In the following time, Lu Tong and Yin Zheng went around asking for more news about the Lu family.

The daylight always passed quickly. Near evening, the two found an inn to stay in.

After a long journey by boat and carriage, they hadn’t eaten much. Yin Zheng went to ask the innkeeper to prepare food, while Lu Tong sat alone in the room.

On the table were the tuckahoe cakes Yin Zheng had bought from the woman, hastily unwrapped and blurred into a dark mass by the light from the half-lit oil lamp.

Lu Tong’s gaze was somewhat cold.

She had spent seven years on the mountain with unusually simple luggage—the most precious thing being nothing more than this medical box. She had returned home full of expectations, only to be met with tragic news.

Her father had always been strict in teaching his children. In childhood, if one person made a mistake, all three would be punished together. When Lu Qian fought with his brothers in his youth and spoke rudely, he was punished with twenty lashes of the rattan whip by his father, who personally went door to door to apologize. All of Changwu County knew the Lu family’s household rules were strict—how could they steal property and assault people?

Lu Rou’s death and her father’s water disaster were even stranger. From Changwu County to the capital was just a stretch of waterway, and they had never heard of shipwrecks before. Why did her father have an accident as soon as he entered the capital? And her mother… Lu Tong’s gaze darkened.

A household of four people having frequent accidents within one year—there were no such coincidences in the world.

Lu Tong slowly clenched her fists.

Now that her mother’s remains were not preserved, and the people in Changwu County spoke unclearly about it, Lu Qian’s case must have records in the capital’s government office, and there was also Lu Rou…

All the answers could perhaps only be found by going to the capital.

Footsteps came from outside the door. Yin Zheng entered carrying a porcelain bowl, murmuring softly: “You haven’t eaten anything since noon, Miss. I had them make some hot porridge… please drink a little to fill your stomach.”

She placed the porcelain bowl on the table, then turned to Lu Tong again: “The side dishes will arrive shortly.”

Lu Tong’s gaze fell on the porcelain bowl, and for a long while she made no movement.

Yin Zheng observed her expression and, after thinking, couldn’t help but console her: “Miss, please accept my condolences and take care of yourself…”

She knew Lu Tong had been away from home for many years, and now returning to find everything changed must be heartbreaking. However, faced with such circumstances, Yin Zheng could think of no comforting words despite wracking her brains, and could only offer stiff consolation.

Lu Tong asked: “Yin Zheng, how long have you been following me?”

Yin Zheng was startled and instinctively replied: “…About more than half a year.”

“More than half a year…” Lu Tong looked at the lamp on the table.

Yin Zheng felt somewhat anxious. After a while, she heard Lu Tong’s voice: “In that case, let us part ways here.”

“Miss!” Yin Zheng looked at her incredulously.

Yin Zheng was a brothel woman who had been sold into the pleasure quarters by her gambling father since childhood. She was born clever and beautiful, but her fate was harsh—at sixteen, she contracted a venereal disease.

The madam was unwilling to spend money treating her illness and, disgusted by her foul smell and inability to continue receiving clients, had the brothel’s servants wrap Yin Zheng in a mat one night and throw her into the mass grave on Luomei Peak.

At that time, Yin Zheng was already dying, just waiting to breathe her last, when unexpectedly she encountered Lu Tong in the mass grave.

Lu Tong carried her back up the mountain, treated her illness, and later, Yin Zheng’s disease was cured.

To this day, Yin Zheng didn’t know why Lu Tong had appeared in the mass grave in the middle of the night, nor did she ask much about it. This girl with the cold expression seemed to have many secrets. However, since then, Yin Zheng had always followed Lu Tong. Lu Tong had once told her she could leave on her own, but Yin Zheng was different from Lu Tong—she had no family or relatives, and was unwilling to fall back into the pleasure quarters. After thinking it over, she felt more at peace following Lu Tong.

But she hadn’t expected to be driven away by Lu Tong again today.

“Miss.” Yin Zheng knelt down: “Is there something I’ve done wrong?” She was somewhat panicked. “Why are you suddenly driving me away?”

Lu Tong didn’t answer her question and walked to the window.

The sky was already dark, night had fallen, and Changwu County at night lacked the liveliness of daytime, returning to its former desolation.

“Today you also heard that my entire Lu family died within one year.” Lu Tong looked out at the long street, where lanterns under the eaves swayed dimly, illuminating the young girl’s face with exceptional clarity.

“I don’t believe there are such coincidences in the world.”

“Everything began with my sister’s death. Now there are no people in all of Changwu County who were close to the Lu family. To investigate the truth, I can only go to the capital to confront the Ke family.”

She said: “There are suspicious circumstances in this matter. I must go to the capital.”

“Go to the capital?” Yin Zheng forgot her earlier loss of composure and said: “I can follow Miss to the capital together. Why must you drive me away?”

Lu Tong said nothing, closed the window, and returned to sit at the table.

The tuckahoe cakes lay on the table. After running around all day, the pastries carried in her bosom had crumbled, and the cake crumbs scattered by the wind covered the table like a layer of white frost.

Her voice was cold and clear, as if separated by thick fog, tinged with chill: “Didn’t the cake-selling woman say so? When my second brother went to the capital, he became a villain who stole property and assaulted women. When my father filed a complaint, he just happened to fall into water and drown. Even though my mother did nothing, the house would still catch fire and be burned completely clean.”

She looked at Yin Zheng, her dark eyes bright and captivating in the lamplight: “If I go to the capital, how do you know you won’t be the next one?”

Yin Zheng was first confused, but when she understood the meaning in Lu Tong’s words, a chill immediately ran down her spine.

The Lu family’s deaths were suspicious—rather than saying they seemed to have offended some evil spirit, it was more like they had offended someone. But if the other party could easily annihilate an entire family’s lives, could ordinary families accomplish such a feat?

Lu Tong looked at her with a calm tone: “This journey to the capital is fraught with danger. Since I must investigate the truth about the Lu family, I will inevitably confront those behind it. You have no blood relation to the Lu family—why get involved? Better to leave now and live well in the future.”

“Then I definitely can’t leave!” Yin Zheng raised her head and said earnestly: “Since Miss is going to the capital on business, you’ll surely need help. Although I’m not very nimble with my hands and feet, I can get by when dealing with people, and perhaps I can even help Miss gather information. Two people going to the capital is better than one for accomplishing things.”

Seeing that Lu Tong remained unmoved, Yin Zheng pleaded earnestly again: “Moreover, Miss knows that aside from following you, I have nowhere else to go. Although Miss has cured my illness now, who knows if it might relapse someday…” Speaking of this, genuine sadness arose in her heart. “In this world, only Miss doesn’t despise me.”

She was a pleasure woman with a dirty disease—ordinary people would avoid her when they heard about it, or look at her with strange eyes. Only Lu Tong treated her no differently from ordinary people. Only by Lu Tong’s side did Yin Zheng feel at peace.

“Miss saved my life, so my life belongs to Miss. Even if there are dragon pools and tiger dens ahead, even if I must climb mountains of knives and descend into seas of fire, I will accompany Miss through it all.”

Though her words were bold, the speaker lacked confidence, only looking anxiously at the person across from her, waiting for her response.

The room was very quiet. After a long while, Lu Tong said: “Get up. I’ll take you along.”

Yin Zheng’s heart leaped with joy. Afraid that Lu Tong might change her mind, she jumped up and hurried outside, turning back to Lu Tong with a smile: “Then it’s settled—Miss can’t deceive me… The side dishes should be ready soon. I’ll urge them to bring them quickly. Miss should eat and rest early. Since we’re going to the capital, we’ll have to travel again and need to conserve our energy. You mustn’t overexert yourself…”

She chattered away as she left. In the room, Lu Tong stood up.

The half-lamp on the table was almost burned out, with only a short wick burning with orange flame. Lu Tong brought over the lantern from the desk. The weak flame on the table flickered and went out.

A spark burst from the dried-up lamp, scattering around the lamp base. At a glance, it looked like a delicate flower.

When lamp wicks burst into flower patterns, it was considered a good omen.

Lu Tong quietly watched the embers before her. Her pupils reflected the lantern’s light like blazing fire in the pitch-black night.

Lamp flowers blooming…

Such a favorable omen—it seemed this journey to the capital should go very smoothly indeed.