Beside him, Chu Qiguang did not sense anything unusual about Qiao Zhi and merely asked, "Master Qiao, you're hiding this close—can that Daoist Fayuan really not detect you?"
Qiao Zhi said smugly, "Hah! Don't you know the cat clan excels most at stealth and shifting battlegrounds? Unless that Daoist uses talismans or elixirs, his martial arts realm alone isn't enough to spot me."
Chu Qiguang knew that the three supreme arts of the Heavenly Master Sect were talismans, swordplay, and elixirs.
Among them, talismans and elixirs belonged to the path of Daoist arts, while swordplay belonged to the path of martial arts. Respectively, they were the *Zhengyi Talisman Scripture*, the *Zhengyi Sword Scripture*, and the *Zhengyi Elixir Scripture*. Together with the *Sumeru Mountain King Sutra* that Ding Daoxiao had taken, they were all part of the Twenty-Five Orthodox Arts.
Most Daoists in ordinary temples practiced swordplay, but within any temple, only the Director of Fasts held talismans bestowed by the Heavenly Master Sect. Those held true supernatural power, crafted by practitioners who had entered the Dao within the Heavenly Master Sect, and served as the greatest reliance for every one of their temples in suppressing demons and exorcising monsters.
As for Daoists like Fayuan, they had to rely solely on their swordplay, experience, and elixirs to subjugate monsters.
Qiao Zhi added, "A Daoist like Fayuan is hardly any different from a martial artist of the same rank if he hasn't taken pills and has no talismans."
Chu Qiguang asked Qiao Zhi more about the Heavenly Master Sect's talismans and elixirs. He wondered whether he might acquire elixirs from Fayuan in the future that were otherwise impossible to buy, or even use this opening to reach higher echelons within the temple.
***
Afterward, Chu Qiguang exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two men, while Daoist Fayuan shared his deduction regarding the fox monster with Head Bailiff Gu.
With silver greasing the wheels, the atmosphere seemed far more genial all at once.
Striking while the iron was hot, Chu Qiguang asked, "I heard the Hao family offered a bounty for the Bloody Corpse Case?"
Hearing this, Head Bailiff Gu replied immediately, "There is indeed a bounty of one thousand taels. Once the silver reaches the county yamen, rewards will be distributed according to merit.
"Daoist Fayuan, you possess formidable skill, and identifying the fox monster was truly a blessing from the Dao Lord. You should take four hundred taels of the thousand.
"I may lack great ability myself, but my brothers have toiled hard these past days, and their labor deserves recognition, so I'll shamelessly take three hundred taels for us.
"His Honor the Magistrate has been overseeing the whole situation and devising strategies from behind the scenes, so a token of respect worth two hundred taels is only proper..."
Toward the end, Head Bailiff Gu looked at Chu Qiguang, frowned slightly, and said, "Young Master Chu, you contributed a bit as well, so when the time comes, you may take one hundred taels."
In just a few words, Head Bailiff Gu Wei had divided the bounty: the magistrate, the temple, and the bailiffs were each accounted for, leaving Chu Qiguang with a measly hundred taels—practically table scraps. And that was only because Chu Qiguang had slipped him ten taels of silver; otherwise, Gu Wei would have squeezed him even harder.
In Gu Wei's eyes, Chu Qiguang had actually come out ahead by turning a small bribe into a hundred taels.
Chu Qiguang knitted his brows, intending to object, but seeing Daoist Fayuan smiling and nodding in agreement, he knew that speaking up would offend both the temple and the yamen at the same time.
Moreover, how the Hao family's bounty would be divided and who received credit for capturing the monster were ultimately up to the county yamen and the temple.
After some thought, Chu Qiguang had no choice but to agree for now.
Smiling with a look of deep gratitude, he told Head Bailiff Gu and Daoist Fayuan, "Thank you both for looking out for me."
Internally, however, he cursed, *This yamen and temple... are utterly corrupt.*
***
Next, Gu Wei claimed he had to muster the bailiffs to hunt down the fox monster, instructing Chu Qiguang and Daoist Fayuan to wait in the side hall.
Yet they waited for over an hour, and the yamen's bailiffs never appeared. Chu Qiguang finally went to the bailiffs' quarters to inquire.
Head Bailiff Gu Wei frowned with displeasure upon hearing him. "Young Master Chu, Qingyang County has over a hundred thousand people inside and out, and the yamen is always stretched thin for manpower. Gathering everyone isn't something done in a split second. Just be patient and wait."
Chu Qiguang asked, "How much longer will it take?" He had to seize every moment to cultivate and study each day; he had no time to waste idling in this county yamen.
Head Bailiff Gu said impatiently, "Young Master Chu, His Honor the Magistrate asked you to assist us with the case, not to issue blind orders. The men in this yamen are seasoned veterans of the world. Just wait in peace."
Seeing that Chu Qiguang seemed about to say more, Head Bailiff Gu's temper flared. He slammed a heavy palm down onto the tea table before him. The strength of someone at the limits of the human body erupted instantly, leaving a deep handprint indented into the wooden surface.
Chu Qiguang's eyes narrowed. This Qingyang County head bailiff likely possessed the strength of the second stage of martial arts. Though unable to pass the martial examinations, he was more than qualified to serve as a head bailiff.
Head Bailiff Gu snapped irritably, "This is the Qingyang County yamen, no place for outsiders to throw their weight around. If you interfere with the yamen's duties, can you take the blame?"
After Chu Qiguang left, Head Bailiff Gu Wei sneered coldly, then turned to a bailiff beside him. "Did you look into it thoroughly?"
The bailiff said, "Master Gu, put your heart at ease. This Chu Qiguang is nothing more than an ordinary peasant from Wang Family Village with no backing whatsoever. Who knows how he curried favor with the young master of the Wang household to get brought into the county seat to study."
Gu Wei scoffed, "A mere peasant dreaming of splitting silver with us—pure delusion. Once we catch the fox monster, tossing him five or ten taels will be more than enough."
Having confirmed that Chu Qiguang had no background, Gu Wei intended to tear up the earlier agreement regarding the silver entirely. In his view, Chu Qiguang was no longer needed for the upcoming search, so why part with a whole hundred taels?
Thus, he planned to cast Chu Qiguang aside and claim all the credit for capturing the fox monster for himself. That way, he and his bailiffs could take four hundred taels, while distributing four hundred to the temple and two hundred to the magistrate.
Gu Wei chuckled. "It's just a severely wounded fox monster. We can catch it ourselves.
"Has everyone assembled?
"Rally the county's hunters and gather the best hounds. Search the city for foxes—do not let a single one slip by.
"Check every unoccupied courtyard in town and go through them one by one.
"That wounded fox monster will definitely try to absorb human essence to recover. Check whether anyone has gone missing in the county recently. Leave no stone unturned..."
Gu Wei was indeed a veteran bailiff of many years. Once he knew the killer was a fox monster, he methodically handed down orders, mobilizing nearly a hundred bailiffs under his command.
*Once this is settled, tossing that kid five taels will be doing right by him.*
At the thought of pocketing nearly a hundred taels more, Gu Wei could not help licking his lips, thinking to himself, *Just enough to buy Zhao'er from the Red Sleeve Courtyard as my fourth concubine.*
***
Coming out of the bailiffs' quarters, Chu Qiguang narrowed his eyes. Pondering the matter for a brief moment, he sensed something amiss and sent Qiao Zhi to investigate.
When Qiao Zhi returned, he began cursing violently, "What kind of scum takes silver and doesn't do the job?! I'm furious! Furious! Ten taels of silver, just thrown to the dogs!"
The more Qiao Zhi thought about it, the angrier he became. "That dog bailiff already sent men to hunt down the fox monster! He has no intention of sharing the bounty with you—he plans to brush you off with five measly taels!"
A cold glint flickered across Chu Qiguang's eyes, and he smiled faintly. "It works out, then. I didn't want to share with him either.
"Still, if we steal his credit, a man of this bailiff's character won't let it rest. If we act, we must be thorough..."
Chu Qiguang knew all too well how many heroes throughout history had been brought down by petty scoundrels of this sort. Toward such vermin, he had always believed in rooting them out completely, never underestimating them or letting them off lightly.
*Even I, the real killer, can't stomach this kind of imperial scum. Enforcing justice on Heaven's behalf begins today.*
Chapter 56