Volume One: The Carefree Journey of Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Five: The Constable

“You know them?” The two men standing outside the Ten Miles Fragrance Tavern were quite conspicuous. Yang Ning glanced over, immediately realizing they were the ones the Monkey had mentioned.

Without turning his head, Monkey replied softly, “Not only do I know them, but there aren’t many people living in town who don’t. You know them too, you just can’t remember right now.”

Yang Ning frowned. “Who are they? Why do you fear them so?”

Monkey edged closer to Yang Ning, glanced furtively over his shoulder, and only relaxed a little when he saw the two hadn’t noticed them. In a low voice he explained, “The taller one is Constable Xiao, the shorter is Deputy Constable Feng—he’s the one called Mad Dog, the one who eats people without spitting out their bones. Do you remember now?”

But Yang Ning could recall nothing about these two.

“Constable Xiao…” Yang Ning mused, “That must be Xiao Yishui? I’ve heard that Boss Fang is on good terms with him.”

Monkey crouched by the base of the wall, forcing Yang Ning to crouch down as well. Monkey leaned in and whispered, “Boss Fang is basically Xiao Yishui’s… To put it plainly, whatever Xiao Yishui says, Boss Fang follows. All us Beggar Sect disciples are now under Xiao Yishui’s control.”

Although Yang Ning knew Boss Fang was close to Xiao Yishui, he hadn’t expected this kind of relationship. Surprised, he asked, “Is Xiao Yishui really that powerful?”

Monkey whispered, “You stay in this town long enough and you’ll know—Xiao Yishui is all-powerful in Huize County. I’ve heard that even the County Magistrate doesn’t dare order Constable Xiao around. Magistrates come and go with promotions, but Constable Xiao has always been here. I’ve lived in Huize for six or seven years now; the current magistrate is the third one I’ve seen, but Xiao Yishui remains the head constable.”

“So it seems Constable Xiao truly is a man with hands in every pie,” Yang Ning said with a faint smile, touching his nose.

A powerful outsider can never suppress the local kingpin—Yang Ning understood this well. The magistrate was a government appointee, but the constable was a local enforcer. Magistrates were rotated out, but the constable could stay indefinitely.

Yet for Xiao Yishui to keep his post through several magistrates was no ordinary feat.

“All the constables in Huize answer to him,” Monkey continued in a low voice after a pause. “Many say that the constables in Huize only take orders from Xiao. Without his word, not even the magistrate can mobilize a single constable. The magistrate has to defer to Xiao in all matters. And I’ve heard that no case in Huize gets solved unless Xiao intervenes.”

Yang Ning smiled faintly. “And what about Deputy Constable Feng? Why do they call him Mad Dog?”

At the mention of Deputy Constable Feng, Monkey’s face showed fear. He lowered his head and asked softly, “Is he watching us?”

“No,” Yang Ning replied, peering through the gaps in the passing crowd. “Why are you so afraid? You’re just a beggar, not a criminal. What is there to fear?”

The more Yang Ning pressed, the more pronounced the terror in Monkey’s eyes became.

Unable to resist, Yang Ning kept watching the two men. He saw Deputy Constable Feng finish speaking, and then Xiao Yishui leaned in to whisper something in his ear, patted him on the shoulder, and Deputy Constable Feng bowed respectfully before hurrying off down the street.

Yang Ning’s gaze remained on Xiao Yishui. He watched as Xiao straightened his clothing, glanced around the street, and then turned to enter the Ten Miles Fragrance Tavern.

“They’ve both gone now,” Yang Ning said, patting Monkey on the shoulder.

Monkey glanced up, saw that Xiao Yishui and his companion had disappeared from the tavern’s entrance, and finally let out a long breath. “Damn, that scared the life out of me.”

Yang Ning thought to himself, just a moment ago you were swaggering in the old earth god’s temple, but now you’re cowering like a mouse—truly useless. Still curious, he asked, “You haven’t told me why Deputy Constable Feng is called Mad Dog, or why you fear them so much. Have you dealt with them before?”

Monkey gritted his teeth. “Mad Dog isn’t a name I gave him—half the Beggar Sect calls that scum Mad Dog. He’s Xiao’s right hand, been with him for years. They’re sworn brothers, I hear.” He clenched his fist, hatred in his eyes. “I was ruined by him back in the day.”

Yang Ning was puzzled. “Did he throw you in jail?”

“That Mad Dog used us for beating practice,” Monkey spat bitterly. “The yamen runners would always ask Boss Fang for people to practice their caning on. Boss Fang… Boss Fang, that coward, didn’t dare stand up to the yamen, so every so often he’d send disciples to the yamen for Mad Dog to use—never less than a dozen or two each time.”

“They used live people for beating practice?” Yang Ning was startled.

He’d never seen it, but he knew that in old times the yamen’s canes were deadly serious—if they really went all out, a few dozen blows could easily kill a man.

“They’d strip off our trousers, beat our bare backsides until they were a bloody mess,” Monkey said, both angry and terrified. “Mad Dog and his lackeys never saw us as human.” Dropping his voice, he added, “Practicing with the cane was just an excuse—they treated us like livestock for their amusement. Mad Dog personally beat three or four people to death.”

Yang Ning understood. In times of chaos, a few dead beggars were nothing, especially at the hands of the authorities—there was nowhere to appeal.

But for Deputy Constable Feng to be so wantonly murderous showed just how lawless Xiao Yishui and his men were in Huize.

“If Boss Fang is the leader of the Beggar Sect here, why would he send his own people to the slaughter?” Yang Ning sneered. “How could such a collaborator remain the leader?”

“Boss Fang?” Monkey snorted. “Those yamen runners don’t see us as human, but Boss Fang is no better. All these years Mad Dog has made us suffer, and Boss Fang hasn’t said a word.”

Yang Ning nodded. Monkey’s words matched what Old Bark had said about Boss Fang—a selfish bastard who cared nothing for his disciples.

Night had fully fallen, the moon hung in the sky, and the lights of taverns and inns had been lit. Looking at the bright, lively street and hearing the laughter from the taverns and tea houses, it was hard to imagine the countless starving refugees in this town.

Mansions reek of meat and wine, while bones of the frozen litter the road—this was the truest portrait of the county right now.

As night deepened, the crowds thinned. After all, this was a small county town. By the hour of the pig, few people remained on the streets, and most shops had closed for the night.

Only when the street was nearly deserted did Yang Ning, following Monkey’s directions, reach the entrance of a narrow alley.

“That’s Dead Man’s Alley,” Monkey said, pointing across the street. The two alleys faced each other, separated only by the silent street.

Yang Ning saw the alley was pitch dark, its mouth like the gaping maw of a beast, unfathomably deep.

He was about to step out when Monkey grabbed his sleeve. Yang Ning frowned. “What is it?”

“Boss Diao, do we really have to go?” Monkey’s eyes flickered with fear. “Maybe… maybe we should wait a bit longer.”

Yang Ning knew he was frightened. He said gently, “I know the place now. You can go back to the earth god’s temple—you don’t need to come with me.” Bringing such a timid fellow along would only be a hindrance, so it was better to go alone.

“Ah?” Monkey scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Boss Diao, I’m not afraid… I’m just… just worried about you.”

Yang Ning thought, if I believed that, I’d be a fool, but still smiled. “More people will only attract attention. I’ll go alone and see if I can find Little Die. She saved my life—I must thank her.”

Monkey asked softly, “Madam Hua’s house has high walls all around. People like us can’t even get close, let alone get inside. Do you remember how you used to meet Little Die?”

Yang Ning recalled they’d said he often came here to meet Little Die, but now, he was no longer the Little Mink he used to be—he had no memory of meeting her here.

The memories of his body’s original owner were not only scarce but also fragmented, as if his own soul had taken over and crowded out the original’s recollections. Yet the former owner’s stubborn will had preserved a few memory fragments that surfaced at critical moments.

Monkey was still uneasy when suddenly the sound of wheels echoed down the street. Peering out from the alley, the two saw, by the light of the moon, a black shadow emerging from the far end—a horse-drawn carriage.

Though the street was paved with blue stone, the county was small and the stones uneven, so the rattling of the carriage wheels on the slabs was loud and clear.

“A carriage?” Monkey whispered. “There aren’t many carriages left in town—most horses were requisitioned for the war; you hardly see any now.”

The carriage drew closer, and the two pressed themselves against the alley wall. The darkness was deep and the walls high, so the moonlight barely reached inside, making them all but invisible.

The carriage stopped at the mouth of the alley. In the moonlight, Yang Ning saw it was a simple vehicle, but the horse was strong and well-fed. The driver wore coarse clothes and a bamboo hat, making his features hard to discern.

The carriage lingered a moment, then the driver pushed up his hat and glanced around in the moonlight.

Studying the man, Yang Ning found his figure strangely familiar, and frowned.

After surveying the area, the driver flicked the reins, and the horse turned into Dead Man’s Alley. With a low shout, the driver guided the carriage into the darkness, where it soon vanished.

“Driving a carriage into Dead Man’s Alley?” Monkey muttered, finally standing upright. “I wonder who’s inside? Maybe… maybe it’s someone going to Madam Hua’s for some pleasure?” He wore a lecherous grin.

Yang Ning cast him a glance. “You think someone’s going to see Madam Hua?”

Monkey’s eyes gleamed. “I’ve heard she’s not young, but keeps herself well. Her skin is smooth and white, and she’s quite the flirt. If a man could peel her like a lamb and spend a night with her…” He trailed off, seeing Yang Ning’s expression grow cold and peculiar, and stopped with a sheepish laugh.

Yang Ning thought, you must not have seen a woman in years to be so lewd. Ignoring him, he asked in a low voice, “I don’t know who’s in the carriage, but didn’t you recognize the driver?”

“The driver?” Monkey was surprised. “You know him?”

“You really should train your eyes,” Yang Ning replied softly. “He’s the one you hate and fear most—the one we just saw not long ago.”

Monkey was stunned, his mouth agape, horror in his eyes. “You… you mean…?”

“The so-called Mad Dog,” Yang Ning said coldly. “Deputy Constable Feng.”

Before Monkey could recover, Yang Ning darted from the alley like a panther, crossing the street in a flash. By the time Monkey gathered his wits, Yang Ning had already vanished into the darkness of Dead Man’s Alley.