Chapter Ten: The Cruelty of Human Hearts

  In the government office of Bianzhou, Governor Chen Kangduan sat on a high platform, and in front of him stood Tang Song, Bai Ma, and Li Daimu. In the public hall below, Tang Guanshi had been talking incessantly for almost an hour, and Chen Kangduan was getting drowsy from listening. This Tang Liang was indeed eloquent and clever, sometimes bringing up the secret agreement between Cao's family and him to discuss the matter, and sometimes using gold and silver to tempt him, which almost moved Chen Kangduan's heart. However, this time it was Yang Shouyi, the vice governor, who had ordered the seizure of Cao's convoy, and he did not dare to take matters into his own hands. All officials in Bianzhou knew that Yang Shouyi, the vice governor, was a favorite of the imperial court, sent to supervise Bianzhou. As for Chen Kangduan, this governor, he was just a paper tiger - a mere figurehead.

  Chen Kang chuckled and looked at the three people below, saying lazily: "Tang Guan Shi, I, old Chen, recognize your Cao family, but Yang Tong Pan does not. We both know what you're up to, it's not that I'm making things difficult for you, it's just that you need to convince Yang Tong Pan first, and then this prefecture can take charge. Ha... I'm a bit tired today, so you all go back first."

  Tang Song's three men stormed out of the Bianzhou government office, and Bai Ma immediately said dissatisfied: "What is this? The master of a state pushes things to that Yang Tongpan?"

  "Tai Chi is still unbeatable even after a thousand years." Tang Song sighed.

  Li Daimu's face was full of worry, and he said: "Although it is so, we ordinary people have no way to deal with them. It's better to go find that Yang Tongpan again."

  "Li, you've seen how arrogant Yang Tong was when we first entered the city. What's this 'wait and see' nonsense? Can we afford to wait?" White Horse spoke bluntly, indignantly saying to Tang Song, "Tang, why don't I go kill that Yang Shou and see if Chen Zhizhou dares not to release us?"

  "Then the three of us will end up dead on the streets." Tang Song glanced at her and said, "Don't be impulsive, if we need to take action I won't not tell you."

  Turning around, Tang Song looked at the crowded street and said in a low voice: "How can you make trouble for the government? How can you make it difficult for the government to say anything? I was already proficient last life."

  Chen Wan Nian was a man of his word, like an immortal king who would not die. He was already eighty-nine years old this year, with two sons: one was a wealthy merchant in the local government, and the other was the governor of Pingzhou. Therefore, wherever he went, everyone respected him as "Old Master". Outsiders thought that both his sons were successful, but only he was worried. His eldest son Chen Tai was honest and kind by nature, but his second son Chen Kang, being a corrupt official, made him worry that one day he would bring disaster to the Chen family. So every day, Old Master Chen liked to go out on the streets of Pingzhou City and chat with the common people about their opinions on his sons, then return home with a belly full of anger and scold them. However, this approach was not very effective, so Old Master Chen also got into the habit of seeking divine help, often going to the Taoist temple on the mountain to burn incense.

  Chen Wannian walked down the street, looking at everything with disapproval. This pharmacy was overcharging, and should be shut down, but since it paid a lot of taxes to the government every month, his second son turned a blind eye, and the pharmacy became even more brazen. And then there was this brothel, where the young girls were exposing their legs in broad daylight to attract customers - truly, the world was going downhill and people's hearts were no longer pure. Chen Wannian sighed as he walked, when suddenly he saw a fortune teller had appeared at the side of the road, with a large flag next to him bearing four big characters: "Replace Heaven, Change Fate".

  Hehe, that's really boastful. Chen Wannian walked up to the fortune teller and said sternly, "Young man, is what you've written on this flag true?"

  That young fortune teller had not yet spoken, but the girl next to him jumped in and said: "Of course, our master has traveled all over the country, known as a rival of the gods. Today, he happens to be passing by this place. Old man, why don't you let our master read your fortune?"

  "Ah, okay, then let the gentleman calculate." Chen Wannian lifted his robe and sat down, seeing that the crowd behind him was already full of people watching the play. He said in a stern tone: "I am eighty-nine years old this year, with no desires or demands. Let the gentleman calculate my lifespan." After finishing speaking, he looked at the fortune teller, who was not panicked, and took out a few copper coins from his pocket and put them into a jar. He shook it in mid-air for half a day, muttering quickly in his mouth, like a gambler in a market stall, and finally pressed down on the jar, leaving only four copper coins behind. His face was heavy as he said:

  "Old man, you'd better let your family prepare for the aftermath, it seems like you won't make it past New Year's."

  "What! Old Master Chen's face turned iron-green, staring at the fortune teller and saying: "Although I'm old, my ears aren't deaf and my eyes aren't blurry, my body is still strong. How can you say I won't live much longer?""

  "Heh heh." Tang Song smiled faintly and said, "Originally, you should have been able to live to be a hundred years old, but because of one thing, your lifespan will be shortened. You just said that you have no desires or demands, but from the divination signs, it can be seen that not only do you have desires, but also for the sake of your children and grandchildren."

  Chen Wannian no longer dared to underestimate him and hastily asked: "What do you mean by this?"

  "Old man, have you recently felt a constant stinging pain, numbness and swelling in your waist, weakness in your legs after urinating, and having to bend over and feel powerless after walking for a short distance?"

  "Indeed it is, how did you know?"

  Tang Song secretly smiled to himself: "Those with protruding waists are all like this, even my grandmother knows." However, he still spoke in a mysterious tone, saying: "This is what I meant by the matter of shortened lifespan. Old man, you've been haunted by the little ghosts from the underworld."

  Old Mr. Chen was shocked and said, "I've always been kind to people, why did that little devil come after me? Sir, is there a way to break the curse? I have some silver here, please enlighten me." He was thoroughly intimidated by this young-looking but incredibly powerful Sai Shen Xian, speaking with utmost respect and looking at him with eager eyes.

  "I don't accept any payment for fortune-telling, so please take back your silver. Old man, you haven't done anything wrong, but this evil deed was committed by your son. From the divination signs, I can see that your son has done many wicked things and often bullies the weak. Especially today, he even arrested a group of innocent people, among whom are some spirits who have been reincarnated as humans. The King of Hell is furious about this and has sent a small ghost to torment you."

  Old Mr. Chen heard that it was his own good-for-nothing son who had caused the trouble, and he immediately became so angry that his face turned red, and he asked with a bow: "Is there any way to resolve this?"

  Tang Song shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, 'Yan Wang is easy to see, but it's hard to get rid of the little ghost.' To get rid of this little ghost, we need to teach your son a lesson. So I'll make a move with the old man..."

  Mr. Chen leaned in to listen, nodding his head like a chick pecking at grain. Finally, he bowed and said, "Sir, I won't hide it from you, my useless son is indeed Chen Kang, the governor of Pingzhou. I'll go back and scold this beast according to your words, if he can escape this calamity, you will be a great benefactor to our Chen family!" After saying that, he repeatedly thanked him before leaving.

  After Old Man Chen left, Tang Song and Qiao dressed up as a servant girl and a groom, leading the white horse, Li Da Mu, exchanged a smile, hastily packed up their luggage and departed.

  In the provincial capital, in the governor's mansion, Chen Kang's young and charming concubine was sitting on his lap. At this moment, Chen Kang had his legs wide open, his hands moving up and down, calling out "sweetheart" with each breath, as he stripped off layer after layer of the concubine's clothes. Suddenly, a servant from the mansion, Wang Er, burst in through the door, rolling on the ground and shouting: "Master, master, it's not good! The old mistress has returned!"

  Chen Kang was suddenly frightened by something, and he immediately became flaccid. With a dark face, he pushed his concubine to one side and went up to give Wang Er a big slap: "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? What's the big deal when my dad comes home?"

  "Wang Er covered his face and said in a wronged tone: 'Master, the old master and mistress have returned, they've also brought back Master Big and a group of local elderly people, who are currently scolding loudly in the main hall.'"

  "Has big brother also arrived?" Chen Kang listened and walked out with a suspicious face.

  "You ungrateful son!" Chen Kang had just entered the hall when his father slapped him in front of a large crowd. He looked at his angry older brother and the room full of elderly people, then furiously said: "Father, why did you hit me without reason?"

  "Hit you? I'm hitting the likes of you, a beast worse than a pig or dog, with no regard for kinship!" Chen Wan Nian said as he slapped Chen Kang Tian again, sending him spinning around.

  Chen Tai coldly looked at his younger brother, the governor, and said in a chilly tone: "Second Brother, you're also too unfilial. Doing such things makes me, as your older brother, want to punch you a few times to vent my anger."

  "What have I done wrong?!" Chen Kang roared in anger.

  "You this unfilial son, I ask you, have you done many wrong things again recently!" Chen Wan Nian also raised his voice and scolded.

  Chen Kang thought of all the unscrupulous things he had done under Yang Shouyi's guidance since he took office this year, and with a guilty conscience, he covered his face and didn't dare to answer.

  "You rebellious son, I've got you figured out!" Chen Wan Nian continued "I'll ask you again, did you arrest a group of people and throw them into the big prison today?"

  "Yes, yes."

  "You rebellious son, you've caught a ghostly messenger! Now I'm being tormented by little ghosts and almost died at your hands!"

  Chen Kang was taken aback, but quickly reacted and hastily said: "Father, don't listen to some Jianghu practitioners' nonsense. The people I caught are all guilty. Who told you these things? I'll catch him and confront him with evidence."

  Old Master Chen was so angry that he almost choked, stumbling backward several steps. Chen Tai hastily came forward to support him. After catching his breath, Old Master Chen scolded again: "You ungrateful son! Now that things have come to this, do you want me to die in front of you?! I'm telling you, release the person quickly, otherwise, I and all 108 elderly people in this mansion will move into the big prison!"

  "Alright, alright." At this moment, Chen Kang gradually figured out the situation. The one who had instructed his father was definitely someone from the Cao family. However, at this moment, he couldn't let him go, and it would be difficult for his father to do anything about it. Helplessly, he beckoned a small official: "Go and release those dozen or so people we caught today."

  On the side, Chen Wannian was still scolding, but in Chen Kang's mind, he was constantly thinking about how to make amends for this matter.

  The Cao family's entourage left Bianzhou in a grand manner, and soon after they departed, Chen Kang also arrived at Yang Shouyi's residence.

  After listening to Chen Kang, Yang Shou furrowed his brow and said: "Filial piety is the most important of all virtues. Mr. Chen's actions are unavoidable. However, the government had instructed me a month ago that whenever the Cao family's merchant caravan passes by, not only must we thoroughly inspect them, but also cannot let a single person through. Now, it's troublesome."

  "Yang Tong judged, according to what you see, how should we be?"

  Yang Shou's long face had a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, and he stroked the jade token in his hand, saying coldly:

  "Kill."