Chapter 106: The Crane-Bone Flute, The Corpse Fisher

Let us speak of half a month ago, when a great event occurred in Baisha County.

The in-law of the Prefect of Baisha County was unexpectedly exposed by the Tianxin Sect rebels in court, who claimed that Wu Yaoxing was their accomplice; the five hundred taels of silver the Tianxin Sect used to purchase crossbows and weapons were hidden within Wu Yaoxing's residence.

The official presiding over the trial of the Tianxin Sect rebels was none other than the newly appointed Prefect He of Jinmen Prefecture.

With a new official taking office, Prefect He could tolerate not a grain of sand; upon hearing the rebels' confession, he immediately dispatched government office runners to Baisha County to arrest the suspect and seize the stolen goods.

Poor Wu Yaoxing, sitting safely at home, suffered calamity from the heavens; the lead government office runner seemed to have opened a heavenly eye, entered his residence, searched casually, and truly found a package hidden within the wall bricks.

Though there were no five hundred taels of silver inside, there was three hundred taels of surplus money; besides that, there was a letter of secret correspondence with the Tianxin Sect, containing Wu Yaoxing's various treasonous statements, reading as if he had long hated the Great Yong Dynasty and wished for the Tianxin Sect's Holy Master to storm the Imperial City at any moment.

With both human and material evidence present, Prefect He showed no mercy, immediately throwing Wu Yaoxing into prison, waiting only for the autumn execution.

Prefect Zhang of Baisha County initially found it hard to believe, but could not withstand the public commentary.

Zhang Yong's eldest daughter, Zhang Yao, and her husband, spent their days persuading Zhang Yong, speaking mostly of urging him to sever ties with the Wu family and expel Wu Zhiyuan from the household.

"By all rights, our Zhang family should indeed sever ties with the Wu family to prove our innocence, but Zhiyuan once explained to me that his father was framed and would never commit such a heinous act of treason."

"If this is truly the case, I ought to help my in-law overturn the case; only then would it be the best strategy. To distance ourselves too early would be counterproductive."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yao sneered coldly: "Father, how foolish you are! How is this the best strategy? If we do not cut ties with the Wu family immediately, our Zhang family will also be deemed rebels, and we might even face the punishment of exterminating nine generations. Then, instead of the best strategy, it would become the worst possible strategy of confiscating property and exterminating the clan."

Hearing these words, Zhang Yong woke as from a dream, immediately summoning his son-in-law Wu Zhiyuan, determined to expel him from the home and sever all relations.

Wu Zhiyuan, being an honest and sincere man, knowing the Wu family faced great disaster and feared it would implicate his father-in-law's family, agreed to sign the divorce papers.

Zhang Yong's youngest daughter, Zhang Wan, was likewise a person of loyal chastity; she wept bitterly, reluctant in every way, yet could not withstand Wu Zhiyuan's firm resolve.

Seeing this, Zhang Wan could only swear to the heavens, vowing that in this life she would serve no one but him and marry no one but him.

Wu Zhiyuan, having suffered his father's imprisonment and his wife's separation, could not withstand these consecutive blows, even if he were made of iron.

Seeing Wu Zhiyuan's sorrowful appearance, Zhang Yong felt pity and wished to give him two hundred taels in banknotes, but unexpectedly Yang Hong snatched them away with a swift hand.

"Why would Father-in-law still give money to an outsider? Now that he has been expelled from the house, he is no longer our Zhang family's son-in-law, but the son of the Tianxin Sect rebel Wu Yaoxing. If Father-in-law gives him money and someone with ulterior motives sees it, they might say our Zhang family is an accomplice with financial dealings with the Wu family."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhiyuan immediately clasped his hands and said, "How dare I, for my own selfishness, implicate everyone? I absolutely cannot accept this silver!"

Having spoken, Wu Zhiyuan bowed to Zhang Yong, glanced once more at his weeping new wife, and then left the Zhang residence without looking back.

It was just that he did not see the unmasked expressions of mockery on Zhang Yao and Yang Hong's faces as he departed.

Linhe Ward, inside the paper effigy shop.

Wu Wencai recounted in detail how the County Magistrate drove them away and how Yang Hong added fuel to the fire.

After listening to Wu Wencai's tearful complaint, Xu Qing frowned and said, "According to your account, it is likely someone deliberately framed Zhiyuan."

"Only someone extraordinary could bribe the Tianxin Sect rebels; Zhiyuan has offended no one. The only ones with a slight conflict are the Prefect's eldest daughter and her husband."

Wu Wencai asked in surprise, "Although Brother and Yang Hong have had differences, they are after all brothers-in-law; how could they commit such a vile act?"

Before he finished speaking, Wu Wencai had already begun to waver.

"Since Brother Xu mentions this, I recall something: before Zhiyuan's engagement, Yang Hong and his wife spoke up to oppose it, saying our family members are naturally unlucky, being low-class people dealing with the dead, and advised the County Magistrate not to agree to this marriage. Could this be the cause of the disaster?"

Xu Qing made a clicking sound.

The Wu brothers still lack experience; having purified so many corpses, he had seen people from the three teachings and nine schools, all walks of life, and what dirty, chaotic matters had he not witnessed?

Human hearts are hard to fathom; worldly affairs are like frost.

Someone who yesterday shared wine and cups with you, calling you brother, might today stab you twice; an enemy from the past who fought to the death, where only one could exist, might unexpectedly be sleeping in the same bed by tomorrow.

These are all uncertain matters!

But regardless of what is true or false, once you have seen many things, you can always find some parallels from past experiences.

Jade cannot become a vessel without carving.

Looking at Wu Wencai, who had not yet undergone tempering, Xu Qing advised, "This matter is a sin committed by people; others cannot help you, but do not lose heart. As the saying goes, the pure remain pure, and the turbid remain turbid. You and Zhiyuan do not usually seem like cowardly people afraid of trouble; surely you can think of a way to clear your names?"

Wu Wencai paused in a daze, then suddenly became spirited and excited.

He paced back and forth, his right hand clenched into a fist, repeatedly striking his left palm.

"Brother Xu is right; the pure remain pure. I cannot be crushed just because the Prefect struck the gavel."

"Saving people is like saving from fire; at present, whether Yang Hong is the mastermind or not, as long as he is suspected, he must not be easily let go."

"The Imperial Inspector is about to arrive in Jinmen; I can simply write a petition to appeal. I will claim that Yang Hong bribed the Tianxin Sect thieves and thus framed us. If he truly caused trouble behind the scenes, when torture is applied, someone will inevitably be unable to withstand it and reveal the truth."

"If the deduction turns out to be wrong at that time, there is no great harm; perhaps we can find order amidst chaos and uncover new clues."

"Does Brother Xu think this is acceptable?"

Xu Qing gave no definite answer, merely asking curiously, "In times of urgency, did you and Zhiyuan not think to seek help from Prince Zhu?"

Wu Wencai shook his head and said, "Perhaps we could have before, but now rumors are everywhere, saying the Prince secretly colluded with the Tianxin Sect to harm the Crown Prince. Since this case happens to be linked to the Tianxin Sect, we cannot seek the Prince's help."

"Otherwise, it would be like pouring oil on fire; not only would we burn ourselves, but we would also implicate the Prince."

Xu Qing opened his mouth but had no words.

When people encounter major events, there are generally two paths: one without scruples, and the other fraught with thousands of difficulties and thorns.

Those who disregard moral constraints and ignore loyalty and righteousness often choose the simplest path.

Yet the Wu brothers, every time, choose the most difficult path to walk.

Good men receive no good rewards, and pests live for a thousand years; perhaps it is because the path the former walk is too treacherous.

"Brother Zhiyuan has already decided to go to Jingcheng to appeal, solely to delay the conclusion of the case; I do not know if he can delay it a bit longer for Uncle."

Having spoken, Wu Wencai sighed again: "After this incident, Brother has not slept well or eaten properly for many days; even walking, he looks like a reed blown by the wind, on the verge of collapsing. The road to Jingcheng is far, and my heart cannot rest; what can I do!"

Xu Qing shook his head slightly.

Although Wu Zhiyuan and Wu Yaoxing were protected by the Peace Talisman gifted by Hu Baosong, this item could only prevent some external disasters.

It had little effect on illnesses of the heart.

Xu Qing thought for a moment, reached into his sleeve, rummaged around, and took out several talismans.

"I give this Peace Talisman to you; the others are Calming Talismans and Illness-Dispelling Talismans. You may give one to Zhiyuan, give two to the Old Lady, and if you see Old Wu, give him two as well; consider it a plea for peace of mind."

Finally, Xu Qing took out a pair of bone flutes from the Shanhe Map.

"This item is named the Crane Bone Flute, crafted from the humerus of an old crane's wing.

These two were originally a left and right pair growing on the same body, possessing great spiritual affinity between them. If one breaks, the other will also snap without cause."

Xu Qing handed the flute to Wu Wencai and continued, "You brothers share deep affection and righteousness. With this flute, no matter how far apart you are, you will know if the other is safe."

"Brother Xu." Seeing Wu Wencai's eyes slightly red and about to become overly sentimental, Xu Qing quickly waved his hand to stop him.

"No need for thanks. In the end, I cannot help you much; everything still depends on you and Zhiyuan.

That's enough. I must go to the river port tomorrow for an outside job, so I won't stay longer. Brother Wencai, please stay."

Leaving the paper-making shop, Xu Qing returned to his own shop, his mind still on the matter of the Wu brothers.

When he had taken Hu Baosong to the county magistrate's residence for a banquet, the old man had glanced at Wu Yaoxing once and seen that the other was plagued by bad luck, with a disaster star looming overhead, meaning a great calamity would strike soon.

Only a few days had passed, and unexpectedly, Hu Baosong's words had indeed come true; Wu Yaoxing had truly met with disaster.

"Old Hu cultivates the Sixth Realm technique. With only the Eye of Perception opened in the Second Realm of Comprehension, he possesses such vision. If all Nine Perceptions were fully opened..."

Xu Qing looked at the several jars of buried coins accumulated within the Shanhe Map; the progress toward forging a Yin Gold Coffin had shortened somewhat.

Once the Yin Gold Coffin is forged, using the power of Yin Gold to nurture and refine a Jin Jia corpse body, he could break through the limits of an ordinary corpse and touch upon the unique Nine Orifices Divine Arts exclusive to zombies.

If all Nine Orifices were fully opened, perhaps he could become the 'Heavenly Corpse' spoken of in corpse lore, one who leaps beyond the Five Elements and exists outside the Nine Netherworlds.

And the Kui Ba is evolved from a Heavenly Corpse.

The next day, at the Linhe River Port.

Xu Qing traveled light and simple, arriving at the shipyard where the corpse-retrieval team registered their records.

The corpse-retrieval business of the Yin Gate is hard to do; the waters of the Bai Sha River are vast, the waves are surging, and within lurk ferocious creatures like the pig-crocodile and man-eating catfish.

As the saying goes, those who drown are always those who know how to swim. Even if you are an experienced corpse-retriever, if you are careless just once, you might become the one needing to be retrieved.

Xu Qing recorded his name at the shipyard and collected the equipment needed by corpse-retrievers.

A bundle of rope, a pig's bladder for underwater breathing, and a specially crafted sickle for cutting water weeds; nothing else was included.

"You are new and don't know the trade. If you encounter something, do not just rush down to retrieve the corpse." The manager in charge of registering corpse-retriever information at the shipyard looked at Xu Qing with a smile.

"If you encounter a corpse, you cannot go down to retrieve it. What is the logic behind this?"

Hearing this, the manager extended a finger and scratched a copper coin placed on the table, smiling as he said, "Insider talk cannot be spoken to just anyone. If it were, it would not be called insider talk."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, took a tael of Qingfu coin from his robe, and placed it on the table.

The manager happily pocketed the silver and said, "For a young person like you who acts on impulse, I can tell at a glance that you do not understand the ways of this place."

"Where in this world are there so many good people with kind hearts? Everyone retrieves corpses to scoop up gold and silver, to earn the reward money from the living. Whoever retrieves the corpse first, the silver they find belongs to them."

"However, whether that money can be kept is hard to say!"

The manager looked around, saw no one nearby, then lowered his voice: "I'll give you a tip. After you search the corpse and find something, remember not to hide it on your person. Just look for where there are shallow waters and weeds, tie that object to them with a rope, and when the corpse-retrieval team returns, you can pole your boat over there quietly."

"I don't tell this method to just anyone; it's just that I find you pleasing to the eye..."

Xu Qing smiled, reached into his robe again, took out another tael of real silver, and placed it on the table.

"I find you pleasing to the eye as well, so I'll give you an extra tael of silver."

The manager was overjoyed.

Such an insightful and sensible child is not often seen.

The corpse-retriever is an ancient profession; besides retrieving corpses, they occasionally retrieve valuables dropped into the water for others.

After joining the corpse-retrieval team, Xu Qing poling a black-canopied boat followed a dozen or so corpse-retrievers to the location where fishermen claimed someone had fallen into the water.

The leader of the corpse-retrievers was named Lu Ping, an experienced and skilled master of the trade.

Estimating the speed of the current, he directly poling the boat downstream.

Seeing this, the others followed suit, closely trailing behind.

Xu Qing poling his boat, however, followed slowly at the very rear.

He had previously obtained many useless common skills, one of which was the ability of a boatman to read the water.

If truly discussing poling and steering, there was likely no one present who could compare to him.

Putting down the pole, Xu Qing stood at the bow and took out the Corpse-Seeking Compass Hu Baosong had given him from the Shanhe Map.

The function of the compass is simple: after a person dies recently, their aura changes. At this time, by coordinating with the corresponding technique, one can use the compass to calculate whether there are any recently deceased bodies within a radius of twenty li.

What corpse-retrievers retrieve are often those who have just fallen into the water and gone missing, or even those whose death has not yet been confirmed.

But if the other party truly drowned in the water, and as long as they are within the searchable range, they cannot escape the sensation of the Corpse-Seeking Compass.

Infusing a wisp of Yin Qi into the compass, Xu Qing formed the Corpse-Seeking Technique with his fingers. The boxwood compass suddenly began to tremble; after its needle rotated twice, it pointed toward the southeast direction.

Xu Qing held the compass in one hand, the other hand behind his back, and the boat beneath his feet moved without wind.

The Water Walking Technique allows one to tread waves like walking on flat ground, and can also control a boat to travel.

At this moment, Xu Qing could no longer see the figures of the other corpse-retrievers. He steered the black-canopied boat into the reeds, and before traveling two li, he saw a corpse floating in the reed marsh.

It turned out to be caught in the reed thicket, not washed downstream by the current.

Xu Qing put away the compass and happily jumped into the water.

With the Water Walking Technique activated, water dragged beneath his feet. As soon as Xu Qing arrived before the floating corpse, he sensed something was wrong.

He saw that the corpse was head-down and feet-up, like a radish planted upside down, stuck in the water, with only the hips and two legs standing straight.

The slightly fishy river wind blew, and the two legs of the inverted corpse swayed along with it.

According to the rules of corpse-retrievers, such a corpse must absolutely not be approached or touched, because this is an Upside-Down Corpse, the most inauspicious type of death among drowning victims.

However, Xu Qing had no such taboos; as long as it was a corpse, it belonged to him to manage!

Arriving close, Xu Qing without a second word placed his hand on the other's ankle.

Just then, Xu Qing suddenly felt a tickling sensation on his neck.

He looked down and saw that a water weed had climbed onto him at some point, and this weed was growing wildly, like a long snake straining to constrict his neck.

Once tightened, the water weed would drag his head down to the bottom of the water, as if it also wanted to plant him like a radish in this reed marsh.

Xu Qing stood immovable as a mountain. Though the force rising from the depths was not slight, it still lacked the power to drag this silver-armored corpse into the water.

Activating the Gaze of Qi, he looked down at the surface. Upon seeing the creature causing trouble in the deep, Xu Qing instantly felt the corpse in his hands was no longer appealing.

(End of this chapter)