The man and the woman had just finished their meal and were drinking tea when a man with a face full of terror pushed open the door and burst in.
“Village Chief, this is bad! Those Constables who brought Aunt Zhao back last time are here again. There are more than twenty of them this time, and every single one is armed. Have we been exposed?”
Wu Kui, who was drinking tea, slammed his cup heavily onto the table and glared at the man.
“What are you panicking for? We’re genuine farmers. We haven’t done anything to weight our consciences, so we have no reason to fear them.” He paused before adding, “Put your heart at ease and let them search. I’d like to see what they can actually find.”
“Village Chief, one can never be too sure. What if they go up the mountain to search and find some clues? What if they find that place?”
Slap!
Wu Kui directly slapped the man across the face.
“Shut your mouth! If this is discovered, it’ll be our heads on the block. If you don't want to die, forget everything you just said. Now, come outside with me to see them.”
He shifted his expression into one of honest simplicity, making it seem as if his previous fierce countenance had been a mere illusion. He looked exactly like a simple, hardworking farmer.
The man who had been struck clutched his face, nodding submissively.
The Village Chief could say whatever he wanted, but the man was still terrified. He had a natural fear of the Constables’ uniforms. If those Constables discovered that they had been robbing travelers and kidnapping them as sacrifices, they would definitely execute them all on the spot.
...
After resting for a bit, Gu Qingyun and the others spurred their horses into the village. The dirt roads were paved with pebbles and well-maintained. The houses were all made of mud-brick, and every courtyard had some greens growing in it, presenting a scene of absolute harmony.
As they entered the village, families stood outside their homes, watching them.
Gu Qingyun surveyed her surroundings. She hadn’t paid much attention during her last night visit, but she noticed now that the village consisted mostly of young and middle-aged men. The children were also mostly boys; girls were exceptionally rare. She only saw one or two in the entire village, which was definitely abnormal.
“Oh, aren’t you the officers? Why have you come back? Last time we said we should treat you properly. This time you must stay for a meal; we need to thank you for bringing Aunt Zhao back.”
“It’s so cold out. You officers have it hard. Quickly, come inside for a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves.”
Wu Kui walked over with an enthusiastic smile, followed by several sturdy-looking men.
Head Constable Liu’s gaze swept over him and the villagers before finally landing on Wu Kui.
“There’s no need. We’ve come today to ask you some important questions.”
“Please ask, Officer. If this humble commoner knows anything, I will certainly tell you everything,” Wu Kui said.
Head Constable Liu got straight to the point.
“In our Jiangyin County, several students were heading home a few days ago, but their families have yet to see them. The weather has been terrible. Has your village received any men who look like scholars in the past few days?”
Wu Kui’s expression didn't change, but the faces of a few younger men shifted slightly. Although their expressions returned to normal in an instant, Head Constable Liu was a Fast Constable after all; he noted their reactions mentally.
Wu Kui cupped his hands.
“Officer, please understand. Because of the change in weather, we haven’t gone into the mountain forests at all. No strangers have entered our village either. Our village is poor; why would those scholars come to rest in a small village surrounded by mountains like ours?”
Head Constable Liu narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh.
“It’s not for you to say whether they were here or not. We’ll only know after we’ve searched every house.” He paused, then spoke again, “Do you know who these scholars are? They are true-blue Xiucai who have passed the County Exam, the Prefectural Exam, and the Qualifying Exam. They are Disciples of the Son of Heaven.
“If they were to soar during the Provincial Exam three years from now, it would be a solid achievement for the County Magistrate. We will find them even if we have to turn these mountains upside down—if they are alive, we see them in person; if they are dead, we see their bodies.
“So, you’d better not be lying. The consequences are more than you can bear.”
Gu Qingyun suddenly understood. No wonder the County Magistrate had immediately gathered skilled men to search the mountains as soon as the report came in. So that was why.
Head Constable Liu gave a light wave of his hand.
“Form pairs and search every house. Don’t miss a single spot. Even if it’s a mouse hole, I want you to dig it out.”
Gu Qingyun and the others dismounted.
“Yes!”
...
Gu Qingyun pushed open the door of a dilapidated, unused house. The interior was dark and damp, filled with cobwebs, and the ground was uneven. Her expression remained unchanged as she used a stick to move some scattered clutter, inspecting everything meticulously.
Everyone searched from one end of the village to the other. Every house, well, pigsty, and cellar—every place where a person could be hidden—was checked thoroughly. Unfortunately, they found nothing.
“Head Constable Liu, all rooms have been searched. No abnormalities found. There’s nothing,” Wang Hu reported with a bow after finishing his search.
“Nothing unusual on my end either.”
“Nothing here.”
Head Constable Liu frowned. He looked at the villagers and waved his hand.
“Let’s go. We’ll look elsewhere. Even if we have to dig three feet into the earth, we must find those scholars.”
Twenty horses galloped out of the village, kicking up clouds of dust.
Watching the Constables’ retreating figures, the villagers' faces became heavy with worry.
“Village Chief, those scholars are that important? Will these Constables come back to search our village again? If they spend the next few days running around the forests, what if they find them?”
As soon as the words were spoken, the other villagers’ expressions changed as well. They clenched their fists; this was exactly what they were worried about.
Until the final moment, they didn't want to engage in a desperate struggle. They didn't have the confidence to win a fight against those Constables.
Wu Kui heard this and gave a cold smirk.
“What are you afraid of? We’ll sacrifice them to the Mountain God tonight to avoid any complications. When they come back next time, they won't even find a single bone. What can they do then?
“Alright, everyone go back and stay put. We’ll hold the sacrifice ceremony tonight. Send a few people to the forest to see if they’re monitoring us.”
...
Head Constable Liu’s group plunged into the dense mountain forest and stopped at a relatively level spot. His face was grim.
“We didn't find anyone in the village. It looks like we’ll have to search more of these mountains. However, there is one thing I am certain of: that village definitely has a problem. I just don’t know what they’re hiding.”
Everyone was silent. For a moment, they were like headless flies looking at the vast forest. How long would it take to find anything? The mountains were not safe at night.
Right then, Gu Qingyun rode up beside Head Constable Liu and handed him a scrap of torn cloth.
“Uncle Liu, look at this. I found it in a dilapidated house. It looks like the owner of the clothes deliberately buried it in the dirt.”
Head Constable Liu looked at the cloth. He knew Gu Qingyun wouldn't bring it up without reason. He inspected the strip carefully and found three words on the back: Zhang Yutang.
After reading it, he passed the cloth to the other Constables to let them see, saying in a low voice, “Based on this cloth Qingyun found, it is now certain that Zhang Yutang and the others have been to this village. It’s possible they are still hidden somewhere within it.”
At that thought, he looked at the Constables and cautioned them, “In a bit, we will search every inch within a ten-li radius of this village. I want to see exactly where they’ve hidden the people.”
“Uncle Liu, seeing how confident they were just now, I suspect these people are hidden very deeply. Why don’t we wait until nightfall, hide our horses in the forest, and secretly keep watch on them? We might find them that way.”
“That’s right. Searching all over the forest will surely alert them. If we stay quiet, they might think we’ve gone to look elsewhere. If they really are hiding people, they’ll definitely want to destroy the evidence as soon as possible. Staking them out might actually work.” Wu Yong looked at Head Constable Liu, agreeing with Gu Qingyun’s point.
“I agree as well. It’s better than looking for a needle in a haystack,” Lu Hu added expressionlessly.
“I agree too.”
“We all agree.”
Head Constable Liu nodded. “We’ll move further away from this spot and find a safe place to wait for dark. Let those people let their guard down.”
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