Chapter 274: Method

Soon after leaving the inn, Li Huowang arrived once again at the county yamen, the residence of Pixian's highest authority. The entrance was flanked by two stone lions and featured a large drum.

This time, Li Huowang had no intention of sneaking in. Instead, he openly approached the gate and instructed those inside to report his presence to the county magistrate.

Perhaps anyone else acting this way would have been dismissed as an unreasonable rogue and thrown out.

However, Li Huowang, dressed in a red Daoist robe, carrying two long swords, and wearing a copper coin mask, explicitly stated that he could resolve Pixian's problem of 'shrinking yang and yin.' He was immediately invited inside with respect.

Magistrate Yang Hongzhi of Pixian picked up his blue and white porcelain teacup. Using the lid, he pushed aside the tea leaves floating on the surface before carefully taking a sip.

As he sipped his tea, he re-evaluated the peculiar stranger before him. The man's strange attire made it difficult for the magistrate to discern his background.

According to information gathered by Head Constable Luo, this person had arrived in Pixian with a 'pink opera' troupe. Based on their direction of travel, they likely hailed from Qingqiu.

Most crucially, the man claimed he could resolve the 'shrinking yang and yin' affliction, a torment that had plagued him for a considerable time.

His own son was still suffering, so even the slightest possibility of a cure warranted an attempt.

As Yang Hongzhi observed Li Huowang, Li Huowang, in turn, carefully noted the magistrate's various expressions.

After carefully analyzing the meaning behind the man's facial expressions, Li Huowang formed a plan for his next move.

“Magistrate Yang, please explain what’s going on,” Li Huowang began, breaking the strange silence between them. “My department is quite busy, and I have no time to waste.”

To quickly grasp the details of the evil spirit causing the 'shrinking' affliction and to secure the full cooperation of the Pixian yamen, Li Huowang decided to impersonate an official from the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring, believing other approaches might prove ineffective.

In such a dire situation, it was highly improbable that the magistrate, as the local authority, would not have already informed the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring.

Since the problem still existed, it implied either the Bureau hadn't dispatched anyone, or their agents had arrived but failed to resolve the issue. This provided Li Huowang with an opportune moment to achieve his goals.

Upon hearing Li Huowang mention 'my department,' Magistrate Yang was startled, almost dropping his teacup from the sudden jolt. He hastily set it down on the table, clasped his hands together, and bowed excitedly towards Li Huowang.

“Heavens above!” exclaimed the magistrate. “The Ministry of Rites has finally sent you! Oh, I’ve been waiting to death! I’ve sent at least a hundred pigeon letters, and each time I was told to calm the public and await good news. But I can’t even calm myself, let alone the hearts of the people!”

As Yang Hongzhi continued to pour out his grievances, Li Huowang's initial apprehension eased. Seeing that his deception had worked, he discarded the alternative explanation he had prepared.

“Enough, Magistrate Yang,” Li Huowang interjected. “There’s no time for idle chatter. Tell me the entire story, from beginning to end. How did this 'shrinking' phenomenon appear, and when did it start?”

Compared to the innkeeper, the magistrate surely possessed more knowledge. To confront the unseen, intangible ghost that had already fixated on him, Li Huowang needed to gather as much information as possible.

“Ah! This all began on the Ghost Festival this year, at Dead Man’s Slope, about five li east of the county. There was a night watchman, he…”

As he spoke, Magistrate Yang suddenly remembered something. He stopped mid-sentence, his mouth agape, and a look of fear spread across his face.

“Go on, what happened?” Li Huowang urged, leaning slightly forward as he questioned him.

Instead of answering Li Huowang’s question, the magistrate began to change the subject. With a conflicted expression, he bowed again to Li Huowang.

“Esteemed master, you must save the people of Pixian! Everyone’s lives depend on it!”

Just as Li Huowang was about to question him again, he suddenly paused. He realized the magistrate’s concerns were identical to those of the deceased innkeeper.

“Are you afraid the ghost will bother you if you speak?” Li Huowang asked. “Don’t worry. Just speak boldly. Since I am here, I will certainly handle it for you.”

To Li Huowang’s surprise, Magistrate Yang, instead of showing relief, suddenly leaped several feet into the air and scurried away from Li Huowang as if avoiding a plague.

A moment later, he returned with several constables dressed in green. Each man held a small copper gong, from the back of which hung a red cloth pouch.

They surrounded Li Huowang, continuously beating their gongs and chanting, “No offense to the strange, no blame to the official! No offense to the strange, no blame to the official!”

Li Huowang watched their comical actions with a bewildered expression. “What are you doing? Can this method actually deal with the invisible ghost?”

Upon hearing Li Huowang’s question, Magistrate Yang nodded vigorously.

Only then did Li Huowang notice that each man held large iron clamps, firmly gripping their middle fingers, which were already bruised black but still held tight.

One of the constables, drenched in sweat from banging the gong, turned to Li Huowang and said anxiously, “Hurry! That thing has targeted you! If you don’t want to shrink to death, quickly do as we do! We’re all in the same boat; why would I harm you?”

Li Huowang’s body instantly tensed at these words. He reached out, took a copper gong, and began circling and beating it as well.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, the series of events unfolding in Pixian filled him with a peculiar sense of familiarity, one that was both recognizable and deeply unsettling.

As he contemplated, the others surrounding him began a new series of actions.

They hung the red ropes from their hands around their necks, letting them hang on their backs like turtle shells. Then, they dropped to all fours and began crawling around the round table.

This sight was both bizarre and absurd. More importantly, the others were now casting urgent glances his way, silently imploring him to join them.

“Is this truly effective?” Li Huowang wondered. “How do they know this works against the ghost that steals one’s essence?”

Just as Li Huowang fastened the copper gong around his neck, the others suddenly spread their legs as if urinating like dogs.

However, they weren’t urinating. Instead, they pulled down their trousers, grabbed a handful of red chili powder from behind their gongs, and sprinkled it onto their private parts.

Even as the spice made them grimace, they showed no hesitation, continuing to crawl with their gongs on their backs, sprinkling the powder as they moved.

“True Man, hurry!” they urged. “Quickly learn from us! If you don’t, you’ll die soon!”

Watching the absurd and comical scene unfolding before him, a frowning Li Huowang walked closer. He slowly squatted down and reached for a handful of chili powder.

After a moment of hesitation, he slowly opened his hand, watching the bright red chili powder drift from his palm to the ground.

“Why does this feel excessively fake?” he mused. “Even if this world has gone mad, this is utterly preposterous. It’s like a damn joke!”