Chapter 14: An Offer from the Jinzhou Tongzhi

After a full morning and afternoon of sightseeing, Jinzhou was thoroughly explored.

Because this place is a strategic military point, it’s hard to develop. The town’s scale naturally can’t compare to the Central Plains.

Suddenly, she remembered what the gate captain had said when they entered the city, she needed to handle the travel permit issue.

The Jinzhou government office wasn’t hard to find. The two of them carried their documents and arrived at the entrance.

Inside, some matters were being handled; people were coming and going, looking anxious.

A man dressed rather scholarly stood at the government office door, apparently waiting for someone. When he saw the young girl arrive, his eyes lit up, and he stepped across the threshold to approach.

He made a cupped-fist salute but didn’t bow.

The caravan leader reacted quickly and also hurriedly returned the salute.

The man inside spoke first: “I am the Tongzhi of Jinzhou.”

“You’re too polite, sir.” Upon hearing the title, the leader quickly bowed, then introduced himself.

They got acquainted. Noticing the Tongzhi’s gaze on the young girl, the leader quickly introduced her as well.

Unknown name, unknown background, not fond of talking, all he knew was that she came from Weiyuanbao Station.

Normally, the Jinzhou Tongzhi should have asked whether she was a Ming citizen, but he didn’t.

Inquiring about their purpose, to update their travel permits, he invited them inside.

He led the way; the two followed behind.

Along the way, the leader quietly explained to the girl what a “Jinzhou Tongzhi” was.

For these merchants, the biggest figures in this region were the military officers of Liaodong.

And in Jinzhou, which was part of the Liaodong region, the largest governing body was the government office, which handled almost all affairs of the town.

From neighborhood disputes up to punishments, livelihood, and taxes, everything was their responsibility.

The head of the local government was the Zhizhou; the second-in-command was the unranked Tongzhi.

When he said this, the girl suddenly paused, a bit surprised, as if to say ‘Tongzhi isn’t a name?’

The leader noticed her small expression and explained that “Tongzhi” was not a name but a title.

Then the third-ranking official was usually the Judge.

That was the structure of Jinzhou’s top three officials.

The second-ranking Tongzhi coming to wait at the door clearly meant he had been tipped off about their arrival. It wasn’t a coincidence.

At their first meeting, he treated them with courtesy.

The leader sighed. He knew there was going to be trouble.

As they passed through the courtyard, they saw many people rushing about with urgent matters, and they also spotted a coroner.

Some people were weeping and shouting.

The leader recalled the daily lodging fees and horse fodder costs outside the city, so he took the initiative to speak: “Perhaps, sir, you could speak directly.”

The Jinzhou Tongzhi smiled slightly and asked: “This one here, she’s not ordinary, is she? A martial artist or a mystic?”

He referred to the girl.

The leader didn’t know how to answer. Through these days of contact, he knew the girl wasn’t ordinary. Why? Simple: she never defecated.

She ate according to her mood, could eat or not, and after eating, she never had any need to go.

By any measure, she wasn’t normal.

The girl knew what “mystic” meant and nodded.

Seeing her admit it, the leader added: “She’s from the mystic school.”

In the context of a hundred years ago, mystics could be classified under martial artists, but as the number of mystics dwindled, nowadays “martial artists” refers to ordinary martial artists, separate from mystics.

The Jinzhou Tongzhi continued: “We can help each other. I can see that the immortal lady wants to keep a low profile. I’ll help solve your identity issue, and you help solve a problem that has troubled us for a long time. How about that?”

The caravan leader’s spirit perked up, he smelled negotiation. His bloodline awakened.

Seeing the girl still hesitating, the leader asked first: “Why don’t we first hear what this troubling problem is?”

The Jinzhou Tongzhi replied: “I believe it won’t be a big issue for the immortal lady.”

The leader didn’t budge: “Let’s hear it first.”

The Tongzhi gave an awkward smile, knowing he wouldn’t get a commitment, so he stepped back and explained in detail.

“Near Southern Xingshan Station, there’s a fishing village by the sea called Tianqiao Village. They have a sacrificial custom…”

Simply put, they offer sacrifices to the sea to pray for favorable weather and bountiful catches.

This custom had continued for decades without major issues.

Small problems did arise, the sea’s appetite grew.

In the past, each sacrifice only required a sheep leg. Later, it required a whole sheep. Later, a whole cow.

If the offering wasn’t sufficient, not only could the villagers not go out to sea, anyone who dared would meet with disaster.

Even staying in the village caused illness. At first, it was just minor ailments, a kind of warning.

In recent years, some villagers directly disappeared, and no trace could be found.

And in the last two years, villagers were found dead suddenly, as if they had died silently in their sleep.

One villager’s corpse was now in the government office. The coroner had examined it and shook his head repeatedly.

It looked like natural death, with no signs of foul play, but the villagers’ statements suggested the ‘god’ had grown angry and inflicted death.

“I have one question: why don’t they relocate somewhere else?” the caravan leader asked curiously.

“I share the same question,” the Tongzhi said helplessly, spreading his hands. “I’m also puzzled. Some people, even if you tear down their homes, arrest their families, or even if their families all die, they still won’t leave their homeland. They stay there. I can’t understand it either.”

The implication was that the people of Tianqiao Village would not move.

He hoped that the mystic lady could solve Tianqiao Village’s problem.

Not by forcing the villagers away, but by making it possible for them to live and work there peacefully.

To persuade the girl to accept the task, the Tongzhi added: “The government has sent soldiers to check several times, but they couldn’t solve it. These spirit and demon matters, the government is powerless. I’ve discussed with the Zhizhou: before the next sacrifice, all Tianqiao villagers will be forcibly relocated, whether they like it or not.”

This approach could both test the girl’s moral inclination and solve the village’s problem.

The caravan leader saw through the tactic, but the girl seemed not to understand. She was about to respond.

The leader quickly spoke up first: “Even the government can’t solve it, which shows how dangerous it is. You understand the risk we’d have to take.”

The demand for payment was very clear.

The Jinzhou Tongzhi understood his meaning: “State your terms. If it’s solvable, we’ll try to meet them.”

The leader raised his head proudly and said: “If you forcibly relocate the Tianqiao villagers, they’ll inevitably harbor resentment. If not handled well, dealing with refugees will be a big headache. Settling those people will cost you. This is no small matter. What sincerity can you offer?”

The Tongzhi thought for a moment: “Specifically, I need to discuss with the Zhizhou. If he agrees, we’ll decide to offer…”

Just then, he noticed the girl nodding.

The leader quickly blocked her and advised: “Don’t agree so fast. There’s plenty to gain here. We…”

But the girl smiled and shook her head.

Looking at that healing smile, the leader was momentarily distracted. After a long while, he laughed at himself.

The Tongzhi also laughed awkwardly.

Many things, in fact, weren’t that complicated.

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