Wan Fu instructed people to prepare the rice, flour, sesame oil, and offering money needed for visiting Wan’en Temple, then returned to his own room first.

As soon as he entered the room, he pulled two cloth-wrapped incense cakes from his chest and threw them into the fire basin to burn.

When the incense cakes were thrown into the fire, they immediately emitted a strange fragrance. The fragrance entered one’s nostrils and inexplicably made one feel inexplicably irritated.

Wan Fu quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

These two incense cakes had been sent to him by the “Young Master Zheng” who held Wan Quan’s debt contract, attached with a letter. He was told to hang these two incense cakes on his body.

Although Wan Fu was unwilling in his heart, since his weakness was being held by someone else, he had no choice but to comply. When worn on the body, the incense cakes had a very faint fragrance that couldn’t be detected unless one sniffed carefully. After wearing them for so many days, there was no threat to his life, except that they made one have difficulty sleeping at night and feel restless and uneasy.

For Wan Fu, insomnia wasn’t really a big deal. But for Master Ke, who was tormented by illness of the heart and constantly worried about Lu Shi’s ghost coming to claim his life, this restlessness and unease was like adding frost to snow—it was truly life-threatening.

“Young Master Zheng” wanted Wan Fu to play tricks and act like ghosts in the Ke household, disguising the illusion of Lu Shi’s ghost coming to claim a life, in order to torment Master Ke’s will.

So Wan Fu did as the letter instructed, having someone make two wooden shoe molds from a distance. When splashed with water, they would show two moist footprints.

Lu Shi’s feet weren’t large, and her embroidered shoes were all made by herself—they were hard to buy outside, but shoe molds could be made quite easily. He would also occasionally help Ke Chengxing fold clothes and organize books, hinting in his words that there might be a woman crying at night. This indeed frightened Ke Chengxing out of his wits before long.

Ordinary maids couldn’t enter Ke Chengxing’s room, but Wan Fu could. Others didn’t know Lu Shi’s habits of folding clothes and organizing books, but Wan Fu, who had been by Ke Chengxing’s side, knew them well. However, Ke Chengxing trusted Wan Fu and never directed his suspicions toward the servant beside him. So Wan Fu struck while the iron was hot, suggesting that Taoist priests come to perform exorcism rituals.

During those three days of exorcism, Wan Fu didn’t pretend to be a ghost to frighten people. Ke Chengxing became even more convinced that evil could not overcome righteousness, and that everything was the work of Lu Shi’s ghost. This commotion alarmed Wang Shi and Old Madam Ke, and these two wouldn’t let Ke Chengxing continue with such supernatural activities in the residence. When the desperate Ke Chengxing heard about the Blue Lotus Festival as his last straw of salvation, he naturally believed it without doubt.

Wan Fu was secretly alarmed.

“Young Master Zheng” was truly terrifying. He had never even entered the Ke household, yet he seemed to have anticipated every step that would happen in the Ke family, leading Ke Chengxing step by step toward the Blue Lotus Festival.

As for what would happen at the Blue Lotus Festival, Wan Fu didn’t dare even think about it.

Having come this far, it was impossible for him to turn back.

Nanny Wan came in from outside and saw Wan Fu sweeping the burned ashes into one place. She immediately said with displeasure: “What exactly are you trying to accomplish by doing these things every day?” She walked forward two steps and quietly asked urgently, “Tell me honestly, how is Quan’er doing now?”

Wan Fu hadn’t told Nanny Wan everything, only that Wan Quan owed gambling debts and he was trying to raise money to ransom him. Since this matter was of great importance, and Nanny Wan originally didn’t know the inside story of Lu Shi’s death, if she knew it would actually be dangerous.

Not to mention “Young Master Zheng”—even Master Ke wouldn’t spare her.

So Wan Fu kept it from Nanny Wan. After all, sometimes ignorance was actually a blessing.

He stood up and thrust the bamboo broom into Nanny Wan’s hands: “Soon, he’ll be back in a few more days. Don’t let anyone notice. As for Master’s silver, we can hide it for as long as we can.”

Nanny Wan was affected by the seriousness of his expression and nodded subconsciously. Seeing Wan Fu leave the room again, she quickly chased after his back for a few steps and asked: “It’s time for dinner—where are you going now?”

Wan Fu didn’t answer her question, and his figure quickly disappeared outside the room.

…

Daytime always passed quickly.

After there were fewer people buying medicinal tea, there wasn’t much else to do at the medical clinic. Du Changqing took A’Cheng home early. Yin Zheng closed the shop’s main door properly, and after taking inventory of the remaining medicinal tea jars, it was already time to light the lamps.

The lanterns in the courtyard swayed back and forth. There had been rain a few days ago, and the lanterns had been soaked by the rainwater. The flower patterns on them had become blurred and looked even more worn.

The small window of the kitchen was tightly closed, with orange firelight leaking through the window cracks, adding several touches of softness and tranquility to the small courtyard.

Lu Tong was making medicine in the back kitchen.

She had been very busy lately. When Du Changqing was dazing in the shop, Lu Tong would often return to the small courtyard behind the shop first, diving into the kitchen for several hours at a time. Sometimes she would often be busy until late at night, then get up to open the door again the next morning.

Yin Zheng walked to the corridor, looking at the firelight through the window cracks, also feeling very puzzled in her heart. Could her young lady not feel tired? An ordinary person worrying to this extent would have been exhausted long ago, but she maintained a clear expression every day without showing fatigue.

The blue stone jar in front of the corridor was filled with clear water, and a gourd ladle floated on the water surface, creating shallow ripples under the lamplight.

Yin Zheng steadied herself and pushed the door to walk in, saying: “Young lady…”

The entire back kitchen was filled with swirling smoke, and a strange fragrance hit her face.

This fragrance was very odd, seeming to mix some kind of pine scent with something like sandalwood from temples. It was both rich and light, both clear and turbid. When it entered one’s nostrils, it was as if someone had poured a mouthful of aged strong wine that had been stored for a long time, making one’s head dizzy.

Yin Zheng was startled, and the next moment, Lu Tong’s stern shout reached her ears: “Get out!”

She rarely used such a severe tone when speaking to Yin Zheng. Yin Zheng was frightened and quickly stepped back several paces, pulling the door closed as she went. For some reason, her heart was pounding wildly.

That room was filled with swirling smoke—it didn’t look like making medicine, and that fragrance…

The cold wind outside dispersed her earlier shock. The small courtyard was peaceful in the night, and Yin Zheng’s wildly beating heart slowly calmed down. She thought for a moment, then went back to find a stool, moved it to sit properly in the corridor in front of the back kitchen, and waited peacefully.

When half the oil in the oil lamp had burned, the door to the back kitchen opened.

Lu Tong walked out from inside. Her brown cloth clothing had been smoked gray, and there was hidden weariness between her eyebrows.

Yin Zheng stood up and said softly: “Young lady, Kuaihuo House sent back a message. Wan Fu said everything is prepared. Tomorrow morning, Master Ke will set out for Wan’en Temple.”

She didn’t mention the strange fragrance she had smelled in the back kitchen at all, only smiled at Lu Tong: “Master Ke believed Wan Fu’s suggestion without doubt. I didn’t expect this side to go so smoothly.”

When Lu Tong first sent the incense cakes to Wan Fu, Yin Zheng had still been somewhat uneasy. Having someone play tricks and act like ghosts was certainly a method, but that Old Madam of the Ke family didn’t look like someone easy to fool. Once discovered, if they came looking for trouble, it would inevitably be troublesome.

Who knew that in the incense cakes Lu Tong sent, she had also included a cooling ointment. Wan Fu secretly applied it to the rim of the cups Old Madam Ke used daily several times. When Old Madam Ke caught a breeze, she soon caught a cold.

With Old Madam Ke dragging her sick body, she couldn’t manage household affairs anymore, so she could only let Wan Fu instigate and manipulate things beside Ke Chengxing.

Getting Ke Chengxing to agree to go to Wan’en Temple turned out to be much easier than expected.

Yin Zheng looked at Lu Tong: “But young lady, when shall we depart?”

Lu Tong said indifferently: “It takes half a day to go up the mountain. If we set out at noon tomorrow, we’ll arrive at the temple by evening. After staying overnight, the Blue Lotus Festival will be the next day.”

She lowered her eyelids: “We’ll depart tomorrow afternoon.”