The Return of the Youth, Chapter Six: A Single Die

In the courtyard of the county government office.

The deputy magistrate walked ahead, leading Yi Heng through winding paths until they arrived outside a quiet pavilion. In the open space before the pavilion, a patch of chrysanthemums was planted.

At this moment, the snow weighed heavily on the chrysanthemum branches, bending most of them down, leaving only a few standing tall with a few fading blossoms, evoking a sense of melancholy.

Standing on the corridor, Yi Heng gazed at the remaining chrysanthemums and said, “It’s a pity for these chrysanthemums, which should be in full bloom now. The heavy snow presses down on them, suffocating their vitality. Compared to previous years, this snow has come far too early.”

“Yi Heng, you’re right. This year has indeed turned colder much earlier than in past years. Usually, at this time, the sun is still blazing,” the deputy magistrate replied, turning back.

“Let me ask you, how many people in this county office know about Li Changchong’s placement of the official seal?” Yi Heng turned to ask.

The deputy magistrate thought for a moment and answered, “There are only a few who know about the placement of the seal: myself, Wu the chief clerk, Zhang the registrar, Clerk Li, and Aunt Liu who cleans the study. After the incident, the chief constable questioned each of them. None had a motive, nor were they at the scene. I even suspect it might be the work of a monstrous beast.”

Yi Heng looked directly into the deputy magistrate’s eyes, which were as calm and deep as a still pool, cold and profound. He sneered softly and said, “Could it really be the work of a monstrous beast?”

The deputy magistrate glanced nervously around and said, “Of course. Why would I lie? The bookcase is full of claw marks, even the hidden compartment bears the scratches of a beast. If this isn’t the work of a monstrous creature, then could it be a human?”

Yi Heng’s gaze sharpened like a burning torch as he closed in on the deputy magistrate and asked, “If you suspect it’s a beast, then why would the beast break into the county office just to steal the official seal?”

Before the deputy magistrate could answer, Yi Heng’s expression grew serious. “Everyone knows that beasts are ferocious by nature. It would make sense for them to kill or eat people, but the official seal means nothing to them—a mere piece of metal and stone, neither satisfying hunger nor providing amusement.”

“If the beast’s intent was only to cause trouble, why target only the official seal? Why leave all other valuables untouched? How do you explain this peculiarity?”

Pressed by Yi Heng’s relentless gaze, the deputy magistrate backed step by step until his back touched the wall, his expression flustered. “Could it… could it be that someone is controlling the beast behind the scenes?”

Yi Heng curved his lips into a knowing smile and nodded slowly. “Perhaps you’re right. But that makes me even more curious—who is the person controlling the beast? Is it a traitor within the government, or someone from outside?”

“No one inside the county office raises beasts secretly. It must be outsiders.”

“Whether it’s an inside thief or an external invader is too early to say. Take me to the study.”

The deputy magistrate hurriedly led Yi Heng towards the secluded pavilion. They walked in silence, the quiet around them suffocating.

Soon, they arrived outside the pavilion. The deputy wiped the sweat from his brow, then drew a key from his waist and inserted it into the lock. With a click, the wooden door slowly opened.

Yi Heng did not rush inside but furrowed his brows, carefully inspecting every inch of the door, his eyes sharp, missing no detail.

After a long while, standing upright and finding no suspicious signs, he looked at the deputy magistrate with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, “Is the study door usually kept locked?”

The deputy hesitated slightly before answering, “If no one is inside, the study door is mostly locked.”

“Who holds the keys to the study?” Yi Heng pressed further, his eyes piercing.

“Only the magistrate himself has the key,” the deputy replied.

Yi Heng fell into thought. Since the main door was intact without any signs of forced entry, the thief likely did not enter through the door—or perhaps the thief also had a key to open it?

His gaze grew deeper.

At that moment, the deputy stepped forward and drew back the curtains of the study’s windows.

Suddenly, a flood of dazzling light poured in, illuminating the dark corners within.

“Yi Heng, come in,” the deputy called.

Yi Heng stepped into the study, moving closer to the doors and windows, scrutinizing every gap and scratch. Strangely, the doors and windows showed no damage and were tightly closed from the inside.

He stood still, brow furrowed deeply, thinking: with the door and windows intact, the thief must have entered the study easily.

If so, why bother to use a beast to steal the seal?

Puzzled, Yi Heng looked around the study’s furnishings. On either side of the window stood bonsai pine trees; nearby was a desk, its center empty. Against the inner wall were several bookcases filled with various books and classics.

As Yi Heng examined the books, he noticed that the volumes near the entrance were neatly arranged, but deeper inside, the shelves grew disordered, many books bearing claw marks.

He picked up one casually; the scratches only lightly grazed the book’s spine without significant damage.

Moreover, the damaged books were trivial—secular novels, folk ghost stories, and the like.

After circling the study, Yi Heng’s gaze settled on the desk beside the window.

He strode over and sat heavily on a bear-skin chair, resting his feet casually on the desk. His eyes immediately caught a volume of erotic paintings lying atop the desk.

The book’s edges were blackened and yellowed from frequent handling, revealing the owner’s fondness for it.

Beside the desk hung a wooden rack for brushes and an inkstone, alongside several books.

The topmost were the Tao Te Ching and the Analects. Yi Heng flipped through them and found underneath the Da Dong Zhen Jing and the Huang Ting Jing.

He sneered, “This old lecher is reading such things here—he must be…”

Just then, the deputy approached, his face suddenly changing upon seeing Yi Heng’s feet on the erotic illustrations. He hurriedly said, “Yi Heng! That book is the magistrate’s favorite. If he finds out you’ve stepped on it, you’ll surely be punished.”

With that, he quickly moved Yi Heng’s foot and cradled the book to his chest, carefully dusting it off.

Yi Heng withdrew his foot and stood, disdain clear on his face. “I thought the magistrate would study classics to better serve the people, but instead, he indulges in such lowly trifles. The taxes paid by the people go to supporting this lecher!”

The deputy smiled awkwardly. “Appreciating art cultivates the mind and spirit. It’s hardly vulgar.”

Standing by the bookshelf, Yi Heng swept the books on the corner shelf aside in one motion, revealing a hidden compartment. A fresh set of claw marks was clearly visible on it. He cursed silently, “That scoundrel Li Changchong deliberately faked the beast’s theft, fearing I wouldn’t help him recover the seal.”

Immediately, Yi Heng grabbed the deputy by the collar and asked, “Did you make these claw marks just now?”

“Ah! How did you guess?” the deputy replied, smiling awkwardly.

“Of course you fabricated these marks,” Yi Heng released him and explained, “An ordinary beast’s strength would easily tear open the hidden compartment to seize the seal, yet this compartment is intact.”

“Besides, since you returned to the office, you’ve kept out of sight. When you appeared, the magistrate sent you to bring me to the study. Plus, there were footprints going back and forth in the snow outside—footprints exactly matching your shoes.”

“Based on these clues, I conclude these claw marks are your doing.”

Hearing Yi Heng’s analysis, the deputy applauded sincerely. “Brilliant, truly brilliant. These claw marks were indeed made under the magistrate’s orders. He knows you despise evil spirits; if you believed the seal was stolen by such, you wouldn’t refuse to help.”

“Hmph! When he first told me the seal was stolen by evil spirits, I didn’t believe it. But now that I’m here, I’ll help find it.”

With that, Yi Heng picked up the brass lock and asked, “When you discovered the seal missing, was this lock still fastened or open?”

“The magistrate said the lock was still fastened,” the deputy replied.

Yi Heng then asked, “Tell me everything before and after the seal was stolen.”

After a moment’s thought, the deputy recounted, “The seal was probably stolen at night. At that time, I had urgent documents requiring the magistrate’s seal. After stamping, the magistrate placed the seal back in the hidden compartment and locked it. Then we both left the study, and the magistrate personally locked the door.”

“The next day, Chief Clerk Wu came for a seal, but when the magistrate opened the study and the hidden compartment, the seal was gone…”

Listening, Yi Heng examined the brass lock closely and found no signs of tampering. So he made an initial deduction: the culprit likely sneaked in at night, used a key to open the compartment, and stole the seal.

However, the six suspects all had alibis. Could the thief be none of them? Perhaps, as the deputy suggested, an outsider?

But with the study’s doors and windows sealed tight, how could an outsider enter without breaking the locks?

While Yi Heng pondered this, the deputy asked curiously, “Yi Heng, how did you deduce that the magistrate’s seal was hidden in the secret compartment?”

“That’s simple,” Yi Heng looked up. “Most bookshelves in this study are neatly arranged and covered in a thin layer of dust. Only this bookshelf is cluttered, with no dust on the books. From this, I guessed Li Changchong’s hidden compartment was here.”

“Yi Heng, you’re truly sharp-eyed! It seems the magistrate has found the right person this time.”

“Don’t flatter me. I’m nothing like Li Changchong, always eager for praise.”

Bending down, Yi Heng searched carefully beneath the bookshelf.

The deputy also bent to search the ground, asking, “What are you looking for?”

“Obviously, clues left by the culprit!”

After a moment, Yi Heng’s eyes brightened. In a corner, he found a single die. Holding it up, he said, “I’ve found what I was looking for.”