A light snow still drifted from the sky. Countless white flakes, like dandelion seeds dancing in the wind, dotted the silver-clad world of ice.
It was a scene that should have been stunningly beautiful, reminiscent of the verse, "As if a spring breeze arrived in the night, dressing thousands of trees in pear blossoms."
But the bone-chilling winter winds that gusted intermittently shattered the beautiful illusion.
The streets were cold and deserted, pervaded by a deathly silence.
The doors of every home were shut tight. From deep within the side alleys, mournful sobs could be heard from time to time.
In a year of great disaster, there was no telling how many people would freeze or starve to death.
Chen Cheng headed for Lishui Street, where the Ruyi Square Sub-Department of the City Guard Department was located. Along the way, he encountered several funeral processions, with mourners dressed in sackcloth and white.
Once he left the slums and drew closer to the central blocks of the Ruyi District, the flow of people gradually increased.
"The Fire God is merciful, delivering all living beings!"
"Worship the Fire God and be free of sickness and disaster!"
...
A procession of devout believers from the Fire Worship Sect moved slowly down the main street, chanting under their breath. There were at least twenty or thirty of them, taking up more than half of the street.
"The Fire God is boundless, saving us from suffering and hardship!"
At the head of the Fire Worship Sect procession, an old Daoist priest with a sage-like bearing held a banner, occasionally pointing it at passersby. People were constantly joining their ranks.
Chen Cheng continued forward and ran right into the Fire Worship Sect procession.
The old Daoist priest pointed his banner at Chen Cheng and said, "Worship the Fire God and be free of sickness and disaster!"
Chen Cheng quickly sidestepped to give him a wide berth. 'Having lived two lives, how could he possibly fall for the Fire Worship Sect's nonsense?'
The Fire Worship Sect had been preaching in Linji City for several years. They advocated for worshipping the Fire God and beseeching him to drive away the catastrophic cold. Since they always recruited believers on a voluntary basis, the old Daoist priest simply shook his head when Chen Cheng ignored him and turned to the next pedestrian.
"The City Guard Department is on official business! Clear the way, everyone! Move!"
A sharp command rang out as Liao San approached in a great hurry, leading several other constables.
Most of the Fire Worship Sect's believers were poor commoners; how would they dare to block an Official's path? Upon hearing the shout, they quickly moved aside.
"You dare blaspheme the Fire God! Be careful, lest he strike you down in punishment!"
The old Daoist priest spun around, pointing his banner at Liao San and the other constables, his tone righteous and stern.
Liao San sneered, pointing at the old Daoist priest's nose as he cursed, "You stinking priest, get the hell out of my sight. Keep squawking, and I'll tear down your Fire God temple."
The City Guard Department had cracked down on the Fire Worship Sect's preaching a few times, but because the believers only worshipped the Fire God and did not violate the Great Yu Law, there was nothing the department could do about them.
With the continuous cold disasters in recent years, many of the poor had frozen to death, leading to widespread public resentment. The Government Office was struggling to find a way to soothe the people's emotions, and the presence of the Fire Worship Sect actually helped to quell much of this anger.
So, the City Guard Department began to turn a blind eye to the Fire Worship Sect, and eventually just left them alone.
Leaving them alone was one thing, but if members of the Fire Worship Sect dared to break the law, the City Guard Department would still take action.
How could the old Daoist priest dare to truly anger a City Guard Department constable? Seeing that Liao San wasn't buying his act, he obediently scurried to the side, muttering under his breath.
"A sin, a sin! Merciful Fire God, please do not be angered!"
Liao San seemed to be in a hurry and didn't notice Chen Cheng standing to the side. Just as he was about to lead his men away, Chen Cheng quickly called out, "Third Brother."
"Ah Cheng." Upon seeing Chen Cheng, Liao San's expression immediately shifted to a smile. He stepped forward and clapped Chen Cheng warmly on the shoulder. "Been a while! You're looking more energetic than ever, kid!"
Chen Cheng smiled. "Third Brother, it's almost time for a meal. Still busy?"
"Hah! We street patrol constables have a bitter lot. We've got too much to do and not enough men lately, so naturally, we're busy from dawn to dusk. I'm afraid we won't even have time to eat today." Liao San sighed.
"A man is iron, but rice is steel. No matter how busy you are, you need a full stomach to have the strength to work, right?" Chen Cheng gave a wink and lowered his voice. "A chance encounter is better than a planned meeting. Why don't we find a place to sit and have a couple of drinks?"
Anyone who could become a street patrol constable for the City Guard Department was sharp. After a moment's thought, Liao San knew Chen Cheng needed something from him. He immediately leaned in to whisper with another constable who was wearing a Constable's Saber.
The street patrol constables of the City Guard Department were divided into official constables and Preparatory Constables.
Official constables wore a Constable's Saber at their waist and a black uniform, whereas Preparatory Constables wore a gray uniform and were not qualified to carry a saber.
"You guys go eat first. Meet up with us on Upper Street in an hour."
After their discussion, Liao San gave the order to the four gray-clad constables, then pulled Chen Cheng toward a nearby restaurant.
"Ah Cheng, it's just the three of us. We can just grab a quick bite. No need to spend too much."
The three of them found a table in the restaurant and sat down, and Liao San was the first to speak.
"Brother Li is no stranger," Chen Cheng said.
"That's right, that's right. We have work to do later, so just a quick bite is fine," the other constable, Li Ze, added with a smile. Li Ze was in his thirties, with an honest face, and seemed quite sincere.
"Alright, I'll listen to you two brothers." Chen Cheng smiled and waved the waiter over. After carefully inquiring about the prices of various drinks and dishes, he finally ordered a roasted chicken, a plate of pig's head meat, a dish of fennel beans, two small side dishes, and a pot of warm wine.
Liao San raised an eyebrow, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "Ah Cheng, are you treating us like strangers now, kid?"
Chen Cheng laughed. "Third Brother, what are you saying? How could we be strangers? Your little brother just got his monthly pay, I'm just having a few drinks with my two big brothers, that's all."
Liao San roared with laughter and clapped Chen Cheng hard on the shoulder, then turned to Li Ze. "Brother Li, I told you, my brother Ah Cheng is a stand-up guy!"
"Brother Ah Cheng is a straightforward man!" Li Ze gave a thumbs-up and then smiled sheepishly. "But this old brother can't compare to you two. My whole family, young and old, depends on this salary to live. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to treat you to a meal in return for a month or two."
Liao San shot him a sidelong glance and teased, "Brother Li, I've heard your wife is a renowned tigress. Are you putting on this act because you're afraid she'll twist your ear off when you get home?"
Stung by the jab, Li Ze's face turned beet red. In a stuffy voice, he retorted, "Liao San, stop your nonsense! I'm the one who calls the shots in the Li Family! Tomorrow, it's on me! We'll invite Brother Ah Cheng for a real drinking bout, and we won't go home until we're all drunk!"
"No, no, no! You might not be afraid, but I'm afraid your wife will come storming my house!" Liao San said.
...
Before long, the food and wine arrived. The three men ate and chatted for nearly a full hour before finally emerging from the restaurant, full of food and wine.
From Liao San and Li Ze, Chen Cheng learned that the Flying Eagle Gang and the Chishui Gang had fought a bloody battle a couple of days ago. The Chishui Gang was driven out of the area, and the Flying Eagle Gang also suffered significant losses.
When Jianghu Gangs clashed, it generally didn't spill over to the common people, so the City Guard Department couldn't be bothered to get involved, letting them fight and kill one another.
In the aftermath of the gang war, corpses kept appearing in the alleys near Upper Street, and quite a few of them. The members of these Jianghu Gangs were mostly desperate fugitives, so no one came to claim their bodies. Naturally, the job of collecting the corpses fell to the constables of the City Guard Department.
The reason Liao San and his men were so busy these days was precisely this: hauling these corpses out of the city to be dumped at the Chaotic Burial Mound.
On the way home, Chen Cheng and Liao San walked together for a stretch. Chen Cheng personally witnessed a group of constables using pushcarts to transport corpses, and Ma Liu's body was right there among them, unnoticed by all.