Chapter 128: The Mysterious Sick Village, Meeting an Old Acquaintance Again

The arrival of October marked the beginning of winter, and the further north one went, the more pressing the cold became. Traveling northward from Jinzhou, they reached Shili Temple after one day’s journey. Another two days brought them to Qi County, the northernmost part of Jinzhou Prefecture. Past Qi County, they left Jinzhou’s jurisdiction and entered Yongzhou territory. Continuing northeast for five days, they passed through Yongzhou to reach Yuanzhou, where the Yan River ran across its southern border. At the Jialing crossing point over the Yan River, Cloud Mist Mountain lay on the opposite bank.

Cloud Mist Mountain marked the boundary between northern and southern Great Zhou and was an exceptionally beautiful mountain range stretching unbroken for hundreds of miles. The entire region south of Yuanzhou consisted of hilly terrain, with cities and villages scattered throughout. Being adjacent to the Yan River, the area was not only blessed with fertile land and abundant resources but also boasted numerous scenic spots and historical sites such as Lancang Lake, Lingyin Temple, Cloud Mist Academy, and Goddess Gorge.

The Qin Shuang sisters, who had never been on a boat before, became seasick as soon as they boarded. Though the river crossing took only half an hour, both sisters vomited three times. While Qin Shuang managed to endure it, Qin Xiang’s delicate constitution made it far worse. By the time they reached the northern bank and disembarked, she could barely walk. Each of the three sisters had two maids attending them: besides Wan Qing, Qin Shuang had Xiu Yun; Qin Xiang was attended by Wan He and Xiu Zhi, who had previously served in the Lin household. Wan He and Xiu Zhi had to half-carry Qin Xiang off the boat. Since their carriage and luggage had been transported on the same vessel, they needed to wait a while before they could board their carriage again.

Qin Yan had arranged for a private room at a teahouse not far from the dock where the sisters could rest. “Young Miss, how are you feeling?” Wan He asked as she helped Qin Xiang to her seat. Qin Xiang only furrowed her brows, her small face repeatedly turning pale. She pressed her lips together without speaking, one hand clutching at her chest as if she might be sick again at any moment.

Xiu Zhi poured a cup of tea and offered it to Qin Xiang, who only took a tiny sip before stopping. Both Xiu Zhi and Wan He’s eyes filled with concern. Meanwhile, Qin Shuang was already enjoying the snacks brought up by the waiter. “The tea-flavored pastries from around Cloud Mist Mountain are quite delicious,” she remarked.

While Qin Shuang had been deathly seasick on the boat, she had immediately bounced back to her energetic self upon landing, which only made Qin Xiang appear more frail and pitiful by comparison. Wan He shot a disapproving glance at Qin Shuang before turning toward the window, where she paused in slight surprise.

The private room was on the second floor, and by the half-open window stood Qin Wan, wearing a lotus-colored dress with a misty blue cape. Unlike the vivacious Qin Shuang who was eating and drinking heartily, or the delicate Qin Xiang who resembled a windblown lotus, Qin Wan stood by the window with impeccable poise, her hair and clothing neat and proper. Despite the fatigue of travel, she maintained an elegant and composed demeanor that spoke of her refined upbringing. When Wan He first glanced over, she had the impression that Qin Wan was bathed in moonlight’s silver radiance.

What a celestial, pure, and noble figure she cut! Wan He thought to herself before looking back at Qin Xiang, whose face was scrunched up in discomfort, her new dress all wrinkled. The difference in both appearance and bearing was like that between heaven and earth. Having left Jinzhou, Wan He began to feel increasingly worried.

Qin Wan had not failed to notice her sisters’ conditions. She glanced at Wan Xing, who approached Qin Xiang with a sachet. “Fifth Young Miss, this is a medicinal pouch made by our Miss. It helps with seasickness.”

At these words, Wan He reached for it, but Qin Xiang waved her hand. “No need.” With this rejection, Wan He withdrew her hand and gave Wan Xing an apologetic look. Wan Xing’s expression remained neutral as she retrieved the sachet and returned to Qin Wan’s side without another word.

Qin Wan didn’t spare Qin Xiang a glance. Her gaze fell distantly on the Qin household guards loading the carriages, or more specifically, on Zhou Huai who was directing them.

They had been traveling for thirteen days, and although it was slightly slower than anticipated, they had covered more than four-tenths of their journey. Throughout this time, Qin Wan seemed to rarely address Manager Zhou directly.

His scholarly bearing set him apart from ordinary household managers, yet he merely followed behind Qin Yan like a silent shadow. During the tedious journey, while making medicine pouches and reading books, Qin Wan had taken to observing those around her. Qin Yan was fastidious—he required the carriage cushions and saddles to be cleaned daily, changed his clothes daily, and demanded the same standards from his two personal attendants. Unlike typical wealthy young masters who traveled purely for pleasure, he was particularly fond of reading and even had people buy books along their journey.

As for Manager Zhou, Qin Wan couldn’t quite figure him out. Though he handled all the arrangements during their journey, besides rising early, he never displayed any particular preferences. If he were merely a low-ranking guard, this wouldn’t be noteworthy, but Qin Yan’s attitude indicated his high status within the household. Despite having both the means and authority to indulge in preferences, he deliberately showed none.

This gave Qin Wan an inexplicable sense of his inscrutability…

“It’s already noon. I wonder where we’ll be staying tonight?” Suddenly, Qin Shuang appeared at Qin Wan’s side. The thirteen days of travel had left her somewhat thinner, which gave her face more definition and made her appear more attractive. Her question seemed directed at both Qin Wan and herself. When Qin Wan didn’t respond, she looked up at the sky instead. “The sky looks rather dark. I hope it won’t rain?”

She pulled her cape tighter around herself. “The weather is getting colder and colder.”

When Qin Wan still didn’t respond, Qin Shuang became slightly uncomfortable and muttered, “If it rains, we can’t stay anywhere too simple outside, or we’ll freeze to death.”

“At this time of year, it would be snow, not rain,” Qin Wan finally spoke.

Qin Shuang’s eyes immediately lit up as she looked at Qin Wan. “What? Snow?!”

Qin Wan couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. “It’s the right time for snow in October.”

Qin Shuang gazed at the sky with sparkling eyes, as if trying to spot the first snowflakes. “So it does snow this early in the north? Will it snow tonight?”

Having lived in Jinzhou all her life in the southern part of Great Zhou, Qin Shuang had only seen snow as tiny flakes that melted upon touching the ground. Qin Wan shook her head at Qin Shuang’s behavior. Though she had spent considerable time in the west and north with her father and enjoyed snowy days, she never anticipated snow as eagerly as Qin Shuang did, especially considering…

“If heavy snow falls, mountain travel becomes difficult, and we’ll move much slower.”

Before Qin Wan could mention that a blizzard might block the mountain passes entirely, preventing them from traveling at all, Qin Shuang just grinned. “So what if we move slower? I’ve never seen heavy snow before. Does it snow in the capital too?”

“Yes, the capital sees snow every year,” Qin Wan replied.

Qin Shuang sighed in relief. “That’s good then. If we don’t see it on the road, we can see it in the capital.”

As they spoke, Qin Wan noticed that the carriages had been loaded and the luggage secured, and Qin Yan was heading toward the teahouse. Soon, footsteps approached their private room.

With a creak, the door opened and Qin Yan entered. “Sisters, the carriages are ready. Let’s all board now. The sky is getting darker, and we need to hurry along.”

Qin Shuang acknowledged him, and Qin Wan turned to head downstairs. As Wan He helped Qin Xiang up, her face growing increasingly pale, Qin Yan hurried forward. “Fifth Sister, are you still feeling unwell?”

Qin Xiang shook her head. “It’s nothing, Third Brother. Let’s go.”

Qin Yan’s eyes filled with concern. “Are you sure?”

Qin Xiang straightened her back. “I’m sure. Don’t let me delay our journey. Let’s hurry.”

Qin Yan sighed, clearly worried. “Alright then. When we reach our resting place for the night, Fifth Sister can get proper rest.” He raised his hand to personally help Qin Xiang downstairs.

Qin Shuang and Qin Wan followed behind. Qin Shuang snorted, “Really now, refusing the medicine pouch only to act so delicate and weak. Who knows what she’s trying to accomplish.”

Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly, but she said nothing more as she followed them out of the teahouse and into her carriage.

As soon as Qin Wan boarded the carriage, she heard Zhou Huai’s voice outside.

“Young Lord, we’ve been delayed quite a while. We’ll need to move faster.”

Qin Yan acknowledged, “Alright, let’s speed up. The weather doesn’t look good—”

“Indeed, there will be heavy snow within two days.”

Zhou Huai spoke with absolute certainty before quickly walking toward the front.

Soon, the convoy began moving, noticeably faster than they had traveled south of the Yan River. The increased speed meant more jolting. Though Qin Wan and her companions rode in a sturdy, spacious carriage equipped with cushioned seats, hidden compartments, and even a small table—usually suitable for brewing tea—at their current speed, they dared not place anything on the table.

“Miss, heavy snow within two days?” Fuling leaned against the carriage wall, feeling somewhat queasy from the jolting.

Qin Wan shook her head, “I’m not certain either, but Manager Zhou seemed quite confident, so it must be true—”

Fuling sighed, “Sixth Young Miss was looking forward to snow, but once heavy snow falls, our journey will become much more difficult.”

Qin Wan nodded and turned to look at Wan Xing, who sat in the corner by the carriage door. The carriage floor was covered with thick wool rugs, and all three of them sat upon it. Fuling behaved as usual, as did Wan Xing, who had barely spoken throughout the journey. Qin Wan couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you from, Wan Xing?”

Wan Xing lowered her eyes respectfully, “This humble one was born in Yongzhou, but later was… sold to traders.”

Yongzhou lay north of Jinzhou, though still in the south. Qin Wan nodded, “Is your family still there?”

Wan Xing shook her head, “This servant doesn’t know. I haven’t had news of my family for many years…”

Hearing this, Qin Wan asked no more questions. She lifted the carriage curtain to look in the direction they were heading. Though it was shortly after noon, the sky was growing increasingly dark, with even darker clouds gathering. Their path led toward an endless stretch of blue-black mountain shadows—Cloud Mist Mountain.

Looking at those endless mountain shadows, Qin Wan’s heart sank slightly.

If they were traveling across plains, it would be different, but they were approaching the mountains. If heavy snow began falling now, even their sturdy carriages would struggle, and unlike Qin Yan and the others who could ride horseback, the three sisters and their maids had to remain in the carriages.

Qin Wan hoped they could clear Cloud Mist Mountain before the snow began, but after traveling just over ten li, the convoy suddenly slowed. She heard voices from the carriages ahead, and moments later, Qin Yan rode up to her carriage. “Ninth Sister, do you still have any of those medicine pouches?”

Qin Wan lifted the curtain, “Yes, what’s wrong, Third Brother?”

Qin Yan gave a bitter smile, “Fifth Sister has been sick again, and it looks quite serious.”

Qin Wan glanced at Wan Xing, who quickly handed over the medicine pouch. Qin Yan said “Thanks” before riding ahead. Inside the carriage, Fuling snorted softly, “What is Fifth Young Miss trying to prove? She refused it earlier when offered, but now has Young Lord come asking for it, making it seem as if Miss was unwilling to give it to her.” She peered out the window, “It seems Young Lord has slowed the convoy for her sake.”

Qin Wan felt concerned. She had studied the route map back to the capital, and at this reduced speed, they would barely reach the mountains by nightfall, with no chance of reaching their planned resting place. Though there were many villages in this area and they needn’t worry about finding themselves in complete wilderness, Qin Wan’s unease grew stronger, as if anticipating trouble.

After traveling for another hour, as the sky grew increasingly dark, Zhou Huai suddenly rode back a few paces and called out, “Young Lord, it seems we won’t make it to Guanyin Town—”

Qin Yan was riding near Qin Xiang’s carriage, just ahead of Qin Wan, who could hear the exchange.

Qin Yan replied, “If we can’t make it, we can’t make it. Let’s find a village to stay in tonight and continue tomorrow morning.”

Zhou Huai sighed, “Guanyin Town is the nearest bustling place to Jialing Crossing. Though it’s only a day’s journey to Yuanzhou City from here, that’s by fast horse—at our pace, it would take over two days.”

Qin Yan glanced into the carriage, “We don’t need a busy town. Let’s just find a village. If there’s no inn, we can ask to stay with a family—we can pay extra if needed.”

Zhou Huai nodded, “Young Lord, do you remember that village to the northwest we passed on our way here?”

Qin Yan thought for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, though we only saw it from afar, it seemed to have quite a few houses. Let’s head there—we should reach it before dark.”

Zhou Huai acknowledged and went to instruct the guards at the front. Qin Yan then rode back to inform Qin Wan and Qin Shuang. With no other choice, they headed toward the village Zhou Huai and Qin Yan had mentioned.

The sky grew increasingly dark as the lead guards turned onto a small path barely wider than the carriages, leaving the main road to Yuanzhou City. Fortunately, the path was relatively even, and though they moved slowly, they encountered no mishaps. By nightfall, Qin Wan could faintly see a cluster of dwellings in the distance through her carriage window.

Though visible across the mountain wilderness, it still took another half hour to reach the village. By then, the sky was completely black, without stars or moon, and a bitter cold wind had begun to blow. When the carriages finally entered the village, Qin Wan discovered it was considerably larger than expected.

The main street was well-maintained, lined on both sides with courtyards featuring black tile roofs and gray walls. Zhou Huai sent two guards to investigate, and they soon returned reporting, “Young Lord, Manager Zhou, we’ve checked the entire street. There’s only one rather dilapidated inn, and they only have three rooms left, with no food available.”

A run-down inn with only three rooms and no food…

Qin Yan frowned, “In that case, we’d be better off asking to stay at someone’s home.”

Zhou Huai nodded and, after a quick survey, approached one of the nearest residences. This household appeared quite prosperous within the village, and light leaked through the cracks of their gate.

After Zhou Huai knocked for a while, the door opened slightly, revealing an elderly man with graying hair. He only opened the door wide enough to fit a hand through, not even showing his full face, and cast a wary glance outside before asking, “What do you want?”

The old man’s tone was far from polite. Zhou Huai quickly bowed and explained their situation. After listening, the old man’s expression remained unchanged, and he looked them over before saying, “Our village doesn’t take in outsiders. You should leave quickly.”

With that, he slammed the door shut with a “thud,” followed by the sound of the bolt being drawn.

Zhou Huai’s brow furrowed, and Qin Yan looked displeased. “Never mind, let’s try further ahead.”

Zhou Huai agreed and moved forward. The three sisters remained in their carriages but could hear the exchange between Zhou Huai and the old man. Inside her carriage, Qin Wan frowned, sensing something wasn’t quite right—

Outside, Zhou Huai continued down the street, but every household had their doors firmly shut. Some houses showed light through the door cracks, but as soon as they approached, the lights would go out. Other homes were completely dark from the start. Zhou Huai’s frown deepened as he approached another large residence.

“Bang, bang, bang,” Zhou Huai knocked as before. Soon, footsteps approached the door.

The door remained closed, but a man’s voice called out, “Who is it?”

Zhou Huai explained their identity and purpose. The man behind the door paused before responding, “Our village doesn’t take in outsiders. Please leave.”

After speaking, the person behind the door ran away, and soon the previously lit residence went completely dark.

By now, Zhou Huai sensed something was wrong. He approached Qin Yan and said, “Young Lord, it seems the villagers are very wary of outsiders. Perhaps staying in homes isn’t appropriate—should we settle for the inn for one night? We have enough dry rations and food, so the lack of meals isn’t an issue. We’ll just have to trouble the three Young Misses to share quarters for the night.”

With only three rooms and over twenty guards and servants—and the carriages being unsuitable for sleeping in such cold weather—Qin Yan had no choice but to nod reluctantly. “Very well, lead the way to the inn.”

Upon his command, the convoy headed toward the inn the guards had mentioned. Half an incense stick’s time later, the carriages stopped in front of the inn. As Qin Wan stepped down from her carriage, her eyes fell on the nearly-falling signboard at the inn’s courtyard entrance.

“Changfu Inn?” Fuling read softly, then added, “It looks like it’s been open for over ten years.”

The carriages entered the courtyard one by one, and Qin Wan walked in as well. Though the inn occupied a large plot of land, the buildings were quite old, and instead of gray walls around the courtyard, there was only a wooden fence.

Qin Yan led the way inside while Zhou Huai arranged the carriages and horses outside. Soon, a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe emerged. He was extremely short, with dark skin and rough, yellow teeth. Seeing such a large group of visitors, his face nearly overflowed with smiles. “Welcome, honored guests, please come in—”

“So those two young men earlier were asking on behalf of the young master and young ladies!”

“Young Master’s bearing is extraordinary, and the young ladies are as beautiful as immortals. Might I ask if you’ve come from Yongzhou or Jinzhou?”

Leading Qin Yan and the others into the main hall, the middle-aged man never stopped talking. “I am Wei Changfu, the proprietor of this inn.”

Wei Changfu’s enthusiasm was a stark contrast to the earlier households’ attitudes, which made Qin Yan feel somewhat better. He first asked, “We heard you only have three rooms left. We need accommodation for everyone.”

Wei Changfu’s eyes darted about as he quickly proposed a solution. “Though we’re out of rooms, we have plenty of beds. The three young ladies can share one room, Young Master can have one, and for the rest of the men, I can clear out two storage rooms. If your men don’t mind cramping a bit, won’t that work? We have plenty of quilts, so no one will be cold.”

He called out, “Li Wang, Li Cai, take two beds to Room Three in the back!”

At his call, two simple-looking young men emerged from the dark space behind the high counter. They acknowledged the order and headed toward the back courtyard. Wei Changfu smiled, “These are the inn’s workers. Please wait a moment, Young Master, we’ll arrange everything to your satisfaction.”

Qin Yan nodded, “Just send the quilts to the servants.” He then instructed Fuling and the others, “Go get the food and fine bedding from the carriages to properly care for your Young Ladies.”

With these instructions, Wan Xing and Fuling headed out first.

Though Qin Yan was a Marquis’s heir, he was quite thoughtful about such matters. Seeing everyone standing around, Wei Changfu hurriedly said, “Young Master and Young Ladies, please sit down. Though we have no food, we do have tea—”

There were tables and seats in the main hall. Since they would need to wait a while, Qin Yan had Qin Wan and the others sit down. Qin Xiang still looked unwell. Though she had refused Qin Wan’s medicine pouch earlier in the day, she now clutched it tightly, occasionally bringing it to her nose to smell. Seeing her genuine discomfort, Qin Shuang said nothing and passed her a cup of the hot tea the innkeeper had served.

As soon as she sat down, Qin Wan frowned.

While standing, their line of sight had been level, but now seated, Qin Wan looked up and saw the hall’s ceiling. To her surprise, it was covered in colorful talismans painted with ink. The five-colored talismans gave off an inexplicably eerie feeling. Remembering the villagers’ attitudes earlier, Qin Wan’s unease grew stronger.

As they talked, Wei Changfu continued pouring tea while saying, “Young Master and Young Ladies, please don’t worry. Everything will be ready soon. I’ve run this inn for over ten years and have never had an unsatisfied guest.”

Qin Yan, being fastidious, held his teacup but didn’t drink. “If that’s so, why don’t you have any food prepared?”

At this question, Wei Changfu’s eyes flickered before he smiled bitterly. “Well… you see, now that winter’s here, fewer people travel this road to Yuanzhou City…”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed slightly. As Wei Changfu spoke, she took a sip of hot tea, waiting for the cold to leave her body before asking, “Innkeeper, why did you assume we came from Yongzhou or Jinzhou?”

Wei Changfu chuckled, “In our line of work, one must have sharp eyes… You three Young Ladies are too delicate to be from the north, and with so much luggage, you surely aren’t from nearby.”

As Qin Wan’s eyes shifted slightly, Qin Shuang eagerly asked, “Why do all the villagers say they don’t take in outsiders and want us to leave quickly?”

At this question, Wei Changfu’s eyes flickered even more rapidly. He coughed lightly, “Well…”

Seeing his hesitation, Qin Yan’s smile turned cold. “Innkeeper, since you’re so good at business, you shouldn’t hide things from us.” He pointed at the talismans on the ceiling. “What are those for?”

Knowing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Wei Changfu set down the teapot and smiled bitterly…

“I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare to deceive Young Master and the Young Ladies. This village is called Sanyuan Village. Earlier, there was a vast tea plantation below Goddess Peak to the northwest. Many people came here then—tea pickers, tea buyers, tourists—and my inn was quite busy. But later, for some unknown reason, the plantation owner stopped growing tea and closed down. Though the area became less busy, it wasn’t as desolate as now. But three months… no,” Wei Changfu tilted his head in thought before continuing, “not three months, half a year ago… several people in the village died…”

At the mention of deaths, Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang’s expressions changed immediately. Qin Shuang glanced at Qin Xiang, then at Qin Wan. Perhaps seeing Qin Wan’s composed demeanor gave her courage, as she moved from her seat to Qin Wan’s side. The hall’s tables all had long benches, and she sat close to Qin Wan, worried about Qin Wan’s reaction until she saw no response, then finally relaxed.

“People died?” Qin Yan frowned, particularly sensitive to such matters after recent events in the Qin household.

Wei Changfu nodded and sighed again. “Yes, and they were all young people. They had been healthy before, but in their final days, they suddenly developed pox. They saw the village doctor and were taking medicine, yet they still died. One or two people might have been unremarkable, but as more died, rumors spread. Some said Sanyuan Village was cursed, others claimed there was a plague. All sorts of stories circulated, and people from the surrounding area stopped coming entirely.”

He paused before continuing as if having opened up completely. “This news spread widely north of the Yan River. People from Yuanzhou wouldn’t dare come here, and visitors from other places dwindled. Many villagers believed the deaths were caused by too many outsiders bringing disease or misfortune, so they became increasingly hostile to visitors.”

“My inn now only serves occasional passing travelers. For protection, I invited a Taoist priest to perform rituals. Don’t underestimate these talismans, honored guests—I spent quite a lot of silver on them. So far, neither I nor any of my guests have had problems, so I believe the talismans are working…”

“You only mentioned deaths from half a year ago. What about after that?” Qin Wan asked.

At this question, Wei Changfu seemed relieved. “Many blamed the plague. Officials came, along with various folk doctors. Some said it wasn’t plague, others insisted it was. A couple more people died, but there was never a definitive conclusion. After the officials left, and the doctors and onlookers departed, two more people died four months ago…”

Wei Changfu’s words made everyone’s hearts jump, but then he continued, “However, this time, we finally discovered the cause. A doctor surnamed Sun came to the village and suddenly cured someone who was near death. Doctor Sun was revered as a minor bodhisattva and now lives below Goddess Peak to the west. Since his arrival, no one has died in the past two months, though everyone remains anxious and still believes outsiders bring misfortune.”

“Doctor Sun?” Qin Wan frowned slightly. “Do you know his full name?”

Wei Changfu shook his head. “How would I know? I’ve never even seen him, only heard about him. He’s rather peculiar—he makes his rounds every morning and never charges for medicine. When patients try to give him gifts in gratitude, he refuses everything. I heard he came from somewhere else to tend to his wife’s illness.”

Qin Wan asked no more questions, and Wei Changfu sighed as he continued, “Though the deaths have stopped, people still consider this village unlucky. Business keeps getting worse. To be honest, I haven’t seen this many guests in quite some time.”

“But didn’t you say you only had three rooms left?” Qin Yan asked.

The statement implied the inn was almost full.

Wei Changfu looked uncomfortable and smiled bitterly. “Originally, we had over ten guest rooms, but rooms need maintenance and staff. When visitors stopped coming, I had to let most of the staff go. Some rooms became storage, others were locked up. Now… now only four rooms are available for guests…”

Qin Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—it turned out the inn had only one other guest.

Wei Changfu rubbed his hands awkwardly and glanced toward the back courtyard, then frowned. “Come to think of it, the guest in Room One hasn’t returned yet. I wonder what he’s doing out so late.”

Qin Yan raised an eyebrow. “At this hour, he dares to go out?”

Wei Changfu grew uneasy at Qin Yan’s words. “Well… he’s also a young man. He’s stayed here two nights already, leaving early and returning late each day. I don’t know what he does.”

Since they were talking about a stranger, Qin Yan didn’t inquire further. Just then, Fuling came from the back courtyard saying, “Young Miss, the room is ready—”

Qin Yan stood up at this news. “Alright, I’ll escort you to rest.”

Wei Changfu quickly rose to see them off. “If anything is amiss, Young Master need only send someone to inform me.”

Qin Yan nodded and led the three sisters to the back. Soon they reached Room Three. He entered with them and, seeing the room properly prepared, turned and spoke quietly, “This village seems suspicious, and the innkeeper’s words can’t be fully trusted. We won’t stay long since we need to continue our journey. Rest well, and don’t be afraid—I’ll have men guarding outside. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning.” He paused, then added, “Also, don’t drink any more water here. I’m worried about the plague.”

Qin Shuang’s expression changed several times. “Third Brother thinks of everything. I also find it very strange. We should leave early.”

Qin Yan smiled at Qin Shuang, gave a few more instructions, and left. The table held food brought from their carriages, and besides the original bed, the newly moved-in beds, though smaller, were adequate. They were covered with clean brocade quilts the sisters had brought, making it far better than sleeping in the carriages.

“Come on, eat something and rest early.” Qin Shuang was the first to go for the pastries. As the servants busied themselves with the bedding, the room became livelier with more people. Though not hungry, Qin Wan ate a little, but Qin Xiang went straight to bed without eating anything. Shortly after, Qin Wan and Qin Shuang also went to bed, while Fuling and the others made pallets on the floor.

Though she didn’t show it, Qin Wan was exhausted from the journey.

As soon as her head touched the pillow, drowsiness overtook her, but her mind still dwelled on the strange happenings in Sanyuan Village.

While young people could die suddenly from illness without a clear cause, having several deaths simultaneously seemed too coincidental. And all developed pox—this reminded her of venereal disease, but that wouldn’t kill so quickly. If it were the plague, it wouldn’t be confined to such a small area. Then there was Doctor Sun—was his surname a coincidence or…

Qin Wan instinctively wanted to investigate, but she was too tired, and they would be leaving early tomorrow, leaving no time for deeper inquiry. Thus, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

She didn’t know how long she’d slept when, in her drowsy state, she suddenly heard commotion outside the door. Always alert, she instantly awoke. Listening carefully, she could indeed hear noise from the courtyard.

“How dare you! Speak—”

“Won’t confess? Do you know who you’re talking to?!”

“You’re not staying in the back—what were you doing there?!”

Qin Wan heard the Qin household guards’ angry shouts. Though she couldn’t hear the person being questioned, it seemed someone had sneaked in…

Qin Wan sat up immediately. She had slept in her clothes and only needed to put on an outer robe. Her movement woke the others, with Qin Shuang asking groggily, “What’s happening?!”

“Not sure yet, someone might have broken in.”

After this brief explanation, Qin Wan quickly donned her cape, preparing to investigate. Seeing this, Qin Shuang hurriedly put on her outer robe—throughout their journey, she had grown increasingly inclined to follow Qin Wan’s lead. Meanwhile, Qin Xiang, seemingly having recovered some energy, quickly dressed upon hearing about the intruder. Though they had guards outside, one couldn’t be too careful, especially given their stay in this mysterious village with an untrustworthy innkeeper.

Wan Xing lit a lamp, and seeing Qin Wan fixing her hair before heading out, she and Fuling followed.

The inn was single-storied, with their room at the very back, beyond Qin Yan’s and the servants’ quarters. Upon stepping outside, Qin Wan’s face stung from the bitter cold. She paused, first noticing the courtyard mysteriously covered in snow. She didn’t know the time, but the sky was pitch black. By the dim corridor lights, she could clearly see large snowflakes falling thickly—her heart sank!

Though the snow was only two fingers deep, watching the endless falling flakes, Qin Wan had no doubt this would be a major snowfall that would hinder their journey. Their greatest fear had come to pass.

“Ah, it’s snowing—” Qin Shuang exclaimed as she stepped out, seemingly forgetting the crisis as her drowsiness instantly vanished.

Qin Wan ignored her and headed toward the main hall where the noise was loudest. The snow fell heavily as bitter winds howled, making her instinctively pull her cape closer. As she approached, she realized the commotion wasn’t in the main hall but in front of Room One. Qin Yan stood with his back to her while several guards restrained someone—apparently a man, though Qin Yan blocked her view of his face.

Qin Wan hurried forward. “Third Brother, what’s wrong?”

Qin Yan turned, frowning slightly at seeing all the sisters out. “This person was caught sneaking toward your rooms at midnight. We don’t know what he intended, but he denies everything.”

Qin Wan frowned and stepped beside Qin Yan. In that instant, she saw the detained man’s face, and he saw her.

“Miss Qin! How can it be you!”