I played with the Qilin puppet until I was exhausted, then climbed into bed and fell asleep. The little Qilin lay down beside me, closing its eyes as if in slumber, its small belly rising and falling as though it were actually breathing.
When I sat up early the next morning, the more I thought about everything, the more ashamed I felt. I decided to go out and find Wei Qingming to apologize. But where could she be? I had no choice but to head to the Wei residence again. Even though I knew that in such a vast estate there was only her and Hong Lu—and they might not even be home—I still wanted to try my luck.
I scaled the courtyard wall again, relying on my jade pendant to bypass the restrictions. I landed quietly inside the western wall and pricked up my ears. Luckily, I heard voices in the courtyard. I ran over joyfully, about to call out her name, only to find the yard filled with people and goods, but no sign of her. Hong Lu was holding an account book, checking off items and directing people as they moved things in and out. This wasn't the western courtyard where Wei Qingming lived; it was just a warehouse area near the outer wall.
A few others were standing in the yard as well. Upon closer inspection, they were actually Dantai Ye, Feng Baili, and Bai Yuyu. Even in his busyness, Hong Lu didn't forget to greet them. "Why don't you Immortals take a seat in the hall? I'll bring the items out shortly."
Feng Baili waved his hand generously. "No need. I just wanted to see what Little Wei’s home looks like."
Hong Lu smiled. "Truly, I am the only one here. Otherwise, I would have led you Immortals to the garden for a stroll."
At that moment, the usually quiet Bai Yuyu suddenly spoke: "Someone has entered."
All four of them looked toward me simultaneously. I had no choice but to give an awkward greeting. "Uh, what a coincidence!"
In truth, of these three Daoists, only Dantai Ye recognized me. He smiled and smoothed things over. "This is Junior Brother Wei’s cousin. The other one."
As expected, Feng Baili leaned in, his face wearing a sycophantic grin. "I wish I had many cousins too! Hello, cousin! My name is Feng Baili, Wei Qingming’s senior brother. His cousin is my cousin. You can just call me 'Brother'..."
I was in no mood to bicker with him. I gave a couple of dry laughs. Hong Lu had a sudden inspiration and said, "Miss Qi, these Immortals happen to want to tour the garden, and I really can't step away. Would you mind leading them there?"
I was even less interested in touring the garden. I stomped my foot and asked urgently, "Where is Wei Qingming?"
Hong Lu choked for a moment, then leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Ah, the Young Master is by the Jin River..."
I understood immediately. "What is the name of that courtyard?" Hong Lu gave me a series of directions—north, south, east, west, and center. I only half-understood, but I was in such a hurry that I just said "I know" and flipped back over the wall.
Fortunately, I hadn't forgotten to ride the horse from the Wei family yesterday. I galloped all the way, racing from the west of the city to the southeast, riding for over an hour. From a distance, I saw colorful silks fluttering in the sky. High wooden racks were hung with freshly dyed fabrics, waving like a field of colorful clouds. I knew I was close. Overjoyed, I rushed forward. As I neared the river, I vaguely recalled Hong Lu saying I needed to cross to the other side, turn past a tea shop, and go to the end of the alley. Not quite certain, I dismounted and grabbed an old woman who was drawing water to boil cocoons for silk reeling.
"The Yang family tea shop?" the woman said. "You need to cross the river, then turn left..."
Before she could stop me, I mounted the horse and charged toward the thin wooden bridge. This bridge was less than two feet wide, meant only for pedestrians and not for heavy cargo—let alone the heavy hooves of a large horse...
The moment I fell into the water, I remembered Wen Gan’s warning: "Don't go to the river." I was instantly filled with regret.
Fortunately, the river wasn't deep. I splashed and paddled about, eventually scrambling onto the bank. I saw that the horse was far ahead of me; after falling in, it had stood up with a kick of its long legs and was now happily shaking its mane in the sunlight.
Several children with hair tied in tufts scattered in terror. "A ghost! A ghost! A female water ghost!" I looked down through my disheveled hair and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I was indeed covered in a chaotic mess of river dyes. Water dripped from my body onto the ground. I deliberately used my hands to pull the corners of my mouth wide, scaring them. "This sister loves eating children! Which one of you is the fattest?"
The children wailed as expected, except for one who acted like a little adult and completely ruined the atmosphere. He rolled his eyes and said, "Where would a ghost come from in the middle of the day? It’s just a fool who tried to ride a horse across the bridge."
...Fine. I thought Wei Qingming’s successor might as well be him.
In the blink of an eye, the small bridge was reduced to broken stumps on either side, with a few planks floating on the river. People on both banks wanting to cross stamped their feet and cursed. Feeling guilty, I rubbed my nose. Ignoring my own state, I first cast a small spell to mend the bridge, then dried my clothes and used a Dust-Cleansing Seal to try and sweep away the dye. Who knew that a young lady's clothing would be so delicate? Not only did the dye refuse to come out, but the silk crepe had lost its shape after being soaked. My clothes were now crooked and wrinkled beyond repair.
The area was filled with dyeing and weaving workshops, with no private residences where I could change. In my urgency, I simply didn't care. I tied the horse haphazardly to a willow tree by the river and strode toward the alley where the Yang family tea shop was located.
Sure enough, from a distance, I saw a group of officials in black busy at the end of the alley. Commander Yuan and Commander Zhou were whispering to each other. "Be extra careful on duty today. The Master is in a bad mood."
Commander Zhou asked curiously, "You can tell?"
"I don't need to look; I can hear it," Commander Yuan laughed. "Last night, the Master personally took up the blade to interrogate the death-row prisoners..."
The two looked at each other with knowing expressions and, unexpectedly, both started chuckling. I swallowed hard, thinking that these secret agents were truly cruel—they were actually laughing!
The main entrance was blocked by those two "Black Deities," so I had to cast an Invisibility Seal. I quietly circled to the neighboring courtyard, climbed three stories, and got onto the roof. Only then did I see Wei Qingming. She was sitting on a simple wooden chair in the courtyard, holding two finger-long vials and comparing them carefully. One was a jade bottle, the other was glass with a straight neck—quite strange-looking. The glass one looked exceptionally familiar. Wasn't that the one the mysterious Madame Milian had given her on the night of the banquet?
After Wei Qingming finished her inspection, she called out, and the two Commanders quickly turned and entered. She tossed the jade bottle to Commander Yuan and said, "Chuzhou Dushan jade, but it's from a new spiritual vein less than fifty years old. The price is low, and large jade shops don't sell it. Check the small shops." Commander Zhou was responsible for finding the carver. "Southern style, likely from Suizhou. Rare in the north. Besides those within Pingjing City, search the suburbs as well."
Once the two left with their subordinates, only a few officials searching for evidence remained in the courtyard. Wei Qingming looked up, accurately finding my direction, and said calmly, "Come down."
I jumped down from the roof. Before I could say anything, Wei Qingming frowned slightly. She took out the cloak I had once worn, draped it over me, and asked, "How did you fall into the water?"
Her attitude was the same as always, neither colder nor warmer. My eyes welled up with urgent tears. I grabbed her sleeve and said repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me..."
Wei Qingming smiled. "Only a little. I'm not angry now."
I looked down at my toes and whispered, "Don't break off our friendship."
"How could I?" Wei Qingming pinched my nose. "Did you not receive that bolt of silk?"
I threw myself into her arms, so happy I didn't know what to say, only able to mumble, "I got it. I like it very much."
"That's good." Her voice vibrated from her chest into my body. "If someone else had taken it, my heart would have ached."
I let out an "Ah" and asked, "Was it very expensive?"
"Not expensive," she laughed. "If it's for you, it's not expensive."
Ultimately, I was mindful that she was on official business. I obediently slipped out from her arms and stood straight. The officials coming and going were extremely well-trained; they didn't even glance at us. Likely, it was because their superior was too terrifying, and they didn't dare pry into her privacy...
Wei Qingming led me out, found a residence, borrowed a room for me to change my clothes, and personally helped me comb my hair into a bun. I touched the heavy braid and asked in wonder, "You even know how to do hair?"
In the mirror, Wei Qingming’s face was slightly distorted by the glass, but she clearly showed her helplessness. "Why wouldn't I? I combed my younger sister's hair every day when I was little. I often helped my mother with her updos too. I learned just by watching."
She looked left and right, twisting here and winding there, and actually managed to restore about seventy to eighty percent of my messy hair that even my mother wouldn't have recognized. A genius is simply a genius; I was completely impressed.
The two of us walked out hand-in-hand. Wei Qingming said softly, "Why don't you wait for me at this house? It won't be long. Miss Su hasn't had lunch yet, right? Shall we go to Haida Restaurant?"
Only then did I remember that I had run out in the morning and ridden for so long; it was already past lunchtime. In truth, I was loath to part with her and wanted to cling to her every second, yet I feared being a hindrance to her work. I could only look up at her expectantly and give a small "Mm."
Unexpectedly, Wei Qingming seemed unable to bear that look of mine. She let out a soft sigh and then smiled faintly. "Then come with me."
My heart settled, and curiosity took over. I asked, "What was in those small bottles? Why did Madame Milian have one?"
"Resentful Heart Blood," Wei Qingming said. "In short, it is a catalyst to trigger resentment. It is taken from the heart's blood of a woman who has harbored deep hatred for more than forty-nine days. When refined with evil arts, anyone who touches it will also develop resentment in their heart."
I shuddered. "In other words, that woman from the brokerage touched this thing, which is why she fell into the hands of those villains."
"Yes," she said. "I brought my men quickly, so the killer didn't have time to completely erase the traces. The woman's original belongings were left in this room. Her identity has been confirmed; she was the mistress of a wealthy merchant, named Qiongnu. Because she had no official status, that merchant thought she had run off with his money and was unwilling to claim her, fearing it would bring bad luck."
"Since she was discarded after the resentment was extracted, it must have been forty-nine days..." I said angrily. "She was missing for nearly two months, and that bird-brained merchant didn't report it to the authorities?"
Back at the stronghold, I had heard demon elders from the outside say that when living among humans, many demons could only serve as low-level servants in wealthy households. They were branded with spiritual imprints and could never betray their masters unless they were sold. Furthermore, because most transformed demons were more attractive than average humans and possessed a charm rarely found in human women, many young female demons couldn't endure hard labor and were willing to become concubines. There were even brokers who specialized in this trade, using deception to kidnap ignorant male and female demons to be used for the pleasure of others. At that time, we young demons only listened to it as a horror story, never imagining what the world outside the Myriad Demon Stronghold was like. Only now did I understand the cruelty of the human world.
Wei Qingming had likely seen many such things; her expression remained calm. She only said, "This Resentful Heart Blood was taken from the victim of the first murder. It was magically transformed to look like nail polish. Qiongnu bought it, and her personality changed drastically after using it. She wasn't kidnapped; driven by resentment, she walked to this small courtyard herself and suffered ten thousand kinds of torture from the killer. Her Demon Core was also forced out by the killer using a secret method, likely because a half-demon with a core is harder to kill."
"The first murder?" My anger passed, and I became calmer. "Was the second murder also caused by the same Resentful Heart Blood?"
"A-Zhi is truly clever; you've already grasped the key point," Wei Qingming praised. "It wasn't. Which is to say, before the second incident occurred, there was another victim—or perhaps more than one."
***
