Chapter 40: Arms Race? (Please add to favorites, please continue reading)

Before reaching the main hall, Shang Lu had already taken out the written testimony from the food box. Now, upon hearing the magistrate’s inquiry, he immediately handed over the statement and recounted the events aloud.

The magistrate read through the statement but did not pass it to the registrar. Instead, he handed it to the young shaman beside him, saying he wished for his superior’s instruction.

The young shaman replied that “instruction is too strong a word,” yet examined the statement with great care. In the midst of his scrutiny, he performed a complex hand seal, murmured an incantation, and summoned the three-eyed spirit mask he had used earlier while reviewing the records of merit.

There were not many words in the testimony. The young shaman swept his three eyes over it, then dismissed the magic, his face returning to normal. He nodded and said, “All of it is truthful, without a single falsehood.”

Shang Lu had already noticed the young shaman’s prowess earlier that afternoon. This testimony was written specifically for his eyes—how could he dare falsify it and seek his own doom?

The young shaman handed the statement to his companion, who shook his head, uninterested. Only then did he pass it to the registrar, giving a cold snort. “A few local ruffians brought harm to the countryside. When stopped by officials, not only did they refuse to surrender, they even attempted to detain and kill the officers. Lawless! They deserved it!”

With this judgment, Shang Lu’s actions were seen as meritorious, free from fault.

The registrar glanced at the testimony and nodded his agreement. They were but mere rogues from the Black Wind Gang; their deaths mattered little. What truly irked him was the gang’s increasing audacity. The performance assessments had just concluded, and the shamans had not even left—yet the gang dared to attack government officers. It was as if the authorities meant nothing to them; who knew what lawless deeds they might attempt in the future?

“Zhao Hai must be taught a lesson!” the registrar thought, unaware that some zealous soul had already done so—quite literally, breaking his head open.

The magistrate summoned a clerk from the criminal office, handing him Shang Lu’s statement and instructing him to conclude the case as “criminals resisted arrest, officials lawfully subdued them.”

Thus, the killing of those Black Wind Gang miscreants not only cleared Shang Lu of guilt but also added to his record of merit.

Then, the magistrate turned to the main topic: “Shang Lu, the reason we summoned you tonight is to ask about Mount Yunhua. Captains Niu and Ma reported that there are evil spirits in the mountain and that you were sent to investigate?”

Shang Lu replied in the affirmative, though inwardly he scoffed. When he first reported the strange occurrences at Mount Yunhua to Captains Niu and Ma, they had scolded him for meddling. Now, with their superior’s attention, they were eager to claim the credit.

Shang Lu was not so foolish as to expose them, and instead earnestly recounted all he knew. The two shamans listened attentively, occasionally interrupting with pointed questions. When he finished, they conferred quietly, and, satisfied, dismissed him.

The elder shaman stroked his beard and mused, “A mist that abducts people, a monstrous snake that devours men… Whether a secret realm has emerged in Mount Yunhua is not yet certain, but clearly, some malevolence is at work.”

“I agree,” the younger shaman nodded. “The same seems to be happening at Eaglefall Pool.”

That evening, the two shamans summoned all the officers of Luoshui County, questioning them about any unusual incidents. In addition to the matters at Mount Yunhua, several runners mentioned Eaglefall Pool, saying they’d heard tales of monstrous fish devouring people—many an angler had disappeared, becoming prey rather than catching it.

“Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll investigate Mount Yunhua, you’ll look into Eaglefall Pool. If it’s merely malevolence, we’ll eradicate it. But if it truly is a secret realm, send word to the Shamanic Institute so that it may be explored and developed swiftly,” the elder shaman decided without hesitation.

“Agreed,” the younger replied, somewhat puzzled by his companion’s eagerness, as if he feared being tasked with Mount Yunhua, but he gave it no further thought.

They rose, ready to depart at once. The magistrate and registrar tried to dissuade them, urging them to wait until morning as it was late and raining heavily. The two shamans shook their heads in unison: “Matters of a secret realm brook no delay.”

They instructed the magistrate and registrar to prepare themselves: should a secret realm truly appear in Luoshui County, they would need to borrow men from the yamen before the Institute’s arrival. Both officials agreed readily; should such an opportunity arise, it would be a great boon for them as well.

The shamans also ordered them to keep the matter secret. This time, though the officials nodded, they were inwardly troubled—how could secrecy be maintained when the investigation was so public?

Having concluded, the elder shaman produced a yellow slip of paper, swiftly tore it into the shape of a crane, and, with a few quick gestures, tossed it into the air. The paper crane instantly grew, let out a sharp cry, and the shaman mounted it, flying out of the main hall.

The younger shaman wiped his face with his hand, his features transforming into a fierce, blue-tinged spirit mask. Wisps of blue smoke issued from the mask, wrapping around him, and his body began to change, sprouting tumorous growths. He looked monstrous, but his speed increased dramatically. With a leap, he dashed into the rain, moving so swiftly it was as if he ran upon the storm itself.

At that moment, Shang Lu was waiting just ahead, sheltered under the eaves of the Six Offices, not having gone far. He was not alone; Captains Niu and Ma, Du Feng, and the others who had investigated Mount Yunhua or reported the events at Eaglefall Pool were all there as well.

They lingered, unsure if the shamans might call them back for further questioning.

However, Shi Fan and Chu Xing, who had pledged themselves to Sun Ying, were not among them. They were likely still at Mount Yunhua, and Shang Lu wondered how Captain Ma had explained their absence to the shamans.

Shang Lu joined Du Feng, and after only a few words, they saw the two shamans depart in the rain—each by their own otherworldly means.

“Riding a paper crane—impressive, certainly, but on a rainy night like this, won’t it get soaked and ruined, sending him crashing down?” Shang Lu mused with a touch of envy.

Just then, the magistrate sent word that they were all dismissed, but warned them not to leave the county for the next few days. If the shamans returned and needed to question them, they must be available at once.

The officers acknowledged the order and departed. Captain Ma considered calling Shang Lu back for a word, but restrained himself in the end.

Though Du Feng lived in the yamen’s dormitories, he did not hurry back; instead, he accompanied Shang Lu out of the compound. Making sure no one was around, Du Feng lowered his voice and asked with an air of mystery, “Lu, do you know why the Shamanic Institute is suddenly recruiting new members? And not just from their usual ranks, but from everyone?”

“Do you know?” Shang Lu looked at him, surprised.

Du Feng nodded. “I have a friend who knows a maid in the magistrate’s household. During a banquet for the shamans, she was serving and overheard some talk. She said that the Shamanic Institute of Chu is planning something major, and we’re just following their lead…”

“What does the Chu Institute’s grand scheme have to do with us?”

“That’s the thing—we don’t know. The shamans didn’t elaborate, and neither the magistrate nor registrar dared ask. But the maid said that, after the shamans revealed the news, the atmosphere at the table grew tense, and the magistrate muttered something about ‘wolves with ambitions can’t be trusted.’”

Tense atmosphere, and a curse about wolves with treacherous hearts? Could it be that the Chu Institute’s grand move is in preparation for war against other states? Is Ba seeking to avoid becoming Chu’s prey, prompting the Institute to expand and compete in military strength?

But why not recruit earlier? Shamans are not artisans—they can’t be trained in a few months. Without several years, even a decade of rigorous cultivation, few would ever succeed.

Is there some deeper concern? Is the saying true, that their arts must not be lightly taught?