Yuanxiang returned to the ruined temple at night to rest. During the day, he had gone to the villages and towns surrounding Songyang County to make purchases while inquiring about the local situation.
Along the way, he had also left a mark to notify the other party of his arrival.
By the time he returned, the mark had been altered, indicating that they would make contact tomorrow.
This was good news for Yuanxiang, but there was bad news as well.
He had caught wind of a new Iron Ruler constable in Songyang Town who was eager to claim merit, making him worry the man might sniff his way here.
After all, the handover would not happen until tomorrow, and unforeseen complications could always crop up in the meantime.
He had to be prepared. If he truly crossed paths with the constable, killing him would be unavoidable.
Therefore, he had to make arrangements in advance to destroy the corpse and erase all traces.
Naturally, it would be best if none of that proved necessary.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, his gaze fell upon the Buddha statue inscribed with the Eight Treasures Golden Body.
"If this ends up as a one-time transaction, what a loss that would be," Yuanxiang mused.
He had been rushing from place to place before and had no time to spare. When he arrived yesterday, he was exhausted to the bone and possessed neither paper nor brush, leaving him completely unable to make a rubbing.
If he could transcribe a copy—whether to attempt cultivating it himself, pass it down to his descendants, or continue copying and selling it—it would bring him nothing but benefits.
"I'll just have to wake up bright and early tomorrow to buy some supplies."
Under normal circumstances, why would he ever buy paper and brushes?
At the end of the day, he was fleeing for his life. If he bought anything, it was food, medicinal herbs, or survival gear for the wilderness.
What would he do with plain paper, brushes, and ink? He couldn't eat them, and carrying them along served no purpose.
Besides, he was no refined scholar; he was just a martial artist.
At the thought, an itch stirred in his heart. If not for the darkness, the curfew, and the shuttered shops, he would have rushed out to buy them this very moment.
***
"Hiss—" Wei Yuefu could not help drawing in a sharp breath of cool air, then shook out his aching hand. "Good thing I learned brush calligraphy."
"My writing might be mediocre, but as long as it's legible, that's enough."
Yuanxiang had no paper or brush, but he did.
Once he confirmed that the monk was Yuanxiang and the Buddha statue was his target, he had immediately ordered his little brother to keep watch while he returned alone to transcribe the contents of the Eight Treasures Golden Body.
With his little brother—an intangible, incorporeal primordial spirit connected to his very thoughts—Wei Yuefu had obtained the martial art with ease.
Fortunately, his little brother was there; otherwise, he really would have had no way to get his hands on it.
When the transcription was complete, Wei Yuefu verified it carefully several times. Once he was certain there were no errors or omissions, he hid it away.
He did not recall his little brother, leaving him to monitor Yuanxiang for the time being. With his task finished, Wei Yuefu set off to find Tian Muchuan.
On the way, Wei Yuefu pondered how he should destroy the Buddha statue.
Smashing it outright would look far too deliberate; no matter what, it had to be done in a way that left no room for fault.
That meant he had to join the fray and take action in person to create that opportunity.
Danger certainly existed, but at this stage, it had been significantly reduced.
At the very least, he did not have to face Shen Qianjun, the suspected protagonist.
Still, this could also serve as a test. If Shen Qianjun truly was the protagonist and the Eight Treasures Golden Body was his destined encounter, then even striking tonight might lead to a run-in with him.
Or perhaps someone else would meddle, allowing Yuanxiang to escape with the statue.
If either scenario occurred, Wei Yuefu would have to alter his plans further.
Wei Yuefu soon reached Tian Muchuan's residence. After a servant announced him, Tian Muchuan came out fully dressed to receive him.
"Shoucheng, what brings you to see me so late at night?" Tian Muchuan asked with a hint of displeasure in his tone. He had been in the middle of wrestling with his concubine.
Right as his passion had been stoked, Wei Yuefu had interrupted him.
Anyone would be irritated.
"Reporting to Your Honor, this subordinate has found the monk Yuanxiang," Wei Yuefu got straight to the point, then continued, "Fearing he might flee tomorrow, I had no choice but to report in the dead of night.
"I urge Your Honor to immediately assemble our men and move out together to capture him."
Hearing this, Tian Muchuan's expression turned solemn at once. "Do you have solid proof?"
"From a distance, I saw that he was carrying a Buddha statue covered in text," Wei Yuefu replied. "Only, it seemed to me that Yuanxiang is no easy opponent."
Tian Muchuan narrowed his eyes. He had not expected 'Ding Shoucheng' to be such a lucky star, and an honest fellow willing to share the credit at that.
If it had been anyone else who stumbled upon Yuanxiang, would they ever come find him and ask for all their colleagues to go along?
In truth, Tian Muchuan and the others had initially assumed that even if Wei Yuefu succeeded, they would at best get a sip of the broth—unless they resorted to ugly tactics to snatch the credit outright.
Yet here Wei Yuefu was, intending to let everyone divide the credit equally.
Truly worthy of a man who had only fought back after being pushed to the point of having his lineage ended.
A man like this had to be properly groomed; in the future, he could become one's greatest asset.
Even promoting him to a higher post would not be out of the question.
"Very well, I will assemble everyone at once," Tian Muchuan continued. "You take a rest. You've been busy all evening—eat a bite to line your stomach first.
"We'll still need you to lead the way shortly."
Tian Muchuan naturally intended to bring Wei Yuefu along; leading the way was merely an excuse. In truth, it was to add another achievement to Wei Yuefu's record.
Tracking a fugitive was one thing, and making the arrest was another; the two could not be conflated.
***
"There is no need to worry too much about Ding Shoucheng," Shen Qianjun offered soothingly. "This matter is in the past. If he truly intended to seek vengeance against the martial arts hall, he would have acted long ago.
"According to what you said, Eldest Senior Brother, he remains as diligent and conscientious as before."
Having said that, Shen Qianjun let out a sigh. Although Meng Wei had offered an explanation, his words carried very little credibility.
He still held a great deal of goodwill toward Ding Shoucheng, his former Third Senior Brother. Though a bit dull and slow-spoken, Ding Shoucheng had indeed been deeply devoted to the martial arts hall's affairs and the disciples.
Shen Qianjun had naturally received his care as well; he had simply never expected that a single trip to the prefectural capital would see their paths diverge.
"Junior Brother, this matter concerns the reputation of our martial arts hall," Meng Zhijie said indignantly. "You are now a Six Doors Patrol Envoy.
"Get a solid grip on some dirt of his, and strip that dog-skin uniform right off him!
"Let's see what he has left to act cocky about then."
Shen Qianjun frowned. "Senior Brother, I have inquired into how Ding Shoucheng conducts himself. There isn't the slightest hint of arrogance.
"What's more, compared to the other Iron Ruler constables, he is actually getting real work done.
"Framing him with fabricated charges to strip him of his post would never hold up under scrutiny."
When these words were said, Meng Zhijie could only give a resentful laugh, not daring to say anything more.
"Brother, Little Junior Brother, stop drinking!" Meng Mingzhu suddenly burst in, saying with an anxious look, "Tian Muchuan has mobilized all the constables and yamen runners and set off abruptly!
"Father has already gone ahead to investigate."
Shen Qianjun's expression shifted slightly before quickly settling back down. He hurriedly asked, "Where is Six Doors headed?"
"It seems to be the ruined temple east of the city," Meng Mingzhu replied immediately.
At those words, Shen Qianjun's heart could not help sinking. It looked like things were about to go wrong.
Chapter 12