Towering snowy mountains, the rushing Nujiang River, a sky so blue it intoxicated the heart…

All this beautiful scenery couldn’t compare to that small figure ahead, drawing Xie Zhifei’s spirit.

Two months—besides losing weight, this girl seemed to have grown a bit taller.

After walking the distance of an arrow’s flight, Yan Sanhe stopped beneath a peach tree, turned around, her gaze examining Xie Zhifei.

“What?”

Xie Zhifei’s mouth curved up. “Is it because we haven’t seen each other so long that this handsome face has amazed you again?”

“Compared to the face, the slap was more amazing.”

Yan Sanhe said mildly, “You’ve even learned to hit people?”

“I hit him on your behalf, yet you’re questioning me.”

Xie Zhifei’s face showed some grievance. “Yan Sanhe, whose side are you on anyway?”

Yan Sanhe was startled by his question, always feeling this person wasn’t talking about the guard’s matter, but about Han Xu.

Thinking again, that didn’t seem possible.

She spoke seriously. “What’s the Zhu family’s background?”

Xie Zhifei didn’t rush to answer, instead looking around. “So this is where you grew up?”

“Mm.”

“It truly is a good place. Beautiful mountains, beautiful water.”

Xie Zhifei put away his joking manner. “The Zhu family has practiced divination and fortune-telling for generations. Old Master Zhu, Old Grand Master Zhu, Old Great-Grand Master Zhu—all have headed the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.”

“Imperial Astronomical Bureau?”

“The Imperial Astronomical Bureau works directly for the Emperor, divining celestial phenomena, fixing calendars, observing and calculating astrology, etc.”

Xie Zhifei worried she wouldn’t understand and added another sentence.

“Put it this way—everyone in the Zhu family is talented. Even that Third Master Zhu who just fainted, he divines extremely accurately.”

Talented people?

Yan Sanhe’s heart suddenly stirred.

“Just as you said, Old Grand Master Zhu’s coffin has split open three times. The corpse simply can’t be placed inside.”

Xie Zhifei shook his head. “No, I can’t say ‘split’—it exploded, directly exploded open.”

Yan Sanhe said nothing, just furrowing her brows slightly.

“On the night Old Master Zhu passed away, Second Madam of the Zhu residence inexplicably miscarried—a four-month male fetus, gone just like that. Uncle Pei said when he checked her pulse ten days earlier, the fetus was perfectly fine.”

Xie Zhifei: “That’s not all. After Second Madam miscarried, she hemorrhaged severely. Even with Uncle Pei’s excellent medical skills, the bleeding was hard to stop.”

Hearing this, Yan Sanhe’s brows knitted tightly.

“Later, Big Brother found me. I heard about it and felt Old Master Zhu had a heart demon. That’s why I brought people thousands of li to rush here.”

He looked down at her. “Yan Sanhe, give me a straight answer. How dangerous is this heart demon?”

Yan Sanhe raised her head, her gaze meeting his. “Many people will die.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart beat uncontrollably fast. After freezing for a long while, he asked, “Besides you, who else can resolve this heart demon?”

“No one.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart beat even harder.

Only Yan Sanhe could resolve the heart demon.

Yet she couldn’t resolve it.

Wasn’t this like a dead knot, where they could only watch helplessly as the Zhu family died out one by one?

“Yan Sanhe, right now I also want to be like Third Master Zhu and faint from it all.”

Yan Sanhe ignored him, turning to look at the rushing Nujiang River in the distance, asking leisurely, “That Old Master Zhu—what kind of person is he?”

“Old Master Zhu’s reputation is famous throughout the capital. He treats everyone with kindness.”

Xie Zhifei: “The Zhu family’s household style is also upright. You can tell from my sister-in-law’s character.”

“Besides being skilled at divination and fortune-telling, what else are the Zhu family good at?”

Though Xie Zhifei didn’t understand why she was asking this, he still answered honestly.

“Just being skilled at divination and fortune-telling is already very formidable. It’s just that they don’t act lightly. When they truly do act, who knows how many thresholds would be trampled flat.”

“Then can I understand this to mean that many people need to curry favor with them?”

“More than many—even people from the palace need to ingratiate themselves with them.”

Xie Zhifei: “But the Zhu family has a family precept—they cannot lightly divine fortunes for others.”

Is that so? Even palace people need to curry favor with them?

Yan Sanhe turned around, looking directly into Xie Zhifei’s eyes. “For my sister-in-law’s sake, I’ll try.”

Xie Zhifei froze hard.

Just now she’d adamantly refused, yet now she suddenly changed her mind. This wasn’t her usual style.

“Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

Why?

For the Zheng family.

This life of hers was exchanged for by one hundred eighty souls of the Zheng household.

This case was no longer as simple as before—just finding the true culprit to comfort the departed. It had become her seeking vengeance for the Zheng family.

Life debts repaid with life.

The prerequisite for vengeance was having power.

She was a lone orphan girl—where would she get power? Even with Xie Zhifei, Pei Mingting, and Han Xu helping, it probably still wouldn’t be enough.

She needed more capable people standing behind her.

Moreover, after breaking this heart demon, the dream realm would give her another new hint.

As for her life…

People must die eventually. Old General Zheng said he had the courage to cross the water with sword drawn, to fight and die in one battle.

She did too!

“I just can’t bear to see my sister-in-law weeping.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t quite believe it. When he’d mentioned his sister-in-law just now, her face had shown no reaction at all. Instead, when speaking of the Zhu family…

“There’s another reason. I want to use the Zhu family to investigate the Zheng residence case.”

This sudden statement caught Xie Zhifei completely off guard.

“Yan Sanhe…”

“Xie Zhifei…”

The words collided.

Xie Zhifei took a deep breath. “You speak first.”

Yan Sanhe’s tone brooked no argument. “You speak first.”

Xie Zhifei: “Didn’t you say this heart demon can’t be resolved?”

“I can’t very well let you lose years of your lifespan for the Zheng family case!”

Yan Sanhe: “For Third Master’s longevity, I must try no matter what.”

Xie Zhifei looked at her, his gaze shocked. After a long while, he said, “I will certainly strive to live to a hundred years.”

“Mm, live to be an old turtle.”

Yan Sanhe passed by him, walking toward the residence. The sunlight stretched her shadow very long.

“Rest one night. We depart tomorrow. Third Master doesn’t need to shave so clean—the beard will grow back during the return journey.”

She’d noticed.

Xie Zhifei’s heart softened at the tip. His peach blossom eyes lifted.

This beard had been shaved for her anyway.

…

In the residence, Third Master Zhu slowly came to.

Upon waking to hear Yan Sanhe had agreed, he froze for a long while, then quickly put on his shoes to thank her.

He hadn’t taken many steps when he heard a heavy voice.

“Yan Sanhe, I don’t agree to you resolving this heart demon.”

Third Master Zhu stumbled, nearly toppling over headfirst again. Who was this King of Hell wanting the Zhu family to die?

The “King of Hell” was Han Xu, blocking Yan Sanhe’s path, his eyes dark and unclear.

“I say, Fort Master Han.”

Yan Sanhe hadn’t opened her mouth yet when Xie Zhifei sneered and stepped forward. “Are you the Kitchen God sweeping the courtyard? Stuffed from eating too much?”

What business is this of yours?

Han Xu didn’t even glance at Xie Zhifei, only staring intensely at Yan Sanhe. “Yan Sanhe, you tell me yourself.”

Treating him like air?

Xie Zhifei: “Han…”

“You shut up!”

Yan Sanhe looked coldly at Xie Zhifei, her finger pointing at Han Xu.

“You come out with me.”

Old Granny Xiao watched Han-whatever Fort Master follow Yan Sanhe out, her gaze immediately shifting to Xie Zhifei.

Ai-ya, if when I was young, two young fellows competed over me like this, I’d have taken them both.

Who decreed only men can have three wives and four concubines?