Dreamfall Pavilion had returned to its usual appearance, looking much more agreeable—though its form was ever-changing, my Master’s moods generally fell into only a few categories. She was currently unscrewing a small vial, dipping a brush into the crimson lacquer within, and carefully applying it to her nails. "I wonder if A-Fei will like this color..."
Hearing the childhood name of the Great Chieftain’s wife, I shuddered and tried my best to remain calm. "Master, where is the ledger?"
"Ledger? What ledger?"
I replied crossly, "The one for Pingjing. I’ll take this mission."
"Oh?" Master gave a mischievous grin. "How strange. Pingjing is so close to Zhaozhou; how did you manage to snatch it away from Yixin?"
"There is always a talent more formidable than the last," I bullshitted coldly.
"Take it yourself." Master gestured toward the table with her wet, splayed claws. As I flipped through the ledger like a wilted chicken, she continued, "It’s just as well. Sending someone too clever on this trip might actually ruin things..."
"Master!" I barked at her.
In high spirits, she finally relented. "But one cannot be too stupid either! It must be someone I trust implicitly. A-Zhi, it truly had to be you!" Seeing that I was losing the patience to refrain from hitting her, she hurried to explain, "The mission itself isn't much. The main point is for you to scout the area; we’re going to open a branch office in the capital."
"You only have a handful of disciples, and you’re already opening branches?"
"You needn't worry about that," Master chirped. "The client is the fourth son of the capital’s highest official, Prime Minister Wen. In two months, the matriarch of the Wen family celebrates her hundredth birthday, followed by the eldest grandson’s wedding. It’s a double blessing. In her joy, the old lady wants to summon all her children and grandchildren from across the lands to arrange marriages for the younger generation one by one. Master Fourth Wen—no, Lord Wen the Fourth—is the old lady’s youngest son. He was meant to stay in the capital his whole life, but he only cares for wandering, specifically seeking out the most impoverished places he can find. The old lady couldn't stop him from running away once a month, so she finally just let him roam."
"Get to the point." I had no patience for these family trivialities.
"Here is the point: the Fourth Lord’s only daughter refuses to marry. It seems her heart belongs to another..."
I nearly coughed up blood. "Let me guess. The client wants me to pose as his daughter and go to the capital to get married?"
"Exactly!" Master laughed at my sickly expression. "Don't worry. When the matchmaking starts, you just need to mess things up... at worst, you can just follow her father's example and run away from home."
I snapped, "I'll run away from home right now!"
Master unhurriedly named her price: "Two deep-sea ice-patterned fish. They’re worth a thousand spirit stones. As soon as you leave, I’ll buy the fry and raise them. By the time you return in three months, they’ll be neither too old nor too young—perfectly plump and succulent..."
I huffed. "I also want a pound of dried red-tailed shrimp."
"Would half a pound do?" Seeing me on the verge of a breakdown, she quickly added, "Fine, fine, a pound it is. But they use too many spices when curing those; it’s unhealthy. You should eat less..."
"I’m going to Pingjing! I’ll be the daughter of the prestigious Jin family—no, the Wen family! Once I’ve had my fill of delicacies, I won't care for your scraps!"
Master smiled. "Then that’s perfect. I won't buy them for you."
"Fine then. Give me the money. Three thousand spirit stones."
Master shook her head. "What does a child need with so much money? Master will save it for you."
Recalling the three-thousand-stone parrot belonging to the Chieftain’s wife, I sneered. "In your heart, am I not even as important as your A-Fei?"
"Nonsense. I love A-Zhi the most."
Until the next day when I was packed and ready to depart, Master remained in a wonderful mood, having not yet discovered the dead parrot. When I left, Ren Xuzhou and Zhu Yixin were still sleeping in, and Lu Lingfeng had vanished to commit some unknown mischief. Only my three youngest fellow disciples came to see me off down the mountain. I said, moved, "It’s the younger ones who are best; you truly care for your senior sister..."
The eighth disciple, Feng Xuan, chuckled. "You’re overthinking it. We just wanted an excuse to skip class."
The seventh disciple, Du Chulun, cupped his hands in a bow. "Sixth Sister, remember to bring the three of us gifts when you return."
The client lived not far from Ancient Dream Mountain, in the southern part of the Myriad Demon Stronghold. It was at the very border, only a few hundred miles from the Kingdom of Reitian—a distance a cultivator could cover in an instant. The place was called Zero Spring Village, where the black market was most active. If Suizhou was the hub for the Empire’s goods, then Zero Spring Village was the hub for the Myriad Demon Stronghold. Though they were all filthy rich in private, the shops in the village were disguised as dilapidated shacks, though their defensive arrays were no joke. At the thought of my money-obsessed Master, I lost all interest in shopping. Wanting only to escape the stench of copper, I skipped the stalls and headed straight for the client’s residence.
Lord Wen the Fourth had only one young page at the door and a maid who doubled as a cook. The house featured clean white walls and black tiles, a sight that truly refreshed the spirit. Lord Wen sat in the courtyard with his back to the door, using a thin, charcoal-like stick to draw the crabapples in the yard onto a piece of coarse silk pinned to a wooden board. Seeing me arrive, he rose politely to greet me, and the page brought a pot to refill the tea, respectfully pouring me a cup.
I smiled. "Mister Wen’s skill is truly impressive. This technique originates from the West and is rare in our country. I have truly had my eyes opened today."
Mister Wen asked in surprise, "Do you know of painting, Miss?" He seemed a bit slow, appearing quite innocent. I continued to smile mysteriously, using some art theories I’d overheard from Lu Lingfeng to decorate my facade. Mister Wen then began to talk at length until the page finally reminded him, "Master, the business. The people from the main house will arrive tomorrow..."
Mister Wen tapped his forehead with a soot-stained finger and smiled. "Right. Have Qi’er come out to meet her."
Mister Wen had lost his wife years ago, and his daughter dared to defy the family’s orders, so I had expected a spoiled young lady. Instead, she was a gentle, mild-tempered soul, somewhat similar to my fourth senior brother, Qiao Songlin. A portrait of a beautiful woman hung in the house, looking so lifelike it seemed she might step out of the frame. Her features were a clear match for the young lady; it was likely the late Mrs. Wen. As Mister Wen began to ramble about the family situation, I stopped him. "Mister Wen, there is no need for such trouble. To impersonate Miss Wen, I must know everything she knows. Allow me to use a small trick to obtain some memories..."
Hearing this, Wen Qi’s face turned crimson. Mister Wen said with a mix of surprise and hesitation, "They say Ancient Dream Mountain possesses great powers, but..."
"Rest assured, Ancient Dream Mountain has its rules of business. We will not intrude upon private matters," I said with a smile. "Miss Wen, please hold out your hand."
Wen Qi’s hand was soft and weak, though her knuckles were flexible, and there were thin calluses on her fingertips and thumb—likely from doing needlework herself. The illusion technique Ancient Dream Mountain used to obtain memories was called 'Dream Induction.' It was best performed during sleep; when awake, the human mind is guarded. Unless intentional, Dream Induction will not bypass those defenses, stopping once it has gathered enough trivial memories. As I cast the spell, spiritual energy quietly permeated the surroundings. Mister Wen and Miss Wen actually fell into a light trance without realizing it. Mister Wen was jolted awake by his daughter calling him "Father," only to see two identical daughters sitting before him. One was looking at the other with a face full of alarm.
Mister Wen wiped the cold sweat from his brow and managed a smile. "So... so alike. Though Qi’er doesn't usually call me that."
"I know," I said enigmatically. "Unlike the North, Miss Wen follows the customs of Wuzhou and calls you 'Ada'."
Mister Wen nodded, his expression darkening with sorrow. "It is the term from her mother’s hometown."
There is an art to a disguise; it cannot be *too* perfect. Being too identical makes the client uncomfortable and can even lead to other complications. Yet it cannot be unconvincing, lest people look down on the methods of Ancient Dream Mountain.
Luan-horses, the most common rare beasts used by the nobility for travel, were truly fast. I calculated that at the speed of the old oxen my Master raised, the second young master’s child would have been born by the time we reached the capital. Nanny Shui insisted on controlling even a single strand of my hair, yet she didn't restrict my eating much—though she glared at me every time she finished a box of pastries.
At night, Nanny Shui and the two maids finally fell asleep. As someone accustomed to nocturnal activity, I finally gained my freedom. I manifested a decoy to stay in the carriage and pretend to sleep, then climbed onto the roof to watch the stars for half the night. It was early spring, and the astral winds at high altitude were indeed freezing. When the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, I shivered and crawled back into the carriage to sleep. After being gently woken by the maid, Muyu, I sat up and was met with Nanny Shui’s gaze, which was filled with disdain. I didn't much care; after all, she thought the one lacking upbringing was Wen Qi, not me.
"Miss, you can look out now. Look, the capital is below us," Muyu said with a smile as she opened the window for me. Having spent half the night climbing around the roof, I had little interest in the view and only took a lazy glance out the window.
By now, the carriage had descended to about a hundred feet. Carriages and horses from all directions were swarming in like flowing rainbows. The aerial official roads leading into the city were guided by floating bridges of light. Looking out from the city gates, it looked as if a pale gold ribbon had risen from the ground, fluttering and disappearing into the sky. Flying was forbidden within the city, so carriages had to land in advance. At this moment, fragrant carriages pulled by Blue Luans and Fire Phoenixes, supplies carried by rushing oxen, and entourages guarded by Qilins converged from all directions like patches of multicolored clouds.
The city gate had five archways. The one in the center was guarded by over a hundred men lined up on both sides of the road. Their military bearing was solemn, their eyes fixed on the distance as if they were anticipating something. I followed their gaze and saw a dark mass of people appearing on the horizon, like a cloud carrying muffled thunder, rolling toward the capital.
Nanny Shui said, "It’s the soldiers from the Qingzhou front returning in triumph. Our family’s Third Master and Fifth Young Master are among them. The Young Master’s letter said they would arrive in about three days; I didn't expect them to arrive today. We must enter the city quickly. Once they enter, the streets will be impassable."
We took the second gate on the left, a gate reserved for families of high officials, so our entry was faster. The driver cracked his whip the whole way, but unfortunately, a main road in the West District had been cordoned off. We were forced to stop and wait for the imperial procession to pass before we could return to the manor. The two maids and I were quite happy; we wouldn't be able to see such a sight once we were home! Excited voices occasionally drifted from the surrounding carriages as well.
However, after waiting for a long time, there was still no movement. The charcoal brazier in the carriage made it warm and cozy; while flying at high altitudes, it hadn't felt like much, but now that we were stationary, it felt exceptionally stifling. I wasn't sure if I’d caught a chill from playing on the roof last night or if the charcoal smoke was too pungent, but I couldn't help but sneeze several times in a row. This drew frequent side-eyes from Nanny Shui. Feeling self-conscious, I resorted to my old trick: I manifested a decoy to pretend to nap while I slipped out to wander around.
***
