“Yes.” Teng Yuyi idly picked up a chess piece from the board to fidget with.

Teng Shao quietly observed his daughter. Though she had been much more affectionate toward him recently, today upon meeting, that long-absent sense of distance had returned to her eyes.

Suppressing his doubts, he sat cross-legged on the mat opposite his daughter: “When the fierce ghost intruded last night, was it you who sent word to Prince Cheng’s manor?”

Though his tone was casual, Teng Yuyi still caught a hint of something unusual. She couldn’t blame Father for being concerned – last night’s events could easily lead to misunderstandings.

She tossed the chess piece back into its container and pointed to the Spirit Sound Bell: “Look, it was because of this.”

She explained everything from beginning to end.

“The Spirit Sound Bell only rings when evil spirits approach. Lin Chengyou helped set up formations last night to prevent future midnight disturbances.”

As she spoke, she shook her wrist in front of her father. The round little bell, plump as a grape, didn’t make the slightest sound.

Teng Shao examined the Spirit Sound Bell with slight surprise. If his daughter hadn’t explained its intricacies, it would have appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary string of gold bells.

He’d heard that in recent years, mystics from all directions had presented many Daoist treasures to the Emperor – clearly not just rumors. This Spirit Sound Bell alone could be considered a rare treasure.

After pondering for a moment, Teng Shao said: “Since it’s a treasure from Qingyun Temple, keep it safe for now. If the Prince of Cheng’s heir couldn’t remove it, Master Qingxu must have his reasons. When Master Qingxu returns to Chang’an, Father will personally accompany you to return the bell. So why did that fierce ghost intrude into the Teng manor last night – did you recognize that woman?”

Teng Yuyi shook her head: “I didn’t recognize her, but I’ve heard that several pregnant women in Chang’an have been killed recently. In each case, their abdomen was cut open and the fetus taken. The woman last night was named Shu Liniang – she was one of the victims.”

Teng Shao’s brows furrowed deeply. First, there were corpse demons, now fierce ghosts. His daughter had only nearly drowned once on her way back to Chang’an – why did she keep encountering these strange events?

“The Venerable Yuanjue from Dayin Temple will return to Chang’an soon. Remember when the great demon wreaked havoc in Chang’an? It was Venerable Yuanjue and Daoist Master Qingxu working together who successfully quelled the chaos. His Buddhist powers are boundless – perhaps he can discern why you keep encountering evil spirits lately. Once the Venerable returns to the capital, Father will take you to Dayin Temple to find him.”

Teng Yuyi’s heart began racing. Buddhism was most opposed to ghostly tricks. If Venerable Yuanjue saw the karmic debt she carried, he certainly wouldn’t stand idly by. Helping her overcome misfortune would be one thing, but if he made her “return to where she came from,” that would be disastrous.

Moreover, in her previous life, it was at Dayin Temple that she heard the terrible news of Father’s attack. The three words “Dayin Temple” were synonymous with “ill omen” in her heart. Unless necessary, she had no desire to set foot in that place again.

Teng Yuyi cleared her throat: “Father, there’s no need for such trouble. I already know the reason – ever since I fell into the water that time, I’ve been having strange dreams that predict future events.”

“Dreams predicting future events?” Teng Shao paused mid-sip of his tea.

Teng Yuyi stirred her finger among the chess pieces in the box, making them click together with clear, crisp sounds.

“I told Father before about dreaming of Sister encountering danger in the forest and dreaming of the Lu family’s top graduate while on my way to Chang’an – all of these came true later. Recently I dreamed of being killed by a weapon as thin as rain threads. When I asked Father about it after waking, even you hadn’t heard of such a weapon. I thought it was absurd, but not long after, I saw this silver thread-like weapon at Rainbow Phoenix Tower. Before he died, Peng Yugui told me the weapon’s origins when he entrusted me with returning his remains to his hometown. That’s why I went to the West Market today to find that ruffian called Zhuang Mu.”

Teng Shao listened intently. He knew about his daughter’s recent nightmares, but he generally didn’t believe in “prophetic dreams.” When she brought it up again, he was initially dismissive, but as he listened, his expression grew complex.

He vividly remembered when his daughter had asked him about this weapon. At that time, she hadn’t yet taken refuge at Rainbow Phoenix Tower – there was no way she could have known Peng Yugui was the culprit. Though he had ordered his men to search for such a weapon, he hadn’t believed in it. Yet this rare silver thread weapon had appeared at Rainbow Phoenix Tower.

One or two instances of matching dreams could be called coincidence, but everything matches…

“Besides this, I’ve also dreamed of several strange events concerning Father. I dreamed that Peng Sishun of Huaixi Circuit died of illness, and his son Peng Zhen took control. Not long after, Peng Zhen gathered neighboring military governors and rebelled. Father was ordered to suppress the rebellion but was killed by the rebels outside Jiafu Gate. Those people knew evil arts – they used a mystical fog to trap Father and his men before succeeding.”

At this point, her heart trembled uncontrollably, remembering her previous life when she rushed to see Father one last time – the large bloodstains on his robes had made his face appear as white as paper.

Teng Shao’s expression changed dramatically. His daughter’s so-called “dream” had suddenly struck at his most secret worries. Peng Sishun’s health had been declining, and two years ago he had officially handed the administration of Huaixi Circuit to his eldest son Peng Zhen. Peng Zhen’s military leadership was no less than his father’s. Over these two years, Huaixi Circuit had grown increasingly powerful in both troops and resources. Now everyone in court and beyond knew that Peng Zhen was the actual military commander of Huaixi Circuit – he only needed an official decree from the court to naturally become the Military Governor of Huaixi.

Peng Zhen actively paid various taxes, showing apparent loyalty to the court. A year ago, when one of Teng Shao’s commanders was transporting Huai grain to the frontier and caught a Uighur spy in Yuanzhou, they searched the spy and found a large number of receipts for horse transactions. Following the trail, Teng Shao discovered that Peng Zhen had been secretly purchasing horses from the Uighurs for years. Peng Zhen never appeared personally, instead using the names of small countries like Nanzhao and Bohai. It was only by chance that the commander recognized the “merchant” as the brother-in-law of a certain Huaixi Circuit general, confirming that the horse buyers were Huaixi Circuit people.

Huaixi Circuit already commanded over a hundred thousand troops, enough to dominate a region. The purpose of secretly expanding military power was self-evident.

But this alone couldn’t prove Peng Zhen harbored rebellious intentions. If reported rashly, the court might not believe it. Huainan and Huaixi Circuits checked each other – without evidence, accusing the Peng family of treasonous acts might instead draw the court’s suspicion toward Teng Shao himself.

But to investigate further, given Peng Zhen’s strict military discipline, Huaixi Circuit was now like an iron plate. To obtain concrete evidence would require penetrating deep into Huaixi territory, which would risk alerting them.

Thus, though he secretly guarded against Peng Zhen, he had yet to determine an appropriate countermeasure.

As Teng Yuyi spoke, she observed her father’s expression. She had expected him to dismiss her words, but though shocked, he seemed more contemplative.

A thought flashed through her mind – could Father have already suspected Huaixi Circuit’s disloyalty? Possible. Father might have even secretly warned the court, which was why in her previous life, Peng Zhen’s group targeted Father first when the court ordered their suppression.

That night when black-clad men broke into the manor to take her life – was it because she was Teng Shao’s daughter?

No, Father’s death had shocked the entire empire. In his grief, the Emperor ordered day and night pursuit of the killers. The Zhenhai Army soldiers, determined to avenge their commander, helped the court search without rest. Before long, Chang’an had been turned upside down. Almost no one of suspicious background could escape scrutiny. Thanks to such comprehensive searches, Chang’an’s Peng family rebels were quickly rounded up.

The black-clad men had broken into the Teng manor after that.

By then, the Peng family’s remnants in the capital had been cleaned out, and the imperial army had already mobilized. Peng Zhen was busy dealing with the battle – it’s questionable whether he would have had time to deal with her.

Even if it was Peng Zhen who sent them, why would these people go to such lengths to sneak back into the capital, gathering so many martial artists skilled in evil arts, and risking capture by the entire city, just to kill a helpless young lady?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt the black-clad men had come for something specific in the manor.

Perhaps the black-clad men who killed her that night weren’t Peng Zhen’s rebels at all.

Recalling those black-clad men who emanated an icy aura, she unconsciously looked toward the treasure cabinet behind the desk, where a stack of letters from Nanzhao was hidden, the envelope signed “Yours truly, Wu.”

Those letters were like both a riddle and a thorn in her chest. She had already come this far in speaking with Father today – what was there left to hesitate about?

While Teng Yuyi’s thoughts were in turmoil, Teng Shao wasn’t faring much better. Everything else aside, his daughter wouldn’t make up stories about court officials rebelling. A’Yu said she might be killed by black-clad men – could this happen? His mind in chaos, he stood and paced the room several steps: “You said you were killed by a black-clad man – what exactly happened?”

“I dreamed that after Father died, a group of black-clad men entered the manor to kill me. Those people seemed to be targeting Father’s study – there’s a stack of letters from Nanzhao hidden in Father’s study.”

Teng Shao’s footsteps suddenly stopped. Across his face flashed expressions of shock, shame, and doubt, as if he’d been slapped in the face, or as if he’d suddenly been stabbed in the chest.

Even though Teng Yuyi had mentally prepared herself, seeing Father’s expression still secretly startled her. Father seemed like his heart had been seized – his entire person frozen. She could practically hear the violent beating of his heart in his chest.

She held her breath for a moment, then calmly asked: “Father, who wrote those letters?”

Teng Shao’s face was almost bloodless as he stared fixedly at his daughter. Besides himself, no one knew of these letters’ existence. Originally he had carried them on his person, but recently, because of frequent palace visits, he had worried about mishaps and personally made a secret compartment in the study’s treasure cabinet. But he hadn’t yet had time to place the letters inside.

In other words, besides himself, no one knew about the secret compartment in the treasure cabinet, much less that he was about to store a batch of letters there.

Hearing his daughter’s words, he was shocked beyond measure. Could there be such things as “prophetic dreams”?! Otherwise, how could his daughter predict what he was about to do next?

What troubled him more was his worry that his daughter had seen the letters’ contents. This was a heavy secret he had carried for many years. She was still young – he shouldn’t, and couldn’t, let her see those things.

“You—” Teng Shao’s voice suddenly grew hoarse, “Good child, tell Father, what did you see in the letters?”

Teng Yuyi secretly clenched her palms. She hadn’t guessed wrong – Father was indeed afraid she had seen those letters.

If her death was inextricably linked to these letters, Father had no reason to conceal their origins.

“Why won’t Father tell me himself?” she asked, suppressing her anger. “All these strange things I dreamed about have come true one by one – this won’t be an exception. Those people killed your daughter precisely because of these letters. Father, knowing this will happen, you still won’t tell your daughter the truth?”

Teng Shao’s expression grew increasingly troubled. He reached back to grip the screen frame tightly, trying to calm himself quickly. When he looked at his daughter again, his eyes had grown somewhat calmer.

“Father cannot tell you the contents of the letters, but Father guarantees that no one will harm you from now on.”

“How can Father guarantee that?” Teng Yuyi looked directly at her father. “Just because the letter writer is Wu of Nanzhao?”

Teng Shao’s expression changed several times, but he quickly realized that if she had seen the letters’ contents, this child wouldn’t be so calm now. If she wanted to ask him questions, they certainly wouldn’t be limited to just a “Wu of Nanzhao.”

He walked to the desk and personally brought out a set of writing implements: “The portrait you gave Father last time was too rough. Father has had people searching all these days without news. Think carefully about that person’s appearance and moves again – if you can recall even a small clue, draw it for Father to see.”

Teng Yuyi was momentarily stunned. In just that brief instant, that mountain-like steadfast Father had returned. The previous emotional display seemed to have never happened – Father had already begun calmly considering what to do next.

She knew that no matter how she asked from now on, Father would no longer directly answer her questions.

She stared steadily at her father, and Teng Shao silently watched his daughter. Father and daughter’s gazes were equally stubborn, equally penetrating like candlelight.

Both knew what the other wanted to hear, yet neither parent nor child was willing to yield.

Tonight Teng Yuyi had spoken openly, wanting nothing more than to hear the truth from her father’s mouth. Rather than beating around the bush seeking answers elsewhere, she would prefer Father tell her directly what all this was about.

She firmly believed that once he knew these letters could bring them disaster, Father would surely tell her everything honestly.

But she was ultimately disappointed.

That secret stood like an immovable, insurmountable mountain between father and daughter.

In her previous life, she hadn’t had the chance to ask.

In this life, she still couldn’t hear the truth from Father’s mouth.

This left her bewildered.

Could the secret in those letters be more important than both their lives?

Was Father trying to protect the secret in the letters, or the person who wrote them?

The character “Wu” on the envelope burned like hot coals in her heart. But despite her resentment, she hadn’t forgotten Father’s fleeting complex expression. Father’s manner just now was like someone whose vital point had been seized.

Something felt wrong about this. Wu Yingying was no longer a secret to them as father and daughter. If Father was merely trying to hide his relationship with Wu Yingying from his daughter, would he have lost composure like that?

People said her grandfather Teng Yuanhao was an undisputed great general who, defending the Huai River transport route against barbarian rebels with her two uncles, died unfortunately by rebel blades when the city fell and forces were exhausted – yet successfully stopped the rebels’ southward advance. Who in the world didn’t respect the Teng family name?

Grandfather’s portrait still hung in the Lingyan Gallery symbolizing “exceptional merit and glory” – this was the Teng family’s supreme honor.

After Father grew up, he lived up to his father’s reputation for loyalty and valor. At seventeen, he became famous in a single battle, able to kill thousands of Tibetan soldiers while riding alone. In military strategy and martial arts, there was nothing he didn’t excel at – his divine might was renowned throughout the land. Someone like Father would know how to conceal his emotions. For Father to lose composure like this—

An uneasy feeling rose in Teng Yuyi’s heart.

Perhaps the letters’ contents were far more complex than she had imagined.

Thinking this way, she wavered.

If there was any difference in her mindset after being reborn, it was that she understood “cherishing” better than before. She would forever remember that snowy night in her previous life when hating Father, she resolutely left his study. Fate was so unpredictable – by the time she saw Father again, it was his blood-soaked corpse.

She hadn’t even had the chance to speak calmly with Father for a few sentences before they were separated forever by death.

Remembering Father’s eyes from her previous life that wouldn’t close because he is concerned for her, her clenched fingers slowly relaxed. Perhaps she should trust Father this time.

After tonight’s conversation, at least Father had begun taking her so-called “prophecies” seriously. His request for her to redraw the black-clad man’s appearance surely meant he was planning to take preemptive action.

She knew that once Father formally intervened in this matter, progress would accelerate rapidly. Perhaps before long, they would know the black-clad man’s true identity.

As she pondered this, Father seemed to light the ram’s horn lamp beside him to better illuminate the paper and ink on the desk. When the lamplight suddenly brightened, Teng Yuyi noticed Father had many more white hairs than before.

She remembered Father’s hair had been black as ink, but in that year when Mother passed away, within just two short months, it was as if salt had been scattered across Father’s head as white hairs gradually appeared.

By her calculation, Father wasn’t yet forty this year, yet half his hair was white. Teng Yuyi felt both startled and saddened – how many burdens must one carry to age so quickly?

Her discontent instantly subsided. She decided to temporarily ignore Wu Yingying’s appearance, temporarily ignore how Steward Cheng and Father had concealed various things from her, and ignore the “Rain Eaves Falling Flowers” that should have belonged only to Father and Mother.

She moved her steps, slowly walking toward the desk.

Teng Shao caught his daughter’s change almost instantly. A kind of bittersweet gratification gradually showed in his firm gaze.

For his daughter, Hui Niang’s death was a lifelong hurdle she couldn’t overcome. Anything related to Hui Niang would provoke a strong reaction from his daughter.

Often, just mentioning her mother would make his daughter like an angry little beast, wanting to raise all her spines before him.

But no matter how much his heart ached for this child, he didn’t know how to resolve the knot between father and daughter, because he was guilty.

He had thought tonight would end again with father and daughter parting unhappily, but he hadn’t expected his daughter to ultimately compromise in such a subtle way.

His chest felt unutterably tight – his daughter had grown up overnight. Their hearts were connected as father and daughter; he could certainly understand her concerns, but those things she asked about – a father could never let his child know. Moreover, he could never have imagined that despite his careful concealment, fate would play such a joke on him – his daughter had glimpsed a corner of the letters in her dreams.

Was it just some strange dreams? He wondered uncertainly. Could someone have secretly done something to his daughter? But even if someone knew about past events, how could they let his daughter know about things that hadn’t yet happened?

He fell into deep thought.

Teng Yuyi drew several strokes, unsatisfied, and simply began demonstrating the moves: “That person’s hands were hidden in his cloak, and without seeing him move much, that silver thread shot out… Both times he attacked me and Duan Fu, this person never moved his feet.”

Teng Shao looked very carefully for a while: “This person’s lower body is very stable, with internal power no less than Duan Fu’s. There aren’t many such masters in Chang’an. Think carefully again – did that silver thread come from his right side or his left side?”

“Right side.”

Teng Shao nodded: “When this person attacked, did you smell any scent from him, or hear any sound from his accessories? Like jade pendants or fan ornaments?”

“Didn’t smell anything, didn’t hear anything either. He appeared silently, and fought silently too.”

Teng Shao’s expression grew strange: “Yuyi, could you have seen this person before?”

Teng Yuyi was startled. She had suspected this early on, because that night when that person appeared, she only had Duan Fu left with her. Though that person had a cloak covering him and held a weapon that could kill invisibly, facing them master and servant, he did not need caution. Yet this person was so careful that he wore not a single accessory.

She thought through all the people she knew but couldn’t recall anyone with a similar build and appearance.

“I’m not certain, but I don’t think I’ve seen such a person before.”

“What if that person deliberately disguised himself? Voice can be faked, and such a large cloak, besides hiding the face, can also disguise the build. Just sewing padding on the shoulders can broaden them, and wearing thick boots can increase height – this is nothing difficult for someone who has practiced martial arts for years. But such a disguise has remarkable effectiveness for someone who needs to conceal their identity. As long as the cloak isn’t removed, no one knows the person’s true appearance.”

Teng Yuyi’s eyelids twitched. Exceptional martial arts, knowledge of evil arts, wanting to take her life, yet afraid of being recognized by her…

She thought and thought but couldn’t recall any acquaintance matching these characteristics.

Teng Shao frowned deeply: “This person must have prepared for a long time beforehand, first understanding everyone’s habits in our manor. He even knew Duan Fu’s strengths and weaknesses well, so he used hidden weapons as soon as he appeared. One reason for doing this might have been wanting quick results. Another reason might be knowing that in close combat, he might not be Duan Fu’s match.”

Working together, the father and daughter’s analysis made the black-clad man’s characteristics much clearer than before.