Xie Zhifei noticed Yan Sanhe staring straight at him, but both her pupils were unfocused, her soul having flown off somewhere unknown.

“Now that I’ve finished describing my situation, shouldn’t Miss Yan explain what’s going on with that old woman?”

As his words fell, he lightly tapped her knee with his hand.

“Ah?”

Miss Yan’s nerves tightened.

What had he just said?

Was he asking about what was going on with the old woman?

Yan Sanhe looked at Pei Mingting in a panic. “Young Master Pei, you explain.”

Young Master Pei, as the carriage traveled farther and farther away, had already begun feeling apprehensive and nervous. He’d been wanting to find something to talk about but couldn’t find an opening.

So he recounted how they’d encountered the old woman, how they’d discovered something wrong, how they’d used “seeing the autumn moon at Guan Mountain”… describing it all vividly.

“So.”

Xie Zhifei looked shocked. “The place we’re going now is the mass graves?”

Young Master Pei rolled his eyes. “Could you not say those three words ‘mass graves’ so loudly?”

Xie Zhifei asked, “Why? Afraid of attracting ghosts?”

“You bastard, can you not say that ghost word?”

Young Master Pei cursed, desperately squeezing toward Yan Sanhe.

Looking at that cowardly appearance—where was there anything worthy of my sister?

The moment this thought emerged, Third Master Xie himself was severely shocked, his gaze turning somewhat cold as he looked at Pei Xiao.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Half a cup of tea later, Pei Xiao felt unnerved by his stare. He extended his foot and kicked viciously. “What the hell are you doing, you bastard? Is there gold on my face or what?”

You don’t have gold on your face, but your face has four words written on it: Prized Son-in-Law!

Xie Zhifei sourly withdrew his gaze, lifted the curtain, and called to Zhu Qing outside, “Speed up!”

“Yes!”

…

The mass graves, also called the chaotic burial mounds, were an earthen mound in the northern suburbs of the capital.

Because of the accumulation of white bones and overgrown weeds, the entire mound was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere—even wild dogs didn’t dare approach.

The carriage stopped in the distance.

Li Buyan lifted the curtain and jumped down, beckoning to Huangqi. “Come on, let’s go take a look, you and I.”

Huangqi’s tongue trembled. “Miss, Miss, Miss, I, I have a bit of a… stomach, stomach ache. How about you, you…”

Ache my foot—you’re just a coward!

Truly like master, like servant!

Li Buyan threw down the curtain with a snap and headed alone toward the mass graves.

Xie Zhifei called out, “Zhu Qing!”

“Yes!”

Zhu Qing quickly followed.

Li Buyan noticed, turned back, and looked at Third Master with confusion.

Third Master silently sighed: You shit-stirrer, what do you understand? This is called loving the house and its crow!

Yan Sanhe, having been stifled throughout the journey, also wanted to get out for some fresh air. She’d just extended one leg when Xie Zhifei had already jumped down first.

Standing steady, turning around, he extended his hand.

“Hold onto me as you come down slowly. Your foot still can’t take too much strain.”

Yan Sanhe fell silent.

In this instant, she discovered without any instruction that this Third Master Xie had indeed also lost his composure regarding her.

“I’m coming down too.”

Young Master Pei panicked. With Spirit Medium Yan going down, what if wild ghosts floated in?

He grabbed Xie Zhifei’s hand, gripping it tightly. “Quick, give your brother a hand.”

Xie Zhifei pulled hard, and Young Master Pei jumped from the carriage.

“Come, Yan Sanhe.”

That hand extended persistently, with a determination that wouldn’t rest until it achieved its goal.

From placing her hand in his to stepping down from the carriage, Yan Sanhe’s mind was completely blank. Her only sensation was that this person’s hand was very large, very dry, with distinct knuckles and a layer of thin calluses on his palm.

Logically, this wasn’t their first time holding hands. When transforming Old Lady Ji’s heart demon and exploring Jingchen’s grave, there had been contact.

But this was the first time the tactile sensation was so pronounced.

Yan Sanhe turned her back, lightly rubbing her hands together where others couldn’t see.

Just then, a light whistle sounded in the distance.

Yan Sanhe whipped around. “They found her.”

Xie Zhifei nodded lightly. “Prepare to go back.”

“We’re not going back.”

Yan Sanhe stated, “First find a place to question her, then have her leave the city directly.”

The Music Bureau wasn’t just anywhere—one more person or one less person, all were recorded in the registers.

Young Master Pei had already risked bringing her out. No matter what, this person absolutely could not appear in the capital again, or she’d be a disaster.

Xie Zhifei smiled gently.

To this day, this girl finally had a bit more human feeling about her—she knew how to consider others.

Yan Sanhe spoke with outward severity but inward cowardice. “What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing.”

Xie Zhifei raised his hand to pat her head. “Soft-heartedness isn’t a virtue—it’s a weakness.”

Yan Sanhe’s heart inexplicably trembled. Her face flushing, she forced out three words dryly: “Get to business.”

“The business is…”

Xie Zhifei openly withdrew his hand, looking around. “Let’s question her right here. This place is most gloomy, and also most safe.”

“Alright!”

Yan Sanhe immediately agreed, then quickly walked a few steps to distance herself from this person.

Then she had another thought—this guilty, thief-like appearance of hers falling into his eyes, wasn’t it exactly like there being no silver buried here?

So her feet paused again.

She didn’t know that Pei Xiao was following right behind her, not missing a single step.

When she suddenly stopped, Pei Xiao got a fright, thinking there was some “unclean” thing ahead. With an “Aow!” he instinctively leaped up, jumping directly onto Yan Sanhe’s back.

For that brief moment, heaven and earth stood still.

Huangqi thought, “…Master, you really disgrace men!”

Xie Zhifei thought, “…What prized son-in-law—get lost!”

Yan Sanhe thought, “…Get down!”

Young Master Pei endured the most embarrassing, most soul-shaking moment of his life before jumping down from Yan Sanhe’s back.

Then, with a completely innocent expression, he said, “That… climbing high allows one to see far!”

Everyone fell silent.

Just then, Zhu Qing and Li Buyan walked over, one in front and one behind, with Li Buyan carrying someone on her back.

“Li Buyan, put her by the carriage. Huangqi, go get some water from the carriage.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Pei Xiao and said through gritted teeth, “Mingting, find a way to wake her up.”

“No need. When the time comes, she’ll naturally wake.”

With two great experts having returned, Pei Xiao instantly stopped being afraid. He’d also forgotten about his embarrassing moment, smiling cheerfully. “The old woman is covered in shit and piss—how did Hero Li manage to carry her?”

Hero Li glanced at him. “She jumped on herself!”

Young Master Pei fell silent.

Everyone else fell silent too.

…

Half an hour later, the old woman, leaning against a large tree, gradually awoke. Her turbid gaze was full of bewilderment and fear.

Only now did Yan Sanhe realize this person wasn’t actually that old—she just had a hunched back, which added several years to her appearance.

“This is the mass graves.”

Yan Sanhe’s tone was extremely sincere. “You suddenly fainted. The Music Bureau people thought you were dead. We felt you were still alive, so we secretly followed all the way here.”

The old woman didn’t make a sound, staring straight ahead with both eyes, as if trying to figure out how she’d died.

“The reason we followed was for one person. You should know who this person is.”

Yan Sanhe extended her hand, gently grasping the old woman’s. “Guihua, tell us about her, will you?”

The old woman’s eyes slowly moved downward to where their hands were clasped, then slowly upward to Yan Sanhe’s face.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Yan Sanhe. I was invited by Water Moon Nunnery.”

Yan Sanhe decided to lay everything bare. “Jingchen’s coffin won’t close. She had thoughts while alive, and over time, thoughts became demons. I’m here to resolve her heart demon. Jingchen’s secular name at the Music Bureau was Departed Waters.”

Departed Waters?

The old woman’s expression cracked open with a snap.