Chapter 17: Volunteering for Duty

In truth, Shang Lu had already anticipated this outcome before he ever set foot in the yamen. The constables of Luoshui County, when there was nothing to be gained, always preferred to avoid trouble rather than seek it out. Expecting them to take the initiative to investigate the strange happenings on Yunhua Mountain was nothing short of wishful thinking.

But Shang Lu was unwilling to simply let the matter drop. There was something amiss on Yunhua Mountain, of that he was certain. The mountain had been sealed off by rain and mist for days, and those dwelling within had likely already met with misfortune—hence the monstrous serpent descending from the fog to attack travelers.

If he ignored it, more people would surely fall victim, and the evil influence within the mountain would only grow stronger. Moreover, Yunhua Mountain was not far from Shuanggui Village; if the evil within was not eradicated, his parents would be in danger as well.

To exorcise such an evil, one could not act rashly. First, the situation must be thoroughly investigated—if the serpent was not the only menace on the mountain, and there were even more formidable evils lurking, charging in blindly would be tantamount to serving oneself up as a meal.

With solid evidence, no matter how slothful Captains Niu and Ma might be, they would have no choice but to report the incident; failing to do so would constitute gross dereliction of duty.

Thus, Shang Lu volunteered himself, couching his words in consideration for his superiors. “Captains, may I have the white-clad constables under my command look into this matter? If the rumors of evil on Yunhua Mountain prove unfounded, all will rejoice. But should there truly be trouble, the two of you can report it in time, and avoid any blame for negligence.”

Ma’s face darkened at Shang Lu’s persistence, and he was about to rebuke him, but Niu’s eyes turned, and he interjected first, agreeing. “Very well. But you must not spread word of this, lest you incite unnecessary panic and trouble. If you discover anything, you must immediately report to us and not act recklessly.”

Ma shot Niu a frown but did not intervene.

Shang Lu immediately clasped his hands in acknowledgement. “Your orders will be obeyed.”

At the same time, he felt a weight lift from his heart. If the captains had refused, he would have pressed on with his investigation regardless, but that would only have invited suspicion and obstruction, and his own men would likely have been unwilling to exert themselves.

Now, with Captain Niu’s approval, investigating the strange occurrences on Yunhua Mountain became official business, not a private errand. Even if Sun Ying and Captain Ma continued to question his motives, at least his men would be compelled to take the task seriously, rather than shirk their duties simply because he was soon to be “dismissed.”

With the performance review looming, Shang Lu’s main priority during this time was still to improve his cultivation. Without sufficient cultivation, passing the review or entering the rain-shrouded mountain to exorcise evil would be nothing but a fool’s dream. He had to use his limited time as wisely as possible for his training. The investigation of Yunhua Mountain’s mysteries would have to rely on his subordinates.

If they shirked their duties, the investigation would be delayed and its results compromised.

After Shang Lu left the office, Captain Ma finally turned to his counterpart, his tone sharp. “Old Niu, why did you agree to that?”

“Why not?” Niu replied with a smile, then explained his reasoning. “The way I see it, Shang Lu knows he’s not going to pass next month’s review—so he’s trying to rack up a few more merits, so that when he’s dismissed, he’ll at least receive some extra rewards and rice. Whatever else, the man has bled for the yamen; he deserves a chance.”

Ma frowned. “But what merit is there in investigating a mere rumor?”

Niu chuckled. “To us, it’s just a rumor, but not to Shang Lu. He probably thinks a secret realm has appeared on Yunhua Mountain.”

“A secret realm? No wonder he’s so eager.”

Ma mulled this over and admitted to himself that Niu’s analysis had some truth to it. With twenty days left before the review, and Shang Lu’s internal injuries making it impossible for him to recover his former cultivation, he was like a drowning man clutching at straws—desperate for any chance at survival.

So, hearing rumors of evil on Yunhua Mountain on his way home, he naively linked it to the possibility of a secret realm, believing he’d stumbled upon his lifeline, and was eager to report and investigate.

But this was nothing more than a desperate man grasping at shadows—not unlike praying to gods and ghosts for help, bound to come to nothing.

Having convinced himself he understood Shang Lu’s motives, Ma sneered. “Granted, the appearance of a secret realm is usually accompanied by strange happenings. But if it really were a secret realm, the shaman-officials would have arrived already—they wouldn’t need a little constable like him to investigate.”

“Let him look into it,” Niu replied with a laugh. “His men have nothing else to do. If they find nothing, it costs us nothing. But if they do uncover something—be it a secret realm or just some evil harming people—when we report it, even if it’s not a great merit, at least we’ll avoid the blame for negligence.”

Ma frowned. “Aren’t you worried this will affect the performance review?”

Niu scoffed. “When have our men ever been so efficient? By the time they get to the bottom of this, the review will be over. And if not, we can just wait until it’s finished before reporting—what’s the harm?”

Ma pondered a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Niu changed the subject, feigning concern for Ma. “Old Ma, your cultivation has been slipping these past two years. You need to earn more merit. Otherwise, if you’re graded as ‘inferior’ in the review, what will you do?”

An ‘inferior’ grade wouldn’t lead to immediate demotion or dismissal like failing outright, but it would still mean punishment and a disciplinary record. And if there was no improvement next time, demotion or dismissal would be unavoidable.

Niu’s “concern” clearly annoyed Ma, whose face darkened. “My affairs are none of your business.”

His cultivation had indeed declined these past two years, but he wasn’t worried about the review. He had connections at the prefecture and had already spent enough silver to ensure his results wouldn’t be poor. What truly rankled him was his own decline; if he hadn’t slipped, or better yet, advanced another level, he might have used his connections and his silver to rise from clerk to official.

But whether it was a matter of limited talent or some misstep in cultivation, his efforts these past years had been fruitless, and his dream of becoming an official was all but dashed—unless some miraculous encounter came his way.

But such miracles are not so easily found.

Having stirred up some resentment, Captain Niu simply grinned and buried himself in his work, saying nothing more. Captain Ma, his face grim, fell into a brooding silence. The office lapsed into stillness.

Meanwhile, after leaving the office, Shang Lu did not hurry home. Instead, he remained in the Third Division’s courtyard, waiting for Du Feng and the others to return.

Over an hour later, they finally arrived. As soon as Du Feng entered and saw Shang Lu, he greeted him with a smile and a cupped-fist salute. “Chief Lu, you’re still here waiting for our report? Rest assured, we’ve handled the assignment thoroughly.”

“We visited every home of those Black Wind Gang members—didn’t miss a one. Before leaving, we even hid nearby for a while and saw several families sending people out of the city at once, heading straight for Shuanggui Village to deliver the news…”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Shang Lu said, smiling as he drew a handful of copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to Du Feng and the others.

Du Feng hurriedly tried to refuse. “Chief, we’re just doing our duty for you—how can we accept money for it?”

The other white-clad constables had been reaching for the coins, but at this, they too withdrew their hands and demurred.

Shang Lu pressed the coins into their hands regardless, his tone earnest. “This was a private matter, not official business. You brothers have worked hard; it’s only right that I buy you some tea to refresh yourselves.”

Hearing this, they finally stopped refusing and accepted the coins with thanks.

“There’s one more job I need to entrust to you,” Shang Lu continued, his expression turning serious as he spoke of investigating the mysterious happenings on Yunhua Mountain.

As before, Du Feng agreed without hesitation. The other constables, however, looked troubled, unsure whether to accept. This task sounded troublesome at best, and possibly dangerous—there was nothing to gain, and they wanted no part of it.

Shang Lu was not angered by this. He simply stated calmly, “This is a task assigned by Captain Niu.”

Only then did the constables accept the order with alacrity, their attitudes changing completely.

“I’ve been bitten by a mad dog and can’t move about easily, so I must trouble you with the investigation. But remember: do not venture rashly into the rain and mist on Yunhua Mountain, lest you encounter danger!”

The constables nodded eagerly. They had no desire to take risks in the first place—and Shang Lu’s instructions suited them perfectly.