heading to the capital, within the inner city.
Huang Rang and Di Yiqiu disappeared for a day and a night—mainly due to negligence, the boat drifted far away. Cough.
As Di Yiqiu drove the small boat back to the capital, Huang Rang was still catching up on sleep.
“You keep sleeping; I’ll go check on the house in the west of the city,” said Di Yiqiu.
Huang Rang, in a drowsy state, heard him and mumbled a response.
Di Yiqiu gently stroked her forehead, where strands of hair were scattered. “There’s a defensive barrier on the boat; don’t get off, understand?”
Huang Rang acknowledged him with a sound, seemingly deep in sleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Di Yiqiu left the boat.
When Huang Rang woke up, someone was waiting outside the boat.
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Uswtb. Twydt Sydt bwaaklezu alvalyvle kdvs vbl nyckd, pvyavkdt vs vkeu bla byka yde nzsvblp.
—Rd qasdv sq bla bwpcyde, pbl nswze yqqsae vs cl nyalzlpp, cwv kd qasdv sq bla lm-bwpcyde, pbl xwpv zssj ralpldvyczl!
Gqvla y obkzl, pbl lxlatle qasx vbl nyckd, nypwyzzu vyjkdt nsdvasz sq vbl pxyzz csyv.
Xdzu vbld eke Dkl Tsdtnbld prlyj: “Zwbw Rxxsavyz Flnv byp awzlp; vbspl obs plnalvzu zlyad qasx svblap okzz byhl vblka ynbklhlxldvp dwzzkqkle. Mbl lzelap rascyczu osd’v ynnlrv uswa lmrzydyvksd sq zlyadkdt kd y ealyx.”
Ekvb vbkp, Twydt Sydt wdelapvsse.
She said, “The Elder Ancestor Xie Lingbi sent the sect leader to enforce the rules, right?”
Xie Hongchen said, “Master did. But… I naturally need to investigate the truth.”
“If the sect leader wants to know the truth, that’s even better,” Huang Rang got off the boat. “I happen to have a truth that Master Xie urgently needs to understand.”
Xie Hongchen’s eyes flickered, and Huang Rang dropped a bombshell: “Master Xie’s life is not as Elder Ancestor Xie Lingbi described it!”
“What?” Xie Hongchen never expected her to say this, immediately frowning.
Before he could speak, Huang Rang stopped him. “Master Xie, please listen to me. According to Elder Ancestor Xie Lingbi, you were abandoned by your parents, who fled from Zitong County outside the gate of Yuhu Immortal Sect 216 years ago, at the end of a cold winter. Is that correct?”
Xie Hongchen’s life was not a secret.
For someone with his extraordinary talent, even the smallest details would attract attention.
Therefore, his birthdate, even his parents and hometown, were meticulously investigated.
Xie Hongchen hails from Zitong County and was born on the first day of the lunar new year. In May of the same year, Zitong County suffered from a flood, and his parents fled with him. By the end of the year, his father had fallen ill and died. His mother, unable to sustain them both, abandoned him, not yet a year old, outside the Yuhu Immortal Sect.
It was the cold winter month at the time, and it was Xie Lingbi who found him and raised him since.
And his parents were naturally investigated by the sect.
The couple is named Xie Jing and Fei Fang.
The two did not manage to survive a famine, and after Xie Jing’s death, Fei Fang struggled to make a living by washing and sewing for others. However, human life is fleeting, and before Xie Hongchen gained prominence, Fei Fang succumbed to old age and illness.
In Zitong County, which was the hometown of the sect leader, it had always received special attention.
A shrine was specifically set up in the county for Xie Jing and his wife, where many relics from that time were displayed.
Everything seemed normal.
Xie Hongchen asked, “So? What’s suspicious?”
Huang Rang said, “In my dream, to better understand Master Xie, I specifically visited Zitong County.”
Xie Hongchen was stunned, and Huang Rang continued, “Then I found out that Yuhu Immortal Sect conducts the initial screening of disciples every year, starting from the first month. From newborns to eighteen-year-olds, no one is overlooked. Zitong County is the same.”
Xie Hongchen’s heart skipped a beat, suddenly understanding her words. “Are you saying that if I was born in the first month, my spiritual roots would have been tested by Yuhu Immortal Sect disciples during that month?”
Huang Tang praised, “Exactly. With the talent and foundation of the sect leader, it’s impossible for him not to pass the selection. Therefore, if we follow the sect leader’s life, he should have been chosen as a disciple of the sect early on, rather than following his parents in escaping.”
Xie Hongchen pondered for a long time and said, “There might be occasional oversights; it’s possible.”
Huang Rang said, “At first, I thought so too. But later, when I had some free time, I helped organize the scrolls. The scrolls for the initial disciple screening were the most loosely managed. I looked at Zitong County, thinking about the sect leader, and casually checked.”
She was very certain: “I saw Xie Jing’s name on it! In the year of the sect leader’s birth, Yuhu Immortal Sect did conduct the initial screening for that baby. But he did not pass!”
“How is that possible?” Xie Hongchen was stunned.
Huang Rang said, “I was shocked at the time, so I took the opportunity to mention it to the sect leader later.”
“And then?” Xie Hongchen asked.
Huang Rang sighed. “As soon as I brought it up, I was reprimanded by the sect leader. The sect leader said…” her gaze was distant, recalling the origin of that period. “This is not something you should inquire about. As a junior, you were spreading rumors and sowing discord. Is this how Huang Shu taught you?”
She imitated Xie Hongchen’s tone surprisingly well.
Xie Hongchen was stunned.
Huang Rang continued, “Then, after a while, Elder Ancestor Xie Lingbi suddenly barged into my residence and privately subjected me to the punishment of a soul-binding bone-fixing needle. I was imprisoned in the deep chamber of Loufu Hall without seeing the light of day.”
Xie Hongchen slowly stepped back, remaining silent for a long time.
Huang Rang said, “I still can’t figure out who betrayed me. I always feel that even if Master Xie doesn’t believe me, he wouldn’t have mentioned it to him.”
Xie Hongchen took a long time to ask, “You said you checked the scrolls of the initial disciple screening of Zitong County that year?”
“Yes,” Huang Rang replied, “I’m sure Xie Jing and his wife’s names were on it.”
Xie Hongchen’s heart began to race, and after a long while, he said, “The scrolls of Yuhu Immortal Sect have a photographic technique. It records anyone who has ever opened it. But… ordinary disciples are usually unaware.”
“Oh…” Huang Rang was slightly stunned, and after a while, she smiled helplessly and said, “Thanks for solving the confusion. Now I finally understand.”
She understood, but now it was Xie Hongchen who was puzzled.
—If his own life was false, then who was he? Why did Xie Lingbi fabricate his life?
He could only ask, “Aside from all this, do you have any evidence?”
Huang Rang dared not mention more. She was currently in the official of the court. If she only attacked Xie Lingbi, Xie Hongchen might become even more incredulous.
She could only say, “Even if the scrolls of the Yuhu Immortal Sect have a photographic technique, Master Xie must have a way to open them, right?”
Xie Hongchen remained silent. He certainly had a method, but if he truly opened them, it would mean he doubted his own mentor.
And all of this is just because of a few words from a woman.
Seeing his silence, Huang Rang had to say, “Every word I say is true, but I really don’t know how to make the Sect Leader believe.”
However, Xie Hongchen said, “I will verify your words.”
Huang Rang was stunned, and Xie Hongchen looked straight at her. “I will verify. But if your words are false, I will find you in the future to enforce the sect rules.”
“Haha!” Huang Rang chuckled. “I am truly amazed by your favor.”
“Amazed by my favor?” Xie Hongchen frowned.
“Yes,” Huang Rang said softly. “If the Sect Leader had spoken in such a manner back then, I probably wouldn’t have harbored resentment for half of my life.”
“Huang Rang,” Xie Hongchen finally asked, “What happened between us? Why do we feel so familiar? Why do I think about you all the time? Why did just a few words shake my mind?”
Huang Rang smiled, “It’s just fleeting clouds. Let’s wait for the Sect Leader’s response.”
After saying this, she stretched lazily and added, “Later on, my husband is probably coming back. He’s always sharp-tongued and petty. It’s better if the Sect Leader doesn’t meet him.”
She referred to the person as a “husband.”
These two words were like two sharp thorns.
Xie Hongchen turned away.
In the west of the city,Di Yiqiu entered this residence.
The house was quite nice, with a screen wall at the entrance leading to an exquisite courtyard. The courtyard had various rooms and halls, with pavilions and terraces scattered around. Going further back, there was also a backyard.
The backyard, however, was overgrown with weeds.
The owner explained as he followed him, “This place was originally vacant. Sir, just a bit of renovation, and it will be good as new.”
The chief looked around, having already thought of many ways to please his wife.
He nodded and then looked toward a corner, where there were traces of something buried. He asked, “Is this the well?”
The steward wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and said, “Not hiding it from you, sir, it is. After the master met with an accident, everyone felt it was ominous, so the well was filled.”
He spoke honestly, and Di Yiqiu casually asked, “Judging by this courtyard, it seems the family was well-off. Why did your master throw himself into the well?”
The steward sighed, “Sir, your words touch upon a heartbreaking matter. Our master was indeed a wealthy man in the capital. He used to deal in cloth and porcelain, and business was booming. But the master’s knees were empty, and only at the age of forty-nine did heaven grant him a son. The whole family treated the child like a treasure, holding him in their hands and afraid he might fly away, keeping him in their mouths and afraid he might dissolve.”
Di Yiqiu raised an eyebrow. “So?”
The steward continued, “But who knew? Just after the young master celebrated his birthday, he disappeared.”
“Children getting lost is not uncommon,” Di Yiqiu remarked.
The steward said, “Sir, you are correct. But our young master never left anyone’s side. That night, he was sleeping in his room, and the wet nurse and her son were by his side. However, when the wet nurse and her son woke up, the child was gone. Sir, you may not know, but the wet nurse and her son treated the young master as their own family’s treasure, and they were usually very vigilant. But he disappeared in just a short while…”
He shook his head and sighed. “The family searched everywhere, and two years passed without any sign of him, alive or dead. Our master… became sick from longing. He always said the young master was in the well. So, I sent people to dredge the dry well. Was there any trace? Later, our master became insane and eventually died by falling into the well.”
Di Yiqiu asked, “Didn’t you report it to the authorities?”
The steward replied, “How could we report it? Our master spent who knows how much silver, but there was no news. Our young master, born with lovely features and lively intelligence, disappeared as if into thin air. You say this… alas, a ruined family and a deceased master.”
Di Yiqiu walked through the entire yard with him, feeling suspicious in his heart.
In the inner city of the capital, the patrolling was strict.
How could such a thing happen?
He asked, “Can a child that young go far? Have you searched the entire house?”
The steward had long lost hope in the matter: “Speaking of this house, the whole inner city has been searched, every corner turned over. Unfortunately, after the master’s death, the family scattered, and the house is now almost worthless due to various rumors.”
Di Yiqiu nodded. “Write a contract, and you’ll collect the money from the celestial court.”
The steward was surprised. “Didn’t sir bring any silver?”
The chief replied calmly, “I got married the other day.” Seeing the steward still puzzled, he added, “My wife manages the finances at home.”
The steward understood.
After writing the contract, the chief’s mind was still hanging on to this matter.
He walked back and forth in the courtyard several times.
There were wooden horses, swings, slides, and other things that children loved in the house.
The side rooms still retained the appearance of a child’s dwelling, and although toys like spinning tops and cloth tigers were covered in dust, they were still visible.
Where could the child have gone?
The Celestial Court
Just as Huang Rang returned, the steward came to collect the money. Huang Rang glanced at the contract and saw that it was for two hundred taels of silver.
This price, within the inner city of the capital, especially for such a place, was practically like finding money on the street.
Huang Rang happily paid the money, and Zi Qiguang, who was nearby, swept a glance, hesitating, “Imperial Scholar, this is a haunted house.”
“Go away. If it wasn’t a haunted house, I wouldn’t have bought it.” Huang Rang waved her hand to dismiss the person.
Shao Ruo’en, on the side, chuckled, “Chief and Imperial Scholar, being so thrifty, why not just live in the official residence? You don’t need to spend a tael or two.”
Huang Rang was touched on a sore spot and couldn’t help but glare, “What do you understand? Little brat!”
At that moment, Zong Zifu happened to pass by.
Huang Rang saw him, and her face was about to catch fire. But he looked calm—honestly, this old man was quite thick-skinned. If he waits for the two of them to make a sound after their wedding, Huang Rang will have to be ashamed to death.
He glanced at the contract and said, “You really bought this house.”
Huang Rang retorted, “How does Deputy Chief Zong know?”
Zong Zifu said, “It’s a famous haunted house in the capital. Old Master Qi, the owner, was a well-known merchant in the capital. When the child was lost, he was like a soulless person, eventually falling into the well and dying. It’s really unpredictable in this world.”
Huang Rang looked at the contract in her hand again—could this house really be haunted?!
Uuuh nice foreshadowing lol