Prophetic texts are predictions of heavenly mandate.

From the Qin dynasty examples like “Afang, Afang, perish First Emperor” and “Great Chu rises, Chen Sheng becomes king,” to recent ones represented by “Yang flowers fall, Li flowers flourish” and “Female ruler prospers, replaces the realm”—these strange sentences circulate in the form of folk ballads, children’s songs, and riddles, serving as forewarnings of heavenly will in the mortal world. Those favorable to rulers are called “heavenly mandate,” while those harmful to rule are deemed “demonic words that bewitch the masses.”

Divine right of kings, unity of heaven and humanity—a monarch’s legitimate rule comes from heavenly mandate. These ballads represent heavenly will and have enormous influence on political situations, so naturally many lawless elements fabricate prophecies from thin air, attempting to alter heavenly mandate to achieve treasonous goals of dynastic change.

All dynasties have been extremely vigilant about this, adopting severely prohibitive attitudes. Collecting prophetic texts is like privately storing armor—both are the greatest taboos that will result in the court exterminating entire households and punishing associates and clans.

Years ago, Prince Shao Li Yuanying was attacked by political enemies using an ancient prophecy “string removes center straight, transmits the realm,” causing father-son estrangement and ultimate banishment to the frontier, never to return to Chang’an.

Bao Zhu was therefore especially vigilant. After obtaining this book and briefly flipping through it, she saw unclear riddle-ballads like “crimson-robed child sits in the main hall,” “person meets mountain ghost below, circle above tied with silk garments,” and “geese fly in threes, beauty returns, plain face in imperial carriage seizes spring’s radiance,” plus many inexplicable celestial diagrams. She guessed this was a prophetic text book most taboo to the court.

This thing was wrapped in waterproof oiled paper and hidden on a rooftop no one climbed. If reported to officials for household raids and searches, the entire Xiao clan would be executed. The method was sinister, the intent vicious—more venomous than snakes, scorpions, tigers, or wolves. If she hadn’t coincidentally sent Huo Qi up to search for the iron rods Wei Xun had thrown, no one would have discovered this thing hidden in the house. It could only be called great fortune within misfortune.

After dismissing others, Bao Zhu showed this book to Xiao Shilian. He immediately collapsed limply to the ground, mouth askew and eyes crooked, unable even to stand.

Though Xiao Ren had never seen such calamitous objects, she had heard of their power. Her originally cold expression turned to terror, her hands trembling beneath her sleeves. Since Xiao Shilian had already fallen, she barely maintained her responsibility as household manager, not daring to faint.

Bao Zhu said gravely, “This is no longer a simple matter of the bride’s ownership. Your enemies want your entire family to die horribly. Madam Xiao, you must tell me everything about household affairs in complete detail without the slightest concealment, or I cannot help you.”

Xiao Ren swallowed and forced herself to nod calmly.

Bao Zhu asked, “Did Xiao Ran herself want this remarriage?”

Xiao Ren lowered her head, twisting her clothing ties with both hands, saying softly, “She just accepted it calmly—neither objecting nor appearing very happy, probably afraid of making me sad. After returning home this time, her personality differs from before. She no longer tells me everything. I… though I was jealous of her before, I’ve come to terms with it now.”

Bao Zhu pressed, “Why have you come to terms with it?”

“Because marriage brings no benefits. A-ran never had children after marrying into the Lu family. I heard her parents-in-law treated her harshly, and her weak, sickly husband also blamed her for poor care, saying she was fated to bring misfortune to husbands. Staying home, at least I have a room of my own.”

Xiao Ren paused, then continued, “The closer the wedding approached, the more dejected A-ran became. I suspect she truly didn’t want to marry the Pang family young master. Perhaps there was some affection in childhood, but now that man is disabled and a famous wastrel without learning or skills. I saw her hiding a paper slip in her makeup box with poetry expressing this sentiment.

Women’s marriage matters are never up to themselves. Even if she was unwilling, she couldn’t defy father’s and elder brother’s wishes. Our family… our family has truly reached desperate straits. We couldn’t even afford winter charcoal. We really needed this betrothal gift to continue. I feel very sorry for her.”

Xiao Shilian came to his senses but couldn’t speak a complete sentence, crawling over to try touching Bao Zhu’s boots. She kicked him aside.

She thought none of the men in this household were decent. Xiao Ran had talent for official service but no qualification to take imperial examinations; Xiao Ren had household management ability but no status to earn money outside. In this generation of the Xiao clan, the two capable people were both women who wouldn’t be recorded in genealogies—no wonder this family declined irretrievably.

Xiao Ren raised her head, saying with determined eyes, “If A-ran insists on refusing marriage, I’ll find ways to support her. Though she appears tranquil now, she was actually very mischievous as a child, often climbing walls to go out and play. Otherwise she wouldn’t have become acquainted with the Pang family young master.”

Bao Zhu suddenly understood—perhaps Xiao Ren suspected her sister had escaped marriage, so she acted coldly, not caring about incidents at the wedding, leaving her a way out.

She asked, “Did anything unusual happen on the wedding day?”

Xiao Ren said, “Too many relatives came that day. I was busy receiving them and didn’t pay special attention to A-ran’s side. There was one strange small matter though: the Pang family sent a female groomsman. I arranged for her to accompany A-ran, but after the groom recited the makeup-urging poem and A-ran came out of her boudoir, that female groomsman wasn’t seen following. Fortunately, I had arranged sisters-in-law on my side to follow the bridal carriage.”

Bao Zhu asked about that female groomsman’s appearance and build, already forming plans in her mind.

Since prophetic texts were discovered at the Xiao family, the other family couldn’t escape either. She tucked the forbidden book in her bosom, instructed Xiao Ren to close the doors and search thoroughly again, then took Huo Qi Lang and the others back to the Pang residence.

Qiu Ren was still searching for traces of the drugged wine. Fearing the Xiao family’s newly bought servants might include spies, Bao Zhu left him at the Xiao residence.

Walking the bridal procession route again, without the ceremonial crowds, the street scene was completely different. Thinking of that high-spirited young man at the wedding who ended up in tattered clothes and wounded, Bao Zhu felt nameless anger rise, determined to personally settle this score.

Passing where Wei Xun had thrown reward silver to disperse the marriage harassers, the silver Kaiyuan Tongbao coins embedded in the bluestone slabs had all been pried away, leaving mottled holes.

Huo Qi Lang couldn’t help sighing, “Eldest senior brother really has a heavy hand.”

Bao Zhu said, “He didn’t throw them at people.”

Xu Baozhen gave a fake laugh with two “hehe” sounds. Huo Qi said with a bitter face, “Because it was a joyous wedding occasion, he showed restraint. Usually when fellow disciples spar, he’s this heavy-handed with us.”

Bao Zhu was startled, thinking this was the second person after Pang Liangji to complain to her about Wei Xun’s ruthlessness toward fellow disciples. She wondered what was wrong with this sect—far from being close as siblings, they all seemed like enemies.

Seeing surprise on her face and remembering that bet, Huo Qi Lang casually probed, “Eldest senior brother certainly wouldn’t be so rough with you—he must be gentle from beginning to end.”

Bao Zhu glanced at her strangely, “I practice archery and horsemanship, not sparring hand-to-hand with him. What does his light or heavy touch have to do with me?”

Seeing she didn’t understand, Huo Qi knew danger lurked nearby and didn’t dare probe further, laughing it off.

Reaching the military gate where Wei Xun had raised the banner yesterday, the broken tooth-banner had been removed, leaving only a strip of red silk hanging from the treetops. Bao Zhu walked back and forth twice on the stone bridge the bridal carriage had crossed, suddenly spotting a gray-black feather in the grass by the muddy riverside below. She sent Huo Qi Lang down to retrieve it.

From the bridge it wasn’t obvious, but in hand they discovered this feather was shaped like a sharp knife, actually a foot and a half long. They couldn’t imagine what kind of giant bird of prey it came from. She immediately thought of the strange bird seen at the burial mound outside Jade City that morning.

Huo Qi Lang had the same thought, “I didn’t have time to mention earlier—that thing reminded me of a monster that lives in graves.”

Bao Zhu asked curiously, “Tell me about it.”

Huo Qi Lang said, “You might know what business our sect used to do—everyone’s heard these strange supernatural stories. Legend says graves have heavy yin energy, accumulating resentment and hatred from living and dead over years, giving birth from corpse qi to a monster called Rakshasa Bird. That evil thing is larger than eagles and falcons, with hooked beak and giant claws. It can transform into beautiful women to cause trouble and likes eating human eyes.”

Hearing the words “corpse qi,” Bao Zhu couldn’t help shuddering, touching the rhinoceros horn dagger hanging at her waist, hoping it could truly ward off evil spirits. She asked fearfully, “Have you seen that monster?”

Huo Qi Lang shrugged and shook her head. Xu Baozhen said coldly, “Since it’s legend, there’s no real evidence. Forget Rakshasa Birds—among Canyang Academy disciples, not one has ever seen a ghost.”

Bao Zhu thought: You bunch of evil demons are scary enough—ghosts in graves would probably flee at the sight of you.

She continued, “I wonder if Pang Liangji and the others tracked down the strange bird I shot. If there’s a corpse, we could figure out what it really was. And… this bit about transforming into beautiful women to cause trouble—doesn’t it seem somewhat like the bride substitution case?”

Huo Qi Lang laughed, “Can’t say about monsters, but that fake bride is definitely human. You can verify personally when we reach the Pang family.”

However, before reaching the Pang family, strange things began happening. They kept encountering groups of three to five martial artists, all heading toward the Pang residence. By the time they neared that luxurious district, nearly two to three hundred people had gathered.

Xu Baozhen stopped someone to inquire. The answer was that they’d heard Swift Wind Protector Pang Liangji, in the name of being one of the Canyang Seven Absolutes, had invited all martial world people in Lingbao County to his home to announce something earth-shattering.

Upon hearing this, Xu Baozhen and Huo Qi Lang were deeply suspicious.

The Canyang Seven Absolutes were scattered like sand—they hadn’t acted together since Master Chen Shigu’s funeral and disliked others treating them as a unified sect. Who could speak for the school? Moreover, after being expelled from the sect, Pang Liangji couldn’t really be considered a Canyang Academy member. It was just that this group was habitually slack, too lazy to find a new Sixth to replace him, never changing from Seven Absolutes to Six Absolutes.

Huo Qi said puzzledly, “I knew Old Sixth wanted to announce washing his hands in the golden basin and retiring from martial world during the wedding, but that hardly counts as earth-shattering news.”

Xu Baozhen pondered briefly, frowning, “This definitely wasn’t called by Pang Sixth—he wouldn’t dare use such tone. I’ll go ask where exactly this news originated.” He urged his horse forward.

Bao Zhu watched as the group she’d brought from the inn kept shrinking, feeling quite displeased. “Something a disciple could easily investigate, and you still need to personally inquire?”

Xu Baozhen glared at her, “You’re not a martial world person—you don’t understand martial world rules.” His tone was cold with clear disdain, and he left after speaking.

Author’s Note:

The prophetic text on the rooftop is taken from “Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang,” about a story of a high monk named Wanhui during Wu Zetian’s period. If interested, you can look it up.

The supernatural story of the Rakshasa Bird comes from “What the Master Would Not Discuss.”