Chapter 4: Everyone Is Eager

"Could it be that he’s found a way to restore his cultivation?"
The stifling heat of the day was already enough to vex anyone, and seeing Shang Lu only heightened Sun Ying’s irritation.
Resentment and rage, once dormant, were stirred by this strange, oppressive weather, swelling beyond control.
"You all continue your patrol. I have something to take care of—I’ll head back to the office."
Sun Ying tossed out this command and spun around, striding quickly toward the county office.
The constables patrolling with him stared in confusion, then turned in unison to look at a burly, dark-faced man in their ranks.
He was the true leader of the patrol.
The black-faced man was both angry and embarrassed, but his complexion was so dark that no one could read the change in his face. He wanted to call out to Sun Ying several times, but ultimately bit his tongue.
Turning back, he caught sight of the odd expressions on his subordinates’ faces.
His temper, already frayed, snapped, and he unleashed his fury on these men, kicking at them and cursing,
"Why are you looking at me? Is there a flower on my face? Get back to patrolling!"
The clerks dared not protest, for none of them had a brother-in-law who was a constable chief.
Sun Ying had no idea what was happening behind him, nor would he have cared if he knew, since he already considered himself a full constable.
He dashed along the streets and soon returned to the third division courtyard of the county office.
Inside the duty room, only Chief Ma was present; Chief Niu was nowhere to be found and hadn’t returned.
Sun Ying burst into the room and cried out, "Sis—Chief."
This time, he was clever enough to switch to the proper title before Chief Ma could scold him.
"Weren’t you out on patrol? Why are you back?" Chief Ma asked with a frown.
Sun Ying hurriedly explained,
"I saw Shang Lu. He was coming back from the grass market outside town, carrying wild chickens, ducks, geese, and big bundles of medicinal herbs. He must be trying to restore his cultivation. Shouldn’t we do something about it?"
Unlike Sun Ying, Chief Ma wasn’t the least bit anxious when he heard this.
He gently waved his bamboo fan and said, "Isn’t it perfectly normal for Shang Lu to want to recover his strength? If he did nothing, that would be strange."
Sun Ying paused, thinking it over; it did make sense.
His agitation eased somewhat, but he remained uneasy. "Are you sure nothing else will happen?"
"What could possibly happen?"
Chief Ma sneered. "His organs are damaged and his cultivation is lost; it’s not so easily restored. Besides, you said he was carrying wild ducks, chickens, and geese. That just proves he’s desperate, grasping at straws."
Sun Ying was puzzled. "How can you tell he’s grasping at straws?"
Chief Ma tapped the table with his fan and analyzed,
"Three animals are sacrificial offerings. If Shang Lu’s buying these, it means he has no other option—he’s pinning his hopes on gods and spirits. He’s neither a priest of the temple nor a shaman; why would the spirits pay him any heed?"

Chief Ma paused, then snorted, "If praying to gods and spirits worked, I’d have succeeded in cleansing my marrow years ago and become an official, not a lowly constable stuck here."
Sun Ying nodded vigorously, feeling his brother-in-law’s reasoning was sound.
Chief Ma continued, "As for the herbs, what good could the grass market possibly offer? Just some tonics for qi and blood, herbs to strengthen sinews and bones. Shang Lu’s condition isn’t something mere herbs can cure."
By now, Sun Ying’s worries had completely vanished.
He wiped sweat from his brow and, grinning, flattered, "No wonder you’re chief—your perspective is so much keener than ours."
Chief Ma wasn’t swayed by flattery. He abruptly switched tones and lectured sternly: "Instead of wasting time worrying, you should focus on your duties, so no one can trip you up."
Sun Ying shrugged it off. "With you here, who would dare?"
Chief Ma smirked, "There’s more than one chief in this division. Forgot? You’ve suffered for it before."
Hearing this, Sun Ying couldn’t help but glance toward the other corner of the duty room, a flash of hatred in his eyes.
That was Chief Niu’s spot, though he wasn’t present now.
When Shang Lu had just ‘died in the line of duty,’ Chief Ma had reported Sun Ying’s promotion along with a sum of silver to the county magistrate.
Barring mishaps, Sun Ying should have replaced Shang Lu as full constable at that time.
But Chief Niu stepped forward, declaring that Shang Lu had just died and, out of respect for the dead, the promotion should wait until after his burial. The magistrate agreed.
To Chief Ma and Sun Ying, Chief Niu’s move was simply to buy time and let someone else bribe their way in. The magistrate, for his part, was eager for a bidding war.
No one expected that on the day of Shang Lu’s burial, he would ‘come back to life’!
Since Shang Lu’s name remained on the register, Sun Ying hadn’t replaced him and Shang Lu retained his position.
If not for the upcoming evaluation, Sun Ying might have waited indefinitely for his promotion.
Thus, within the county office, Sun Ying hated two people most:
The first was Shang Lu, who ‘stole’ his position; the second was Chief Niu, who meddled in the process.
Reminded by his brother-in-law, Sun Ying realized he’d been focusing on the wrong thing.
Shang Lu was now a cripple, unlikely to pass the evaluation. The real threat was Chief Niu causing trouble again.
As Sun Ying was about to leave, Chief Ma, affected by the oppressive heat, suddenly felt a different urge and called him back, whispering advice:
"If you’re really worried about Shang Lu causing trouble again, send someone to disturb his mind. Whether it’s healing or cultivating, tranquility is key; if his mind’s unsettled, his qi and blood will be in chaos."
"Just disturb his mind?"
Sun Ying wasn’t satisfied. He raised his hand in a chopping gesture.
"Why not be straightforward—"
"Idiot!"
Chief Ma glared and hissed, "Next month is the evaluation! If something happens to a full constable now—beaten or killed—even if we find a scapegoat or I pull strings at the prefecture, it will drag down our scores."
Sun Ying understood: stability was paramount before the evaluation; after, grudges could be settled as needed.

"Let Shang Lu live a while longer, then."
As for whom to send to disrupt Shang Lu’s peace, Sun Ying already had the perfect candidate in mind. He left the duty room and immediately sought them out.
Thus, when Shang Lu finished buying herbs at the city’s pharmacy—those he couldn’t find at the grass market—and stepped into the alley near his small courtyard, he was called out from afar by several men hastening toward him.
"What do you want with me? Isn’t it early for debt collection?"
Shang Lu turned and recognized them as members of the Black Wind Gang.
The Black Wind Gang held considerable sway in Luoshui County: monopolizing the night soil business, running gambling dens and brothels, lending money, and secretly trafficking people. They commanded a band of local ruffians and had connections in the office.
Shang Lu’s family had borrowed money from them, at usurious rates.
These gang members, after hailing Shang Lu, were surprisingly polite.
One clasped his hands and said, "Constable Shang, you jest. We’re not here to collect debts. Our boss heard you were injured recently and sent us to check on you. He also has a few words for you."
"What words?" Shang Lu asked, inwardly scoffing. Their empty hands betrayed the insincerity of their visit.
"We heard you’ll be evaluated next month, and our boss wishes you success. He also asks you to tell your parents to tend the fields well, so as not to miss the spring planting. Otherwise, the land price will fall."
On the surface, it was concern and encouragement; in truth, it was a veiled threat:
I know you face the evaluation next month, and I know you’ll fail. We’ll collect early, and your ancestral land will become ours. Be sure to care for it, or we’ll further depress the price, and you’ll never pay off the debt—forced to sell yourself into servitude.
Shang Lu caught the underlying message. Though he seethed inwardly, he showed nothing.
Before regaining his strength, anger would only mark him as powerless.
He smiled and nodded. "I understand. Please thank your boss for his kindness—I’ll repay him someday."
He warmly invited, "Since you’re here, how about coming in for tea?"
"No, thank you!"
The gang members chorused their refusal, shaking their heads like rattles.
Shang Lu’s courtyard had a notorious reputation in Luoshui—a haunted house. Even approaching it made people uneasy; none dared enter.
Afraid Shang Lu would insist, the gang hastily took their leave.
Watching their hurried retreat, Shang Lu narrowed his eyes.
"The evaluation hasn’t even arrived, yet everyone’s so eager—clearly convinced I won’t pass."
He was now a piece of fat meat, and every jackal or rat wanted a bite.
"The dust hasn’t settled yet. Let’s see who ends up devoured—whether you chew me up, or I shatter your teeth."
Shang Lu gave a cold laugh, turned, and strode toward the gloomy depths of his courtyard.