The sunlight gradually weakened, making the lantern mountain’s glow appear even more magnificent and bright.

For an instant, Xu Hexue saw it as the Netherworld Pagoda, those leaping, flickering candle flames so much like the floating soul-fires in the tower.

“Young master, your moon cakes.”

The pastry vendor deftly picked several moon cakes and put them in an oil paper package, handing it to him. He couldn’t help but steal a glance at this young man.

His complexion was far too pale—as if he’d been ill for a long time.

“Thank you.”

Xu Hexue nodded and accepted the moon cakes. He turned to see the girl in plain white clothing still standing there. Many people passed back and forth around her, but her eyes kept watching him.

Like a child who didn’t know the way, just waiting for him to approach so she could tightly grasp his sleeve.

Xu Hexue walked over. She actually did grasp his sleeve. He involuntarily lowered his eyes, exercising restraint as he glanced at her hand. He took a perfectly round moon cake from the oil paper package and handed it to her. “Jujube paste filling—do you like it?”

Ni Su made an affirmative sound, sniffed, and followed him while eating the moon cake.

Passing by the lantern mountain, Xu Hexue found it somewhat difficult to bear the occasional gazes that fell on him from those around. Even though those glances were just casual, not curious scrutiny, as long as he thought that only fifteen years had passed in the mortal world, he might encounter former classmates here, might encounter his teacher, might encounter those he once knew or who knew him—he found it hard to face any casual gaze from anyone on this street.

He feared someone would call out “Xu Hexue” in front of her. He lifted his head to study her profile, then couldn’t help wondering—if she heard this name, what expression would she have?

But she was quietly eating her moon cake, not watching the road, only grasping his sleeve and following him.

Xu Hexue knew he couldn’t let the anxiety and shame in his heart turn him into mist, leaving her to walk this road home alone and lonely.

At this time, she needed someone by her side—someone real and substantial, visible to everyone, who could silently lead her into this bustling scene before them.

Xu Hexue no longer had a body of flesh and blood.

He couldn’t be that person.

But he very much wanted to be.

Xu Hexue quietly watched her eat the moon cake.

The moon cake was full like the moon, but with her bite it waned.

——

In the Wu mansion, servants busily swept and sprinkled water to drive away ill fortune from the young master who had just returned. An Imperial Medical Bureau physician examined Wu Jikang in the inner room, while Chief Eunuch Liang Shenfu drank tea with Grand Preceptor Wu outside.

“These are all fine tea leaves, Grand Preceptor. Using them for our family is too generous.” Liang Shenfu looked at several jade jars of tea leaves a maid brought, smiling as he held his tea bowl.

“Attendant Liang has served by His Majesty’s side—after smelling His Majesty’s tea fragrance for so many years, you must be a tea lover. Since you love tea, how can we speak of generosity or not?”

As Grand Preceptor Wu spoke, he began coughing.

“The cold the Grand Preceptor caught in the palace still hasn’t improved? Why not have the physician examine you again?” Liang Shenfu expressed concern.

“It’s nothing.” Grand Preceptor Wu waved his hand. “No other ailment—just the cough is severe. With more medicine, it should improve.”

“The Grand Preceptor should pay more attention to his health. Though His Majesty hasn’t seen you, Consort has been by His Majesty’s side these days.” Liang Shenfu, having received good tea, knew he should say more. “Years ago when His Majesty made a private inspection tour of Jiangzhou, he happened upon a man named Fang who had gathered tenant farmers and farmhands to cause trouble. If not for the Grand Preceptor remaining calm in danger, daring to negotiate alone with that Fang fellow and pacifying him, who knows how big the incident would have become…”

At that time Liang Shenfu had been attending Emperor Zhengyuan. On a whim, the Emperor wanted to visit a Taoist temple on a mountain but had brought too few people. Only upon reaching the mountain did they discover the temple had long been occupied by bandits of no small number.

“Though the Grand Preceptor is no longer at court, His Majesty still remembers all your past merits and labors. Besides, there’s still Consort. How could she bear to watch the young master truly pay with his life?”

Liang Shenfu drank some tea and continued, “After all, he’s just a candidate for the examination. His Majesty never even met him. But the young master is different. Since Prince An’s untimely death, His Majesty has had no other offspring. With the young master’s frequent visits to the palace to see Consort, His Majesty’s regard for the young master is also different…”

Liang Shenfu lowered his voice. “Grand Preceptor, His Majesty understands the pain of losing flesh and blood best. Your gaining a son in old age was also not easy. His Majesty will not let you lose this son.”

“This attendant’s words—I understand them all.”

Only after hearing Liang Shenfu’s entire speech did Grand Preceptor Wu seem to swallow a reassuring pill, letting out a long sigh. “This matter is also my fault. His Majesty wants to promote new policies, so he’s tightened the grace appointments. I know His Majesty has shown the utmost grace to my Wu family and to Consort. I wanted Kang’er to strive harder, not to enter office through grace but through merit, thus repaying His Majesty’s kindness. I pushed him too hard, which led him to commit such a foolish act…”

In just a few words, Grand Preceptor Wu clearly expressed his enthusiasm for supporting the new policies and repaying the Emperor’s grace. Liang Shenfu, the closest attendant by Emperor Zhengyuan’s side, had been in the palace for many years—how could he not understand that these words were meant for the Emperor to hear? He smiled and said, “If His Majesty heard these words of yours, he would surely understand your loyal heart.”

Though he was taking bribes, Liang Shenfu ultimately wasn’t doing this just for Grand Preceptor Wu’s rare tea leaves. Rather, with the Emperor favoring the Grand Preceptor, he naturally favored him as well.

After Liang Shenfu left with the Imperial Medical Bureau people, Grand Preceptor Wu sat in his chair coughing hoarsely for quite a while. Servants went in and out, the beaded curtain constantly swaying.

“Everyone out.”

Once Grand Preceptor Wu’s hoarse cough-roughened voice emerged, all the servants were immediately dismissed by the chamberlain. The room suddenly fell quiet as the chamberlain slowly closed the door from outside.

“Come out.”

Grand Preceptor Wu narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the thin line of light coming through the door crack.

“Father, I’m still not feeling well…”

Wu Jikang’s body stiffened. Leaning on the bed, through the screen and beaded curtain he couldn’t see his father sitting outside at all. He tried to make his voice sound weaker.

But he heard no response from his father.

His panic intensified. Wu Jikang no longer dared remain on the bed. He got up and lifted the curtain to go out.

“Kneel.”

Hearing only his father’s cold command, Wu Jikang’s whole body trembled. His knees buckled and before he could react, he had already knelt down.

“The Yinye Bureau people didn’t torture you?”

Grand Preceptor Wu’s face showed no excess emotion.

“Yes…”

Wu Jikang answered in a low voice.

“Then why did you confess so easily?”

“It was—it was Jia Yan who confessed first! Though the Yinye Bureau people didn’t torture me, they tortured Jia Yan right in front of me! Father, Jia Yan accused me. I—I was too frightened…”

Jia Yan was Wu Jikang’s page boy.

Mentioning this person, Wu Jikang felt nauseous. He recalled how this person had been tortured beyond recognition in the Yinye Bureau, and tortured before his very eyes.

He didn’t even dare think carefully about Jia Yan’s mangled, bloody face, didn’t dare think of those eyes looking at him. But these images insisted on drilling into his mind. His whole body shook uncontrollably. His waist collapsed and he began dry heaving.

“I think you feel that with your sister in the palace and me finding people to cover for you, you think you won’t die no matter what. Is that it?”

Grand Preceptor Wu had shown such deep paternal love before Liang Shenfu, but now his expression grew increasingly dark and cold.

“Isn’t—isn’t that so?”

Wu Jikang crawled forward on his knees until he reached Grand Preceptor Wu, grasping his father’s robes with trembling hands. “Father, I won’t die, will I? You and Sister will save me, won’t you? I don’t want to go back to the Yinye Bureau. There’s so much blood there, so many people tortured before me. I had nightmares… I had so many nightmares!”

Grand Preceptor Wu kicked him in the abdomen. The force was great. Wu Jikang fell backward, his eyes reddening from pain as he curled up on the ground.

“Knowing this would happen, why did you cause me trouble in the first place?” Grand Preceptor Wu suddenly stood up, staring down at him, his teeth clenched in a cold laugh. “When you found Du Cong to commit examination fraud, did you think about the day this matter would be exposed? I worked desperately to cover for you, but you—failing to frame Ni Qinglan’s sister, you instead let that mad dog Han Qing catch you!”

“Father, His Majesty will protect me! His Majesty will protect me!”

Wu Jikang struggled to breathe. “I just didn’t want her to keep making trouble. I wanted her to get out of Yunjing. If she wouldn’t leave, I’d kill her—just like I killed Ni Qinglan, so simple…”

He seemed caught in some demonic obsession.

To be precise, since Ni Qinglan’s death, he’d always been in such an obsession.

“You, you—how did I give birth to such a thing!”

Grand Preceptor Wu was beside himself with rage. “I haven’t even asked you yet—why did you put Ni Qinglan’s corpse inside that mud Buddha statue at Qingyuan Mountain! If you’d been more careful, who could have discovered the body!”

“For salvation.”

Wu Jikang’s reaction was slow, almost murmuring. “I put him in the Buddha—he could cultivate with the Buddha, then go to heaven, and not become a vengeful ghost to find me…”

“Father, I just forgot to feed him. I didn’t mean to kill him, but he starved to death…” Wu Jikang irritably rubbed his head, his hair falling loose. “Why does he have a sister? If not for her, no one would have discovered it. No one!”

“Look at yourself! Where is there any trace of being my son Wu Dai! You can’t do scholarship well, and you’re so cowardly even at killing!”

Grand Preceptor Wu was so angry he kicked him viciously again.

“Then make Ni Qinglan your son!”

Wu Jikang’s sensitive nerves had been touched by Grand Preceptor Wu. Having received another kick, his eyes moistened. He shouted, “Ye Shanlin said his scholarship was excellent, they all said he could pass the examination and become a presented scholar! Only me—no matter how hard I study, I can never become your good son!”

Grand Preceptor Wu’s face turned livid. Wu Jikang grew more frightened, but clutching his head, his mouth didn’t stop: “You insist on forcing me to study. Even if you keep forcing me, I still can’t pass the examination…”

Outsiders all said Grand Preceptor Wu Dai had gained a son in old age. Everyone thought Wu Dai must dote on this son. Even his elder sister, Consort, who’d entered the palace early, believed this.

But only Wu Jikang knew—it was all false.

So what if he was born when his father was old? Compared to this son, Grand Preceptor Wu valued his own dignity more.

A son born in old age—so what? He couldn’t stand having a mediocre, useless son. From the time Wu Jikang was criticized harshly by Hanlin Scholar He Tong in the palace’s Zhaowen Hall, Grand Preceptor Wu began personally teaching Wu Jikang.

From age thirteen onward, Wu Jikang grew up under Grand Preceptor Wu’s extremely harsh instruction. He often received his father’s discipline rod, often was made to kneel until his legs lost feeling, often—just one cold glance from his father would make him tremble uncontrollably with fear.

Even under such intense pressure, Wu Jikang still couldn’t meet his father’s requirements.

Originally Wu Jikang thought his family had grace appointments—no matter how poor he was, he couldn’t be that bad. But the Emperor suddenly decided to re-promote new policies, and to show loyalty, his father wanted him to take the civil examination together with those poor scholars.

As the winter examination approached, Wu Jikang grew increasingly anxious. He feared failing to pass as a tribute student and what harsh punishment he’d receive from his father. He couldn’t read any books. His page boy Jia Yan egged him on to attend some gatherings of officials’ sons.

At those gatherings were also some from extremely poor families—those who knew how to say pretty words, invited by other young masters for entertainment. Among them was one Ye Shanlin.

After three rounds of wine, everyone at the gathering discussed the winter examination. Ye Shanlin, whose family ran a bookshop, having nothing to boast about, mentioned someone: “I know a person—he’s a candidate from Que County. He previously showed his true talent at Squire Lin’s poetry gathering and was that gathering’s champion! This time he might just distinguish himself!”

Everyone discussed this Ni Qinglan. Some grew curious and said, “Why not invite him? Just to see this person. If he truly has such great scholarship, we’ll have made acquaintance early!”

But Ye Shanlin shook his head. “He won’t come. I’ve never even met him.”

“Just because Squire Lin values him, this person has become quite haughty? Here we even have several young masters—what great personage can’t be invited?”

“It’s not haughtiness—I heard he doesn’t like such scenes. His scholarship isn’t fake either. I know his good friend, someone called He Zhongping. That person showed me his policy essays. They were truly well-written. This winter examination is selecting talent for the new policies. If someone like him isn’t selected, that would be strange!”

Ye Shanlin, hiccupping from drink, poured out everything like beans from a bamboo tube. Toward the end, he even recited some poetry and policy essays written by Ni Qinglan.

Wu Jikang paid his page boy to have Ye Shanlin transcribe Ni Qinglan’s writings. Just looking at them, he couldn’t drink another mouthful of wine.

He felt ashamed of his own mediocrity.

At the same time, he vaguely wished those writings were his. Then he could match appearance with reality as his father’s good son, glorious beyond measure.

This thought evolved from a sprout to examination fraud in just one night.

Using his father’s connections, Wu Jikang sent much silver to Du Cong. Du Cong arranged everything well—as long as they switched Ni Qinglan’s examination paper with his, he could enter office directly and never again be forced by his father to study.

To ensure Ni Qinglan wouldn’t emerge after the examination to ruin things, Wu Jikang had people drug and kidnap him the night the winter examination ended, then confined him in a house outside the city.

Page boy Jia Yan was the one who helped him accomplish everything. When they discovered Ni Qinglan had escaped, Jia Yan also led people to recapture him and gave him a thorough beating and torture.

Initially Wu Jikang only wanted to wait until after the winter examination, until after he successfully entered office, then he’d mute Ni Qinglan and use some silver to send him back to Que County.

But that night, Jia Yan rushed back to the mansion from outside the city, saying, “Young Master, several of our door guards got drunk and let something slip. Ni Qinglan already knows why you’re confining him! This servant sees his attitude—if you let him go, he surely won’t let the matter rest! If it reaches His Majesty’s ears, what will we do…”

His Majesty?

How could Wu Jikang have the mind to care what the Emperor thought? His head was full of his father’s verbal abuse and family discipline.

But misfortunes never come singly. The very next morning, he heard news from the palace—His Majesty had adopted the Remonstrance Court’s suggestion and changed his mind. After the winter examination, there would also be a palace examination.

That very night Wu Jikang went to see Ni Qinglan.

Though the young man’s clothes were blood-stained, his bearing remained proper and composed. In that crude, moldy room, he calmly stared at him and said, “Since the young master’s plan has failed, let us both forget this matter. From now on neither of us will mention it. How about that?”

“Really not mention it?”

Wu Jikang wavered.

He instinctively envied Ni Qinglan. He didn’t know how this person could remain so calm under such terrible circumstances.

“I have no intention of opposing the young master.”

Ni Qinglan said.

Wu Jikang had actually believed him, but later page boy Jia Yan said, “Young Master, didn’t you hear what Master Du said? That Ni Qinglan’s examination paper will absolutely be selected. If you release him now, aren’t you releasing a tiger back to the mountain? Right now he perhaps doesn’t yet have the ability to oppose you, but if he enters office in the future, who knows how high he’ll climb? When he settles accounts with you then, what will you do?”

“The fear is that if our Grand Preceptor learns of your…”

Hearing Jia Yan mention the Grand Preceptor, Wu Jikang felt all the blood in his body turn cold. He instinctively feared his father. And Jia Yan kept whispering in his ear: “Young Master, he escaped before. The matter of you switching examination papers—he deliberately tricked us into revealing it. He’s absolutely not someone easy to deal with! He’s deceiving you!”

Hearing these words, Wu Jikang also felt Ni Qinglan must be deceiving him. In a fit of anger, he said, “Don’t give him food these next few days!”

Not only did they not give Ni Qinglan food—Wu Jikang had Jia Yan and others hang Ni Qinglan up to beat him. Though none of it was fatal torture, it caused Ni Qinglan to develop soul-separation syndrome.

Wu Jikang actually hadn’t intended to take a life. He just didn’t know how to handle Ni Qinglan while keeping the matter undiscovered. He never imagined that after developing soul-separation syndrome, Ni Qinglan couldn’t swallow a single bite of food.

The person starved to death alive.

At that time Wu Jikang was still hesitating whether to find a physician for Ni Qinglan. He was extremely afraid of being discovered. But while hesitating, the person died.

The sky was overcast, thunder rumbling, and soon violent wind and sudden rain came together.

Grand Preceptor Wu looked at his son collapsed on the ground like rotten mud. Not a trace of warmth showed on his wrinkled face. He picked up a whip and lashed Wu Jikang viciously, his teeth clenched in a cold laugh:

“If Ni Qinglan were my son, even if you’d only tampered with his examination paper without harming his life—”

“I would still make you pay with your life.”

But unfortunately, he’s not.

You are.

—