Ghost Immortal

Li Feng recognized the lean man; he had seen him once during the day when he was reporting for duty at the yamen.

He was another constable from the household registration office, surnamed Sun, who was in charge of maintaining order in the southern part of the city.

"Officer Sun."

Li Feng bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Officer Sun strode over, and upon seeing the corpse on the ground, his expression immediately changed.

He squatted down to examine Zhao Laosan's body, and the more he examined it, the more solemn his expression became.

When he stood up again, his triangular eyes fixed on Li Feng, and he coldly questioned, "Did you kill this man?"

Li Feng pretended to be scared and shook his head, waving his hands repeatedly: "It wasn't me! He had been dead for a long time when I arrived."

The young constable behind Constable Sun shouted sternly, "You're talking nonsense! In the middle of the night, you're the only one in the alley, with a corpse lying next to you. You're saying you didn't kill him? Then find me another suspect!"

Li Feng bowed repeatedly to the constable and quickly recounted everything he had just witnessed.

"Officer, even if you gave me ten lives, I wouldn't dare to kill anyone. Please let me explain."

"I was just keeping watch obediently when this guy was suddenly thrown out of the brothel. I saw him screaming that there were ghosts, and then he ran into the alley and suddenly collapsed. I just came in and saw him dead here when you guys arrived."

"If I have uttered even half a lie, may I, as a night watchman, see ghosts every day!"

After hearing Li Feng's explanation, Officer Sun's expression did not soften; instead, it became even more serious.

He turned to the constables behind him and ordered, "Go to the brothel and bring out the madam. Let them confront her."

"Yes, Master." The two constables responded and left.

Before long, the madam of Yihonglou was brought over by the constables.

She had clearly been dragged out of bed; her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in makeup, and several buttons on her red robe were askew.

"Oh dear, Officer Sun, what's going on so late at night?"

As soon as the madam saw Constable Sun, she greeted him as if they were old friends.

When she saw the corpse on the ground, her face showed horror, and she covered her chest with a wronged expression.

"That Zhao Laosan was causing trouble in my building just now, that's why I kicked him out. Whatever happens to him outside has nothing to do with our Yihong Pavilion!"

Officer Sun sneered, "His name is Zhao Laosan. You know him?"

"Yes, yes, of course I know you," the madam nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

"His name is Zhao Laosan. He's a stonemason at the quarry in the south of the city. He used to come here often when he had a little money, but for some reason, he's gotten poorer and poorer these past few months. Today he came here to drink but didn't pay and even tried to renege on his debt, so I had someone kick him out."

Officer Sun squatted down again to examine Zhao Laosan's body, using a handkerchief to pry open the corpse's rotting eyelids.

He stood up, his eyes narrowing: "Something's not right!"

The madam, bewildered, took a half-step back in fright.

"Don't scare this old woman, what's wrong?"

Officer Sun stared intently at the madam and demanded sharply, "You're saying he was just drinking in your establishment?"

"Yes, just now, less than half an hour ago," the madam said, slapping her thigh, her expression somewhat indignant.

"He drank an entire jar of Shaoxing wine that belonged to my mother... my old woman, and then he went on a drunken rampage, even overturning the table. Even though he's dead, according to the law, his family can reimburse him for this, right?"

Officer Sun gasped.

"Are you sure it's him, and not someone impersonating him?"

The madam waved her handkerchief in disgust: "Oh dear, Officer Sun, what are you saying? Who in the south of the city doesn't recognize Zhao Laosan's ugly face? That scar on his face was from being hit by a piece of gravel, how could I mistake him?"

Officer Sun pointed at the corpse on the ground and snorted coldly.

"Hmph! Then tell me, how did someone who's been dead for at least ten days end up drinking and carousing in your building?"

The madam was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she cried out "Oh my god!" and jumped back a few steps.

She looked down at Zhao Laosan's rotting face on the ground, her face drained of all color, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

"This...this is impossible! He was just jumping around perfectly fine a moment ago!"

"I'm not lying, you can all testify! The girls in my building saw it too, he really was drinking just now!"

Officer Sun ignored her explanation and waved his hand dismissively.

"Take them all back!"

At Constable Sun's command, several constables immediately surrounded Li Feng and the madam and took them into custody.

Two constables grabbed Li Feng's arms from the left and right, their grip extremely strong, their fingers digging into his armpits like iron clamps.

Li Feng did not resist; he merely pretended to be frightened, shrinking his neck and letting them lead him forward.

The madam wasn't so honest; she howled all the way, her voice so shrill it could scare away any ghost in the alley.

"Injustice! Murder! This old woman runs a legitimate business, what does Zhao Laosan's death outside have to do with me!"

"Why are you arresting this honest, law-abiding old woman instead of the murderer?!"

Officer Sun walked ahead, sneering without turning his head: "Whether it's proper or not, you know in your heart. We'll talk about it when we get to the yamen."

The government office was in the center of the city; to get there from the south of the city, you had to go through seven alleys.

The city of Qingyan was quiet in the dead of night, with only the footsteps of the constables and the crackling of the torches.

Li Feng could sense that the blurry, ghostly figures crouching in the shadows on both sides of the alley were still there.

Upon seeing the group of officials, they all shrank into the corners and crevices of the wall, not daring to even peek out.

The authority of the government office can indeed ward off evil.

Before long, an open space appeared ahead.

The Qingyan City government office was much more impressive than he had imagined. The vermilion gate was three zhang wide, and two stone lions squatted on either side of the gate.

The lion's eyes, carved from some unknown stone, gleamed with a ghostly green light under the torchlight, staring at the approaching figure as if they were alive.

Li Feng was forced to step over the threshold of the yamen gate. As soon as his foot entered, he felt a scorching wave of heat surging in from all directions.

It wasn't real heat; it was something more intangible.

The Legalist school's penalistic approach.

The aura emanated from the blue bricks and beams of the government office compound, like boiling water.

It does not attack people actively, but it can keep evil spirits away.

Li Feng's spiritual energy was from the orthodox Taoist path, which did not conflict with the Legalist school's penal energy. He just felt warm all over, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

The madam was in trouble; the moment she stepped into the yamen gate, her face turned deathly pale.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his body went limp as if his bones had been removed.

"Ouch...ouch! This old woman can't breathe!!!"

The two bailiffs had no choice but to carry her forward, her feet dragging on the ground, one of her red embroidered shoes even slipping off.

Li Feng knew in his heart that prostitutes belonged to the lowest class, and the madam must have some kind of cultivation to have been able to run a brothel for so many years.

However, the cultivation methods of prostitutes mostly follow the path of absorbing yin to replenish yang and using bewitching techniques, resulting in mixed and predominantly yin magical power within their bodies.

Encountering the pure Legalist orthodox style of punishment in the government offices is like an ice cube falling into a pot of boiling oil; it's no wonder it's unpleasant.

Head Constable Sun glanced back at the madam, a sneer of schadenfreude creeping onto his lips. "Mama Zhou, didn't you just say you were an honest and law-abiding old woman? The aura of our yamen is specifically designed to punish the dishonest and lawless. Why can't you even stand up straight now?"