Chapter 301
Chapter 301
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 301
>Chapter Title: The County Magistrate
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“We don’t need to thank each other between us, do we? If not for you, I’d have died long ago. Your matters are my matters. Stop crying. Wait for my news.”
Li Huowang patted the back of Bai Lingmiao’s hand and pried her fingers open as he walked toward the door.
He wasn’t good at expressing affection, but he didn’t want her to go through what he had endured. That feeling was truly too agonizing.
Bai Lingmiao hurried after him, her voice laced with worry. “Senior Brother Li, do you know where my parents went?”
“No idea.”
“Then how do we find them?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got status now. There’ll be a way.” Li Huowang flashed the Bureau of Surveillance badge at her.
A whole village vanishing wasn’t a small matter by any means. The county magistrate overseeing Cowheart Village had to know something. That was his starting point for now.
Li Huowang led out a horse, glanced at the map, and mounted up.
He wasn’t much of a rider, but that was fine. A few falls and he’d get the hang of it. Others might break bones, but not him.
After a bumpy ride, a full day and night passed. As dawn broke, Li Huowang finally reached the nearest major county seat.
He eyed the modestly sized city before him and, dusty from travel, led his horse inside by the reins.
Magistrate Wang awoke. Without opening his eyes, he gave a light kick under the covers. The concubine at the other end of the bed promptly slipped out, knelt on the floor with her forehead to the ground. “Allow me to help you dress, my lord.”
Magistrate Wang slowly opened his eyes. With the soft palms of his wives and concubines supporting him, he sat up and extended his hand. A peeled willow twig was promptly placed in it.
He dipped the twig lightly into the fine salt held by a maidservant and scraped it along his teeth.
Once he seemed done, the maidservant swiftly presented a purple sandalwood spittoon.
He took a sip of warm water, swished it around his cheeks, then spat into the spittoon with a bow of his head.
As Magistrate Wang’s eyes drifted shut, the maidservant with the towel carefully wiped his face with a hot cloth.
The face-wiper retreated, and the dressing maidservants circled in with his official robes.
Once the seven or eight maidservants withdrew, he emerged from the bedroom in his indigo official robes, stepping forth gracefully.
The moment he stepped out, a wave of heat hit him. He looked up at the blazing sun overhead, a trace of displeasure crossing his face.
“Such a scorching sun again today. Can’t we get a few comfortable days?”
With that, he strode forward, and the two maidservants with fans hurried to keep pace.
He hadn’t gone far before reaching his large wooden desk for daily business. His capable aide, Master Hu, had been waiting awhile.
“Speak. Any drum complaints lately?”
Master Hu, with his mustache like character eights, forced a smile. “To answer you, my lord, just one today. The plaintiff slipped ten taels of silver.”
“Oh?” Magistrate Wang scooped some crystal-clear cool jelly into his mouth and drawled, “And who’s the defendant?”
“The defendant’s a horse trader from Qingqiu who sells remounts. He gave one tael—but it was gold.”
“Mmm! This cool jelly’s good today! Shame there’s not more.”
Master Hu got the hint at once. “Understood, my lord. I know just what to tell them on the down-low.”
With that, he pulled a sheet of paper from his robe and began reading the complaint aloud.
As Magistrate Wang bobbed his head to the words, he spotted a man crawling right out of the ground at a slant.
At this eerie sight, Magistrate Wang froze, then paled in panic, leaping to his feet. The bowl of cool jelly in his hand spilled across the table.
“Who goes there! How dare you slay an imperial official! The Bureau of Surveillance won’t let this slide!”
Li Huowang eyed the trembling man, too lazy for chit-chat. He flashed the badge. “Got some questions for you.”
Seeing the Bureau of Surveillance badge, Magistrate Wang darted out from behind Master Hu, fawning smile plastered on.
“Ah~ A Bureau of Surveillance expert! Master Hu, tea at once!”
“No need. Tell me—how did the people of Cowheart Village vanish? With so many gone so long, you couldn’t possibly be in the dark.”
The man blinked in surprise, then whispered to Master Hu. “Master Hu, what’s up with Cowheart Village?”
“My lord, don’t you remember? The whole village vanished without a trace somehow. You had Constable Cao look into it. He tried telling you something before, but you were busy.”
“Then why are you standing there? Fetch Cao Xin back now!”
“Constable Cao’s out on street patrol this time! I truly don’t know where he is.”
At this, Magistrate Wang flashed Li Huowang an awkward smile. “Expert, shall I take you to Constable Cao? This is his jurisdiction.”
“Let’s go. Make it quick—I’ve no time to waste.” As Li Huowang headed out, Magistrate Wang and Master Hu scurried after.
“Clang~” A grating wail rang out.
“The magis~trate~ is~ head~ing~ out~!”
At this drawn-out cry, Magistrate Wang, official hat atop his head, hunched into a blue sedan chair.
Halfway in, he turned back with a smile to Li Huowang. “Expert, would you care to ride?”
“Get in the sedan. I’ve no time to waste.”
“Right away, right away.” Smirking inwardly, Magistrate Wang settled in. But before he could get comfortable, Li Huowang’s words chilled him to the bone.
“With so many missing, you didn’t report it to the Bureau of Surveillance?”
Sensing reproach, Magistrate Wang yanked open the curtain and started passing the buck.
“Expert, we’re still investigating! Reporting with nothing found—if we’re wrong, I’d take the heat, no big deal, but wasting your time with a wild goose chase? That’d be a real delay.”
“Oh dear, my deepest apologies. All my subordinates’ fault—dragging their feet on the case, forcing an expert like you to come personally.”
“Once this is done, I’ll host a banquet at Fubai Tower to make amends. Three cups on me as penance!”
Li Huowang waved him off impatiently. “Move it.”
If not for hearing this constable had found something, he’d never bother talking to this blabbermouth.
As the sedan bearers synchronized, the chair swayed with creaks and groans.
The county wasn’t large. Finding a street-patrolling constable was easy. Soon Li Huowang spotted him in green robes, grinning and joking with the women at a brothel door.
Spotting the magistrate’s sedan, the constable and his men snapped to stern attention, straightened their hats, and strode about with feigned diligence on patrol.
“Ah, Magistrate.” Constable Cao cupped his fists toward the sedan.
“Magistrate, out inspecting the folk so early? Pray don’t overtax yourself for the commoners’ sake.”
“Hey, a little hardship for the people—what’s that to me?” Seeing Li Huowang’s darkening face, he turned grave. “Constable Cao, on the Cowheart Village disappearance—anything to report?”
“Think before you speak. This expert from the Bureau of Surveillance came personally!”
“What?” Constable Cao gaped at Li Huowang.
“But it was the Bureau of Surveillance that took the whole village of Cowheart!”