Chapter Sixteen: Ruin Everything for Faith

The Celestial Masters divide the world into twenty-four jurisdictions. The term "jurisdiction" implies order, stability, benevolence, and enlightenment. Below, it corresponds to the twenty-four solar terms; above, to the twenty-eight constellations. Each jurisdiction appoints a Sacrificial Wine, also known as the Master of Merit, who is the highest leader overseeing religious affairs in that region. The Sacrificial Wine Du mentioned by Dou Qi from the Yangzhou jurisdiction must be the chief representative of the Celestial Masters in Yangzhou—a figure whose status and influence cannot be taken lightly.

"Sacrificial Wine Du?"
"A divine stag?"

Exclamations erupted from the crowd, and the way they looked at Dou Qi brimmed with awe. Since the chaos between North and South began, the Celestial Masters had become renowned among the common people for their talismans and rituals, dispelling disasters, healing illnesses, eradicating plagues, and guiding the dead to salvation. Their followers were widespread across the Three Rivers and Two Streams. Yangzhou, being one of the top three jurisdictions, was presided over by Sacrificial Wine Du Jingzhi, whose mastery of the Dao was said to border on the supernatural. Seventeen years ago, during the great plague in the Three Wu regions, he cast talismans into the water, and all who drank were cured. People traveled thousands of miles to beg for his talisman water, and countless lives were saved. For many, he was nothing short of an immortal. To an ordinary follower, merely hearing him expound the Dao would bring honor to their family. To be associated with him, or to obtain a piece of divine stag jerky, was a stroke of fortune and destiny beyond compare.

Dou Qi thrived on the fear in others' eyes and now was also savoring a rare taste of envy, the satisfaction almost leaping from his chest. He kicked up the clothes on the ground, intending to fling them at his opponent’s face. But as his hand closed on the fabric, he realized it was of rare and fine quality, and hesitated to let it go. Then, recalling that if his current scheme succeeded, the rewards would be countless, he would have no lack of fine clothes. Instantly, his arrogance returned. "Come, let Old Dou hear you—how do you plan to compensate for Sacrificial Wine Du’s divine stag?"

If it truly were jerky made by Du Jingzhi himself, even selling everyone present wouldn’t suffice as compensation. But such claims, especially coming from a local ruffian like Dou Qi, stretched credibility considerably.

Yet, who could really go to Du Jingzhi to verify the story? When something cannot be verified, the one with the stronger fist makes the rules!

Xu You remained silent, his gaze drifting over the face of the man beside him. His expression was as calm as a still lake, betraying no emotion. The fleeting brilliance in his eyes a moment ago was now hidden behind lazy, half-lowered lids. He said, "Whether it is a divine stag or a household stag, since you know I am penniless, you must also know that the only thing of value I possess is these clothes. If you want them, take them. If not, there is nothing more I can offer."

Dou Qi cocked his ear, cupping his hand to listen. "What did you say?" Then, pretending sudden understanding, he exclaimed, "Ha, did you all hear that? He’s trying to play the rogue with me..."

The crowd burst into laughter. Dou Qi was the most notorious rogue in Qiantang; trying to out-rogue him was like showing off the broadsword before Lord Guan—a joke in itself.

Xu You’s brow furrowed slightly. A gentleman may be taken advantage of for his honesty, but to deal with someone like Dou Qi, being too upright would only invite ridicule. His mind raced, and he thought of a way to break free from the current predicament. Once the laughter subsided, he smiled and said, "Perhaps it’s not as shameless as you think... Since you insist he stole your jerky, you must have searched both the guesthouse and his person thoroughly, right? Yet found nothing? That leaves two possibilities: either he didn’t steal the jerky, or he already secretly ate it. Am I correct?"

Dou Qi considered this, then declared, "He must have eaten it!"

"Fine, let’s assume he did. But didn’t you say this jerky was made from the flesh of a divine stag? That consuming it could raise the dead, flesh out white bones, and ascend to immortality in broad daylight. Everyone, look—this gentleman still has traces of blood at his lips. Far from becoming immortal, his injuries from earlier haven’t healed at all. Sacrificial Wine Du would never lie. So, who is telling falsehoods here? I believe you all know in your hearts."

The awe inspired by Du Jingzhi’s name had already sown seeds of doubt about Dou Qi’s claims. Xu You’s analysis only solidified the belief that Dou Qi was fabricating the story.

Boasting a little is part of life—who hasn’t spun a tall tale or two? Dou Qi made his living that way, and ordinarily, no one would take it too seriously. But today was different. Du Jingzhi was a man of great renown. To use his name for deceit—heaven and earth might forgive, but the followers of the Dao would not!

"Dou Qi, tell us—did you really get the jerky from Sacrificial Wine Du?"
"Yes, make it clear: was the jerky you lost really a gift from the Sacrificial Wine?"
"Don’t think no one in Qiantang would dare confront you. If you really dare to sully the Sacrificial Wine’s name, we’ll gather a thousand men and take the matter to the Prefect’s office if we have to. You won’t escape punishment!"

For a moment, the crowd’s fury threatened to overwhelm Dou Qi. Such is the power of faith—across all ages and lands, it can make people fearless, indifferent to life and death, turn cowards into butchers, and good men into villains. Otherwise, why would those who had cowered before Dou Qi now find such courage?

Xu You had orchestrated this turn of events, yet now retreated into the crowd, smiling without a word, watching Dou Qi’s growing awkwardness as if none of it had anything to do with him.

Dou Qi retreated two steps until his back pressed against the wall, steadying himself. Pointing at the angry crowd, he stammered, "Don’t listen to him... Think about it, would I dare claim the jerky came from Sacrificial Wine Du without his consent? Now that it’s lost, if this blows up, even the Sacrificial Wine wouldn’t spare the thief. If you shield him, you’ll be punished by Daoist law as well!"

The scene was chaotic when four attendants in green robes approached, escorting a plain-faced man in red. Xu You had anticipated that the proprietor of the Zhìbīn Inn would not remain a bystander. Whether it was shifting the argument, muddying the waters, inciting public outrage, or setting a trap for Dou Qi, his ultimate goal had been to buy time for the innkeeper’s intervention. Judging by the meticulous management evident throughout the inn, the proprietor surely held some sway in Qiantang—an ideal match for dealing with a local ruffian like Dou Qi.

"It’s Master Zhan! Now things will be made clear!"
"Which Master Zhan?" someone from out of town asked.
"You don’t know Master Zhan? Why stay at the Zhìbīn Inn then?"
"He’s the chief steward, scion of the Zhan family of Qiantang. The inn’s prosperity over the years is all thanks to his capable management."
"That’s true, but since the old Minister Zhan passed away, none of the direct heirs have amounted to much. The great Zhan family now relies on a son born to a maid!"

As the man in red drew near, he seemed unremarkable, yet the noisy crowd fell instantly silent. Dou Qi hesitated, about to speak, but was silenced by a wave of the newcomer’s hand. Smiling, he said, "I’ve already understood your dispute—no need to repeat it. Let me ask a few questions, and then I’ll settle the matter. How does that sound?"

Dou Qi opened his mouth to protest, but under the man’s gaze, his heart faltered. He grunted sullenly, offering no further objection.

"Master Dou, you checked into our inn yesterday at the hour of Chen. The registry does not note you carrying any valuables, and you agreed to share a room. Is that correct?"

Dou Qi protested, "The jerky I brought is a treasure! How could I tell you? If I put it in the registry, everyone would know, and there’d be thieves every night! Zhan Ting, don’t try to shirk responsibility!"

The registry referred to the guestbook, which recorded guests’ names, origins, occupations, and purposes of visit, to be carefully kept and submitted to officials monthly. But as profit was the goal, inns were often lax, and guests could lie without fear of consequence.

Zhan Ting’s smile did not falter. "No need for alarm, Master Dou. The matter is clear. If our inn bears any blame, I will see it addressed personally."

As he spoke, his gaze passed over Xu You, offering a slight nod as if acknowledging his role, and then settled on the other man. Smiling, he said, "Master He checked in right after Master Dou, requested an upper room, but was short on funds, so also agreed to share. Is that not so?"

Xu You now learned the man’s surname was He—a major family in Jiangdong, though most branches had declined, and now dozens of He families, mainly commoners, were scattered throughout the region.

The man called He bowed his head. "Master Zhan speaks the truth."

"Good. Since neither of you objects, I’ll proceed. Last night was peaceful. This morning, Master Dou left, then returned to find his jerky missing and accused his roommate, Master He, of theft. But Master He denies it, correct?"

Before Dou Qi or the man He could reply, the crowd cried, "Yes—Master Zhan’s account is spot on!"

"Master Zhan, Dou Qi claims his jerky was a gift from Sacrificial Wine Du. Do you believe that?"

Xu You watched Zhan Ting with interest, eager to see how he would answer this thorny question. Everyone else held their breath, waiting—even Dou Qi himself stared unblinking, unusually tense.

Zhan Ting smiled faintly. "Master Dou’s jerky truly was made from the flesh of the divine stag’s left shoulder, prepared by Sacrificial Wine Du."

"What? Really?"
"Dou Qi actually obtained jerky from the divine stag?"
"Did we just offend Heaven by doubting him?"
"I must go to the Repentance Hall to atone—anyone coming along?"

Dou Qi had not expected Zhan Ting to acknowledge the jerky’s existence so easily. The greatest obstacle to his scheme had been this very point. Now, hearing Zhan Ting’s words, the problem that had consumed him for days was suddenly resolved, and he was almost overjoyed enough to shout aloud.

Xu You’s mind flickered—if he failed to see that Dou Qi was deliberately stirring up trouble today, he was unworthy of the title Fox Marshal from his former life. Dou Qi had checked in before Master He; the poor man who ended up sharing his room was not his target. If Xu You’s guess was right, the real mark was the owner of the Zhìbīn Inn—the Zhan family!

Xu You was no immortal; he couldn’t yet deduce Dou Qi’s exact plan, but whatever it was surely revolved around the miraculous jerky he so often mentioned.

Zhan Ting appeared a clever man. Logically, he should have denied the jerky’s existence first and foremost—why, then, did he step willingly into the trap, confirming it before so many witnesses?

Someone in the crowd shouted, "If the jerky’s real, then is this Master He a thief or not?"

Zhan Ting bowed in the direction of the voice. "Whether Master He is a thief, I cannot say. But as Master Xu pointed out earlier, if he had truly eaten the jerky, he would have become an immortal by now, and not be standing here facing your questions."

Another asked, "So, Master Zhan, Master Dou did lose his jerky, and Master He is not the thief. Where did the jerky go?"

For the first time, Zhan Ting smiled wryly. "That is a difficult question. The jerky vanished over an hour ago; I fear it will not be found..."

Dou Qi burst out angrily, "What does that mean? Are you just going to let this go?"

Zhan Ting’s expression grew grave. "Master Dou, as I said before, I will not shirk responsibility. Since you are a guest and your valuables have gone missing with no thief found, our inn will, of course, make full compensation."

Dou Qi could hardly believe his ears. "What did you say? You’ll compensate? Do you know how valuable that jerky is? You couldn’t buy it for a thousand gold pieces!"

Zhan Ting replied solemnly, "The Zhan family of Qiantang stands on honor and trust. Not a thousand, even ten thousand gold pieces—we will pay you. Even if we must sell everything, we will not flinch."