Facing the strange looks from everyone in the manor, Jiang Qian, despite her many questions and grievances, couldn’t bring herself to stay at the Earl’s manor. She exchanged a glance with Madam Xiao before hurriedly leaving.
Madam Xiao was responsible for entertaining Liu Xianggu and soon had an opportunity to be alone with her.
At this point, she could no longer contain herself and immediately questioned, “Xianggu, what exactly is going on?”
Liu Xianggu remained as steady as Mount Tai: “This result was unexpected even to me.”
“What do you mean by that? This is not what we had agreed upon earlier!” Seeing Liu Xianggu still beating around the bush, Madam Xiao’s anger grew. “Could it be that Xianggu finds the payment insufficient?”
“Madam misunderstands,” Liu Xianggu sighed deeply. “It’s truly that heaven’s will is difficult to defy.”
“What heaven’s will?”
Liu Xianggu put on a profound expression: “Originally, I was mindful of Madam’s sincerity and wanted to help Madam accomplish this task. But as you know, my livelihood depends on communicating with spirits. Today, heaven’s will was such, and I had no choice but to comply.”
“What spirits and ghosts? Wasn’t the story about an evil spirit troubling the Old Madam something we agreed upon beforehand?” Madam Xiao’s face turned ashen as she pressed.
Liu Xianggu suddenly reached out and grasped Madam Xiao’s hand, her expression utterly serious: “There is an evil spirit attached to the Young Madam!”
Madam Xiao shuddered in fright, violently shaking off Liu Xianggu’s hand, her face turning from ashen to pale: “Xianggu, what nonsense are you talking about!”
Liu Xianggu sneered: “Could it be that Madam thinks I’m just a charlatan?”
When Liu Xianggu’s face was devoid of any trace of a smile, that sense of otherworldly elegance completely disappeared.
Her cheekbones were somewhat high, her chin sharp and thin, and coupled with her cold, deep gaze, she suddenly looked somewhat eerie.
Madam Xiao’s heart skipped a beat.
How could she forget that the reason her sister-in-law from her maiden family was familiar with Liu Xianggu was because Liu Xianggu had once helped retrieve the soul of her nephew years ago?
This Liu Xianggu indeed possessed real abilities!
But originally, the talk of an evil spirit troubling the Old Madam was just a pretext she had used to divert attention. How did it end up with a real evil spirit attaching itself to Qian’er?
The more Madam Xiao thought about it, the more terrified she became, and she couldn’t help but look at Liu Xianggu.
Liu Xianggu sighed deeply: “That’s why I say everything is predestined. How could I dare to go against heaven’s will for the sake of some worldly goods?”
“Will the Old Madam’s eye condition improve within three days?”
Liu Xianggu hesitated for a moment.
Madam Xiao keenly noticed this and sneered, “Then I’ll wait to see Xianggu’s miracle in three days!”
With that, she angrily swept her sleeves and left.
Liu Xianggu collapsed onto a cushioned chair, poured herself a cup of tea, and gulped it down, feeling a wave of fear.
She was going to be the death of her, that girl!
“Xianggu, shall we pack up our things?” A young girl stood at the door holding a small bundle.
“Pack what? Just leave it there,” Liu Xianggu waved dismissively.
She had to be prepared to be thrown out at any moment, so what was the point of packing?
These three days were going to feel like years.
Madam Xiao was naturally half-believing and half-doubting Liu Xianggu’s words. She decided to write two letters, one sent to Jiang Qian to comfort her, and the other sent to her sister-in-law from her maiden family.
Madam Xiao’s elder sister-in-law soon came to visit under the pretext of checking on Old Madam Feng, giving the two women an opportunity to talk privately.
“Elder Sister, tell me honestly, how capable is Liu Xianggu?”
Madam Xiao’s elder sister-in-law already knew about what had happened at the Earl’s manor and now felt somewhat embarrassed facing Madam Xiao: “She’s quite effective at retrieving souls for scared children.”
“Can her rituals and exorcisms cure the Old Madam’s eye condition?”
The elder sister-in-law laughed dryly: “That’s hard to say. The Old Madam’s eye condition did come on suddenly, and it’s difficult to determine the exact cause.”
Madam Xiao closed her eyes briefly, feeling more and more resentful: “I can’t help but feel that Liu Xianggu has played us!”
But there were still things she couldn’t understand.
She had promised Liu Xianggu a generous sum of money if the task was successful, so why would Liu Xianggu turn away from money?
Madam Xiao opened her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.
It was Liu Xianggu who dealt with spirits, not her.
Whether it was heaven’s will or human manipulation, she had invited this person only to be bitten back. This account would need to be settled once this storm had passed.
“There’s still a chance to win back the Old Madam’s favor for Qian’er.”
Madam Xiao looked at her elder sister-in-law.
The elder sister-in-law instinctively glanced at the door and lowered her voice: “What if the Old Madam’s eyes don’t improve within three days?”
“You mean—”
“If the Old Madam’s eyes don’t get better, then Liu Xianggu is just a charlatan, and naturally, the claim that Qian’er is possessed by an evil spirit won’t hold water.”
Madam Xiao fell silent for a moment.
Although she was currently managing the Earl’s household, the Old Madam’s personal needs were arranged separately, and it was difficult for her to interfere. The incident a few days ago when she tried to gather information from Ci Xin Hall and had tea leaves thrown in her face by Old Madam Feng was still fresh in her memory.
“Madam, the Master has arrived,” came the report from a maid outside the door.
Soon the door opened, and the Second Master Jiang entered with a grim face.
“Elder Sister is here,” he acknowledged Madam Xiao’s elder sister-in-law perfunctorily upon seeing her.
The elder sister-in-law hurriedly stood up: “There are many matters to attend to at home, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Despite the elder sister-in-law’s tact, the Second Master Jiang still showed little enthusiasm. Once she left, his face became even colder: “Look at what you’ve done! When has a family of our standing ever needed to invite fortune-tellers to put on a show? Now, such a pot of dirty water has been splashed on Qian’er that can’t be washed clean. How is Qian’er supposed to face her in-laws if this gets out?”
“I… I didn’t expect it to turn out like this—”
Ignoring Madam Xiao’s embarrassment, the Second Master Jiang said coldly: “That Liu Xianggu was recommended by your elder sister-in-law, wasn’t she? In the future, have less contact with her!”
Madam Xiao’s face suddenly flushed red.
She came from an ordinary background, and all her current status came from her husband and children. Now, with the Second Master Jiang speaking like this, it was like a slap across her face.
“The servants in our household need to be warned properly, absolutely no word of this matter can spread outside. As for Qian’er’s side, you need to write to her immediately, instructing her not to show any abnormality in the Marquis’s household. Mother is someone who considers the bigger picture. No matter what she thinks of Qian’er after this incident, she will take into account Qian’er’s position in the Marquis’s household.”
Madam Xiao nodded repeatedly.
Lifting a stone only to drop it on one’s own feet was painful and infuriating, but the urgent matter at hand was to minimize the impact of this incident. It absolutely must not affect Qian’er’s status in the Marquis’s household.
The next day, when Madam Xiao and others went to Ci Xin Hall to pay their respects, they didn’t see Old Madam Feng.
Madam Xiao went to the management hall to handle household affairs when an old woman hurriedly entered: “Second Madam, something terrible has happened!”
“What is it?” This was now what Madam Xiao feared hearing the most, her heart immediately jumping to her throat.
“The news about Xianggu’s ritual yesterday has spread, and now there are even gambling houses setting up bets on whether the Old Madam’s eyes will recover within three days!”
“What?” Madam Xiao’s vision darkened, and she fainted.