Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

The scholars banded together to sue the local county magistrate. This matter was neither too big nor too small; it all depended on the actual circumstances of the case and how the parties involved handled it.

The magistrate, in order to vent his anger, beat a scholar to death with sticks. This was a major incident. If the case were filed with a higher-ranking official, the magistrate would naturally lose his job.

But if this magistrate could commit such atrocities in this area, how could he not be in contact with other high-ranking officials? The complaint was written and the petition was submitted, but due to the collusion among officials, the magistrate chose to pay money to avoid trouble, and the matter ultimately didn't even cause a ripple.

Although the ripples on the surface were small, the people below were in an uproar. After the lawsuit was settled with money, the magistrate began to investigate the matter, and all the scholars involved were arrested for "forming cliques for personal gain".

In this matter, most of those involved were the scholar's classmates who were beaten to death. The fact that the magistrate could beat them to death so recklessly meant that he himself had no power to vouch for him, nor did he have any friends from prominent families. Therefore, wealthy families like Wang Zifu only knew some of the news and had little interaction with him.

The other two Wang brothers would have been included in this list, because they were on good terms with Zhang Hongjian, and others who wanted to persuade Zhang Hongjian to help would naturally follow suit and try to curry favor with them.

However, Wang Sheng was greatly frightened by the Painted Skin incident and stayed in bed at home. He also kept his house closed and refused to entertain anyone who came to visit. Only Wang Erlang would occasionally come out, but he was also wary and knew that his family's behavior was too abnormal. So he spoke half-truthfully and told everyone he met that his house had been attacked by a monster and that he was currently trying to find a way to exorcise it.

It is said that Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits, but this is Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, where strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, and spirits abound. Every few houses, one can hear seemingly true stories of ghost encounters. In addition, since the person in question was indeed ill, they were not included when the organization filed a lawsuit.

This led to a strange outcome: apart from Zhang Hongjian, who was destined to be implicated, none of the other protagonists who were also scholars in the story were involved... Oh wait, it is said that Zhu Erdan was also affected.

It seems that someone thought the more people who jointly filed the lawsuit, the better, so they recruited from among their classmates and took Zhu Erdan along. This person was naturally dull and had no idea what was going on. He only heard others say that it was a great undertaking, so he went along and ended up suffering the same fate.

The lawsuit enraged the county magistrate. After years of living a carefree life here, this was the first time anyone had dared to cause him trouble. Therefore, the case was investigated very quickly, and within a few days, all the scholars who had participated in the lawsuit became wanted criminals.

Wang Erlang realized this wouldn't do. Too many scholars were implicated, including Zhang Hongjian, who was his close friend. Moreover, the charges against Zhang Hongjian were not only fabricated, but also an undeserved disaster for him, as he had been dragged into it from the beginning.

Zhang Hongjian soon learned that he was wanted and knew that the county magistrate would never let him go. Seeing the officials starting to arrest people from house to house, he did not want to implicate his wife and children, so he planned to escape overnight.

The blame lies solely with himself. Although his escape will make him a wanted fugitive, it will not affect his son and wife. At this moment, Zhang Hongjian only regrets that he couldn't resist the persuasion of others and wrote that petition after believing their sweet words.

But Wang Erlang felt that this would not work. One of the reasons why Zhang Hongjian was on good terms with the Wang brothers was that, like the brothers, he had lost his parents at a young age. But Zhang Hongjian had no brothers, and his son was only two or three years old. If Zhang Hongjian ran away, how would his wife, Fang, raise the child alone?

Moreover, Zhang Hongjian became a fugitive as soon as he ran away. Even if his wife, Fang Shi, was not implicated by that fabricated crime, having a fugitive husband would make life difficult for the mother and son in the village.

At this moment, Wang Erlang remembered the two immortals on the southwest mountain outside the city. They had once warned Zhang Hongjian that there were some people in the world who could win together but not lose together. Now that he thought about it, didn't this perfectly describe Zhang Hongjian and the group of people who sued the county magistrate?

It turns out that the immortal was pointing out this very tribulation, but unfortunately Zhang Hongjian didn't seize the opportunity.

With the mindset of helping a friend to the end, Wang Erlang saw that the officials started their investigation from within the city. The main organizer of this matter was the friend of the scholar who was beaten to death, so they started arresting people from there. Faced with this crime, these people would definitely not admit it and would definitely cause a scene first.

Taking advantage of this time, he told Zhang Hongjian to stay at home. The other man was just scared and only thought about escaping arrest. Wang Erlang told him to calm down first, and then he left the city to go to the mountains to find Liu Qingyuan.

He wasn't involved, making him the most suitable person to come out now. However, the Realm of Insight was built by Liu Qingyuan on the spot, without any existing roads. Yingning doesn't travel far or come here, and her other family members are all ghosts, so they leave no trace when they come.

As for the remaining creatures with physical forms, Xiao Cui likes to use her fox form to scale the fence and enter without ever going through the door. Liu Qingyuan and Zhao Shimingdeng don't even need to walk on solid ground; they can simply transform into light and land in the courtyard, so they don't need to go through the door either.

Under these circumstances, Liu Qingyuan spent so many days in the mountains, yet there wasn't a single path leading to the open-air realm. Wang Erlang, on the other hand, arrived in a hurry and found himself completely lost in the mountains, unable to find any direction.

If it weren't for the World-Illuminating Lamp coming to rescue him, Wang Erlang might have been lost in the mountains for a whole day, like a ghost wandering in a maze.

"Thank you so much, Immortal Master. Without you, I don't know how long I would have walked before I saw anyone."

At this moment, Wang Erlang felt that the name "Illuminating the World" was truly accurate. Heaven knows how excited he was when he saw the other person carrying a lantern walking out from the layers of trees while he was wandering around in the forest, anxious and frustrated because he couldn't find his way.

He vowed never again to think about how this immortal was carrying a lantern in broad daylight.

"Actually, you don't need to thank me. I just happened to be here."

Zhao Shiming glanced through the bushes. These days, he had spent most of his time walking in the mountains. There were many spirits in the mountains, and the mixture of demonic and spiritual energy could affect people's sense of direction, making it easy to get lost. No wonder people get lost.

When Liu Qingyuan first arrived, he saw shadowy figures in the mountains but no living people. This was because experienced woodcutters always followed a few fixed paths and wouldn't actually venture deep into the mountains, but that didn't mean no one would come.

If someone gets lost, the Illuminating Lamp will come out to help. No matter who gets lost in the mountains, the Illuminating Lamp will never get lost.

"There's been a rumor in the city lately about a mountain god who carries a lantern and guides the way; that must be referring to you."

The other person's silver hair and handsome face were already outstanding, and now, carrying a lantern and walking in the deep mountains, he truly looked like a mountain god guiding the lost.

"Mountain God? Ha, I wouldn't dare. I'm just taking a stroll with a lantern, having nothing better to do. But..."

"what?"

"In Buddhism, there is a being known as the Mountain God... We've arrived."

At some point, most of the tangled branches and leaves that had been obscuring the view disappeared, and what came into view was no longer the intricately growing trees, but a small courtyard. Although it lacked high walls and bricks, it still exuded a charming and elegant atmosphere.

"Young Master Wang? It seems I won't be idle today."

"Chang Immortal!"

Upon seeing the person he was looking for, Wang Erlang, who had been imagining how the Buddhism described by Zhao Shimingdeng might differ from his own understanding, suddenly snapped to attention. He remembered his initial purpose for coming up the mountain, took three steps at a time, and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"The world is unjust now, please, Immortal Master, save Brother Zhang!"

……

The above is the whole story of why Wang Erlang came to the mountains to find Liu Qingyuan. It seems that some events cannot be changed by a few words from an outsider like Liu Qingyuan, even if he foresaw Zhang Hongjian's future predicament; in the end, what was destined to happen would still happen.

Take Wang Sheng as an example. Liu Qingyuan did indeed successfully change the plot in the second half. Although it is possible that an illegal time traveler was mixed in, causing the pacing to break down, he did prevent Wang Sheng from having his beloved concubine "pour out his heart" in a heart-wrenching process.

Perhaps the point at which the event occurs remains unchanged, but the intermediate process can be manipulated?

"What does Young Master Wang hope I and Zhaoshimingdeng will do?"

"I would like to invite the two immortal masters... uh..."

This really stumped him. Because of the other party's previous display of ability, he felt that the other party must have a solution, so he was determined to go up the mountain to seek help. But upon careful consideration, he realized that neither he nor Zhang Hongjian had even thought about how to ask for help.

“My friend and I are not bound by worldly constraints. Whether it’s saving people, killing people, storming the execution ground, or helping you hide people, it’s all fine. But the root of this matter is not here.”

The root of the problem wasn't where Zhang Hongjian should flee, nor how to help the other arrested scholars escape punishment; the most fundamental issue was the corrupt county magistrate.

Because of this petition, Zhang Hongjian, who was somewhat talented and aspired to take the imperial examinations, was investigated by the county magistrate. He fled for more than ten years until his son grew up and he was finally reunited with him.

"Just now, I heard you say that some of your classmates were arrested, and one of the names sounded familiar... I think it was Zhu Erdan? When I first met you, I heard someone mention him."

"Yes, we did have a classmate named Zhu Erdan, but he was a notorious idiot. He was slow-witted and like a block of wood. He didn't go to that drinking party; someone else must have mentioned it to him."

Most famous scholars are known for their talent and learning; some are good at writing essays, and some are good at writing poems. Only Zhu Erdan is famous for his foolishness and dullness.

“Zhu Erdan isn’t very good at socializing. He was probably dragged into this mess, implicating so many people. Those guys are really not good people either.”

Thinking about it carefully, the fact that this group of people wanted to write a petition but didn't write it themselves, and instead flocked to Zhang Hongjian's house, with whom they didn't have a deep relationship, suggests that besides their own lack of talent, they probably also had other motives.

If you want to get to the root of the problem, the best way is to get rid of the magistrate... cough, he meant to remove this guy from office, not to kill him. A magistrate being dismissed and being killed are two different things.

If the latter scenario were to actually occur, the nature of the whole affair would change. At that point, who would care about these scholars? The county magistrate would be killed; this would be an act of rebellion.

"So, does the young master want me to save Young Master Zhang, or does he want to take refuge in the mountains?"

"rustle……"

There was a sound of something moving through the bushes outside the fence. Zhao Shiming stepped forward and, unsurprisingly, saw a furry fox's head pop out from inside.

With an ordinary person now in the courtyard, Xiao Cui couldn't show herself, so she leaned against the fence and listened outside. She heard the county magistrate committing crimes and arresting people, and the people involved were still panicking. But she had an idea in her mind.

“Master Cilang, I have an idea.”

Little Cui gripped the edge of the fence with her two front paws and whispered to Cilang as he walked over.

"I wonder what ideas Xiao Cui has?"

Zhao Shiming reached out and stroked the fox's head, brushing away the fallen leaves that had stuck to her as she darted through the bushes. Xiao Cui seemed to really enjoy running around in the mountains in her original form, and Liu Qingyuan was afraid that the girl might accidentally get herself covered in burrs.

"If we want to solve this once and for all, we just need to get rid of the current magistrate. We can go to the capital to find someone to help us."

A county magistrate who has been abusing his power for a long time has long since bribed all the officials connected to him. With officials protecting each other, it is impossible for ordinary people to appeal from the bottom up. They need to use higher-level connections to handle the matter from the top down.

To put it bluntly, it means going to find a higher-ranking official. You think you're so powerful, a mere county magistrate? Fine, I'll go directly to your superiors.

That's perfect. Xiao Cui has connections. She married into the Wang family as a daughter-in-law to repay her mother's kindness. Although she was scolded for the vase incident and ran away in a huff because she felt ashamed, it's unknown whether the Wang family has asked for help to impeach her and reinstate her.

But none of that matters. Although Censor Wang has lost his post, he is still in the capital and has the connections he has built up over the years. As long as he helps to expose what the magistrate has done, not only will the magistrate lose his job, but Censor Wang can also get back on his word through this merit, achieving the best of both worlds.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to go back?"

"I'm just angry that they scolded me without asking why. Even without those five years of fate, I still have to repay their kindness in full."

Xiao Cui was angry because every time she did something outrageous, there was a reason and a satisfactory result. Even if she didn't understand what she was doing, she should have learned her lesson and asked herself why she did it, instead of coming up and scolding her in front of so many people.

To be honest, Xiao Cui didn't have any feelings for Imperial Censor Wang and Madam Wang, but Yuan Feng was indeed good to her. When he was a fool, he played and fooled with her, and even after he became smart, he still listened to her. Although they occasionally had some minor squabbles, the two of them resolved them quickly.

Even if it's just for Yuanfeng's sake, Xiaocui has to repay this debt of gratitude.

"Actually, there's no need to say it face to face. Look, it's getting dark. Let's fly directly to the capital tonight, and I'll use some magic to go into his dream and tell him what happened."

When she ran away from home, Xiao Cui had already revealed her identity as a fox spirit to Yuan Feng. She disappeared directly when she left. Even if Yuan Feng hadn't mentioned that she was a fox spirit, the Wang family should have realized her extraordinary nature. Being able to rise to the rank of censor meant that he was a smart man and would definitely seize this opportunity.

Zhao Shimingdeng told the other two about Xiao Cui's plan, mainly to Wang Erlang, because such a short distance couldn't escape the ears of a celestial being.

Considering that Xiao Cui did not want to show her face, Zhao Shimingdeng omitted Xiao Cui's name and only said that she was a fox spirit in the capital.

Anyway, there are so many fox spirits in the world. If he doesn't take action this time, Zhang Hongjian will encounter another one in the future. It doesn't matter whether he mentions the name or not.

This is indeed a good method. Most of the process is completed by the indigenous people. Liu Qingyuan and Zhao Shiming only need to show their faces, say something, and play the role of immortals sending dreams.

However, regarding the matter of going to the capital, Zhao Shimingdeng is sufficient; Liu Qingyuan has another matter on her mind.

It's still unknown whether Zhu Erdan's story has begun. If it has, and his friend has been implicated and imprisoned, then Judge Lu in the underworld will probably take action. This man is no pushover.

"I'll send you down the mountain now, and then bring Young Master Zhang here to hide. How about that?"

"well!"

Wang Erlang nodded repeatedly. He hadn't expected that the other party had connections in the capital. Compared to the county magistrate, the officials in the capital were nothing. If the higher-ups investigated, the county magistrate would be finished.

"Okay, let's do it."

Liu Qingyuan led his men down the mountain to Zhang Hongjian's village. Zhao Shiming waited until nightfall, when Xiao Cui transformed into human form to guide him.

These two, one a fox spirit and the other a primordial being, one transformed into smoke drifting across the night sky, and the other into light like a shooting star. They quickly arrived in the capital and stopped on the roof of the Imperial Censor Wang's house.

"I'll open a door to his dream in a bit. What kind of entrance would you like, Taoist Master?"

"Can you directly control dreams?"

They want to enter other people's dreams, but Xiao Cui's words sound like she can directly interfere with what kind of dreams the other person has.

"It's just a little trick, using illusions in his dreams. We fox spirits are best at this kind of magic."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Shiming realized that he could create the special effects himself, so he didn't need Xiao Cui's help. But if he could create a larger scene... the Dark Path was definitely the most suitable.

So, in the dead of night, Wang Yushi, who was sound asleep, suddenly jolted awake. He found himself in a pitch-black place. Apart from the ground beneath his feet, there was nothing there. All he could see was swirling mist, and he had no idea which way to go.

Given the current atmosphere, if a bit more green light were to appear, and a pair of Black and White Impermanence wielding soul-snatching chains were to show that he had reached the end of his life and was already in the underworld, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Where...where am I?"

In the darkness, he remembered his identity and that he should be sleeping in bed. He had been impeached and lost his official position, his daughter-in-law Xiao Cui was missing, and his son Yuan Feng was sick with worry every day. He had not had a good night's sleep for many days.

What exactly happened? Why did he suddenly appear in this eerie place from his bed at home?

It's pitch black here, you can't see anything clearly, yet the ground beneath your feet feels incredibly real, and you can feel the wind blowing around you, making anyone in this situation unsure if they're dreaming.

Just as Imperial Censor Wang began to panic, the wind suddenly picked up and a white light shone behind him. He quickly turned around and saw a figure emerging from the white mist, with a lantern swaying in front of him, like a guiding light in the darkness.

"The year of Jiazi is uncertain, a thousand demons roam the white sun sky, the will of Heaven is written in the book, the sons devoutly support the way; the Buddha lamp is lit and its brilliance appears, a glimmer of hope saves the end of the year."