Chapter Eleven: Knowing Where You Stand
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At the entrance of the alley by the well in Youjia Lane.
A fabric shop was still open, and an elderly woman sat in the corner weaving cloth, a basin of charcoal fire at her feet.
Yiheng entered the shop and noticed a cotton-thread woven cat resting on the counter. He picked up the cotton cat and asked the old woman, “How much for this cat?”
“Thirty copper coins, young master. These are just things I weave in my spare time.”
“All right.”
Yiheng took a small silver coin from his pouch and dropped it into the bamboo basket beside the old woman. Seeing the silver coin, she said, “Young master, this cotton cat doesn’t cost that much. I’ll give you change.” She stood to fetch the money.
Yiheng hurried to stop her. “No need. Consider the extra money as payment for some information. Just tell me the truth.”
A smile lit her face. “Young master, what do you want to ask?”
“Do you know if Wu, the chief clerk of the county office, lives around here?”
“He does. Walk straight ahead; the house with the tree outside is his.”
“Then, madam, you must have watched Wu grow up?”
“He was a child I used to change when he wet his pants.” The old woman looked surprised. “Why are you asking about him?”
“I’m a constable at the county office. There’s a case recently that might involve Wu. The magistrate asked me to inquire carefully to avoid implicating innocent people.”
“Wu is a good man. He works under the magistrate. How could he be involved in wrongdoing?”
“It’s complicated. Better not pry too much; you might get into trouble.”
“Okay, I won’t ask.”
“Do you know if Wu has had any unusual behavior or hobbies lately?”
The woman fumbled with her hair, thinking for a moment. “I heard from the neighbor Wang Xiaomei that he’s been spending all his time at the Drunken Flower Pavilion, bragging that he wants to redeem one of the singing girls.”
Yiheng’s lips curled slightly. “Anything else?”
“About ten days ago, a group of burly men stormed his house, ransacking everything. I heard they owed a huge gambling debt to the gambling house, and its thugs came after him... I don’t know if Wu paid it off, but those men haven’t been seen since.”
The old woman gestured vividly, as if she had witnessed it herself. When she looked up, the young man had already vanished outside.
She sheepishly closed her mouth, sighed, and returned to her loom. “Young people nowadays don’t even wait for others to finish speaking.”
...
“Where is the young master?”
Captain Zhao stood at the entrance of Hejia Lane, anxiously scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, he spotted Yiheng strolling out of a narrow alley and quickly approached, respectfully saying, “Young master, I have gathered the information you asked for.”
“Speak.” Yiheng replied calmly.
“The locksmith said that about ten days ago, Wu asked him to make a key.”
“Did the locksmith keep any imprint or mold of the key?”
“This is the key.” Captain Zhao produced the key from his pocket. “I asked the blacksmith to copy it based on the mold.”
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Yiheng took the key, patted Zhao’s shoulder, and said, “Well done.”
Captain Zhao asked, “Young master, what do you need this key for?”
“I won’t tell you for now.” With that, Yiheng turned and walked ahead.
Zhao hurried after him, unable to resist asking, “Young master, where are we headed?”
“Back to the county office. I have something to ask Shuyuan.” Yiheng answered casually without stopping.
“Wait for me!” Zhao quickened his pace, jogging to catch up.
...
In the backyard of the county office, sunlight fell warmly on a stone table.
Li Shuyuan wore a light pink silk dress, with an exquisite jade hairpin in her bun, sitting leisurely.
She lightly picked up a melon seed with her left hand, elegantly placed it in her mouth with a crisp snap, while holding a fine goat hair brush in her right, concentrated on painting on rice paper.
At that moment, Yiheng walked in lightly through the archway, a faint smile on his lips, calling out:
“Shuyuan, I have something to ask you.” After several calls without a response, he grew puzzled and tiptoed closer to see her immersed in painting.
But when his eyes landed on the “masterpiece” before her, they widened in astonishment. “Good heavens, what on earth is this?”
“Ah! Brother, why did you come all of a sudden?” Li Shuyuan jumped like a frightened kitten, quickly covering her painting with both hands, shaking her head like a rattle. “Don’t look, absolutely not!”
Yiheng refused to back down. Staring intently at the painting, he pointed at a bizarre figure, laughing uncontrollably: “Are you drawing me?”
The figure carried a long pole over its shoulder with a half-moon object hanging beside—barely recognizable as a bow and arrow.
Its facial features were oddly squished together, making it comical.
Its hands were drawn thick as thighs, while its legs were thin as sugarcane, yet wore ridiculously large boots.
“Good grief, isn’t this exactly what I wore when I entered the city?”
Yiheng laughed and feigned sorrow: “I’m no Pan An, but at least my features are regular and handsome. How did your brush turn me into a hideous monster? Shuyuan, your art is truly ‘unique’—one that makes people see you differently!”
“Brother, you’re mean! Hmph, I’ll make you pay!”
She lunged at Yiheng to bite his hand but ended up hurting her own teeth.
“Brother, your skin is harder than a pig’s.”
Yiheng froze, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Why are you so close again?”
“Are you okay, brother?” Li Shuyuan asked hesitantly.
“Maybe.” After a moment and finding no problem, Yiheng breathed out in relief.
He then asked, “I have a question. Do you remember Aunt Liu searching for her lost son years ago?”
“Why do you ask that now?”
“Just curious.”
“Oh, that. Aunt Liu once asked Father to help find her missing son. Father searched for a while but never found him. Later, it was dropped.”
“Maybe it’s just as I suspected.”
Yiheng turned to leave. Li Shuyuan called out, “Brother, where are you going?”
“To handle something. Keep painting—but stop drawing me.”
Waving to her, Yiheng hummed a cheerful nursery rhyme as he walked out:
“There was a mountain, in the mountain a temple, in the temple a pot, in the pot a basin...”
Suddenly, “ouch!” He stepped squarely on a sugarcane peel and unexpectedly fell.
Struggling to stand, he was abruptly shoved by the rushing Captain Zhao into the already frozen pond.
“Young master, why are you bathing in the pond?”
Zhao hurriedly reached out to pull Yiheng. The latter snapped angrily, “I’m not bathing! You pushed me in. Hurry and pull me out!”
Zhao sheepishly smiled, “The ground was too slippery. I lost control.”
“Brother, it’s freezing cold. Go wash with hot water and change your clothes.”
Li Shuyuan approached, but Yiheng waved her off, “Don’t come near. I’m going to change now.” With that, he dragged his soaked clothes and dashed away.
Outside the county office gate, horses’ hooves clattered rapidly. A constable rode in, dismounting quickly and rushing inside.
“Sir, bad news!”
In the backyard pavilion, Magistrate Li calmly practiced the life-nurturing exercises taught by Yiheng’s master. Hearing the commotion, he remained composed.
After finishing, he exhaled deeply, took the towel offered by a maid, slowly wiping his brow, and said evenly, “I always say, stay calm in emergencies. Why are you so panicked?”
“Sir, something serious has happened in the city!”
“What is it? Speak quickly.”
“Just received word that several townsfolk disappeared last night. Even the night watchman Wu Lao Liu is missing.”
The magistrate’s expression hardened. “Immediately order the captains to lead teams to search the entire city. Close the gates—no one in or out. We must see the living or the dead.”
Seeing the constable hesitate, he asked, “Anything else? Speak freely.”
“Sir, three days ago, several townsfolk were found drained of blood. I suspect these disappearances are related to demons.”
After a moment’s thought, the magistrate said, “If demons are involved, inform the owner of the Blue-Robed Teahouse. She will send someone to handle it.”
“Yes, sir!” The constable took his orders and left in haste.
Magistrate Li handed the towel to the maid and sighed deeply, “Troubles keep coming in these turbulent times. The official seal is still missing, and now demons are killing people!”