Chapter 59: Heavenly Hound

"On your way back, when you pass by Lake Sun Pavilion, don't forget to come in and have a bowl of hot broth."

Heifu clasped his hands and thanked the carter who had given him a ride the whole way, assuming the air of the pavilion's master. In this weather, anyone still out traveling for work had it hard.

After the carter took his leave with a laugh, Heifu turned around, only to be caught off guard as Dongmen Bao walked up and punched him right on the shoulder, laughing heartily. "Heifu, I've been waiting here a whole month—what took you so long?"

Heifu felt as if a rock had smashed into his shoulder; it hurt fiercely. He took off his bamboo hat and smiled. "Some family matters held me up a bit."

The things he'd encountered over these past two months couldn't be summed up in a short while.

At that moment, the skinny young man behind Dongmen Bao poked his head out and stammered, "Thief… Thief Catcher, we should, should address him as Pavilion Chief… otherwise…"

This was Xiao Tao, who had served together with Heifu and the others. Heifu hadn't expected him to be here too, which surprised him a little. Back then, inviting Xiao Tao had just been an offhand remark.

"Otherwise what?" Dongmen Bao got mulish and glared back at Xiao Tao. "Between Heifu and me, do we need to use official titles?"

"Just call me by my name. No need to stand on ceremony."

Heifu patted him, telling Dongmen Bao not to give the simple and honest Xiao Tao a hard time, then asked how the two of them had passed the recruitment.

As it turned out, although the position of Lake Sun Pavilion Chief had long gone without a suitable candidate, the Thief Catcher and pavilion constables had to be filled quickly. Without them, law and order in this area would fall apart.

So in the eleventh month, after getting his mother's permission, Dongmen Bao went to the government office to enlist. He was a Gongshi rank holder, his martial skills were excellent, and he had a bit of a name in the county town. Coupled with his experience of winning first place in the rotational conscript martial arts competition, he was appointed by the County Right Commandant as Lake Sun Pavilion's Thief Catcher without much trouble.

For Xiao Tao, it was a bit harder. He was originally from Cloud Dream Township, from a poor family, yet he'd traveled several dozen li to River Yi Township to enlist—it was hard not to arouse suspicion.

Fortunately, he arrived even later. By then, Dongmen Bao was already the Thief Catcher and had a say in selecting the pavilion constables. Moreover, Xiao Tao's family had made their living for generations by shooting fish and birds with bow and arrow. Although he was small and couldn't shoot far, within twenty paces he could hit the mark nine times out of ten, which counted as a useful skill, so he was kept on.

Heifu nodded. The Thief Catcher was his deputy as Pavilion Chief, specifically responsible for capturing bandits and thieves—equivalent to the deputy chief of this small constabulary. The pavilion constables were like the constables.

However, after looking left and right, he didn't see that familiar figure, so he asked, "Where's Ji Ying?"

Ji Ying was the first friend he'd made after arriving in this era. They had shared hardship and shared wealth; he was the person Heifu trusted most. Though he was usually a bit of a chatterbox, after not seeing him for over a month, Heifu actually missed the fellow a little.

When Ji Ying had said goodbye, he'd mentioned that his family would make him inherit the farmland and settle down to farm. Could his family have stopped him? If so, with one missing from their "Gui Squad" trio, it would truly be a bit of a pity.

At the mention of Ji Ying, Dongmen Bao's face filled with disdain. "Him? Apart from his mouth, he's got no real skills, and his martial arts aren't good enough. He didn't pass the constable recruitment. But it just so happened that our pavilion's Courier retired from old age. Ji Ying is a local, knows the roads and routes to every hamlet around here, and has good legs, so the county office let him fill the Courier post instead…"

Hearing this, Heifu couldn't help but laugh. "He actually became a Courier? Won't he have to run around on foot all day? With Ji Ying's temperament, can he do a good job?"

A "Courier" was someone who delivered official documents between townships and hamlets, or delivered letters for frontline soldiers to their homes—equivalent to a later-era mailman. Couriers generally lived at the pavilion and handled postal delivery for the area under the pavilion's jurisdiction. Historically, the letters Heifu and Jing sent home from the front were passed back station by station by couriers.

But Ji Ying wouldn't have an ox cart or horse to ride. The ten hamlets within Lake Sun Pavilion's area—he'd have to deliver letters to all of them on his own two feet. It was a tough job, let alone in this kind of weather.

"Right at this moment, Ji Ying is probably trudging through the snow, one deep step at a time," Dongmen Bao said with schadenfreude.

Just then, the other three people in the pavilion compound also came forward to greet them, and Dongmen Bao introduced them to Heifu.

"This is the Pavilion Father, Old Man Pu."

An old man with graying hair and a forehead full of wrinkles smiled and saluted Heifu.

Lake Sun Pavilion was situated on the main north-south thoroughfare of Anlu County, with a large jurisdiction for law and order; it was a major pavilion, so it not only had a "postal station" but also a "guest lodge." The Pavilion Father was the person who managed the pavilion's guest lodge, responsible for opening and closing, sweeping and cleaning, welcoming and seeing off guests, as well as preparing meals for everyone at the pavilion—similar to the "Lodge Steward" Heifu had met during his conscript service.

Although this man was Heifu's subordinate, considering he was already past fifty, Heifu quickly steadied him and said with a smile, "Old Man Pu is an elder; there's no need for such formality. This is my first time serving as a petty official. If there's anything I don't understand, I'll need Old Man Pu's guidance."

This surprised Old Man Pu somewhat. He was an old hand at Lake Sun Pavilion, having served ten years as a pavilion constable earlier and another ten as Pavilion Father. He knew every blade of grass and every tree at Lake Sun Pavilion intimately and had seen several Pavilion Chiefs come and go.

Among those Pavilion Chiefs, the worst off was the last one, the one named Zhen. Because of a moment's greed, he not only lost his post but was also reduced to a penal laborer, dragging down the Thief Catcher and three pavilion constables with him. A huge Lake Sun Pavilion, apart from the Pavilion Father and the Courier, was actually emptied out—a major case that shook all of Anlu County…

When Old Man Pu heard that the new Pavilion Chief coming to take office was the very Heifu who had sent Zhen and the others to prison, his heart had been somewhat uneasy. He hadn't expected that upon meeting today, Heifu would be so amiable, his attitude far better than that new Thief Catcher named Dongmen Bao.

Old Man Pu's heart settled somewhat, and he smiled along as he introduced the other two pavilion constables behind him.

Of those two constables, one was called Yu Liang, around thirty years old, with a pair of fish-like lips. This man was still wearing a single-layer garment in the dead of winter; it seemed his family circumstances weren't good. The name "Yu Liang" referred to a type of weir built to block water and catch fish. According to Old Man Pu, he was from "Flat Lake Hamlet," the closest to Lake Sun Pavilion, and would occasionally ask for leave to go home and help his wife catch fish. Perhaps because he was always handling fish and shrimp, Yu Liang always carried a lingering fishy smell that wouldn't go away.

The other man actually had a clan name; he was said to be a distant branch descendant of the local clan, the "Li Clan." His name was Li Xian, in his twenties, with a lean build, wearing a thick lined winter jacket. He sported a short beard under his chin and kept a taut face. The man was somewhat taciturn; after cupping his hands and saying "Pavilion Chief," he stood to the side with his hands clasped.

Yu Liang was much more smooth and slick. He flattered Heifu, saying he had long admired the Pavilion Chief's great name, and added that he had brought fish and shrimp from home, specifically waiting for the Pavilion Chief to take office so they could eat together…

Heifu nodded, firmly committing the two men's appearances to memory. He didn't show much reaction, merely smiling and saying, "First, show me around the pavilion."

Yu Liang immediately slapped his own head and said, "Of course, it's cold outside. Let's go in to talk comfortably. Allow me to lead the way for the Pavilion Chief!" With that, he took the lead and walked ahead.

Heifu followed behind. As they passed the "Proclamation Pillar," he pointed at the strange beast statue on top, which looked like both a wildcat and a dog, and asked, "What is this creature called?"

Yu Liang turned back, opened his mouth, but seemed not to recognize it. The old Pavilion Father, Old Man Pu, also shook his head; he'd been here twenty years and had never paid any attention to it. As for Dongmen Bao and Xiao Tao, they didn't recognize it either.

"I venture to inform the Pavilion Chief: this is a Heavenly Hound."

Li Xian, who had kept a taut face and remained silent all along, spoke up.

"Heavenly Hound?"

Heifu was a bit surprised. This creature, which looked like a wildcat's head on a dog's body and was somewhat adorably cute, was completely different from the moon-devouring Heavenly Hound he had imagined!

He at least refrained from asking foolish questions, instead nodding thoughtfully, then looked at Li Xian and said, "I wonder what the典故 is, and why it is placed atop the pavilion's Proclamation Pillar?"

"I also heard this from an elder in my clan who once served as a Pavilion Chief."

Li Xian said, "The Heavenly Hound has the form of a wildcat but with a white head; its call sounds like 'liu-liu,' and it can ward off calamity. West of Mount Li in Guanzhong lies White Deer Plain, and on the plain there is Dog Shackle Fort. In the time of Duke Xiang of Qin, a Heavenly Hound descended there. Whenever there were bandits, the Heavenly Hound would bark and protect the place, so the entire fort was free from trouble… From then on, the Heavenly Hound has been regarded as a beast that wards off calamity and catches thieves, and is set atop the pavilion's Proclamation Pillar…"

"So that's how it is!"

Heifu suddenly understood. It seemed the various strange beasts of this era were still in their most ancient Classic of Mountains and Seas mythological state, vastly different from their later-era images. He smiled and said, "Li Xian truly lives up to being from a right-side-of-the-hamlet-gate household; you indeed know a lot."

"I hardly dare…" Li Xian did not brighten at Heifu's praise, and fell back into silence.

"It seems that here at Lake Sun Pavilion, we must serve well as the 'Heavenly Hounds' for these ten li of road, warding off calamity, catching thieves, and keeping this area safe!"

The others all voiced their agreement. Heifu didn't say more; after that one remark, he continued walking forward, but his mind began to churn.

Dongmen Bao and Xiao Tao were acquaintances, so that went without saying. From just that brief encounter moments ago, he had already gained a rough understanding of the other three's temperaments.

Old Man Pu was seasoned and prudent; Yu Liang was slick and smooth—both were merely ordinary sorts. Only this Li Xian was different: usually silent and reserved, one never knew what he was thinking, yet when he spoke, he was clear and logical. It was said he could even read and write. Add to that his background from the local right-side Li clan, and one had to wonder why he had come to be a lowly pavilion constable, at others' beck and call.

Hmm, this man is a bit interesting…

While he was pondering, the group had already neared the pavilion compound.

Although called a "pavilion," unlike the pavilions of later ages, this pavilion compound was actually a sizable walled courtyard. Outside the courtyard stood an empty stable for carts and horses, and tied with hemp rope to one of the stable pillars was a person…

That person, seeing from afar the group ushering Heifu into the pavilion compound, immediately began shouting loudly.

"Is it the new Pavilion Chief coming to take office? I beg you, Pavilion Chief, let me go! This lowly one is innocent!"

PS: Classic of Mountains and Seas, "Classic of the Western Mountains": "On Mount Yin, there is a beast whose form is like a wildcat but with a white head. Its name is the Heavenly Hound, its call sounds like 'liu-liu,' and it can ward off calamity."

Imperial Reader of the Taiping Era, citing the Xin Clan's Records of the Three Qin: "West of Mount Li lies White Deer Plain, and on the plain there is Dog Shackle Fort. In the time of Duke Xiang of Qin, a Heavenly Hound descended beneath it. Whenever there were bandits, the Heavenly Hound would bark and protect it, and the entire fort was free from trouble."

(End of chapter)