Chapter 7: Midnight

“Your master was quite well-known in the State of Zhao. I had hoped that inviting him here this time would resolve the matter, but I never expected such an outcome.” Zhao Shisong led the way, speaking with a look of regret.

“But you don't need to be afraid. Perhaps it's just the cold and dampness accumulating in my residence, combined with my wife's weak constitution, that caused her to inadvertently fall ill. It shouldn't be anything serious.”

Ning Changjiu nodded and said, “Master dedicated his life to this path, and to die for it in the end can, in a sense, be considered a good end.”

Zhao Shisong hadn't expected the young man to be so open-minded. He chuckled a few times and praised him, “If things go smoothly for you in the future, I’m sure you will surpass your master.”

“Thank you,” Ning Changjiu replied.

Ning Xiaoling walked silently by their side, her head bowed.

Zhao Shisong glanced at her, finding the young girl delicate and charming, yet with a hint of coolness in her eyes. He couldn’t resist teasing her a little: “Little girl, how old are you this year, and how many years have you been studying with your master?”

Ning Xiaoling honestly replied, “Fourteen years old, and I’ve been cultivating for three years with my master.”

Zhao Shisong nodded and said, “I see you have great spiritual aptitude. You must have learned quite a lot over these years, haven't you?”

Ning Xiaoling silently cursed Ning Qinshui in her heart, but on her face, she smiled slightly and said, “Not really. Cultivation always requires years of accumulation.”

“The young lady is quite humble.”

“You flatter me, Mr. Zhao.”

Zhao Shisong’s mansion was not far, and they arrived while still chatting.

A carriage was parked at the entrance of the mansion. A wandering Taoist priest, with a yellow talisman on his forehead, was staggering out, muttering to himself.

“This formula has worked a hundred times out of a hundred in the past, so what’s wrong today? Could it be that I’m also possessed?”

Just then, the wandering Taoist saw Zhao Shisong returning. He immediately stopped, clasped his hands, bowed, and said with an apologetic expression, “My Lord Prince, please forgive this humble Taoist’s incompetence. I truly cannot understand your esteemed wife’s illness. It seems neither evil nor demonic, which greatly vexes this humble Taoist.”

Zhao Shisong sighed and said, “It’s alright. Take your money and go home.”

The wandering Taoist acknowledged him, and then noticed two “little ones” dressed in Taoist robes accompanying Zhao Shisong.

The Taoist’s expression shifted slightly, and he asked curiously, “Are you also in this line of work?”

“Is something wrong?” Ning Changjiu asked.

The wandering Taoist took a few small steps and circled them twice, shaking his head and tutting, “You two are good prospects, but listen to an elder’s advice: go back. Don’t waste your efforts.”

Ning Changjiu ignored him, simply looking at Zhao Shisong and saying, “Please lead the way, Mr. Zhao.”

The Taoist’s face flushed with anger, and he stomped his foot, “Among those who do our work in this imperial city, I can easily rank among the top five! I’m giving you good advice, but if you don’t listen, so be it!”

Ning Changjiu paid him no mind. Zhao Shisong was already displeased with the Taoist’s flippant attitude. At that moment, he simply waved his hand dismissively and led Ning Changjiu into the mansion.

After just a few steps, the Taoist unexpectedly turned and followed them.

Ning Xiaoling instinctively disliked him. Frowning, she said, “Stinky Taoist, why are you following us?”

The Taoist huffed, “I’ll just watch from the side; I won’t bother you. I just want to see what methods you possess, daring to be so arrogant at such a young age.”

Ning Xiaoling’s delicate brows shot up, and she was about to retort, but Ning Changjiu directly said, “It’s fine, let him be.”

As they passed through courtyards and corridors, the sound of coughing drifted from an ancient-looking room.

The maid standing at the door saw Zhao Shisong return, called out “My Lord,” and then stepped aside.

Inside the room, a warm brazier kept the temperature comfortable. A young woman lay on her side on a couch. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes half-closed, and she occasionally coughed while clutching her chest. She had a delicate and attractive appearance.

Ning Xiaoling had expected a dignified and virtuous lady, but was surprised to see someone so young and beautiful, appearing to be around twenty years old. She wondered which wife she was.

When the woman saw Zhao Shisong, she placed her hand on the brocade quilt, intending to get up and greet him. Zhao Shisong quickly rushed to her side, gently held her hand, and offered her comforting words.

The woman glanced towards them and frowned, saying, “Didn’t that Taoist just leave? Why is he back again? I don’t think he has any real ability, and his lingering here is quite annoying.”

“You…” The wandering Taoist took a deep breath and sighed, “The madam is right.”

Then she surveyed the two unfamiliar faces and smiled weakly, “This little Taoist has quite a handsome face. Looking at him might cheer me up a bit.”

Ning Changjiu did not respond to her compliment.

He surveyed the surroundings, his gaze sweeping past the high ceiling beams, as if searching for something.

The Taoist watched him with interest, waiting for him to make a fool of himself.

Ning Changjiu reached into his sleeve, felt around, but pulled nothing out.

Seeing this, the Taoist couldn’t help but laugh. “What, did you forget your talismans? How about I lend you a few?”

The woman on the couch frowned. Zhao Shisong quickly glared at the Taoist, who then sheepishly stopped laughing.

Unexpectedly, Ning Changjiu actually held out his hand and said, “Just lend me a copper coin.”

“A copper coin?” The Taoist frowned. “Are you making fun of this humble Taoist, young man?”

Ning Changjiu kept his hand open.

The Taoist looked at the gazes of those around him, sighed, untied his money pouch, took out a copper coin, and tossed it over.

Ning Changjiu took the copper coin and placed it on the small wooden cabinet in front of the woman’s couch. After a moment, he said, “It’s done.”

Everyone was stunned.

Done? What was done?

The Taoist was dumbfounded, “Do you take us for fools?”

Zhao Shisong was about to speak when he saw the copper coin on the wooden cabinet split into three pieces. His mouth hung open in astonishment as he looked at Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu calmly looked at the young woman on the couch and asked:

“Do you feel better?”

The woman glanced at the copper coin, let out a soft laugh, and was about to shake her head. But as her eyes met his, she felt as if her spiritual core had been swept by a biting winter wind, leaving her stiff and cold.

After a moment, the smile returned to the woman’s face. “Oh, I truly do feel much better. My body feels lighter.”

Zhao Shisong was overjoyed to see her complexion indeed improve. His gaze towards Ning Changjiu grew much kinder. “I always thought ‘spending money to avert disaster’ was just a saying, but seeing you today, young Taoist, I realize it’s truly extraordinary. I, Zhao, don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Ning Changjiu said, “My junior sister and I have nowhere to go.”

Zhao Shisong immediately said, “Someone! Clean a room and arrange for the young Taoist priest to stay temporarily.”

The Taoist watched, dumbfounded, unsure what had happened. “This... this, are you all conspiring to trick me?”

Zhao Shisong was even less inclined to bother with him now. He simply waved his sleeve and said, “See him out.”

“Hey, my…” The Taoist stomped his foot in anger. “My copper coin!”

“It’s on credit,” Ning Changjiu replied.

In the middle of the night.

The young woman woke up on her couch. She pushed aside the bed curtains, stretched languidly, and reached up to smooth the long hair draped over her shoulders and back.

She slowly turned her head, intending to light a lamp, when she suddenly gasped in alarm, clutching her chest with both hands, her face filled with terror.

In the dim room, a shadowy figure was vaguely seated by an elegantly antique wooden table.

“Stop pretending,” the voice said, and a candle flickered to life.

“You... it’s you?” The woman’s chest heaved, and she said reproachfully, “You little Taoist priest, I thought you were a good person when I saw your handsome face during the day. What do you want, breaking into my private room in the middle of the night? Get out now, or I’ll call for help!”

Ning Changjiu turned his chair and looked at her calmly. “Tell me about your young mistress.”

“Mistress?” The woman clutched her collar. “What nonsense are you talking about? Do I look like a servant to you?”

Ning Changjiu said, “You’ve been confined to bed pretending to be ill these past few days, so you probably haven’t been able to go out. I saw your young mistress earlier today. Let me tell you about her.”

The woman stared at him with a meaningful look, then chuckled. “You men, old and young, are all the same. You’ve broken in here and are still trying to act proper with this elder sister. Oh, did you cure my illness, and now you expect me to offer myself to you? If my lord hears about this, he’ll surely have you beaten out with sticks.”

“You don’t want to hear?” Ning Changjiu asked.

The woman let out a laugh and said, “You’re quite rude, little Taoist. Alright, I’ll listen. Who is this master of mine?”

Ning Changjiu said, “She has many pawns in the city, but with such a hasty arrangement, coordination and communication among them must be difficult. You haven’t received a message from your master for several days, have you?”

The woman shook her head and said, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Ning Changjiu continued, “Because she also suffered a severe injury. It makes sense, with so many people trying to kill her, how could she truly escape unscathed?”

The woman looked at the young man across the lamplight, her expression resentful. “Did you come here... just to tell me these wild tales?”

Ning Changjiu said, “I am just an ordinary Taoist. I haven’t yet determined my stance. Every word you say next could influence me.”

The woman’s eyes flickered, then grew calm. She smiled and said, “I’ve never seen an ‘ordinary’ Taoist priest breaking into a woman’s room.”

Ning Changjiu did not reply, simply watching her silently. The woman suddenly felt as though the person sitting before her was not a human, but a cold, emotionless spirit.

She gradually lost her smile. “‘Ordinary’ Taoist priest? Then what are you doing in the imperial city? Don’t try to fool me with talk of ‘acting on heaven’s behalf’ or anything like that.”

Ning Changjiu said, “I don’t need to explain to you. A gentleman does not stand under a tottering wall. Since I have the ability to protect myself, I naturally have the ability to interfere.”

“Oh? That’s quite a statement,” the woman said, looking at the young man sitting silently before her. She found herself involuntarily slowing her breathing.

Ning Changjiu said, “Just tell me the simplest story about your young mistress. You don’t need to betray anything.”

“The simplest?”

“Yes, like her name, and what happened three years ago.”

Her name? What happened three years ago? You’ve gone to all this trouble to scare me with such trivial matters? Who in the imperial palace doesn’t know about that? Am I the fool, or are you?

The woman was suddenly dumbfounded, unsure how to respond.

Ning Changjiu assumed she didn’t want to speak, and saw no need for further idle talk.

A golden hairpin, seemingly from the dressing table, had appeared before her eyes at some point. With a whoosh, it darted to the woman’s front, almost touching the tip of her nose.

The woman’s throat bobbed. She cautiously swallowed, not daring to move.

“Are you testing me?” the woman persisted, unwilling to give up.

“No.” Ning Changjiu sat quietly, waiting for her answer. He raised his hand, and a lethal aura suddenly emanated from his entire being.

The woman sighed, as if resigned to her fate. “The young mistress bears the imperial surname of the State of Zhao, her given name is Xiang’er. Three years ago...”

Zhao Xiang’er...

In the silent night, she slowly began to recount the past.