Chapter 55

In the distance, several shadowy figures moved, stopping and starting again. Upon closer inspection, they could see that these people carried weapons—some had swords, others had staffs, and one even brandished a pitchfork, waving it around awkwardly. As they approached, they spoke with an air of dominance, implying that if they didn’t come out willingly, they would set the mountains on fire to flush them out.

However, despite their tough talk, their movements were careful, and the leading figure hesitated, retreating a bit before being pushed back by the others who scolded him.

After a while, Chen Shu quietly asked Shen Jie, “Can we just slip away?” Shen Jie tapped her head, prompting her to stay quiet and hide behind her, obediently waiting for those people to slowly make their way up to the dam.

“…Who are you!” The one pushed to the front finally spoke up.

Now that they were closer, it became clear these figures mostly wore specially selected dark clothing, designed for nighttime. From afar, they seemed fuzzy, and even Shen Jie, who was typically sharp-eyed, only noticed this once they reached the fork in the path. Up close, the clothing revealed itself to be of varying quality; some were patched, others worn with straw raincoats, and there was one person at the center of the group whose clothes were neat and even bore an intricate pattern, showing their rich value under the moonlight.

Shen Jie’s gaze landed precisely on this person.

“We’re just passing through, traveling late at night, and have no intention of disturbing anyone, which is why we crossed the Yingqiu Dam. Who are you?”

“We—we are certainly sent by the authorities—”

The lead person said half a sentence, but was cut off by someone else barking orders. On closer inspection, the one giving orders was indeed the well-dressed individual. He slapped the lead person, silencing him. The lead figure bowed his head slightly and stepped aside, allowing him to walk out from the crowd, brandishing a knife at Shen Jie.

This knife seemed rather fine; while it wasn’t as sharp as the legendary blades that could slice iron like mud, it still glinted coldly, its edge very sharp.

“What do you care about us? I see you two avoiding the question and being very suspicious. If you don’t give me your names, I’d advise you to be careful!”

At this, Chen Shu’s eyes brightened a bit as she couldn’t help but poke Shen Jie’s waist, wanting to lean forward to whisper something. But Shen Jie gently covered Chen Shu’s hand with her palm, wrapping her long fingers around it like she was holding a little cub’s paw, ensuring she wouldn’t poke about any longer.

Shen Jie remained calm, slightly tilting her head to whisper to Chen Shu, “…I understand.”

Her three simple words were perplexing yet exuded confidence, as if she understood Chen Shu’s thoughts. Chen Shu felt inexplicably reassured, and upon being grasped, she quieted down.

“Well, since you ask so directly, to be honest, we do have important matters to attend to, but…” Shen Jie raised her voice, “… if it’s an important matter, it must be something the authorities should ask about. Since you’ve asked, I am willing to tell you but I don’t know if you have the courage to listen!”

Her voice boomed, vibrant and strong, sending a shiver down the spine of the lead figure, who trembled, unsure if he should intervene. From the shadows, someone quietly suggested, “Perhaps the master should let them go… we’re just here to do our job, and now we’ve been discovered…”

“What nonsense are you babbling?” the leader snapped, even turning around to press his knife against the chest of the one who spoke. His attempt at intimidation was a weak one; the way he held the knife suggested he was either too weak to keep it up or was just uncomfortable, so he kept it at chest level. “Who are you to speak? If this goes wrong, I wonder if you can handle the consequences!”

“Oh?” Shen Jie asked. “You also have important matters? Explain it to me; who knows, I might be kind enough to help you—as I see your ‘strongmen’ behind you, each one looking rather sickly. I doubt their strength is greater than the waiter at my house. How can they help you with anything?”

Her words struck directly at their hearts; among them, some secretly nodded, and others disregarded the leader’s intimidating tone, bravely speaking up, “Exactly, we have no strength; we didn’t even receive our silver from last night…”

“Why are you all so talkative?” the leader grew angry, likely realizing Shen Jie was trying to sow discord among them. With their hearts divided, trying to maintain control over the rest was growing more difficult, so he turned back to Shen Jie, saying, “I see you truly don’t care for your life. You dare to inquire about the affairs of the court? If you’re just passing through, be gone. Otherwise, I might arrest you and toss you into the authorities’ custody for ten days or half a month, letting you starve to death in this deep mountains and old forests!”

The empty Yingqiu Dam echoed with his harsh words, the wind unable to enter, and the water unable to remain. The low-hanging moon cast its light everywhere, making the entire dam feel like a giant bowl. The threatening words lingered and echoed across the dam, refusing to fade.

Even Shen Jie found it hard to suppress laughter. She deliberately paused, sizing up the leader, pursing her lips until the annoyance became more evident on his face and then said, “Whether I can inquire into official matters, I might not know. But all of you—all in black, all in brown, and some with their faces covered—none are dressed for mingling with people, especially arriving at this dam on such a dark and windy night—”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” the leader asked.

This time, before Shen Jie could even respond, someone cautiously spoke up from behind him.

“Sir, she thinks our behavior is suspicious…”

“More than suspicious!” Shen Jie laughed heartily twice. He pulled Chen Shu aside, revealing the breached embankment behind them, and declared aloud, “The Yingqiu Weir embankment stood firm for years—how is it that just two days ago, such a huge breach appeared? In my past work for the authorities, I encountered many bizarre cases. Often, the perpetrators, consumed by guilt despite their monstrous deeds, couldn’t resist returning to the scene of their crime when the investigation began—just to look, just to check.”

Among the group, those with quicker wits grasped Shen Jie’s implication and opened their mouths to refute him. But their overbearing leader had been ordering them about so harshly that they’d lost the will to argue now. They glanced at Shen Jie, then at their leader, and fell silent.

Only one remained determined to defend the group. He retorted, “What do you know! It’s true this breach in the Yingqiu Weir was smashed intentionally, but precisely because we are acting on the court’s orders, we are here to—”

“—And such people, when caught, always invent excuses to deceive the investigating officers,” Shen Jie continued, unmoved. “Some claim they’re concerned about the case. Some invent clues on the spot. Some, utterly brazen, even pretend to be court officials, hoping to slip through—”

By this point, his meaning was painfully clear. Even the leader finally understood. Enraged beyond words, he pointed his blade, sputtering “You!” a few times before regaining his composure enough to snarl, “—Amusing! But while your words clearly point the finger at us, you forget one crucial thing!

“Who arrives at Yingqiu in the dead of night, sneaking about? Who spins lies upon meeting others? Brazenly claims they work for the court? How do we not know you are the true thief you speak of!”

——

Within the walls of Yingqiu City, shortly after entering the gates, lay the county yamen—the residence of the County Magistrate of Yingqiu City. While the city itself was undeniably dilapidated, upon turning onto the street leading to the yamen, stepping over its threshold into a world of neatly laid bricks and tiles, deep red walls surrounding courtyards, willow trees lining the steps, and blossoms in the garden, one could faintly discern signs of recent refurbishment.

In the murky night, the only place ablaze with lights throughout the entire city was this yamen.

Candles burned continuously, from the doorframe all the way to the main hall, the study, even beside the flowerbeds in the rear garden. Wax dripped down them plentifully, seemingly without care for cost. When one guttered out, a yamen runner would silently come to replace it with a fresh candle.

Amidst this courtyard blazing with bright candlelight, however, not a sound emerged from the buildings within. Only the night wind whispered against the window lattices, occasionally accompanied by the footsteps of a runner hastening past on official business. It cast an eerie and strangely unsettling atmosphere over the brilliant illumination.

Only after a long moment did the sound of rustling fabric come from the Magistrate’s study. Then, his voice followed, sounding measured and not at all unpleasant:

“This specimen you’ve brought doesn’t seem like any rare medicinal herb to me. Frankly, it looks just like a common weed.”

Immediately, another voice answered.

“You misunderstand, Your Honor. This Herb of Immortals is a lost treasure from ancient times, so rare it was never recorded in any compendium. But by divine fortune, my great-grandfather chanced upon a trace of its secrets hidden within our family’s ancestral prescriptions. On his deathbed, defying heaven’s will, he passed this knowledge to me. Only then did I realize its preciousness! And this very plant—I traversed mountains and rivers to reach the frigid northlands, scaled treacherous cliffs, expended all the strength I could muster—nearly died to pluck this singular treasure! I nurtured it daily with ice, bore countless hardships just to bring it back to the heartlands—and you, Your Honor, were the first I thought to gift it to!”

“Hmm. Your dedication is noted.” The Magistrate offered dismissive praise, before adding, “I acknowledge your loyalty. But this pitiful plant couldn’t even deceive me. How do you imagine it would fool those vicious, world-traveling thieves over there? And when the rage of the Valley of Villains falls upon us—do we offer my head? Or yours? Abandon this foolish notion.”

Just as it seemed the herb-seller might attempt another plea, rapid footsteps echoed from outside the yamen. Someone hurried inside before their voice, pitched loudly, crossed the threshold:

“—Your Honor! The County Security Official—he and the others… he’s back!”

His shout was unnervingly loud, like thunder exploding within the quietude of the yamen, startling the two occupants within the study. The Magistrate recovered first, muttering curses as he stepped forward.

“What’s the panic? Didn’t I order that lieutenant to properly patch that damnable breach in the embankment?!” He barked. Then, evidently deciding his tone wasn’t sufficiently imposing, raised his volume further: “What is he doing back already? Slacking off again? That man’s mind is mush—utterly incapable of grasping priorities! Tell him to get his hide back out there now! If that embankment isn’t fixed before the court inspectors arrive, we’ll all face the music!”

“No! Cough, cough… No, Your Honor! It’s not that!” gasped the messenger, bent over at the study door trying to catch his breath. “Your Honor… the County Security Official… he says… the perpetrators who smashed the embankment—”

“—They’ve been captured!”