Ah Jiao sat back down, her face stiff with feigned composure. "Did they say why His Majesty summoned the Imperial Physician?" she asked.
Nan Ke shook her head. Ah Jiao had no choice but to drop the matter and crawl back into her blankets. It was best not to ask too many questions, lest Liu Che suspect something... but she was dying of curiosity! Was he seriously injured or not?
Fortunately, she had already secured Lord Yun He’s soul within her. Otherwise, if she had truly broken Liu Che, the poor Lord would have had to find another family to be born into!
Early the next morning, Ah Jiao maintained her act from the previous evening, weeping and begging to see His Majesty as if she knew nothing. However, after a long night of contemplation, some unsettling thoughts had taken root. For instance: what if Liu Che already knew she was Chen Ah Jiao? Perhaps that was why he refused to let her into his bedchamber, and why he had those bizarre, messy dreams...
If he had recognized her last time because of the lingering scent of the mortal realm, it shouldn't be possible this time. She only carried a single bead that shouldn't affect anything. It didn't make sense.
Zhu Haiguang was likely still by Liu Che’s side. Feeling uneasy, Ah Jiao decided to sneak into the Emperor’s bedchamber to investigate.
Liu Che sat on his bed, glaring coldly at the man standing beside him. "Does Master Huan have any findings?" he asked. He had been attacked in the middle of the night again—and in such a sensitive area, no less! He’d been forced to use the excuse of a midnight chill to summon the Imperial Physician. It was a relief the physician had reported no permanent damage, advising only a period of rest and abstinence from his concubines. Otherwise, Liu Che would have executed everyone in the Jade Hall today.
To make matters worse, no one had seen anyone enter.
Huan Jiujun turned the small golden figurine over in his hands repeatedly. "Someone did indeed intrude upon Your Majesty’s bedchamber last night," he replied. "However, they likely harbored no ill intent; perhaps they were merely passing through." He showed the back of the figurine to Liu Che. "There are three talismanic engravings on the back of this golden man. Each time the Golden Armored Guard manifests, one disappears. Once all three are gone, it becomes a mundane object. There are only two engravings left now."
Liu Che took it, frowning as he examined it. "Is it truly impossible to know who intruded? What if the Golden Armored Guard made a mistake?"
Huan Jiujun stood tall and looked up. "This object was bestowed by the City God, a celestial official of the Underworld. It cannot be mistaken!"
Liu Che quickly softened his expression and smiled. "It is not that I distrust you, Master Huan. I am merely concerned for my own safety."
"The Golden Armored Guard senses malice directed toward Your Majesty and manifests to protect you," Huan Jiujun explained. "Had there been a struggle, I would have known instantly. Since there was no anomaly, it is possible that... someone simply passed by and startled the guard."
Liu Che sighed. "Only two uses left. If there are a few more 'misunderstandings,' this precious treasure will be wasted!" The thought left him feeling stifled.
Ah Jiao lay silently beneath the bed, marveling that the little trinket was the work of the City God. No wonder it had pinned her down so easily. If she hadn't shown her official tablet, she likely would have been caught red-handed last night.
Liu Che spoke again. "I have another matter to consult you on today. Master Huan, do you remember what I asked regarding that red pearl? Perhaps that woman named Chen... is not my old acquaintance after all." He sighed heavily.
Huan Jiujun lowered his gaze in thought. "I cannot say for certain whether she is or isn't. But does Your Majesty believe she is not?"
Liu Che said irritably, "Did you not say that all methods of rebirth in this world—whether possession or soul-borrowing—are evil arts, and that such a person could not touch those talisman-embroidered curtains? I was careful not to let her touch them for fear of harming her, but..." He slapped the quilt hard. "She touched them yesterday and remained completely unharmed."
Huan Jiujun nodded. "In that case, she must not be your old acquaintance! Furthermore, Your Majesty, even if she were a ghost of the past, you should not be overly intimate with her. After all, the so-called methods of rebirth in this world are all 'borrowing a corpse to return a soul.' They are wicked arts that defy the Heavenly Dao. Those who return are shrouded in malevolent energy; being near them will deplete your own yang energy, let alone... sharing a bed." He stared at Liu Che’s stunned expression.
"You! Why didn't you say so sooner!" Liu Che was furious. Although he did have some feelings for this "Ah Jiao" and felt he could compensate her now that she had returned, he would never do so at the cost of his own life!
Huan Jiujun lowered his head, looking helpless. "I... I did not know Your Majesty shared such a relationship with that person." He had heard the Emperor had bedded her outside the Shanglin Park before even bringing her back!
Liu Che pursed his lips, taking a long moment to recover. It was a stroke of luck that she wasn't Chen Ah Jiao. "Even so," he said, "why is it that whenever I am near her, I think of Chen Ah Jiao? There must be something strange about her... Do you have a way to probe her background?"
Huan Jiujun thought for a moment. "I cannot do it myself, but... perhaps the City God has something I could use to try."
Liu Che said, "Then find a way to obtain something from the celestial official."
Ah Jiao wondered who this "Master Huan" was to be so familiar with the City God that he could borrow dharma treasures at will.
Huan Jiujun frowned. "I can go and ask, but I cannot guarantee I will be able to borrow it."
Liu Che smiled. "Just go and try, Master Huan."
Ah Jiao decided she needed to visit the City God Temple first to give the City God a heads-up. Liu Che actually suspected she was "Chen Ah Jiao," and he had seemingly intended to treat "Chen Ah Jiao" well.
Once Huan Jiujun took his leave, Liu Che lay back down, and Yang 得意 entered to attend to him.
Liu Che commanded, "Once Master Huan verifies that woman's identity, if she is not... Empress Chen, find a way to have her 'die of illness.'"
Ah Jiao shuddered. *Liu Che, you're too damn cruel!* she thought. He was the one who had unilaterally decided Chen Wan was Chen Ah Jiao. Now that he suspected she wasn't, instead of reflecting on his own mistake, he wanted to kill the innocent Chen Wan.
Where was the justice in that?
She pinched a spell and vanished back to the side hall.
***
The City God Temple.
After tricking Nan Ke for a while, Ah Jiao slipped away to the City God Temple alone. The temple seen by mortals was small, but the office where the local deities worked was vast—a result of the Underworld’s standard technique of shrinking the earth.
After her official tablet was verified, Ah Jiao went to find the City God.
"Why has the little official returned so soon?" the City God asked, sitting in the courtyard discussing matters with his subordinates.
Ah Jiao stepped forward and bowed. "I apologize for the intrusion, My Lord, but I truly have an urgent favor to ask."
"What is it?" The City God stroked his thin mustache. He found the matter of Lord Yun He’s reincarnation quite interesting, not to mention the orders from Ghost Emperor Fei Kang to protect and cooperate with her as much as possible.
Ah Jiao took a few steps closer. "With your divine sight, My Lord, you surely see that I am using the art of 'borrowing a corpse to return a soul' to inhabit this body for convenience." The City God nodded.
"Lord Yun He has already been reincarnated into the imperial family. I am taking the opportunity to serve and protect him. However, the mortal Emperor has recently grown suspicious of my identity. I was wondering if you have a way to let the Emperor see my true form, thereby dispelling his doubts."
The City God twisted his mustache. "And what is your true form?"
Ah Jiao replied, "To be honest, I was an old acquaintance of this Emperor and once saved his life. If I can show my true form, things will be much more convenient." Most importantly, if Liu Che decided she wasn't "Chen Ah Jiao," he was going to kill her.
"I see," the City God said. "There is a way. Let me think."
Ah Jiao added, "Also, there is a man named Master Huan by the Emperor's side who seems quite capable. I must deceive him as well."
The City God laughed. "Master Huan? You mean Xiao Jiu? He was a child my master found while patrolling the mortal realm years ago. Master saw he had a spark of immortal potential and gave him some guidance. Later, when Master was promoted to Soul-Seizing Commander, he entrusted the boy to me. He won't be a problem; I'll just send him word."
"So he is your junior brother. No wonder he seemed different." Though she had been hiding under the bed and hadn't actually seen him.
"In that case, I'll leave this matter to Xiao Jiu. I'll have him spin whatever story you need." The City God waved his hand dismissively.
Ah Jiao cupped her hands in thanks. "Thank you, Lord City God."
The City God smiled. "It is nothing. If Xiao Jiu can assist Lord Yun He, it will be a merit for him as well!"
Ah Jiao exchanged a few more pleasantries before returning to the Jade Hall's side hall, her mind finally at ease.
***
After waiting in the side hall for a few days, Liu Che finally arrived, bringing Huan Jiujun with him.
Upon entering, Liu Che sat down with an air of casual authority. Ah Jiao couldn't help but glance at his lap, wondering if everything was... functional now.
Huan Jiujun looked at the woman before him and sighed, recalling his senior brother’s instructions. He performed a hand seal, and an ice-blue butterfly condensed at his fingertip—a Nether Butterfly. Born from the spray of the Yellow Springs, these butterflies do not seek the scent of flowers but the aura of ghosts. They can remember a ghost's essence for a thousand years and track even the faintest trail. They were often used by the Soul-Seizing Department to find escaped malevolent spirits.
Huan Jiujun felt his fingers trembling. This butterfly had been sent specifically by his master, who claimed its spiritual power might even exceed his own.
*Good heavens, what a grand gesture,* he thought.
The Nether Butterfly was surrounded by a faint ghostly aura, which Ah Jiao recognized as her own.
The butterfly fluttered its wings, left Huan Jiujun’s finger, and began to fly around the room.
Liu Che watched intently, terrified that this translucent creature—which looked like it might vanish into thin air at any moment—would disappear.
The butterfly landed softly on Ah Jiao’s face. Liu Che was overjoyed.
***
