“Still unconscious?” Lin Chengyou frowned. Given that the seven curse talismans had been broken when the Five Daos arrived, everyone in the manor should have recovered by now. “Have you called for the Imperial Physicians?”
Madam Li replied, “My lord went to the Imperial Dispensary to request the Director, but my daughter was perfectly fine just days ago. I doubt it’s a physical ailment – it must be those cursed talismans at work.”
Lin Chengyou pondered briefly, then gestured to Juesheng and Qizhi beside him. “These two junior disciples of mine are skilled at dispelling evil toxins. Since they’re still young, Madam, if you don’t mind, they could examine your daughter in her chambers.”
Madam Li’s brow relaxed.
Among all of Li’s daughters, Li Huaigu was the most outstanding. Years ago, when she was still in swaddling clothes, a wandering sage had declared that the third Miss Li possessed the bearing of a phoenix. Li Guangyuan, who had long served as Vice General under Teng Shao, was far inferior in both merit and family status to Teng Shao who was ten years his junior. Upon hearing the sage’s words, Li Guangyuan saw a glimmer of hope for his otherwise unpromising career and began treating his third daughter like a precious treasure.
The Li family spared no effort in nurturing their Third Miss. Li Huaigu lived up to her parents’ expectations – as she grew up, her beauty and talents became truly exceptional. Even before she came of age, numerous noble families had come seeking marriage, but the Li family declined them all, citing her youth as the reason.
Nevertheless, several young masters from prominent families remained infatuated with Third Miss Li’s beauty and refused to give up. They either arranged “chance” encounters with her outside or sent gifts and messages through intermediaries. Li Huaigu seemed to possess a strong will and never showed them any favor.
At that time, Li Guangyuan was just a minor Vice General. Some petty-minded individuals, bitter about having their marriage proposals rejected, spread malicious gossip behind their backs. They said Third Miss Li looked down on this one and that one – did she expect to marry into the Imperial Family? They sneered that the Li family had forgotten their humble status and were reaching for the sky.
Who would have thought that in just a few short years, Li Guangyuan would be promoted to such an important position?
Now the Li family had come to the capital to report their meritorious service, and their daughter had earned entry into the Xiangxiang Academy by contributing the characters for “Xiang Xiang.” The Li family treasured their Third Miss like a pearl in their palm – how could they allow anything to go wrong at this crucial time?
Earlier when the Five Daos came, Madam Li had only allowed them to examine from the outer courtyard, fearing damage to her daughter’s reputation. Now with Lin Chengyou’s suggestion, though she adored him greatly, having men enter a maiden’s chambers would still be improper if word got out. Hearing this arrangement with the young disciples, she was both surprised and delighted. She bowed again with tears in her eyes, “The Young Master thinks of everything. We are in your debt. Little Daoists, please follow this old woman inside.”
She then had the Li manor’s steward attend to Lin Chengyou and his young disciple while she led Juesheng and Qizhi into the inner courtyard to examine her daughter.
Lin Chengyou took Teng Yuyi to inspect the curse marks at the main gate, suddenly saying, “Wuwei, hand me the Soul Revealing Sand.”
Teng Yuyi respectfully answered “Yes,” and began searching the cloth bag on her shoulder. However, there were several small pouches inside, and she wasn’t sure which contained the Soul Revealing Sand. The manor’s steward was right beside them, and it would seem strange to ask directly. She hesitated, wondering whether to take out all the pouches or find a roundabout way to ask Lin Chengyou. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lin Chengyou said, “The Soul Revealing Sand is quite heavy, hold it steady. Don’t be clumsy and drop it.”
Teng Yuyi had a flash of inspiration and quietly felt around in the bag – sure enough, one pouch was as heavy as an iron ingot. She quickly took it out and handed it to Lin Chengyou with a bow: “Senior Brother, here it is.”
So quick to understand hints – Lin Chengyou kept the smile from his eyes and maintained a serious expression as he took the pouch. He untied the string and carefully sprinkled the Soul Revealing Sand on the steps, then assumed a focused expression as he crouched down to examine every inch carefully.
As soon as the sand was scattered, various incomplete footprints appeared. These footprints climbed the steps and chaotically crossed the Li manor’s threshold.
The seven curse talismans had drawn evil spirits from within a hundred li to the Li residence. Fortunately, the Five Daos discovered it in time – if they had waited another day or two, even after driving away all the evil spirits, the Li family members’ minds would have been severely damaged.
Looking at the ground, Lin Chengyou asked the Li family steward, “Has your household recently offended anyone?”
The steward wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief: “The master and madam have always been kind to others. These days the household has been peaceful – we truly don’t know who we might have offended.”
Lin Chengyou pointed at the footprints on the steps and said coolly, “Do you see these? They’re from evil spirits drawn by the black talismans. With so many evil spirits attached, the entire household would suffer. If you don’t want to be harmed by this person again, best tell everything you know.”
The steward shuddered: “This lowly one dares not speak rashly, but since the master brought the family to Chang’an, we’ve been extremely careful in everything. The young masters and miss have always been humble and agreeable. Even when out, they’ve never had conflicts with anyone. If you ask me to say who, I truly cannot think of anyone.”
“Have any suspicious people been lingering outside the manor in recent days?”
The steward thought hard: “We have guards watching outside the manor at night year-round. As for daytime – ah yes, a few days ago was the eldest young master’s birthday. He invited many friends to drink at the manor. Many people came that day, with many servants too. The manor was noisy all day, and the entrance wasn’t perfectly watched at times.”
Lin Chengyou pondered silently – the scope was too broad. With so many people, not just guests but outsiders could have thrown talismans in during the chaos.
Teng Yuyi was also contemplating – could this be related to the various suspicious points about Li Huaigu? A previously shallow young lady who became highly educated when next seen – if she hadn’t tested Li Huaigu’s continued fear of insects at the Ledao Manor at that time, she would have suspected Li Huaigu had been replaced entirely.
The Li family had always spared no effort in promoting their daughter’s talents. Though General Li’s abilities were mediocre, he had handled several disasters well. After multiple instances, people might start connecting this to his daughter.
Could someone have truly believed Li Huaigu could “foresee” things? Fearing she might foresee something unfavorable to them, they decided to kill her. Could it be Peng Zhen’s group? The Li family now enjoyed considerable imperial favor – if Li Huaigu could foresee other major events, that was one thing, but what if she foresaw the Peng family’s rebellion? Wouldn’t that ruin everything?
The more Teng Yuyi thought about it, the more reasonable this speculation seemed.
She remembered that in her previous life, Peng Zhen had many practitioners of evil arts under his command. For the Peng family, sending someone skilled to harm people with evil curses would be no problem at all. Moreover, these curses were so vicious they could destroy the entire Li household without using a single soldier.
Tsk.
The Li family had brought this trouble upon themselves.
Wouldn’t it have been better to keep a low profile? Why did they have to widely promote their daughter’s talents?
After examining the main gate, Lin Chengyou took Teng Yuyi to slowly inspect the manor’s surrounding walls. The steward and servants dared not be negligent and hurriedly followed.
After walking around the perimeter wall, they suddenly noticed a willow tree across the street. That residence seemed uninhabited, without even a servant at the door.
Lin Chengyou walked directly under the willow tree and suddenly stopped: “Wuwei, hand me the Heaven Earth Spade.”
Teng Yuyi respectfully acknowledged, but when she felt in the cloth bag, there were three palm-sized small spades. She froze – which was the Heaven Earth Spade? Frustratingly, Lin Chengyou kept his head down, so she couldn’t even signal with her eyes. Suddenly she heard Lin Chengyou say: “Don’t get cinnabar on the spade, wipe your hands before touching it.”
Teng Yuyi’s heart leaped – it must be the silver spade then. She took it out in a proper manner and crouched down to hand it to Lin Chengyou: “Senior Brother, here it is.”
Lin Chengyou sighed inwardly – such a clever fake junior brother shouldn’t be brought out too often, or it would be too interesting. That “Senior Brother” was so clear and crisp, making the back of his neck tingle. He rubbed his ear and solemnly accepted the spade.
After just two scoops, the soil under the tree suddenly changed color from dark brown to greenish gold. Digging deeper, they unearthed a three-inch wooden figure.
The wooden figure had a talisman with someone’s birth date and time pasted on it, and a golden needle was stuck in its head.
Lin Chengyou smiled coldly: “So it was hidden here.”
Teng Yuyi and the others watched in shock – this was truly impossible to guard against.
Lin Chengyou chanted an incantation, and the golden needle slowly withdrew from the wooden figure’s head. He carefully peeled off the talisman from the figure and handed it to the steward: “Can you recognize whose birth date and time this is?”
The steward examined it with a pale face: “Judging by the year, it should be our Third Miss’s birth date.”
Teng Yuyi’s eyes flickered slightly – it seemed her guess was correct. The seven curse talismans were just a distraction; the culprit was specifically targeting Li Huaigu.
Lin Chengyou turned the wooden figure: “This should be why the young lady of your household remains unconscious.”
He wrapped it carefully in thick cloth and moved to search elsewhere.
After searching around the Li residence and finding nothing else unusual, the group was about to return to the main entrance when a servant came running with joyful news: “Our Third Miss has awakened!”
The steward sighed in relief: “Earlier the Young Master dug up a wooden figure under that willow tree over there.”
Back at the main house, Madam Li and the two disciples Juesheng and Qizhi had just emerged from the inner courtyard. Madam Li’s expression had improved, but Juesheng and Qizhi looked puzzled. Upon seeing Lin Chengyou, they said: “Senior Brother, Li Third Miss has awakened. Strangely, we couldn’t detect what curse had affected Li Third Miss. We were about to come find you when she suddenly opened her eyes. Oh, what’s that—”
Their tone changed when they saw the wooden figure: “A Soul Binding Golden Needle.”
Lin Chengyou said to Madam Li: “Your daughter was targeted by a separate curse. Besides the one at the entrance, another more vicious curse was hidden outside the manor. If this golden needle isn’t removed before midnight tonight, your daughter will perish.”
“What?” Madam Li was so frightened her legs trembled, and only the support of two maids on either side kept her from falling.
Lin Chengyou: “Has your daughter recently offended anyone?”
Madam Li’s voice trembled: “How could that be?! This child has always been gentle-natured. Far from making enemies, she’s never even raised her voice at anyone.”
Lin Chengyou said: “Though the seven curse talismans are vicious, they target the ‘household.’ To place a curse, it can only be buried at the main entrance. The entrance has constant traffic, making it very easy to expose the culprit. The perpetrator must have felt that one curse wasn’t reliable enough, so they went to the northwest corner outside the manor and, choosing the position carefully, buried this more vicious Soul Binding Golden Needle. Madam, please check if this talisman bears your daughter’s birth date and time. If so, then the culprit was specifically targeting your daughter, and this person seems to want to take your daughter’s life as quickly as possible, hence using the most spiritually damaging curses.”
Madam Li tremblingly took the dirt-covered talisman, and upon looking at it, swayed again: “It- it is indeed my daughter’s birth date and time.”
Lin Chengyou said: “Since your daughter has awakened, Madam might want to question her carefully. This person knows evil arts and uses vicious methods. Perhaps they knew that direct poisoning or assassination could be traced back to them, while curses are much more hidden. This time we were fortunate to discover it, but next time might not be so lucky. If your daughter remembers anything, you can report it to the Ministry of Justice. Also, I should inform you first – this wooden figure involves evil arts, so I need to take it back to the Ministry for careful examination.”
Madam Li said hatefully: “This person’s heart is truly vicious. Thanks to the Young Master’s meticulous attention, this old woman will question my daughter shortly. If there are any clues, I will have my lord inform the Young Master directly.”
Lin Chengyou spoke again: “Wuwei, get a bottle of Clear Mind Pills for Madam Li.”
This time there was no need for roundabout hints – Teng Yuyi had often seen Lin Chengyou give these pills to people, so she already recognized them. In Madam Li’s presence, she dared not verbally respond and could only nod repeatedly, quickly retrieving the medicine bottle and stepping forward to hand it to Madam Li.
Madam Li was too unsettled to pay attention to the small Daoist before her. She barely steadied herself, profusely thanking Lin Chengyou and his group as she saw them out.
Lin Chengyou mounted his horse at the gate, while Teng Yuyi and the others boarded the carriage. After bidding farewell to the Li manor, they headed toward Guoguo Temple in Yining District.
Just after turning the corner, Lin Chengyou suddenly ordered the carriage to stop and called Teng Yuyi down, asking her: “By the way, I suddenly remembered Li Guangyuan was once your grandfather’s Vice General. Are you familiar with his third daughter?”
Teng Yuyi said: “We were close when we were young. In earlier years, she often came to play at my home, but after her father was transferred to Hangzhou, we never met again.”
Lin Chengyou nodded: “Since she came to Chang’an, have you interacted with her?”
“Many times. The other day Li Third Miss also went up Mount Li, and we shared the Xiangluan Pavilion.”
“She went up Mount Li? There was such a person?” Lin Chengyou had no recollection of this.
“Of course.” Teng Yuyi found it strange – the Empress had even granted Li Huaigu a private audience. What was wrong with Lin Chengyou’s memory? “Moreover, last time at the Ledao Manor, Li Third Miss and my sister together came up with the first-rank name.”
Oh, mentioning the red horse finally jogged his memory – the red horse Teng Yuyi had liked almost ended up being awarded to that Li Third Miss. Right, there was such a person. Lin Chengyou rubbed his chin: “Alright, I remember who she is now. By the way, has she shown any unusual behavior recently? Has she had conflicts with anyone?”
There were too many unusual things. Teng Yuyi’s heart was tied in knots, but speaking would reveal to Lin Chengyou that she was an “evil being” with memories of a past life. Moreover, she couldn’t say she suspected Peng Zhen had sent someone to do this.
Huainan Circuit and Huaixi Circuit watched each other warily. If rumors of Peng Zhen’s rebellion came from the Teng family, it would bring them a hundred harms and no benefit. Not to mention Peng Zhen would use all his power against her grandfather, but if they couldn’t produce solid evidence of Peng Zhen’s planned rebellion, the court might suspect her grandfather was the one with treasonous intentions.
Currently, her grandfather was secretly preparing to expose Peng Zhen’s matter. She absolutely could not show any weakness beforehand.
But she also had to let Lin Chengyou know there was something questionable about Li Huaigu…
Got it.
“I don’t know if she’s made enemies recently, but I often hear people say Li Third Miss can predict good and bad fortune. I wonder if this has anything to do with her being attacked.”
“Predict fortune?” Lin Chengyou sneered – interesting. People who could predict fortune were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, called “immortals” and usually enshrined in temples.
“Alright, I understand.”
Teng Yuyi glanced at Lin Chengyou. Seeing his dismissive attitude, he probably didn’t believe Li Huaigu could predict fortune. With today’s terrifying curse talismans, she wondered if they could follow the trail to uncover Peng Zhen’s planned rebellion.
Arriving at Guoguo Temple, they dismounted. Teng Yuyi, Juesheng, and Qizhi also got down from the carriage.
Lin Chengyou said: “Alright, I need to go in to collect evidence. You three wait at the entrance.”
Teng Yuyi peered inside curiously: “Senior Brother, what kind of case happened inside?”
Lin Chengyou’s ears grew warm – that “Senior Brother” came so naturally. Without guessing, he knew Teng Yuyi was concerned about Lu Zhao’an’s case. Unfortunately, the evidence wasn’t complete yet, and it wouldn’t be proper to bring her inside, so he could only say: “There was a murder case a few days ago. The circumstances are a bit special, and it was just transferred to Judge Yan and me. It’s getting late – the sooner I finish collecting evidence, the sooner we can go exorcise those spirits.”
With that, he stepped up the stairs.
The guard at the entrance hurried to greet Lin Chengyou when he saw him.
“Brother Wuwei, let’s sit over there and wait,” said Juesheng.
“Alright.” The weather was getting hotter, and they had worked up quite a sweat running around. Teng Yuyi had Duan Fu fetch the water flask and sat down to share it with the other two.
Thinking that Lin Chengyou on horseback would be even thirstier, she had Duan Fu get another water flask and asked the guard at the entrance to pass it to Lin Chengyou.
After some time, Lin Chengyou came out of the temple carrying the water flask. He first told the guard at the entrance they could withdraw, then turned his head to look and saw Teng Yuyi and Juesheng Qizhi under the locust tree at the temple entrance.
The three sat in a row, all resting their chins on their hands, watching him. Not far behind them stood the burly Duan Fu.
The scene warmed his heart. Looking down at the water flask in his hand, if he had only brought the careless pair of Juesheng and Qizhi out, he would have been the one distributing water.
“Alright, it’s done.” He walked up to the three, his gaze unconsciously falling on Teng Yuyi’s face. “Let’s go.”
Teng Yuyi patted her Daoist robe and stood up. Juesheng and Qizhi jumped up: “Senior Brother, did you find any clues?”
Teng Yuyi pricked up her ears to listen. Earlier she had already sent Duan Fu to quietly inquire at nearby shops – yesterday a thirteen-year-old girl had died falling into a well at Guoguo Temple. The cause of death must have been suspicious to alert the Ministry of Justice.
Lin Chengyou simply handed the water flask to Teng Yuyi, ignoring Juesheng and Qizhi’s question: “What are you asking about? It’s getting late, don’t forget we still need to take Junior Brother Wuwei for training. Come on, get in the carriage.”
With that, he mounted his horse. As he picked up the reins, he unconsciously looked back at Guoguo Temple. Compared to the flawless method used to murder Hu Jizhen, the killer of Li Ying’er seemed much cruder, as if acting on impulse, thus leaving many clues at the scene.
Tomorrow at the Ministry, he would compare the details of both cases with Judge Yan.
The haunted abandoned residence wasn’t far, just at the southeast corner of Xizhen District. As soon as they turned the corner, the Little Ya Sword in Teng Yuyi’s sleeve grew hot. Juesheng and Qizhi stuck their heads out the window to look, exclaiming in surprise: “Senior Brother, the yin energy is so heavy.”
Lin Chengyou didn’t respond – there were over forty hungry ghosts inside, all drawn there by his array the night before. With so many gathered together, how could the resentful energy not be heavy?
Teng Yuyi drew her sword from its scabbard, already eager to begin. Juesheng and Qizhi jumped down from the carriage and were about to rush into the residence without a word, but Lin Chengyou grabbed their collars before they could move.
“Where are you running to? Forgot you can’t use your swords these two days?”
Juesheng was stunned: “Why not?”
Lin Chengyou: “Master said there are over fifty chi Kuo this time. We need to be ready to deal with them at any moment. Hungry ghosts love to eat internal organs and are most filthy – killing each one will drain more spiritual power from your swords. After finishing this nest, your swords will need at least seven days to recover. If Chi Kuo appearsx during this time, are you planning to just stand and watch?”
“Oh right.” Juesheng scratched his head.
Qizhi lowered his head and began pulling talismans from his chest: “No worry! Senior Brother, we can use talismans against them.”
It took him a while to pull out the talismans, which were not only stained but also stuck together in a sticky mess.
Juesheng and Qizhi’s mouths fell open: “This- this is?”
“Got molasses on them?” Lin Chengyou’s expression was somewhere between a smile and not. “These certainly can’t be used now.”
Juesheng and Qizhi sheepishly ducked their heads: “Must have spilled on them while eating. We- we didn’t mean to.”
Fortunately, Senior Brother didn’t scold them this time.
Teng Yuyi had been waiting on the side, and the Xuanyin Bell on her wrist rang louder and louder. Guessing there must be many creatures inside, she was already excited to the point her eyes gleamed fiercely. Seeing the situation, she volunteered: “It’s fine. I can’t handle Naichong or corpse demons, but ordinary evil spirits aren’t a problem. Besides, Little Ya hasn’t trained in a long time. Why not let me handle this? Young Master, young Daoists, you can just rest on the side.”
Juesheng and Qizhi were startled: “How can this be? Miss Teng, you’re not from a Daoist background. Though hungry ghosts aren’t powerful, they are quite cunning. If you go in alone, who knows what might happen.”
But Lin Chengyou said: “That’s fine. I’m tired from running around all day. Once inside, you take the lead, and we’ll wait outside the door. If you really can’t handle it, then call us.”
With that, he pushed open the door and entered the abandoned residence first.
Juesheng and Qizhi looked at each other in dismay. Duan Fu also showed a hesitant expression. Seeing the two had already gone in, they could only follow.
As they walked, Teng Yuyi said excitedly: “Duan Fu, you don’t know Daoist arts, just wait for me outside.”
Duan Fu remained silent, clearly uneasy about this arrangement.
The residence had been abandoned for a long time. The courtyard was overgrown with thorns and brambles, and spider webs covered everything in the main hall. The twilight settled silently, making every corner appear especially desolate.
The further in they went, the colder the air became. As they approached the flower hall, they could hear banging sounds from several zhang away, as if something was trying to break out through the doors and windows. The Xuanyin Bell’s ringing grew increasingly violent in response.
Lin Chengyou casually picked up a storm lantern from under the corridor, lit it, and handed it to Teng Yuyi: “This lantern won’t go out. You can use it to light the rooms. Are you afraid?”
Teng Yuyi took the storm lantern: “Not afraid.”
Lin Chengyou smiled, his eyes on Teng Yuyi while his right hand helped push open the side room’s door. Accompanied by piercing shrieks, countless ghost shadows rushed out, but as soon as they stretched out their necks, they were forced back by the talisman Lin Chengyou flicked at them: “Get back inside and stay there.”
Teng Yuyi rushed in during the chaos, throwing back the words: “Duan Fu, wait for me outside.”
Duan Fu hurried to the door, only to have his nose hit by the closing door. He silently clenched his fist. Looking back, he saw Lin Chengyou had already casually seated himself in the corridor. Though Miss had repeatedly instructed him not to follow her in, even though he was sick with worry, he could only stand motionless at the doorway.
Juesheng and Qizhi paced anxiously like ants on a hot pan: “Senior Brother, are we letting Miss Teng go in alone? What if something goes wrong?”
Lin Chengyou sat leaning against the door frame, took a drink from the water flask, then rested his arm on his knee and turned to look at the two: “Senior Brother is here, what are you afraid of?”
Qizhi was about to speak anxiously when they suddenly heard a window rattle – a hungry ghost had squeezed its head through a broken window gap. Lin Chengyou heard but didn’t turn around, lazily tossing back a talisman.
Juesheng and Qizhi looked carefully – Senior Brother had used a Binding Talisman, which could only freeze the ghost in place but couldn’t harm it at all.
The two felt a moment of panic, but immediately after, they heard Teng Yuyi’s excited voice from inside: “Watch my sword!”
Following a miserable shriek, that hungry ghost, unable to move, had its soul scattered by the Little Ya Sword.
Juesheng and Qizhi were dumbfounded. Lin Chengyou frowned: “Stop standing around, sit down, and wait.”
Qizhi vaguely understood – could Senior Brother be training Miss Teng’s ghost-catching abilities? Yes, Senior Brother liked Miss Teng. If Miss Teng could skillfully use the Little Ya Sword, she could often come out with them to exorcise spirits in the future.
Understanding this, he scratched the back of his head and pulled Juesheng aside, saying quietly with a red face: “Don’t worry, Senior Brother won’t let Miss Teng get hurt.”
Inside the room, Teng Yuyi was busy chasing a hungry ghost. Hungry ghosts committed many evil acts – killing each one would accumulate more merit.
Speaking of which, these hungry ghosts looked more terrifying than each other, their mouths split to their ears, able to frighten people half to death with just one gape.
Two months ago, forget about pursuing them, she would have gone weak in the knees just looking at them. Now things were different – evil beings had their hierarchies. After seeing great beings like corpse demons and Naichong, these little creatures seemed less impressive.
The hungry ghosts seemed extremely afraid of the light from her sword, either rushing around the room or curling up in corners. Fortunately, the room wasn’t too large – she only needed to use her lightness skill to catch up.
The only trouble was that she was alone in the room – just as she caught up to one, another would escape.
Juesheng and Qizhi peered in through the window, occasionally shaking their heads and sighing: “Miserable, too miserable.”
The hungry ghosts’ greatest ability was their extreme speed, and each had a bloody maw that seemed able to swallow anything in the world when opened wide.
Senior Brother had laid down a Vajra Array in the four corners of the room. Though Miss Teng didn’t understand this array, they could see it. Trapped by this array for so long, the hungry ghosts’ spiritual power had greatly diminished. Not only was their movement speed restricted, but they couldn’t fully open their mouths. Combined with the brilliant sword energy from Miss Teng’s Little Ya Sword, they could only wail and howl as they were beaten.
In all their time following Master and Senior Brother to catch demons, they had never seen hungry ghosts in such a miserable state.
“Miserable!” Watching Teng Yuyi thrust her sword into another hungry ghost’s chest, the two sighed in unison, “That’s what you get for not behaving even as ghosts, serves you right!”
Unfortunately, Miss Teng’s martial arts weren’t exceptional, and the hungry ghosts were good at hiding. Killing them one by one like this, who knew how long it would take.
Looking back, Senior Brother seemed extremely patient, head resting against the backboard, eyes closed as if dozing. But whenever a hungry ghost tried to escape, he would immediately throw back a Binding Talisman.
After watching out the window for a while, they realized nothing escaped Senior Brother’s notice, so they also sat down to wait patiently.
During this time, Duan Fu had been listening intently to the sounds from inside. Hearing his young mistress remaining as energetic as ever, his expression finally relaxed slightly.
Time passed, and Juesheng and Qizhi’s heads drooped together as they dozed off.
A moment later, the night wind began to rise in the corridor.
Suddenly there was a creak as someone came out of the room.
Juesheng and Qizhi were startled awake, their eyes flying open to see Teng Yuyi walking toward them with her sword, her steps light but steady. The black hair by her ears was wet – clearly, she had worked up quite a sweat.
Lin Chengyou also opened his eyes, turning his head to watch Teng Yuyi approach.
Teng Yuyi’s eyes sparkled brilliantly, her spirit remarkably good. When she got close, she smiled bashfully: “Sorry to keep you waiting. I didn’t fail the mission – finally cleared them all out.”
“Not even one left?”
“Not even one.”
Lin Chengyou nodded with a smile: “Not bad, your skills have improved. Next time when Juesheng and Qizhi are unavailable, we can ask for your help.”
Juesheng opened his mouth – this wouldn’t work, would it? Miss Teng had taken until late at night to clear them, and someone had to stay outside the whole time to help block the ghosts. If every demon-catching mission took this long-
Suddenly catching Senior Brother’s sharp glance, he quickly changed his tune: “Yes, Miss Teng is amazing.”
Qizhi also smiled foolishly: “Miss Teng is truly incredible.”
Lin Chengyou inwardly clicked his tongue – such poor acting, better to have stayed quiet.
As they spoke, there came a series of growls, and Juesheng and Qizhi’s faces reddened as they both clutched their stomachs.
“Hungry?” Lin Chengyou said, “Let’s go get something to eat.”
“Wait.” Teng Yuyi said something quietly to Duan Fu, and soon he brought in a pile of things from outside – looking closer, they were eight brocade boxes.
Teng Yuyi smiled as she opened the top one: “Since everyone’s hungry, why not have these to tide us over?”
Juesheng and Qizhi peered in, their eyes immediately brightening: “Wow, such beautiful pastries! Miss Teng, are these newly made from your manor? We’ve never seen them before.”
Teng Yuyi said proudly: “Of course, you haven’t seen them before, these are flower cakes I made myself. I wanted to give them to you this morning but never found the chance all day. These pastries are best when warm, but have their own charm when cool. This place is too desolate – the nearest shop is probably half an hour away. Afraid you’d be too hungry, have some pastries before we head back.”
Juesheng and Qizhi accepted the boxes with beaming smiles: “Thank you, Miss Teng.”
Teng Yuyi took the opportunity to sit beside Lin Chengyou, holding one box out to him: “Young Master, try my handiwork.”
Lin Chengyou looked down at the tray full of rose cakes, each shaped like a rose flower, nestled together. Such delicate pastries took great effort. Thinking that she had made these herself, his eyes unconsciously filled with warmth.
It was just a pity that even Juesheng and Qizhi got some – if only she would make some just for him alone sometime. Then he heard Teng Yuyi say: “These four boxes were made especially for Young Master. Since Young Master doesn’t like things too sweet, the filling in these is much lighter.”
Lin Chengyou was slightly startled, the smile spreading from his heart to his lips: “Thank you. I can’t eat this many alone – you and Duan Fu must be hungry too, share this box.”
Teng Yuyi said excitedly: “Young Master, you try first.”
Lin Chengyou took the handkerchief Qizhi offered to clean his hands, then casually picked up a piece to eat. Indeed it wasn’t too sweet, with a fresh, soft texture and an indescribable flavor.
“You boasted these were the best pastries in Jiangnan?”
Teng Yuyi: “What does Young Master think?”
Lin Chengyou smiled: “Alright, they’re even better than I imagined.” This time there wasn’t the slightest insincere praise – he ate several pieces in one go.
Teng Yuyi watched from the side, her smile deepening. Lin Chengyou seemed quite picky about food – if he didn’t truly like something, he definitely wouldn’t eat so much.
She smiled as she picked up a box, first wrapping several pieces in a handkerchief to give to Duan Fu, then taking a piece for herself.
The group sat cross-legged in the corridor, and being in high spirits, they began to chat and laugh freely.
The courtyard was desolate, the night wind gusting, the light overhead dim, and next door full of ghost remains – the scene was truly eerie, and the rose cakes had long gone cold, but as they ate, everyone felt a warmth in their hearts.
It was already midnight when they returned to the Teng manor. Teng Yuyi bid farewell to Juesheng and Qizhi as she got down from the carriage. Lin Chengyou looked at her from his horse: “Remember what I told you earlier?”
Teng Yuyi nodded: “I understand.”
Lin Chengyou’s informant at the academy was surnamed Jian – in the future, she could send messages through this Lady Jian.
Lin Chengyou looked at the servants waiting at the Teng manor’s gate and shook his reins: “Alright then, farewell.”
With that, he spurred his horse away.
Juesheng and Qizhi stuck their heads out of the carriage: “Miss Teng, we won’t be able to disturb you at tomorrow’s school ceremony. Next time when you’re free, we’ll find you for more spirit exorcising.”
Teng Yuyi watched their silhouettes disappear into the night before happily returning to the manor.
Duan Fu followed silently, thinking to himself that in this single day, Miss had smiled more times than in the entire past year.