Wei Qingming and I spent a long time talking nonsense before the person we were waiting for finally arrived. A white-haired old Taoist entered the room, followed by a young acolyte carrying a small medicine chest, presumably to examine what kind of poison the victim had been given. Wei Qingming bowed respectfully. "Uncle Zhong, I must trouble you to look at this lady. See what hallucinogenic drugs were used on her and if they can be neutralized."
"Hallucinogens?" Uncle Zhong mused. "My initial diagnosis found several possible toxins... but I hadn't considered that angle." The old man began muttering to himself, busying about the room. Sensing we were in the way, we tactfully retreated to the side to wait.
Wei Qingming asked me in a low voice, "If the poison is neutralized, will her memory return?"
I thought about it, still uncertain. "It should improve, but her body is too weak. I fear she won't be able to withstand the Dream-Inducing Art." Recalling how Wei Qingming had ruthlessly used a forbidden technique on that prisoner, I shuddered. If this woman's memories were truly that important, would she...
Wei Qingming seemed to read my mind. "If there is no other way," she said coldly, "I will have to resort to soul-searching."
"No!" I cried out instinctively. "I'll try my best! I'll do everything I can!"
Wei Qingming glanced at me. "You had better."
Once Uncle Zhong finished his work, he hurried off to see other patients. Wei Qingming set up a restrictive barrier and told me to find a way to retrieve the lady's memories. I gritted my teeth. "I'll have to enter her mind to look. Wei, don't let anyone get close!"
"Rest assured," her voice remained flat, devoid of emotion.
Leaving my body in the hands of such a person was terrifying. With a heavy heart, I found a comfortable soft chair and sat down. I took out the spirit crystals my master had given me and began the technique. First, I dispelled the lingering illusions on the woman, then I injected a wisp of my soul into her mind. One by one, I injected all seven wisps of my soul. Inside her mind, they coalesced into a transparent version of myself, capable of moving along certain paths to observe her memories.
In Lady Duan's memories, the final image was of her collapsing onto the stone steps of the Wujing Sect’s mountain gate in Yanzhou, where the gate-keeping Taoists rushed to help her. It seemed that after being attacked, she had used her last breath to crawl here for help. Her attacker had already tampered with her memories, erasing everything that had happened that day. Searching further back, I found only trivial daily matters: her husband slept during the day and went out to work at night; his return was always unpredictable, and sometimes he wouldn't even step out of the house for half a year...
After watching for an hour, I had reached memories of Lady Duan when she was two or three years old. Seeing nothing new, I quickly withdrew and returned to my body. Wei Qingming was holding a jade slip, seemingly reading, with a firefly lamp lit beside her. Her shadow was cast against the window lattice.
I moved my limbs slightly and felt that everything was normal, which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing Wei Qingming so focused on her reading, I decided to play a prank on her. I pretended that something had gone wrong during my soul-detachment and let out a loud scream. Wei Qingming finally looked up, and I had already struck a contorted, twitching pose, leaping up and charging at her with stiff limbs as if to claw her.
Wei Qingming raised her hand, and a small sword flashed out, parrying my "claws." With a swift, fluid turn, she redirected my momentum, sending me sprawling uncontrollably onto the nearby chair. Fortunately, there was a soft cushion, or my face would have been flattened.
The entire exchange happened in an instant. She returned to her relaxed posture, reading her book as if not even the hem of her robe had fluttered. "Is it fun?" she asked leisurely.
"Waaaah, it hurts..." I clutched my face, rubbing away fake tears. "I help you work and you still hit me! You're a bully!"
"I'm just bullying a cat."
"I'm not a cat!" I yelled.
Wei Qingming followed up immediately: "Then what are you?"
"I... I'm not telling you!"
She shook her head. "Miss Su, let's get to business. It's getting late; I should send you home." She added maliciously, "Otherwise, I'll find it hard to prove my innocence again."
While sniffling, I rambled through everything I had seen. After listening, Wei Qingming asked, "Where does this lady live?"
I froze. I really hadn't paid attention to that... After thinking for a long time, I finally caught a clue. "Her husband often mentioned going to Wutou Town. I imagine they live in a nearby village."
Wei Qingming nodded and asked for more details. I complained of hunger and urged her to leave, to which she replied helplessly, "Copy your memory and give it to me."
I slapped my forehead. Right! I marveled at how clever this Wei person was. I pressed my fingers to my brow and extracted the memories I had just seen to give to her. My head throbbed slightly during the process, likely a side effect of extracting memories too many times in a short period. I assumed it was just a result of the soul-detachment and didn't pay it much mind.
Wei Qingming led me out of the Taoist temple and summoned the flying carriage for our return. Seeing the carriage heading east while the Wen Estate was to the west, I looked down and realized she had brought me to Haida Tower in Xingye Ward.
"Weren't you hungry? Try the seafood here."
I was deeply tempted but asked worriedly, "Is it okay if I don't go back for dinner?"
"If you're that cowardly, then we won't eat."
I lingered, sniffing the aromas wafting down from the second floor again and again, before reaching out to climb back into the carriage. Only then did she laugh and pull me back. "Tonight, the Eldest Aunt is eating vegetarian as per her custom. Wen Xiang and the others will all be eating on their own. Don't worry, they certainly won't wait for you."
I gave a cheer and ran into the building first. Once seated, I looked at the menu with novelty, feeling that everything looked delicious and unable to decide. Wei Qingming chose a few dishes and added several more that I insisted on, filling the table with a bustling feast. A maid poured fruit wine; I took a lick and found it fragrant and sweet. I loved it and called for several more jars, which Wei Qingming permitted.
Her being so accommodating made me feel a bit uneasy, as if she were hiding some ulterior motive. Thus, I watched her expressions while I ate. Wei Qingming took a sip of wine and smiled. "Why are you looking at me? Look at the food."
I curled my lip. "You always have that superficial smile. I'm afraid I'll accidentally upset you again."
She scoffed. "What kind of person is your master to raise a disciple like you?"
"My master?" I bit into a crab, looking thoughtful. "If you hadn't mentioned her, I would have almost forgotten her. Right now, my head is full of how to deal with the First Madam."
Wei Qingming was left speechless by my response and changed the subject. "Miss Su, you said before that you would leave after the Second Cousin's wedding. What did you mean by that?"
"I meant exactly what I—" I stopped, stunned. I shouted, "You! How do you know my surname is Su?"
"I guessed," she said flatly. "It was a fifty-fifty chance. It's not surprising I got it right."
"No, no, this isn't fair. I still don't know your real name..."
Wei Qingming said, "My identity is real. It's only my gender that is false."
Cultivators do not judge a person's gender or age by appearance alone, but by "observing Qi." For example, the vitality of children and youths shows a vigorous life force, while the "dusk Qi" of the elderly indicates a fading one. There are also differences between Yin and Yang, and one can see the distinct marks of their origin. Although few women serve as officials in this dynasty, the status of female cultivators outside the imperial court is quite high. Of the top ten strongest cultivators in the world, four are women, and two are in the top five. I was truly curious about why Wei Qingming hid her identity. I cried out, "But why?"
She pointed her wine cup at me, then at herself. "Because someone like you can only come out for a good meal occasionally. Someone like me can eat like this every day."
"What kind of logic is that!" I snapped. "Once Wen Qi's business is settled, I can eat like this every day too!" I thought for a moment and asked, "Your illusion markings are very powerful. Even my master might not be able to draw them so well. Who made them for you?"
"There are many experts in this world; they aren't exclusive to your Mount Gomeng."
I gave a dismissive "tch," but she silenced me. She pushed open the window latch to glance outside and quickly drew a talisman to add another restrictive barrier to the room. I asked excitedly in a whisper, "What is it? Is something happening?"
"It's not aimed at us." Wei Qingming eyed me. "Just eat. There might be a fight in a moment that wrecks the table."
Frightened by her words, I began stuffing food into my mouth. While eating, I also looked out the window. Squads of men looking like constables were darting in and out of the restaurants with lanterns, shouting as if searching for someone. Hong Lu also knocked and entered, saying in a low voice, "Master, I heard it's people from Prince Xuan's Estate. They're looking for a thief."
Wei Qingming pondered for a moment, took another sip of wine, set down her cup, and smiled. "Good. Go wait below the back window. Whether we catch him or let him go, we'll decide then." I was completely confused, but Hong Lu flipped out the window with practiced ease, crouching in a corner and vanishing in an instant. He was clearly very familiar with his master's tactics.
Wei Qingming produced an ordinary-looking bronze mirror and aimed it at a nearby pavilion. Then she took out a dozen Thunder-Fire Beads and pulled several small demon mice from her spirit beast bag, letting the mice carry the beads far away to place them in specific areas she designated.
When the last mouse reached its destination, a Thunder-Fire Bead suddenly exploded with purple light. Immediately after, booming sounds echoed from far to near. The purple flashes created an increasingly clear path. The shouts of the constables and the Prince's servants grew more chaotic. A figure, swift as a black swallow, suddenly emerged from the shadows of our building's backyard. However, he had lost his bearings and slammed headfirst into a pillar. Hong Lu, who had been lying in wait, grabbed him and tossed him into our room like a small chick.
I was stunned. Seeing a thief tumble before me like a rolling melon, I didn't even know to be afraid. Wei Qingming calmly pushed me behind her, likely to keep me out of the way.
The man was about to cry out in pain, but Hong Lu expertly covered his mouth and snatched a cosmos bag from his chest. Wei Qingming took the bag, weighed it in her hand, and said coldly, "Speak properly, and you might still have a chance to live."
The man was thin and agile—perfect material for a "gentleman of the rafters." Hearing this, he blinked and nodded obediently. Wei Qingming told him to open the cosmos bag himself, and he cooperated. While Wei Qingming rummaged through the stolen goods, he spoke up with a grin, "Since I, the Heaven-Swallowing Black Swallow Gu Shuguan, made my debut, you are the first immortal master to catch me. I'm impressed! Where did I slip up?"
I said excitedly, "You're Gu Shuguan, the rising star of the thieving world! I've heard so much about you! It's an honor!"
Gu Shuguan struck a "it was nothing" pose.
"Simple," Wei Qingming said indifferently. "Items from great families are always inscribed with family crest talismans. When inspected, an Emblem-Identifying Lamp will reveal them instantly. Therefore, thieves carry a specially made cosmos bag inscribed with corresponding cracking runes so the stolen goods can evade search. An honest person would have no use for such a thing. It was by tracking this rune that I found you at Prince Xuan's private residence where he keeps his mistress."
"Brilliant!" If his hands weren't held by Hong Lu, Gu Shuguan would have slapped his thigh. "That is indeed a major loophole. Why did no one think of it? I won't use this thing anymore!" I instinctively felt something was wrong with Wei Qingming being so kind as to explain the trick to him. Then I realized—if a thief didn't use that kind of cosmos bag, wouldn't they be caught even faster?
By now, the search party was drawing closer. This situation was exactly as Wei Qingming had calculated; she had predicted Gu Shuguan's escape route and laid traps along the way to either funnel him in a certain direction or block the pursuers. Although Gu Shuguan knew someone was targeting him, the high damage of the Thunder-Fire Beads and the constant blinding flashes in the dark left him with no room to react. Ultimately, he lost his sense of direction and hit the pillar. The Prince's servants, only slightly delayed, burst into Haida Tower and began searching every room from the ground floor up.
Gu Shuguan said hurriedly, "Immortal master, the goods are all yours! If you let me go now, I still have time to run!"
Wei Qingming pointed at me and said, "She can save you. Why don't you try asking her?" Taking the hint, I gave a wicked grin. "If Divine Thief Gu is willing to be at my mercy, he might just survive this ordeal..."
Thus, when the head constables kicked open the door, what they saw was me pointing at Gu Shuguan and cursing loudly: "What's wrong with a little feel? Do you really think you're some virtuous lady?" Gu Shuguan clutched a lute and sobbed, "This servant already said, I sell my art, not my body! Why is the young master so unreasonable..."
Wei Qingming toyed with her wine cup and smiled at the crowd. "What is the matter?"
The leader, a middle-aged man who looked like a steward from the Prince's Estate, bowed. "So it is Third Young Master Wei. Forgive the intrusion. A demon slave escaped from the estate, and the Prince ordered us to investigate." His eyes darted between me and Gu Shuguan. Wei Qingming then said, "A cousin from the countryside. He's had too much to drink and is acting rowdy. Please excuse his behavior, Mr. Zheng."
Steward Zheng quickly said, "I wouldn't dare," closed the door, and led his men away. Gu Shuguan was so deep in character that he was still whimpering. I suppressed a laugh and nudged him. "Miss Gu, stop acting. Your clothes are falling off!"
Gu Shuguan put down the lute and shouted in delight, "What kind of spell is this? It's amazing!"
"Curious?" Wei Qingming said coldly. "I'll tell you once you're in the Great Prison." She then turned to me. "Home."
Gu Shuguan and I fell silent immediately.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 钟师叔 | Uncle Zhong | Wei Qingming's martial uncle, likely a healer or alchemist. |
| 引梦术 | Dream-Inducing Art | A technique to retrieve or influence memories. |
| 搜魂 | Soul-searching | A brutal, often forbidden technique to forcibly extract information from a soul. |
| 离魂 | Soul-detachment | A technique where the soul leaves the body (spirit projection). |
| 灵晶 | Spirit crystals | Crystals containing spiritual energy used for cultivation or spells. |
| 兴业坊 | Xingye Ward | A district or neighborhood in the city. |
| 海达楼 | Haida Tower | A high-end seafood restaurant. |
| 宣王府 | Prince Xuan's Estate | The residence/household of Prince Xuan. |
| 鉴徽灯 | Emblem-Identifying Lamp | A magical tool used to detect hidden family crests or marks on items. |
| 吞天黑燕 | Heaven-Swallowing Black Swallow | The moniker of the thief Gu Shuguan. |
| 顾殊观 | Gu Shuguan | The name of the thief. |
| 卖艺不卖身 | I sell my art, not my body | A common phrase used by performers/courtesans to indicate they do not provide sexual services. |
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