Chu Qiguang spoke mentally to Qiao Zhi, who was lurking off to the side. "Master Qiao, I recall you have foxes among your subordinates, right?"
Qiao Zhi said, "Yeah. What about it?"
Chu Qiguang replied, "I won't be needing your help here for a bit. Please head back to Wang Family Village and bring over one of the sharper foxes under you."
Qiao Zhi grew wary. "Bring one here for what? You're not planning to use it to replace the fox monster, are you?"
Chu Qiguang answered, "The fox monster's corpse is right in my hands—why would I do something like that? Bringing this fox over is for Head Bailiff Gu to catch. You must pick one whose sapience hasn't fully awakened, one that can't really be called a monster."
Qiao Zhi understood in a flash. "Haha, you want to set a trap for that Head Bailiff Gu! That scoundrel dared pocket our ten taels of silver without lifting a finger. I'm all for taking him down!"
Chu Qiguang reminded him further, "With your martial arts, Master Qiao, bringing a fox into the city shouldn't be difficult. If you run into any trouble, you can always ask that pack of dog monsters for help. Also, don't forget to bring the fox monster blood we collected."
Flicking his tail, Qiao Zhi said, "Heh-heh, don't worry. That fox monster's blood is stored away safely. I guarantee that when they test the blood, they'll verify it's a fox monster."
***
Chu Qiguang mused inwardly, *I still need a witness.*
Afterward, he exchanged pleasantries with Daoist Fayuan for a while. He asked for advice and heaped on praise in equal measure. Relying on the vast lore of monsters Qiao Zhi had taught him, he found plenty of common ground to discuss with Daoist Fayuan, and his practiced flattery put the Daoist thoroughly at ease.
Daoist Fayuan looked at Chu Qiguang with a touch of admiration. "Young man, there aren't many with knowledge as broad as yours."
Chu Qiguang probed gently, "Head Bailiff Gu said he was going to gather men, but why hasn't he returned after so long?"
Having hit it off with Chu Qiguang, Daoist Fayuan hesitated a moment upon hearing the question before speaking plainly: "Seeing how long he's been gone, I'd say there's an eighty percent chance he's already taken a team out on his own to capture that fox monster. When all is said and done, he likely has no intention of sharing a single tael of that hundred with you."
Chu Qiguang feigned astonishment. "How could that be?"
Looking at Chu Qiguang's naive expression, Daoist Fayuan shook his head. Regardless of how the fox monster was caught, the temple's cut of the bounty would not be a copper less. Since he found Chu Qiguang rather agreeable, he offered some guidance: "You told me earlier that you're just an ordinary farmer from Wang Family Village, didn't you? And all you provided this time was a conjecture about the fox monster. Having neither influence nor background, of course they're going to pocket your share if they can."
Daoist Fayuan advised, "Officialdom is just like that. If they can swallow ten taels, they won't settle for nine and a half. Don't even think about taking it to the county magistrate. After all, you're merely a commoner, naturally at the bottom of the ladder in official circles, left to the mercy of others. Head Bailiff Gu belongs to the yamen; the magistrate isn't going to help you go against one of his own."
Seeing the recalcitrant glint in Chu Qiguang's eyes, Daoist Fayuan sighed and shook his head. "You're still young. If you manage to pass the exams and become a wusheng later on, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make money. For today, just swallow your grievance."
Yet Chu Qiguang said, "I'd still like to ask Daoist Fayuan to accompany me in person. Regarding where that fox monster might be hiding, I have a few guesses I wish to verify."
Fayuan chuckled and shook his head. "You want to track down that fox monster yourself? Fox monsters are alert and cunning by nature; they aren't so easily found. If word gets out... you'll only provoke Head Bailiff Gu's anger, and he might even make trouble for you afterward."
With utter sincerity written across his face, Chu Qiguang said, "I beg Daoist Fayuan to help me." He fingered ten taels of silver in his sleeve, prepared to slip it over if persuasion failed.
Looking at Chu Qiguang's youthful, inexperienced, and indignant manner, Fayuan saw a reflection of himself in his younger days. Shaking his head, he said, "You really won't turn back until you hit a brick wall. Very well, I'll accompany you on this venture."
Chu Qiguang breathed an inward sigh of relief and slipped the ten taels back into his money pouch.
With that, Chu Qiguang prepared to head to the crime scene with Daoist Fayuan and his page, Chen Gang.
As they stepped out of the county yamen, He Xian, the magistrate's son, caught up with them.
"Brother Chu, where are you headed?"
He Xian seemed keenly interested in their investigation. Hearing that they were going back to inspect the crime scene, he wanted to come along as well.
Chu Qiguang had intended to bring along a credible witness for when the fox monster was found; having the magistrate's son join was even better.
Thus, the three of them left the yamen together, followed by He Xian's page and Chen Gang.
Arriving at the crime scene, Chu Qiguang pointed to the bloodstains on the ground and said, "Bleeding, the demon fox ultimately departed through the main gate."
Standing at the gate, Chu Qiguang looked out toward Zaoyuan Street and analyzed, "The street runs east to west, but directly to the east is the night-watch station. In all probability, the fox monster fled westward."
Chu Qiguang led them toward the western intersection. He touched the coal cinders scattered on the ground, then inquired with a nearby shop assistant.
Finally, he explained, "Coal is transported down this road every day, leaving scattered cinders behind. The street sweepers only start their shifts at the hour of the tiger, between three and five in the morning. If the fox monster passed through here, its paws were very likely coated in coal dust."
He Xian and Daoist Fayuan nodded repeatedly, their gazes toward Chu Qiguang brimming with surprise and admiration.
Watching Chu Qiguang climb onto the wall beside the street, He Xian asked, "Brother Chu, what are you looking for?"
"Fox tracks," Chu Qiguang replied. "I checked past this intersection, and there are no further bloodstains or cinder-dusted footprints. That means the fox likely took another route."
Saying so, he stepped in front of a dog hole, pinched several specks of coal cinder between his fingers, and said, "Looks like it crawled through this hole."
He Xian ordered his servant forward, and the group barged into the house, frightening the homeowner into trembling fits.
Chu Qiguang circled the interior before arriving at a window. Pointing to the bloodstain at the base of the outer wall, he said, "It left through the window. Judging by the direction, it abandoned the main street, intending to slip through residential courtyards instead."
Chu Qiguang proceeded to a second house, leading them along a trail of subtle clues. The keen deduction he displayed throughout left He Xian and Fayuan secretly marveling.
He Xian whispered to Daoist Fayuan beside him, "Brother Chu is exceptionally sharp and remarkably meticulous. Such methods of tracking monsters are nothing short of miraculous."
Daoist Fayuan nodded in agreement. "Even within the Demon Suppression Bureau, whose sole duty is hunting demons and monsters, not everyone possesses such a skill."
Chen Gang followed behind, chuckling inwardly. *Brother Gou laid down every bit of this with his own hands—how could he not be sharp and meticulous?*
Following the fox monster's "trail," the group eventually arrived above an abandoned culvert.
This culvert was originally part of Qingyang County's drainage network, but due to years of neglect combined with consecutive droughts, it had long since fallen out of use.
Chu Qiguang said, "It seems this fox monster intends to slip outside through the culvert's drainage ditch. Young Master He, let us send someone down to see where this culvert leads."
Chapter 57