Chapter 124: The Local Gentry Run Into Trouble

"——My Lord."

Zhang Chuanshi had not expected his palm strike to be so powerful. Once he finished speaking and saw Yu Weide collapse to the ground, he finally realized what had happened. His eyes trembled, and he raised his voice in a shout:

"My Lord!"

His cry was laced with a quiver, a sign that he now understood the gravity of the situation. He scrambled back behind Zhao Fusheng in a panic.

When the clerk saw Yu Weide collapse, he immediately shrieked, "He’s dead!"

The crowd, already frazzled and annoyed by the rhythmic tapping sound Yu Weide had been making earlier, realized something terrible had occurred upon hearing this. They turned their heads, saw the fallen man, and instinctively began to cry out in chorus:

"He’s dead! He’s been beaten to death!"

Zhang Chuanshi, never intending to actually "kill" anyone with a single blow, was filled with panic and dread. He regretted his actions so much he wanted to slap his own face. "Why did you have to show off? Why did you have to be so flashy!"

He was genuinely terrified that Yu Weide might be dead. Yet, deep down, he harbored a dark hope that the old man was merely feigning injury to garner attention. The Yu family was a prominent and well-connected clan in Wan'an County, with the old man boasting a house full of descendants; if he were to die by Zhang’s hand, the family would surely not let the matter rest.

His only hope now lay with Zhao Fusheng. If she were willing to protect him, the Yu family would be of no consequence.

Realizing this, Zhang Chuanshi’s legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.

"My Lord, I am innocent—"

"He, he is faking it! Yu Weide has long been frail and decrepit; he was shaking even while walking. I, I saw his forehead was dark today and sensed something was wrong, but I never expected him to intentionally throw himself at me."

Zhang Chuanshi wailed loudly:

"I only saw that he was possessed and wanted to help clear his mind! I am so heavily injured myself, how much strength could I possibly have had? How could I have beaten someone to death? It’s impossible! It’s impossible!"

Terrified that he would be scapegoated if he spoke too slowly, he seized the moment before Zhao Fusheng could speak to plead his case:

"I don't think Yu Weide is dead; he must be pretending. My Lord, let me pinch his philtrum—I don't believe he won't wake up!"

Zhang Chuanshi had learned his lesson. He dared not act on his own authority again; he wanted Zhao Fusheng’s permission. Otherwise, if he ended up tearing Yu Weide’s lips, the Yu family would surely come looking for trouble.

A local gentleman who was on good terms with Yu Weide glared at Zhang, but amidst the panic, a flicker of relief appeared in the eyes of the crowd.

It was perhaps uncharitable, but the moment Zhang Chuanshi had struck Yu Weide down, that maddening, soul-shaking tapping sound had instantly ceased.

Just as everyone was feeling a sense of relief, a faint, rhythmic tapping sound seemed to drift into their ears once more.

*Clang, clang, clang—*

As soon as the sound emerged, the crowd erupted into chaos!

*Whoosh!*

It wasn't just Magistrate Pang and the others who gasped; even Zhao Fusheng felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up the moment the tapping began.

"Who? Who is still tapping?" Magistrate Pang asked, his voice thick with terror.

While everyone else was palpably shaken and horrified, Zhang Chuanshi was the most pleased. He suddenly lifted his head and asked excitedly:

"Is Yu Weide awake?"

Regrettably, Yu Weide was not awake. He lay limp on the floor, his cane lying a foot away from his body; the tapping was not coming from his cane hitting the ground.

If it wasn't Yu Weide, where was the sound coming from?

Just as the crowd was struggling to regain their composure, someone muttered, "It’s dark—"

The words acted like a signal, causing many to tremble violently.

"It’s dark..."

"It’s dark."

Lately, the entire city of Wan'an County had been hearing the hammering sounds after dark. After two nights, as people in most households began to inexplicably tap on objects as if they had lost their souls, the crowd had become deathly afraid of the "clang-clang" sound.

From the moment Zhao Fusheng’s carriage stopped in front of the Demon Suppression Bureau to the time they entered and sat down to talk, less than a quarter of an hour had passed. The sky, which had been bright just moments ago, now looked as if it were deep into the night.

It was pitch black outside.

The darkness tonight had arrived swiftly and suddenly. Outside, Fan Bisi was shouting for people to light the lanterns, while Fan Wujiu bellowed:

"Do not try to steal the Lord’s gold, or we will chop off your hands."

"..."

Even in such a tense and eerie atmosphere, Fan Wujiu was suddenly worried about Zhao Fusheng’s silver.

The conversation between the two brothers was completely out of place with the atmosphere, yet it strangely eased the hidden anxiety in Zhang Chuanshi’s heart.

A strange look flashed through the old man's large eyes. He looked up timidly at Zhao Fusheng, his ears catching the "thud-thud" of hammering outside.

The sound, initially faint and sporadic, had quickly become rhythmic and increasingly loud.

"My Lord!"

Magistrate Pang took a deep breath. That familiar, scalp-numbing sensation returned, sharp and urgent, along with the hammering.

"That’s it—that’s the sound—"

"Do not panic."

Zhao Fusheng waved her hand.

"Things must be handled one at a time."

As the group stood aimlessly, nearly frightened out of their wits by the sudden darkness and the tapping, Zhao Fusheng’s composure acted like an anchor in a stormy sea for the anxious crowd.

Zhang Chuanshi, who had been kneeling and wailing, stopped his crying without needing Zhao Fusheng to bark at him.

"The priority now is to confirm whether Yu Weide is dead," Zhao Fusheng said in a low voice.

This ghost case in Wan'an County had arrived both swiftly and bizarrely. The evil spirit had not revealed itself, yet it had silently struck Yu Weide down—truly, it was sinister and ruthless.

With her command, Zhang Chuanshi felt a surge of certainty. He crawled a few steps on his knees to Yu Weide’s side, tucked his Soul Records into his chest, and reached out to check the old man's neck.

He was in the coffin business and had some experience in determining how long a person had been dead.

The neck was still warm, and most importantly, the carotid artery was pulsing steadily.

Seeing this, Zhang Chuanshi was overjoyed. "My Lord, he is not dead!"

Once he confirmed the man was alive, his fear vanished. He propped up Yu Weide’s upper body, supporting the back of his head with one arm.

As soon as he spoke, Zhang Chuanshi extended his fingers and pinched hard above Yu Weide’s lip. The old man was dark-hearted and ruthless; his grip was heavy, and his long nails dug deep, leaving a jagged mark in the old gentleman’s lip.

"Ah—"

Yu Weide, who had been lying on the ground as if dead, felt a piercing, soul-wrenching pain in his dazed state. He let out a scream, his eyelashes fluttering.

*Phew.* Zhang Chuanshi let out a long breath and said excitedly:

"My Lord, I knew he was faking it."

*Clang—clang—*

The tapping sound persisted, echoing in everyone’s ears.

The crowd had initially breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Yu Weide wasn't dead and had been pinched awake by Zhang Chuanshi. But as the "clang-clang" hammering resumed, the tension in their hearts tightened instantly.

Zhang Chuanshi hadn't paid much attention at first, but upon hearing the next two strikes, he suddenly shuddered, let out a strange cry, and shoved the old gentleman toward the ground as if discarding a plague.

With a heavy *thud*, Yu Weide was pushed away.

Not only that, but Zhang Chuanshi kicked him twice before scrambling and crawling like a madman toward Zhao Fusheng’s side, shouting:

"My Lord, save me!"

Zhao Fusheng’s pupils contracted; she knew Zhang Chuanshi must have discovered something. He had been in close contact with Yu Weide, and he hadn't made a peep until the hammering started, at which point he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Before Zhao Fusheng could ask, a small point of light appeared outside, seemingly drifting toward the main hall.

*Clang—*

*Clang-clang—*

The darkness deepened, and the tapping grew more intense. Inside the hall, an old gentleman who had seemingly been possessed was now lying unconscious.

The flickering light floating in mid-air was enough to shatter everyone’s sanity. Someone could no longer hold back and screamed:

"There’s a ghost!"

"A ghost!"

The cries of "ghost" spread like a powerful plague. As the crowd, overcome by fear, prepared to bolt for the door, Zhao Fusheng barked:

"Don't move! Stay where you are!"

The several ghost cases she had resolved in Wan'an County had laid a strong foundation, granting her unparalleled prestige. In particular, her previous dialogue with Yu Weide, in which she mentioned settling a ghost case for Deputy Commander Zheng of Baozhi County—an act that had led many from Baozhi to move to Wan'an—had made everyone both respect and fear her.

At her sharp command, the chaos was instantly halted.

Magistrate Pang, who had been about to run blindly with the clerk, gradually calmed down. Once he was calm, he thought back to the inexplicable fear he had just felt, finding it both strange and terrifying.

As a magistrate abandoned by the imperial court, having endured months of the Demon Suppression Bureau being out of control and the ghost case in the city’s South Beggar Alley, Magistrate Pang’s psychological resilience was top-tier among lower-level officials of the Great Han Dynasty. Yet, for some reason, the moment he saw Yu Weide fall and heard the hammering, his defenses had crumbled, and his only thought had been to flee.

"Don't panic, don't be chaotic. The Lord has returned, and she is right here in the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Once he regained his composure, Magistrate Pang knew what to do.

If Zhao Fusheng’s significance to Wan'an County was to resolve ghost cases and maintain stability, then Magistrate Pang’s role was to serve her well, firmly clearing away any worries so she would have as little as possible to fret about outside of the cases themselves.

"Wan'an County is locked down; there is nowhere to run. What place could be safer than the Demon Suppression Bureau where Lord Zhao resides?"

This statement was perfectly logical, and the crowd, whose minds had been clouded by terror, began to regain their reason.

The chaotic situation was brought under control. Zhao Fusheng cast an approving glance at Magistrate Pang.

Just as she was about to speak, Fan Bisi’s voice rang out from outside: "Why is it so dark in here?"

With a flicker of light, everyone saw Fan Bisi walking in from the darkness, carrying a lantern.

Zhang Chuanshi had been genuinely worried that the Demon Suppression Bureau was haunted. Seeing Fan Bisi appear, his tense nerves relaxed, and he couldn't help but curse:

"You little brat, do you know that scaring people to death is a serious matter?"

Fan Bisi shot him a cold look. Seeing Zhao Fusheng present, he didn't bicker with Zhang.

He then noticed the crowd in the hall, dripping with sweat and pale-faced, and in the center of the hall, an old man lying on the floor. The old man’s back was turned to him, his body curled like a shrimp, with a cane lying half a yard away.

Fan Bisi’s eyes were sharp. Although he didn't see the man's face, he recognized the cane and shouted in surprise:

"Yu Weide?"

He had been outside with Fan Wujiu counting gold and questioning the servants about what had happened in Wan'an County over the past two days.

Just as they were talking, the sky had suddenly gone pitch black.

The speed of this darkness was abnormal. He had hurriedly told his brother to keep a close watch on the workers while he entered the hall, never expecting that such a disaster would occur in such a short time.

It seemed as if Yu Weide had died in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"He is not dead."

Zhao Fusheng shook her head. She had already sensed the cold, ghostly aura in the surroundings.

Zhao Fusheng took a deep breath. She suddenly turned to look at Zhang Chuanshi:

"Old Zhang, what did you discover just now that made you so panicked?"

The sudden darkness, the incessant hammering, and the mysterious collapse of Yu Weide—each piece was amplifying the inner fear and anxiety of everyone present to its limit.

Zhao Fusheng’s calm demeanor was a massive comfort to their spirits.

Zhang Chuanshi, who had been terrified out of his wits, heard her speak and quickly raised his head:

"My, My Lord—"

The old man was usually glib, always eager to speak and compete for favor, but now he was stammering.

However, involving a ghost case, he knew Zhao Fusheng’s temperament. He swallowed hard, steadied himself, and stifled his panic:

"I heard the tapping sound."

"..."

Magistrate Pang rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

"Nonsense!"

If Zhao Fusheng weren't still in the hall, he would have stood up and pointed at Zhang Chuanshi’s nose to berate him.

"Everyone heard the tapping sound! What is so strange about that?"

Zhang Chuanshi had made such a fuss earlier, nearly scaring everyone out of their skins. Magistrate Pang restrained himself, reminding himself that Zhang Chuanshi was a commissioner of the Demon Suppression Bureau, personally recruited by Zhao Fusheng, and deserved a modicum of respect.

After calming himself repeatedly, he finally regained his composure, though he still retorted using Zhang’s own words:

"Do you know that scaring people to death is a serious matter?"

"No, no—"

When Zhang Chuanshi heard this, he realized Magistrate Pang had misunderstood him. He waved his hands frantically:

"I heard the tapping sound coming from Yu Weide’s body!"

He wanted to claw at his face in frustration, but the wounds were just scabbing over, and he didn't dare touch them for fear of reopening them and spraying blood everywhere.

"My Lord, I heard it clearly just now! The tapping sound was coming from inside Yu Weide’s chest!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd gasped and retreated several steps toward the edges of the hall.

*Hiss!*

*Whoosh!*

Magistrate Pang, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt his heart skip two beats. He choked on his own saliva.

When he reacted, he stood up in horror, stumbling backward. Fortunately, the clerk was alert and supported him as they retreated.

The crowd wanted to storm out the door, their eyes fixed in horror on the man lying on the floor.

Fan Bisi also wanted to run, but he glanced at Zhao Fusheng, who remained seated in the main chair, and forced his feet to stay planted.