By the time Cui Shi and the others arrived at Shoukang Hall, all the household’s members, great and small, had already gathered. At the sight of the two of them, everyone fell quiet for a moment, then rose to offer their greetings.

“Second Aunt has arrived — you were all we were waiting for,” said Wu Shi with a warm smile, stepping forward to help her.

Cui Shi gave a slight curve of her lips and came before the old matriarch, sinking onto the cushion a servant had placed, and bowed in a proper, respectful greeting.

Lang Jiuchuan also knelt to the ground and presented the old matriarch with a full bow of salutation.

“Rise, rise, quickly now.” The old matriarch was delighted to see them, and looking toward Lang Jiuchuan, she beckoned warmly: “Come here, my darling — come to me.”

Not far away, Lang Cailing pursed her lips. Of all the children in the room — even Big Sister-in-law’s Jingxuan had never warranted a “my darling” from the old matriarch.

Lang Jiuchuan walked over and was drawn into the old matriarch’s embrace. The old lady smiled, reached into the fruit dish on the low table, and pressed a large tangerine into her hands. “Great fortune and great blessing.”

“May Grandmother’s auspicious words be so.” Lang Jiuchuan looked up, warmth flickering in her eyes.

The old matriarch’s gaze fell on her eyes, and her smile faltered. Her own eyes reddened. “Zhengfan — my son.”

The color shifted in everyone’s faces. This was trouble — she was thinking of the departed Lang Zhengfan again.

Chen Yiniang gave Lang Caiyi a quiet nudge. “Go quickly and comfort your grandmother.”

Madam Fan caught the motion from the corner of her eye, and contempt passed through her gaze. Surely those two siblings had not gone and caused some trouble and been punished, and were still harboring fantasies of being adopted into the Second Branch?

Cui Shi also noted Chen Yiniang’s gesture, her eyes cooling. She lifted her teacup and took a quiet sip.

The old matriarch, clutching Lang Jiuchuan’s hand, wept softly. The others crowded forward to comfort her, but she kept her gaze fixed on Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes, tears streaming steadily down her face.

“Ninth younger sister.” Lang Caimeng looked toward Lang Jiuchuan with a trace of urgency.

Lang Jiuchuan took the old matriarch’s hand in both of hers and said: “Don’t cry — if you stop crying, I’ll show you a trick.”

The old matriarch’s weeping cut off. She looked at her with the wide, expectant eyes of a child, and gave a small, wondering sound.

The whole room went quiet.

Lang Jiuchuan drew a sheet of yellow paper from her sleeve, had Nanny Wang pass her a pair of scissors, and cut two exquisitely shaped little paper figures. She held them up and displayed them before the old matriarch.

Then she pressed her two hands together, enclosing the figures — while inwardly reciting a technique, channeling a breath of spirit through the center of her palm. She opened her hands and said: “Please, Grandmother, bestow your blessing.”

The old matriarch was thoroughly intrigued.

But at Lang Jiuchuan’s prompting, she extended a finger and lightly tapped each paper figure on the head.

Quite a few of those present were rather skeptical. This was treating the old matriarch like a credulous elderly child — making a mystery out of nothing.

But in the next instant, the entire room was stunned.

For after the old matriarch’s touch upon the paper figures’ heads, those two small figures came to life.

They swayed and wobbled upright from Lang Jiuchuan’s palm, then nimbly turned a somersault, landed on the low table, and faced the old matriarch — and knelt, heads bowing to the ground in a kowtow.

“Oh!” The old matriarch stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Everyone’s faces showed the same astonishment, all eyes turning to Lang Jiuchuan. Was this really just a trick?

Lang Jiuchuan sat quietly and said: “Show Grandmother a martial performance.”

The two little paper figures seemed to understand the command. They immediately assumed their stances, and on the surface of the low table, the tips of their feet lightly touched the wood as they leapt into the air, kicking and striking each other.

“Wow!” Lang Caizhao pushed through the crowd and pressed to the front, jaw dropping as she watched those two small figures. They were genuinely cut from paper — and genuinely fighting, just like a shadow puppet show.

And yet unlike any shadow puppet show they had ever seen — because a true shadow puppet performance required a lamp, a screen, and a puppeteer working the strings. But these paper figures were moving as though alive, with no one performing them at all.

Was this really just a trick?

How was it so uncannily strange!

My — outshone by the ninth young lady again.

The whole room watched, utterly transfixed. Lang Zhengping caught Lang Jiuchuan’s eye and rose, slipping into the side chamber next door. Cui Shi noticed and followed — clearly those two had the matter of the calamity to discuss.

Indeed, once they were seated, Lang Zhengping came to the point. “Your mother and I discussed it — without concrete evidence in hand, we would not mention the possibility that it might be connected to you, for fear of making the situation even harder to manage. But with the Gong Family here to help, all this hedging and concealing on our part seems… what do you think?”

Cui Shi was startled by the tone Lang Zhengping used when addressing Lang Jiuchuan. It was nothing like his usual manner with the young people of the household — none of that measured, unyielding gravity of a family head or senior. Instead, it was as though he were consulting her — as an equal. Whether this was out of regard for his late brother and a wish to look after the child accordingly, or whether it was because of the abilities she had displayed, which had made him unwilling to dismiss her — or perhaps it was the people she had come to associate with, people he dared not lightly disregard.

Cui Shi’s feelings were tangled. This child she had overlooked and cast aside had, in such a short time, already drawn the notice and regard of the family’s head. Was that a blessing — or a misfortune?

“Whether this is connected to me or not, it truly cannot be said without evidence — so there is no need to say anything.” Lang Jiuchuan replied. “As for the Gong Family’s people — the household has nothing to ask their help with, so they will not linger long. Treat them well as guests, and when they are ready to leave, prepare an appropriate parting gift. That is all.”

“That is my thinking as well. But then — do we simply let the matter of the calamity go uninvestigated?” Lang Zhengping looked at her. “And moreover, if it is connected to you — how could a disaster of this scale have reached you? You have been living on the country estate all this time — how could you have provoked the Xuan Clan? Could there not be some mistake?”

“I hope it is a mistake. I have people quietly looking into it. Do not concern yourselves too much — simply observe the mourning period within the household.”

Lang Jiuchuan did not explain how she had drawn the disaster. Should she say she had borrowed a body and was seeking revenge for the original soul? There was no need for that.

At least not yet.

Lang Zhengping noticed her manner of seeming to want to keep herself separate from the household, and frowned. “Ninth Young Lady — you are also a daughter of the Lang Family. Where your safety is concerned, we cannot simply stand apart. No matter what grievances you carry toward this family, no matter how little you feel you belong here — you must not act rashly in this matter.”

Lang Jiuchuan was momentarily taken aback, then said: “Then I would be grateful if you could pass along whatever your earlier investigations have turned up. The rest, I will weigh and judge myself.”

Only then was Lang Zhengping satisfied.

“Also — tomorrow is the first day of the new year. I need to leave the estate for a time and travel to Huguo Temple. I may be away for two days.”

Cui Shi raised her head.

Lang Zhengping said: “Are you going to light a lamp for your father?”

Lang Jiuchuan’s brow lifted slightly.

“Your mother has a longevity tablet kept at Huguo Temple for your father. Every year on the first day of the new year, she goes to light an eternal flame for him.” Lang Zhengping said. “It would be good for you to go as well — you have only just returned to the household, and lighting a lamp for your father is only right.”

What a coincidence.

Lang Jiuchuan saw the grief and longing on Cui Shi’s face and nodded in agreement.

Then — her expression shifted. She shot to her feet.

Cui Shi and the others saw her expression and were taken aback. What had happened?

Before they could ask, from somewhere deep within the estate, a thunderous boom rang out.

Crack!

Like something had been blasted apart.

“It’s those two martial brothers from the Gong Family — they used a Heavenly Thunder Talisman,” Jiangche transmitted from within the Spirit Terrace. “No — something is wrong. They have engaged several ghost entities.”