Wei Qingming wiped the only chair in the small courtyard clean and invited me to sit. She then personally directed the officers as they searched for evidence and recorded their findings. This was naturally not the first round of evidence collection, so the task was light. Soon, the lead officer finished the job, respectfully presented the physical evidence and the ledger to Wei Qingming for inspection, and then withdrew with his men.
She tucked the ledger into her robes. Seeing me still sitting there in a daze, she smiled and asked, "What thoughts are you still dwelling on?"
"I was wondering what method the killer used to kill Qiongnu in front of so many people."
Wei Qingming shook her head with a smile. "You are truly invested. Why not come work at my yamen instead?"
I was about to give her a playful retort, but then a thought struck me—if I did that, I could see her every day. My spirits lifted instantly. "Alright, alright! I can learn anything!"
Wei Qingming let out a rare laugh. "How can you take it so seriously? I could never bear to let Miss Su face such danger."
Her words made me beam with joy. Without waiting for me to press her, she took the initiative to explain, "Qiongnu had already passed away before she ever entered the grounds of the brokerage."
I was stunned. "But the witnesses said she could still walk until just before dawn!"
"Turning illusions into reality is a basic trick of your Mount Gu Meng," Wei Qingming said. "In certain heterodox cultivation methods, resentment can also be manifested into reality. That was the black clothing the witnesses described Qiongnu wearing. When dawn broke and the Golden Crow rose from the Valley of the Sun, the first rays of the morning sun were at their most masculine and fierce. Resentment without a protector collapses instantly upon contact. Before that moment, all of Qiongnu's movements were supported by the black garments formed from her own resentment."
"In other words, the killer didn't even need to be at the scene, and it had nothing to do with anyone present that day!" I gasped in amazement.
"Naturally." A rare hint of disdain colored Wei Qingming's tone. "The brokerage reopened yesterday. Manager Fang had been pestering me incessantly these past few days; he likely thought I was one of those corrupt officials who drags their feet just to solicit bribes. When has I, Wei Tian, ever needed ten days or half a month to solve a case?"
I laughed heartily, about to praise her for her integrity and incorruptibility, when the brilliant Magistrate Wei suddenly changed her tune. "However, if he is willing to give, I am willing to receive. It was just enough to buy some fabric for my... cousin."
The praise died in my throat. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or to laugh.
As for the matter from yesterday, I didn't bring it up, but Wei Qingming spoke of it herself. "I always seek to achieve multiple goals at once; your criticism was not without merit. But please believe me, I would never use your kindness to carry out a conspiracy."
My face flushed bright red. "If you keep saying that, I'll truly have nowhere to hide my shame."
She took my hand and said firmly, "Since I have accepted Madam Tang's evidence, there is no reason to ignore the matter. I will fulfill the promise I made yesterday."
The next time I saw her was four or five days later. It was only after Muyu reminded me that I remembered Old Madam Wen’s birthday was fast approaching. Although Fourth Master Wen had already prepared a gift on behalf of his daughter, I still picked out a small Guanyin statue on a lotus pedestal from the Prince of Xuan’s treasure to give to the old lady. During my time in the Wen household, I had received much of her care. In another month, it would be Second Brother Wen’s wedding day, and my time in the capital was running short. I thought I would feel lighter and more excited as the end drew near, but instead, my heart was filled only with reluctance.
The afternoon after I had sneaked out to apologize to Wei Qingming, I was in my room playing with the little qilin she had given me. Suddenly, I felt someone quietly approaching from behind. I turned to see Muyu. I felt something was off, but before I could speak, Muyu suddenly lunged at me and grabbed my arm. We were so close our faces almost touched.
"Muyu, what are you doing?" I looked down. Where she gripped my arm, a pool of blood suddenly rippled outward, slowly soaking into my sleeve. When I looked back at her face, Muyu’s gentle and lovely features began to fall away in chunks of flesh and blood, until only a skeletal skull remained.
I rolled my eyes. "Second Senior Sister, it’s been a long time."
Lu Lingfeng raised her hand and peeled a paper-like object from her face, carefully tucking it away into her robes. Then, she actually knitted her brows and made a face as if she were about to burst into tears. "Su Yuzhi, why aren't you scared?"
Her reaction actually made me panic. I was afraid that if she got upset, she would stage another 'parrot incident' to welcome me home. I hurriedly put on a trembling act. "Scared, scared! I'm scared to death..."
Only then did Lu Lingfeng nod, returning to her usual expressionless state. "You are living well."
"It’s... alright," I gave a dry laugh. "Does Second Senior Sister want to try it? We could swap places?"
She shook her head. "Master instructed me that, aside from checking the feng shui, I am not allowed to do anything else."
So that was it. Master had sent her, the feng shui expert with the most eclectic knowledge, to look for a "prosperous shop," and even had her own brother watch over her. Otherwise, if she were sent on a mission, the chances were high that she would lose more money than she earned...
Before I could pour her a cup of tea, Lu Lingfeng dropped a single sentence—"Come to Xixi Tower tomorrow"—and vanished in a puff of black smoke on the spot, accompanied by a sharp, ghostly wail. The effect was incredibly flashy, but it was a bit hard on the lungs...
I coughed from the smoke, not even having time to remark, "Eldest Senior Brother has really made something of himself, using public funds to stay at Xixi Tower," before she was gone. I suspected Second Senior Sister’s interests had recently shifted toward some sort of netherworld arts. If she was looking for a shop in this state, wouldn't she end up finding a haunted house?
Slander aside, my confinement was coincidentally lifted the next day. Just after the hour of the Rat, in the middle of the night, I heard a ruckus like a troop of monkeys. It turned out Wen Silie had taken the lead in gathering the younger siblings, ordering late-night takeout from Chunnan Tower to celebrate their liberation. They were just short of setting off fireworks. I shook my head at the sight. Of all the places to get food, they had to choose Chunnan Tower. Fifth Brother Wen was certainly bold; he must have been too comfortable at home and wanted another round of confinement...
I got up early and finished my toilette, then used the excuse of meeting friends to formally ask the First Madam for leave. The usually stern First Madam surprisingly said nothing, her attitude even hinting at encouragement and support. I guessed she surely thought I was going to see Wei Qingming. It seemed the entire Wen household, from top to bottom, had tacitly accepted the marriage between these "cousins"...
Xixi Tower was also one of the thirteen great establishments of Xingye Ward. Because it was located on the upper reaches of the Dan River, bordered by the Eastern Mountains to the north, and separated from the royal garden known as "Liangyue" by only a strip of water, it boasted the best scenery. Its focus was on a luxurious and comfortable lodging experience. The entire Xixi Tower was divided into ten unconnected, independent two-story courtyards. Precisely because it was so close to the royal garden, buildings taller than two stories were not permitted. Wealthy merchants often booked an entire building at once, and many nobles chose Xixi Tower as their first preference for multi-day banquets and excursions. It was my first time here, and I spent a moment tsk-tsking in critique of the decadence found at the foot of the Son of Heaven before asking the front desk for the Lu siblings' quarters.
I had to admit, Xixi Tower truly had good taste; those greeting the guests were all handsome men and beautiful women. A pale, slender young man said with a pleasant smile, "Young Master Lu left word asking the young lady to meet him in the west wing."
The reliable Eldest Senior Brother had indeed booked an elegant private room. A beautiful maid gracefully led me inside. Upon entering, I saw Eldest Senior Brother sitting in the seat of honor, chatting and laughing with two other maids attending to him. Second Senior Sister sat to the side, her eyes closed in meditation like an old monk. Seeing me, the maids covered their smiles. "Young Master Lu’s sister has arrived; we should go and serve the meal."
Lu Kaifeng smiled gently. "No rush."
Sure enough, they were reluctant to leave, teasing him one after another. "What did the Young Master mean by 'performing a trick'? Is there really such a business?" "If we could learn it, please teach us as well. Wouldn't it be wonderful to perform for the guests to liven things up?"
Eldest Senior Brother was kind-hearted and couldn't withstand their soft pestering. He could only say, "Just one, then." As he spoke, without any visible sign of casting a spell, fragrant pink snow began to drift throughout the room. In an instant, the small space was transformed; everyone found themselves in the middle of a cherry blossom forest. The two maids cried out in surprise as a pair of phoenix birds flew in from nowhere, chirping affectionately around them. A small deer walked across the ground, nuzzling their palms. One of the maids knelt down and plucked a stalk of ethereal lily-of-the-valley from the knee-high grass, offering it to the deer. The deer curled its tongue to eat the flower and happily rubbed its head against her arm.
I was beyond shocked and sent a phantom transmission to Lu Kaifeng: *Eldest Senior Brother, you... you can actually open a Luminous Realm!*
While the two beauties were playing happily, Lu Kaifeng smiled and replied, *A-Zhi, you haven't been doing your homework, have you? This isn't a Phantasm Domain; it’s merely a Luminous Realm.*
A Luminous Realm was the internal world a practitioner of illusions visualized during cultivation, whereas a Phantasm Domain was a field created with illusion magic where the master of the domain controlled everything. Thus, if an enemy entered a Phantasm Domain, they were at the master's mercy and would surely be defeated. Although Lu Kaifeng had not yet reached the stage of opening a Phantasm Domain, this technique of externalizing the Luminous Realm was truly exquisite. It seemed that in the few months since we last met, Eldest Senior Brother’s cultivation had progressed significantly. I thought of how I had spent every day since coming down the mountain eating, drinking, and playing, never even thinking about meditation. I rubbed my cheek guiltily and gave a sheepish grin.
Though the two maids didn't know we were conversing via phantom transmission, they guessed we were using some form of secret communication and tactfully took their leave. The moment the door closed, the peaceful and dreamlike cherry blossom forest underwent a sudden upheaval. A baring-fanged, claw-waving great black pig charged in, its body wrapped in black baleful energy, lowering its tusks to gore the little deer. With a wave of Eldest Senior Brother’s hand, the cherry blossoms, phoenixes, deer, and pig all vanished, leaving only a simple sketch of a wild pig drifting slowly to the floor.
Lu Kaifeng didn't even glance at his mischievous sister. He simply made an elegant gesture toward me. "A-Zhi, sit."
Aside from the Lu siblings, I was the third disciple to join the mountain, though our ranking was determined after we took human form, making me the sixth. In truth, the founding stages of Mount Gu Meng were spent with the four of us and Master. Master had a lazy and explosive temperament; petting cats was her pleasure, and raising cats was the disciples' duty. During what should have been his rebellious youth, Eldest Senior Brother had spent his time holding a nursing infant in one hand and sweeping cat hair with the other. Even when Third Senior Brother Ren Xuzhou joined the mountain a few years later, he couldn't share the burden at all; instead, he was just another unruly younger brother who needed discipline. To all of us siblings on the mountain, he truly was like a father figure.
Eldest Senior Brother expressed concern about my situation in the Wen household, asking many details in a rambling fashion. He smiled kindly at me and said, "A-Zhi is truly doing a good job. After I returned to the mountain and heard you were on your first mission, I was a bit worried. Now it seems A-Zhi is perfectly capable." He patted my head encouragingly.
I smiled proudly. He then added, "It’s just that disguising your identity must be lonely."
I paused. To be honest, in the two months since leaving my close-knit sect, I really hadn't felt lonely. Perhaps it was because there were so many children in the Wen family and the sisters were so easy to get along with, or perhaps it was because... I had Wei Qingming.
Moved by the thought, I said softly, "I'm not lonely."
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| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 怨心血 | Resentment Heart-Blood | A substance used in dark arts to incite resentment. |
| 魏天 | Wei Tian | Likely Wei Qingming's courtesy name or a formal name used in her official capacity. |
| 旸谷 | Valley of the Sun | Yanggu; a mythical place where the sun rises. |
| 金乌 | Golden Crow | A mythical bird representing the sun. |
| 陆恺风 | Lu Kaifeng | Eldest Senior Brother of Mount Gu Meng. |
| 陆泠风 | Lu Lingfeng | Second Senior Sister of Mount Gu Meng. |
| 熙熙楼 | Xixi Tower | A luxurious lodging establishment in the capital. |
| 良岳 | Liangyue | A royal garden in the capital. |
| 光明境 | Luminous Realm | An internal visualization world used by illusion practitioners. |
| 幻域 | Phantasm Domain | A powerful field of illusion controlled entirely by the caster. |
| 幻音 | Phantom Transmission | A method of silent communication using spiritual energy. |
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