Taiheiki

Chapter 67 Women's Way
"That's fine!" Wei Cong said with a smile, "Even so, he wouldn't dare to do anything. I want to wait until the murderer is caught before I speak. That way, my words will be more powerful!"

"Catch the murderer?" Huang Ping was overjoyed: "Are you sure?"

"Well, there should be results in a few days!" Wei Cong said with a confident smile, "You can tell Mr. Nie this. Of course, whether he believes it or not is up to him!"

----------------

Just as Wei Cong predicted, four days after his arrival in Chaisang, Nie Zheng's killer surfaced. After spreading the news of the haunting and promising generous rewards, Taoists, alchemists, sorcerers, and diviners from surrounding counties flocked to the scene. They raged in the Nie family's back hall, leaving it in a state of chaos. Zhou feigned ineffectiveness, asking the inquisitors to recommend colleagues with greater powers and efficaciousness. After several rounds of investigation, they finally uncovered a valuable clue.

The Nie family's back hall.

"You mean, there's a Kun Daoist who's incredibly skilled in magic, especially exorcising ghosts and communicating with spirits!" Wei Cong asked, "Then how do you know for sure this person is the assassin?"

"Reporting to my lord!" Guo Kui replied confidently, "First of all, that Kun Daoist came from Shuzhong and arrived in Chaisang not long ago. Her whereabouts are usually erratic and she is very mysterious. If you want to ask her for something, you can burn incense and pray at the entrance of a cave on the first and fifteenth day of every month, and leave a gift, and your wish will be granted."

"Isn't this enough?" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"My dear, please allow me to explain in detail!" Guo Kui said with a smile, "According to those witches and alchemists, this Kun Dao not only knows the spells and blessing techniques of the Tianshi Dao, but is also particularly skilled in the ghost Dao techniques of cursing and killing. He is always accompanied by a leopard, which is psychic and can do his bidding!"

"There's a leopard? Can it obey orders?" Wei Cong's interest was immediately piqued: "So, this Kun Dao should also be good at driving wild beasts?"

"Exactly!" Guo Kui said with a proud smile, "There's one more thing. When the master was killed, I found traces of wild animals on the body. There was also a lot of hair on the ground. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, thinking it was left by the deer. Now that I put it together, it's most likely left by the leopard raised by Kun Dao!"

"Hmm! Good, you can connect all these things, very good!" Wei Cong nodded with satisfaction: "Do you know the Taoist name and name of this Kun Dao?"

"According to what those witches and alchemists said, this Kun Dao is very mysterious and never reveals anything related to her identity. Because she has great magical powers, usually roams in the mountains and forests, has a beautiful appearance, and is always accompanied by a leopard, so she is called the 'Mountain Ghost' instead of a name!"

"Mountain ghost? The mountain goddess described in the Chuci?" Wei Cong thought of the mountain ghost in Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs," and his heart was moved. He smiled and said, "If that's the case, then this person is most likely her. Do you have any plans for capturing her?"

"I have already given the order. This matter is under your jurisdiction, Lord Wei. They will all obey your orders!" Zhou said with a smile.

Wei Cong nodded in satisfaction. The balance in his heart had already tilted somewhat towards Zhou. After all, all Nie could offer was money and the possibility of being his adoptive father. He had no shortage of money himself, and Zhou could also be his adoptive son. As for an adopted son, how could he compare to a widow like Zhou? Not to mention that this woman had the behemoth Lujiang Zhou clan behind her.

"This thief possesses extraordinary skills. We only have one chance. If we fail to catch him this time, it will be difficult next time!" Wei Cong said, "So we must be relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside from the beginning!"

"Loose on the outside, tight on the inside?" Zhou asked.

"Yes, let the witch who recommended her go and burn incense and pray. Our people will just follow from a distance and stay away. Once we find any trace of her, we will start the arrest!"

"But if we don't get close, how will we know that the thief is coming?" Zhou asked in confusion.

"Don't worry about this, madam. I have my own arrangements!" Wei Cong showed a mysterious smile.

----------------------

"It's just ahead!" said the witch, pointing to the hillside ahead.

Wei Cong dismounted. The clear sky, a hue gradually darkening from light to dark blue, was bathed in intense sunlight, which forced him to squint. From bottom to top, the hillside slowly revealed trees of various colors: green, gold, red, and brown. Above all the trees, a vast expanse of even darker color lay beneath, likely representing an alpine meadow.

"That should be Mount Lushan over there, right?" Wei Cong tried to reconcile the terrain with his memory, but he quickly gave up. In his memory, even the summit of Mount Lushan had vast expanses of coniferous and broad-leaved forests, but now the summit was covered in vast meadows. It seemed the average temperature was much colder than in modern times, Wei Cong thought to himself.

"Give me your clothes!" Wei Cong said. He took a sheepskin round-necked short coat from Wang Shou and put it on, along with a short trousers. This rather barbaric attire was common among traveling companions at the time. Wei Cong planned to disguise himself as a merchant about to travel far away and visit the cave, offering gifts and praying for blessings. He also planned to survey the surrounding terrain and prepare for the ambush.

Perhaps to facilitate pilgrims, the path leading to the cave was not steep. It sat on a rock platform about seven or eight meters above the ground, with a bamboo ladder on one side. Wei Cong climbed the ladder and discovered that the cave wasn't large, only about thirty to fifty square meters. There was a spring at the entrance, gurgling water that formed a small pool two or three feet square. On the other side of the stone platform was a cliff, at least forty to fifty meters below. Wei Cong glanced at the witch, who said, "Let's wash our hands in the spring water at the cave entrance first, then enter the cave, burn incense and pray. When we leave, we can leave our gifts by the cave entrance!"

Only then did Wei Cong discover that there were seven or eight rattan boxes and wooden boxes placed on the stones at the entrance of the cave. When he got closer, he saw that there were either cloth and silk, copper coins, and various utensils and valuables inside. They must have been left by people who came here to pray for help. However, it was strange that there was no one guarding the place and no one came to take them.

The witch, noticing Wei Cong's doubt, explained, "These are offerings to the gods and ghosts. Anyone who takes them without permission will suffer a violent death." "I once heard Cao Cao say that the people of Wu and Chu believed deeply in ghosts and spirits. Now it seems true!" Wei Cong thought to himself. He nodded calmly and entered the cave. The witch led Wei Cong to a rough stone, took out some incense she had prepared, and burned it before the stone. The cave was immediately filled with a unique aroma. Wei Cong knelt before the stone and began to recite a pre-prepared script, which basically said something like "good luck on your journey and prosperous business." After the prayers were completed, Wei Cong stood up and walked out, placing the pre-prepared gifts next to the wooden boxes and rattan chests. As he was about to descend the bamboo ladder, he suddenly heard a deep, feline growl, and a chill ran down the back of his neck, piercing his heart.

"My dear, be careful!" Diwu Deng, who was pretending to be an attendant, moved sideways to block Wei Cong behind him and drew his sword. The other two guards were a little slow, but they also took out swords and crossbows from their waists and searched the surroundings vigilantly.

"Who are you?"

As the voices echoed, a woman in a green robe and a jade crown emerged from the bushes seven or eight steps to the left of the pool. To her right was a ferocious beast, its body covered in beautiful patterns. At first glance, it resembled a leopard, but it was considerably larger. Its shoulders reached the woman's waist, its sturdy limbs bulged with muscle, its long tail whipped vigorously, and its beautiful golden-green eyes flashed with the cold light of an animal at the top of the food chain. From the outside, it looked somewhat like a jaguar.

"Kun Dao, my personal leopard, has actually met its true master!" Wei Cong thought to himself. He saw the female Taoist priest before him. Her waist was as slender as a willow, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like stars, and her skin was as white as cream. She was as beautiful as the jade crown on her head. In terms of beauty, she was even more beautiful than Zhou. He thought to himself that this woman was indeed beautiful, but no matter how beautiful she was, it was not as important as his own life. To avoid being discovered, he had only brought a few people to this cave. Most of the people were behind him. He could only find a way to trick them into leaving before sending others to hunt them down.

"I'm a lacquer merchant, planning a trip to Shuzhong. I heard that praying here is quite effective, so I came here to burn some incense and pray for a safe journey! May I ask who you are, and the leopard with you—?"

"You come to pray for me, yet you don't recognize me in person!" That Kundao laughed, like a spring flower in full bloom, but then the smile faded. "But you're not a lacquer merchant, otherwise Ahri wouldn't be so nervous. It's usually silent!"

Wei Cong wanted to argue, but Kun Dao sneered, "Don't waste your breath! Even though Ahri is a leopard, no one has ever been able to deceive it. Besides, the guards around you don't look like ordinary merchants! Tell the truth, or I'll take action!"

"Sir, you get down the ladder first. We will fight to the death to cover your retreat!" shouted the fifth climber.

"Cover the rear?" Wei Cong glanced at the bamboo ladder behind him, then at the leopard. He thought to himself that this was only a little over two stories high, so the leopard would only need a leap. If he tried to escape by climbing the ladder, the leopard would likely be waiting for him on the ground while he was still halfway up. Better to stay on the ledge, where at least he had three guards.

"Master, you're right. I'm not a lacquer merchant, but a clerk in the Nanjun Bandits' Division. My name is Wei Cong, and my courtesy name is Mengde!" Wei Cong bowed to Master Kun and asked, "What's your name, Master?"

"A thief?" Na Kundao glanced at Wei Cong in surprise: "Are you an official?"

"That's right!" Wei Cong unbuttoned his outer robe, revealing the seal inside. "This is my seal, it can't be fake!"

"Show it to me!" The Taoist Kun was unconvinced. Wei Cong stopped Diwu Deng from yelling and untied the seal from his waist, handing it over: "Master, you can see if it's real or not!"

Kun Dao looked at the seal in his hand, his eyes rolled, and he said with a smile: "This seal seems to be extremely important to you officials. If I take it away and don't return it, what will you do?"

Wei Cong was stunned when he heard this, and immediately remembered the instructions given to him by the Chief Clerk when he first received the seal: never lose it. He smiled bitterly and said, "The Taoist priest is right. If an official in this dynasty loses his seal, the punishment is very severe: fines, demotion, or dismissal. Fines are not a big deal, but if I am demoted or dismissed, my career as a mere 200-stone official will basically be over!"

"The fine doesn't matter to you? So, you are very rich?" Kun Dao asked.

"That's not so bad!" Wei Cong said with a smile, "A few days ago, I defeated a group of river thieves and seized their property. It was a windfall, so I'm not afraid of a small fine!"

"What kind of Jiang thief? Can he make you rich without fear of fines?"

"The bandit leader is called Zhang Bolu, and his nickname is General Jiangyi!"

"General Zhang Bolu?" Kun Dao's expression changed drastically. She looked at Wei Cong again and said, "No wonder Ali is so nervous. It turns out you killed Zhang Bolu. Let me ask you, why are you, a thief from Nanjun, coming to Yangzhou? Are you trying to apprehend some murderer?"

Wei Cong seemed completely oblivious to the change in the Taoist woman's expression. "That's not the case. A few days ago, Commander Feng Cheqi arrived in Jiangling with a large army. They'll cross the river next spring to attack the Wuling barbarians in southern Jing. The prefect ordered me to lead the county troops on the expedition. This expedition is incredibly dangerous, and I heard from a friend that this place is quite effective, so I came here to burn incense and pray for safety!"

The Taoist woman's expression softened slightly after hearing Wei Cong's explanation. The court's appointment of Feng Gun as General of Chariots and Cavalry, sending a large army south to quell the rebellion, was already common knowledge. As for Wei Cong, a thief official, being sent by the prefect to lead troops in battle was quite normal during the Qin and Han dynasties. At the time, both internal apprehension and external military campaigns were considered law enforcement, as in "axes and halberds at home, weapons and spears abroad." Many law enforcement officials of the time also held military command. For example, the Han Dynasty's lieutenant (later renamed the Chief of the Imperial Guards) had the power to manage and command the troops of the prefectures and kingdoms in the Guanzhong region, while also serving as a judicial officer in the capital, responsible for investigating illegal activities by royal family members, nobles, and princes. For someone like him, about to embark on a long expedition, it was not uncommon to seek divine blessings.

"You are a thief from Nanjun, why did you come to Chaisang to pray to the gods?" Although the female Taoist still asked in a questioning tone, there was a hint of smile on her face, and it was obvious that her vigilance had decreased a lot.

"This person recommended it to me!" Wei Cong had anticipated the question the other party might ask and pointed to the witch next to him: "She said this place is quite effective. Whatever you pray for will be granted!"

The witch was no fool, and quickly replied, "Yes, I recommended him to this gentleman!"

The Taoist woman took a look at the witch's attire and realized her identity. The last bit of doubt in her heart faded. She walked to the pond and casually opened the wooden box that Wei Cong had just left. Inside, she saw ten pieces of high-quality thick brocade and a gold horseshoe. This was already a very heavy offering. She glanced at Wei Cong and felt a favor, her face flushing. "You are very generous. You gave me such a valuable gift. I can't let you come here in vain. Come here, I will help you read your face!"

(End of this chapter)