The Most Powerful Young Master of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 14: Remember to Wear a Helmet When You Go Out

Old Huang knew just about every petty thief and street thug in Shuzhou City. After taking them on a tour of the area, Chief Constable Huang—in true form—arrested nearly fifty people. Since those guys were born and raised right here, when Old Huang told them, “Come with me for a bit,” not a single one dared to run. In the end, they were all rounded up and made to kneel on the parade ground. Old Huang slapped them on the back of the head while pointing at their noses one by one and asking, “Is it you? Is it you…? You look the most like him to me…” By the time the thugs’ heads were swollen from the blows, Chief Huang’s hand was a bit swollen too, yet he still hadn’t managed to extract a confession. The thugs were all reduced to tears; under different circumstances, they would have confessed immediately, even if they hadn’t done it. Unfortunately, this time it was the Wang Anshi and An family homes that had been robbed. This wasn’t a matter of a hundred cash coins; in the Song Dynasty, infiltrating the ranks of government officials was a capital offense. How could they possibly confess? Finally, after whispering among themselves for a while, the thugs reached a tacit agreement and said, “Your Excellency, Chief Huang, Commander Huang, Young Master. Please don’t make things difficult for us little guys. We wouldn’t dare do something like this even if we had the guts of a leopard. We definitely didn’t commit this crime, but we’ll take responsibility for the loss. We’ll chip in to pay you back for your loss—would that be acceptable?” So Old Huang stroked his chin and leaned in close to Wang Bang, saying, “Your Honor, these little bastards may dare to pick pockets and even grope a girl’s butt, but they certainly wouldn’t dare to provoke the Wang family. How about… letting them chip in to reimburse you? After all, their crime doesn’t warrant the death penalty.” Wang Bang said, “I’m counting on you guys.” At that, the thugs, surprisingly, began to weep with gratitude. Chief Constable Huang, kicking his legs back and forth, barked, “What are you still standing there for? Is the young master’s time meant for waiting around? Hurry up and chip in—are you waiting to be rewarded?” Before long, the thugs had scraped together three hundred wen. Wow, so that’s how Old Huang solves cases. According to protocol, Chief Constable Huang was, of course, entitled to a share of the proceeds, but this time he acted modestly, handing the entire sum to Wang Bang with a fawning smile. “Young Master, let’s just consider this case solved. There’s no need to file a report with the prefectural or county offices. Otherwise, the paperwork would be a hassle, and it would be a bit embarrassing for me. Please calm down.” Wang Bang and Wang Xiaoya squatted on the ground together, counting the coins one by one and checking each one to make sure they were official government coins. Sure enough, it was three hundred wen. Wang Bang took out his small abacus, clicked it a few times, and calculated that three hundred minus one hundred and fifty equals one hundred and fifty. So Wang Bang returned one hundred and fifty wen to the thugs, saying, “I’m not forcing you to do this; you’re voluntarily making up for my loss. I truly did suffer a loss—may lightning strike anyone who lies. Therefore, I find it hard to refuse your strange yet noble request. But my loss was one hundred and fifty wen; I don’t need you to give me more, so I’m returning the rest to you.” The thugs grinned from ear to ear—this was truly an unexpected windfall. Two sycophants chimed in with laughter, saying, “The magistrate’s son has a kind heart and noble character,” and so on… After a bit of tomfoolery, they dispersed, and everyone went back to their business. Erya didn’t quite understand what had happened, but she was in a great mood, clutching the money she’d lost and then regained. But then trouble struck. Suddenly, a figure as swift as the wind darted out, snatched the 150 wen from the two children, and landed a punch right on Wang Bang’s head. Wang Bang’s eyes instantly crossed, and his last thought before passing out was: Holy crap, if there’s a next time, I’ll remember to wear a helmet when I go out. Wang Xiaoya didn’t even have time to cry—the man’s movements were simply too fast. He’d already hoisted the unconscious Wang Bang onto his shoulder as if he were carrying a little chick, then vanished into the distance with strides as swift as the wind, as if he could shrink the earth to an inch. By the time Wang Xiaoya was sobbing bitterly as she searched for her brother, he was already nowhere to be seen. Erya was still too young and had no idea how to handle such a situation… A cold wind whistled through the air; the light was dim, and a ghostly silence hung in the air. When Wang Bang came to, he looked up and saw that it was night. His surroundings had changed; gone was the bustling crowd of Shuzhou’s marketplace, and gone too were the men and women in their colorful finery, coming and going with cheerful smiles. The scene of endless shops lining the street he’d last seen had now been replaced by a wild, overgrown wilderness. By the edge of a stone-paved path, where weeds sprouted through the cracks, a long-neglected stone Buddha lay on its side. The statue’s face was cracked, and rampant moss clung to its features; in the moonlight, it glowed a ghostly green, resembling a demon’s face. It was a dilapidated temple; as the wind blew, the long-rotten doors clattered softly, producing eerie sounds. The plaque above the entrance hung crookedly, encrusted with moss and vines. In the moonlight, Wang Bang could make out three characters on it: Lanruo Temple. As for Wang Bang, he was tied up like a rice dumpling and hung in the courtyard of “Lanruo Temple,” swaying back and forth in the wind. Wang Bang felt like he might as well be dead. Although he was a staunch materialist, he also suffered from persecution mania. This scene sparked his imagination: a ghostly wedding procession—seemingly as lively as the bustling markets of Bianjiao, with gongs clanging, drums beating, and revelry in full swing—but in reality, it was all an illusion, the legendary “Granny” coming out to trap people. Perhaps due to the influence of this child’s body, Wang Bang was thoroughly terrified and hurriedly scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of people. Even if the other party were a villain, he hoped to see a human being at that moment—rather than the Old Demon of Black Mountain. Suddenly, someone behind him snorted, “So you do know what fear is, after all?” This was no small matter. Startled out of his wits, Wang Bang began screaming, “A ghost!” Thud Immediately afterward, he felt a sharp pain in his buttocks; after being kicked, he swayed back and forth like a swing. The voice from behind snapped, “Don’t even think about scaring me. You little imp—you spout ghost stories to people, and you’ll spout them to ghosts too.” Wang Bang’s fears vanished—he was out cold. Getting kicked like that really hurt, but it was actually a good thing—at least he could be sure there was a real person there, and not some Nie Xiaoqian jumping out of nowhere. “Little rascal, why aren’t you worried all of a sudden?” the voice came from behind again. This time, the speaker made no effort to hide their identity, so he could clearly hear it was a woman’s voice. I’m screwed! If it had been Old Liao’s raspy, tin-can-like voice, it would’ve been fine—after all, he’s full of yang energy. But hearing a woman’s voice in this situation made Wang Bang suspect that Nie Xiaoqian had returned, and he was so scared he burst into tears. “Huh, you’re crying? You really are someone who’s been kicked in the head by a donkey.” This time, the voice sounded somewhat contemptuous. At the same moment, a delicate-featured young person dressed in white and wearing a silk headscarf—a woman disguised as a man—strolled leisurely toward him, coming to stand face-to-face with Wang Bang. Wang Bang looked at her chest and hesitated, “You’re…” This woman had a terrible temper; she immediately punched Wang Bang in the face and said, “No need to guess—I’m the very Bai Yutang you boasted about capturing and training.” “But ‘laozi’ is a term used by men.” Realizing she wasn’t Nie Xiaoqian, Wang Bang started spouting nonsense. “None of your business—I just like using it that way.” Bai Yutang landed two more punches on him. Pfft, pfft As blood streamed from his nose, Wang Bang burst into tears—mainly because the pain was so intense he wanted to bang his head against the wall. This crazy woman was really hitting him hard.