Chapter 19

The group waited in the woods for about an hour, then they heard the sound of hooves coming down the road. When they emerged from the woods, they saw a group of riders coming from the direction of Liangxiang County. The first person was Zhong Fu, whom they had sent to report the incident, followed by over a dozen riders, who, by their attire, seemed to be constables from Liangxiang County.

As the horsemen approached, Zhong Fu reined in his horse, jumped down, and ran up to Qingchen, somewhat out of breath, saying, "Taoist Qingchen, I reported the incident to Liangxiang County, and the magistrate took it very seriously. He has already dispatched the head of the constables, Zheng Boming, along with a group of constables to come here." Before he finished speaking, a constable who was shorter and somewhat thinner dismounted from his horse, leading the other constables to Qingchen, and said with a smile, "Is this Taoist Qingchen? I am Zheng Boming, the head of the constables of Liangxiang County. I have been ordered by the magistrate to inspect the bodies of the bandits. Please, Taoist Qingchen, show me where they are."

Qingchen bowed and said, "Thank you, Head Constable Zheng. Please follow me." With that, he led the constables to the place where the bandits' bodies lay.

The constables saw nine corpses on the ground, all of them robust and muscular, while the Taoists looked pale and weak. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, it would have been hard to believe that these Taoists had won the fight. These seemingly ordinary Taoists must have practiced for many years and possessed extraordinary martial arts skills. As they were lost in thought, the constable named Wu Zuo, who had come with them, began to examine the bodies. Head Constable Zheng also joined in, turning over each body one by one. As he did so, his mind was filled with surprise and doubt. As the head of the constables in Liangxiang County, he was very familiar with the local underworld. As he examined each body, he found that these bandits were all notorious figures in Liangxiang County. In particular, the last body he saw was that of a black-faced giant, who was none other than Shi Feihu, the leader of the bandits in Liangxiang County, known as "Liangxiang Tiger." This bandit leader was a significant figure in Liangxiang County, and although the county office had tried to capture him many times, they had never succeeded. First, he had some martial arts skills, and three or four people couldn't get close to him. Second, he had many informants in the city and held some officials hostage, so every time the county office took action, he would get the news in advance and escape. The constables and officials had been reprimanded by the magistrate many times, but they had no way to catch him. It was unexpected that such a troublesome figure would be killed here today. The constables felt a great sense of relief, and since the magistrate had instructed them to treat these Taoists kindly as they were his friends, they were very polite and friendly to the Taoists.

While others were still identifying and moving the bodies, Head Constable Zheng and Qingchen had already returned to the woods. Head Constable Zheng listened to Qingchen's brief account of what happened—of course, he didn't mention the use of magical weapons—and said casually, "Taoist, rest assured. These people are all notorious in Liangxiang County, especially Shi Feihu, the black giant who died on the west side, who was a great scourge of Liangxiang. Now that you have eliminated them, it is a great relief to everyone. Not only are you not guilty, but you have done a great service. Moreover, you are friends of the magistrate and Mr. Zhong, so I will report the truth to the magistrate and request rewards for you."

Qingchen thought for a moment and then said, "We Taoists are recluses, and rewards are of no use to us. It would be better to attribute the credit for killing Shi Feihu to Head Constable Zheng and the constables. What do you think, Head Constable?"

When he heard that Qingchen was willing to give him the credit for killing "Liangxiang Tiger," Zheng Boming's eyes lit up. After all, to eliminate this scourge, the magistrate had offered a reward of 100 guan. Moreover, when the steward Zhong reported the incident, he did not specify the details of the fight, only saying that they were attacked by bandits while buying supplies, and the bandits had been dispersed. As long as he and the other constables coordinated, they could return and fabricate a story about discovering Shi Feihu hiding in the woods and killing him. Even if they couldn't get the entire 100 guan, they could still get a significant share. Although he was eager to accept, Head Constable Zheng repeatedly refused, until Qingchen pretended to be angry, and he reluctantly agreed. Thus, the constables got the credit, and the Taoists gained connections, and both sides were happy.

After all the bodies were identified and moved to the side of the road in the woods, Head Constable Zheng sent people to the nearby village to find the village headman to collect the bodies. By then, the sun was already setting, and the sound of hooves could be heard coming from the west. Qingchen and Zhang Weixin, along with others, went to the side of the road to look, and saw five or six riders galloping towards them. As they got closer, they recognized Wang Feng and Zhong Ziqi, who had gone to report the incident to Mr. Zhong's residence in Huangjiadian, followed by Zhong Shiwén, the eldest son of the Zhong family, and two servants.

The five riders reined in their horses and dismounted. Zhong Shiwén hurriedly walked up to Zhang Weixin, and after a brief exchange of greetings, he said, "I'm glad you and your companions are safe. I was really worried. Have the constables from Liangxiang County arrived?"

Zhang Weixin replied, "Thank you, Young Master Zhong. The constables from Liangxiang County have arrived, led by Head Constable Zheng Boming. They have already completed the investigation. Since this involves a murder, we need to trouble you to come along for safety."

Zhong Shiwén waved his hand and said, "Brother Zhang, you are too polite. With our friendship, there's no need to say such things. Where is Head Constable Zheng? I want to meet him."

Zhang Weixin led him to the woods to meet Head Constable Zheng. Zhong Shiwén and Head Constable Zheng were acquaintances, and after a brief exchange, they got to the point. Zhong Shiwén conveyed Mr. Zhong's wishes, hoping that this matter would not cause any trouble for the magistrate or his Taoist friends. He wanted it resolved as soon as possible, and he was willing to spend more money if necessary. The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and he wanted everyone to have a good time. Head Constable Zheng naturally agreed, assuring Young Master Zhong with a smile, "Young Master Zhong, rest assured. I have already examined the bodies of the bandits, and they are all notorious figures in Liangxiang County. The county office has long wanted to punish them but never had the right opportunity. Now that they have been eliminated by the Taoists, they will be rewarded, not punished."

Hearing this, Zhong Shiwén felt relieved and praised the magistrate for his wise judgment and Head Constable Zheng for his skill. Head Constable Zheng was flattered and promised to handle the matter properly, assuring Young Master Zhong to return with the Taoists and not worry.

After some more casual conversation, it was almost dark, and the village headman had brought the villagers to start moving the bodies. Zhong Shiwén bid farewell to Head Constable Zheng and led everyone back. There were now ten people and six horses, so some had to share. Zhong Shiwén and his sister, and Zhang Weixin, each rode alone, while the others shared.

Because they were sharing horses, the pace was slow. By the time they reached Zhoukou Town, it was completely dark, around 8 PM. Everyone was tired and hungry, especially Wang Feng and Zhong Ziqi, who had fought in the afternoon and had been running around all day. They were starving. So when they reached the town, Zhong Shiwén suggested they go to eat, and everyone agreed. As they were discussing where to eat, they heard someone shout, "Is that Senior Qingchen?"

Everyone looked up and saw a rider coming down the road. The rider was one of the Taoist boys who had gone back to report the incident, followed by two large carts. Qingchen hurriedly went up to him and asked, "Why did you come back? I told you to report the incident and then not come back. The road to the temple is winding, and it would be a waste of time to come back and forth. If we hadn't met here, you would have had to run another ten miles for nothing."

The Taoist boy looked very aggrieved and was about to explain when someone on the cart said, "Brother Qingchen, don't blame him. This was my idea. I asked him to lead the way." The person got off the cart, and Qingchen recognized Wang Xiaojun, one of the "returnees." He must have been worried about his companions' safety, so Qingchen understood. Zhang Weixin and the others, seeing Wang Xiaojun, hurriedly gathered around, and more people got off the cart, including Zeng Zhilin, Qian Yuanshan, Tang Chao, Cheng Fei, Liang Ziyue, and Lin Xiaoyu. Qian Yuanshan, Tang Chao, and Cheng Fei were carrying strange-shaped backpacks, which were likely 95-style automatic rifles. Everyone crowded around, asking questions. The narrow street of Zhoukou Town was soon blocked by these real and fake Taoists. Qingchen saw this and hurriedly said to Wang Xiaojun, "Brother Wang, this won't do. We are too conspicuous."

Wang Xiaojun agreed and turned to the crowd, shouting, "Everyone, stop the greetings. This is not the place to talk. Let's find a place to eat and talk there." Everyone reacted and hurriedly got back on the carts and horses, following Zhong Shiwén to the largest restaurant in town, "Feihong Building."

Feihong Building, though called a building, only had two floors, but it was considered a tall structure in Zhoukou Town. Despite it being past the dinner hour, there were still many customers, indicating that the restaurant was well-known. When everyone entered Feihong Building, the owner and the staff, as well as the customers, were surprised to see so many Taoists. They relaxed when they saw Zhong Shiwén, a familiar face. The owner, Pei Bai'an, hurriedly came over, bowed to Zhong Shiwén, and asked with a smile, "I see you, Young Master Zhong. What brings you and these Taoists here?"

Zhong Shiwén, seeing his hesitation, explained, "Owner Pei, don't be surprised. These are Taoists from Yuxu Palace, and they are all my friends. They went to Liangxiang County to perform a ritual and returned late. We met in this town, and I decided to treat them to a meal. Your restaurant is the most spacious in Zhoukou Town, so I came to you."

Pei Bai'an, hearing this, was delighted. With so many people eating, and Young Master Zhong being generous, he would surely make a lot of money. He hurriedly instructed the staff to prepare the largest private room on the second floor and invited everyone to sit.

The largest private room on the second floor had two tables. Everyone found seats, and the dishes started coming one after another. After being hungry for a long time, they didn't care about etiquette and started eating voraciously. After a feast, everyone was full and sat in their chairs, drinking tea and chatting. The conversation naturally revolved around the incident on the road. Those who experienced it described it vividly, and those who didn't listened with great interest. When it came to the part about shooting the bandits, Wang Feng exaggerated himself as a genius marksman, which earned him the scorn of everyone except Zhong Ziqi. In the innocent Zhong Ziqi's eyes, this modern Zhou Yu, who saved her life, was already a towering figure. Whatever he said was right, and she believed him. Zeng Zhilin and Tang Chao, though they despised this guy for deceiving a naive girl, found the fight exciting and regretted not going to the county. After a satisfying meal, under Zhong Shiwén's arrangement, some went back to the Zhong residence and Yuxu Palace to report safety, while the rest stayed at an inn for the night.

The next morning, the group reorganized their horses and carriages and set off for their destination, gradually disappearing on the road outside Zhoukou Town. They didn't notice a pair of hateful eyes watching them from the woods. The owner of these eyes was Shi Feibao, the younger brother of "Liangxiang Tiger" Shi Feihu. Unlike his brother, he was not as robust but had a pair of swift legs. Yesterday, when the situation turned bad, he ran away and was the first to escape the range of the guns. However, he didn't go far and kept observing the powerful Taoists from a distance. He followed them from the fight scene to Zhoukou Town, thanks to his swift legs. Last night, he planned to attack them while they slept, but the night watch system in Zhoukou Town prevented him from finding an opportunity. So early in the morning, he could only watch the Taoists leave the town, feeling helpless. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "A gentleman takes revenge after ten years. We'll see." He then turned and headed towards Liangxiang County. He had decided that since these Taoists were hard to deal with, he would first find the scattered bandits and then go after Xu Wuchi, who had deceived his brother and caused all this trouble.

Twenty days later, a major news story broke in Liangxiang County: the son of the county schoolmaster, Xu Wuchi, had been kidnapped. Despite spending a lot of money, Xu Wuchi's father couldn't get his son back and had to seek help from the magistrate. The magistrate was furious and assigned the case to Head Constable Zheng with a deadline. Head Constable Zheng, taking the case seriously, dispatched a large number of people to investigate. Eventually, he found a clue and determined that the kidnappers were Shi Feibao, the younger brother of "Liangxiang Tiger," and his accomplices, and discovered their hideout. Head Constable Zheng immediately reported to the magistrate, who ordered him to capture them. Since the number of bandits was significant, the county warden was also dispatched with 100 soldiers to help. After a fierce battle, all the bandits were captured except for Shi Feibao and a close confidant who were not in the hideout. From then on, the security in Liangxiang County improved, and the people praised the magistrate as a just official. The magistrate, feeling elated, did not forget the county warden and Head Constable Zheng, rewarding them and writing a report to the Nanjing Prefecture to request commendations for everyone. The only regret was that although Xu Wuchi was rescued, he had lost a hand and a foot, becoming disabled. This was mainly because his father had not paid the ransom in time, and the bandits had taken his son's limbs to pressure him. This small regret was inevitable, but the officials' achievements were still commendable.

The people of Liangxiang County were all happy, and there is no need to elaborate. As for Shi Feibao, who had escaped twice, he was now a wanted man in Liangxiang County, with nowhere to hide. With no other choice, he and his only remaining accomplice joined the bandits on Xayun Ridge, not far from there.