Chapter 207 My Shape (Thanks to my good brother "Most Beloved Higashiyama Sunny" for the patronage award!)
"Good morning, Your Excellency..."
"Lord Mingfu, you are well..."
"It is truly fortunate that Your Excellency has just recovered from a minor illness."
Early morning, Luming Street, inside the Longcheng Yamen (government office).
When the officials and yamen runners on duty saw the young county magistrate in his official robes walking out of the county government hall, they all greeted him respectfully.
Ouyang Rong nodded with a faint smile.
This was Ouyang Rong's first visit to the county government office since recovering from his illness. It still had that familiar feel and orderly atmosphere.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the faces of his colleagues who were greeting him, and then quietly strolled around the county government office.
"It seems like nothing has been noticed."
Ouyang Rong glanced down at his brand-new official robes, raised his hand to touch his chin, and then casually used the base of his right hand to support his cheeks, his eyes thoughtful.
Just then, Liu Ashan, carrying a stack of files, passed by the corridor, turned to look at Ouyang Rong, greeted him, and prepared to continue. Suddenly, his expression froze, and he turned to examine the files closely, asking in confusion:
"Sir, why did you suddenly change your clothes?"
"Oh, it was a bit chilly inside, so I put on an official robe," Ouyang Rong explained with a nod.
"I understand..." Liu Ashan hesitated before speaking.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "Is there anything different about me? Tell me. Ah Shan is often by my side. Has he noticed something?"
Liu Ashan shook his head. "I just feel that compared to when he went out this morning, the master seems to have less stubble and looks a bit fairer."
Ouyang Rong nodded, smiled slightly, and habitually raised his hand to touch his chin.
He put his hands behind his back, turned and returned to the courtroom, leaving behind a casual remark before departing:
"I just shaved, Ah Shan is quite meticulous. Alright, you go ahead and do your work, I'll go deal with the pile of documents."
"Yes, sir."
Liu Ashan responded blankly, and before leaving, he glanced at Ouyang Rong's somewhat strange back view one last time before silently departing.
Just take it as an illusion.
After Liu Ashan left, Ouyang Rong, whose expression had remained calm and composed, suddenly turned around. Seeing the man walk away, he let out a sigh of relief.
Ouyang Rong looked down at himself, muttered a few words, and shook his head slightly.
He turned straight into the back hall of the main hall, found a secluded room, silently entered, turned around and locked it, then sat down with his arms around the table.
In the dimly lit room, Ouyang Rong lowered his head, raised his hands and grabbed the sides of his chin, as if removing something, separating his face from his hands.
The light inside the room seemed to distort slightly.
The young man at the table was still the same young man, but he looked somewhat different from when he first entered.
Ouyang Rong, dressed in a dark blue casual suit, sat leisurely in a chair, playing with a bronze animal mask in his hand with great interest.
It is the Mirage Beast Mask.
It was just taken off my face.
"Ah Shan is indeed very observant, but that makes sense. He's always been by my side, so it's natural that he would observe me closely and notice some unusual things."
"But my colleagues in the county government didn't seem to notice anything. Well, when normal people get along, even close friends, they won't get so close to each other's faces to take a close look. At most, they'll be more sensitive to each other's clothes and hairstyles."
Ouyang Rong nodded slowly, turned around and walked to a copper basin filled with water, looking down at his real face reflected in the water.
After being bedridden for several days, he grew a bit of stubble on his chin.
Ouyang Rong stroked his real stubble, looked down at the bronze mask in his hand, and a look of novelty appeared in his eyes.
"The Mirage Mask? It really can fool people. That's interesting. But the fact that it transforms into itself makes it less exciting and a little weird. The uncanny valley effect, right..."
Ouyang Rong chuckled and shook his head.
Last night, he spent 1,500 merits to exchange for blessings, which allowed the mirage mask, originally belonging exclusively to a certain type of special alchemist or Qi cultivator, to be modified by the strange purple mist on the blessing bell.
Ouyang Rong not only bound his Qi to this object, but also obtained a long, strange, and vague message, which seemed to be the method of using it.
So early this morning, he couldn't wait to try it out. He put on the mask, transformed into himself, and wandered around the county government office twice. Only Liu Ashan noticed something was wrong; the others were completely unaware.
It sounds a bit strange, but someone was so bored, and it was their first time encountering this mythical power, so they naturally had a lot of fun.
Inside the room, Ouyang Rong returned to the table, holding the bronze beast mask in his hand, and closed his eyes slightly.
He sensed the message that the mirage mask had transmitted to his mind from the depths of the universe.
He flipped through it carefully, then closed his eyes and muttered:
"I see... Activating a special ritual... murdering a sacrifice in front of an audience... can collect the mythical spirit of the unjustly killed... creating an illusion... preserving the sacrifice's appearance in life... and this bronze beast mask can preserve multiple illusions of sacrifices..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly opened his eyes, frowned as he looked at the empty room, and muttered to himself in confusion:
"Can it store multiple sacrificial illusions... But didn't Junior Sister leave behind a bamboo slip saying that she found out a Mirage Beast Mask can only transform into one person?"
"Could it be that the Jade Cup Fairy and her companions were not skilled enough, too incompetent, or lacked talent, so they didn't fully explore the special path of sorcerers they followed, and were just half-baked?"
As if he had guessed the answer, Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly.
"Or is it that this thing was modified by the purple mist?"
"Regardless of the reason, the strange purple mist emanating from the Blessing Bell seems rather domineering, overwhelmingly so, completely unlocking this Mirage Mask from the inside out. Hmm, it's in my shape now."
Ouyang Rong was quite satisfied with the expenditure of 1,500 merits; it seemed not to have been wasted.
"I just don't know if I'll need to use up my merits and blessings again if I have the chance to collect the sacrificial illusions again... I probably will, since I don't have any spiritual energy cultivation at the moment, and this purple mist seems to be able to replace spiritual energy, and even unlock mythical artifacts that my junior sister, a mid-level Qi cultivator, can't unlock."
Ouyang Rong stroked his chin again and sighed as he looked at the mirage beast mask in his hand:
"It seems that when the original owner had just taken office, he drowned and fainted in public. It was Liu Ziwen and the Jade Cup Fairy who were up to their tricks. They had already collected the original owner's spiritual essence to create an illusion... I've gotten revenge for myself in this life without even realizing it."
"However, the Jade Cup Fairy is still unconscious, not dead. Hmm, we can't let her go. I wonder how Sixth Brother, who's in charge of the official residence, is doing..."
After pondering for a moment, Ouyang Rong lowered his head and studied and played with the bronze animal mask for a while.
Before long, his expression turned somewhat listless, and with a "thud," he tossed the bronze mask onto the table.
"It's still a bit of a waste. Changing yourself isn't very interesting... Am I supposed to find sacrificial offerings and collect new illusions? But plotting murder in public is a bit perverted. Why not just go home and stay in this world doing this? Is it a real-life version of Werewolf? My assessment is that it's not as good as taking the postgraduate entrance exam."
"However, after this item was unlocked by the purple mist, it seems I can give it to someone else to use, to create a substitute... That's one possibility, but what would I need a substitute for..."
Ouyang Rong stopped speaking silently. He glanced at his mask, then at the bright sunlight streaming through the window.
After a moment of silence, Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up and put away the Mirage Beast Mask.
He left his desk and paused as he passed the copper basin filled with water. He glanced at his reflection in the water, then went to fetch a tool and shaved off his stubble.
She suddenly looked much younger, just like the original illusion inside the Mirage Mask, except that her skin was a little darker, but with some rest recently, it wouldn't be a big problem.
As usual, Ouyang Rong dealt with a pile of official documents in the morning, all of which were trivial matters.
One noteworthy item is an official document from the Jiangzhou Prefectural Government, stating that Ouyang Rong, the magistrate of Longcheng County, has made meritorious contributions to disaster relief and flood control, and has also led the heroic deeds of saving the sluice gate. The prefectural officials, including Lord Wang and the censor who is inspecting the area, have submitted a petition on his behalf to request commendation. They expect to receive a reward from the imperial court soon.
However, Ouyang Rong was not interested in this and did not hold any hope for it. He had no connections in the court, so he should not indulge in wishful thinking.
When it comes to seeking credit, the rewards for the same achievement can vary drastically depending on whether someone speaks up for you in the imperial court.
As for whether his immediate superior, Wang Lengran, would speak well of him?
Ouyang Rong was skeptical.
Fortunately, he no longer cared. With half an hour to go before noon, Ouyang Rong threw down the official documents and went straight out of the county government office, taking Liu Ashan to the residence where the Jade Cup Fairy was being held.
As soon as Ouyang Rong arrived at the courtyard in the official residence where the Jade Cup Fairy was being held, he saw Yan Liulang and the other constables looking worried and sighing around the bed.
These days, the staff quarters are under the full management of Junior Sister and Yan Liulang. Ouyang Rong only occasionally inquires about it and doesn't know much about it, mainly because he trusts Junior Sister.
"Why do you look so miserable?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously.
Yan Liulang and his subordinates exchanged glances, their faces all showing remorse.
"Your Excellency, it was my incompetence and negligence that disrupted Master Xie's plans before his departure..."
Yan Liulang scratched his head, explained what had happened last night, and stamped his foot angrily, saying:
"The prisoner finally woke up, but then suddenly vomited blood and fainted again. It's unclear whether it was due to the antidote or if someone wanted to kill him to silence him..."
The blue-clad constable gritted his teeth, gripped his sword, and brandished a half-blade: "Your Excellency, my men are investigating who did this..."
Ouyang Rong's previously calm expression changed. He glanced at the Jade Cup Immortal, who was barely breathing and on the verge of death, in the direction of the bed, and asked calmly:
"The suspect vomited blood and fell unconscious... What time was it last night?"
Yan Liulang looked thoughtful, pondered for a moment, and then gave a precise time.
"Ahem." Someone lowered their head and covered their mouth with their fist.
"What's wrong, Your Excellency? Is your cold still bothering you? You're out working hard again."
"No...it's alright. I think...Sixth Brother has been so responsible, I believe Junior Sister won't blame him. Um, you guys continue, I'll go back first, I won't disturb your investigation."
Having said that, without waiting for Yan Liulang to exchange pleasantries, the young magistrate slipped away as if his feet were greased.
Only a group of guards and constables remained in the courtyard, exchanging curious glances.
"It is still the magistrate who loves the people like his own children, takes care of his subordinates, and is considerate and protective."
Yan Liulang turned his head, his eyes slightly red, and clenched his fist and swung it violently:
"Everyone, work hard and try to find out the real culprit before Master Xie returns."
"Yes!" The crowd cheered.
Ouyang Rong left the official residence without batting an eye and boarded his carriage.
On the way back.
Noticing that his master's expression seemed a bit strange, Liu Ashan, who was driving the car, couldn't help but ask:
"Regarding the Sixth Brother's matter, has the master discovered any clues?"
"Ahem, what clues could I possibly have?"
Ouyang Rong changed the subject:
"By the way, Ah Shan, what will you do if one day I'm no longer in Dragon City?"
“No matter how far you are transferred to serve as an official, I will follow you,” Liu Ashan replied without hesitation.
Ouyang Rong shook his head, "What if I quit being an official? You'll be useless following me then."
Liu Ashan hesitated for a moment, then said decisively, "Then I will go home with Master. Wherever Master goes, I will go."
Ouyang Rong shook his head again: "I've said it before, you and Aqing are both free now, not my servants, so you don't need to follow me."
After a pause, Ouyang Rong asked again, "Is there anything you want to do?"
The taciturn man lowered his head in silence, as if he had misunderstood something. He said in a somewhat disappointed tone:
“Master, don’t you want me to stay with you? Then, I’ll stay in Longcheng. This is where I was born and raised. I won’t go anywhere else. I’ll make a living here, take care of my mother and sister, and live an honest life.”
“You also need to get married and have a healthy son,” Ouyang Rong added, then nodded, “It’s good to live a peaceful and stable life with family.”
Liu Ashan was taken aback. "Master."
He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the smiling young man sitting upright in the carriage.
The latter said softly:
"There were some other considerations for not assigning you a position in the county government before, but those are no longer the case. Tomorrow, I will arrange for you and the other brothers in the militia to have a position in the county government."
"From now on, you'll be working for the government. Do your best. You'll have a stable job in your hometown, get married, have children, spend time with your family, and have a pretty good life."
Ouyang Rong suddenly smiled, and Liu Ashan, with his neat, white teeth gleaming, rubbed his eyes as someone muttered some jokes that he couldn't understand:
"Ah Shan, you're so smart. You've secured a stable job back home. Isn't that the ultimate goal? Feels great. You still win."
"Huh?" Liu Ashan was stunned.
Ouyang Rong always spoke in words or with difficult vocabulary that Liu Ashan couldn't understand. However, unlike Yan Liulang, who liked to dig deep and learn new knowledge, Liu Ashan just listened silently, never asked many questions, kept to himself, and kept his mouth shut.
This is probably one of the reasons why Ouyang Rong was willing to joke and relax in front of Liu Ashan.
The usually taciturn Liu Ashan couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a low voice, "Master hasn't said what we're going to do in the future. Maybe we'll go to Master when we're desperate."
Ouyang Rong gazed out the window, remained silent for a while, and then uttered a seemingly random and inexplicable remark:
"I also have a place where I was born and raised."
Liu Ashan was taken aback.
In this subdued atmosphere of parting, as if making final arrangements, neither of them spoke again on the way back to Luming Street.
Completely bewildered, Liu Ashan had no idea that inside the carriage behind him, a young county magistrate was watching his retreating figure and letting out a sigh of relief.
“Let’s arrange it this way, Ah Shan. Honest people have their own kind of luck. If you’re too honest, it’s dangerous for you to wander around with others. You’re more likely to get into trouble. I could sense that Mother Liu’s attitude towards me was complicated. I guess she was worried about this too. Fortunately, Ah Shan and Ah Qing were both safe in the end.”
"As for Liu Lang, there's nothing to worry about. That kid's quite clever. Heh, he's good at finding benefactors. He's taken advantage of this opportunity to help Junior Sister with her case and has built up some goodwill with her. I'll leave a letter for Junior Sister to ask her to help the Xie family take care of him. Whether he dreams of becoming a chivalrous hero or a government official, he'll be well taken care of..."
"Alright, now there's only one left who's the most stubborn and has the strongest initiative."
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly.
Back at the county office, Ouyang Rong buried himself in official business all afternoon, working with extra effort as if wrapping things up.
Before he knew it, evening had fallen. Ouyang Rong went straight back to the Deer Garden. As soon as he entered, he called Ye Weilai over, looked her in the eye, and said directly:
"Pack up, we'll head back to Nanlong in the next couple of days. If we're quick, we can make it in time for the Ghost Festival to pay respects to our ancestors. The boat is booked."
Ouyang Rong's tone was indifferent, but it was a statement, and his attitude left no room for argument.
The white-haired maid who had come running over trembled.
A hot towel fell to her feet as if it were burning her hand. Ouyang Rong quickly bent down, picked it up to wipe her hands, and walked past her with a normal expression.
Thank you so much to my good brother "Most Favorite Dongshan Qing" for the guild leader's reward! *cough* It was originally a reward for Jian Niang, but I'm kneeling in gratitude here, my good brother, hehe, fencing! (orz Day 5)
(End of this chapter)
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