By the time that man had settled his bill and came out of the room, Qin Yao was already waiting in the corridor, pretending to admire the landscape paintings on the wall.

Hearing movement behind her, Qin Yao feigned a casual glance back and saw a young man in his early twenties walking toward her from the far end of the corridor. He was lean in build, walking with his back ramrod straight — clearly the son of a military family. His features were passable enough, though his lips were noticeably thin and his jaw line too sharply defined, lending him an air of cold harshness that detracted from his looks.

At this moment, the man’s face was barely concealing a seething fury — he was clearly at the height of both anger and agitation. He looked up and caught sight of Qin Yao, startled for a brief instant, and then swept her from head to toe with a pair of dark, keen eyes. Seeing only a pretty girl of about fourteen or fifteen with an open, guileless expression, he concluded she was simply a diner here with her family. He lowered his guard, withdrew his gaze, and passed by her side.

Although Qin Yao’s eyes remained fixed on a painting on the wall, her attention was entirely on the compass inside her robe. She watched the man descend the staircase — the compass did not stir — and only then did she know her earlier suspicion had come to nothing.

She wasn’t particularly surprised. Just because this person happened to work alongside Pei Shao at the General’s Commandery didn’t mean he would suffer the same misfortune as the Pei family — inexplicably entangled with a corpse revenant from Wuniu Mountain.

But she recalled the words of fury the man had spoken — about the world being “turned upside down” and lords and princes being “brought low as grass” — and still felt uneasy. Now that the Jade Corpse had broken free of the formation, in order to avoid being suppressed beneath the river once more, she would need to immediately seek out a candidate for the Golden Corpse to consolidate her own destructive power. And in a city like Chang’an, with so many young men — anyone harboring ambition or unfulfilled desire could become a target for the Jade Corpse.

Still, Lin Xiao had already sent someone to shadow the man. If anything were amiss, word would come at once. Even if he had the potential to become a Golden Corpse, they were not entirely without preparation.

Lost in thought, she walked back with her head slightly lowered, and just as she reached the door of the private room, she nearly collided into Lin Xiao, who was coming out at that very moment.

Lin Xiao swiftly gripped her by the shoulders and steadied her completely before releasing her. He looked at her and asked, “Well?”

Qin Yao shook her head. “Perhaps I’ve been too jumpy, seeing danger in every shadow.”

Lin Xiao paused briefly and said, calmly, “Being cautious is always better.”

Qin Yao, judging from his reaction, suspected he had known the man for some time. With that thought turning in her mind, she couldn’t help but ask, “Who is that man?”

Lin Xiao’s expression was cold as an overcast sky about to rain. “A senior officer at the General’s Commandery, by the name of Zeng Nanqin. He and Cui Shi are from the same hometown.”

After saying this, he showed no inclination to say anything more. Qin Yao guessed he was concerned about his father’s dignity and did not wish to expose his family’s private shame himself, so she let the matter drop.

At this moment, A’Han had eaten his fill to perfect contentment. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, came out from inside the room in high spirits, and said with great enthusiasm, “A’Yao, Young Lord, I’m done eating — let’s get to work!”

Qin Yao found A’Han’s rosy-cheeked satisfaction rather amusing. She nodded and said, “We’ve eaten so many good things — we really ought to do a bit more work now. Shixiong, you go to the lane entrance to meet the disciples Abbot Yuan Jue is sending. As for me, I’ll go to the Pei Estate to find my classmate.”

A’Han agreed at once and set off downstairs at once, every bit the posture of a man perfectly happy to follow whatever arrangements his junior sister made.

The three of them had barely reached the door outside when a carriage happened to pull up in front of the Pei Estate.

When the carriage stopped and its occupants stepped out — it was none other than the Pei siblings.

Before Qin Yao could even step forward to greet them, Pei Min spotted Qin Yao first. Her face lit up with delight. She quickly said something to Pei Shao.

Pei Shao followed his sister’s gesture and saw Qin Yao — but his face remained expressionless, with no intention of standing where he was to wait for her. He turned and went straight into the Pei Estate.

Pei Min’s expression dimmed. Her gaze unconsciously followed her brother until Pei Shao’s figure disappeared behind the gate. Then she collected herself, and was preparing to cross over to welcome Qin Yao — only to find that Qin Yao had already come over, smiling cheerfully.

The two of them had only been apart for a few days, yet it felt as though a great deal of time had passed. They looked each other over with smiling eyes, a flood of things to say rising up in both their throats at once, so many words that neither knew how to begin.

Lin Xiao had seldom paid attention to the casual greetings of young women. Seeing Pei Min and Qin Yao doing nothing but smiling at each other in silence, he assumed this must simply be how girls said hello, and found himself quietly marveling at it.

He also thought about how Qin Yao had spent most of her life in Qingyun Temple, with few chances to spend time with people her own age. Making a few close friends at the academy was actually a good thing — at least she would have somewhere to go and someone to talk to in her leisure time.

Pei Min studied Qin Yao for a good while, then laughed and said, “How is it that in just these two days, I feel like you’ve grown even taller?”

She raised an arm and measured between their heights, nodded, and said with a smile, “You’re almost taller than me now.”

Qin Yao said in surprise, “I was already taller than you to begin with. What do you mean, ‘almost taller’? Tell me — what have you been doing at home these past few days? Did your brother take you out to enjoy the Flower Festival?”

At the mention of this, Pei Min immediately wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, and said listlessly, “Since my brother came back, he’s been like a completely different person — he can barely be bothered to be around me, let alone take me anywhere.”

A subtle shift went through Qin Yao’s heart. Pei Shao really was suspicious. What was strange was why Master hadn’t detected anything out of the ordinary when he had used the Boundless Mirror last time.

At this moment, Pei Min suddenly let out a start, then smiled with a hint of apology. “Look at me — I’ve been so caught up talking to you that I forgot to invite you inside. Come on, come over to our estate! You’re not allowed to leave tonight — you must stay for dinner.”

This was exactly what Qin Yao had hoped for. She needed both to get to the bottom of what was happening with Pei Shao, and to keep watch in case anything happened next door at the Tang Estate. If she could stay for dinner or even find an excuse to spend the night, that would be perfect.

She nodded with a smile and said, “All right. I came today expressly to visit you — and to have a look at the boudoir of the great Miss Pei while I’m at it.”

Pei Min smiled with complete self-assurance. “Not to boast, but I have the finest taste in arranging my room. Come have a look at my courtyard later — I guarantee you’ll find it both elegant and charming.”

Qin Yao adored the bright, animated expression on her face. With a laugh, she reached out and gave Pei Min’s cheek a little pinch. “Look at you, so smug.”

Pei Min made to pull Qin Yao along inside. Qin Yao first said to wait a moment — she wanted to say a quick word to Lin Xiao — when A’Han suddenly came running from a distance. He reached them, caught sight of Pei Min, and promptly closed his mouth again before it could open.

From the time he was small, Qing Xuzi had drilled it into him: certain things could only be said in front of his master and his junior sister, and must never be spoken aloud in front of strangers — most especially anything involving the driving away of demons and catching of ghosts, where one must hold one’s tongue tight, lest trouble be stirred up.

In the beginning he couldn’t remember the rule and had earned no small amount of punishment from his master for speaking out of turn. It wasn’t until he was ten years old that he finally learned when it was the right time to keep silent.

Pei Min, who hadn’t expected a young Daoist to suddenly block their path, was briefly taken aback. She looked him over, and was just about to say something sharp when Qin Yao quickly interjected, “He’s a cousin of mine. He’s fond of dressing like a monk or Daoist, but he’s a perfectly honest and harmless person.”

Once Pei Min’s suspicions had been dispelled, Qin Yao drew A’Han aside and said quietly, “What is it?”

A’Han’s face was taut with anxiety. He also kept his voice down as he said, “Just now, the carriage the Young Lord sent only brought back one of Abbot Yuan Jue’s disciples. That person said that a little while ago, Abbot Yuan Jue had a young novice rush back from Wuniu Mountain to deliver a letter, telling his disciples to go to Wuniu Mountain quickly to help set up a formation. They all felt that the Abbot must have run into trouble! A’Yao, could Master be in danger?”

Qin Yao’s heart gave a hard thump. She suppressed the panic welling inside and said steadily, “What else did that person say? Did he bring word from Master? Are we to go to Wuniu Mountain as well, or stay in the city?”

A’Han shook his head. “Master says the Jade Corpse is still in the city, and that we are not to act rashly. We are to wait for him to return from Wuniu Mountain before doing anything.”

Hearing that the Jade Corpse was not on Wuniu Mountain, Qin Yao let out a long breath of relief and said, “Whatever Master says, we do — we don’t act on our own.”

Then she looked across the street. Lin Xiao was leaning a shoulder against the carriage, arms folded with his sword in his grip, listening with vague inattention to Chang Rong and the others’ report. She thought it over, decided to tell him herself, and walked over to stand beside Pei Min. “There’s a relative of mine over there. I’ll go say a word and be right back.”

Pei Min had already noticed the finely dressed young man across the street, attended by quite a few followers — he looked like the son of some prominent family. His manner was cool and composed, yet his gaze kept falling, whether deliberately or not, on Qin Yao.

Hearing Qin Yao say this, she understood at once, and with a mischievous grin said, “Your family has so many relatives! Go on then! Tonight I’m going to give you a thorough interrogation!”

Qin Yao had no time to banter back with Pei Min. She crossed over to Lin Xiao and said, “The Jade Corpse is still in the city. If Tang Qingnian has already pledged himself, he will certainly seek to contact the Jade Corpse again before long. There are also many unanswered questions about Pei Shao, and I’m afraid he may pose a threat to Pei Min. I need to find a way to stay the night at the Pei Estate.”

Lin Xiao hesitated briefly, then said, “All right. I’ll stand watch nearby tonight.”

Ever since Qin Yao had disappeared while trying to save Feng Chuyue, he could not bear the thought of letting her face danger alone again.

Qin Yao knew she would not be able to handle the Jade Corpse on her own. She nodded and said, “If anything seems wrong, I’ll let you and Shixiong know at the very first moment.”

With that settled, she returned to the other side of the street and followed Pei Min into the Pei Estate.

Master Pei was not at home. When Madam Pei heard that her daughter had brought a classmate over, she was both surprised and delighted. Her daughter had always been fond of reading and not given to socializing — she rarely invited young female friends to the house. Madam Pei hurried out to greet them, smiling. “A rare guest, indeed!”

When she laid eyes on Qin Yao, she paused. Why did this girl look so familiar?

The last time Qin Yao had come to help them banish their nightmares, she had been dressed as a young Daoist. Now in women’s clothing, Madam Pei simply felt she had seen this girl somewhere before — but couldn’t for the life of her recall where.

After a moment’s thought, she assumed she must have glimpsed Qin Yao when dropping her daughter off at the academy, and gave it no further thought. She took a closer look at Qin Yao, asked which household she was from, and then smiled softly. “Good girl, make yourself completely at home here — feel free to enjoy yourself as you please.”

Pei Min rose and took Qin Yao by the hand. “Mother, we’re going to my room. Qin Yao doesn’t come to our house often — I’ve invited her to stay for dinner this evening. Please have the kitchen prepare extra dishes.”

Madam Pei was even more pleased than she expected. She nodded and agreed at once. “Of course, of course. Go and make your guest comfortable, and I’ll see to everything.”

Pei Min led Qin Yao to her residence, the Osmanthus Courtyard. Stepping inside, Qin Yao saw at once that it was beautifully arranged — not overly abundant with plants, but placed with exactly the right touch; the interior was bright and spotless, refined and serene.

After the tour, Pei Min pulled Qin Yao to sit down and asked with a sly smile, “Talk! Who was that young gentleman just now?”

Qin Yao quickly changed the subject, reaching out to point at a white jade paperweight shaped like a small ox on Pei Min’s writing desk. “Oh! Why is that paperweight carved into the shape of a cow? Aha! You were born in the year of the Ox!”

“Stop trying to distract me!” Pei Min looked at her with an expression of amused skepticism. “If you don’t talk today, you’re not leaving this courtyard of mine.”

Unable to hold out against her persistent needling, Qin Yao had no choice but to let slip a few brief details.

Pei Min, of course, refused to be satisfied with that and kept pressing with a smile. Qin Yao initially refused to give in, but Pei Min’s skill at extracting confessions was exceptional — by the end, Qin Yao had no choice but to yield.

Bit by bit, Qin Yao ended up revealing about half of the story. Only then did Pei Min relent.

She fell into a momentary reverie, then offered a string of enthusiastic praise: “Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! This Prince Lan’s Young Lord treats you wonderfully — and from what I hear, he’s not the fickle sort either. His character is quite admirable, by all accounts. Marrying you to him wouldn’t be a disgrace.”

She mentioned not a single word about “rank” or “family lineage” — only that it “wouldn’t be a disgrace to Qin Yao” — behaving every bit as though she were Qin Yao’s own family speaking on her behalf.

Yet no sooner had she said the words than something seemed to come to her mind. The brightness in her face fell away all at once.

Qin Yao noticed, and thought of that Xu Shenming she had seen on Yuquan Mountain. Seeing that Pei Min was clearly in low spirits, she quickly brought up a different topic to draw her into conversation.

The entire afternoon, Qin Yao and Pei Min chatted and played as freely and naturally as they did back at Yunyun Academy. The compass gave no sign of agitation the whole time, and the neighboring Tang Estate was as still as a stagnant pool, with not a single sound to be heard.

As evening approached, Madam Pei sent someone to invite Pei Min and Qin Yao to dinner.

They went to the main hall and found the table spread with a fine array of excellent food and wine. Yet only Madam Pei was seated at the head of the table — neither Pei Shao nor Master Pei was in sight.

Madam Pei gestured for them to come in. “Your Father went to a colleague’s banquet. Your brother said he was feeling rather tired and asked for a few vegetable dishes to be sent to his room. He won’t be joining us in the hall — actually, this is just as well, with Qin Yao here as a guest.”

“My brother always used to love meat dishes. Why has he been eating only vegetables these past few days?” Pei Min asked her mother with a puzzled look as she pulled Qin Yao to sit beside her.

Madam Pei replied, “He was already like this before you came back from the academy. He’ll only eat vegetable dishes, won’t touch meat, and has grown much quieter in temperament as well. Your father says that your brother must have seen too much bloodshed and fighting at the Cangzhou garrison, and that it has left a shadow on his heart — that he’ll be better in a few days.”

Qin Yao listened in silence, growing more and more convinced that Pei Shao was deeply suspicious. She thought to herself that no matter what, she had to find an excuse to stay the night in the Pei Estate and get to the bottom of this matter.

At this moment, Pei Min poured her a cup of peach blossom wine and urged her to drink. “Last spring I picked the peach blossoms from the garden myself to brew this. I buried it under the peonies, and dug it up just a few days ago. The flavor is at its perfect best right now — so much more fragrant than anything you’d buy from a wineshop.”

Qin Yao made a show of protesting that she had no head for wine, while at the same time putting on an expression of being helplessly pressured into accepting. She drained the cup — then immediately exclaimed that she was dizzy, and collapsed face-first on the table, apparently sound asleep.

Madam Pei and Pei Min were so astonished their mouths fell wide open. They remained bewildered for quite a while, and at last Pei Min burst out laughing. “I didn’t know Qin Yao was a one-cup disaster! Well, she may as well just stay with me tonight.”

“Nonsense!” Madam Pei said with a gentle reproach. “A bit of wine wears off in a short time — she’ll be awake again soon enough. For now, let’s have Qin Yao helped to your room, and we’ll figure out what to do once she’s awake.”

Pei Min did as instructed, secretly hoping with all her heart that Qin Yao would simply sleep through and never leave.

Qin Yao was, to Pei Min’s delight, exactly as hoped — she lay shamelessly asleep, breathing long and even, identical to how she would look in genuine slumber.

As Madam Pei watched the curfew hour pass, knowing the night patrol guards would soon be making their rounds through the streets and there was no longer any way to send word to the Qu household, she had no choice but to arrange for Qin Yao to share Pei Min’s bed. She personally watched the maidservants wash and tidy Qin Yao’s hands and face and settle her properly before retiring to her own rooms.

It was the first time Qin Yao had ever deceived people in such a way. She felt quite guilty, and could only console herself that it was for the sake of saving others from calamity — there had been no other way.

Pei Min, seeing it was growing late, unclasped her hairpins, washed up, and got into bed. She read by the soft glow of the sheep-horn lamp beside the bed for a while, then lay down close to Qin Yao and settled in.

It was a long while before her breathing grew slow and long — she had at last fallen truly asleep.

In the darkness, Qin Yao waited patiently. Not until the dead of night did the compass inside her robe let out a soft click and begin to turn slowly.

Qin Yao quickly opened her eyes. She sat up, pressed the sleep acupoint on Pei Min’s body, and after getting out of bed, set up a Six Harmonies Formation in front of the bed as fast as she could, before slipping silently out of the room.

She climbed over the wall out of Pei Min’s courtyard. The sound of the compass grew a little more pronounced than before. Qin Yao followed the direction of the needle and walked steadily forward, until she reached the rear garden of the Pei Estate — and there the needle was spinning all the more agitated. Qin Yao hid behind a tree and looked out: there it was, the same vermilion side gate that Master’s Boundless Mirror had illuminated for its sinister energy last time.

As she looked up, the gate gave a faint creak, and a figure slipped through and disappeared to the other side.

Qin Yao rushed after it. She took out a Soul-Steadying Pill and placed it in her mouth. This pellet, at its most effective in the depths of night, would minimally suppress a person’s presence and help conceal one from the senses of malevolent entities.

A revenant’s hearing and sight typically deteriorated along with the decomposition of the body, and they usually hunted by detecting the life-breath of others. Such a method of suppressing one’s presence might have limited effectiveness against other spirits and demons, but against revenants it was remarkably reliable. She had therefore brought along a vial of Soul-Steadying Pills that morning when she set out — along with pellets to expel corpse toxin — against just such a need.

With the Soul-Steadying Pill working for her, Qin Yao had far fewer concerns in her pursuit. She sprinted swiftly to the vermilion gate, and was just about to open it when she found it had been locked from the outside — it could not be opened at all. She looked around nearby and saw no other side door, so she simply vaulted over the wall.

The moment she dropped down from the top of the wall, a pair of strong arms reached out from the darkness and caught her steadily. Qin Yao was so startled she nearly cried out — but then she caught the familiar, cool and clear scent of the person, and at once withdrew the hand that had been swinging toward them. She called out softly, “Young Lord?”

Lin Xiao set her down from where he had caught her and said quietly, “Mm.”

Qin Yao looked up at him in the moonlight and asked, “Have you been waiting here long?”

Lin Xiao hadn’t yet answered when A’Han appeared from behind him, saying softly, “The Young Lord’s Chixiao Sword suddenly rang out just now, and the compass in my robe also started moving, so we guessed something was wrong in the Pei Estate and followed the sound here — just in time to see you jump down from the wall.”

Qin Yao turned to look at the silhouette that was nearly gone from view at the end of the lane. “If I’m not mistaken, that person is definitely Pei Shao. He’s coming out at this hour — it must have something to do with the revenant at Wuniu Mountain. We need to follow him.”

Saying so, she pulled the Soul-Steadying Pills from her robe and gave one each to Lin Xiao and A’Han, telling them to swallow them.

The three of them said nothing more. They followed behind Pei Shao. Pei Shao had a tall, slender build and moved at a brisk pace, clearly possessing no small degree of martial skill — yet he held a bundle in his hand, round and bulging, its contents unknown.

Whether owing to the Soul-Steadying Pills or not, Pei Shao never seemed to sense them. He kept his head down and pressed forward.

As Qin Yao and the others followed, they grew increasingly puzzled. The more they looked, the more it seemed as though Pei Shao was heading toward the South Garden Marsh.

Just as the question formed in her mind, there before them appeared a stretch of water like a length of silver satin, shimmering and glimmering in the moonlight — tranquil and hauntingly beautiful. It was none other than the South Garden Marsh.

Pei Shao walked straight toward the grove of trees at the lakeside.

Qin Yao and the others followed at a careful distance, not too close and not too far, and entered the small grove without making a sound.

There, at the edge of the lake, a number of young men were already standing — each one with a blank, wooden expression, stiff as posts, and each holding a bundle in his hands.

In the middle of them all stood a slender woman, encircled by the men, her posture high and imperious, speaking in a coquettish tone.

Qin Yao and the others strained to make out the woman’s face, but she kept her back to the grove the entire time and never once turned toward them.

Then a man stepped forward, knelt before the woman with a heavy thud, and raised the bundle in his hands as high as his head — an offering presented as if to a deity.

The woman gave a light, satisfied clap of her hands. She opened the bundle at her leisure. Immediately, a thick, heavy smell of blood and raw flesh saturated the air.

Qin Yao and the others fixed their eyes on it — and their faces all changed at once. Inside the bundle was a mass of bloody organs!

The woman bent down, sniffed at the bundle, and gave a satisfied nod. “Mm, the finest quality. Master will be pleased.”

She then said to the man, “Is the body buried? Make sure no one finds it. Before Master completes her formation, she does not wish to invite trouble — no need to attract some wandering monk or Daoist and ruin Master’s great undertaking.”

The man gave a wooden nod.

The woman let out a seductive laugh, reached out and gave the man’s face a light, rewarding stroke. Then, with a sway of her waist, she turned to look toward the young men on her side.

As she turned, her face was fully exposed to the moonlight.

Both Lin Xiao and Qin Yao were jolted by what they saw. The woman was of devastatingly alluring beauty, with languid, enticing eyes and a naturally bewitching quality woven into her very being — it was none other than Chun Qiao, the woman who had thrown flowers at Lin Xiao at the Xiaofeng Tower.

Chun Qiao’s face turned cold as she looked toward Pei Shao, who had just arrived. Seeing that Pei Shao neither knelt nor bowed — only stood there rigid and upright — her expression darkened. She moved toward him like a gust of wind, snatched the bundle from his hands, tore it open, took one look inside, and then hurled it to the ground with a furious snarl, cursing, “Every single time, you bring nothing but chicken, duck, and fish — trying to fool your master with that? What do you take your master for? If it weren’t for the fact that the formation isn’t complete yet and you can’t die just yet, she would have sucked you all dry long ago!”

With that, ferocity spread across her face, and she delivered a fierce palm strike against Pei Shao. Despite Pei Shao being a man trained in martial arts, the blow was powerful enough to drive him half a body-length down — one knee nearly touching the ground as he barely caught himself from collapsing.

He gritted his teeth and straightened his spine, and with great effort pushed against Chun Qiao’s palm as he slowly forced himself back to a stand.

Chun Qiao struck again with her other hand — even more viciously. This time, Pei Shao could no longer withstand it. He swayed and crumpled to the ground.

“A thing missing its soul and spirit, and yet it dares to maintain its dignity in front of me?” Chun Qiao set her foot on Pei Shao’s arm, laughing icily, grinding him down as she would tread in mud — pressing and crushing him again and again.

Pei Shao’s long brows contorted in agony, and his face in an instant drained to white as paper, yet he clamped his jaw shut all the same, refusing to make a sound.

“And you!” Chun Qiao lifted her foot from Pei Shao and swung a slap toward another young man standing rigidly nearby. “Master wants living human hearts and livers! You two have been bringing dead chicken and duck offal to trick your master! I’m telling you — Master has long since tired of your antics. I’ll report to Master this instant and have her suck you both into dried husks. You won’t even deserve to walk this world as common walking corpses!”

She cursed and kicked the man’s legs over and over. Yet the man’s body did not stir a single inch, and not once did he beg for mercy or cry out in pain. Seeing this, Chun Qiao grew even more incensed. She suddenly raised her foot and delivered a powerful kick to the man’s abdomen. He staggered back several steps, unable to absorb the blow, and at last fell to the ground.

The man writhed in pain, his features twisting together, his teeth biting deep into his lips until they nearly drew blood. Yet even through this, the outline of his features — heroic and fine-looking — could still be dimly made out. Lin Xiao and the others looked at this person, and almost couldn’t hold back a cry of shock: it was Xu Shenming!