Ding Mangu arrived with the utmost sincerity. Even though Lang Jiuchuan was young enough to be his daughter, he did not hesitate to drop to his knees before her, regarding her as the one who had given him a second life.

And was she not exactly that? Had Lang Jiuchuan not given him that timely warning, he would have been caught completely off guard, thrown into prison without a soul to help smooth things over — the outcome would have been the total ruin of his family. What hope would he have had then of seeking justice for his daughter? His entire family would have followed her to the grave.

Lang Jiuchuan accepted his bow and then bid him rise and speak. She asked, “Has the case been solved? What was the verdict?”

Ding Mangu dabbed at the corner of his eye, took the cup of tea Zhuang Quanhai passed to him and gulped a mouthful, then said with grievous fury, “My daughter’s death was entirely because she had the misfortune of marrying a treacherous, ungrateful wretch — a man who sold his own wife for the sake of personal advancement.”

Once the matter at Duoming Ridge had been settled, members of the Xuan Clan reported the full account to the Court of Judicial Review, and the Cong Family no longer had the spine to deny anything. Confessions came as they were due, and the gang that had specialized in abducting people for the Cong Family was no different — they talked as well.

Regarding how Ding Suqiu had been targeted and subsequently disappeared, it came to light that Zhuo Yu had received a promise of a fifth-rank official position from the Cong Prince Consort in exchange for luring Ding Suqiu out of the estate under the pretext of a pleasure outing, thus staging her “disappearance.” But before that official post ever materialized, the scheme was exposed — and Zhuo Yu was silenced before he could say another word.

“Being silenced was his own doing — he who lies down with wolves must expect to be devoured. But he died far too cleanly,” Ding Mangu said, his voice seething with fury. “A man like that should have been cut to pieces and cast into the eighteenth level of hell — even that would not be punishment enough.”

Lang Jiuchuan said, “He will be, in time. Even in the underworld, every merit and transgression is tallied in full. Though he did not personally kill his wife, he bears the karmic debt of her death, and he will be judged accordingly.”

Ding Mangu ground his teeth and said, “That son was a wolf with the heart of a jackal — he was the one who deserved the most wretched end. Why didn’t that reanimated corpse drain him dry of every drop of blood? But then again, he had it coming either way. According to the Cong Family’s servants’ confessions, the young lady from the Zhongyong Marquis household was also lured out by him. The Cong Prince Consort feared the Qi Family would trace things back to the Princess’s residence, so he had him silenced — and good riddance. A deeply satisfying end.”

He rambled on at his own pace, and only when he finally noticed that Lang Jiuchuan had not said a word — that she had simply been listening in quiet composure — did he feel a trace of embarrassment. He scratched his head sheepishly and said, “Look at me, once I start I can’t stop. Please forgive this old man for rambling, miss. It’s just that — some things, if left unsaid, would suffocate me.”

“Releasing pent-up grief is good for the body. Think nothing of it,” Lang Jiuchuan said, looking at him. “After surviving this ordeal, Master Ding, so long as you continue to act with goodwill and accumulate virtue through good deeds, blessings will surely find their way to you in abundance.”

Ding Mangu hurriedly stood and pressed his hands together in a bow. “Thank you for your counsel, miss. I will certainly devote myself to doing good. Now that this matter is resolved, I intend to bring my family back home to run our business. This capital — I have no wish to come here again. A modest livelihood and a peaceful heart — that is all I ask of this life. Which is why, before I leave, there is one matter I would like to request your help with.”

“Please speak freely.”

“I see that this shop of yours is a shop of ten thousand affairs — that it resolves all manner of things. There is something I am unsure you can help me resolve.” He reached into his robe and produced two large money pouches — one as a gift of gratitude for Lang Jiuchuan, the other as payment for her services. “If it can be resolved, I would trouble you to take the effort.”

Lang Jiuchuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhuang Quanhai beside her. You see — isn’t that business coming right to us?

Zhuang Quanhai silently stared at his old friend’s two large money pouches. “……”

“Zhuo Yu is dead, but before his death, he and my Suqiu had never formally dissolved their marriage. Even in death, the marriage registry still names them as husband and wife. Suqiu’s spirit may no longer be among us, but even so, I cannot bear to have her name bound to that wolf any longer.” Ding Mangu said, his eyes reddening. “I want to ask you, miss — now that both of them are gone, is it possible to dissolve this marriage contract? I do not want my Suqiu to carry any connection to him in death.”

“That can certainly be done,” Lang Jiuchuan said. “Under the proper order of parents’ command and the matchmaker’s word, dissolving the marriage contract requires only the consent of the parents.”

“But Zhuo’s old mother — she is already dead.” Ding Mangu hesitated a moment, then still decided to share what he had found out. Seeing Lang Jiuchuan looking at him, he quickly explained, “I had nothing to do with it. Though I wanted to — when I found her, she was already dead. Her body had been sent to the charity mortuary.”

Lang Jiuchuan nodded. “That is no obstacle. Since you are still here, and there was no formal separation to dissolve the marriage, we proceed by declaration of severance. Zhuo Yu bears the karmic guilt of his wife’s death. As long as you write a formal declaration of severance, and along with their original marriage contract and a written dissolution, burn all three as offerings, and make solemn proclamation to Heaven and Earth — the bond can be dissolved.”

Ding Mangu was overjoyed and asked, “Shall I write it right now?”

Resolving the matter itself was not difficult, but the hour for the dissolution of the contract had to be at night, as it constituted the severing of a contract bound in the realm of yin. So Lang Jiuchuan had him write the declaration first, and instructed Zhuang Quanhai to prepare the necessary items, telling Ding Mangu she would come to set up a small altar and handle everything that evening.

With her instructions given, Lang Jiuchuan took Jian Lan and set out for the bookshop.

Not far from the West Quarter lay Sijing Quarter, and on Six-Inch Street stood a rather large bookshop called Desheng Books. She had wanted to go there to look for regional gazetteers or historical chronicles.

The first month of the new year had not yet passed, but with the walking corpse case now resolved, more people were willing to venture out. The weather these past two days had been fine and the temperature had risen — the streets were lively, and the bookshop was even more so.

“Oh dear, your servant had quite forgotten — this year marks the Holy Emperor’s fiftieth birthday jubilee, and a grace imperial examination is to be held, with the test coming in the second month. No wonder the bookshop is so full of scholars,” said Jian Lan, catching sight of the crowd of students inside and slapping her forehead as she recalled the news she had heard the year before.

Lang Jiuchuan looked at the densely packed heads inside and furrowed her brow. “It’s already the twenty-first. Coming to the bookshop now, this late — isn’t that too hasty? Should they not be at home studying with a calm heart?”

Could cramming in a panic at the last moment actually produce a decent essay?

“You do not know of this, then. It is because Master Liufeng has released a new book collection — it contains his insights and annotated commentary gathered over the years on the eight-legged essay style, as well as his own thoughts on his top-scholar examination essay from when he was young. Everyone has come rushing at the news,” explained a nearby student with great excitement. “Master Liufeng won the triple crown of examinations at nineteen, and now after many years in officialdom, his perspective has shifted considerably. His new commentary on his own former essay is sure to offer fresh and invaluable insight. Of course everyone wants to snatch up a copy to add to their collection.”

“Master Liufeng truly is my greatest teacher and benefactor! To have the privilege of reading such sacred and wise words — I would die content!” From somewhere within the bookshop, a student let out a sudden piercing wail, clutching a book as he sobbed uncontrollably — and then the sobbing stopped abruptly.

“Oh no — Elder Brother Deng, what happened to you? Someone help, call a physician quickly!”

A commotion broke out inside the bookshop.

Lang Jiuchuan glanced inward at the clamor and frowned, then turned and walked away, saying to Jian Lan, “Too many people. Let us try another one.”

“What sacred and wise words — nothing but a name-chaser fishing for fame! In this old man’s view, this book collection utterly contradicts his own top-scholar examination essay — they are completely at odds with each other. Has Sheng Huai’an, that old scoundrel, been possessed by a ghost? Is that why he’s come out with such nonsense as ‘the one who excels in study should take office’? Look at the lot of you, wild-eyed and feverish, fainting after reading two lines — is the ink in that book some sort of evil poisoned water that’s addled your minds?”

A familiar roaring voice rang out above the clamor and noise of the bookshop.

Lang Jiuchuan’s footsteps came to a halt. A familiar face — well then, she wasn’t going anywhere.