Chapter 119: I Am the Clown Myself; The Two Face Each Other in Court

Fan Ai said coldly, “The wind outside is strong. I have walked all this way, so naturally my body is cold.”

Jia Teng did not stop to think. He shut the doors and windows and took advantage of her.

Several days later, people noticed a foul smell drifting from the room Jia Teng had rented. When they pushed open the door, they found him clutching a paper effigy, dead for some time.

As it turned out, the nosebleed Jia Teng had suffered on the roof that day had happened to drip onto a paper effigy. A paper effigy shop was a place steeped in yin energy, and lonely spirits and wandering ghosts often lingered nearby.

In the end, the female ghost possessed the paper effigy, transformed it into Fan Ai’s likeness, and sought out Jia Teng. Jia Teng eventually died after all the vital essence had drained from his body.

…

After finishing the tale, the old beggar said solemnly, “Jia Teng was once my junior fellow apprentice. He specialized in casting wicked curses, and that was why he met such a miserable end.”

When Madam Li heard this, she immediately sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly asked the old beggar whether something had happened.

The old beggar nodded. “Mistress, the reason strange things have been happening in your household is that someone has placed a curse on your family.”

Madam Li suddenly felt a chill run through her body. She asked in disbelief, “Surely not? We haven’t offended anyone lately.”

The old beggar shook his head. “You must have offended someone. If you do not believe me, search every inch of your house, inside and out. Then you will know that I am telling the truth.”

After hearing the old beggar speak with such certainty, and recalling the strange events of the past three days, Madam Li already believed him more than half.

The thought that someone had cast a wicked curse made her too anxious to delay. She returned home and ordered the servants and maids to search the entire residence, but they found nothing.

Madam Li went out again and told the old beggar what had happened. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “What about the roof? Did you send anyone up there to search?”

Madam Li realized that no one had actually checked the roof.

She returned to the Li residence and sent servants up to search. Before long, they indeed found a section of peachwood. A woman was carved upon it, clad in thin gauze, her form half concealed and half revealed, hauntingly alluring.

Madam Li was scared nearly to death. Clutching the piece of peachwood, she went to find the old beggar.

The old beggar took it from her and examined it from end to end. He already had the answer in his heart. Slowly, he asked, “Mistress, you have offended someone recently, haven’t you?”

Madam Li thought it over once more. This time, she remembered someone: the young man who had come three days earlier to tell the Zhou family how to break their curse.

Upon closer consideration, since that young man knew how to undo the curse cast by One-Eyed Snake, he must himself be an expert in such arts.

That was it. He must have been the one who cast this wicked curse.

Furious, Madam Li immediately declared that she would take revenge on the young man.

Unexpectedly, after finishing his bowl of gruel, the old beggar said slowly, “Since the curse has already been broken, why not let the matter rest? He did not cast any truly wicked curse. He merely wanted to vent his anger.”

With that, the old beggar left.

Madam Li threw the piece of peachwood far away. Yet as night fell, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She wanted to send servants to take revenge on the young man, but she was also afraid that he would retaliate against her.

After turning the matter over in her mind again and again, Madam Li came up with a plan.

Report him to the authorities.

That was right—she would report him.

Under the laws of the Great Zhou, a carpenter who cast a curse to harm his employer had committed a grave offense. Even if he escaped execution, he would still spend decades in prison.

Having made up her mind, Madam Li went to the capital prefectural office at daybreak to lodge a complaint.

The secretary, Tan Chuxiao, listened as Madam Li recounted the entire affair. Once he had learned the young man’s appearance and other identifying features, he sent people out to investigate.

Before long, they discovered the young man’s identity.

Tan Chuxiao issued an arrest warrant, and thus two unfortunate constables from the prefectural office arrived at the Mortuary Office in the southern part of the city.

By the time Song Mo heard this much, he already understood what was going on. Nevertheless, he asked, “Brothers, do you know whom you are here to arrest?”

The two constables thought for a moment. “It seems to be Song Mo from Mortuary Room Seven. Wait—you know this Song Mo from Mortuary Room Seven?”

Song Mo could not help giving a bitter laugh. He had come out to watch the spectacle, only to find himself at the center of it.

The fool was right beside me. The fool was me all along…

Seeing that Song Mo’s expression had changed, the two constables asked, “What is it? Do you know him or not?”

Song Mo did not try to conceal the truth. He pointed at himself and said, “What a coincidence. I am the Song Mo from Mortuary Room Seven whom the two of you are looking for.”

The two constables burst out laughing. “So you’re Song Mo! Come on, brother, take a little walk with us.”

Song Mo gave another bitter laugh and extended his hands. The two constables exchanged a glance, then one of them said, “Forget it. We’re not worried that you’ll run. There’s no need for shackles.”

“Thank you both,” Song Mo said gratefully.

…

At the capital prefectural office, in the main courtroom.

Secretary Tan Chuxiao looked Song Mo up and down. His clothes were clean, and his eyes were clear. He did not look like someone who would recklessly practice sorcery.

Tan Chuxiao struck the courtroom block and shouted, “Song Mo below! Confess at once to how you cast a spell to harm others!”

Song Mo was straightforward. He immediately admitted, “Your Honor, please judge the matter fairly. I did cast the peachwood curse, but Madam Li offended me first. Besides, the curse was meant only as a minor punishment. I never intended to harm anyone.”

Hearing that there was more to the matter, Tan Chuxiao naturally ordered Song Mo to explain the entire sequence of events.

Song Mo concealed nothing. He recounted how One-Eyed Snake had cursed the Zhou family, how he had helped them break the curse, and how Madam Li had insulted and humiliated him.

Tan Chuxiao found himself in a difficult position. Although the young man before him had indeed cast a curse on the Li family, Madam Li had provoked him first. The case had suddenly become rather troublesome.

When Madam Li saw Tan Chuxiao frown and his expression darken, she grew anxious. Song Mo, standing before her, was clearly skilled in the art of curse-casting. If she failed to have him sent to prison, she would surely suffer another act of revenge.

She knew that if he cursed her again, it would not be something as minor as a peachwood curse. There was every chance that it would bring about a bloody disaster.

With that thought, Madam Li hurriedly cried, “Honorable Magistrate, you must see through his lies! He claims that the curse was merely a minor punishment, but if we had not discovered it in time, who knows what terrible calamity might have occurred?”

Tan Chuxiao had to admit that, though Madam Li was sharp-tongued and overbearing, there was truth in what she said.

After all, the Li family themselves had discovered the peachwood curse. If it had been allowed to develop unchecked, it might indeed have caused a major disaster.

Thinking of this, Tan Chuxiao asked Song Mo, “You say the peachwood curse was merely a minor punishment for the Li family. Can you prove it?”

Song Mo secretly cursed the secretary’s foolishness. How was he supposed to prove that the peachwood curse was only a minor punishment? Was he supposed to produce an ancient book recording the art of curse-casting and make it public?

That was not impossible, but what if Tan Chuxiao then asked where the ancient book had come from?

No, he absolutely could not open that door.

After much hesitation, Song Mo still said nothing.

Just then, someone outside the courtroom suddenly shouted, “I can prove it!”

Everyone turned to look and saw two people standing outside the main hall.

One was Zhou Da of the Zhou family on Four Weaving Street. The other was an old beggar.