Inside the flying carriage on the way home, I insisted that Wei Qingming give me half of the items Gu Shuguan had stolen. "If it weren't for my illusion magic, could you have even passed the inspection? I put in a huge amount of effort, you know!"
I expected Wei Qingming to refuse, but to my surprise, she casually tossed the Cosmos Bag to me. "Take whatever you like."
I let out a cheer and reached in to grab a couple of items, but then fear struck me. I handed the bag back to her. "I just remembered... you said everything is marked with a family crest."
"So you aren't entirely foolish." Wei Qingming rummaged through the bag and handed me a small golden bell. "This is an unowned object, and an artifact spirit has already been born within it. If you refine it and claim ownership, it can keep you company in the future."
"Ahem," I said sheepishly. "Refining... I don't know how to do that."
Wei Qingming seemed to have expected this. She calmly replied, "I will teach you tomorrow."
"You have to teach me how to ride a horse, too!"
"Let your brothers teach you that."
"They aren't my real brothers..."
"They aren't, but I am?"
I choked on my words for a moment, then hugged her arm, giggling as I acted spoiled. "Even if you aren't, you're about as good as my Eldest Senior Brother!"
Wei Qingming frowned. "Lu Kaifeng?"
"Oh, you even know about him..."
The next day, a heavy rain began to fall. They say spring rain is as precious as oil, and this was likely the first rain Pingjing had seen this spring, yet it brought no sense of joy.
That night, Wei Qingming had left after seeing me to the side gate, saying she had to return to her own residence. When I entered the courtyard, the First Madam was copying scriptures. After bowing to her and offering my greetings, I went to sleep.
Perhaps it was my nature as a demon, but I felt a stifling discomfort. I slept fitfully until midnight, when a strange whistling sound startled me awake. I jumped up and ran to the window. The sky was terrifyingly dark, the wind howled with rage, and the rain lashed violently against the windowsill.
I reached out a hand to touch it, only to be met with a greasy sensation and a pungent, fishy stench. The rainwater was incredibly filthy. I stood there, stunned by the sight.
Muyu rushed over, throwing a cloak over my shoulders. She hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe my hand, her voice urgent. "You lived in the capital when you were little; how could you not know? You mustn't touch this rain!"
"I was half-asleep," I said embarrassedly. "I thought I was dreaming..."
Muyu looked at me with a mix of pity and amusement. "This is Yin-Erosion Rain. It happens every once in a while. Wait for the Pure Rain to fall before you play with the water, Miss."
The wind roared terrifyingly, and I couldn't sleep soundly for the rest of the night. The sky finally cleared the following afternoon. I got up, drank some rice nectar, and leaned against the doorframe to watch the servants busily cleaning the courtyard. The once-clean stones were covered in black, muddy water. The small demon slaves were hunched over, continuously casting cleaning spells.
Perhaps because I was also of the demon race, I felt a great sense of pity. I raised my hand and cast several Pure Water Spells, cleaning the most difficult spots.
To my surprise, the demon slaves weren't happy. Instead, they all fell to their knees in terror, kowtowing to me repeatedly.
Muyu and the other head maids looked at me with inexplicable expressions. "How does the Miss know such magic?"
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Uh, isn't this just basic magic?"
They had grown somewhat accustomed to my ignorance of worldly ways. They explained, "This is work for the lowly servants. You shouldn't do it yourself, Miss." Though their tone was patient and gentle, it carried a thick layer of disdain—implying that even they wouldn't deign to learn such spells, as it would be beneath their status.
I could only say, "I was away with my father for so long; naturally, I couldn't rely on others for everything. I had to learn these things..."
The demon slaves returned to their positions and continued scrubbing. The maids seemed unwilling to discuss the topic further. Fortunately, a messenger boy walked in and handed over a brocade box. "Reporting to Miss Qi: Young Master Qingming says she has business today and cannot come to see you. She asks that you do not take offense."
I was still thinking about the spirit inside the golden bell. Hearing this, I let out a disappointed "Oh."
Muyu took the box and thanked him politely. After the boy left, Zhaoyun, one of the head maids, hurried to open it. An elegant, enchanting fragrance spread through the air. Inside were several colors of silk thread. She cried out in surprise, "It's Xizhou Lotus Silk!"
Several maids gathered around excitedly. Once again, I was confused. I brazenly asked what it was.
Muyu said happily, "This is silk from inside a precious type of lotus. It has a natural fragrance and helps calm the mind and focus one's qi, aiding in cultivation. The silk we usually wear comes from silkworms, not plants; it's not as fresh as this. Extracting silk from a lotus and spinning it into thread is extremely difficult. We've only ever heard of it; we've never seen the real thing."
Qingchen, another maid, smiled. "I've heard that even using a few lines of Xizhou Lotus Silk to embroider the edges of royal garments is considered an incredible expense. The Wei family truly is a house of five generations of merit. To just send this much so casually, and in four different colors... what a grand gesture."
I didn't understand much else, but I gathered that this stuff was very, very expensive. Thinking about how my Master back on the mountain would be stunned to see this, my mood brightened. I waved my hand grandly. "Then let's embroider it onto my clothes!"
Muyu gently pinched the thread with her fingertips and shook her head. "This thread has already been painstakingly twisted into a single strand using a secret method to make it strong. To embroider clothes, it would have to be unraveled, which would be a pity."
Qingchen nodded. "I also don't think it's meant for a needle. It would be more suitable for weaving a decorative cord."
I finally understood Wei Qingming's intention. I pulled out the golden bell. "How about stringing this?"
The maids, used to gold and silver treasures, didn't think much of the bell itself. "The colors would coordinate well. Let's make a bracelet."
They found two more golden bells of similar design. Zhaoyun, the most skillful with her hands, set her fingers flying. Soon, she had crafted an exquisite and adorable bell bracelet, which she tied around my wrist. Because the silk was difficult to dye, the four colors—purple, blue, gold, and cyan—were all pale and elegant. They emitted a faint, lustrous glow that complemented each other. It was indeed fragrant, beautiful, and utterly charming. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it, and I couldn't help but jingle it every now and then. Seeing this, the maids all covered their mouths and laughed softly.
The First Madam felt unwell due to the rainy weather and didn't call for me. I spent a boring day in my small courtyard. The next day, Wei Qingming finally arrived. I marched up to her, hands on my hips, and said indignantly, "Why didn't you come yesterday!"
Hearing the crisp chime of the bells, Wei Qingming's gaze fell upon my left wrist. She looked up at my face and gave a faint smile. "My apologies."
I raised my hand, thrusting the bell bracelet in front of her. "Even though this is nice, don't think it can make up for all those treasures from the Prince's manor. You still have to give me half!"
Wei Qingming said neutrally, "A master who loves profit, a disciple who craves wealth. Like master, like disciple indeed."
I hurriedly pushed her toward the stone table in the courtyard and had Muyu untie the bracelet for me. "Everyone, watch closely! Today, my cousin is going to teach us how to refine an artifact!"
The children of great families did not engage in manual labor; in the depths of such manors, everything was done for them. The maids had never even seen a magical artifact. Hearing that my unremarkable golden bell was actually one, they all crowded around to see the curiosity.
It was the first time Wei Qingming had heard me call her "cousin." She glanced up at me, then waved her hand to set a formation in the courtyard. This caused another round of blushing faces, racing hearts, and startled gasps from the onlookers.
"This is to prevent the artifact spirit from escaping if there's a mistake during the attunement process," Wei Qingming explained. She signaled for me to reach out and circulate my qi, then told me the mental formula. I softly chanted it. Wei Qingming took my hand, guiding me as we slowly traced a rune in the air.
Being so close to her, I smelled the fragrance on her body. It was deep and lingering, stirring a faint sense of sorrow in the depths of one's heart. Yet, mixed within it was a discordant note of fishy stench. It was the Yin-Erosion Rain from the other night!
I frowned and turned my head to look at Wei Qingming's face. Her expression was still cold and leisurely, but she looked paler and more haggard than usual.
Perhaps because we were so close that our faces were almost touching, the maids awkwardly looked away. Wei Qingming calmly stepped back a few inches. "When the spiritual energy fills the rune, the attunement is complete."
My mind was in a bit of a mess. Watching the small golden bell on the table tremble incessantly, I found it hard to concentrate. Wei Qingming lightly tapped my forehead with her knuckle, whispering a reminder, "Focus. Otherwise, you won't be able to suppress the spirit."
I silently circulated my sect's mental technique to steady my mind. I gathered a powerful surge of spiritual energy and slowly injected it into the golden bell. The maids, seeing me perform magic for the first time, were filled with admiration.
The golden bell vibrated violently. I patiently contended with it until the subjugation was finally complete. A tiny figure emerged from within—she had curly golden hair and emerald-green eyes, ethereal and beautiful. She couldn't speak yet, so she floated in the air, staring blankly at me. After a moment, she gave a clumsy bow.
The maids gasped in wonder. Wei Qingming said, "The Yin-Erosion energy hasn't dissipated yet. A newborn artifact spirit is very fragile; it's better for her to return to her physical form." As she spoke, she pinched her fingers and cast a spell of light, placing a protective shield around the little spirit. The spirit bowed gratefully once more and dove back into the golden bell.
Despite only performing a few minor spells, Wei Qingming seemed tired. She raised a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. I hurriedly poured a cup of tea for her and waved for the others to leave.
Wei Qingming took a sip of tea and smiled. "What's this? You look like you're about to interrogate me."
I leaned over her shoulder and sniffed my way up. Wei Qingming frowned, uncomfortably trying to push me away, but she accidentally bumped my face and quickly withdrew her hand.
I said urgently, "The smell of rain is so strong! What were you doing the night before last?"
"Business," Wei Qingming's expression turned cold. She said softly, "Miss Su, I told you when we first met... curiosity can be dangerous."
"Bah!" I interrupted her. "One of your arms is practically useless, and you're still acting tough!"
Wei Qingming narrowed her eyes and remained silent. I reached out to pull up her right sleeve. She said coldly, "Don't move!" She suppressed her temper and added with forced patience, "The toxicity of the Yin-Erosion energy is weak, but prolonged contact is dangerous. Do not touch it."
I paced in circles anxiously before pulling a box of ointment from my robe. "Here, take this... take it internally and apply it externally. If you rest for half a month, you should recover."
Wei Qingming took the ointment with her left hand. When she opened it, she smiled. "You actually have this medicine."
"Is... is it that rare?" I asked. "We've used this since we were kids whenever we got sick. Eat a little, rub a little. It's sweet and fragrant anyway, so you get better without even realizing it. We call it 'Sweet Paste'." I laughed. "Because it tasted so good, I used to look forward to getting sick when I was little."
The gloom on Wei Qingming's face finally gave way to a slight smile. She sighed. "What a reckless waste of precious things. This is the 'Five Aggregates Fragrant Honey' prepared by the Divine Physician Huang Geng. The ingredients are incredibly rare; the cost of a single box could rival that of a small city. Not to mention, Old Mr. Huang passed away over ten years ago. Every box of this honey used is one less in the world. And yet, you all eat this for mere headaches and fevers."
I pouted. "If I tell you to use it, just use it. Why all the chatter? We have a whole room full of this stuff piled up on our mountain; I really don't see what's so special about it." I casually pulled out three or four more boxes. "See!"
"Fine, fine." Wei Qingming didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she accepted the ointment. "I am deeply in your debt. Once my injury is healed, I'll take you out for a good meal."
Only then did I beam with joy. Seeing this, Wei Qingming also smiled slightly. "Miss Su is my great benefactor, yet I still do not know my benefactor's name."
"Su Yuzhi," I said with a smile. "You can just call me A-Zhi."
***
