“Liu Yifan confessed!”
Huang Xiumin’s voice buzzed with excitement over the phone, “From the drowning case to Li Yanjie’s case to yours, he spilled everything!
Not only did he admit his crimes, but he also implicated his mother. His father, though, was clean from start to finish. We suspect he knew something, maybe even helped cover it up, but there’s no evidence.
Oh, and Liu Yifan even begged the court to hurry up and sentence him, so he can serve his time and atone.”
Lin Wan was stunned, “Why?”
“Because last night he saw a ghost again, not in a dream, a real ghost. He thinks the ghost infant lost patience…”
Lin Wan, “…”
“So, he believes the ghost hasn’t left because he hasn’t been sentenced, and his guilt hasn’t been finalised…”
Could such a thing happen?
Huang Xiumin continued, “His attitude’s impeccable, confessing willingly, offering compensation. His father finally stepped in too. Longxia Group paid a hefty sum to the victims and their families, hoping they’d sign forgiveness agreements with Liu Yifan.”
Lin Wan frowned, “Really?”
“Yeah, I bet they’ll come knocking on your door soon.”
“I don’t want their money!”
Huang Xiumin shrugged, “Up to you, your man’s not short on cash anyway.”
“What about Li Yanjie’s side?”
“No idea.”
…
Lin Wan hung up and resumed practice, with Lu Zheng coaching her.
No choice, yesterday’s session didn’t happen, so today was catch-up.
“You heard that?”
“I did.”
Lu Zheng nodded, Lin Wan had the call on speaker, he’d have to be deaf not to hear.
“Do you think there’s really a ghost? Why does he see one the moment he’s back?”
Lu Zheng shrugged, “Who knows? Maybe he’s got ghosts in his heart.”
Lin Wan nodded, “Probably went mad for some reason, but this works out, saves Xiumin and the team some hassle. Only now…”
“What?”
“A mentally unstable person might get a lighter sentence.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes darted, then he huffed indignantly, “That’s nonsense! How do they know he was unstable when he committed the crimes? Isn’t that reasoning backwards? If he gets off lightly, where’s the justice for the victims?”
Lin Wan looked at Lu Zheng, then nodded helplessly, “That’s how the law’s written, nothing we can do.”
“Knock, knock, knock!” A rap at the door.
“Is Miss Lin Wan home?”
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan exchanged glances, Longxia Group moved fast, right after the call.
…
Too bad, Lin Wan didn’t even let them in, dismissing them in a few words. They were just ordinary Longxia employees, no need for harsh words.
She’d respect the court’s verdict, but a forgiveness agreement? Go to hell!
Before leaving that afternoon, Lu Zheng asked, “With a full confession like this, how long till the court sentences him?”
“They’ll need to gather evidence based on his confession and check for omissions, at least a month at the earliest,” Lin Wan said.
Lu Zheng nodded and left.
…
Snow fell in winter.
Though the weather was cold and the peach trees in Peach Blossom Vale were bare, a crowd still gathered deep in the grove.
Today was the opening of the Peach Blossom Shrine.
Clerk Li directed workers to hang the shrine’s plaque. After a troupe’s performance, the magistrate read a blessing, led the offering of three incense sticks to the Peach Blossom Fairy, and the ceremony was complete.
It was just a small shrine built by Yizhou’s local government, so there were no elaborate rituals.
Normally, a modest shrine like this wouldn’t draw worshippers, perhaps just tourists during peach blossom season.
But today, despite the freezing cold and swirling snow, with the grove stark in black and white, a group of locals followed to burn incense on the opening day.
The reason?
The short inscription at the shrine’s entrance.
*The Peach Blossom Song*
The peach tree blooms, its flowers radiant. The maiden weds, fitting for her home.
The peach tree fruits, its yield abundant. The maiden weds, fitting for her household.
The peach tree thrives, its leaves lush. The maiden weds, fitting for her kin.
A timeless classic from the *Book of Songs*, its power undeniable.
When Shen Ying saw the inscription, learning it was penned by Lu Zheng, she was so moved she kept him indoors all day.
Now, as the magistrate finished the blessing and offered three incense sticks…
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
“What the hell? This much? No way!”
Strands of fate’s light poured endlessly into the jade seal in Lu Zheng’s mind, only slowing as the incense smoke curled through the shrine.
Two hundred twenty-seven strands!
Lu Zheng was gobsmacked, the Peach Blossom Fairy was something else!
With the lingzhi horse’s earlier contribution, the jade seal’s fate light broke the hundred mark for the first time, hitting two hundred fifty strands.
When had his fate light ever exceeded fifty? Now it was over five times that, leaving him dazed.
These two hundred twenty-seven strands weren’t siphoned from Shen Ying, they were new, meaning her influence had grown significantly.
She was bound to become a major figure.
A thousand-year ghost king, at least?
“Hiss…”
Lu Zheng sucked in a breath, thrilled to the core.
The kicker was, this was a one-time boost from the shrine’s completion. Whether Shen Ying’s fate would grow with the shrine’s thriving incense was anyone’s guess.
Lu Zheng scanned the crowd, swallowing hard as he watched people brave snow and frost to pray for love and children.
He pulled aside a couple who’d just offered incense, “Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries can grant love and heirs too, why come here in this cold?”
“It’s different. Heavenly Lords and Buddhas handle too many things. The Peach Blossom Fairy specialises in love and fertility, didn’t you see the inscription?”
The husband, seeming literate, spoke confidently, “Fitting for household, fitting for kin, praying to the Peach Blossom Fairy brings prosperity, harmony, and a full family!”
Lu Zheng nodded, got it.
Originally, the plan was for a small shrine, a local land deity for Peach Blossom Vale, to reward Shen Ying with some incense.
Who’d have thought Lu Zheng would pull out *The Peach Blossom Song*, accidentally turning the Peach Blossom Fairy into a symbol of family prosperity?
Was there anything more down-to-earth, more aligned with the common folk’s needs?
And so…
The shrine’s opening saw an endless stream of incense.
Nearby, Shen Ying stood stunned, sensing a mystic connection with the shrine’s statue. *The Peach Blossom Song* resonated with her, and the statue’s incense power grew visibly.
She was dumbfounded…
