The Crown Prince, ever filial, could only listen respectfully despite his embarrassment.
Strangely, some people you might see daily without taking much notice, while others leave deep impressions even after just a few meetings. Though he had only met Du Tinglan three times, each encounter left a profound imprint on his heart. Now, as his mother spoke of marriage arrangements, that graceful figure swayed gently in his mind, stirring unfamiliar emotions that both softened his expression and left him at a loss. When the palace maid brought tea to his mother, he caught Ling Chengyou’s eye.
Ling Chengyou sat listening to the Empress’s teachings with an even more serious expression than the Crown Prince. Seemingly noticing the Prince’s glance, he discreetly nudged the Prince’s elbow under the table, thinking to himself: After Princess Jingyi’s marriage last year, Aunt hasn’t had a chance to exercise her matchmaking skills. This is just the beginning – better endure it.
Fortunately, a palace servant came to announce that lunch was ready at Yixia Pavilion, and the ministers’ wives were already seated, waiting for the Empress’s arrival. Only then did Liu Bingyu release the two young men.
***
The next day, the Emperor, Empress, and officials began their descent from the mountain.
At dawn the following day, the court’s edict was proclaimed.
The Xiangxiang Academy would officially open on the twenty-fifth day. The edict also announced the appointments of the academy’s principal, female officials, and the first batch of eighty students, which included not only those who had ascended Mount Li that day but also many daughters of court officials and regional military governors.
Previously, the position of principal at Yunyin Academy had been held by the Duchess of Lu, but now she was too advanced in age to manage the complex affairs of the academy. Thus, new leadership had to be appointed for Xiangxiang Academy.
After much deliberation, two principals were appointed.
The Empress would serve as the principal while residing in the palace.
The vice principal position went to the wife of Liu Wenchang, the Director of the Imperial Academy.
Madam Liu, holding the rank of a second-grade noble lady, had been a renowned female scholar in Chang’an in her early years. Known for her literary talent in youth and respected for her virtue in maturity, her appointment was unanimously praised both within and outside the court.
Additionally, the academy appointed four female officials for Discipline, Morality, Academics, and Conduct. The Empress personally selected these officials after careful consideration over many days, ensuring each possessed both virtue and talent.
Three of the four female officials came from prestigious Chang’an families, while the fourth was the only daughter of the great Luoyang scholar Jian Wenqing. Their ages ranged from twenty to forty, and all were talented women who had devoted themselves to lifelong scholarship rather than marriage.
The palace messenger further announced that students must prepare their belongings and writing materials at home. On opening day, the Minister of Rites and both principals would preside over the Ceremony of Opening the Book Chest (Note 1). Afterward, students would pay their tuition fees, though these were largely symbolic at just three bolts of silk per person.
When the edict reached the Teng residence, the entire household burst into activity.
Earlier, Steward Cheng had already inquired about all matters concerning the academy. Knowing its strict management allowed students to return home only once a month, he worried about his young mistress’s comfort and personally went to Tanshang Yue to oversee Chunrong and others in preparing her belongings.
That entire day, Tanshang Yue was filled with commotion as servants bustled about, arranging Teng Yu’yi’s trunks.
Teng Yu’yi herself kept busy, going to the kitchen to have the cook bring out the molds, washing her hands, and personally kneading dough. Once she entered the academy, she wouldn’t be able to make these rose cakes anymore, so she wanted to prepare some to send to Qingyun Temple before school began.
With the young mistress at work, the kitchen staff dared not slack off, either helping to pass honey or cutting flower petals. The rose petals brought down from Mount Li were far from enough; more than half the flowers were freshly cut from the garden by Beiluo and the maids.
Teng Yu’yi first kneaded the dough with rose juice until it turned light pink, then mixed the petals with honey and added sweet preserved fruits to the filling. After tasting the filling, she remembered that Juesheng and Qizhi shared her sweet tooth, while Ling Chengyou preferred lighter flavors, so she made one batch sweeter and another more subtle.
Then she carefully pinched the dough into individual rose shapes.
This delicate work took until afternoon, ultimately producing eight steamers of dough, each flower exquisitely crafted. Teng Yu’yi examined them from all angles, quite pleased with the results, and eagerly had the kitchen maids place them on the rack to steam the next morning.
Before these pastries could be delivered the next day, a note arrived from Qingyun Temple.
The note, supposedly from Juesheng and Qizhi, said they had urgent matters to discuss with Teng Yu’yi and requested her immediate presence at Mingyue Tower in the East Market.
Steward Cheng was puzzled: “Mingyue Tower is an expensive Jiangnan cuisine restaurant that usually only serves wealthy merchants and nobles. Why would the two young Taoists—”
The implication was that such a meeting place seemed completely out of character for Juesheng and Qizhi.
Teng Yu’yi leisurely spooned her milk and cherry dessert, knowing full well this note came from Ling Chengyou, not Juesheng and Qizhi. Guessing it must concern developments with the fierce ghost, she replied casually, “The young Taoists may be frugal, but they treat friends well. Since they rarely invite a good friend out, can’t they be generous once? Time is of the essence – please prepare my horse.”
Though Steward Cheng remained doubtful, Teng Yu’yi busied herself having Chunrong find male clothing and a headpiece, then had Duanfu apply disguising makeup after they were dressed.
Once the master and servants had changed their appearances, they handed the boxes of rose cakes to Duanfu to carry and confidently made their way to the East Market.
At Mingyue Tower’s entrance, it was immediately apparent why Steward Cheng doubted Juesheng and Qizhi would choose this location – the restaurant was extraordinarily luxurious, with even its window frames featuring more elaborate silver-inlaid red lacquer than other establishments.
Strangely, despite the grand establishment, there were almost no customers outside. When Teng Yu’yi entered asking about the young Taoists, the proprietor seemed to have been waiting, personally coming out to greet them: “Young Master Wang? Please, follow me upstairs.”
However, upon reaching the second-floor private room, there was no sign of Juesheng and Qizhi.
The proprietor warmly served tea and snacks: “Young Master Wang, please wait here. The two young Taoists are still on their way.”
Teng Yu’yi could only take a seat and wait.
***
Ling Chengyou was busy at the Court of Judicial Review.
When the Great Hidden Temple and various Taoist temples received news of Chi Kuo’s appearance that day, they immediately began patrolling the city but found no trace of it. Though Chi Kuo hadn’t yet infiltrated the city, given its ability to appear and disappear at will, the monks and Taoists still spent the night setting up formation points outside the city. As soon as Master Qingxu came down from the mountain, he rushed to personally oversee these preparations outside the city.
Compared to the busy monks and Taoists, the Court of Judicial Review had been quite quiet these past few days.
Whether by coincidence or not, since the Bright Moon Hermit’s execution, no new cases had been submitted from any prefecture for some time. Colleagues only had old accumulated cases, and efficient investigators like Yan Zhizheng and Ling Chengyou had even less to do.
The evening after descending Mount Li, Ling Chengyou first helped his master set up formations, then early the next morning Juesheng and Qizhi sent the note to Teng Yu’yi. Seeing it was still early and thinking of several unclear points in his cases, he rode to the Court.
Yan Zhizheng always arrived earliest, and today was no exception. When Ling Chengyou entered the office pavilion, Yan sat properly by the window, busy organizing case reports from several old cases.
Long accustomed to Yan’s diligence, Ling Chengyou smiled: “Elder Brother Yan.”
Yan set down his brush: “Perfect timing, I have something to discuss with Inspector Ling.”
He pushed a stack of records he’d written toward Ling Chengyou: “This morning while organizing these cases, most were straightforward enough, but Hu Jizhen’s case – I don’t even know how to write the report. Since the incident, there have been no eyewitnesses, no weapon, no clear motive for harm, and not even a word from the victim. Now Hu Jizhen’s condition exactly matches the symptoms of phlegm-induced confusion, but suspecting Lu Zhao’an based on this alone seems insufficient evidence. Yet trying to find more evidence leaves us at a dead end – the entire incident appears traceless.”
Ling Chengyou sat down and flipped through the records. He was familiar with every entry, having deployed considerable manpower to investigate Lu Zhao’an earlier, though the investigation had been interrupted by the Bright Moon Hermit case. Now with some free time, he and Yan had resumed investigating this case.
“With so many unclear aspects, let’s start with what we do know clearly.” Ling Chengyou pointed to a particular entry, “The method of attack is clear – Hu Jizhen became like this because someone extracted one of his hun souls and one po soul. This is a type of soul-stealing dark art.”
Yan nodded, writing down the first line following Ling Chengyou’s reasoning.
Ling Chengyou continued: “The time of the attack is clear – Hu Jizhen’s incident occurred on the twentieth of last month, specifically after returning from Ci’en Temple with his friends. That day he parted with his last friend at the end of the Wei hour and returned to the Hu residence by the end of the Shen hour, falling ill immediately upon return. So the perpetrator must have acted between late Wei hour and late Shen hour.”
Yan nodded again.
“The location of the attack is clear,” Ling Chengyou said. “Hu Jizhen parted with his friends on Deshan Street in Liquan Ward, just one street away from his home in Yining Ward. Since only one hun soul and one po soul were extracted, there were no visible signs for the first half hour. The perpetrator must have followed Hu Jizhen, thus able to control him to ride home, but the attack location couldn’t have been far from the Hu residence. If it had taken too long, Hu Jizhen would have shown more symptoms. Therefore, the attack must have occurred near Deshan Street in Liquan Ward and Yining Ward, within half an hour’s walking distance.”
Yan wrote down the third point.
After a pause, he frowned: “Then… what about the crucial motive? Hu Jizhen studies at the Imperial Academy, only fourteen this year. Though straightforward in personality, he has a gentle heart – they say he can’t even bring himself to scold servants. His father, Hu Dingbao, serves as Vice Minister of War and is known for being outwardly flexible but inwardly principled. As for Lu Zhao’an having a motive to harm Hu Jizhen… yes, that night when the corpse demon broke into Prince Cheng’s mansion, Lu Zhao’an did save only himself and locked Hu Jizhen outside, but few people know about this. Even if Hu Jizhen spread the story, Lu Zhao’an could claim it was merely Hu’s one-sided account. Would he take such a risk just for this? Besides, we haven’t found any trace of Lu Zhao’an practicing dark arts.”
Ling Chengyou pulled out another record from below: “Doesn’t this make it clearer? When Hu Jizhen’s classmate and friend Du Shaotang visited the Hu residence that day, Hu Jizhen seemed triggered by his friend’s concern and spoke one sentence: ‘Don’t come closer, I didn’t see anything.’ That was his only clearly spoken sentence since falling ill. If it wasn’t delirious rambling, it might have been his strongest thought before being attacked.”
Yan looked at that passage: “Could it be that Hu Jizhen was harmed because he accidentally discovered something? That would make the motive somewhat clearer.”
Ling Chengyou replied: “In recent years, practitioners of dark arts have rarely used soul-stealing techniques to avoid imperial investigation. Using this method on Hu Jizhen that day must have been out of desperation. Directly killing him would certainly alert the Court of Judicial Review and the imperial court. Using soul-stealing is much safer – the victim appears to have phlegm-induced confusion, and even ordinary monks and Taoists wouldn’t notice anything amiss. If Hu Dingbao hadn’t desperately sought my help in examining his son, no one would have known Hu Jizhen was deliberately harmed.”
Yan pondered: “But Hu Jizhen was almost at his doorstep that day – what deadly secret could he have stumbled upon? It wasn’t even dark yet, and the streets were full of people.”
Ling Chengyou contemplated quietly, then casually picked up a bamboo scroll and began sketching: “From his route on horseback to Deshan Street, he intended to go straight home, but for some reason changed his mind. There aren’t any shops nearby, so it’s unlikely he went to buy something. In situations like this, usually—”
Yan started: “Did he run into someone he knew? Or was he stopped by someone?”
Ling Chengyou thought for a moment: “If a stranger had stopped him without reason, Hu Jizhen wouldn’t have dismounted. Any argument would have drawn attention, but there were no disputes reported at either intersection that day. Questioning nearby taverns confirmed Hu Jizhen didn’t drink with anyone. So likely something or someone caught his attention, and either he quietly followed on horseback or was invited to their home. Then, Hu Jizhen saw something he shouldn’t have, and was harmed because of it.”
Yan looked at the bamboo scroll on the table, where Ling Chengyou had drawn a figure representing Hu Jizhen and his horse, along with their route.
Ling Chengyou then drew two residences at the northwest and northeast corners of the little figure. One was in Puning Ward, the other in Xiuxiang Ward.
He first pointed to Puning Ward: “Lu Zhao’an currently lives in Puning Ward, right at the northwest corner of Deshan Street.”
Then he pointed to the northeast corner of Xiuxiang Ward: “That day he was attending a banquet at Duke Ying’s mansion in Xiuxiang Ward, also conveniently nearby. If he made an excuse to leave the banquet, he could have encountered Hu Jizhen.”
Yan asked: “So Inspector Ling still suspects Lu Zhao’an’s involvement?”
“Hu Jizhen had never made enemies before, and his only recent conflict seemed to be with Lu Zhao’an. Hu Jizhen originally greatly admired Lu Zhao’an – the night the corpse demon broke in, he even voluntarily gave his protective talisman to Lu Zhao’an. Who knew that in a life-or-death moment, Lu Zhao’an would reveal his true nature? Afterward, Hu Jizhen must have been bitterly disappointed. Elder Brother Yan, if you were Hu Jizhen, troubled by this incident, and suddenly saw Lu Zhao’an on the street, what would you do?”
Yan considered carefully: “Young Master Hu was only fourteen and straightforward. Even if he hadn’t directly confronted Lu Zhao’an at his residence, if he encountered him privately, he might not have been able to contain himself… In his indignation, he would likely question Lu Zhao’an face to face.”
At this point, Yan paused: “You mean that day Hu Jizhen was heading home but happened to see Lu Zhao’an on the street? But this still doesn’t prove Lu Zhao’an’s involvement.”
Ling Chengyou nodded: “As you said if Hu Jizhen was just riding randomly through the streets, how could he stumble upon any deadly secret? I think this must have happened somewhere hidden. Given Hu Jizhen’s upright nature, he wouldn’t follow strangers around, but Lu Zhao’an was different. Remembering that night’s events might have angered him enough to confront Lu Zhao’an, accidentally witnessing something significant – perhaps at Lu Zhao’an’s home or in some secluded alley. Hu Jizhen realized he’d seen something he shouldn’t have, hence his words ‘Don’t come closer, I didn’t see anything.'”
Yan still found it puzzling: “Lu Zhao’an is focused solely on his official career, with a sword hanging over his head these days. No matter how insincere he might be inside, he must be extremely careful in his actions. I can’t imagine what scandal Hu Jizhen could have witnessed. Unless it was truly criminal, it couldn’t have caused such waves. Couldn’t Lu Zhao’an have bribed Hu Jizhen or begged him not to spread the word? Any option would be better than risking harming someone.”
Ling Chengyou replied: “Don’t forget that Hu Jizhen is the son of the Vice Minister of War. Some secrets, once discovered, would implicate more than just Lu Zhao’an. The perpetrator must have felt Hu Jizhen had to be rendered foolish or insane – they might even think they were being merciful.”
Yan was stunned.
Ling Chengyou smiled slightly: “This is all speculation. But just considering the soul-stealing aspect, this case can’t be simple. This might not just be about personal grudges, but something much broader, which is why we must not only investigate thoroughly but prioritize it among recent cases.”
Yan’s expression grew increasingly serious as he carefully wrote down their reasoning after “Motive for Attack.”
He added: “By the way, can anyone confirm whether Lu Zhao’an left the banquet at Duke Ying’s mansion that day? And have we found any evidence of Lu Zhao’an practicing dark arts?”
“That day, Lu Zhao’an and some other scholars went to the garden for a poetry competition, away from the banquet for an hour or two – the servants at Duke Ying’s mansion can testify to this. As for the second point – if Hu Jizhen encountered more than one person, the dark arts practitioner might be Lu Zhao’an’s accomplice. However, currently, we only have one suspect, so we must start with Lu Zhao’an.”
For this, they could only look for clues in the letters Lu Zhao’an wrote to Du Tinglan.
Earlier, Ling Chengyou had briefly looked at them – these letters were written last year in Yangzhou, mostly containing fresh and vigorous poetry. Whether describing objects or scenes, each piece was exquisitely crafted.
After reading them, Ling Chengyou had to admit that even in Chang’an, filled with scholarly talents, Lu Zhao’an was among the most outstanding. It was no wonder he had attracted the attention of both Lady Du and the Zheng family’s daughter.
However, since this concerned Lady Du’s reputation, even if they found hints in the letters, they would need to find another way to prove Lu Zhao’an’s involvement with dark arts.
Yan was fully focused on the case. Seeing how Ling Chengyou had laid out their approach, he put down his brush confidently: “Previously I only questioned people around Deshan Street in Yining Ward. It seems we should also investigate near Lu Zhao’an’s rented residence in Puning Ward. Inspector Ling, shall we go together?”
Ling Chengyou smiled: “I have some matters to attend to today and can’t go. You go ahead first, and I’ll visit Puning Ward when I return this afternoon.”
Yan was surprised. Though Ling Chengyou was of noble birth, whenever there was a case to investigate, he usually worked even harder than Yan. Looking over, Ling Chengyou was still gazing at the case files, but there seemed to be a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Yan remembered Ling Chengyou’s strange questions lately, and a thought occurred to him – perhaps his guess wasn’t wrong, and Inspector Ling truly had found someone special.
He decided to probe: “Does Inspector Ling have another case to investigate?”
Ling Chengyou thought to himself that today was an exception – after all, Teng Yu’yi was waiting for him at Mingyue Tower.
He had prepared to deal with a nest of fierce ghosts for Teng Yu’yi, and since Juesheng and Qizhi weren’t reliable, he decided to personally accompany her for the exorcism.
Thinking ahead to when Teng Yu’yi would enter the academy, he would only be able to see her at night, which wouldn’t interfere with daytime investigations. However, he would need to inform Yan since it would be impossible to keep a secret if it happened frequently. Better to simply say he had some personal matters than make excuses each time.
He was about to respond when a constable called from outside: “A new case has arrived.”
Going outside, they saw two constables carrying a corpse covered in white cloth through the front courtyard.
Several young officials shook their heads – after just two quiet days, another case had appeared.
Judge Wang casually asked: “Where did this come from?”
The constable quickly replied: “From Yining Ward in the north of the city. The deceased is a young lady who suddenly disappeared yesterday while visiting the Chu Kingdom Temple with her female companions. After searching for half a day, they found her dead in a nearby well. They say she was only thirteen – quite pitiful.”
As he spoke, they continued carrying the body away.
Everyone was puzzled. It sounded like an accidental drowning, which happened several times each year in Chang’an. Even if it was murder disguised as an accident, it should have been reviewed by Chang’an County’s legal officials before being sent up – how did it come directly to the Court of Judicial Review?
Despite their confusion, since no one had been assigned to investigate yet, even Ling Chengyou found nothing particularly strange about the case and didn’t ask further.
However, not long after, the coroner suddenly sent someone to relay a message: “Inspector Ling, Coroner Chen requests your presence to examine the corpse.”
Ling Chengyou had been eager to get to Mingyue Tower and was already at the door, but upon hearing this, he had to return.
Yan accompanied Ling Chengyou to the morgue.
Upon entering, Ling Chengyou immediately understood – this young woman’s eye sockets showed only whites, without a trace of the pupil – a sign that her soul had been disturbed.
The coroner’s face was full of shock: “The Chang’an County legal officials said that when they retrieved the body from Chu Kingdom Temple yesterday, her companions mentioned she had been acting strangely before disappearing. Usually a very lively person, she suddenly became dull and stupid. Her companions lost sight of her for a moment, and she vanished. When they found the body, it was floating in the well. When they pulled her out, the manner of death seemed unusual. The officials heard about recent demon activity and, fearing to delay the demon hunt, sent the body here.”
“What was the cause of death?”
Coroner Chen replied: “Superficially, it appears to be drowning. Besides scrapes from falling into the well, there are no marks of external force on the body, and the lungs are full of water – she was still alive when she entered the water.”
Ling Chengyou walked around the corpse. Something was wrong. For those who die unjustly, their souls typically linger unwilling to leave for seven days. This girl had drowned just yesterday – her soul should still be nearby.
He pulled out a talisman from his sleeve and secretly cast a soul-summoning spell, but it failed – there was no trace of death energy around the corpse.
Seeing Ling Chengyou’s expression change, Yan and Coroner Chen quickly asked: “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Ling Chengyou crouched down to examine the girl’s feet: “This girl’s soul is incomplete. If I’m not mistaken, her soul was extracted before death. She was already mentally unclear before dying, so naturally, no resentful energy could form.”
Yan turned pale: “Isn’t this just like—”
Yes, it was the same method used to harm Hu Jizhen, except Hu Jizhen had been controlled to return home, while this young lady, having lost her mind, had fallen into a well and drowned.
Ling Chengyou stood up and asked the coroner: “Was the body discovered in Yining Ward?”
“That’s right, this young lady lived in Yining Ward, her name was Li Ying’er.”
Yan and Ling Chengyou exchanged glances – Yining Ward again.
Hu Jizhen also lived in Yining Ward and had similarly had his soul extracted. This was too much of a coincidence.
Could someone be collecting souls? Or had Li Ying’er also witnessed something that led to her demise?
Yan consulted Ling Chengyou: “If these two cases are connected, we probably shouldn’t hand them over to other colleagues.”
Looking at the corpse, Ling Chengyou thought that Li Ying’er’s case was fresh, and if they didn’t want to miss crucial clues, they needed to visit Chu Kingdom Temple immediately. Yan had to investigate around Lu Zhao’an’s residence and couldn’t climb walls to investigate the temple. Ling Chengyou didn’t trust anyone else with it, as they might miss important evidence.
But Teng Yu’yi was waiting for him at Mingyue Tower. He had barely managed to delay Juesheng and Qizhi before leaving, and breaking the appointment was impossible. After some thought, he suddenly said: “How about this – immediately send five constables to guard the scene at Chu Kingdom Temple, allowing no one in or out today. I’ll be there in two hours.”
However, heaven seemed determined to thwart him, as just after arranging this, another colleague came looking for him: “Inspector Ling, several Taoist priests from Dongming Temple are waiting for you outside.”
Going outside, he saw not only Priests Jiantian and Jianxian but also Jianmei and Jianle, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time.
Ling Chengyou looked from left to right, smiling in surprise: “What urgent matter brings the venerable ones to seek me at the Court of Judicial Review?”
Jiantian hurriedly spoke: “Young Master, look at this.”
It was a black talisman, covered in curses written in fresh blood. Though the blood had dried, the hatred still radiated through the paper.
“A Seven Curse Talisman?”
“Yesterday, General Li sent someone to request our help with an exorcism, saying his wife and daughter seemed possessed – they suddenly began vomiting and having diarrhea two days ago. He felt unwell too. When this poor priest visited, indeed everyone in the Li household appeared gravely ill. Jianmei recalled a curse similar to this, and upon careful inspection of the doorstep, we discovered someone had placed this curse on the Li family. If we hadn’t found it in time, Lady Li and her daughter would have died within seven days.”
Jianmei said gravely: “Young Master, both the Seven Curse Talisman and soul-drawing techniques were specialties of the Wuji Sect. Since those criminal Taoists were executed, such things haven’t been seen in the city for many years. We felt this was too important not to report to you immediately. We hear this General Li is a rising star at court, soon to be promoted to regional governor. Could someone he offended be secretly trying to harm his family this way?”
Ling Chengyou gazed thoughtfully at the talisman.
Jianxian added: “Since this involves court matters, we shouldn’t interfere further. We came today to hand this over to you, Young Master. The culprit intended to kill the Li family – if there’s been one attempt, there will surely be another. While the curse mark is still at their doorway, perhaps you should go examine it yourself?”
***
At Mingyue Tower.
Teng Yu’yi sat by the window, occasionally glancing down at the street. Elegant music played behind the curtains as the musicians performed, while delicate desserts were served continuously – each piece translucent as jade and only thumb-sized, sweet but not cloying even after several pieces. The wine was blended with something that made it rival the fragrant mists of immortal caves.
Teng Yu’yi was satisfied with the food, but she had been there for nearly an hour without seeing either Ling Chengyou or Juesheng and Qizhi. Ling Chengyou had probably rented out the entire Mingyue Tower for today, fearing the fierce ghosts might frighten other customers – in this huge restaurant, she was the only guest.
Early summer had arrived, and the sun was stronger than in previous days. After sitting by the window for a while, Teng Yu’yi’s face grew warm from the sunlight – it was already noon. She set down her wine cup in confusion. Though the note hadn’t specified a time, it was unusual for someone to be so late to their appointment.
Duanfu had been standing woodenly nearby since arriving. Seeing Teng Yu’yi’s anxiety, he spoke up: “Should we send Changgeng to Qingyun Temple to inquire?”
“Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Before she finished speaking, there was a commotion downstairs. Looking down, she saw a tall figure enter, followed by footsteps on the stairs as the proprietor eagerly accompanied someone up.
Soon the maids opened the door, and sure enough, it was Ling Chengyou.
He appeared to have come directly from work, still in his official robes – a blue gown and headpiece with black boots. As he moved, the side of his outer robe revealed reddish-brown trousers underneath. His bearing was completely relaxed, and if not for the golden fish pouch at his waist, he would have looked exactly like any young official.
However, his collar revealed a tell-tale sign – probably finding the weather stuffy, he wore a snow-white palace-made gauze inner robe under his heavy official garments.
Ling Chengyou waved for the proprietor and musicians to leave, then lifted his robes to sit opposite her, smiling: “My apologies for keeping Young Master Wang waiting.”
Teng Yu’yi hurriedly said it was fine, but seeing sweat on his forehead, asked curiously: “Was the Court of Judicial Review very busy today?”
Ling Chengyou poured himself some wine and smiled: “A bit busy.”
He had barely managed to make it to the appointment in time.
While drinking, his gaze couldn’t help but drift over his teacup to Teng Yu’yi. She had removed her fake beard, revealing a face as beautiful as a lotus flower, with eyes like spring waters. In the sunlight streaming through the window, they were darker and more lustrous than grapes.
Ling Chengyou looked away, turning toward the door: “I’ve ordered food – I’m quite hungry too. This place’s Jiangnan cuisine isn’t bad.”
Teng Yu’yi was startled: “Aren’t we waiting for the young Taoists?”
Why wait for them? He’d rather they didn’t come – he’d brought them here to eat many times before, and could always order more food for them later, Ling Chengyou thought to himself. But what he said was: “This restaurant is slower than others, and Juesheng and Qizhi won’t make it anytime soon. I have urgent matters to attend to and can’t wait any longer.”
Teng Yu’yi thought for a moment – Ling Chengyou probably needed to hurry back to his duties. She pointed to her wrist and said quietly: “I’ve already cleansed the Spirit Sound Bell. Young Master can release the fierce ghosts now.”
“Oh, I didn’t bring them.”
“?” The academy will open tomorrow.
“I’ve been too busy these past days to catch any ghosts,” Ling Chengyou said. “However, there’s a haunted estate in Xiuzhen Ward in the north of the city. From the descriptions, it sounds like a soul-eating ghost. I need to investigate there anyway – if Young Master Wang is free, why don’t I take you along for the exorcism?”
Teng Yu’yi was overjoyed. Soul-eating ghosts were a type of evil spirit, but not particularly powerful. She could vanquish it with just the Little Cliff Sword. This way, she could test the Spirit Sound Bell’s power and accumulate some merit through exorcism.
She was delighted: “Perfect! I’d like to try the sword techniques Duanfu taught me. If Young Master doesn’t want to get involved directly, I can handle it myself once we reach the haunted estate.”
Ling Chengyou lowered his eyes to drink his wine. Those who borrowed life could only reduce their misfortune through vanquishing evil – that nest of fierce ghosts would have earned Teng Yu’yi quite a bit of merit, no wonder she was so happy.
He said seriously: “That works. However, I have several cases to handle, coincidentally in Yining Ward below Xiuzhen Ward. Would Young Master Wang prefer to come with me now, or wait here? If it’s too troublesome, I can return to escort you after gathering evidence.”
No wonder Ling Chengyou was so busy – it was already noon, and Yining Ward was nearly half a city away from the East Market. Who knew when he would return after finishing his cases? Teng Yu’yi pondered – perhaps another day? But tomorrow she would enter the academy with the Spirit Sound Bell…
Ling Chengyou suddenly added: “One of the victims in these cases is someone you know – Hu Jizhen. The other party hasn’t filed a case, it’s just an exorcism request. Since Juesheng and Qizhi aren’t available today, if Young Master Wang is busy, I’ll have to find someone else to help.”
Teng Yu’yi was startled.
Since learning that Hu Jizhen’s case might be connected to Lu Zhao’an, she had been hoping to use this to expose Lu Zhao’an’s misdeeds. This was a rare chance to learn more about the case – even if she could only wait outside, she was willing. She immediately changed her mind: “I’ll go with Young Master. If I’m not enough help alone, Duanfu can assist too.”
Ling Chengyou smiled inwardly, reluctantly nodding: “If you want to go, just adding a beard won’t be enough – you’ll need to change your appearance more, and these clothes won’t do either. Better to wear Taoist robes.”
Teng Yu’yi asked: “A beard isn’t enough? Does the family we’re helping with the exorcism know me?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
He clapped his hands, and maids filed in carrying plates of fragrant wine and exquisite dishes.
As they ate, even their cups and chopsticks made no sound. Ling Chengyou occasionally glanced up at Teng Yu’yi, who seemed to find the food quite to her taste, unconsciously eating a good portion of each dish. Seeing this, his appetite was unusually good as well.
After the meal, Teng Yu’yi had Duanfu help her change into a young Taoist’s robe. When she came downstairs in her new disguise, she had indeed transformed into an unfamiliar young Taoist.
Ling Chengyou looked her up and down, nodding with a smile: “I’ll give you the Taoist name ‘Wuwei.’ When we arrive at the Li residence and I call you ‘Wuwei,’ remember to respond.”
Teng Yu’yi smiled and lowered her eyes: “This humble priest understands.”
Suddenly Juesheng and Qizhi’s voices called out: “Senior Brother!”
Looking over, they saw Qingyun Temple’s carriage. As soon as it reached the building, Juesheng and Qizhi jumped down: “Senior Brother, have you finished eating already? Where is Young Master Wang?”
Ling Chengyou sighed inwardly – these two little ones had caught up after all. He mounted his horse without answering: “Get in the carriage.”
Teng Yu’yi took the opportunity to board Qingyun Temple’s carriage, then poked her head out the window: “Young Taoists.”
Juesheng and Qizhi found the voice familiar and hurriedly got in. After sitting down and looking carefully, they exclaimed in delight: “Lady Teng? Why are you dressed like this? We couldn’t recognize you at all!”
Teng Yu’yi handed them a lacquered box: “I need to test the Spirit Sound Bell’s power, and your Senior Brother happens to be going to perform an exorcism later and agreed to take me along. He had me dress as a young Taoist, saying it would attract less attention. Are you hungry? Your Senior Brother ordered vegetarian dishes and snacks you like – eat them while they’re hot.”
Juesheng and Qizhi happily accepted the box: “We’re not hungry – Senior Brother gave us money to buy food earlier. We’ll save this for tonight. Lady Teng—”
“Shh, you must call me Wuwei – the Taoist name your Senior Brother just gave me.”
Qizhi smiled and corrected himself: “Alright, Senior Brother Wuwei, where is Senior Brother taking us now?”
“He said we’re going to perform an exorcism, apparently for a family surnamed Li.”
Juesheng and Qizhi were both excited and curious. Though they had vanquished demons and evil spirits together before, this was the first time they were all going to someone’s home together.
Throughout the journey, laughter and chatter constantly emerged from Qingyun Temple’s carriage. Ling Chengyou, riding outside, could hear them – the three seemed to have found something amusing and hadn’t stopped chattering.
When they arrived at their destination, Teng Yu’yi got out of the carriage and looked – the Li family? Since when had Li Huaigu’s family been haunted?
General Li and several young masters weren’t home. Lady Li, having received word of their arrival, dragged her still-weak body to personally lead the household members to welcome them in the main hall. She bowed and said: “This old woman failed to welcome you properly, causing Young Master to trouble himself with coming to perform an exorcism.”
Her face was anxious as she spoke, clearly worried about something.
This was Teng Yu’yi’s first visit to the Li family’s Chang’an residence. She discreetly looked around – it was far more luxurious than their old home, with jeweled towers and emerald curtains everywhere, flowers and plants flourishing throughout.
Ling Chengyou smiled and clasped his hands in greeting: “Lady Li is too polite. At the request of five elders from Dongming Temple, I’ve come to help with the exorcism. Besides the black talisman discovered yesterday, have there been any other strange occurrences in your household?”
Lady Li bowed deeply, her voice tense: “After the five priests visited, we all began to recover, but my young daughter still won’t wake from her slumber.”