In the silent fourth watch of night, within the sleeping Marquis residence only a few remaining lamps had not yet been extinguished, casting several dim yellow halos on the cold, dark stone paths. At this time, a pair of small feet wearing plain satin shoes stepped on the bluestone slabs, walking forward extremely quickly. The hem of her horse-face skirt continuously swept the flowers and grass extending diagonally from the path sides to the ground. The cold moon hung like a hook, slowly stretching her shadow along the stone path, then slightly distorting it with the flickering lamplight.

Her footsteps were both quick and light, making not a sound in this silent long night. She seemed to be carrying a bag of something in her hand, but from this distance it couldn’t be seen clearly. The long wind blew fiercely, suddenly opening the bag’s mouth, and one could vaguely see a dark mass of something that somewhat resembled human hair. But the bag’s opening was quickly gathered back into her hand, tracing an arc with the night wind.

As she walked, she vigilantly looked around to either side, finally reaching the Buddhist hall entrance. Pushing open the beast-head lacquered door before her, moonlight slipped inside together with the cold wind. Under the cool moonlight, a person was kneeling on a prayer cushion, seemingly shrinking from the cold wind pouring in from outside the door. Hearing the sound, she suddenly turned her head around, her charming eyes and brows containing cold frost – it was actually Madam Zhao, who had been eating vegetarian meals and chanting Buddhist prayers here year-round. And her face – half of it was actually festering!

The newcomer hurriedly walked inside, and the Buddhist hall door slowly closed again. The gods and buddhas behind the door remained silent, hiding their compassionate wise eyes within the heavy shadows…

“What happened next?” Xiao Qing sat up straight, his face full of urgency.

“How would I know.” Concubine Wang lazily picked at the candle wick with a golden hairpin, her delicate face reflecting a fiery red in the candlelight. “Later that door closed, and no one knew what exactly happened inside. At that time I had just entered the household, so how would I dare to look too much or think too much. However…” She held up her fingers with their bright red nail polish to the candlelight, smiling smugly, “They definitely didn’t expect that after all these years, the truth would have its day of being revealed.”

Xiao Qing’s face also showed an amused smile as he said, “If that’s the case, it’s quite worth anticipating. But is Mother truly certain that her secret is still hidden in the Buddhist hall?”

Concubine Wang snorted coldly, “You also saw how when she heard about moving the Buddhist hall, she became so anxious, even resorting to supernatural tricks to prevent outsiders from entering. What do you think she’s hiding? It’s just a pity that last time that girl interfered, otherwise if we could have gotten rid of that cheap slave, it would have been like cutting off one of her arms. Tomorrow’s good show could be watched even more enjoyably.”

Xiao Qing smiled as he lightly tapped the table with his knuckles, “So this time Mother is going with the flow, using tomorrow’s Dragon Boat Festival sacrifice as an opportunity to have Father invite high monks from Jialan Temple to perform a ceremony in the Buddhist hall, and also invite collateral clan relatives to worship the spirits together. Nominally it’s to thoroughly clear the rumors of the Buddhist hall being haunted, but actually it’s to expose her background in front of everyone.”

“Exactly!” Concubine Wang’s eyes flashed as she said, “Tomorrow I will expose her scandals in front of the Master and all the clan relatives!” A flash of venomous hatred passed through her eyes, “She thinks she’s a high and mighty phoenix while I’m as lowly as mud. This time, I’ll make her taste what it’s like to fall from the clouds and be despised by everyone!”

Xiao Qing seemed to find this matter very interesting, his face also showing excited expression. Concubine Wang glanced at him, then pulled a stern face, “Yesterday Shi Qin came to me again. Qing’er, when will you make some progress and give me some face? Either properly elevate a concubine, or stop doing those improper things with those cheap servants all day. She keeps coming here crying and complaining – it’s annoying to watch.”

Xiao Qing’s expression changed as he turned his head to the side impatiently, “Hmph, what can she do besides cry and complain? She only knows how to do these useless things.”

Concubine Wang shook her head, “She is still your legitimate wife, and also my cousin’s daughter – we must still give her some face.” She sighed, tears faintly glimmering in her eyes, “Mother knows you’re suffering inside. Rest assured, Mother will definitely fight for you…”

“Enough!” Xiao Qing suddenly stood up, “Why bring up these things for no reason? No matter what I do, I can’t compare to my crippled elder brother. How many people in this Marquis residence truly respect me? I spend my whole life living under the nose of Marquis Xuanyuan. Fight? Fight for what!” After speaking, he swept the bronze mirror from the table to the ground and angrily walked outside. The mirror surface, shattered into countless cracks, reflected Concubine Wang’s fragmented, hateful face.

The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. Being close to the summer solstice, the weather had become humid and stifling. In the streets and alleys of the capital, every household had mugwort leaves and cattail grass inserted at their doors, children wore colorful five-colored silk threads, and happily shared fragrant rice dumplings. But beyond the high gold-plated bronze gates and majestic beast ridges, within Marquis Xuanyuan’s residence echoed orderly chanting sounds. Many monks wearing blue-gray robes stood before the Buddhist hall, hands clasped together, eyes closed in devout recitation of scriptures.

Behind them, Xiao Yun stood solemnly at the front, with Xiao Du and Madam Zhao standing beside him. Behind them stood the younger generation including Yuanxi and Xiao Qing along with the two concubines, and further back stood the Xiao clan relatives, all reverently bowing their heads in solemn stance.

After one round of chanting ended, Master Zhengyun, wearing kasaya robes among the monks, walked before Xiao Yunjing and said, “Old Marquis, we can go inside to begin the ceremony now.”

Xiao Yunjing nodded and led the group inside. Within the Buddhist hall, sandalwood incense swirled around, and the room full of gods and buddhas, sitting or standing, silently overlooked all living beings. Although the Buddhist hall had been thoroughly cleaned, some still remembered that day’s tragic scene and felt this place that should have been solemn for spiritual cultivation had become very eerie and terrifying.

Yuanxi secretly raised her head, looking at the fierce-faced golden arhats above, couldn’t help but frown as she wondered what exactly had happened that day. These arhats were just clay bodies covered in gold – dead objects. How could they inexplicably shed tears of blood?

After thinking for a while, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of Madam Zhao tightly gripping the arm of Nanny Yu beside her, her face somewhat pale. Behind her, Concubine Wang noticed this scene and showed an expression of barely suppressible excitement on her face.

Master Zhengyun bowed to all four directions, then took out a talisman and pressed it under the Buddha altar in front of him, beginning to close his eyes and murmur scriptures. Xiao Yunjing quickly ordered servants to bring up the sacrificial animals and fruits for the ceremony. Several monks carried the offerings to the Buddha altar, and just as they turned around, the talisman paper pressed under the altar suddenly began burning on its own!

Master Zhengyun’s eyes flew open in great alarm, “How can this be! Someone has tampered with this Buddhist hall!”

The crowd below was already somewhat restless, and hearing these words they were all frightened pale, looking around at each other in panic. Xiao Yunjing quickly stepped forward, frowning, “Master, what do you mean by this?”

Master Zhengyun urgently turned around with a grave expression, “Earlier when the Old Marquis said strange things had happened in this Buddhist hall, this humble monk felt something was wrong. Today this evil-warding talisman actually ignited on its own – this humble monk is even more certain that this Buddhist hall has likely been set with an evil formation by someone with ulterior motives. If the evil formation is not removed, I fear your residence will have unstable foundations and unprosperous descendants!”

The crowd below became even more frightened upon hearing this. At this time Xiao Du snorted lightly, “Master, why must you speak such alarmist words? I haven’t noticed any disasters befalling our residence.”

The Master said seriously, “If this humble monk is not mistaken, both the Marquis and your younger brother still have no heirs, correct?”

Xiao Du remained disdainful, but Xiao Qing’s expression suddenly changed dramatically. At this time, Concubine Wang had already urgently called out, “Then what can be done? Master, do you have a method to break it?”

Xiao Yunjing quickly glared at her, “Don’t be presumptuous!” Concubine Wang was frightened and quickly retreated. Master Zhengyun continued, “The current plan requires finding that evil formation. As long as the evil formation is broken, the residence can regain peace.”

At this time, quite a few people in the crowd were calling for the Master to quickly break the formation to protect the prosperity of the Xiao clan. After hesitating for a while, Xiao Yunjing bowed to Zhengyun, “Please trouble yourself, Master.”

Zhengyun returned the bow and began searching around the Buddhist hall. Madam Zhao’s complexion grew increasingly ugly, but seeing all the clan members waiting expectantly, she couldn’t voice any objection. Just as a young monk walked to the merit box in front of Guanyin, she suddenly stepped forward, but was firmly held back by Nanny Yu behind her, who shook her head and gave her a meaningful look.

Concubine Wang had been keeping her gaze fixed on Madam Zhao. At this moment her lips curved slightly as she suddenly cried out in alarm, “That box! It seems something’s not right!”

Madam Zhao turned her head and glared fiercely at Concubine Wang. By this time Master Zhengyun had already stepped forward to carefully examine the merit box. He closed his eyes and muttered incantations, and after a while opened his eyes and said to Xiao Yunjing, “There is indeed some evil energy here. May this humble monk be permitted to open it for inspection?”

Before Xiao Yunjing could speak, Madam Zhao had already rushed forward, extending both arms to block in front of the box, “Inside are only the donation silver I usually place – there are no evil objects!”

Madam Zhao had always been calm and composed. No one present had ever seen her in such a state, and they couldn’t help but look at her with suspicious gazes. Concubine Wang said coldly, “Sister, why are you so certain there’s nothing else inside? Since it’s only silver, there’s no harm in opening it for a look.”

“You!” Madam Zhao was so angry her heart was attacked, and she suddenly coughed several times before her body softly collapsed downward. Xiao Du quickly rushed forward to catch her, scanning the crowd below with a cold gaze, “Are you actually going to suspect Mother as well?”

The crowd murmured again. At this time an elderly man leaning on a walking stick tremblingly stepped forward, “Since this concerns the great matter of descendants and bloodline, it must be thoroughly investigated. The Marquis wouldn’t want the Xiao clan to decline like this.”

This person was an old master from a collateral branch of the Xiao family, always respected among the clan members. With him speaking, Xiao Yunjing’s expression hardened, “If that’s the case, please proceed, Master.”

Madam Zhao suddenly raised her head, tears continuously flowing from her eyes. Xiao Du supported her and sighed softly, “Mother, since your heart is clear, let them look.”

Xiao Yunjing then ordered someone to bring the key. Zhengyun opened the merit box, but discovered it was actually stuffed full of pale yellow paper slips. His face full of confusion, he was about to take out a stack to examine closely when Madam Zhao suddenly broke free from Xiao Du’s grasp and rushed forward, striking out, “Don’t look!”

The pale yellow paper slips flew up in the lightly burning sandalwood ash and scattered on the ground. Many people curiously picked them up and found them covered with delicate handwriting.

In the tenth month of the Jimao year, Master Xiao has been on campaign for three days. I worry for his safety and cannot sleep peacefully all day. I vow to eat vegetarian meals, copy scriptures, and pray to Buddha to bless his safe return.

In the sixth month of the Jiashen year, Master Xiao has not come for three months. My heart is troubled and I have no mind for copying scriptures. I pray Buddha will forgive me.

In the fourth month of the Yiyou year, Master Xiao has not come for a year. I don’t know why resentment arises. If Buddha has spirit, could you enlighten me…

Word by word, sentence by sentence, filled with a woman’s inexpressible longing and love for her husband, endless emotions and sorrowful complaints. These should have been forever buried beneath the green lamps and Buddha statues, but now were cruelly displayed publicly, stripped bare at everyone’s feet. Madam Zhao finally covered her face and cried helplessly. Nanny Yu quickly rushed forward to embrace her, helping her to behind the crowd while crying and softly comforting her. The monks stared in stunned amazement. Concubine Wang also finally awakened from her shock. Looking up, she met Xiao Yunjing’s eyes full of shock and guilt.

She couldn’t help but take two steps back, murmuring to herself, “This is impossible…” This Buddhist hall clearly hid shameful secrets – why had it turned out like this! She stared ahead with vacant eyes and suddenly discovered that behind Madam Zhao’s hands covering her face, her eyes were flashing with a faint light, staring straight at her, while the corners of her mouth curved up in a condescending smile.