Wei Qingming had only been asleep for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before she quietly woke up. Unaware, I sat there dazed, hugging my knees as I kept watch over her, my face flushed from crying. She stared at me in silence for a long while before I finally noticed.
"Are you feeling better?" I asked.
"Mhm." She actually found the spirit to smile. "Where are the others?"
I wanted to roll my eyes, but they were too swollen to move properly, so it just looked like a clumsy twitch. "Where else? They’re giving us 'younger couple' some space."
She turned her head and chuckled softly, which tugged at her wound and made her hiss in pain. I scolded her, "Does it hurt? Serves you right! When the sky falls, the tall ones should hold it up. What business does a small fry like you in the middle stage of the Cloud-Swallowing Realm have playing the hero?"
"Cousin," Wei Qingming said, "where did you learn such coarse language? As your elder brother, I really ought to educate you."
I raised my hand as if to strike her. "Did you not get enough of that monk’s fists earlier?"
Wei Qingming laughed, but then coughed up a mouthful of blood, which immediately drained the fight out of me. She waved her hand dismissively. "The old bald thief’s punch-wind injured my lungs. It looks terrifying, but I’ll be fine once I cough it out."
I stopped pestering her and waited quietly for her to meditate and heal. As she closed her eyes to circulate her power, I stared blankly at her pale, jade-like face, which was currently devoid of all color.
The others outside heard that she was awake. Once she finished a full cycle of meditation, Bai Yuyu walked in. He asked about her injuries and then said, "Feng Baili asked me to tell you that you accomplished what he couldn't. He respects you for that." As he spoke, the slender and handsome youth gave a deadpan thumbs-up and added, "I respect you for it as well."
Wei Qingming looked rather pleased with herself, though she demurred, "I don't deserve such praise. It was thanks to everyone saving my life, and my cousin’s secret technique."
I rolled my eyes internally. Truly, martial artists were a bunch of lunatics... or perhaps the world of the powerful was simply beyond my understanding.
"How is Senior Brother Feng?"
"He’s doing well," Bai Yuyu replied. "Senior Brother Dantai saw that he was too excited, so he put him to sleep. It helps with the recovery." He paused, then added heartlessly, "It helps with *everyone's* recovery."
Since the night was nearly over, the group decided to rest until dawn. By the time we prepared to leave, Wei Qingming was able to stand and walk on her own, though the injuries to her arms were severe enough that she wouldn't be able to hold a blade for a while.
When we reached the exit—the very spot where I had fallen—I remembered the servant who had helped me. I looked around, but there was no sign of him. Wei Qingming noted, "There are no signs of a struggle here. Perhaps he escaped." My mind was set on getting Wei Qingming back to the Wujing Sect’s branch temple in the capital for treatment, so I naturally had no time to worry about that man.
Before we even climbed out, we could hear the sound of hooves and footsteps everywhere. The Wen family servants were shouting into the wind, "Miss Qi! Eighteenth Miss!"
I looked at Wei Qingming hesitantly. She gave a faint smile and said, "You go up first. I won't show my face."
"What should I say?"
"Tell the truth. Only... don't mention I was here. Just say you encountered several senior brothers from the Wujing Sect."
Dantai Ye, who was carrying the unconscious Feng Baili like a dead dog, nodded to me in understanding.
I knew Wei Qingming had her reasons. I wasn't sure if the Wujing Sect knew she was secretly working for the Palace, and I didn't want to cause her trouble by disobeying. I could only agree.
The harrowing night I had spent with Wei Qingming felt as long as a month. I turned to look at her one last time, seeing her fragile, transparent smile in the gathering dawn. I was loath to part from her; a pang of sorrow hit my heart, but I forced myself to run away. Once I was out of their sight, I reverted to my appearance as Wen Qi and pretended to clumsily scramble out of the tomb passage.
The first person I saw was actually Mother Shui. Her perpetually cold face actually showed a flash of joy. "Miss Qi! We finally found you! I’ll send someone to tell the Fourth Master immediately; he went to the other side!"
Before I could even wipe my tears, someone flew toward me and pulled me into a sobbing embrace. "Sister! Thank goodness you're alright!"
"I should be saying that to you!" I hugged Wen Shu, jumping up and down with joy. I leaned into her ear and whispered, "That dog Cao didn't hurt you, did he?"
Wen Shu whispered back, "No, the treasure you left was incredibly powerful! And..." Her face reddened slightly, and her voice grew even softer. "Other things... I'll tell you the rest later..."
I gave her a knowing look and a wink, and the two of us huddled together, giggling and holding hands.
The Wen family had already prepared a soft litter. I pretended to be exhausted and sat inside. Once the porters had walked about a hundred paces, I hurriedly pulled back the curtain to look toward Zhong He’s tomb. Sure enough, five streaks of light in various colors swept across the sky, vanishing into the eastern part of the city.
Returning to Honglu Villa naturally caused a massive stir. It happened to be breakfast time. Madam First scolded me while stirring her porridge, while Fourth Master Wen sat nearby, not daring to interject a single word, looking as dull as an outsider. I smelled the fragrance of the sweets on the table and salivated; when I'm hungry, I can't listen to anything she says anyway... Wait, did she say Wen Shu and I caused this disaster by riding horses? Nothing about Cao Chengshuo?
From Madam First’s tirade, I pieced together Wen Shu’s story: Wen Shu and I had secretly gone riding in the evening. Our Celestial Horses had encountered a flock of Soul Crows in the air and bolted out of control, charging all the way into the Imperial Tomb District. Fortunately, a guard named Xiao Xuelin, whom we knew, happened to pass by and rescued us. I had accidentally fallen into the Great Tomb of Zhong He, and when they couldn't find me, Xiao Xuelin escorted Wen Shu back to Honglu Villa alone.
Xiao Xuelin... He had even bid me farewell before leaving the Wen household, despite us only meeting once. His manners were certainly impeccable, but why did he appear? Did he happen to pass by after Wen Shu and I were separated and drive off Cao Chengshuo’s men by himself?
I couldn't help but glance at the food on the table, then at the expressions of Madam First and Fourth Master Wen. Madam First’s anger was rising; her face was flushed, and she began to cough uncontrollably. Fourth Master Wen finally found an opening to advise her, "Sister-in-law, please calm yourself... Young girls are playful. She was trapped in that eerie place all night and has learned her lesson. She won't dare do it again."
"Old Fourth!" Madam First slammed her bowl onto the table in fury. "I am angry because Qi'er and Shu'er are supposed to have their marriage negotiations settled in these coming months. To fool around during the ancestral rites and stay out all night—if word gets out, how are they to show their faces in society!"
Fourth Master Wen gave a sheepish laugh. "Sister-in-law, you're being too severe. What 'staying out all night'? There wasn't even a living soul in that tomb. What does it matter?"
I said weakly, "Father, there were people. I wandered around and got lost, crying by myself until dawn. It was several young immortals from the Wujing Sect who found me and brought me out."
Both Madam First and Fourth Master Wen were startled. "The Wujing Sect?" Fourth Master Wen didn't think much of it after his initial surprise, but Madam First’s brow furrowed. She mused, "The Imperial Tombs are forbidden ground; no one should be inside. People from the Wujing Sect... Qi'er, in the tomb..." Her face suddenly turned deathly pale. "There wasn't... something in there, was there?"
"There was!" I squeezed out a realistic tear and gestured with my hands. "Strange-looking bugs that spit poisonous water! If those immortals hadn't been so powerful, the bugs would have eaten me for sure!" I began to wail loudly.
"Madam..." Mother Shui stepped forward and rubbed my back. "Miss Qi is exhausted after the night. At least let her eat something before questioning her further."
"Auntie Shui!" I buried myself in her arms, sobbing theatrically.
Madam First’s mind raced. She was from a prestigious family and had managed the household for years; she knew the Imperial Tombs were protected not only by sophisticated arrays but also by regular inspections from array masters. If dark creatures had appeared, where would the Great Jing Dynasty’s face be? She immediately said sternly, "Qi'er, you haven't told anyone else about this?"
"No," I said aggrievedly. "I only thought of coming back to see Aunt and Father..."
"Good." Madam First’s expression was extremely grave. "Do not mention the presence of foul things in the tomb to anyone. Just say you wandered off, got lost in the dark, and fell asleep, knowing nothing." She then reasoned that it was precisely because dark creatures had appeared that the experts from the Wujing Sect had been sent to exorcise them, which fortunately saved her daughter’s life. Thus, she stopped questioning me and told me to hurry and eat breakfast.
I wolfed down two bowls of porridge, claimed I was sleepy and needed to catch up on rest, and made a quick escape from Madam First’s quarters.
In Honglu Villa, I shared a small courtyard with Wen Xiang and Wen Shu. When I returned, they were waiting for me. Wen Xiang hugged me, laughing and crying as she comforted me. She asked softly, "Shu told me the truth. What did you tell my mother?" Once the three of us aligned our stories, we finally felt at ease and began to chat and laugh again.
When Cao Chengshuo was mentioned, Wen Xiang slapped the table and stood with her hands on her hips. "That second Cao son has been a coward since he was a child. Never mind how many times Wei Qingming thrashed him; even Wen Siyuan and I make him take the long way around. I haven't gone out much these past few years, and it seems his skin has grown itchy for a beating, daring to bully my sister!"
Wen Shu’s attitude was calmer than I expected. she just lowered her head to sip her tea and smiled. "Sister Xiang, don't be angry. If I had known you were so formidable, why would I have sought Wei Qingming’s help?"
Wen Xiang preened at the compliment. "Exactly! If anything happens in the future, tell me first."
After this ordeal, Wen Shu seemed to have resolved some of the knots in her heart. Her smile was no longer a hollow, polite mask; she looked radiant, her beauty more vivid than ever. "Mhm. I used to be narrow-minded, always thinking that because of the difference between legitimate and concubine-born status, you would look down on me. Now I know that you are sisters who truly care for me..."
Wen Xiang pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek, then added, "I still feel like there's something wrong with the way your clothes were stolen. Do you remember the situation that day?"
Wen Shu thought for a moment and frowned. "That day was the birthday of the Sun family’s eighth miss. Don't we use the same silk shop as the Suns? We met a few times while buying fabric and became acquainted over time. I’ve been to her house a few times. On her birthday, she invited a few friends for wine—all girls we know, no outsiders."
"How did you lose your things then?" I asked.
"I went to change my clothes halfway through. My maid, Yanfeng, is always very careful. She said she packed them away properly, but when we got home, we found a new upper garment and a pair of slightly worn shoes were missing."
"Do you remember where you ate?"
"I do. Sister Xiang knows it too—Chunnan Restaurant."
"Good!" Wen Xiang decided heroically. "Once we're back in the city, the three of us will go investigate what's so strange about Chunnan Restaurant!"
I rubbed my hands together. "Is the food good?"
"It's delicious!"
***
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