frothing at the mouth.

“Chief Kong, let me have a drink first. I’ve been up all night—my mouth is dry as dust!”

Han Chong sidestepped them and made for the inner hall, draining three cups of tea in quick succession.

“You little constable! You see an official and offer no greeting, no courtesy at all! Go find your magistrate at once, or I’ll have you punished!”

The upturned-nose inspector huffed, shaking his official robes as he strode to the main seat and berated Han Chong mercilessly.

“So it’s Inspector Wang. I’ve long heard of your reputation. I beg your pardon for neglecting you; I was up all night escorting the treasury silver back to the office.”

Han Chong straightened up and saluted.

“However, I fear the magistrate will not be returning.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that?” The inspector finally deigned to look at Han Chong, his tone still chilly.

“To be honest, Magistrate Li Cheng was actually a fox spirit in disguise, colluding with ghosts to steal the treasury silver. Last night, he tried the same trick, ordering me to escort the silver and seizing the chance to kill and rob me.

Unfortunately for him, I severed a fox paw. He will never dare return to play his part.”

“You—you! A mere constable, speaking such nonsense! The county magistrate, right here in the office!

Every official residence in the Great Feng is warded by a consecrated golden plaque from the Celestial Superintendent; no ghosts or monsters dare enter, let alone replace the magistrate!”

Han Chong frowned slightly. This was a secret he’d only just learned. Could it be that the old fox’s powers were simply that deep?

“I do not know the reason, but I brought back the fox demon’s foreleg as proof.”

Han Chong took the fox’s demon leg from his storage pouch and placed it on the table for inspection.

“This! This is truly monstrous! Such a gigantic fox paw—utterly unheard of!”

“May I ask, my lord, what brings you to this humble county?

Since the magistrate’s whereabouts are unknown, perhaps he has already fallen victim to the fox spirit. We would be glad to assist you.”

Seeing the inspector’s face grow pale and shaken, Han Chong seized the moment to inquire.

“It’s nothing. Recently, the higher-ups received reports that in the six counties under Peijun Prefecture, the number of missing person cases has spiked in the last half-year. Our division of inspectors was ordered to investigate.

If you discover anything unusual, report it to me at once, and we will investigate together.”

“Yes, sir!” Han Chong and Kong Liyan exchanged a glance, both inwardly alarmed. It seemed the situation in Peijun Prefecture was far from peaceful.

Yunzhou’s terrain formed a triangle at the southern edge of the Great Feng, bordering the Ghost Chariot Kingdom to the south, the Black Rock Mountains to the west, and the Five Lakes Marshes to the northeast.

The Silver River ran from northwest to southeast into the sea—a landscape so complex it was famed throughout the empire.

Peijun Prefecture sat at Yunzhou’s southeastern tip, a remote corner of the realm.

Since ancient times, tales of monsters and demons abounded, and commoners often vanished without trace, their fates a mystery.

“Reporting, sir, this office has lately received reports from Saltwater Town in the southeast. The land there is saline and barren, so the townsfolk grow tea to survive.

For hundreds of years they’ve supplied tribute tea to the capital, but in the past three months, the deputy magistrate has reported dozens of disappearances!”

Kong Liyan hesitated, then replied with a forced smile.

“What! Dozens? Why have I never received any report from Qingqian County?”

The inspector leapt to his feet. The Yunzhou Judicial Division’s triennial audit was underway. Even a case with more than ten missing persons counted as a serious crime—neglect could cost one’s official hat!

“Hurry, we must go to Saltwater Town to investigate and report immediately, or the three of us will all be punished!”

He paced anxiously, his face twisted in worry—evidently, he had little backing at court and feared losing his post.

“Lord Wang, lately our Qingqian town has seen an upsurge in supernatural activity. I suspect those incidents in Saltwater Town may be linked to monsters or ghosts. If we go without caution, we may be in grave danger.”

Han Chong’s essence was only half restored and it was unwise to rush off at once.

“Exactly! Deputy Chief Han is absolutely right. I can’t believe I overlooked that—worry clouds the mind!”

The inspector’s face grew even more sorrowful as he paced faster, while Han Chong and Kong Liyan pondered silently.

“I have it!” The inspector suddenly stopped, his cheeks flushed, eyes alight with fervor as though he’d grasped a lifeline.

“The Demon-Slaying Division!”

“The Demon-Slaying Division?” Han Chong and Kong Liyan echoed in confusion.

“Yes, the Demon-Slaying Division is a special bureau of the Great Feng, established specifically to investigate monsters and ghosts. Its rank is two levels higher than the Judicial Commissioner!

Though it has only a tenth the numbers of the Judicial Division, every demon-slayer is a master of arcane arts, empowered to override local officials, with full authority of life and death—they may act first and report later!”

The inspector’s nose turned up even higher, his face glowing with reverence.

So that’s how it was. Han Chong had not expected such an institution. In this world overrun by monsters and ghosts, the efforts of mortal heroes had grown insignificant—only those who cultivated the arcane could make a difference.

Thus, countless ambitious youths dreamed of joining the Demon-Slaying Division, ridding the land of evil and keeping the peace.

“How do we summon a demon-slayer to investigate?” Chief Kong pressed, his face flushed with excitement.

“Heh! The Demon-Slaying Division is our elder brother—I have my ways!”

The inspector grinned smugly, pulling a crimson bamboo tube from his robe and caressing it fondly.

“What’s that?”

“Heh! I haven’t used this treasure in a long time!”

He strode into the courtyard, lit a fuse with a red firestick, and set the bamboo alight.

“A single arrow pierces the clouds—the demon-slayer will appear!”

He raised the red tube skyward; with a sharp whistle, a spark streaked into the blue sky and exploded with a thunderous bang.

In the broad daylight, a black-glowing tiger appeared in the sky, its fangs bared in a downhill charge, as if ready to devour all in its path.

“Hmph! Well? That’s the Demon-Slaying Division’s Black Tiger Totem. Seeing this, any demon-slayer within five hundred li will come!”

The inspector preened, as if he himself were a fearsome demon-slayer.

Chief Kong stared in awe as the black tiger faded, then looked at the inspector with unconcealed envy, which the latter enjoyed immensely.

By contrast, Han Chong’s reaction was subdued.

“What’s this? Deputy Chief Han, do you doubt my sky-piercing black tiger arrow?”

The inspector’s mouth twisted as he snorted coldly.

“Not at all—I too am eager to witness the demon-slayer’s prowess.”

Truth be told, Han Chong was curious to see what skills these demon-slayers possessed, to strike fear into monsters and ghosts alike.

“Hmph, you two just wait and see!”

The inspector returned to his seat, putting on a show of confidence, but he was secretly uneasy.

This signal arrow was no trivial matter—summoning a demon-slayer without cause could result in a severe beating, or even dismissal and imprisonment.

Were it not for the fox’s leg as evidence, he’d never have dared use it.

Moreover, there was no guarantee a demon-slayer was even within five hundred li—if no one arrived by midday, he’d be the laughingstock of these two country constables.

...

To the north of Qingqian County, in Guangwei County, on the third floor of a teahouse, a black-robed woman with a veiled hat sat drinking alone by the window.

Many patrons stole glances her way; though her face was hidden, her graceful silhouette alone was enough to prove she was a stunning beauty.

On her table lay a black-sheathed sword, and at her waist, a black jade tiger pendant with dark tassels—marks of extraordinary identity.

In this small town, anyone bearing a sword was a roving hero, beyond the reach of local officials. None dared approach her with any designs.