The Night Watcher of Great Jing - Chapter 101

Unlike the Li family’s dilapidated courtyard, the Zhang residence stood in open ground at the foot of the mountain.

Broad stretches of fertile farmland surrounded it.

Compared with the grand estates of Shengjing’s eminent families, the Zhang residence was hardly luxurious. Yet set amid the hills and countryside, it possessed a certain secluded tranquility.

More unusually, considerable care had gone into its feng shui.

But with such a bizarre event taking place, the atmosphere in the household was anything but pleasant.

A trace of fear showed on every face.

Especially when they saw Master Zhang bring Miss Zhang’s body back.

The Zhang servants seemed accustomed to arranging funerals by now. They quickly set to work so that Miss Zhang could be buried again as soon as possible.

Master Zhang, however, looked uncertainly at Zhao Li.

“Go ahead with the burial,” Zhao Li said.

She had found nothing amiss in the Zhang residence. Her only option was the most conservative one: spend the night here and see with her own eyes exactly what happened.

With her permission, Master Zhang went off with a worried face to prepare the funeral rites.

Zhao Li and the others, meanwhile, took Li Daniu and his father to an empty guest room under the steward’s guidance.

Zhao Li looked at the father and son. “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”

The two knew what sort of authority the young woman before them possessed. Not daring even to raise their heads, they repeatedly voiced their assent.

Having offered the parties involved something that barely counted as reassurance, Zhao Li turned to Zheng Lian and Li Qing. “Search the Zhang residence together. Watch for anything unusual. If you encounter anything uncanny, blow your whistles immediately.”

Li Qing was a capable fighter, but his health was poor. Worried that something might happen if the pair split up, Zhao Li made a point of giving them the instruction.

“Yes.” The two cupped their hands and left.

Zhao Li and the constable sat beside the round table in the room. She ordered the steward to summon Miss Zhang’s maidservants and the older women who had attended her.

Before long, several people were brought in.

Among them was a frightened young maid who had served Miss Zhang personally.

Her cheeks were sunken, and dark shadows ringed her eyes.

The strange events in the Zhang household had plainly taken a heavy toll on her.

“Don’t be afraid. Think carefully. Was there anything unusual about your young mistress while she was alive?”

The little maid in blue raised her head blankly. She thought hard for a long time, but still shook her head. “No.”

Her young mistress had been willful and stubborn in life, but she had been only an ordinary sheltered young lady. There had been nothing unusual about her.

“Think again, carefully,” Zhao Li said softly, afraid of frightening the rabbit-like girl any further.

“Mm.” The maid nodded timidly. Biting her lip, she lowered her head and continued thinking.

Suddenly, she looked up as though something had occurred to her.

“There wasn’t anything unusual about my young mistress herself, but… but…”

She faltered. “That day, after my young mistress met… that man, she made a wish before Lord Earth’s shrine at the village entrance on the way home.”

“She said, ‘I pray to find one true heart, and never part till our hair turns white.’”

Zhao Li frowned. Worshipping and making wishes indiscriminately was a serious taboo.

No one knew whether the being dwelling in a shrine and listening to one’s wish at that moment was truly a god—or something else entirely.

Nor could anyone say in what form the wish might be granted.

She did not know what this Lord Earth was, but guessed that it must be some minor countryside deity.

Silently noting the detail, Zhao Li asked, “Did anything change after she made the wish?”

The young maid seemed to remember something, but mumbled nervously, not daring to speak.

Zhao Li glanced meaningfully at the steward standing nearby.

The steward immediately barked, “If you’re told to speak, then speak.”

The maid flinched and answered at once, “After the young mistress finished worshipping, she asked who had just spoken. But none of us had made a sound.”

Zhao Li could now be certain that something was wrong with Lord Earth’s shrine.

She did not act immediately, however, and continued questioning Miss Zhang’s maids and servants.

Unfortunately, she learned nothing beyond that one clue.

Just then, Master Zhang arrived as well.

Zhao Li suddenly remembered the faint trace of demonic energy on him. She quickly asked whether he had visited any strange places or experienced anything unusual lately.

Master Zhang, worn down by his daughter’s death, carefully searched his memory before answering. “On the day my daughter was buried, I was overcome with grief and stood alone before her grave for a long time.”

“Suddenly, a wind sprang up. It was terribly strong, but… it blew only over my daughter’s grave.”

“I was in such pain at the time that I paid it no mind.”

Master Zhang paused, then added, “Oh, yes. On the way back, I also encountered many snakes.”

“Snakes and insects are active around the Dragon Boat Festival, but there seemed to be an exceptional number that day.”

He recoiled in sudden horror. “Could it be—”

“Enough. Don’t let your imagination run wild.” Seeing his face turn white, Zhao Li hastily cut him off.

“Commander Zhao, we’ve found something.” Li Qing came running over, panting heavily.

Zhao Li followed him and soon reached a rather elegant little courtyard.

“This is…?”

“My daughter’s chambers,” said Master Zhang, who had followed them there.

Zhao Li went inside. Zheng Lian stood in a corner, saber at his side, guarding something.

She drew closer and saw that it was a small piece of snakeskin.

The gray-white shed skin lay abandoned in the corner, overlooked even by the servants who swept and cleaned the room.

Had Zheng Lian and Li Qing not searched with their Mind’s Eyes open, they would never have found it.

“A snake.”

Zhao Li rested a hand against her chin.

Unlike the foreign Nü’e, the moth-woman, Zhao Li was far more familiar with the Five Animal Immortals—the fox, weasel, hedgehog, snake, and rat.

Beyond those five, oxen, dogs, cats, and other animals were also highly spiritual and especially prone to becoming demons and causing trouble.

Snakes, also called lesser dragons, had always been connected with fertility worship.

Even Nüwa and Fuxi were sometimes depicted with human heads and serpentine bodies.

Snakes belonged among the most spiritually potent creatures.

Considering how long spiritual resurgence had been underway in this world, the appearance of a snake demon causing trouble was hardly surprising.

Perhaps a snake demon had taken up residence inside Lord Earth’s shrine. After hearing Miss Zhang’s wish, the dim-witted creature had dug up her body and delivered it to Li Daniu’s bed.

Viewed that way, it was certainly diligent—but truly rather stupid.

Keeping away from the others, Zhao Li shared her guess with Zheng Lian and Li Qing. She also told Li Qing to prepare some realgar.

Then she instructed, “Zheng Lian, stay here and guard Li Daniu.”

“Tonight, I’ll make a trip to Miss Zhang’s grave.”

She would lie in wait and see whether some Snake Immortal truly was stupid enough to dig up the woman’s body every single night.

Zheng Lian looked hesitant. “Commander Zhao, if we suspect something is wrong with Lord Earth’s shrine, why don’t we destroy it directly and find a way to capture and kill the snake?”

Zhao Li shook her head. “The world is heading into chaos. We could never kill them all.”

“Unless they are natural enemies like the moth-woman, those that pose less of a threat might be put to some use.”

Especially a spiritually potent creature such as a Snake Immortal.

Besides, this particular snake might not be very bright.

And stupidity meant it would be easy to swindle.

If she could trick it into becoming free labor, wouldn’t that be wonderful?