Commander Yu’s bodyguards threw the two of them out. Zhang Ping sat up and looked through the temple door at the statue of the Medicine King upon the altar.

“Mei-ge, does it seem to you that statue looks something like…”

Wumei quickly interrupted him. “It’s very similar to the relic in our temple.”

Elsewhere there was a great commotion as a crowd of villagers milled around Medical Official Li, begging him to examine them. The soldiers kept driving them away, but the villagers only grew more numerous.

From a distance came a heartrending wail, and a few elderly women stumbled forward supporting a younger woman crying so hard she couldn’t hold herself up. When she saw Medical Official Li, she shrieked and hurled herself at him.

“Medical Official Li, didn’t you say Da-Shuan was all right?! You wouldn’t give him medicine! You wouldn’t treat him! It’s all your fault, all of you! Give me back Da-Shuan! Give me back my husband!”

Soldiers blocked the woman’s path, and Medical Official Li parted the crowd, leaving at a hurried pace under the protection of a number of other soldiers as the woman’s inhuman cries and curses crashed against their backs.

“Dog of a physician! Conscienceless beast! I hope you die—”

Medical Official Li closed his eyes and all but raced away. While the soldiers were busy fending off the villagers, Zhang Ping seized his chance to break through the wall of people and go in pursuit of Medical Official Li.

Wumei chased after Zhang Ping. Further southeast still from the Medicine King Temple came farmland and empty fields, and among them a distant hill upon which stood a square shed.

The soldiers guarding Medical Official Li noticed Zhang Ping and ordered him to draw back at once. Zhang Ping called out loudly at Medical Official Li’s back, “Those two men’s deaths are suspicious. Please examine the corpses carefully, sir.”

Medical Official Li stopped in his tracks and looked his way. “The world is vast, but I have had no dealings with supernatural forces.”

“This has nothing to do with the supernatural,” said Zhang Ping.

Medical Official Li frowned slightly. “What do you know about it?”

Respectfully, Zhang Ping said, “I know a little about medicines, and I can stand the night watch, wash the bodies, and fetch and carry.”

From the direction of the shed came another wave of clamor. Medical Official Li glanced that way, then looked without expression at Zhang Ping. “Come with me, then.”

Wumei had meant to seize Zhang Ping, but seeing Medical Official Li’s face, he gave a sudden shudder.

He knew what Zhang Ping had actually meant to say earlier, looking at the statue of the Medicine King.

The features of that Medicine King statue looked a great deal like Medical Official Li’s.

With an offhand, “I’ll be back soon, Shixiong,” Zhang Ping followed Medical Official Li to the shed without so much as turning his head. Wumei gritted his teeth and followed too.

The shed, placed halfway up the slope, had been built with somewhat uneven sides and looked, no matter how one tried to avoid it, like a coffin with its mouth facing out rather than up. A number of villagers were gathered in front of the shed, raising a hue and cry. From the sound of it, these were other relations of the two dead men insisting on seeing the bodies and demanding to know why this had happened.

The soldiers who had brought the bodies had gone to join the constables already present to hold back the crying and yelling men and women. An elderly man, also dressed in the robes of a medical official, had been caught up as well. His face was all sweat and wretchedness.

When the people making the commotion noticed Medical Official Li, they whipped around and surged towards him.

The soldiers and constables moved in to protect Medical Official Li. Wumei saw two large men break through the line of defenders and head his way. He scurried back.

The two men stared fixedly at him. “You, are you with the government?”

Some other people stopped what they were doing as well. One of the constables shot Wumei and Zhang Ping a meaningful look.

“Yes, yes, indeed. These two masters have come to lend their aid. Pay no mind to their apparent youth, these are both masters of great merit who have only reluctantly agreed to leave their lengthy seclusion. It is the breadth and depth of their power that makes them appear so young.”

Zhang Ping took a step forward to shield Wumei. “It is impossible for the dead to live again. The most urgent matter now is to discover the cause of their deaths.”

One big man cried out, “That’s just what we want to know! How can people drop dead out of nowhere!”

“It really isn’t clear yet,” said Medical Official Li. “We must investigate. Bodies spoil quickly in this heat, so please do not cause delays.”

The man clenched his teeth. “Medical Official Li, you said before that this wasn’t a plague, and we believed you. You said our friends were fine, and again we believed you. We owe your family for what happened years ago, so we’ve listened to you this time too. Please give us an answer, Medical Official Li.”

Medical Official Li nodded faintly and entered the shed.

Zhang Ping produced the cloth he had received at the village outskirts, covered his nose and mouth, and followed him inside. Wumei followed suit.

The interior of the shed was partitioned in two by an oilcloth, with the bodies of the two men resting beneath sheets on a long wooden board in the innermost section. The constable standing guard stammered out a report to Medical Official Li: when the bodies had been brought in, the coroner had said he felt a twinge of heat stroke and wanted to go rest and have some water. He had yet to return and was nowhere to be found.

Zhang Ping studied the water stains on the plank. “The bodies have been washed?”

“That’s right,” said the constable. “Medical Official Gao said he had to examine the wounds, and see if the dead men had developed pustules, so he sent me and my colleagues for water to rinse the bodies. We did it outside, then turned the earth and buried the traces on the spot!”

Medical Official Gao, hearing himself mentioned, walked into the shed. Zhang Ping shot him a glance. Medical Official Li asked, “Have you reached a diagnosis, Uncle Gao?”

Medical Official Gao lifted one of the sheets and showed Medical Official Li the scratches on the body it had covered.

The bloody gouges were deep enough to expose muscle, which turned Wumei’s stomach. Medical Official Li wrapped his hands in cloth and closely examined the whole corpse while Zhang Ping stood beside him in silence, lending a hand when the body needed to be turned over.

Wumei truly couldn’t stand it. He walked over to the oilcloth curtain and gulped for air.

After a while, both bodies had been fully examined.

Medical Official Li removed the cloth covering his hands and sent it away to be burned. Accompanied by Medical Official Gao, he emerged from behind the oilcloth curtain.

“As I judge it, these two men died of fright. Apart from the scratches, they show no signs of lesions or abrasions. It’s peculiar.”

Medical Official Gao sighed. “My observations coincide with yours, Medical Official Li, and they leave me greatly perplexed. In cases of internal disease and external infection both, there are sure to be signs in the flesh. But these two bodies display nothing but the expected swelling around the scratches. The two earlier bodies had been bitten. Why would these two people scratch themselves like this out of nowhere?”

Wumei pricked up his ears. Earlier bodies?

In a trembling voice, the constable asked, “Do you mean, sir, that the scratches on these bodies are like the bites on the merchants’ bodies?!”

Medical Official Li’s expression grew stern. “Medical Official Gao and I have yet to reach a conclusion. Do not breathe a word of our discussion to others! I hope you two young Daozhangs will also abide by this stricture. Otherwise, I will be reporting to the commander, and you will be charged with spreading fallacies.”

The constable and Wumei gave their guarantees at once and repeatedly. Zhang Ping said, “The scratches on the two corpses appear mainly on the neck, chest, hands, and arms, with some on the calves as well. Hardly any appear on the thighs, abdomens, and backs. The scratches are concentrated on body parts that are exposed to open air on a hot day.”

Medical Official Li shot him another look. “That’s true. If it were some internal disease accompanied by a rash, one would expect a major outbreak at the groin, waist, and back. This is what puzzles Medical Official Gao and myself.”

Wumei also contributed: “Could they have touched something? Some plant juices cause itching, and the skin swells when you scratch. And when some insects crawl on you, it also itches horribly. I heard earlier from a family member that one of the men had been to the river in the morning, and he’d drunk water freshly drawn up from the family well.”

No sooner had he said these last words than the shed abruptly fell silent, and the expressions of Medical Officials Gao and Li, as well as the constable, became uneasy.

Wumei rubbed his nose and looked blankly at Zhang Ping. Suddenly, Medical Official Li said to the constable, “Go question the two families again. Find out what those two men did from the time they got up in the morning to the time they fell ill—including all the details of what they ate and drank. Ask Commander Yu to tell the people of the two villages to avoid the river, and at all costs not to touch river water. As well, keep in mind my earlier instructions.” Then, to Wumei and Zhang Ping, he said, “There is no need at present for scriptures to be chanted here, and no one should stay long in this shed. Please leave.”

Zhang Ping bowed to Medical Official Li. “Might I ask about the earlier bodies? Did they die of their injuries, or did they also die of fright? Where are those bodies currently being kept?”

Medical Official Li frowned. “Why do you ask?”

Wumei grabbed hold of Zhang Ping’s sleeve and dragged him out of the shed. The constable exited with them and said quietly, “Those bodies have been burned. The way things looked that day, what choice was there? You two should leave as soon as you get the chance.” With a sigh, he trotted off towards the village.

Sizhao’er’s family hadn’t gone far. Seeing the three who had gone into the shed exit, they started clamoring for answers again. Zhang Ping looked all around, then headed behind the shed.

Wumei had no choice but to follow him up to the top of the hill. Below lay a stretch of empty fields where wild grass grew freely. In the distance off to one side lay the humps of burial mounds, one after another. One corner of the fields was bare of grass, exposing freshly turned earth. At the foot of the hill, hard up against the fields, were several dried up white streaks.

Zhang Ping was about to start down the slope when a voice came from behind him: “Don’t go down there.”

An old man in a constable’s uniform ambled over to them.

“That patch of land is where they buried the ashes of those who died the last time plague went through this area. Tomorrow night the gates of the underworld open. I’m afraid it would be too much even for you two young Daozhangs.”

Zhang Ping pointed to the bare spot. “Were the bodies from a few days ago burned and buried there?” 

The old constable went into the shade of a tree. “That’s right. Just in time for the Zhongyuan Festival, they’ve added new ones.”

All the hair stood up on the back of Wumei’s neck. With Zhang Ping, he went to the old constable’s side.

“Some of the deceased weren’t from Stonybend. Did their families consent to them being buried here?”

The old constable lifted his trouser legs and sat. “The deceased take precedence, but the living must also be taken into account. If those men were brought home and spread illness, how many lives would be ruined? Those merchants were outsiders, but still they must stay here.”

“And the elderly man from the neighboring village, was he also buried here?” asked Zhang Ping.

“He was the first to be burned,” said the old constable slowly.

Wumei shuddered. “Were those traveling merchants really bitten to death by the old man? And was the old man really already dead?"

The old constable narrowed his eyes. “The villages have been sealed off due to suspicion of plague, and the army has come to oversee matters. You two young Daozhangs can’t be going around spreading unsubstantiated rumors.”

Wumei crouched beside the old constable. “I can see that you’re a good person, sir. We would never dare to talk about this to someone else. When those two patrons met their unfortunate ends, I sensed evil. I’ve never seen an illness do something like that. Sadly my powers and my shidi’s are weak, so we haven’t been able to get to the bottom of this.”

The old constable sighed. “Tell you the truth, in all my years as a constable, I never saw such a thing, not even during the plague year.”

“You mean killing done by the dead?” said Zhang Ping.

“Careful, careful!” said the old constable. “That’s just why we’re having all this ruckus!”

Wumei shivered. Zhang Ping continued asking about the old man who had risen from the dead, and the old constable’s answers coincided with what they had heard from the old man they had met on their way into the village.

Old Xiao had been nearly eighty and had difficulty walking, with tremors throughout half his body. Living, he could hardly walk to the edge of the village alone, never mind running long distances in the middle of the night in pursuit of a group of men in their prime.

On the subject of the three traveling merchants, the old constable was somewhat better informed.

“One was named Zheng, one named Bai, and one named Chou. They often came to town to sell their wares. Their nicknames in the trade were Zheng Youshui, Da-Baihu, and Lao-Piqiu. They traveled the circuit between Jiangnan and the northern frontier. During the cold months, they took silks and playthings north from Jiangnan to the border. When it warmed up, they sold the silks and took advantage of the desert heat at the height of summer to pick up furs at low prices, and brought those south and sold them when the weather cooled. Hard to say how much they earned from a round trip like that. They took the overland route going north and didn’t pass through these parts. On the way back, they went by ship and came ashore at Wusha Town, then went on to Chuanmen County and changed there to the river, heading for Jiangnan. They passed through these parts on their way.”

No merchant would pass up an opportunity to earn money at every step. Markets and temple fairs often took place in the county seat, so when the three merchants passed through, they brought odds and ends to sell while they rested up for a few days. Though these were mainly second-rate furs, or clothes and jewelry that had fallen out of fashion in Jiangnan, in this small town, they were still great novelties.

“These were shrewd folks. They were afraid people in this little place would have their heads turned by the sight of riches and try to rob them, so they hired guards to escort the bulk of their stock and sent it on ahead. Their money they put in a money shop honored throughout the country, so they could withdraw it when they reached Jiangnan. They brought nothing to town but odds and ends and a bit of spending money. When they died, their earnings and their traveling bags were all tucked away at the inn, and they were carrying their purses. Nothing was missing."

“Were they fully dressed when they died?” asked Zhang Ping. “Were they wearing shoes? Did they have anything else on them?”

The old constable replied, “Their clothes had been ripped to shreds, how could we tell how they’d been dressed? They had slippers on their feet.”

“Were the slippers damaged? Was there mud on them?” Zhang Ping continued.

The old constable gave him a searching look. “I’ll venture to say that if not for your youth, I would take you for a high official traveling incognito among the people. Your questions are very much in line with the yamen’s style.”

Wumei quickly apologized for Zhang Ping. “This is just my shidi’s way. He’s always liked plays, and he tends to forget himself when he encounters a peculiar event. I’m very sorry if he has offended you.”

The old constable waved a hand. “I was only joking. I hope you won’t take it to heart. I really don’t remember the answer to the question the young Daozhang just asked. I only recall their purses, which did have quite a bit of money in them, even gold ingots. Their hands had been gored down to the bone, but their rings were still on their fingers. Ah, these merchants. They always keep their costliest possessions close. But when it comes time to close their eyes, neither their bodies nor their money will go with them.”

Zhang Ping interrupted the old constable’s lament. “Where are the possessions of the traveling merchants now?”

“Burned,” said the old constable. “Anything that could burn was burned. Even Old Xiao’s family agreed to burn everything, so there was no chance that the merchants’ things would be spared. Their belt ornaments and rings were smashed, too, and their traveling bags burned. Out of fear that the villagers would dig it up, what gold and silver remained were sealed into a jar, and I suppose given to Commander Yu. While their possessions were being broken up, one person acted as if he had been possessed. He foamed at the mouth and kept saying that the ghosts had been set loose, the ghosts had been set loose, and now no one would escape.”

“Who was he?” asked Zhang Ping.

The old constable could not answer. “I’m sorry, there were so many people, I really couldn’t get a good look. One of the villagers.”

“From Stonybend?” Zhang Ping pursued.

The old constable shook his head. “Not necessarily. There were also people from Bridgehead Village there.”

Zhang Ping continued: “Around the time of the plague years ago, did those three merchants pass through the area before or after? Did Old Xiao’s family, or the families of those at the inn where the three merchants stayed, lose anyone to the plague?”

The old constable let out a breath. “You suspect that the merchants were murdered? We’ve thought of that already, and investigated. Those three merchants had never been to Stonybend or Bridgehead Village before. I don’t know why they chose to stop here this year. During the plague, practically every family in these parts lost someone. Some whole families died.”

Zhang Ping leapt to his feet and took off at a run down the slope.

Wumei and the old constable were both startled. Wumei bowed hastily to the old constable and went off in pursuit.

Zhang Ping burst into the shed. Medical Officials Gao and Li were both absent; within were only the two corpses lying on the plank. When a soldier came in to order him out, Zhang Ping seized his arm. “I humbly request an audience with Commander Yu. I have an urgent matter to report!”