I didn't even need Wei Qingming to urge me to leave. Hearing someone call my name, I turned to see Yan Qi, Wen Shu’s head maid, standing behind a line of officials. she waved at me anxiously. "Miss Qi, come back quickly! The Matriarch heard you’ve been ill for a day and a night and wants to call a doctor to examine you!"
Wen Shu knew I possessed some martial arts skills. To others, I appeared to be in a deep, unbreakable sleep on my bed, but she alone had received my instructions before I slipped out. If anything happened, she was to send word to the Wei Manor, and thus she had sent someone to find me here. Wei Qingming intended to escort me back personally, but more officials arrived seeking her guidance. She had no choice but to instruct Hong Lu to carefully hire a carriage to send Yan Qi and me back to the Wen residence.
Before I left, she took my hand and whispered in my ear, "The day after tomorrow, we shall visit Madam Tang together."
I rushed back, and Wen Shu had already found a way to clear the room. Only Muyu, who knew the general situation, remained on guard by the bed. Seeing me return, she hurriedly helped me strip off my outer layers and tucked me under the covers. Just as she finished, Old Madam Wen’s trembling voice drifted in from outside: "A-Qi, my darling..."
I activated an illusion, masking my face with the flushed, heavy look of a fever. I let out a cough and murmured, "Grandmother... I’m fine, don't worry..."
The doctor arrived and was somewhat perplexed, but he had likely dealt with many children of wealthy families faking illnesses. Between my performance and Muyu’s subtle winks and gestures, he had little choice but to conclude, "The weather changes rapidly between spring and summer. The young lady has merely caught a wind-cold; it is nothing serious." He wrote a harmless prescription for mild tonics. The Matriarch fussed over me with a long string of instructions for the rest of the morning before finally departing.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining. The First Madam could no longer force me to maintain a vegetarian fast; in fact, she waived it for everyone, though I was still confined to my room. Wen Xiang, Wen Gan, and the others all came to visit me in high spirits, hailing me as a heroic martyr for my "suffering."
The next day, while I was dutifully playing the invalid in my room, an object in my robes suddenly grew warm and began to vibrate. I pulled it out—it was the Echo Mirror my Master had given me before I descended the mountain, saying she would use it if she ever missed me. I was so excited I nearly danced. I told Muyu and the others I had urgent business and needed to be alone, then shut the door and activated the mirror.
Master was dressed in her usual oversized lounging robes, reclining languidly and provocatively on a couch. The mirror was positioned low, facing a view of her shifting, silken curves.
"Master!" I cried out in delight. "You finally deigned to remember me?"
To my surprise, she reached out a long arm and pulled a fluffy animal into the frame. "Look, I bought a new kitty. Isn't she much prettier than you?"
I roared in indignation, "You’re betraying me! What kind of taste is that? She’s nowhere near as cute as I am!"
Without a word, she raised a palm and slammed it down, flattening the "cat" into a pancake. She elegantly pinched it with her fingers, took a small bite with her pearly white teeth, and said with a smirk, "It is your taste that is poor, A-Zhi. This is exactly how you looked as a kitten. How could she not be as pretty as you?"
"...Fine, she’s not as pretty as I am *now*. Is a person not allowed to grow more beautiful with age?"
"Very well," she said, looking me up and down with a rare, affectionate gaze. She smiled with satisfaction. "I am happy to see that A-Zhi is faring well out there."
Just as I was about to be moved by her sentiment, she added nonchalantly, "Mostly because I’m saving a fortune on cat food."
I began to wail in protest, but Master had anticipated this. She stuck a pinky in her ear and pretended she couldn't hear me. Once I had run out of breath, she lowered her hand and said lazily, "In a few days, Kaifeng and Lingfeng will arrive in the capital. Meet up with them and find a prime storefront. We’re opening a shop."
"You’re actually opening a shop?" My jaw dropped. "I thought you were just joking."
"A Master does not speak in jest." Master took a large bite of the pancake. Remembering that the pancake had just been "me" in my innocent childhood form, my stomach felt a bit queasy. She chewed and swallowed in a few gulps, then clapped her hands. "That’s that. A-Zhi, eat and drink your fill. You aren't allowed back until you’ve gained twenty pounds."
"Master!"
"Hmm?" She hummed with a teasing lilt. "Does my dear disciple have more sentimental words to express?"
"Master, I think you’re just like this pancake," I said. "First a cat, then a cake. In short: a total basket case."
Opening a shop or not, this heartless Master of mine was nowhere near as good as my newly acknowledged "cousin." I was more concerned with how to sneak out of the manor tomorrow. I couldn't exactly use the same trick twice, could I?
To my surprise, Wei Qingming sent a formal letter directly to the First Madam. She claimed to have heard that her cousin A-Qi was ill and had arranged for an immortal master from the Wujing Sect to set up an altar and perform a ritual for her. She very thoughtfully followed the logic of a noble household, explaining that with the spring flowers in full bloom, I might have offended the various Flower Gods, leading to a sudden illness. Therefore, I needed to visit a branch temple of the Wujing Sect to be bathed in holy water and cleansed of evil. She also mentioned she had met a merchant dealing in Yue silks and wanted to pick out some seasonal fabrics for her aunts and sisters, requesting A-Qi’s assistance in the selection.
Lying on my sickbed, I held Wei Qingming’s letter up and marveled at it. With this, I had an entire day to go out and play!
Hong Lu came to fetch me, taking me to the Wei Manor first. I was still preoccupied with the case and worried that Wei Qingming was overworking herself. "How is the case with the brokerage going?" I asked.
"Thanks to you, Miss, we’ve found the courtyard from that woman’s memories," Hong Lu said. "The moment you left, the Young Master headed for the lower reaches of the Golden River. That area is crowded with dyeing and weaving workshops, which is why the river water is always stained with different colors."
"And then?" I asked anxiously.
Hong Lu smiled. "The place was empty, of course. But there’s no rush. With so many clues left behind, they won't get far."
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask, "Does your master... have trouble sleeping?"
"Ah." At the mention of this, Hong Lu’s expression clouded with worry. "It’s more than just 'trouble.' It’s simply..."
After my repeated questioning, Hong Lu finally relented. It turned out that Wei Qingming had been exceptionally talented since childhood. Though she was steady and composed, she hadn't originally been one to overthink things. Even after the tragedy that befell her family, when the capital was rife with rumors, she had continued to eat and sleep as usual, seemingly indifferent. It was only after she entered the Wujing Sect—having started her path at the age of ten, already behind the sect disciples who had been fed bone-forging and meridian-cleansing pills since birth—that she began to stay up all night, practicing with desperate fervor. Furthermore, the sword instructor at the time was exceptionally harsh. She endured three years of an inhuman lifestyle, eventually crushing those "geniuses" who relied on their masters' protection during the sect’s grand competition. Having taken the top spot, she caught the eye of a secluded Ancestor and was chosen to practice the *Taiyi Mingshen Formula*, a technique no one had been suited for in generations. A year later, she entered the Yingzhao Bureau, starting as a lowly scout and accumulating merit after merit to reach her current position.
"Even the sect elders scolded her for her irregular lifestyle, saying it goes against the natural order, but she never listens," Hong Lu said with a long face. "Actually, I know that for the past seven years, she hasn't had a single easy day. There’s always a mountain of work chasing her. How could she sleep?"
I listened in silence. Hong Lu indulged in his own melancholy for a moment, then turned to me with a smile. "Since you know now, Miss, try to persuade her when you have the chance. She’ll surely listen to you!"
Though his words made me happy, I shook my head. "Her heart is filled with great matters. I fear no one’s words will make a difference."
As we spoke, we entered the Wei Manor. The weather was glorious; the trees in the manor swayed in the wind, and clusters of willow catkins, white as snow, swirled through the air. These catkins had drifted in from outside; once April arrived, every sunny day with a good breeze saw the city of Pingjing covered in this lingering "spring snow." However, the whiteness within the Wei Manor had another source: the apricot blossoms had long since fallen, and green fruit already hung from the branches. The garden was filled with the fresh fragrance of tiny white orange blossoms with golden stamens.
Hong Lu occasionally patted the orange trees, introducing them with a smile. "The Master and Madam once lived in Jiangnan. Madam was particularly fond of oranges, so the Master moved these southern fruit trees to the capital, using arrays to protect them so they wouldn't turn into bitter trifoliate oranges by being planted north of the Huai River."
Chatting and laughing, we entered the western courtyard. I immediately saw Wei Qingming sitting upright at a small table in the yard, seemingly resting with her eyes closed. She ignored the willow catkins that drifted onto her head and shoulders, looking very much like a banished immortal who did not belong to the mortal realm. As the wind blew, a crisp *ding-ling* sound emanated from her person. Only then did I notice that beneath the snow-like layer of catkins, she was wearing a heavy, elaborate Daoist robe adorned with five-colored ritual bells—the kind of attire worn by old priests when performing rituals.
Wei Qingming opened her eyes. With a rustle of movement and a few tinkles of the bells, she seemed to embody a spirit of ethereal grace. She landed before me, willow catkins fluttering down from her robes. She smiled. "The 'gravely ill' Cousin A-Qi has arrived."
I laughed as well. "Indeed. Where is the prayer altar? I must pay my respects to the Flower God."
"You may simply worship me," she said shamelessly.
I put my hands behind my back and circled her as if inspecting a rare curiosity. "So, you are the 'Immortal Master' from the Wujing Sect who has come to dispel my misfortune? Are you up to the task?"
"The others are not necessarily my equal," she said flatly. Despite her expressionless face, her words were arrogant.
Before I could even let out a skeptical "tsk," she picked up a crystal vase containing a willow branch from the table. Her sleeves fluttered, and in a flash, she vanished. I turned to follow her and saw that she had begun to perform the kind of dance that high-level masters use in exorcism rituals. However, those masters were usually shriveled old men with stiff movements. Wei Qingming was in the prime of her youth; her silhouette was as graceful as a crane, her movements as fluid as a willow branch, swaying like a songstress dancing with a sword under the moon, her empty sleeves sweeping like a hero inspired by wine. Even the ringing of the bells followed a perfect rhythm without a hint of chaos, clashing amidst the dancing willow catkins. It was a true blend of strength and grace, powerful yet beautiful, a feast for the eyes.
If a ritual is a dance intended to please the gods, then surely no man or woman in this world could compare to her.
I watched blankly, my eyes following her every spin and leap. I didn't notice that the spiritual energy around me had been stirred by her dance, merging with the mist sprayed from the crystal vase to form a golden curtain shimmering with profound runes. Suddenly, a coolness touched my forehead. The tenderest tip of a willow leaf brushed between my brows, and a sense of warmth and grounded comfort rippled from that point of moisture through my entire body.
Wei Qingming withdrew the willow branch. *Ding-ling, ding-ling.* Sunlight poured down from behind her, blurring her handsome face, leaving only the slight curve of her lips visible.
I stood there with my mouth open, unable to speak. The warmth flowed through me, making my throat feel incredibly itchy. I was afraid that if I spoke, I would say something embarrassing that I would later regret.
"Could it be that I learned this technique incorrectly? Is it actually a spell that turns a cat-demon beauty into a stone beauty?" She put away the willow branch, feigning a worried frown.
I laughed and gave her a playful punch. "I told you you weren't up to it!"
Despite my critique, a visible look of triumph appeared on Wei Qingming’s usually mountain-still face. She turned and went inside to change her clothes. Once she was out of earshot, Hong Lu leaned in and whispered with a snicker, "She looks cool and composed now, but she was nervous to death. She only just learned that from Daoist Tanwei and practiced it all night. Those ritual bells were ringing so loudly they kept me awake the whole night..."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 雁栖 | Yan Qi | Wen Shu's head maid. |
| 回音镜 | Echo Mirror | A magical communication tool used by Su Qi's Master. |
| 恺风 | Kaifeng | One of Su Qi's fellow disciples. |
| 泠风 | Lingfeng | One of Su Qi's fellow disciples. |
| 越绸 | Yue Silk | A type of high-quality silk/brocade from the Yue region. |
| 太一明神诀 | Taiyi Mingshen Formula | A powerful cultivation technique practiced by Wei Qingming. |
| 探事卒 | Investigative Scout | The lowest rank in the Yingzhao Bureau. |
| 探微 | Tanwei | A Daoist priest/master from the Wujing Sect. |
| 猫饼 | Cat-cake / Basket case | A pun on "maobing" (毛病), meaning a problem, quirk, or being crazy. |
