Dreams of the Ancient Mountain: The Cat's Masquerade | Chapter 39 | Dreamlike Immortal Silk | Novela.app

After Wei Qingming finished preparing, she stepped out and asked me, "Shall we head to Madam Tang’s first, or visit the silk merchant?" I answered without a second thought, "Business first!" Since the weather was fine, we opted for horses instead of a flying carriage. This time, as we weren't leaving the city, the three of us rode ordinary land-striding horses, trotting leisurely toward the Tang residence. Though the Tang family had fallen on hard times, a century ago, they had owned a grand estate. It had since been sold to a wealthy merchant as a private residence, and Madam Tang’s family of three had moved to the southwest of the city. South of the Palace City and north of Yonghe Bridge lay the various government ministries. Further south of the bridge, the west was home to princes and high-ranking officials, while the east housed wealthy merchants and noble clans. Lower-ranking officials were forced even further south, purchasing homes in wards like Guangfu, Anye, and Anren. For them, commuting to court meant crossing half the capital—a far more arduous task. We rode along the north-south artery of Changxing Avenue. Willows were planted thick along both sides of the main road; as we rode, tender branches brushed against our faces and shoulders from time to time. Wei Qingming’s attire today was different from her usual style. she wore a white robe embroidered with silver, a black gauze *futou* with curved feet, and a blade at her waist. She looked like a low-ranking military officer, possessing the air of a refined and dashing general. Though she looked exceptionally handsome, I couldn't help but wonder if dressing like this for a stroll was a bit much... While I was busy stealing glances at her and harboring these doubts, we arrived at Guangfu Ward. The third house was the Tang residence. Wei Qingming helped me dismount, and the three of us stood before the gate. Likely due to the string of misfortunes they had suffered, the main gates were tightly shut even in broad daylight, with no servants seen entering or leaving. While Hong Lu stepped forward to knock, Wei Qingming handed me a pouch of spirit stones and said, "Just say we are friends of Tang Xinghuai." Since it was inconvenient to appear as Wen Qi, I had transformed into an ordinary-looking young girl today, dressed in simple clothes. Hong Lu knocked for a long time before the door creaked open a sliver. A delicate-looking maid showed half her face through the gap, eyeing us with suspicion. "I am Wen Tian, a friend of Brother Xinghuai. Having heard the tragic news, I have come to offer my condolences." Wei Qingming cupped her hands. To match her persona, she had deliberately roughened her voice, even projecting a grief that seemed remarkably genuine. "Tian" meant the sky, a nod to "Qingming," while "Wen" was a homophone for her mother’s surname, "Wen." Hong Lu was also quite sharp, producing a funeral offering she had prepared at some unknown point. The maid seemed convinced by the ruse. After a moment’s thought, she said softly, "Please wait a moment." Soon, the gates swung wide, and Madam Tang personally welcomed us inside. Today was a rest day, so Madam Tang was naturally not at the Ministry of Justice. Having not seen her for several days, she appeared quite normal when she wasn't standing outside in a daze. She politely invited us to sit and have tea. Wei Qingming introduced us again; this time, I wasn't her cousin, but her younger sister. "Alas. Xinghuai had many friends. If they all possessed the character of you two, things wouldn't have come to this..." Madam Tang wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Wei Qingming feigned a detailed inquiry into Tang Xinghuai’s circumstances. Upon learning that Master Tang was bedridden with illness, she slammed the table in anger. "The officials are truly incompetent! Auntie, to tell you the truth, I serve in the Palace Administration. I have connections in both the Ministry of Justice and the Yingzhao Bureau. Had I not been escorting the Princess of Qi out of the capital last month and only returned yesterday, Xinghuai’s case would never have reached this point!" Though I kept my head bowed to show grief, I was stunned by Wei Qingming’s performance. This person rarely showed a ripple of emotion when speaking, so such a heated display was truly a rare sight... A spark of light flickered in Madam Tang’s eyes, but it quickly faded back into hesitation. She did not respond. Wei Qingming stood up abruptly as if to leave, her sleeves and robes fluttering with the motion. Madam Tang and the maid hurriedly tried to make us stay. Seeing the opening, I stuffed the pouch of spirit stones into Madam Tang’s arms. Madam Tang took one look inside and rushed to catch up with us. "I cannot accept this, I cannot..." I was forced to weave a lie: "Brother Xinghuai lent this to my brother as capital. Now that he has made a profit, it must naturally be returned." The maid supported Madam Tang, and the two exchanged a look. Madam Tang called out to Wei Qingming, "Young Master Wen, please stay!" As she spoke, she seemed to reach a decision, pulling an object wrapped in thick cotton cloth from her bosom. Wei Qingming turned back, still appearing indignant. Without a word, Madam Tang unwrapped the cloth to reveal a blood-stained set of soft armor. the surprise on my face was not feigned. I remembered Wei Qingming saying in the tomb that Tang Xinghuai must have had a defensive treasure on him to have survived the first strike! Wei Qingming frowned at the object, her face clouded with sorrow. "This..." "The murderer who killed Xinghuai sent this back." Madam Tang stroked the soft armor. Her tears had run dry, leaving only a look of grim resolve. "This is a treasure passed down from our ancestors. I always thought Xinghuai had stolen it to pay off gambling debts. I never imagined he hadn't sunk that low, and had simply taken it to wear for protection." "After we lost the lawsuit against the Wen family, someone delivered this to my door. There was also a letter written in blood, saying..." Madam Tang continued, "'The son’s error, the father cannot escape.'" So that was the cause of Master Tang’s madness. Wei Qingming let out a cold sneer. "This was no impulsive killing by a tomb robber to silence a witness; it was clearly a calculated conspiracy by a wicked culprit!" "Precisely." As Madam Tang spoke, she took a box from her storage tool. She bit her finger and pressed a drop of blood onto a hidden mechanism, retrieving an identity jade plaque and a woman’s pearl flower. She handed these two items along with the soft armor to Wei Qingming, saying, "You likely know that Xinghuai was close to the Prince of Xuan’s son. But in the month or two before he passed, he was constantly on edge, extremely vigilant. One night, late at night, he brought back a woman covered in blood and hid her in our backyard. At dawn the next day, he dressed her in men’s clothing and sent her away. Afterward, he would often sit alone in his room, staring blankly at this pearl flower from that woman. Sometimes when I went in to bring him food, he would jump in fright and curse at me. Perhaps his misfortune is related to that woman..." Wei Qingming solemnly accepted the items and gave Madam Tang a deep bow. "Wen Tian will surely bring the truth of this case to light!" Madam Tang saw us all the way to the gate. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and I didn't dare meet her expectant gaze. Once we had galloped out of Xingfu Ward, Wei Qingming had already returned to her usual, placid self. For some reason, a surge of anger rushed to my heart. "Why did you do that!" "Do what?" Wei Qingming remained unhurried, her counter-question flat, the end of her sentence barely rising in tone. My chest heaved as I shouted, "You only brought me along to use me! You just wanted to trick her into talking!" Only then did Wei Qingming show a slight reaction, lifting a brow. "What makes you say that?" "You—you dressed like this just to trick Madam Tang into trusting you..." My words poured out like a barrage of arrows. "The Palace Administration commands the Emperor’s personal guard; they are honorable and upright. How could a cold-faced, cold-hearted deceiver like you belong there! You deliberately asked me to meet near the Ministry of Justice that day, made sure I ran into Madam Tang, and intentionally told me about her situation just to provoke my sympathy!" "There was no need." "What?" Wei Qingming remained as calm as ever. "If I wished to investigate this matter, why would I need such theatrics?" I was momentarily choked for words, and she threw out another sentence: "To tell you the truth, I only took on this case because of you. Since it no longer concerns you, it is not worth my time." "Which means Madam Tang will never get an answer!" Furious, I spurred my horse into a gallop. Fortunately, heading straight north would lead back to the Wen residence. I wiped away tears as I rode. In truth, I knew my temper was a bit excessive. Wei Qingming had been so gentle with me; how could I accept her kindness and then scold her for not being transparent? But I didn't understand what I was angry about... I was just afraid of seeing her two faces. I was afraid her gentleness was fake, afraid that there was actually no room for anyone in her heart, and that every meeting with me was for some ulterior motive... I dismounted at the west gate, tossed the reins to the stable boy, and ran toward my small courtyard, crying all the way. By the time I nearly reached it, I had calmed down slightly. I at least remembered I had to pass the First Madam’s courtyard; I couldn't let people see me like this. I found a secluded spot, quietly wiped away the tear tracks, reapplied my powder, tidied my messy hair, and tried my best to walk into the courtyard with composure. Sure enough, the First Madam and Second Madam were sitting in the courtyard, sunning themselves and chatting. They were startled to see me back so early. "Oh, why didn't Qi'er come back with Qingming?" the Second Madam asked with a smile. "I heard you went to pick out fabrics. What patterns did you choose?" Only then did I remember that part of the plan. My heart filled with even more regret and guilt, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. Fortunately, Muyu was quick-witted. She stepped forward and smiled. "There must have been many items. Young Master Qingming will surely have them delivered later." "Haha, quite right. That child is so thoughtful. With so many women in our household, the fabric would have to be measured by the cartload, wouldn't it?" The Second Madam was young; she covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled. The First Madam also showed a slight smile. "That child is just too mature. Sometimes she doesn't seem like a youth at all." "Sister-in-law, your standards are too strict. There are plenty of children who actually act like children, and don't they give you enough of a headache?" As the Second Madam spoke, she waved her circular fan. "My little one, sigh, seven or eight-year-old boys are truly loathed by man and ghost alike. Look at these clothes of mine; I haven't dared to wear anything new for over a year. One swipe of his dirty hands and..." Hearing this, I glanced at the Second Madam’s shimmering gold gauze dress and took my leave. Just as Muyu had predicted, before dinner, workers from the silk shop arrived at the door, delivering a large pile of seasonal fabrics. After dinner, all the women of the house gathered in the First Madam’s courtyard, chirping and commenting as they held the fabrics up against themselves. Bright night-lanterns were lit in the courtyard; for a moment, the silks and satins were so dazzling it felt like the Lantern Festival all over again, the entire yard aglow. What Wei Qingming had given me was different from what she gave my sisters. It was wrapped separately in a gift box—a single piece of pure white gauze. It felt oily-smooth and light to the touch. Reflecting the moonlight, it gave off an elegant, pearlescent glow, as if shrouded in a layer of misty fog. Everyone gasped in surprise. The well-read Wen Gan smiled and said, "This is true South Sea *Jiaoxiao*, woven by a merman over five hundred years old. It has the alias 'Dreamlike Immortal Silk.' It is said that with the right spells, it can change its appearance at will. Even if one doesn't know the techniques, simply wearing it serves as a second-grade defensive treasure. This bolt of gauze is pure white and flawless; it is truly rare." My heart felt incredibly heavy. This wasn't a gift for Wen Qi, but a specific gift for Su Yuzhi of Mount Gomeng. She naturally knew that for the convenience of changing colors, the disciples of Mount Gomeng preferred to wear black and white. "Sister Qi, there’s also this." Wen Shu, being sharp-eyed, plucked a small jewelry box from the gift box. It was a storage ring—the one I had seen on the night of the Chunan banquet. Wei Qingming had used it to hold all the little trifles I wanted. While the women’s laughter and chatter still drifted through the courtyard, I had already returned to my room alone and opened the storage ring. I pulled things out one by one, laughing and crying at the same time. Many of the items were things I had wanted on a whim; since she hadn't sent them, I hadn't even remembered them. Among them were many toys meant for children. At the time, she must have thought I was so childish and looked down on me. The thought brought another flush of heat to my cheeks. At the very bottom were the spoils from the Prince of Xuan’s residence—the markings had been carefully removed, and she had given half to me. I panicked for a moment. With such a clear settling of accounts, was she really going to cut ties with me? Then my hand was pricked by something. I picked it up and saw it was the crossbow bolts I had used to shoot the monstrous insects in the tomb before I met her that night. She had been so meticulous, picking them up one by one at some point. A small note was attached to the cord binding the bolts: "Remember to recover lost arrows, lest you find yourself with nothing to use." I clutched the note and sobbed. Muyu, Zhaoyun, and the others were so frightened they ran over to hold me, comforting me with a flurry of questions. "How could a fun trip out end in a spat with Young Master Qingming?" Zhaoyun, the most childlike of them, picked up a small object to coax me. "Miss, look, look! This little lion is a puppet! Does it move?" "A little lion?" I rubbed my eyes haphazardly, not remembering when I had bought such a thing. Zhaoyun held the palm-sized wooden puppet in her hands and offered it to me expectantly. The puppet was polished smooth, its limbs connected to the body with round wooden beads. One look, and my tears turned into a smile. It was made in the likeness of the willow qilin I had woven for Wei Qingming, even the crooked tail was perfectly replicated. The moment my hand touched the little puppet, it began to move. It raised its two front hooves, stood up on its hind legs, and nodded its head repeatedly in a bow, looking adorably clumsy. The girls clapped and laughed in surprise. We placed it carefully on the table. When I pointed my finger to the left, it ran left; when I pointed right, it finished its run with a little spin. Most impressively, when given a bead, it would trot around while balancing the ball on its head. Muyu and the others said with a laugh, "This puppet is so cleverly made, and it’s not tacky like the ones sold on the street. Could it be that Young Master Qingming made it herself?" *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 闻天 | Wen Tian | Wei Qingming's alias. "Wen" (闻) is a homophone for her mother's surname "Wen" (文). "Tian" (天/Sky) relates to "Qingming" (Clear Sky). 皇城司 | Huangcheng Si | Palace Administration / Imperial City Department. A high-level security/intelligence organ. 英招寺 | Yingzhao Bureau | A judicial or investigative body, likely named after the mythical beast Yingzhao. 鲛绡 | Jiaoxiao | Shark silk or Mermaid silk. A legendary fabric woven by the Jiaoren (merfolk). 仙缕如梦 | Dreamlike Immortal Silk | The specific name/alias of the high-grade Jiaoxiao fabric. 柳麒麟 | Willow Qilin | The crude toy Wen Qi made for Wei Qingming out of willow branches.