Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Zhong Kui the Reincarnated Ghost Officer
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"A reincarnated ghost officer named Zhong Kui?"
Chen Shi carefully inquired about the details of Zhong Kui's reincarnation. The boatwoman and boatman didn't know much, only that this ghost officer had committed a mistake, fled from the underworld, and reincarnated in Du County of Jinzhou Province.
"Zhong Kui fled to Du County and then lost all trace. Later, someone in the underworld divined that he had already reincarnated."
The boatwoman's eyes flickered as she said, "The living world and the underworld are separate realms. The underworld's people can't easily come to the living world, so they need someone from the living world to handle this for them. You just need to go to Du County, find Zhong Kui, capture him, and hand him over to us."
The boatman continued, "Once we receive Zhong Kui, we'll go to the underworld and help you retrieve your mother's soul. She's not a serious criminal like you, so she's not under heavy guard there."
The boatwoman laughed. "The two of us will succeed without fail!"
Chen Shi eyed the pair suspiciously. The boatman and boatwoman, father and daughter, wore honest smiles on their faces, but he always felt that underworld folk were full of lies. This Zhong Kui was probably no pushover.
The boatman and boatwoman's strength was extraordinarily formidable. If Zhong Kui was truly that weak, why wouldn't they go themselves and instead hand this merit to Chen Shi?
"Fine! I agree!" Chen Shi declared resolutely.
The father and daughter pair breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly urged him off the boat. "You're not going to the brothel, so don't hog our boat. We still need to do business! Times are good right now!"
Chen Shi laughed. "Even ghost officers need to earn money?"
The boatwoman sneered. "If we don't earn money, how do we eat? The rent for where my father and I live costs several taels of silver a month! Add in daily expenses, and money flows out like water. Is Young Master Chen headed to a brothel? This servant girl knows which house has girls who sing the most melodious tunes."
Chen Shi shook his head. "I don't have any money either."
"You can win a girl over with your talent, and she won't charge you." The boatwoman laughed.
Chen Shi jumped onto the shore, not falling for it.
"An ironclad honest man." The boatman praised.
The boatwoman chuckled. "Even an ironclad honest man still fell for our trick, didn't he?"
The boatman also smiled. "He goes to capture Zhong Kui, so we don't have to take the risk. If he wins, it's our merit. If he loses, he's our merit."
The boatwoman laughed. "If he wins, we father and daughter can don disguises, rescue his mother's soul, and repay his favor. Then we bind him and his mother and send them to the underworld—our merit again, and double this time!"
Even the steady boatman couldn't hide his excitement. "Plus the merit from the Little King of Hell's support, the two of us... "
"We win big!" the boatwoman chirped crisply.
Lamps were just lighting up in the Western Capital, crowds weaving through the streets, carriages bumper to bumper and barely moving. Some offered up their Nascent Souls to carry themselves through the air in trails of shimmering light.
Others rode escaping lights of fire, water, or sword, leaving streaks of various colors in the sky from time to time.
But some with insufficient magic fell from the sky or collided midair, perishing together. Then the Congtian Prefecture bailiffs would come to handle it. Chen Shi threaded through the crowded streets toward the inner city, lost in thought.
Just then, Chen Tang came into view, draped in a black cloak, holding a lantern as he waited amid the crowd. Chen Shi walked up, and the two set off together.
Chen Shi recounted the boatman and boatwoman's request. Chen Tang was silent for a moment before asking, "Can they be trusted?"
"They're ghost gods, so their words are ghostly talk—only half believable at best. But whether trustworthy or not, I have to do it." Chen Shi said.
Chen Tang replied, "I'll have someone check on the news about Zhong Kui in Du County first."
Chen Shi shook his head. "You're too conspicuous, with too many eyes on you. I won't use your people—I'll use my own to investigate."
Chen Tang glanced at him but didn't insist on using his own men. "Jinzhou Province governs fifty-four counties, and the Western Capital is one of the province's most prosperous places. Du County lies deep in the northeastern mountains, with treacherous terrain. Be careful when you're out and about."
Chen Shi smiled. "I'll make full preparations."
"There's also an imperial decree appointing you as Ambassador of the Broad Accumulation Depot in the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of money and currency allocation, as well as military supplies scheduling. Tomorrow, go to the ministry to assume your post, then to the depot—someone will show you the ropes."
Chen Tang continued, "Ambassador may not be a high rank, but it's crucial. All the Western Capital's garrisons' armaments and provisions pass through the Broad Accumulation Depot. The court offices' military gear, fire lances, and firearms do too. Every weapon is vital; every pound of gunpowder matters immensely."
Chen Shi said, "Chen Tang, did you buy this post for me with money, or pull strings for nepotism?"
Chen Tang shook his head and gave him a deep look. "In my years as Right Vice Minister, the Broad Accumulation Depot has gone through seven ambassadors. Five had sticky fingers, took what they shouldn't, and lost their heads. The other two squeezed the Western Capital's garrisons and were quietly eliminated—no leads afterward."
Chen Shi felt a chill. Clearly, Chen Tang hadn't bought this post for him.
Chen Tang said, "Someone wants to squeeze you and me, so they put you in as Broad Accumulation Ambassador. Countless eyes are watching. One mistake, and they'll have cause to punish you."
He stopped walking. "Do you know why I reached this third-rank position? It's because I stick to my duties. I handle affairs meticulously, without flaw. The ministry's eight depots and four warehouses have run without hitch under me these years. Now that you're in the ministry too, remember four words."
He shoved the lantern into Chen Shi's hands.
Chen Shi took it and saw that the side facing him read "Circumspect," while the back read "Minor." Circumspect in minor matters.
Chen Tang said, "You're an official at thirteen—if you're not circumspect, people will find leverage. These four words for you and me alike."
Chen Shi studied the words, silent for a moment. "Chen Tang, I won't cause you trouble."
The two returned home, ate dinner, and Chen Shi went to his room. There by the bed was an ambassador's uniform; two more changes hung in the wardrobe. The next morning, Chen Shi donned the uniform. Chen Tang didn't send attendants but had Sun Yisheng lead him to the ministry.
The Ministry of Revenue had a huge staff, mostly clerks and officials from the fifty provinces' Clear吏司, managing finances, population, and supplies across the vast Western Ox Continent. The ministry was bloated, stuffed with retainers from various families, so each division had only a handful of actual workers.
As Chen Shi followed Sun Yisheng, he saw some sipping tea while others dashed between divisions and buildings, legs nearly giving out.
Entering the ministry with them were a few scholars, all middle-aged, also there for ambassador or vice ambassador posts. Chen Shi asked, "Lord Sun, do the ambassadors and vice ambassadors of each depot change frequently?"
"Very frequently."
Sun Yisheng said, "They handle tens of thousands of taels daily. Countless people outside want to send you silver and beauties—just approve a chit and stamp it. One or two days, you can resist temptation, but over time, few can."
"Their predecessors..."
"A few days ago they were alive; now they're probably in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner." "Oh."
They followed the inspecting official to the Broad Accumulation Depot. The vice ambassador and clerks awaited. After introductions, they brought out the ledgers and showed Chen Shi the reserves.
"Sir, the Broad Accumulation Depot has 200,000 ready linked lead bullets, 400,000 mother-child lead bullets, 400,000 clip-target gun lead bullets; 23,000 five-dragon guns, 23,000 three-eyed fire lances, 40,000 bird guns, 80,000 large, medium, and small iron caltrops. Sir, this way please."
Chen Shi gazed at the mountain of bullets and paused before the iron caltrops.
The large ones stood over a man's height, taller than him, covered in iron spikes branded with thunder talismans.
"Sir, these iron caltrops bear thirty-six outer Nine Thunder Talismans and forty-eight inner Five Thunder Talismans, filled with 300 jin of gunpowder and white sugar—called Five Yang Thunder Powder, extremely potent."
A clerk in charge of production explained, "The spikes are loose; any hard impact squeezes the powder inside, detonating it. On explosion, the shell shatters into 3,000 fragments, each spike into 200 shards."
Chen Shi's voice trembled slightly. "Take two out and toss them in the Qu Shang River. This official wants to test their power, see if you've cut corners on me."
The inspecting official and vice ambassadors, clerks exchanged glances and hurriedly said, "Little Chen Sir, you can't!"
Sun Yisheng quickly advised, "Little Chen Sir, no! If you detonate them, the riverbanks will suffer countless casualties! And missing even one piece of gear—you'll answer for it!"
Chen Shi reluctantly looked away, walking forward with many backward glances.
The inspecting official and others exchanged looks, minds aligned: "This ambassador won't last to next month before the Ten Thousand Souls Banner claims him."
"Sir, this way. Here are the supervised cannons."
They hurried after Chen Shi, leading him to inspect cannons and review ledgers. "1,000 ready General Cannons, 2,400 Subdue-Barbarians Cannons, 2,400 Frankish Cannons, 10,000 bowl-mouth guns, 3,000 rockets, 5,000 fire lances."
Chen Shi approached the two-zhang-long General Cannons, clenching his fists to steady his shaking hands from excitement. Seeing the dragon-head rockets, he couldn't hold back—his hands finally trembled.
"This official wants to test one outside!" Chen Shi said.
Sun Yisheng hurriedly blocked him. "Little Chen Sir, you can't test this either!"
Chen Shi examined the rockets: two zhang long, with dragon heads, bodies, even tails—but no legs—filled with powder, painted with wind-and-cloud and thunder talismans.
These could ride winds for dozens of li in the air at high speed, then burst with immense power! On detonation, wind, thunder, fire, smoke, dragon roars, divine dragon force—destroying all!
Chen Shi looked left and right, reluctant to leave.
The clerks whispered among themselves: "This Little Chen Sir might not last till tomorrow before the Ten Thousand Souls Banner."
They led Chen Shi to inspect myriad armaments: bows and arrows, great crossbows, carriage crossbows, long spears, long blades, long axes, vine shields, waist knives, armor, gongs and drums, fire strikers, fire soldier pole-arms, etc.—all talisman-inscribed spirit weapons fed daily incense!
Plus tens of thousands of jin of saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal powder, white sugar, and more.
Chen Shi's eyes went straight, and by the time he finished touring the Broad Accumulation Depot's armaments, it was afternoon. Starving, but exhilarated.
"This official commands so many firearms—he could raze the Western Capital!" he thought darkly.
Sun Yisheng saw his excitement and whispered, "Little Chen Sir, you can't touch the Broad Accumulation Depot's things. Touching them means death by decapitation."
Chen Shi hesitated, then murmured, "What if just one or two?"
He desperately wanted to push every type of spirit weapon out for a test fire.
Sun Yisheng said sternly, "No! The inspecting official reconciles the accounts!"
Chen Shi sighed regretfully and asked the inspecting official beside him, "Sir, are you corrupt?"
The inspecting official shook his head vigorously.
Sun Yisheng fretted inwardly: "Who was so vicious to put Little Chen Sir in this spot, just waiting for him to err?"
But as Broad Beneficence Depot's ambassador, he had his own duties and couldn't watch Chen Shi constantly—he had to return.
At that moment, a group of over ten hurried over, laughing from afar. "Broad Accumulation Ambassador, this official is ordered to requisition firearms! Come out and welcome us!"
Sun Yisheng frowned slightly and looked out. It was a Ma family disciple Chen Shi had beaten on the exam road—seemed called Ma Zongzhou.
Ma Zongzhou now wore official robes, accompanied by over ten exam candidates he'd seen on the road like Zhou Qianying and others, also in official garb—clearly assigned posts after entering the capital.
As juren, it was normal for them to get positions.
From their uniforms, ranks weren't low: some eighth-from, some eighth-rank, and Ma Zongzhou seventh-rank.
Chen Shi led the clerks out of the depot and asked the vice ambassador, "Does sir have documents?"
Ma Zongzhou shoved the vice ambassador aside and approached Chen Shi, laughing. "No business for you here. Chen Shi, this official is Congtian Prefecture's Clerk, seventh rank. Here to requisition firearms and gear—won't you receive and prepare?"
Chen Shi's expression remained even. "Please show your documents, sir."
Ma Zongzhou sat down, grinning. "Chen Shi, you see this official and don't pay respects? Officials outrank by a grade and crush below. I'm two grades above you—kowtow once, and your past offenses against me are forgiven."
Zhou Qianying, Wang Ping, and others looked on laughing.
Chen Shi raised a brow, half-smiling. "You want me to kowtow and apologize?"
Wang Ping laughed. "Lord Chen, Lord Ma showing mercy by accepting your apology is grace. You're ninth rank, he's seventh—plenty of ways to make your life hell."
Zhou Qianying cooed softly, "Exactly, Little Chen Sir. Lord Ma outranks you and is willing to let bygones be bygones. Just bow your head and admit fault."
"Sun Sir, close the gates." Chen Shi said.
Sun Yisheng was stunned.
Chen Shi slowly removed his official robe, saying flatly, "You think I put on these clothes and won't kill anymore?"
He tossed the robe on the ground and walked toward Ma Zongzhou.
Ma Zongzhou sensed trouble, rose immediately, circulated his arts, and turned his spells—but as his qi and blood stirred, Chen Shi was already before him. Agonizing pain exploded in Ma Zongzhou's gut; he flew like a cannonball, smashing into a General Cannon and toppling the massive barrel!
Ma Zongzhou struggled up, only to hear a series of bangs—he looked and saw Zhou Qianying, Wang Ping, and the rest all down.
"I've given Chen Tang face these past days, playing the good boy."
Chen Shi hauled Zhou Qianying up and bound the girl to a dragon-head rocket, propping it on a launch platform.
He walked to Ma Zongzhou, who tried to resist, but Chen Shi shattered his true qi with two punches and bound him to another rocket.
"But even if I kill you all, which of the Thirteen Great Houses dares question it?"
Chen Shi bound them one by one to rockets and said to the dumbfounded Sun Yisheng nearby, "Sun Sir, notify Congtian Prefecture to come apologize, or I'll send them to the heavens."
Sun Yisheng jumped up and bolted outside, yelling, "Don't kill anyone yet!"