Lang Jiuchuan did not conceal anything. She described the manner of Qi Minjun’s death to those present in the room, frightening most of the women pale. Shen Furen held up better than the rest — having witnessed far worse things in connection with her son, she managed to keep her composure.

But the others were genuinely shaken.

Shriveled to a dry husk — what manner of person or creature could do such a thing?

The Third Young Madam Pei even tried to picture what a dried corpse would look like, and her stomach lurched at the image. She quickly swallowed a mouthful of cold tea to settle herself.

“She died in a very unusual way. With a death like that, it could not have been a human act — it must be the work of some malevolent entity. Once the lockdown on Huguo Temple is lifted, you should all return to the capital.” Lang Jiuchuan said, “The protective talismans I had Jian Lan give to you — keep them on your person.”

Shen Furen’s thoughts stirred: “What kind of talisman?”

“Only a protective talisman.” Lang Jiuchuan glanced at her, and reached into her sleeve pouch to retrieve the two remaining ones, which she handed over: “While you are here, stay within the temple. Once travel is permitted again, return to the capital.”

Shen Furen received them with delight, beaming: “I will not stand on ceremony.”

She solemnly tucked the talismans into the sachet at her waist.

The Third Young Madam Pei, seeing this, held up the talisman already tucked in her waistband and said, “I had been wondering why I was suddenly given a talisman for myself and Grandmother. So it was because of this. Ninth Sister, do you also practice the Xuan arts?”

“Only a little superficially — nowhere near the level of the Gong Family,” Lang Jiuchuan said, presenting herself with appropriate modesty before the Old Madam Pei.

Jiang Che gave a quiet scoff.

Cui Shi frowned and asked, “Why did you go to the back mountain?” She noticed several of the others watching her and quickly added, “In such bitter cold, at that hour, alone — how could you be so reckless…”

Old Madam Pei picked up where she left off: “Your mother has reason to worry. You are still a young girl, and in the deep of night, going alone into the mountains — what if you had encountered someone with ill intent?”

The Third Young Madam Pei said nothing, only watching Lang Jiuchuan with curiosity. She was unruffled by even the most upsetting things, had described the manner of Qi Minjun’s death without so much as a change in expression — this young miss was far from as frail as her appearance suggested.

Those ladies and young misses had likely been deceived entirely by her delicate, fragile-looking exterior.

How delightful. Wu Jing would have quite the spectacle to watch in the days ahead.

Shen Furen, thinking of her particular circumstances, asked, “Could it be that you were chasing after the malevolent entity?”

Lang Jiuchuan shook her head and lied without a shred of guilt: “Not exactly. After I finished burning incense in the Main Hall, I came out and noticed Gong Qi and several Daoren entering the mountain, so I followed.”

Let Gong Qi bear the burden of this. With him going ahead as a shield, these elders would be more inclined to believe the story.

Gong Qi, who was in the middle of discussing exactly this with Gong Qi, suddenly felt a chill run down his back and instinctively looked behind him.

Sure enough — upon hearing that Gong Qi had been involved, Old Madam Pei was the first to relax the furrow in her brow, and even gave a knowing nod: “He must have sensed the presence of a malevolent entity and gone in pursuit — only to arrive a step too late.”

Lang Jiuchuan held her silence. Well, it was more or less the same story anyway. No need to go into further detail.

Cui Shi had barely opened her mouth when Shen Furen cut in: “You were still being reckless. You are just a young girl, and your health is not strong. Far too bold of you.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a faint tug of her lips: “That is roughly what happened. I wanted to let you all know so you would not be alarmed. As for this matter — there are people from the Xuan Clan handling it.”

Old Madam Pei’s brow remained deeply creased: “I hope it is resolved quickly. Otherwise, with everyone’s nerves on edge, the New Year will not pass peacefully.”

Indeed, the fact that something like this had occurred on the very first day of the New Year had already set those who had heard about it on edge. The only thing keeping everyone from immediately departing was that Huguo Temple remained under lockdown, and no one wished to run afoul of the Zhongyong Marquis household’s authority.

“Old Madam, Reverend Qianqian has sent someone to invite Ninth Miss.” A Nanny entered and looked toward Lang Jiuchuan.

Qianqian was Gong Qi’s Daoist title.

Lang Jiuchuan rose and offered those present a bow: “It is likely about the matter of Qi Minjun. I will go and see.”

She left quickly. Shen Furen and Old Madam Pei were not particularly well acquainted, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shen Furen made the excuse of taking her son to offer incense, while the Third Young Madam Pei also found a reason to excuse herself and slipped out.

Only then did Old Madam Pei turn to Cui Shi and say, “You — you are not even as capable as that Shen Furen. An outsider can still stand up for the child better than you can. Huijun, you have been estranged from the child for over ten years. If things continue like this, mother and daughter will eventually become strangers to each other. I do not want you to spend the rest of your life in regret.”

Cui Shi gave a bitter smile: “In others’ eyes, have I failed as a mother, Maternal Aunt?”

Old Madam Pei looked at her and let out another long sigh: “Ice three feet thick is not the result of one cold day. To speak of there being no distance between you would be impossible now. What you must do is let warmth seep in slowly, like rain upon dry earth — learn to do what a mother ought to do. And if true closeness is beyond reach, at the very least, do not let the child’s heart grow cold.”

Cui Shi said nothing. Her hand drifted to the plain-colored sachet at her waist — and within it, there was also a peace talisman.

The Fourth Miss of the Zhongyong Marquis household had died in the back mountain of Huguo Temple. Naturally, her body could not be left there on the hillside. Huguo Temple had a dedicated hall called the Wangsheng Hall for storing the coffins of noble persons — functioning much like a funeral repository for those whose ancestral homes were too distant to inter the body immediately. Qi Minjun’s body had been temporarily placed there for the coroner’s examination and investigation.

Shen Qinghe had not imagined that a visit to Huguo Temple to see a young acquaintance would land him in the middle of a murder investigation — and not an ordinary one at that. The deceased was of high standing, the manner of death was bizarre, and the case appeared to involve malevolent supernatural forces, which put him on immediate alert.

Especially since he had just received some insider intelligence from Gong Qi regarding certain malevolent entities. Combined with the records of women who had gone missing but whose fate charts indicated they had already died, he could not help but wonder whether Qi Minjun’s death was connected to those cases.

If it was, and all the deaths bore the same marks, this was a large-scale connected murder case.

When Lang Jiuchuan arrived at the Wangsheng Hall, the coroner had long since completed the examination. The written case record had already been handed over to Shen Qinghe, who was discussing the matter with Gong Qi and the others.

Gong Qi was the first to notice her arrival and raised a hand in greeting: “You are here.”

Shen Qinghe’s expression immediately darkened. This was a murder investigation — the Xuan Clan people were just casually summoning anyone they pleased, as if the authorities meant nothing?

He turned around and — ah, it was Lang Jiuchuan. His expression shifted at once. He stepped forward quickly: “Why have you come here? This hall is cold and damp, and there is no brazier. Your constitution is delicate — you should not be here. Changui, bring my cloak for Ninth Miss as well.”

There was no telling whether it was because he had given that bone to Lang Jiuchuan, but these days whenever he saw her, he felt an unusual sense of closeness.

Watching him speak to her with the warm, gentle concern of a doting father — nothing like the stern and serious manner he had shown moments before — Gong Qi and the others could not help but find it rather grating.

Shan Gong’s pupils even contracted in surprise: “You know her as well?”

Gong Qi, his eyes ringed with bruised shadows from a sleepless night, raised an eyebrow: “I am told she helped Shen Daren resolve a major case, and that is how they became acquainted.”

The Honglian Evil God case, no less — which he had looked into overnight and which had taken him considerable effort, as it involved a secret sect. A genuine evil god that had been nurtured through human faith — the kind that is not easily dealt with. And yet she had eradicated it.

So much for “only knowing a little about the Xuan arts.” Much like her frail and delicate appearance — neither were to be trusted anymore.