Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Transformation
The autumn wind swept up yellow leaves, blanketing the courtyard.
Sui You stood up, listening to the words that came from the Lord County Magistrate’s mouth.
"Peace Path?"
His expression changed. "These demonic cultists also want to take advantage of the chaos to profit?"
"It’s fine, let them come." Shangguan Yun nonchalantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, seemingly having everything under control, exuding a confidence that commanded respect. "Send word to Medicine King Hall. After all, this group is digging up their ancestral graves."
Sui You’s eyes twinkled as he nodded. "Your Excellency is wise."
Throughout history, there has never been a lack of various cult organizations, especially in times of chaos, where cults naturally find fertile ground to grow. Most cults, essentially, just deceive people for the silver in their pockets or hoodwink believers, especially female ones, into dual cultivation—all for personal gain. Such cults are not a major concern and cannot grow into a significant force. They are basically small religious gangs occupying a certain county or village, no different from bandits, and can be easily wiped out by dispatched troops.
But there is one kind of cult that cannot be underestimated: those who want nothing. They don’t want believers’ offerings or for temples to be built for them, nor do they covet beauty in the slightest. They even provide free medical treatment and healing for believers. This type of cult is the most terrifying. Because they want nothing, they can more easily establish an image of ’holy selflessness’ in the hearts of the people. But those in high positions can see at a glance: the less they seem to want, the greater their ambitions.
Peace Path, this mysterious Taoist organization that suddenly emerged from Baojiao County, brought with it outbreaks of disasters and diseases. Then, they began offering free medical treatments and talisman water for healing. The key was that the talisman water was actually effective! This alone put them in direct conflict with Medicine King Hall, one of the three major forces in the county. To take away someone’s livelihood is akin to killing their parents. Medicine King Hall’s business was selling medicine; if Peace Path provided free medical services and their talisman water saved lives, how could Medicine King Hall continue to do business?
The vegetable market was a dirty, disordered place, scattered with rotten vegetable leaves, melons, pears, peaches, and other fruits, and the mixed smells of pork, lamb, fish, and shrimp. Not far away, the crossroads where the people of Baojiao County usually came to buy vegetables had been completely cleared. The common folk were blocked twenty zhang away. The four entrances to the crossroads were guarded by soldiers from the county government office, not allowing anyone to approach within the twenty-zhang perimeter. In the center of the crossroads, there was no execution stage, only nine figures kneeling on the ground, their heads covered with black cloths, wearing white prison garments, with wooden placards around their necks stating their crimes.
RUMBLE, RUMBLE...
Chen Ku, following the prison cart escorting Ni Kun, arrived at the vegetable market and stood among the crowd, watching as Ni Kun was escorted from the cart, shackled, and forced to kneel with the nine other condemned prisoners.
Ni Kun, forced to kneel there and facing imminent beheading, couldn’t remain calm. Even a hardened outlaw would be terrified, their legs trembling. It is the basic instinct of human nature, the greatest fear between life and death!
To overcome, or perhaps to distract himself from the immense fear of impending death, Ni Kun knelt with the nine other condemned men, his gaze fixed rigidly on Chen Ku in the crowd. "You little cur! You little cur! Even if I die and become a ghost, I will haunt you! I’ll curse you to die a horrible death! AAAAH, I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die, AAAAH..."
The more he gritted his teeth, the more his teeth chattered in fear, making his speech unclear. "I... I don’t want to die..."
Chen Ku stood among the crowd. Although he had killed before, those people had died quickly, nothing like this scene. All the condemned knew they were about to die; this countdown to death was the most torturous and painful ordeal, more terrifying than the moment of death itself. Chen Ku noticed that several of the condemned, their faces covered with black cloth, were shaking all over, having soiled themselves.
I remember watching interviews in my previous life, Chen Ku thought. Even the most vicious death row inmates would soil themselves at the moment of execution, their bodies convulsing just before death...
He watched the various postures of the ten death row inmates at the crossroads, his heart heavy with complex emotions. Only now did he understand that the feelings he experienced when he killed were different from what he felt witnessing these executions.
Suddenly, he noticed that among the ten condemned, even Ni Kun, a notorious thief at the Inner Qi Realm, was trembling all over before death, his lips quivering with fear, shaking violently as if having a seizure. Yet, one prisoner, his face hidden by a black cloth, knelt perfectly still, either numb or having calmly accepted his fate.
This one has quite the composure, Chen Ku mused.
Just as Chen Ku was observing with respect the calm demeanor of this particular death row inmate, so different from the others, at the end of the execution ground, a County Captain dressed in black official robes sat on a Taishi Chair at a table. He lightly picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and then asked, "How much longer until Three Quarters Past Noon?"
The County Captain was the third-highest-ranking official in the county, under the County Magistrate. In the Daji Dynasty, each county had one Seventh-Rank Official, two Eighth-Rank Officials, and some Ninth-Rank "Sesame Officials," such as the Registrar, Inspector, and heads of various minor departments. The sole Seventh-Rank Official was the county’s Upright Official, Lord Shangguan Yun. Under him were two deputies: one was the County Magistrate’s Assistant, who helped manage the county’s administrative affairs and was akin to the county’s ’Prime Minister.’ The other, slightly lower in status than the Assistant, was the County Captain, an official in charge of capturing thieves, maintaining public order, and other criminal and judicial matters. His rank was generally slightly inferior to the County Magistrate’s Assistant, and he was also one of the County Magistrate’s deputies—the third in command.
The one currently sitting on the Execution Stage was Ma Tianlin, Baojiao County’s third-in-command, the County Captain.
"My Lord County Captain, there’s half a quarter-hour left," someone replied.
"No need to wait for that half a quarter-hour!" County Captain Ma scoffed coldly. "They’re all vicious and malevolent scoundrels. Proceed with the execution. Many of the common folk are waiting to see blood."
A loud shout declared, "By order of Lord County Captain, noon has arrived! Begin from the left, identify each prisoner, and carry out the executions in order!"
At this, some of the citizens at the vegetable market closed their eyes in fear, while others widened their eyes in curiosity, waiting to watch.
An executioner with a red turban first removed the hood from the person on the far left, revealing a man of about thirty. After confirming his identity, the blade rose and fell...
HISS...
Chen Ku heard a succession of fearful gasps from the surrounding crowd as the severed head rolled to the ground.
"Quick, quick! Dip them while the blood’s hot! Anyone who wants blood-dipped buns, hurry! One blood bun for one Tael of Silver!"
The moment the head hit the ground, Chen Ku saw the constables responsible for maintaining order at the scene begin to shout among the crowd.
"Me, me, me! I’ll have one! Please, Official Master... My child has contracted the plague and needs this to be saved!"
Chen Ku observed many in the crowd reaching out with silver. The prison guards immediately grabbed over a dozen buns from a nearby cage, stuffed them into their clothes, and ran to the executed man. They quickly soaked the buns in the blood from his neck, then returned to collect money with one hand while handing out the blood-soaked buns with the other.
This back-and-forth, involving a dead man’s head and buns worth a few Wen Money, actually earned them over ten taels of silver. And still, there were people who couldn’t buy any.
"Wait for the next one! This one’s blood has already cooled; it’s no good anymore."
Chen Ku watched in stunned silence, a chill creeping into his heart. It’s not because of the people’s ignorance, he thought. Blood-dipped buns were still a thing even before the founding of my country in my past life. Naturally, they’re common in these ancient times... But to profit from this... it’s disgusting.
He fell silent. Any Medicine King Hall apprentice would know that blood-dipped buns couldn’t possibly cure plagues. Otherwise, Chai Tiangui wouldn’t have been so immensely grateful when I sent him that bait mouse capable of neutralizing all poisons. Of course, the government officials must be even more aware that blood-dipped buns don’t cure diseases, yet they still sell them for money... Today’s supervising execution officer is the County Captain, so this must be with his tacit approval.
Chen Ku didn’t wish to watch any longer.
But just as he was about to turn and leave.
[Cultists from Peace Path have hurled Talisman Paper, cloaking this area! Unfavorable for the Master! Surge of Evil Qi detected...]
A giant warning flashed through Chen Ku’s mind, and he instinctively looked up.
BOOM!!
Out of nowhere, the sky filled with yellow Talisman Paper flung from an unknown location. They landed on the shops and ground around the vegetable market, instantly exploding and creating powerful blast waves that spread rapidly. Many people were injured in an instant. Chen Ku, in the midst of the crowd, was also caught in the blast. He felt the flash of fire and the shockwaves engulfing him, about to sweep over him. If not killed, he would certainly be seriously injured.
At that critical moment, he transformed.