A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Since the Four Heroes of Kunshan went to Lingzhou Prefecture to work as constables, their fame has grown.

They were known in the martial arts world as the "Four Great Constables of Lingzhou".

It's not that they're particularly efficient at solving cases, but rather that they don't accept bribes or demand favors. This makes them truly exceptional among constables, standing out from the crowd.

Because they were naturally skilled fighters, few constables could defeat them. So, after being ganged up on several times, those who wanted to cause trouble dared not say anything.

But the people like this kind of constable!

As a result, stories about the four of them helping merchants catch thieves, helping children find their mothers, and helping the elderly and widows collect their wages and compensation began to circulate, earning them a reputation for chivalry.

This kind of chivalrous reputation is also quite important to government agencies, as it can enhance their image.

In particular, the prefect needed such a facade to demonstrate his integrity and incorruptibility. Thus, with the government's encouragement to varying degrees, the four of them even took charge of the local security.

Because of its growing reputation, Linxian County specifically requested Lingzhou Prefecture to send its four top constables to help investigate the case.

Old Master Liu's grave has been dug up?

It wasn't that the grave was dug up; the grave mound wasn't disturbed. But Magistrate Liu insisted that in his dream, Old Master Liu said the grave pit had been occupied. After the county magistrate tried to dissuade him twice, he stopped and allowed him to open the coffin and inspect it himself.

They even specially invited the Four Great Constables to assist him.

"Greetings, sir!" The one-eyed leader quickly bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, sir!" The other three bowed in unison, and even stood in a row to make it seem very impressive.

Zhang Zhengdao was overjoyed, never expecting to encounter the four of them.

A hand grabbed the one-eyed leader's hand and said, "Are you going to Magistrate Liu's residence? Come on, let's go together. I'd like to see what's going on. Just don't tell them I'm here, or they'll feel uncomfortable."

Zhang Zhengdao is now a favorite of the emperor, someone even the emperor has to give some face to, and who among the officials doesn't respect him? If you were to meet him, there would definitely be some formalities that would make you feel uncomfortable.

I've only heard about them, I've never seen them in person.

"Yes! It's a real person!"

"Don't call me 'True Man,' call me 'Taoist Master'!"

"Yes, Taoist Priest!"

So the five of them walked together toward Magistrate Liu's residence.

The one-eyed leader was very excited throughout the journey, recounting in detail everything that had happened at the government office to Zhang Zhengdao, almost like he was giving a work report.

They had indeed achieved something thanks to Zhang Zhengdao's guidance, and naturally hoped to gain his approval.

After recounting the story of arresting a thug and helping an old lady who was buying groceries to seek compensation, the one-eyed leader suddenly fell silent.

Zhang Zhengdao asked, "Aren't you going to talk about it?"

The one-eyed leader suddenly asked Zhang Zhengdao very seriously.

"Master, do you think it's a bit pathetic for the four of us brothers to only do these things?"

The Four Great Constables are also going through a period of confusion.

Yes, actually, this kind of reputation isn't considered a reputation at all among legitimate people in the martial arts world.

What kind of hero helps these commoners? What kind of brilliant detective catches a few thugs?

Aside from the initial success in the case of arresting members of the Lotus Sect, they didn't seem to have any other notable achievements. Naturally, people in the martial arts world found the title of "Four Great Constables" laughable.

Zhang Zhengdao grabbed his arm and said, "A skilled warrior does not achieve great feats. In Lingzhou, the people live in peace and prosperity, there are no thieves or bandits, no bullying or market manipulation, everyone respects you, and everyone has a place to reason and seek justice. This is your greatest merit, far more valuable than solving a major case!"

As soon as Zhang Zhengdao spoke, the one-eyed leader suddenly trembled all over and burst into tears.

The Taoist priest finally understood my grievances, and his understanding was so profound that I suddenly felt quite noble.

The knot in my heart suddenly loosened.

When the other three saw their leader crying, they all started crying too.

They didn't share the same conflicted feelings as the one-eyed leader, but if the leader cried, and the three of them didn't, would they still be brothers? Would they still be human?

Zhang Zhengdao continued, "This trip to Linxian County might just be a great act of kindness for you. Let's go, let's go, you grown men, you're already shedding tears and showing no shame."

"Yes, Taoist Priest!"

The one-eyed leader tried to hold back his tears, but instead managed to squeeze out a big snot bubble.

The other three brothers blew their noses hard, but instead of bubbles, they produced a clump of snot.

Zhang Zhengdao was both amused and embarrassed, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

What more can be said about the pure and devoted hearts of brothers united in spirit?

County Magistrate Liu was already waiting to greet them from ten zhang away at the gate.

The first people you meet are the Four Great Constables.

Zhang Zhengdao was walking behind, unaware that the four had been approached. He went to greet them, bowed, and offered to welcome them into the house. The four turned around to look for Zhang Zhengdao, but he was nowhere to be found.

They had no choice but to go inside with Magistrate Liu.

Among the onlookers were a middle-aged Taoist priest and a young Buddhist monk.

"The ancestral graves of Magistrate Liu have been occupied? That's nonsense! We went to check, and the graves are perfectly fine. You shouldn't be doing this!"

"You know nothing! Do you even know the legendary story of 'substituting a plum for a peach'?"

"Don't make wild guesses..."

There was a cacophony of voices at the door; this matter had caused quite a stir in the county.

The middle-aged Taoist priest laughed heartily: "Alas, alas! If not handled properly, it will lead to a great disaster. How could a mere constable from a prefecture be capable of handling this? The wrong person has been entrusted with this task..."

Someone nearby sneered, "Taoist priest, don't exaggerate. We've had Taoist priests perform rituals before, and they danced beautifully and even breathed fire, but so what? They made such a big fuss, and nothing came of it."

"The county magistrate's dreams are getting worse; it's said he even cried and complained to his elderly parents..."

"Fool!"

The middle-aged Taoist priest chuckled.

After a brief commotion, the gates of the Liu residence opened, and a group of people emerged. A servant led the way, followed by the Four Great Constables, and behind them came County Magistrate Liu and several members of his clan.

The group went up the mountain.

The place where Old Master Liu is buried is a feng shui treasure land on Jiaozi Mountain.

We consulted an expert back then.

After walking for half a day, we finally arrived at Old Master Liu's grave.

The tomb was built in a rather grand manner, and the tombstone was also quite large.

People who came to watch the spectacle weren't afraid of the long distance; some even followed along.

Grass has grown on the mound of earth outside the grave, and it seems that it has been growing for quite some time.

After surveying the area, and drawing on his years of experience navigating the martial world, the one-eyed leader frowned and said, "County Magistrate Liu, the grave has not been disturbed. Are you sure you want to dig up the ancestral grave and open the coffin for inspection based solely on a dream?"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu hesitated.

The only way to convince people that what he said was true was to open the coffin and examine it. However, he invited the four great constables of Lingzhou Prefecture not to investigate the case, but to act as witnesses.

Otherwise, even though his digging up of his ancestral graves was a family matter, if it reached the ears of his superiors or the imperial court, he wouldn't need an imperial envoy; a single order from the court would be enough to take his life.

This is a grave offense of filial impiety, one that no one can bear.

"dig--"

County Magistrate Liu gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.

"Wait a minute!"

At this moment, a voice came from above, and a middle-aged Taoist priest and a young monk stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"Taoist priest, what are you doing?"

County Magistrate Liu asked warily.

The middle-aged Taoist priest looked at the tomb and then at Magistrate Liu.

“You’re right, the person in the coffin here is no longer your father, but a zombie.”

County Magistrate Liu was startled. Someone believed him, but he still asked out of curiosity.

"What's going on? I hope you can teach me, Daoist Master!"

The middle-aged Taoist priest said, "When I came up the mountain with you just now, I examined the terrain here. This tomb was originally a Wenqu auspicious site, a first-class feng shui location. However, the earth dragon here has turned upside down. Although the impact is slight, it has changed the overall feng shui pattern, turning it into a broken Wenqu feng shui formation. It's a pity... it has become a place for raising corpses."

County Magistrate Liu was startled: "Then my father must be..."

"It's not your father. Because this place is a corpse-raising ground, some people who specialize in evil corpse-raising arts covet such places, secretly replacing fresh corpses with fresh ones and burying them here. This soil and grass may seem untouched, but to a master tomb raider, it's nothing special..."

It seems I've met someone with real skills.

County Magistrate Liu quickly bowed and pleaded, "Please, Taoist priest, save me."

"Open the coffin, and I'll guarantee you'll be alright!"

When I heard the middle-aged Taoist priest say those words again, I didn't think he was exaggerating or making empty boasts.

Seeing that Magistrate Liu was so insistent, the one-eyed leader waved his hand and led his three brothers to stand aside. He looked back and still couldn't find the Taoist priest.

"dig--"

At a command, several men picked up their tools and began digging the grave.

A group of people watched, both expectant and nervous.

County Magistrate Liu stared intently as the layers of soil in the tomb were peeled away. He was extremely nervous, fearing that what was unearthed would not match his dream or what the middle-aged Taoist priest had said.

That would be truly the end; at the very least, he wouldn't be able to keep his official position.

"Oh dear, why is it getting dark?"

Suddenly, someone casually said something.

Everyone looked up at the sky, and sure enough, it was getting rather dark, as if it were the prelude to a heavy rain. The clouds were also gathering in the sky.

The middle-aged Taoist priest looked at the sky and couldn't help but chuckle, "Interesting."

The young monk repeated "Amitabha."

This odd combination once again drew attention to them. However, the two of them seemed completely unconcerned and didn't care about the stares they received.

As the coffin appeared, the sky grew even darker. A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, a flash of bright white light that sent shivers down our spines.