The carriage collided with a person. The horse was startled and let out a shrill neigh, then was reined to an abrupt stop by the driver. The carriage shuddered violently.

Lang Jiuchuan steadied herself with one hand against the carriage wall, not the least bit flustered. “What happened?”

The driver said nothing, but Lin Feng — the guard sent by Zuo Yan to attend Lang Jiuchuan — spoke instead: “There is no need to be alarmed, Master. Someone ran out and collided with our carriage. That is all.”

Perhaps owing to his employer’s status, his tone carried not a trace of panic at having struck someone — and besides, the other party had come hurtling toward them of his own accord. It was hardly as if they had deliberately run him down.

Lang Jiuchuan asked nothing further, but very shortly, she heard a voice — unfamiliar, yet somehow faintly familiar — and she couldn’t help but lift the front curtain and look out.

“This poor Daoist hails from the Maoshan Sect, and is presently retained as a hired practitioner by the Feng Family — skilled in catching ghosts and fighting demons alike. You’d do well to ask around: would a practitioner known as Daoist Yice ever deceive you?” the voice rang out loudly. “Dark clouds gather above your celestial court, yin energy coils around your body — it is plain as day that a ghost has attached itself to you. If this ghost is not dealt with, you will surely die.”

“You cursed charlatan — I carry a ritual implement of the Rong Family on my person. What demon or ghost would dare come near me? Get lost! If you don’t clear off, I’ll beat you to death!” came another voice — arrogant and furious.

Lang Jiuchuan lifted the curtain and looked out. Sure enough, there was Daoist Yice in his patched Daoist robe, flat on the ground. His face had clearly been struck. His hair bun had come undone, and various items had spilled out from his bag. His robes were coated in dust.

She clicked her tongue and said, “Go around them, or take a different route.”

She was about to let the curtain fall when Yice spotted her with sharp eyes. His gaze lit up immediately. “Ah — you don’t believe me? Then ask her! She too is someone who walks the path of cultivation. Her attainment compared to mine — well, it exceeds mine by just a hair, so one might say she is more or less my equal.”

Lang Jiuchuan flung the curtain shut. “Move quickly!”

The driver immediately spurred the horse — but Yice was nimble. With one bound he was on his feet, leapt to the rear of the carriage, pulled open the door, and peered in at Lang Jiuchuan with gleaming eyes. “Fellow Daoist Qingyi! What a coincidence — we truly are fated to meet!”

Indeed. Fated by misfortune.

Yice pretended not to notice the contempt in her gaze and said, “Come, give that fellow a word of guidance. He clearly has disaster hanging over him and yet refuses to believe me. Give him a demonstration of what’s what.”

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyelid twitched.

This Maoshan Daoist was truly insufferable.

The young men dressed as idle dandies had already walked over. One of them had a bluish complexion and dark shadows under his eyes, dark clouds pressing above his head — he was unmistakably wrapped in yin energy.

At his waist hung a green jade talisman, but by now it had been stained with gloomy, bloody energy and had turned black — its spiritual power entirely spent.

It had been an ordinary-quality protective jade talisman to begin with, and now that it had been contaminated with yin-stained blood, it was useless.

“Will you say it or not? Did I get it right?” Yice was still pestering her.

The young man glared at Lang Jiuchuan with a dark expression. “Are you two working together?”

“I don’t know him. I’m just passing by,” Lang Jiuchuan said plainly. “That said, he’s not wrong. You do have misfortune clinging to you. The jade talisman at your waist has had its protective patterns broken — it has lost its efficacy. If you don’t want to die, find someone to deal with it soon.”

Having said that, she paid no attention to whatever expression crossed the man’s face, dropped the curtain, and gave the carriage wall a tap to keep moving.

Jiangche lifted one corner of the curtain and peered at Yice, who was now boasting triumphantly about something, and said, “This Maoshan Daoist seems to have a screw loose. Is he truly the Feng Family’s retained practitioner, and not their enemy? He invokes the Feng Family in every other sentence — the way he carries on, he actually looks more like he’s tarnishing the Feng Family’s name.”

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes darkened slightly. She closed them. “Never mind him. He’s no concern of ours. Less meddling.”

But not long after, Lin Feng’s voice came from the driver’s bench: “Master — that Daoist is chasing the carriage on foot.”

Lang Jiuchuan’s face darkened. “Drive faster. Don’t mind him.”

The horse broke into a full gallop.

By the time they arrived at Tongtian Pavilion, Lang Jiuchuan looked at Daoist Yice — collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath — and felt a vein jump at her temple more than once.

A stubborn burr. He would not be shaken loose.

“Why are you following me?” Lang Jiuchuan gritted her teeth. “Didn’t you say you were going to catch a ghost and drive out evil for that young man?”

“Your carriage ran into me and you haven’t paid for it yet. As for that fellow — he doesn’t believe me, and Buddha does not save fools. Let him do whatever he likes.” Yice wheezed and let out a belch. The running had nearly been the death of him.

“You belong to the Daoist school.”

“Same difference. The patriarchs certainly don’t bother saving fools either. He’ll come looking for me sooner or later — and if not me, then he’ll come looking for you. I already gave him the address of your shop.” Yice grinned cheerfully. “Fellow Daoist, wasn’t that generous of me? I’m drumming up business for you!”

Lang Jiuchuan had Lin Feng hand over money for compensation, then shot Yice a glare. “Don’t follow me inside. If you do, I’ll make you regret it.”

Yice: “…”

He tilted his head back and still followed — but when he caught sight of Tongtian Pavilion’s signboard, he hesitated. This place — whoever walked in might have to walk back out with nothing left to their name. What was she going in for?

Lin Feng handed Yice a coin purse and said, “Take it and go.”

Yice accepted it without ceremony and stuffed it into his robe, then said, “Young man, I can see that your star of romantic fate is stirring — you have a romantic encounter ahead. But it is not a proper union. Stay well away from women, or you may find yourself losing both your person and your purse.”

Lin Feng: “!”

Yice edged a little closer and asked in a low voice, “What’s Fellow Daoist Qingyi going in there for?”

“None of your business. Scram!” Lin Feng drew his scabbard out partway.

Yice jumped back and crouched against the wall in the corner. “This poor Daoist calculates that she will have use for me. I’ll wait here — I won’t be in the way.”

A’Piao came out to receive Lang Jiuchuan, then glanced toward the figure crouching outside in his poverty-stricken state, and said, “Who’s that scoundrel-looking fellow? Why is he following you?”

“Don’t bother with a stubborn burr,” said Lang Jiuchuan. Then, noticing that A’Piao’s spirit seemed depleted, she asked, “What’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve lost your very soul.”

A’Piao said, “A little friend of mine has gone missing. I’ve searched all over and can’t find him. You’ve come at just the right time — help me look.”

Lang Jiuchuan was somewhat surprised. “A living person?”

A’Piao nodded. “You see that Miaoliu House across the street? Their roast chicken is exceptional. The one who’s gone missing is the proprietor’s youngest daughter — only twelve years old this year, pretty as a carved jade doll. She’s been missing for three days. I’ve searched everywhere with no trace.”

“Give me her birth date and hour for a divination.” Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes swept around, and she said, “Since you’re asking me, there will be a divination fee — and I won’t ask for silver. Just convert it into materials, would you?”

A’Piao’s face went dark. “Are we friends or not? I never thought you’d be like this!”

“Divination and fortune-reading is peering into Heaven’s secrets — how could there be no fee? Business is business.” Lang Jiuchuan said. “I won’t ask for much. Just a few things — Lingering Life Fruit, Black Jade Tendon Restoration Liquid, Celestial Tablet Stone, White Jade Grass…”

Watching A’Piao’s face grow progressively darker, even Jiangche could bear it no longer. He leapt forward and tugged at Lang Jiuchuan’s sleeve. “Even a lion opening its mouth wide should know some measure — that’s enough. I’m afraid you won’t be able to set foot in Tongtian Pavilion again.”

Greed leads to poverty. Were any of those things even for breaking the curse? They were plainly for her own benefit!