Master Of Fangcun Chapter 37

[ … words ]

Cheng Yishu’s face flushed bright red at once. He immediately cupped his fists and declared with force, “Your subordinate swears to serve My Lord unto death!”

Fang Xun nodded in satisfaction, then shifted his tone. “However, though you have served in office for many years, your record has been rather unremarkable. If I were to transfer you too easily, it might invite criticism. Fortunately, there happens to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before us.”

He then explained that the newly appointed magistrate of Lengshan County had been delayed due to blocked official roads and would not arrive on time.

“As I depart, I can first leave behind an official document, making an exceptional promotion for you to temporarily act as magistrate of Lengshan County. ‘In the absence of the magistrate, the county commandant shall oversee all affairs.’ This is also permitted under the laws of Great Qian.”

“Although you will not sit in this magistrate’s seat for long, once this achievement is added to your record, it will help you silence many future criticisms,” Fang Xun said earnestly.

“Act… acting magistrate?” Cheng Yishu froze on the spot.

Deep down, he should have felt a trace of unease and doubt. Yet before him lay the supreme authority of an entire county, something he had struggled for half his life and longed for even in his dreams. That faint hesitation was instantly burned away by an uncontrollable blaze of greed.

He took a deep breath. Without the slightest hesitation, he accepted on the spot.

“Yishu, I knew I judged you correctly!” Fang Xun laughed heartily, his face full of approval.

At first, he remained cautious and restrained.

But as he issued orders and saw the awe and reverence on the faces of everyone in the county, an indescribable sense of satisfaction surged within him, as if he held all power in his hands.

“So this is what it means to be the lord of a county.”

“Having tasted this once, even if I die tomorrow, it would be worth it!”

Meanwhile, Fang Xun had already begun packing his belongings.

“As I return to the capital to assume office, everything shall be kept simple. I must not let others think I lived in comfort during my years in Lengshan.”

Freed from the burden of governing the county, Fang Xun appeared far more relaxed. Even his complexion had grown rosier. Holding Huan’er in his arms, he directed the servants as they busied themselves.

As for Li Shun, whom Fang Xun had personally designated as a “Lengshan laborer,” he was naturally expected to accompany them.

“So we’re leaving just like this?”

Inside the greenhouse, Li Shun was watering the Lengshan Grass with his own blood essence. Yet his gaze quietly swept over the servants bustling outside.

A faint sense of unease rose in his heart.

He pondered it carefully, yet could not grasp the source of that strange feeling.

“The remnants of the Xiang Kingdom were indeed captured alive and handed over to the Black-Robed Envoys. But why has there still been no word of the court’s reward?”

“Could it be that Fang Xun intends to monopolize the credit? That makes no sense. As the magistrate of Lengshan, the primary merit already belongs to him. Others would only share in the glory.”

“Or could it be that the credit was intercepted at court? Unable to contend for it, Fang Xun feels ashamed before the people of Lengshan and thus chooses to leave in haste?”

No matter how Li Shun turned the matter over in his mind, he could not uncover the truth.

After a long while, he could only shake his head and give up.

“In any case, it has nothing to do with me. I’m just a minor Lengshan laborer. No matter how great the merit, it will never fall into my hands.”

“What concerns me more is that once we reach the Sacred Capital, powerful figures will be everywhere. My two-hundred-year lifespan extension might be exposed. Even with the time reversal ability of Threefold Self-Reflection, it may still be difficult to protect myself.”

Li Shun was just considering ways to escape when suddenly, a piercing scream from a woman echoed from a distant side room.

Fang Xun’s expression darkened instantly. The surrounding servants fell silent as cicadas in winter, all lowering their heads in fear.

Handing Huan’er to a nearby wet nurse, Fang Xun strode forward with heavy steps toward the source of the sound.

Not long after, the scream abruptly ceased.

“Yu Niang has truly become more and more deranged over the past half year,” Li Shun thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.

Ever since being confined by Fang Xun, Yu Niang’s mind had been deteriorating day by day. Not only did she frequently vent her anger on the servants, she even dared to point at Fang Xun’s nose and hurl curses at him.

No one knew what methods Fang Xun had used to discipline her, but the curses had since vanished without a trace. In their place, however, were the spine-chilling screams that would occasionally echo from her room.

“Given Fang Xun’s temperament, he shouldn’t be planning to bring Yu Niang back to the capital…”

Catching sight of Fang Xun returning from the corner of his eye, Li Shun quietly withdrew his gaze.

Watching as the man carried Huan’er into the bedroom, Li Shun’s heart sank slightly. “I’m afraid… he intends to discard the mother and keep the child.”

Inside the bedroom, the doors and windows were tightly shut, sealing off all prying eyes.

Huan’er let out a string of sweet giggles, babbling indistinctly as he called out “Father,” his lotus-root-like arms reaching up, asking to be held.

Yet there was not a trace of warmth on Fang Xun’s face.

He coldly ignored the child’s affection and slowly closed his eyes.

“Huan’er, don’t blame your father. It’s simply that… you were not born with such fortune.”

His voice was low and hoarse, as though he were speaking more to himself than to anyone else.

Lengshan County Yamen, Left Wing Hall.

County Deputy Magistrate Yu Shang was bent over his desk attending to official matters when Constable Wu Kuang suddenly slipped in with hurried steps. The sight immediately aroused his suspicion.

Especially when Wu Kuang shut the door behind him before approaching, Yu Shang’s unease deepened further.

“Constable Wu, what matter requires such secrecy?” Yu Shang asked.

Wu Kuang lowered his voice, a flicker of fear passing through his eyes. “Elder Yu… have you noticed that the County Magistrate has been somewhat… off lately?”

“Hm? Wu Kuang, mind your words!” Yu Shang’s expression turned stern as he rebuked him sharply.

“Even if I had ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare speak ill of the magistrate! But the situation truly is…” Wu Kuang glanced around nervously, as if afraid Fang Xun might suddenly appear from some hidden corner.

He lowered his voice even further.

“In the past, Magistrate Fang was diligent with his duties. Aside from inspecting the surrounding regions, he would remain stationed in the office, only occasionally indulging in rest. But over the past half year, he has frequently disappeared without explanation.”

“At first, I paid it no mind. That is, until County Commandant Cheng began acting in his stead!”

Wu Kuang’s tone grew more urgent, though his voice was now barely above a whisper.

“I’ve followed the magistrate for years. I understand his temperament better than anyone! With only a month left before he steps down, how could he possibly hand over authority so easily? This talk about paving the way for Commandant Cheng’s future promotion… I simply don’t believe it!”

“On top of that, the credit for our joint effort in capturing the remnants of the Xiang Kingdom has yet to be granted. The more I think about it, the more uneasy I become. So…”

“So…” Wu Kuang swallowed hard. His sturdy frame trembled faintly under the weight of his fear.

Yu Shang’s expression darkened completely. “Go on.”

“My family has lived in Lengshan for generations. My ancestors once worked the Lengshan mines. Though the mines were later abandoned, we would still sneak in occasionally to gather leftover ore. After so many generations, we’ve become quite familiar with the tunnels.”

“That day, I happened to see the magistrate returning from the direction of the Lengshan mines. Something felt off, so that night I went to investigate.”

“I never expected…”

“For some unknown reason, the mines have expanded drastically. Countless new tunnels have been dug, so dense that it’s as if the entire mountain has been hollowed out!”

Fear welled up in his heart as he followed those newly opened tunnels deeper inside.

“I discovered that they weren’t dug for mining at all…”

“Because hundreds of them extend directly beneath Lengshan County itself.”

“If anything goes wrong, the entire mountain could collapse, burying the county along with it!”

Having finished, Wu Kuang could no longer hold himself up. His body went limp as he collapsed where he stood.