Chapter 18: Ghost Town

"Miss Chu, we are being followed." Jiao Yan could not help but speak as they reached the outskirts of Luohe Town.

"Ignore them. They are the Prince of You's men."

Jiao Yan frowned, his brow furrowed with concern. He had always felt that the Prince of You harbored some sort of grudge against Miss Chu. The Prince of You was known as the God of War, a man who had won countless victories on the battlefield for the Dongcang Dynasty. While he was rumored to be cold and bloodthirsty, one would think he would not go out of his way to trouble a woman. It was hard to imagine that such a distinguished general could be like this in private.

Jiao Yan did not have a favorable impression of the Prince of You, and Cao Ronghai felt deeply unsettled upon learning that the Prince’s men were lurking in the shadows. The Prince of You had volunteered to accompany him from the imperial court, ostensibly to investigate the affairs of Kuangbei, but in reality, he was the Emperor’s watchdog, sent specifically to keep an eye on him.

"Forget about the Prince of You for now. Magistrate Cao, go and reveal your identity, and demand entry into the town."

Even outside the town, Chu Li had already sensed an overwhelming aura of death. People were still dying within, and the situation was dire.

Cao Ronghai complied and left, signaling them to follow shortly after. They had not taken many steps into Luohe Town when a group of people came rushing toward them. The middle-aged man in the lead had tears in his eyes; he ran up to Cao Ronghai and immediately knelt with a thud.

"Thank heavens! Our Luohe Town is finally saved. My lord, you must help us!"

Cao Ronghai was bewildered. He had been barred from entering the town just two days ago; why was he suddenly so popular? Having spent years drifting through his official career, Magistrate Cao sensed that something was amiss. Just as he was about to speak, the village head of Luohe Town bowed and kowtowed to him again.

"Magistrate Cao, I am the village head of Luohe Town. On behalf of the more than five thousand residents here, I beg you to uphold justice for us!"

Cao Ronghai realized exactly what was happening: they were trying to pin the burden on him. Luohe Town was clearly in a state of distress. So many people had died, yet the local county office had not sent anyone—it was obvious that the county officials either did not want to intervene or were powerless to do so. Though he held a high rank, what did he know about such matters?

Chu Li ignored the look of desperation Cao Ronghai cast her way and began to observe the situation in the town with Jiao Yan. By the village head's account, Luohe Town had a population of over five thousand, making it a fairly sizable town. Yet, the houses along the street looked dilapidated, and the people following the village head were dressed in rags. The town was not prosperous; it was desolate.

Moreover, white funeral money fluttered in the wind along the streets, and white mourning banners and staffs were visible everywhere. Almost every few houses were holding a funeral—it was indescribably bleak. The passing villagers were all in tatters, their expressions haggard, as if they were refugees. To Jiao Yan, the entire town was filled with a deathly silence.

In Chu Li's eyes, this place was rapidly becoming a ghost town. A heavy, dark shroud of deathly energy hung over the entire area, and the air was thick with the faint stench of rotting corpses. The cold wind blowing through made it all the more terrifying.

Chu Li returned to Magistrate Cao's side. The village head and the other town officials remained on their knees. Chu Li could sense the same aura of death emanating from within them; if left unchecked, they would soon follow the others to the grave.

Cao Ronghai had no desire to deal with this mess. He was already inside; he could simply use his official status to force them to clear a path. He only wanted to pass through. Seeing Cao Ronghai’s impatience—and noticing that the small glimmer of good fortune he had managed to accumulate was beginning to dissipate—Chu Li sighed softly.

"Magistrate Cao, saving lives is a great merit. It accumulates virtue and fortune, bringing many benefits. Perhaps you should agree."

Cao Ronghai was startled, then immediately slapped his forehead. Of course. The old sorcerer had told him to accumulate virtue along the way, and he had even brought half his wealth to distribute as charity. If he could save so many lives, the merit would far outweigh any money he could give away.

The village head and the others had not expected this sickly-looking young woman to speak for them, and they were instantly filled with gratitude toward her.

"Kind lady, we truly have no other choice. The county won't help us, and if Magistrate Cao won't either, we can only wait for death."

Cao Ronghai gritted his teeth. "Fine! I’ll take charge, won't I? But let me be clear: I am from the Ministry of Revenue; I am not skilled in investigating cases. I will help as much as I can, but don't you dare try to pin this entirely on me."

***

In the main hall, several of the town’s prominent figures had gathered. Cao Ronghai sat at the head, rubbing his temples. "Now, tell me what is going on."

The village head cleared his throat and recounted everything he knew. More than a hundred people had already died in the town, and the number was still rising.

"At first, we didn't pay much attention. Our town isn't wealthy, and when taxes are tight, every household has to find ways to make a living outside the town walls. It’s normal for a few people to die occasionally."

"But starting half a month ago, people began dying almost every day. Their bodies are always found in a small ditch a few hundred meters outside the town. They don't have a single wound on them, but they die in such a horrific state, and it has everyone in a panic."

Cao Ronghai frowned and slammed the table. "If there are no wounds, why do you say they die in a horrific state? Speak clearly!"

The village head glanced at the other elders in the room; seeing them nod, he dared to continue.

"It is because the expressions left on the faces of the deceased are terrifying, as if they were scared to death while alive. Their eyes are skewed and their mouths are twisted. The most horrific part is that no matter how we treat the bodies, they emit an unbearable stench within a few hours. Our town has already exhausted all our incense powder just trying to mask the smell."

As Cao Ronghai listened, he felt as if he could smell the rot himself, and he waved his hand dismissively. The village head provided more details, including the fact that a local sorcerer, fearing that the corpses would undergo a transformation, had plastered every coffin with yellow talismans.

"Where are the coffins being taken?" Chu Li suddenly asked.

Everyone in the hall looked at her, their eyes filled with either confusion or resentment. They were discussing a grave matter—why was a woman interrupting?

Cao Ronghai quickly spoke up, "This Miss Chu is my honored guest. She is a sorcerer; you may answer her questions directly."

Though they were surprised—a female sorcerer, in this day and age?—they dared not question her once Magistrate Cao had vouched for her.

The village head replied, "The coffins have all been transported to the forest outside the town. Sorcerer Wang is watching over them."

Half an hour later, Chu Li and the others left the town to inspect the bodies. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they were surprised to find the Prince of You’s party, who had arrived ahead of them.

Fu Heng was crouching in front of a coffin. His deep-set features revealed no emotion, but his cold, indifferent eyes held a flicker of something unsettled.

Chu Li walked over, frowning, and leaned over to look inside the coffin. The intense stench of decay was enough to make one unable to keep their eyes open. She waved her hand in front of her face, and in the next second, the pungent odor vanished completely, replaced by a faint scent of pine.

Fu Heng looked up at her in surprise, his eyes filled with inquiry. What kind of sorcery was this?