Even clutching the black dog’s fang, even with an expert beside him, Young Master Pei’s heart was still panicking.

“Are we there yet?”

Zhu Qing pointed: “Look quick, Master’s there.”

Young Master Pei lifted his umbrella and looked in the direction of his hand. His heartbeat suddenly fell out of rhythm.

This was the most absurd scene he’d ever witnessed—

On the high courtyard wall, Xie Zhifei sat with his legs dangling casually. Rather than looking like he was precariously perched on top of a wall, he looked like he was lounging lazily in a great armchair.

The key point—it was raining like a damn waterfall cave.

Young Master Pei charged over and cursed loudly: “Xie Fifty, have you lost your damn mind? Do you want to die? Get down here right now!”

Xie Zhifei slowly blinked his eyes and glanced at Young Master Pei.

That glance was cold and indifferent—even more unsettling than the one at the gate of Quiet Contemplation Residence.

Young Master Pei quickly pulled out the black dog’s fang and handed it to Zhu Qing. “Quick, quick, quick! Your master’s definitely been possessed by a ghost again. Hurry and stuff this in his hand.”

“Mingting.”

Xie Zhifei suddenly shouted loudly: “Have you ever seen a ghost?”

“…” Young Master Pei’s legs went weak.

“Have you ever seen someone who died come back to life?”

“…” Young Master Pei swayed unsteadily.

“Have you ever seen a person’s soul fall into another person’s body?”

Splash!

Young Master Pei’s bottom hit the water with a thud, and he wailed continuously.

“Zhu Qing, are you dead? Hurry up! Your master’s been possessed by more than one fierce ghost!”

“Nobody move. Let me stay here a while longer.”

Xie Zhifei bent one leg, his body slowly lying back. He pillowed his arms behind his head and slowly closed his eyes.

The rain hitting his face was indescribably painful, yet indescribably refreshing.

He remembered Yan Sanhe once said something to an old tree in the Xie household: What is fate? It can go roll aside.

People cannot escape their own fate.

Yan Xing couldn’t.

Wu Guanyue couldn’t.

He couldn’t either.

The gears of fate had rumbled into motion nine years ago, transferring him into Third Master Xie’s body. Nine years later, Huai You came.

Then did this mean that fate had thrown down a talisman for the Zheng family—a talisman called “salvation from desperate straits,” called “return from the dead,” called “fate decrees survival.”

It must be so.

Otherwise, heaven wouldn’t have let him live.

Then did this also mean that this talisman of salvation should be received by him and by her together, and then the two siblings would join forces to uncover the truth behind fate’s crushing of the Zheng family.

It must also be so.

Otherwise, heaven wouldn’t have sent her to his side.

Xie Zhifei’s eyes suddenly flew open. In those peach blossom eyes blazed brilliant light.

Young Master Pei’s heart clenched as he watched. He leaped up like a corpse reviving and rushed behind Zhu Qing, kicking him hard.

“Your master’s gone this crazy and you’re still waiting for what?”

Zhu Qing had long been unable to wait. His body lightened as he prepared to fly up.

Suddenly, the person on the wall flipped over and dropped down.

“Fifty?”

“Master?”

Amid the cries of alarm, Xie Zhifei landed steadily and placed his hand on Young Master Pei’s shoulder.

Young Master Pei was too frightened to move, trembling as he said: “Xie, Xie Fifty, we’re good brothers. If you want to suck blood, suck Zhu Qing’s—his blood is pure yang and clean.”

“What about yours?”

“Mine…”

The corner of Young Master Pei’s mouth twitched as he said with a crying face: “Mine’s been polluted by my Five Finger Mountain!”

“I like polluted.”

“Huh?”

The sinister eeriness between the man’s brows vanished completely. A smile showed at the corners of his eyes.

Young Master Pei suddenly reached out and slapped him across the face. “Xie Fifty, you bastard! You were pretending to be possessed to scare me!”

The slap landed solidly on his face. Along with the pain came a strange yet intense emotion.

Third Master hadn’t felt this way in a long time—as if a crack had torn open in these muddled, confused days, and light was pouring in.

The days ahead—I have something to look forward to now, Third Master thought.

“What about this place hooks you so?” Young Master Pei simply couldn’t understand why this fellow had to come here even in the pouring rain.

Xie Zhifei pointed: “See that tree?”

“What about it?”

“That’s a thousand-year tree spirit. There’s a beauty hidden inside. I came to have a tryst with her.”

Young Master Pei’s expression started looking wrong again.

“Don’t be afraid!”

Xie Zhifei patted him again: “The beauty said someone with your looks who’s been polluted by Five Finger Mountain—she doesn’t fancy you.”

Young Master Pei was silent for a long while before bellowing:

“Xie Fifty, get lost!”

…

Steward Xie waited anxiously at the gate. Seeing Third Master return from afar, he hurried over with an umbrella.

Getting closer and taking a look, Steward Xie nearly fainted—Third Master was dripping water from head to toe.

“My lord, if you fall ill from this, what will we do? Quick, quick, quick—prepare hot water!”

Xie Zhifei felt weak all over. “Where’s my father?”

“Master is still interrogating people in the study. Eldest Master is there too.”

“Then I won’t go. Have the small kitchen…”

Mid-sentence, Xie Zhifei suddenly came to his senses—what small kitchen was there? Everyone was being interrogated.

Steward Xie quickly said: “Third Master, what would you like to eat? This old servant will have the main kitchen prepare it.”

“Bring two dishes to go with wine.”

Xie Zhifei grabbed Pei Mingting’s hand tightly: “I want to drink a few cups with Young Master Pei.”

Young Master Pei shook off his hand. “Drink what? Sleep early tonight. Tomorrow’s the ritual ceremony—you have to get up early to kowtow.”

“Tomorrow’s my birthday. You won’t keep me company?”

This damn fellow was acting coy again!

“Fine, fine, fine—I’ll keep you company. Let’s agree first—only three cups.”

Three cups?

Not enough!

Xie Zhifei quietly looked toward Quiet Contemplation Residence. He wanted to drink until thoroughly drunk.

…

One torrential rainstorm completely extinguished the last bit of coolness from late summer.

When Yan Sanhe woke from sleep, although the red swollen welts on her body hadn’t completely subsided, the itching had lessened considerably.

“Buyan?”

Hearing the sound, Li Buyan jumped up from the bamboo couch and walked to the bedside, her face tense: “How are you?”

“Still alive.”

Yan Sanhe pointed at Tangyuan slumped by the bed, using her eyes to ask Li Buyan what was going on.

Li Buyan shook her head: “She’s been sleeping all night. Can’t wake her no matter how we try—sleeping like a pig.”

Just then, Tangyuan propped herself up against the bed and sat up, rubbing her eyes, momentarily unable to distinguish east from west, south from north.

“Finally awake—not easy.”

Li Buyan lifted Tangyuan up: “Go do your work. Close the door—Sanhe and I have things to discuss.”

Tangyuan wanted to mention that last night she seemed to have seen Third Master, but seeing Li Buyan’s expression, she got scared and swallowed the words back down.

Once she left, Li Buyan spoke crisply and efficiently: “The Madam’s quarters and the small kitchen have both been interrogated. I hear the matter may have some connection to Aunt Liu…”

Yan Sanhe waved her hand, signaling her not to continue.

“Don’t want to hear it?”

“Don’t want to hear a single word!”

Yan Sanhe sat up: “Go rent a residence outside—doesn’t need to be big. Two courtyards in, two courtyards out will do.”

Hearing they were moving out, Li Buyan was overjoyed.

“No need to rent—let’s just buy a two-courtyard residence. And buy a few servants—one for laundry, one for cooking, one for cleaning, one to guard the house, plus Tangyuan to serve you. That’s enough.”

Yan Sanhe: “Money’s sufficient?”

Li Buyan winked: “More than sufficient.”

Yan Sanhe always deferred to Li Buyan on such mundane matters. “Fine, you decide.”

“She doesn’t get to decide!”

Third Master Xie’s voice rang out from outside the window.