Chapter Forty-Eight: Toppling the City God

Xie Qiao’s miraculous return from the dead was cause for great rejoicing. Since his family residence had been destroyed by the Old Ghost of Pine Slope, Cui Shen invited him to stay at the Cui estate to recover properly.

As for Zhou Hongxian, being a fox spirit, Cui Shen was intent on discovering her origins, and Zhou Hongxian made no attempt to conceal the truth. After multiple verifications, Cui Shen soon learned the full tale: the bloody massacre at Green Peak Fort, Cui Yu's stolen soul, and the Old Ghost of Pine Slope's revenge. These revelations astonished him greatly. Yet, his mind was not clouded by rigid prejudice—he could see that Zhou Hongxian was, by all accounts, a good-hearted spirit. Because she had damaged her cultivation using her life force golden core to save Xie Qiao, and thanks to the earnest pleas of Cui Yu and Xie Qiao, Cui Shen extended his kindness and allowed her to stay at the estate to recuperate as well.

In short, for the moment, all seemed to have reached a temporary peace.

“Sister Zhou, I’ve come to see you!” Cui Yu cheerfully pushed open Zhou Hongxian’s door, but at first glance saw the bed was empty. She exclaimed in alarm, “Heavens, Sister Zhou is still weak from her injuries—why would she leave without a word?”

“I haven’t left, I’m still here!” came Zhou Hongxian’s feeble voice from under the covers.

“Sister Zhou, are you feeling unwell? Why are you sleeping under the blanket in broad daylight?” Puzzled, Cui Yu walked over and lifted the covers, but still saw no sign of Zhou Hongxian. “Huh? Sister Zhou, where are you?”

“Here—” Zhou Hongxian’s voice grew weaker, tinged with the sound of weeping, and astonishingly, it came from the foot of the bed.

“How strange, why are you hiding down here—” Before she finished speaking, Cui Yu pulled aside all the bedding, her eyes widening in disbelief as she saw a red fox, no larger than a milk puppy, curled up at the foot of the bed, shivering.

“Sister Zhou, is that you?” Cui Yu stared in fascination.

“It’s me.” Zhou Hongxian’s voice was now unmistakably tearful.

Cui Yu scooped the red fox into her arms, excitedly stroking its soft fur. “Wow, you’re adorable!”

“Adorable, my tail! Don’t touch me like that—I feel like someone’s pet!” The black, soulful eyes of the red fox overflowed with tears.

“Sister Zhou, why are you crying?”

“I’ve cultivated painstakingly for twenty years, and now I’ve been set back to square one!” The red fox covered her face with her paws, sobbing like a human—a sight that, though a bit bizarre, provoked no fear in Cui Yu. In fact, she found it rather endearing.

“Are you worried you won’t be able to change back into human form?” Cui Yu continued to stroke her fur, her tone turning gentle.

“I don’t know! But I’m scared. I’ve already spent over twenty years as a fox—I truly don’t want to go back!”

“Don’t worry, sister. Good things happen to good people!” Cui Yu pressed her cheek tenderly against the red fox, nuzzling her affectionately. “If you really can’t change back, I’ll stay with you for the rest of my life!”

The red fox slowly let her paws drop from her face and became utterly still.

“Sister, why is your heart beating so fast?”

At the county office of Husu, the Drum of Injustice was struck resoundingly.

“Magistrate, terrible news! The madam of the Misty Fragrance House has reported that the scholar Gao Wen and the famed courtesan Lan Yun were both found dead at the house. Their flesh and blood seemed to have been completely devoured by some monster. It must be that Raksha Ghost wreaking havoc again!”

Xie Qiao’s resurrection had left Cui Shen elated, but this early-morning murder reported by the constables plunged him back into utter gloom.

The Raksha Ghost had struck again? Then did that mean the Old Ghost of Pine Slope, destroyed by the magic mirror, was not the same entity? His earlier hope had been a mere illusion!

Cui Shen was deeply vexed. This case differed from the previous ones—before, the victims were all common folk; by comforting survivors and urging them not to spread panic, he could manage the fallout. But this time, not only was the scholar Gao Wen a man of distinction, but the courtesan Lan Yun, famed as the foremost talented woman of Husu, was idolized by scholars and literati throughout the county. Her death would have far-reaching consequences!

Cui Shen, himself a scholar, knew well the power of the literati. This was the era of Zhenguan’s flourishing peace, yet under his governance, monsters and ghosts prowled unchecked. If a scholar picked up a brush to write of it, would he not be accused of failing his duties and bringing disgrace to the age? Never mind his official hat—if someone with an agenda pushed the matter, he could find himself in prison!

His brows furrowed deeply. Bandits at Green Peak first, now man-eating fiends—was this not the very definition of a run of bad luck?

To hell with it. What use was cursing his fate? Cui Shen was not one to wait passively for disaster.

“It seems the magic mirror alone is not enough. If I truly wish to destroy the Raksha Ghost, I must find it first! Only then can I win back the trust of the people. In fact, if I handle this well, perhaps I might even turn defeat into victory!”

Before long, Cui Shen knocked on Zhou Hongxian’s door, but it was Cui Yu who answered. Seeing his daughter cradling the now-foxy Zhou Hongxian, he was taken aback.

“Father?”

“Magistrate Cui, are you here to see me?” the red fox asked.

Hearing the fox speak, Cui Shen’s surprise turned to delight, and he got straight to the point.

“Lady Fox, the Raksha Ghost has taken many lives—it is a terrible scourge on our county. Do you have any means to help me find it?”

Cui Yu, displeased, pouted. “Father, Sister Zhou is already so badly hurt, how can you still ask her for help?”

The red fox nestled closer in Cui Yu’s arms, glanced at her, and then shook her head. “Magistrate Cui, I would gladly help you, but I’ve lost all my cultivation. Other than being able to speak, I’m no use at all!”

Cui Shen’s face fell with disappointment.

The scene shifted. Cui Shen led a squad of constables in a charge into Husu’s City God Temple.

The temple was neither large nor small, with idols of the City God and eight fierce-faced underworld minions. On normal days, the incense burned thick and steady.

Cui Shen first had the worshippers cleared from the temple and the doors shut. Pointing to the idols, he ordered, “Smash them!”

The constables blanched with fear. “Magistrate, if we do this, won’t we offend the spirits?”

Cui Shen gave a cold laugh. “Hmph, he’s the magistrate of the underworld, I’m the magistrate of the living—why should I fear him?” Then, pointing at the City God statue, he declared sternly, “You, as the patron deity of this county, had the audacity to let your minions nearly harm my most trusted friend and advisor. For that, you must answer to me!”

“Start with those little ghosts—smash them!”

Under Cui Shen’s orders, the constables, though reluctant, climbed onto the altar and toppled the eight underworld minion statues, shattering them to pieces. Only the City God statue remained standing alone.

“Magistrate, should we…should we continue?” Sweat beaded on the constables’ foreheads.

In truth, Cui Shen felt a twinge of unease himself, but he feigned composure. “Upon further reflection, perhaps the City God himself was unaware of his minions’ misdeeds. He is, after all, the county’s underworld magistrate; his dignity must be respected. We’re leaving.” With that, he opened the temple doors and led his men out in grand fashion.

Outside, the townsfolk saw the chaos within and murmured among themselves, “What on earth is Magistrate Cui thinking?”