Chapter 2: Drumming

Indeed, it is not as if one has traveled back to the era of the Braid Dynasty, where one would need to shave their head in a yin-yang style. In the Song Dynasty, apart from monks and nuns, everyone else kept their hair and beards. Shaving tools were of no use, as they were not exclusive to temples.

The elder hurriedly said: "This statement is incorrect. Our case still has a three-day grace period, and it is not certain that it cannot be solved! Moreover, even if it cannot be solved, the worst that could happen is being dismissed and sent back home; it would not lead to becoming a monk!"

Someone downstairs responded loudly, "Coming!" Then, the sound of footsteps echoed on the stairs, and he quickly closed the door. Hearing the footsteps approach the door, there was a knock, followed by a call, "Sir! Do you have any business?"

The old man was taken aback and hurriedly approached, snatching the scissors from his hand, and exclaimed, "Dong Weng! What are you doing!"

Cheng Xiang pondered for a moment and then came up with a good idea. He quickly changed into the official's uniform, moved the official's body behind the table to hide it, and then went to the door to listen for any sounds outside. Not hearing anything, he removed the door bolt and opened the door a crack. Seeing that no one was outside, he poked his head out and shouted, "Hey! Innkeeper! Innkeeper!"

Solving the case? A thought stirred in Leng Yi's mind; this is indeed his area of expertise! There are still three days to solve the case? Although it is a short time, it is not entirely impossible. It all depends on the nature of the case.

He secured the official with a belt and lowered him out of the window. Then he descended himself, carried the corpse on his back, and took the belt along with the books to the base of the wall. He climbed up first, then pulled the corpse up and placed it outside the wall. After jumping down, he looked around and saw no one. He carried the corpse to a nearby dark corner beneath a crooked tree.

"Go!" The innkeeper muttered softly, "Can't even afford the room fee, yet there are still so many problems!" Saying this, he walked away

Leng Yi dared not look around for help, and could only pretend to lower his head and wipe away tears in a sorrowful manner. He decided to observe the situation first; at least the old man accompanying the county magistrate had not noticed any flaws. Now, it was a matter of whether his voice would betray him. He merely kept his head down, pretending to wipe away tears, until the innkeeper, the waiter, and several travelers came over to watch the commotion. Only then did he raise his head and let out a long sigh, saying: "I, Leng, have wasted over twenty years of my life, and yet... sigh!"

He looked around and saw no one. He crouched down and approached the place where he had first taken cover. He stealthily climbed up a large tree by the roadside and retrieved a leather suitcase from a large bird's nest near the treetop. This was the suitcase he had brought with him during his journey, which he had hidden here while preparing to steal clothes. He carried the suitcase down from the tree and climbed over the wall back into the inn.

The expression on this middle-aged man's face, could it indicate that he has failed to disguise some aspect of himself? A sudden unease gripped Leng Yi's heart

This place is very secluded; it cannot be seen unless one approaches closely. Moreover, given that it is a cold winter night, it is likely that it would go unnoticed even if it were to hang there all night.

The shop assistant who previously delivered items to him had a horse-like face. Low and Tu Shusheng remarked to the innkeeper and the surrounding lively crowd: "No wonder he asked me earlier to help him find a razor for shaving; I was quite puzzled about why he would need such an item for no apparent reason. It turns out he intends to become a monk!"

The voice was somewhat impatient, which struck him as odd. How could the shopkeeper speak to the official in such a manner? He snorted and said, "Bring me a basin of hot water, and also find a razor!"

A fellow remarked: "If one wishes to become a monk, one should seek the abbot of the temple for the tonsure, so why did he just cut his hair in such a messy manner?"

Leng Yi glanced at him and saw in the old man's eyes a look of astonishment due to his haircut, yet there was no confusion or even fear arising from an unusual appearance. A heavy stone in his heart was instantly lifted. It seemed that his disguise was quite successful, as even the person who had just been beside the county magistrate did not notice anything amiss.

The old man continued to advise Leng Yi, saying: "Dong Weng, you must not be so irrational. You are now a public official, a seventh-rank county magistrate. This position is the result of many years of hard study and perseverance. How can you just throw it all away and become a monk? What will your parents back home think? Your wife, who has been with you since your youth, is still waiting for you at the yamen right now! If you suddenly decide to leave and become a monk, they will be heartbroken beyond measure!"

He placed the box under the bed, walked to the door, pulled down the latch of the door, returned to the table, looked at the hair on the floor, dipped his finger into the teacup to moisten it, and wiped it at the corner of his eye. With a grimace, he began to wail loudly.

Immediately afterward, another person entered, and it was the old man whom he had seen earlier accompanying the county magistrate through the window. As soon as the old man stepped inside, he saw Leng Yi holding a pair of scissors, snipping away at his hair, which had already been cut into a shape resembling a bald quail.

Go find one!

Oh! The shop assistant agreed, turned to leave, thought for a moment, and then returned, saying: "A razor? We don't have any razors here"

Parents ? Wife ?

The old man said: "Why has the Eastern gentleman come to this? It is merely a temporary misfortune."

Just leave it at the door

Having said this, he respectfully bowed deeply.

He then opened the window and took a look; the backyard in the cold winter was still quiet, with not a single figure in sight

This cry is truly earth-shattering. Although it thunders without rain, the sorrowful tone of this cry has even moved him, making him realize that he unexpectedly possesses such acting talent.

However, why was the middle-aged man who rushed in first looking at himself with such astonishment and surprise? Could it be that he noticed some flaw? Leng Yi hurriedly glanced towards the door, and at that moment, a few more curious travelers arrived, but the first middle-aged man had disappeared.

Gazing at the corpse, he clasped his hands together and murmured a prayer: "I am sorry for offending you, for treating you this way, it is truly unavoidable. Rest assured! I swear to you, I will take your place and will certainly walk through the rest of life on your behalf. I will take good care of your loved ones, fulfilling my filial duties and responsibilities. Please bless me from the heavens!"

With a thud, the shop assistant placed a basin of water heavily on the floor outside the door, tossed the scissors into the basin, and turned to leave

This county magistrate has parents in his hometown and a lawful wife in the county office. It is easy to deceive others, but to deceive one's parents is one thing, and to deceive a wife who shares the same bed is quite another; that would be very difficult. Having parents in the hometown is not an immediate issue, but how can one deceive a lawful wife? Cold Yi felt a bit anxious.

Upon hearing his own voice, the old man showed no signs of doubt, which reassured Leng Yi. The voice seemed not much different from that of the county magistrate. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "Alas! It is not merely a moment of misfortune; after much contemplation, it seems better to shave my head and become a monk, taking refuge in the Buddhist faith."

The shopkeeper nodded slightly, pondering how to bring up the matter of collecting the debt

Ling Yi listened and found that there was no sound outside, so he gently opened the door and brought in a wooden basin of water and a pair of scissors. After securely locking the door again, he cut the hair of the corpse, leaving it scattered all over the ground, and then he also cut his own hair into a disheveled state.

Where can one find this in such darkness? This thing only exists in temples

The stable boy whispered to the shopkeeper: "Whether he becomes a monk or not is none of our concern. Over the past few months, he has accumulated so much in rent and meal expenses that we must ensure he settles his debts first. Otherwise, while he may have achieved a state of purity, we would be left with nothing at all"

He changed his tone and said, "Then bring me a pair of scissors!"

Soon, the shop assistant came up with a basin of water and a pair of scissors, lazily saying at the door: "I brought it, open the door!"

Although the words of the shopkeeper were light, Leng Yi still heard them and couldn't help but be taken aback. Did this county magistrate not have money to pay the rent? Wasn't that box filled to the brim with a small chest of silver ingots?

He grabbed a handful of soil and smeared the corpse's face in a disheveled manner, delivering several punches to the face, thereby disfiguring it. After checking that no one was around, he threw the belt over a slanted tree branch, found a stone, stepped on it, measured the height of the official's neck, tied a knot in the belt securely, then lifted the corpse, allowing its head to slip in, and gently lowered it. He then checked to see if the original marks of strangulation aligned with the belt before kicking the stone away.

Soon, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man rushed in. Upon seeing Leng Yi, a look of shock and disbelief appeared on his face, as if he had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world. Although this expression lasted only a moment, it was noticed by Leng Yi, for he needed to pay attention to everyone's reaction to his impersonation of the county magistrate.

He stood by the window, glancing back at the place where the bodies were hung. In the darkness, nothing was visible, and only then did he feel at ease to pull the window shut

The stack manager scolded: "What do you know? This is called shaving one's head to signify determination! It means I have already made up my mind to become a monk."