Huiyuan let out a soft sigh. “Since you were able to find this place, it means you have discovered my secret and know that the deaths of Huian and Huixiu are connected to me.”

“You discovered our secret, yet you still came to save us?” Shi Ting was puzzled.

“I told you—you are innocent. My personal grudge is my own affair. I do not wish to implicate innocent people.” The kerosene lamp in Huiyuan’s hand swayed gently. “And besides, my wish has been fulfilled. It is time for me to leave.”

Yan Qing understood. The “leaving” Huiyuan spoke of was not departing from this place, but departing from this world. For her, there was no longer anything in this world to hold or cherish.

“Master Huiyuan, was it truly you who killed Huixiu and Huian?”

Huiyuan gave a soft smile. “At this point, I no longer wish to deny it. Yes—I killed them both.”

“Was your death all those years ago also connected to them?”

Huiyuan’s gaze drifted far away, as though returning to those years more than a decade past, when she had regarded Huixiu and Huian as sisters. The three of them had cultivated together in the nunnery, nearly inseparable.

The memories were vivid and clear. Even now she could scarcely believe that Huixiu and Huian had been the ones to harm her.

“I remember that evening. I gave the sachets that Ling’er had made for me to Huixiu and Huian. The sachet had a calming and nurturing effect—Ling’er had made it especially for me, and I had always found it useful, so I had her make two more to give to Huixiu and Huian.”

Huiyuan stared at the dark tunnel opening in the distance, her voice heavy and low. “What I did not expect was that after receiving the sachets, they waited until I was not paying attention, then strangled me with a rope. I struggled with all my strength. I wanted to ask them why, but I could not make a sound. I heard Huian saying she was sorry to me, that as long as I died, Baiyun Nunnery would have a magnificent new hall built. She said I had always promised her we would build Baiyun Nunnery into something great together, so that everyone in Shun Cheng would know of its existence—and now was my chance to contribute. My life could be exchanged for a magnificent new hall.”

The very breath she exhaled seemed laden with grief and heaviness, making that narrow space feel even more suffocating. “I knew that Huian had an obsession with Baiyun Nunnery—an obsession that had driven her nearly mad. And Huixiu was a hedonist. Her extravagant habits also required money. They had struck a mutual agreement to exchange my life for what they wanted.”

“And did you know who had ordered your death?”

“Who else but that madam of the Shi family?” Huiyuan said with contempt. “She was afraid I would return with Shi Kai and simply bought off Huixiu and Huian to strike me down. In truth, she worried needlessly—even if I were alive, I would never go back to Shi Kai’s side. What was past was past. So many years had gone by; my heart had long since turned to cold ash.”

“Then where were you all these years? Why did you only return for revenge now?”

Huiyuan said, “On the day they strangled me, I thought I had truly died. But unexpectedly, a great rain washed open my grave, and I awoke in a daze, my mind a fog of confusion. I pushed off the coffin lid and crawled out. At that point I still had some residual memory, and after crawling out I replaced the coffin lid. I made my way down the mountain by any means I could manage and was rescued by a hunter who had been caught on the mountain by the rain. He brought me to his home, and I fell into a deep, murky sleep for a long time. During that period, my memory broke apart and was lost—my mind was like that of a child. Taiping cared for me throughout—that was the hunter’s name. His wife and children had perished in a mudslide, and he had suffered such a shock that he had since lived in seclusion in the mountains.”

“For all those years, you were in a state of amnesia, is that right?”

Huiyuan nodded. “I could recall fragments, but I could not piece them together. Sometimes I didn’t even know who I was or where I had come from. Fortunately, Taiping never gave up on me. He gathered medicinal herbs from the mountains and treated me, day after day, year after year. Under his careful care, my memory began to slowly return, and half a year ago I had fully recovered everything from the past.”

“After your memory returned, did you immediately want revenge?”

Huiyuan shook her head. “Though I hated them, I had not thought of making them die. Not until I secretly returned to Baiyun Nunnery. I knew of a secret passage in the side chamber of my old courtyard—a secret I had told no one. This passage could lead to any part of the nunnery. Once, I happened to overhear a conversation between Huixiu and Huian. In order to raise money for the new hall, they had not only been withholding the nuns’ monthly stipends—they were actually planning to hand over several of the prettier young nuns to wealthy men for their amusement. Some of these men had particular tastes, and they especially enjoyed preying on young nuns. When I thought of Jing Xin’s future, I felt as though my heart were being cut. If Huixiu and Huian were left to run wild any further, there was no knowing how many more people would end up as I had.”

Shi Ting and Yan Qing were deeply shaken. They had known only that Huian had withheld the nuns’ funds; they had not imagined that for the sake of money, she had gone so far as to plan selling the young nuns to wealthy men. Huian’s obsession had utterly consumed her. She thought nothing of human lives—what did it matter to her to traffic a few young nuns?

“Jing Xin has followed me since she was small. Our bond is deep. I could not stand by and watch her be dragged into that abyss. And so I used this secret passage to return to my old courtyard, and on every rainy night I played the piano. I wanted to tell Huian and Huixiu that my ghost had come back. If they felt even a shred of fear, they might have stopped. But sadly, they had already gone completely mad.” Huiyuan quietly closed her eyes. “So I crept into Huixiu’s courtyard and killed her. After killing her, I had intended to set fire to the place, but then I changed my mind. I dragged her to the grotto at the foot of the waterfall and hung her up there. I did this to warn Huian—to tell her that heaven sees all things, and that those who do evil will bring ruin upon themselves.”

Huiyuan shook her head. “But Huian was utterly unmoved and carried on just as before. I had no choice but to kill her too.”

“Does Jing Xin know you are still alive?”

“She does not know, and I do not wish her to know. Only in complete ignorance can they live without worry.”

When Huiyuan finished speaking, the full sequence of events was now perfectly clear. In truth, Huixiu and Huian had not died at Huiyuan’s hands—they had died by their own obsessions.

“Master Huiyuan, I have one more question.” Shi Ting said gravely. “Regarding Ling’er—how much do you know about her?”

“Ling’er’s given name was Chen Lingling. Her family was in the fragrance trade. That is all I know.” When Huiyuan mentioned this disciple, a look of tenderness and affection came into her eyes. “Have you seen her? Is she well?”

Shi Ting did not mention that Ling’er had married the General. Though Huiyuan had long since seen through the past and perhaps would not care, one could tell from her reaction that she still harbored deep feeling for Ling’er.

Yan Qing, who understood Shi Ting well, interjected: “We saw her at the Qian family. Her skill at chess is exceptional—they say she learned from Master Huiyuan herself. And the Qian family says she is their daughter who was separated from them for over twenty years. Yet she does not bear the Qian surname.”

“That cannot be.” Huiyuan frowned. “Her surname is Chen. That is an absolute certainty—though I do not know her parents’ names, Ling’er would not have lied to me.”

“Did you ever meet her parents?”

“I met her mother once—a poised and elegant woman. Others addressed her as Madam Chen.” Huiyuan furrowed her fine brows slightly. “Although I don’t know much about Ling’er’s family, she was bright and cheerful, with a good heart, and got along splendidly with Jing Xin and the others. She made sachets and often gave sachets and little pastries to her young friends. She frequently spoke of her parents—they seemed to be kind people, and she came from a comfortable family where she was very much loved. How could she have suddenly become the Qian family’s long-lost daughter from over twenty years ago?”

Shi Ting had thought Huiyuan might know something about Ling’er, but it seemed even she only knew part of the story. Yet from her words, it was clear that Ling’er had once been a young lady from a wealthy family, living a comfortable life. If that was so, why had she chosen to return to the Qian family? Was it because the Qian family was the wealthiest in Shun Cheng?

“Master Huiyuan, can one reach the grotto behind the waterfall from this passage?”

“Yes.” Huiyuan turned, carrying the kerosene lamp. “I’ll take you there.”

Huiyuan led the way while Shi Ting took Yan Qing by the hand and followed. After a short while, the sound of flowing water reached their ears.

“I spent a long time studying this passage before I understood it. I didn’t expect you two to find the exit in only two days.” Huiyuan said. “Worthy indeed of that man’s son.”

When Huiyuan spoke of the General, her tone was utterly calm, without the slightest ripple. It was clear she had long since let go of that old love.

Huiyuan was the one who had been wronged, and so she could let go with ease. But the General had never been able to step out of her shadow. Now with Qian Lan’s arrival, he had once again fallen into the same cycle.

If the General knew Huiyuan was still alive, one could only imagine what reckless decision he might make. He had already lost Huiyuan once—he would never allow the same thing to happen again.

“Just here.” Huiyuan stopped before a stone wall. Through the wall, the sound of water outside was even clearer.

She turned a switch on the wall, and the stone wall slowly swung open to one side. A surge of moisture poured out, carrying with it a faint earthy smell and wisps of chill.

“After killing Huixiu and Huian, I dragged them through this passage to this point, then strung them up outside. To an outsider, it would appear to be an impossible murder—without some supernatural force, no ordinary person could hang themselves in the waterfall. This is how it was done.” Huiyuan explained calmly.

Shi Ting noticed that the stone wall concealed the very dead end he had found that day. The footprints and drag marks inside were still clearly visible.

“Shi Ting.” Yan Qing’s urgent voice came from behind him. “Master Huiyuan has disappeared.”