Chapter 300: Known County Magistrate

"Should we have thanked you before? If it weren't for you, I'd be dead already. Your business is my business. Don't cry; wait for my news."

Li Huowang patted Bai Lingmiao's hand, gently freed it, and walked out. He wasn't good at expressing affection, but he didn't want Bai Lingmiao to experience what he had gone through; that feeling was truly unbearable.

Bai Lingmiao quickly followed, asking anxiously, "Senior Brother Li, do you know where my parents went?"

"I don't know."

"Then how will you find them?"

"Don't worry, I have status now, and there will be a way." Li Huowang pulled out his Imperial Sky Watcher's badge and showed it to Bai Lingmiao.

The sudden disappearance of an entire village was no small matter. The county magistrate overseeing Ox-Heart Village must know something; he could start there for now.

Li Huowang led out a horse, glanced at the map, and mounted. He wasn't very skilled at riding, but it didn't matter. A few falls would teach him. Others might suffer broken bones, but he would be fine.

Stumbling along, a day and a night passed. As the sky gradually brightened, Li Huowang finally arrived at the largest county town nearby. After a quick look at the medium-sized county town before him, a dust-covered Li Huowang led his horse inside.

Magistrate Wang awoke. Without opening his eyes, he lightly nudged the quilt. The concubine sleeping at the other end of the bed immediately got up, kneeling with her forehead touching the floor. "Begging master to get dressed," she said.

Magistrate Wang slowly opened his eyes and sat up, supported by the soft hands of his wife and concubines. He extended a hand, and a willow twig, already peeled, was placed into it. He lightly dabbed the willow twig onto the fine salt held by a maid, then put it into his mouth and rubbed it against his teeth. When Magistrate Wang seemed finished, a maid quickly picked up the prepared rosewood spittoon. He took a sip of warm water, swished it around in his cheeks, then lowered his head and spat into the spittoon. Seeing Magistrate Wang close his eyes slightly, the maid with the towel carefully wiped his face.

The face-wiping maid retreated, and maids holding official robes slowly gathered around him. After seven or eight maids had withdrawn, he gracefully emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a dark blue official robe.

As soon as he stepped out, a wave of heat washed over him. He looked up at the high sun, and a flicker of displeasure crossed his face. "Another scorching sun today. There are rarely any comfortable days."

He then walked forward, and two maids holding fans quickly followed, picking up their pace. After a few steps, he reached his large wooden desk where he usually worked. His capable assistant, Secretary Hu, had been waiting for a long time.

"Tell me, has anyone beaten the drum to file a complaint recently?"

The secretary, with a handlebar mustache, showed a feigned smile. "Reporting to Master, there's only one case today. The plaintiff paid ten taels of silver."

"Oh?" Magistrate Wang picked up some crystal-clear grass jelly, ate a few mouthfuls, and slowly asked, "Who is the defendant?"

"The defendant is a horse dealer who trades from Green Hill. He paid one tael, but that one tael was gold."

"Hmm! Today's grass jelly is good! Too bad there's so little of it."

Hearing this, Secretary Hu immediately understood and said, "Understood, Master. I know what to tell them privately." With that, he pulled out a paper from his sleeve and began to read the complaint.

As Magistrate Wang was listening to the complaint, nodding his head, he suddenly saw a man seemingly emerge obliquely from the ground. Witnessing this bizarre scene, Magistrate Wang first froze, then his face filled with panic, and finally, he abruptly stood up, spilling the bowl of grass jelly all over the desk.

"Who...who are you! How dare you attempt to kill an imperial official! The Imperial Sky Watchers will never let this go unpunished!"

Li Huowang looked at the trembling man before him, too lazy to waste words. He pulled out the badge and displayed it. "I have a few questions for you."

Seeing the badge in Li Huowang's hand, Magistrate Wang immediately emerged from behind his secretary, a fawning smile spreading across his face. "Ah~ it's an esteemed figure from the Imperial Sky Watchers! Secretary, quickly, serve tea!"

"Don't bother. I'm asking you, how did the people of Ox-Heart Village disappear? They've been gone for so long; surely you're not unaware, are you?"

Hearing this, the magistrate was clearly taken aback. He then whispered to his secretary, "Secretary, what happened with Ox-Heart Village?"

"Master, have you forgotten? The entire village mysteriously vanished. You instructed Chief Constable Cao to investigate this matter. He tried to tell you something earlier, but you were busy and didn't listen."

"Then what are you standing there for? Go get Cao Xin back immediately!"

"Chief Constable Cao went on patrol this time! Your humble servant truly doesn't know where he is."

Hearing this, Magistrate Wang gave Li Huowang an awkward smile. "Esteemed sir, how about I take you to Chief Constable Cao? He is in charge of this matter."

"Let's go, quickly. I don't have time to delay." Seeing Li Huowang walk out, Magistrate Wang and Secretary Hu quickly followed.

"Clang~" A piercing gong sound rang out.

"The~ Mag~is~trate~ is~ leaving~ the~ office~!"

Underneath this specially drawn-out announcement, Magistrate Wang, wearing his official hat, bent down to sit in a blue sedan chair. Halfway into sitting, he turned back around and, smiling, said to Li Huowang, "Esteemed sir, perhaps you'd like to ride?"

"Get in the sedan chair quickly. I don't have time to delay."

"Alright, alright." Magistrate Wang, secretly amused, settled into the sedan chair. But before he could get comfortable, a single sentence from Li Huowang startled him out of his wits. "With so many people gone, you didn't report it to the Imperial Sky Watchers?"

Hearing the implied accusation, Magistrate Wang immediately panicked. He pulled open the sedan curtain and began to shift blame. "Esteemed sir, this matter is still under investigation. Reporting before anything is found—what if it's wrong? Your humble official wouldn't mind being reprimanded, but to make you travel for nothing, wouldn't that be a huge waste of time? Oh dear, I truly apologize. It's all my subordinates' fault for being so useless and slow in investigating this case, causing an esteemed sir like yourself to come in person. Once this is resolved, your humble official will certainly host a banquet at Fubai Tower to apologize and will penalize himself with three cups of wine!"

Li Huowang impatiently waved his hand forward. "Go quickly." If he hadn't heard that the constable had found something, he truly wouldn't bother speaking with such a talkative person.

As the sedan bearers moved in unison, the sedan chair creaked and swayed. The county town wasn't large, so finding a patrolling constable wasn't difficult. Soon, Li Huowang spotted him: a green-clad constable standing at the entrance of a brothel, laughing with the women inside.

Seeing the county magistrate's sedan chair, the constable and his deputies immediately adopted serious expressions. They quickly straightened their hats and began to patrol the street with deliberate steps, looking very official.

"Ah, County Magistrate," Chief Constable Cao said, bowing with clasped hands towards the sedan chair beside him. "County Magistrate, you've come out so early to observe the public's well-being. Please, whatever you do, don't overwork yourself for the sake of the people."

"Alas, what hardship is it for me to suffer a little for the people?" Seeing Li Huowang's face darken, he quickly composed himself and asked seriously, "Chief Constable Cao, have you discovered anything regarding the disappearance of the Ox-Heart Village residents? You brat, think carefully before you answer. This gentleman is an esteemed figure from the Imperial Sky Watchers who has come personally to handle this matter!"

"Huh?" Chief Constable Cao looked at Li Huowang in astonishment. "But it was the Imperial Sky Watchers who took away everyone in Ox-Heart Village."