After leaving the Ou estate, Lang Jiuchuan first went to pay her respects to Cui Shi, exchanged a few words with her, and then departed — she wanted to have a word with the head abbot.

Cui Shi was a little taken aback. The head abbot of Huguo Temple — was that someone she could simply request to meet at will?

But her attention was soon drawn away by something Old Nanny said — she was recounting the encounter between Lang Jiuchuan and the former Madam Lu.

“That Madam Lu’s countenance has changed greatly from what it used to be. She used to look so kind and gentle, like a Bodhisattva, but now she looks a great deal more vicious.” Old Nanny said, “Perhaps the old servant is mistaken, but it seemed to me that Madam Lu bore quite a deal of hostility toward our young miss.”

Cui Shi had heard from Lang Zhengping about certain things Madam Lu had done, and said coldly, “When life turns sour, it shows on the face. If her circumstances have become unfavorable and her inner state has shifted, of course her appearance will shift as well. We need not call her a Bodhisattva either — putting on the robes of a lay devotee and reciting a few sutras does not make one a Bodhisattva. Based on what she has done, she has already profaned that word.”

Old Nanny heard the disgust in her tone and quickly bowed in acknowledgment.

Cui Shi then addressed the others in the room: “Since the other party has also separated from her husband, she can no longer be referred to as Madam Lu. Let her be addressed by her surname. We do not want people to hear us and say we lack propriety.”

Everyone acknowledged this as well.

Lang Jiuchuan had wished to see the head abbot, but the visit did not come to pass — she was told that the abbot had expended a great deal of his spiritual power during the earlier ritual to drive away evil and suppress malevolent energy on her behalf and had since been in secluded meditation, and would only emerge for the grand dharma rites on the fourth day of the month to deliver a dharma discourse.

Lang Jiuchuan did not press the matter and went instead to the side hall of the Earth Treasury Hall to look over the preparations for Lang Zhengfan’s memorial rites.

Inside the hall, Lang Caimeng, the eldest legitimate grandson of the Lang family, was there along with the fourth-born Lang Cai’e, speaking with the temple monks, and a considerable number of offerings — spirit money stacks, paper effigies, and gold foil ingots needed for the rites — had already been laid out.

Besides them, Lang Jiuchuan also saw Xie Zejin, who was soon to become a bridegroom. But as she drew closer, her footsteps abruptly halted, and she frowned sharply as she looked at him.

His eyes were rimmed with red at the corners, both eyes carrying the warm flushed tint of one who has been… occupied, and though he had applied an overpowering cloud of incense to his robes, it could not fully conceal the underlying scent of debauchery.

Lang Jiuchuan’s gaze went cold, and she covered her nose with an expression of disdain.

Xie Zejin happened to look over at that moment. Catching her gesture, he was struck with a sudden flash of guilt and instinctively turned his head and sniffed at his own clothes. Was the incense too strong?

Lang Jiuchuan walked over to him and said, “Young Master Xie is soon to be a bridegroom. As for my father’s memorial rites, we are quite capable of attending to it ourselves — there is no need for the young master to concern himself. Young Master Xie would do better to go home and rest. You labored long into the night, and to come to a place of holy Buddhist practice in this state is not entirely appropriate.”

Xie Zejin: “!”

His handsome face flushed a deep crimson.

Both Lang Caimeng and Lang Cai’e were married men, and when they heard their younger sister’s pointed remark, they instinctively looked at Xie Zejin. Seeing his awkward and uncomfortable expression, they grasped the implication and could not help but frown.

Could it be that this one had been out carousing somewhere the previous night and then rushed over first thing?

No wonder his incense today was so overpowering.

Did he have no respect for this sacred Buddhist site? Even if the Buddha did not object, they did — this was their second uncle’s memorial. And here he came carrying all of that on him. Just who was he trying to make uncomfortable?

Standing under the gaze of the Lang siblings and the sidelong glances of the temple monks, even Xie Zejin’s considerable composure could not hold. Suppressing his irritation, he said stiffly, “In that case, I will not overstep.”

And he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart — truly ungrateful.

He swept his sleeve and turned to leave. Lang Caimeng and the others exchanged glances. A fine-bred young gentleman’s temper — quick to change.

Lang Jiuchuan had no intention of coddling him. She walked over to the pile of paper offerings and went through them carefully one by one. Seeing this, Lang Caimeng and the others, for some reason, were reminded of the scene at their grandfather’s mourning hall, and their hearts clenched.

“Do you have any yellow paper?”

“What is it — are the offerings incorrect in some way?” Lang Caimeng asked tensely.

Lang Jiuchuan glanced at him. “No. It is just that the finish on those gold ingots is a bit rough. I will fold some better ones myself.”

Though he probably did not need so many, before he went to be reborn, he might as well enjoy the better quality — and set off for his next life carrying a full measure of fortune and prosperity. That would do justice to all the merit he had accumulated.

Lang Caimeng let out a breath of relief. Lang Cai’e fetched the yellow paper, and Lang Jiuchuan sat down cross-legged, took it up and began folding. Her hands were nimble, a sheet of paper flipping and turning in her fingers, and in a matter of moments she had folded out a beautiful, fully-formed gold ingot — so lifelike it seemed almost real.

The brothers picked up one of her paper ingots and compared it to those bought from the paper offerings shop. There truly was no comparison without the comparison. The so-called difference in quality came down to this: one was vivid and true to life, the other a bit lopsided and leaking at the seams.

When Lang Jiuchuan said she would personally oversee this memorial service, she had meant it. She understood clearly in her heart — this would be the first time, and perhaps the last, that she conducted a proper memorial rite for Lang Zhengfan, the man who had been her father.

After this one, he would move on to be reborn.

And so she took it seriously, attending to everything with care — from the ritual offerings, to the talismanic texts to be used, all prepared thoroughly, the eulogy written in her own hand, the cinnabar-scripture talismans drawn by her own brush, performed with true reverence and devotion.

Cui Shi heard of all of this from the two nephews, and was silent for a long while. Then she rose and headed toward the Earth Treasury Hall. She wanted to have some words with Zhengfan.

But she had not yet reached the Earth Treasury Hall when she spotted a female lay devotee — the Fang woman.

Cui Shi did not offer any greeting. She was of genuinely distinguished family, proud and lofty by nature, and if Fang was still Madam Lu and her conduct had not yet been exposed, Cui Shi might perhaps have given a courteous nod out of propriety.

But now — the Fang woman was not worthy of that.

Cui Shi had no intention of acknowledging the Fang woman. The other party, however, seemed not to sense the coldness at all, and came forward with a smiling expression, performing a bow. “My regards to the Second Madam of the Lang family.”

Cui Shi asked coolly, “Is there something you want?”

The Fang woman saw her haughtiness and felt a flash of inward contempt and resentment. What was there to be proud of? So proud, and yet still widowed so young, husband dead and gone. The one daughter she has — who knows if that girl is even human or some demon or spirit in disguise.

“I wished to have a word with Madam.” The Fang woman glanced at the servants accompanying Cui Shi.

Cui Shi frowned and flicked her hand back. The maidservants and attendants retreated.

Only then did the Fang woman step closer and say, “I have heard that Madam has always been distant with her only daughter and sent her to the countryside estate at a young age.”

Cui Shi’s eyes went cold. “If you have come to speak this kind of gossip, there is no need to continue.”

She moved to step past her.

“The ninth young miss appears to have certain… unusual abilities. Madam — are you certain this is the girl you know? I do not believe Madam could have truly paid no attention to her for over ten years. Even if Madam did not inquire, there must have been others who have brought things to your attention.”

Cui Shi’s footsteps stopped. She turned cold eyes toward the Fang woman. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I am saying — Madam should look carefully and be sure she has not mistaken which daughter is hers.” The Fang woman smiled serenely. “My youngest son tells me that certain demons and spirits are fond of wearing human skin to pass themselves off as people. They can be very convincing.”

Cui Shi looked steadily at the Fang woman for a long moment before giving a cold laugh. “So all of this — is your attempt to sow discord? How is it that no one saw through your performance as a Bodhisattva earlier? You played the part so poorly.”

The Fang woman’s expression changed.

Cui Shi’s gaze was glacial as she looked at her. “Lay Devotee Fang is truly not suited to coming to this sacred Buddhist site to play at being a devout practitioner. Your body and your mind are far too filthy — you would only soil the Bodhisattva’s eyes. If you do not wish to invite divine revulsion, I advise the lay devotee to cultivate some restraint in your speech.”

And with that, she left without casting a single glance back.

The Fang woman, shaking with fury, snapped the prayer beads in her hands — the cord gave way and beads scattered everywhere. This woman was just as insufferable as that daughter of hers.