Jiangche went to inspect the West Lake Warm Pavilion that the women had mentioned for any abnormalities. Lang Jiuchuan waited until the duration of the needles had elapsed, removed them, and drew a shock-calming, soul-settling talisman on the woman’s forehead.

“In a little while, the soaking bath should not exceed a quarter of an hour before you rise. After that, you may observe your postpartum confinement as normal. Do not trouble your spirit with worry — there is nothing seriously wrong with you anymore.”

Ning Shi felt a warmth spreading through her body, and her complexion looked much better. She asked, “Miss Ajiu, and my child?”

“He is also fine — simply nurse him well,” Lang Jiuchuan said. “Once the full month is complete, go to a temple or Daoist shrine and donate some lamp oil, or give some money and goods to a charity hall. That will serve as both an offering of gratitude to the gods and an accumulation of good fortune.”

Ning Shi committed this to memory and said solemnly, “I am deeply grateful to you for all of this. My child and I will keep it in our hearts forever.”

“It was nothing difficult.” Lang Jiuchuan turned to look at Madam Ou and said, “Let us go take a look at the West Lake Warm Pavilion. If there is nothing more to be done there, I will take my leave and return to the residence. Whenever you have made up your minds, come find me there.”

Madam Ou felt a pang in her heart and listlessly murmured her agreement.

Ning Shi noticed that her mother-in-law’s expression was off but was tactful enough not to ask further. She only glanced at Nanny Wei, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Lang Jiuchuan walked out of the bedchamber. The imperial physician summoned by the eldest young master of the Ou Family had long been waiting. Ou Luozhong and the others, seeing her emerge, asked anxiously, “How is she?”

“She is fine now. If you wish to take her pulse again, you will have to wait a while — she still needs to bathe.” Lang Jiuchuan said. “Beyond that, I need to go to the warm pavilion in your residence…”

She had only said half her words when Jiangche suddenly cried out from the Spirit Platform: “Come quickly! I’ve found something strange here!”

Lang Jiuchuan immediately headed outside. Ou Luozhong and the others, seeing this, hurriedly followed. Even Ning Dasun said nothing about wanting to visit his daughter — after all, she still needed to bathe, so it was not appropriate to go in. He might as well watch to see what other remarkable things this young girl was capable of.

The eldest young master of the Ou Family saw the imperial physician’s face turning green and quickly put on a placating smile. “Imperial Physician Chen, why don’t you sit down for some tea first? It’s a pre-rain green from a hundred-year-old tree — only my younger brother’s courtyard has any of it.”

Imperial Physician Chen: “……”

It was not surprising, really. General Ning had only one daughter. When she married, her family had been so eager that they nearly emptied the entire General’s Residence to give as her dowry. What fine thing would they not have sent over?

But what on earth was that young woman doing earlier? He had heard them say she was performing acupuncture. With her?

The Ou Family must have truly been driven to desperation — what nonsense they would swallow.

Hmm, but this tea truly is excellent. If I must wait, I shall wait — and help myself to more.

The warm pavilion of the Ou Family was a water pavilion. Its surroundings were much like those of the Marquis Kaiping’s residence — the scenery was serene and tranquil. Perhaps owing to the Ou Family’s literary sensibilities, the décor was also more refined.

By now dusk had descended. The crescent moon of winter had appeared early, hanging above the lake in the sky, shifting in and out of view. Across the lake’s surface, which was sealed beneath a thin layer of ice, great swaths of mist rose upward, rendering the entire scene as fantastical as a realm of immortals.

The water pavilion was built at the water’s edge and sealed with glazed windows. In winter, the windows could be shut and the underfloor heating channels opened, making it a warm pavilion. In summer, it could be thrown open — cool breeze, cold water, an ideal spot for enjoying the view.

Lang Jiuchuan surveyed the area, her gaze settling on the underside of the pavilion. Something was there — Jiangche was crouched there too, looking rather excited.

“Come, come! I’ve found something wonderful. It’s a little repulsive, but absolutely wonderful — I swear it on my several hundred years of cultivation.”

Jiangche spun in excited circles. The aura emanating from beneath the water felt faintly familiar to it.

Lang Jiuchuan studied the orientation and structure of the water pavilion, then asked Ou Luozhong, “Was this water pavilion purposely built after having a geomancer examine the feng shui?”

“Ah?” Ou Luozhong said. “I don’t know — it was a gift from the imperial household. I painted a picture and presented it, and this estate was bestowed upon me in return. I’ve lived here over a decade now. Why — is there something wrong with this water pavilion?”

No wonder. It had been an imperial gift, so it had likely once been the residence of some noble personage and had been deliberately surveyed for feng shui.

“Nothing is wrong with it. The water pavilion was built at the water’s edge, and its orientation and positioning correspond to the mutual generation of the five elements, carrying the auspicious meaning of wind rising and water flourishing,” Lang Jiuchuan said.

Ou Luozhong let out a breath of relief. “But according to what my wife said, today’s misfortune began right here at this pavilion. I was already considering tearing it down and rebuilding.”

“Today’s misfortune does not lie in the water pavilion itself, but in what is buried beneath it.” Lang Jiuchuan shook her head.

What?

Everyone’s eyes snapped simultaneously toward the pavilion. What secrets lay within?

Lang Jiuchuan walked to the edge of the water pavilion and gazed at a current of malevolent energy circling across the thin surface of ice.

It was one of the pavilion’s supporting columns. She turned to Ning Dasun and said, “Old General, your martial skills are exceptional. Would you be willing to help me dig up whatever is beneath this column?”

“What difficulty is that?” Ning Dasun rolled up his sleeves and kicked off his shoes, preparing to enter the water — but Lang Jiuchuan stopped him. She drew out a sheet of yellow paper from her sleeve, then produced cinnabar ink, dipped the talisman brush, and drew a malevolence-repelling thunder-fire talisman. She blew it dry, folded it, and handed it over.

“That object carries a yin malevolent aura. This talisman can ward off malevolence and guard against cold. Old General, if you keep it on your person, you will not be corroded by that yin-chill aura. I trouble you.”

Ning Dasun gave an appreciative sound. “Then it is the old man who gains from this!”

Fearing it might get wet, he deliberately tucked the talisman inside the deerskin hat atop his head. And indeed — a warm, snug sensation arose immediately. He waded in without delay. The pavilion had been built close to the bank, so even though its supporting columns were in the water, the depth came only to just above his knees.

Following Lang Jiuchuan’s instructions, he groped about in the icy lake water. He could sense an extremely yin aura surging toward him — and then scattering away.

Cold it certainly was, but perhaps not as cold as he had imagined.

Ning Dasun’s hand suddenly struck something. He paused, then pulled the object out and looked at it in the last light of dusk. A small pagoda?

“Is this it?”

Lang Jiuchuan recognized the familiar aura of resentful malevolence emanating from the small pagoda, which was black from top to bottom — it was the remnant energy of that ghost mother-and-child pair. “That’s it,” she said.

Ning Dasun climbed ashore, cradling the small pagoda. “What is this? How could such an object end up in the water?”

Ou Luozhong’s expression changed entirely. “What is this pagoda for? When did the pavilion come to have such a thing — it looks utterly sinister.”

“Don’t touch it!”

Before Lang Jiuchuan could even deliver her warning, Ou Luozhong had already impulsively laid a hand on it. The malevolent energy coiled up his arm, and he let out a cry and staggered back several steps, his entire body seized by a violent shudder.

So cold.

Lang Jiuchuan sighed inwardly. She first applied a yellow malevolence-suppressing, evil-vanquishing talisman to him, then took the small pagoda from Ning Dasun. The ferocious resentful energy coiled up over her hand — she formed a hand seal, sent a spell surging into it, and the malevolent energy scattered.

“It is the Seven-Star Vajra Pagoda. If I am not mistaken, this should be the greatest treasure of the Ten-Thousand Luo Ancient Temple from five hundred years ago — the temple’s sacred relic.” Jiangche crowded in eagerly. “Don’t let its current state fool you, fouled as it is by resentful malevolent aura. Its true nature is that of a dharma instrument for anchoring and nurturing souls — the personal protective dharma instrument of Master Luole of the Ten-Thousand Luo Ancient Temple. That master was a great practitioner of both Buddhist and Daoist cultivation. After his death, his mortal body even produced relics.”

It eyed the Vajra Pagoda covetously. “This is a true sacred vessel! It drifted through ages of time into the mortal world, only to fall into the hands of some wretched fool who did not use it for righteous purposes but instead used it to drive and refine malevolent ghosts, defiling the instrument outright. If Master Luole could perceive this from the afterlife, he would likely be furious enough to descend to the mortal realm and strike that wretch dead.”

“How did you recognize it?”

“Because back when I was just a tiny little tiger cub, I personally watched Master Luole use it to suppress a malevolent ghost.” Jiangche said. “Lang Jiu, if you purge it of its malevolent aura and re-consecrate it, it will become our sacred vessel for nurturing souls!”

Lang Jiuchuan was overjoyed in her heart. This journey was not wasted cultivation — this object has a karmic affinity with me. It is mine now.