Mysterious Martial Arts: The Record of the Swordsman

Chapter 312 It's Okay for Peach and Plum Trees to Bloom When They Are in Their Own Time

Inside the East Procuratorate of Chong'an County, officials of all ranks, gentry and scholars of the county gathered, along with local elders, wealthy merchants, and even people of high reputation from all walks of life, such as Ruiyan and Jingyan. No one dared to lag behind. Even when there was no room left in the main hall, they would still gather in the front yard and wear down the moss-covered, worn-out stone floor with their soft-soled shoes.

"Please forgive me, Prince Jingnan. Chong'an is in a state of disrepair and resources are scarce. Since I took office, I have raised funds from various sources, but it is only enough to reinforce the city gate towers. I cannot afford to repair the original abandoned government office. Therefore, I and the officials will temporarily reside in this East Censorate."

Guan Shengjun apologized to Geng Jingzhong with an embarrassed expression. While praising himself, he also glanced at the bustling scene in the courtyard and secretly marveled at the stark contrast to the deserted place before lowering his gaze.

The one qualified to sit in the main hall was naturally Geng Jingzhong, who was fully armed. Behind him, his personal guards held a red flag with the character "Geng" on a gold border, and remained silent. Next to him was Jiang Wen, who had a smile on his face and a long sword at his waist, and bowed on his behalf.

The main hall of the Censorate in the north is the core of the entire courtyard. The beam-and-column structure still supports the large roof, but the brick carvings on the ridge are mostly damaged. Only the collapsed ridge has been rebuilt, and the missing patterns have not been restored.

The stone steps in front of the hall are made of old stone slabs, polished smooth. The dozen or so fir wood pillars have mostly lost their paint, revealing the dark brown wood grain and numerous wormholes. Only a few severely decayed areas have been patched with new wood and coated with a layer of clear varnish; the rest remain as they were. Even the carvings on the lattice doors are mostly damaged, with only the missing panels replaced with new ones. The craftsmanship is far inferior to that of the original, and the difference is immediately apparent.

"With the Jingnan Prince's elite troops stationed here, there will inevitably be things that require your help. Since all the important figures of Chong'an County are gathered here today, why don't we come up with a plan and have everyone witness it?"

Jiang Wen smiled slightly, acting like a clerk greeting the prominent figures of Chong'an on behalf of Geng Jingzhong. However, the heads of several prominent families felt a tremor in their hearts. An intuition told them that this person in front of them was not easy to deal with. The heads of the Tong, Wan, and Pan families exchanged glances and confirmed that they all felt the same way.

On the surface, the other party's words were about discussing military supplies, but in reality, they were trying to use this as a pretext to establish the future rules of procedure for Chong'an County. The three major families were afraid of this kind of hesitant attitude, which was polite on the surface but did not give them any room for choice.

The current head of the Pan family is named Pan Jin, the first Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from Chong'an in the Qing Dynasty. He was known as a child prodigy and later gained a prominent political reputation. He is now the leading gentry in Chong'an. He replied ambiguously, "Sir, you are too kind. I will follow Your Highness's orders."

This statement is quite clever. It avoids discussing the issue of power and only mentions that everyone listened to Geng Jingzhong when he was alive, without mentioning who should be listened to after the Geng family left. In short, it effectively excludes Guan Shengjun, the nominal head of the county, without making any mistakes.

Jiang Wen smiled and said, "After all, the county magistrate has the responsibility of governing the people. The Jingnan Prince's Mansion is only in charge of military affairs. How can it overstep its bounds and give others cause for criticism?"

The Tong family settled in Chong'an in the early Ming Dynasty, while the Pan and Wan families settled there in the early Qing Dynasty. They were newly arrived clans with rising influence and thus always worked together. In addition to them, there were three other families: the Zhan, Weng, and Peng families. They were local powerful families who settled in Chong'an during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and half of the Song Dynasty's Chong'an Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) came from among them.

Weng Zuanxi, the clan head of the Weng family, stepped forward and said, “What you say is very true, sir. Since the Song Dynasty, Chong’an County has been most famous for its Neo-Confucianism, integrity, and literary achievements. In terms of retaining laborers, inquiring about income, checking taxes and grains, and training talents, there are always village elders who discuss these matters to win the trust of the people. I think this old method must have its merits.”

A murmur rippled through the hall, with gentry and wealthy families all chiming in, seemingly the will of the people. Only Guan Shengjun watched with a sallow face, fearing that Geng Jingzhong would abandon him if he couldn't help him, but he couldn't quite fathom the Jingnan Prince's intentions.

Jiang Wen raised his eyebrows slightly. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many ways for the government and gentry to communicate. They could do so through collective documents, through meetings, or by posting notices to solicit opinions. The most classic method was local public discussion among the gentry and students of the prefecture and county.

Local public consultations were ostensibly intended to examine the "deficiencies in the administration of prefectures and counties," replacing the "difficulties of managing affairs in one hall" with "discussions and negotiations within a single county." However, once these people united, they were far beyond the power of a mere county magistrate to resist. If they were determined to fight to the death, they could completely destroy the tax revenue of that year, and even the county magistrate would lose his official position.

Seeing that there was another unstable situation in the hall, Jiang Wen spoke up quietly: "Although this method of public discussion is good, it may not always be effective. I have heard that the drought demon is ravaging Chong'an, leaving the fields barren and the crops outside the city withered and dead, and the sounds of chickens and dogs have ceased. Have the elders of the village come up with a good solution?"

Weng Zuanxi, with his gray hair, was an old student of the county school and was naturally within the scope of the gentry's discussion. He quickly explained, "The drought demon is a drought demon. The Book of Songs says that the drought demon is tyrannical, like burning fire. We have invited Taoist priests from various places to exorcise it, but the effect is still very little."

Jiang Wen smiled and looked at the group, then pointed at Monk Hengmin and said, "You are blind to the true Buddha. In my opinion, Ruiyan Temple can punish the drought demon and remove the red disaster. Why bother seeking external blessings?"

Upon being suddenly called out, the monk Hengmin chanted Amitabha Buddha's name repeatedly and fell to the ground, saying, "Sir, you have misjudged me. I am just an ordinary monk and have no magical power to deal with the drought demon."

Jiang Wen helped him up from the ground and whispered in his ear, "Don't be stubborn. I said you are a true Buddha, so you have to be. Don't force me to confiscate all your land outside the temple."

Monk Hengmin, trembling like a leaf, said, "What advice do you have for me, sir..."

Using his body as cover, Jiang Wen's expression remained warm and welcoming as he addressed the crowd: "I'll give you four words—'Return farmland to forest'..."

He then burst into laughter and said, "Master Hengmin is truly a compassionate man. He said he guarantees to quell the demon within five years, and if anything goes wrong, he will immolate himself to pray to Heaven!"

The crowd watched in astonishment as he was forced into this situation. They expected Hengmin to lose his composure again, but the local gentry of Chong'an County suddenly noticed that the monk Hengmin, who had just been at a loss, had suddenly become solemn and dignified, chanting Buddhist prayers to the crowd: "Amitabha, if I don't go to hell, who will? This humble monk can guarantee it..."

Jiang Wen had previously told Hong Wending that droughts are caused by excessive deforestation and soil erosion. Droughts don't exist out of nowhere, and it's even less likely that a drought demon is causing havoc. If a drought demon really exists, it must be in the Sahara Desert.

If we lay out the timeline, we can see that the source of the drought was Yin Yingyin, the former magistrate of Chong'an County and Guan Shengjun's predecessor. He brought in monks from Songluo Temple in Anhui Province, and, with the backing of Ruiyan Temple, staged a grand drama of "converting rice paddies to tea plantations." In order to grow tea, Ruiyan Temple blocked the canal and piled up river fields, attempting to convert all the paddy fields outside the city into tea plantations. As a result, it caused years of severe drought, and in the end, they could only blame it on a drought demon outside Chong'an County and left in frustration.

However, these people still didn't understand why the drought hadn't ended even after they drove Ruiyan Temple back to the mountains. Only Jiang Wen knew the truth: after Ruiyan Temple failed to block up river fields downstream, it turned to clearing mountains upstream to plant tea. The purpose of production was to meet the ever-increasing market demand; otherwise, why would so many tea merchants come and go in Xiamei Town?

The biggest problem caused by the reclamation of the upstream mountains is soil erosion. Unfortunately, the largest underground water vein in the vicinity is located directly below Ruiyan Temple, and it has already been exploited for tea cultivation. As a result, the upstream area can no longer retain water, and the groundwater level continues to drop. The natural land downstream where Chong'an County is located has dried up and cracked, and the climate has continued to deteriorate. Even Peng Zu, who usually hid in the deep mountains and ate raw meat, was forced to come out to the outside of the city to find food and was mistaken for a drought demon.

The fires that frequently occurred outside the city were simply farmers burning straw to repel insects and keep warm in autumn and winter. As a result, the fires became uncontrollable due to the scorched crops, and there was nothing supernatural about them.

Jiang Wen clapped his hands and said, "You see, one person's plan is short-sighted, but three people's plans are long-sighted. Relying solely on the opinions of the gentry and elders will inevitably lead to oversights. I suggest adding a few more people to discuss this together, so that we can be absolutely sure of success."

Jiang Wen casually pointed, first at Monk Hengmin.

"Master Hengmin is compassionate and has inherited the spirit of the ancient Buddha Koubing. Who agrees and who disagrees?"

He then pointed to Qiu Jiuzhang of the Jingyan Sect, saying, "The Jingyan Sect teaches its doctrines in the city and enjoys considerable popularity. I think it is indispensable!"

He then pointed to the center of the lobby.

"Since taking office, Magistrate Guan has emphasized civil administration, taught scholars to discuss classics, and revitalized the nation from decline. How could he not participate in public discussions?"

The gentry and elders were a bit bewildered. The local council they had set up was a self-contained organization used by the locals to criticize government orders. If the county magistrate himself joined in, how could they continue to operate?

"Sir, please reconsider. The county magistrate is appointed by the imperial court, and his every word and deed sets an example. How can he discuss governance with us country folk? Wouldn't that make him a laughingstock?"

Weng Zuanxi quickly retorted, but Jiang Wen said more broadly, "The old gentleman is indeed very thoughtful. The magistrate cannot act so rashly. How about this: the opinions of you gentry will be one vote, the opinions of Ruiyan Temple and Jingyan Sect, these outsiders, will be another vote. Since the magistrate holds all the power, each person should naturally have one vote. In the future, if there is any issue, two out of three votes will be taken, so the minority will obey the majority."

Seeing that Weng Zuanxi had dug a pit for everyone, the gentry and elders quickly shoved him down and invited him to go down, and then the younger generation, Pan Jin, came out to speak.

"Sir, what if these three votes are all based on their own opinions and a majority cannot be formed? What should be done then?"

Several powerful clans were heartbroken, but they were determined to offer some benefits to Ruiyan Temple and Jingyan Sect in order to become the majority in the public opinion in this distorted place. Therefore, Pan Jin's suggestion took into account the most special circumstances and was intended to reassure them.

Jiang Wen, however, feigned surprise and replied, "Why do you say that? Didn't you already give the answer earlier? Were you just joking with the Prince?"

Pan Jin looked up, bewildered, and turned to see several family heads behind him suddenly glaring at him with fury. He then saw Geng Jingzhong, who had been silent the whole time, with an unusual glint in his eyes.

His face turned ashen instantly, realizing he had been completely tricked. At that moment, he suddenly remembered that his first words upon entering the room were something like, "I will obey Your Highness's orders..."

………………

In a spacious and bright house in Chong'an County, many people in black robes and blue boots gathered together. However, this time there were no incense oil candles in the house, nor were there any of the withered ancient corpses covered with gold powder. There was only Jiang Wen, who looked relaxed, and the three high-ranking members of the Jingyan Sect, who looked tense.

Chen Henggui, the leader of the Jingyan Sect, and Zhu Minxiu, the seal-bearer, could only stand outside the East Censorate and wait. They only knew that the Geng family had brought a powerful figure who alone forced the prominent figures of Chong'an to surrender.

Only the senior disciple Qiu Jiuzhang, who had personally witnessed how Jiang Wen dealt with the gentry, was worried that his disciples, whom he had offended, might also be secretly targeted. Hong Wending stood behind Jiang Wen at this moment, his expression indifferent.

"Sect Leader Jiang, I will certainly lead the Jingyan Sect to follow the Prince's lead!"

Qiu Jiuzhang immediately declared that he was irreconcilably opposed to the gentry and powerful figures in the city, and that they were inherently at odds. He stated that the Jingyan Sect had always represented the interests of small merchants, vendors, and artisans in the city.

Jiang Wen waved his hand, revealing a smile that Qiu Jiuzhang couldn't help but worry about.

“Brother Qiu, there’s no need to worry. Our Wuyi Sect has long resided in Chong’an. We are neighbors separated only by a narrow strip of water, so naturally we are of one mind.”

Qiu Jiuzhang quickly chimed in, "What the sect leader says is true. We are just ordinary people in the city, and we don't have much of our own opinions."

As he spoke, he separated himself from the person he was yesterday who planned to blow up the water gate, and then added, "In the past, there were also Luo Sect's senior and junior leaders from Qianshan who came to Chong'an to preach, but they were all driven away by the disciples."

Jiang Wen silently noted it down without saying a word, and followed them to the inner hall of the Jingyan Sect, where he met the two martial arts practitioners they had "found".

The room was closed and windowless, with a strong smell of medicine. The dim yellow light flickered and swept across the four walls. A flickering candle flame exploded and finally fell on the two people lying back to back in the corner.

The man on the outside was tall and strong. His faded clothes were soaked in blood and swollen. His front, back, and forearms were covered with hideous lacerations. The deepest cuts ran diagonally from his right shoulder to his waist and abdomen, with the flesh turned outwards in a shocking manner.

Jiang Wen stared intently at the wound, which looked like marks left by something leaping through the air and slamming into his body. Even more horrifying were the fine teeth marks covering his thighs and ribs. Around the two deep tooth holes was a ring of flesh that had been bitten and torn to shreds, clearly indicating that something had bitten him hard and torn off a piece of flesh while he was dodging and weaving. But the teeth marks were smaller than those of a wolf and denser than those of a fox, unlike ordinary bite marks.

The man on the inside had large hands and an honest face, but he wasn't much better off. His lips were bloodless, and his hair was stained with half-dried blood. It seemed that because he had been fighting head-on, most of his injuries were in the soft flesh where tendons and bones intertwined, such as his wrists, ankles, and neck: a ring of fine, deep teeth marks on his left wrist, almost biting through the wrist bone, as if something had bitten his wrist and was desperately trying to drag him into the darkness.

"Sect Leader Jiang, when I found the two people in the dilapidated temple outside the city, I did not see any footprints left by wild animals or enemies. On the contrary, the temple door was firmly held in place from the inside by a door bar as thick as a bowl, and the four earthen walls were not damaged at all."

Qiu Jiuzhang described what his disciple had seen and heard. He said that when he found the two, there was only the dry grass under them, which was soaked with blood that kept seeping out, leaving two large dark stains. The wounds all over their bodies seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

The two remained asleep, not in a coma from serious injuries, but in a deep sleep as if they were trapped in an endless nightmare. Their Adam's apples would occasionally bob, emitting muffled, suppressed growls. Cold sweat mixed with blood streamed down their foreheads, as if they were desperately trying to block with iron fists in their dreams, but their bodies remained motionless, and they couldn't even curl their fingers.

At this moment, both of their eyelashes were trembling wildly, their eyeballs were rolling rapidly beneath their eyelids, and their chests were heaving weakly yet rapidly, clearly indicating that they were still desperately fleeing in their dreams.

"I have some knowledge of medicine for removing necrotic tissue and promoting tissue regeneration. I also pried open their teeth and forced them to drink some rice water and honey water, which barely kept them alive. But if this continues for a few more days, they will probably be in grave danger."

Jiang Wen grabbed their wrists and silently channeled a stream of Yi Jin Jing true energy, which was skilled in healing. The chaotic internal energy surging within their bodies was then calmed down, their breathing gradually slowed and became even, and a trace of color gradually returned to their faces. However, the two remained deep in a bottomless sleep, showing no sign of waking up.

"They look familiar. Wen Ding, have you seen them before?"

Hong Wending shook his head: "This disciple is certain that I have never seen these two people."

Jiang Wen observed them for a moment and suddenly realized that he had met these two men once before on Jizu Mountain. They seemed to be external martial arts masters named Huang Liang and Jian Fu. But these two should have been staying at Xitan Temple on Jizu Mountain in seclusion. Why would they have traveled so far to receive the news and even rushed to Wuyi Mountain to participate in the martial arts tournament?

Jiang Wen suddenly recalled a scene: a figure was being clung to by countless thin, hair-like blood-red worms, like mistletoe on a towering tree. Countless tentacles with eerie vitality clung to the body, desperately pulling backward. The ferocious sharpness of these blood-red worms resembled wolf fangs and canine teeth.

"Those two...it seems like they're being chased by the Misty Road Youcui Kingdom..." (End of Chapter)