“Fuck!”
“I told you that fatty looked familiar! Isn’t he the owner of Taijinhe Pawnshop in the west of the city?”
“Once the clothes were off, I almost didn’t recognise him!”
“He looks even fatter now!”
Liu Qingyan moved her hands away from her eyes and saw the mirror now showing the main entrance of Spring Breeze Tower. “Hurry and inform Lord Chu so he can come arrest her!”
“Inform him, inform him!” Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly. “I’ll fly to Yizhou Prefecture.”
The paper-crane messaging spell he had learned could only carry a limited amount of spiritual energy when made with ordinary yellow paper, so it was restricted to short distances. To send a message hundreds or even a thousand li away required special spirit-wood paper. That kind of paper was expensive, and Lu Zheng had only traded twenty sheets with his white-cloud copper coins. A minor matter like this was not worth using one.
A mere ghost corpse. With both Lu Zheng and Chu Jin acting personally, there was no need for Liu Qingyan or Shen Ying to get involved.
So Shen Ying stayed behind at Peach Blossom Manor. Lu Zheng first escorted Liu Qingyan home, then flew straight to Yizhou Prefecture.
When Chu Jin heard the news, he brought along Duan Changzai, the officer Lu Zheng knew well. The three of them flew back to Tonglin County together, ready to make their move.
After all that rushing about, night had just fallen.
“Shall this lowly official bring a squad of constables inside to search rooms and expose her hiding place, then lure her out?” Duan Changzai asked.
By now the three had landed outside the city and revealed their forms. They walked openly, ignoring the countless solicitations from the girls along the way, until they reached the entrance of Spring Breeze Tower.
Duan Changzai had already informed Constable Liu, who was waiting quietly with a squad two streets away.
Chu Jin’s face was colder than ice. “No need for such trouble. This old man will handle it personally. You just bring the constables to clean up afterwards.”
Under his leadership, the Yizhou Anomaly Suppression Department had gone several years without losing a single person. Now that record was broken, Chu Jin was furious.
He had already troubled Lu Zheng to track and guide them here, so naturally Chu Jin would not let Lu Zheng lift a finger himself. Lu Zheng was simply there to watch the show, and staying close meant he could collect the light of destiny.
…
Chu Jin charged inside.
Moments later, Chu Jin burst back out, dragging a completely naked ghost corpse behind him.
Pandemonium erupted inside Spring Breeze Tower, accompanied by a man’s terrified screaming.
The next instant, Duan Changzai appeared at the entrance and fired a signal arrow into the sky. Constable Liu arrived at top speed with his squad and stormed into the building.
Carrying the woman in one hand, Chu Jin nodded to Lu Zheng without mentioning the treasure mirror.
Lu Zheng looked at the woman in his grasp. It was indeed the same one shown in the mirror that afternoon. Now stripped of her disguise, she reeked with thick corpse qi; the stench was almost overpowering.
She glared venomously first at Chu Jin, then at Lu Zheng. Her eyes were practically dripping poison, yet she could not utter a single word.
Chu Jin’s expression did not change, while Lu Zheng merely grinned, delighted at another unexpected windfall.
A short while later, Duan Changzai returned to them. “The guests inside have been calmed. Constable Liu is personally speaking with the ghost corpse’s… client just now.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
With a wave of his hand, Chu Jin took the woman and Duan Changzai and flew off.
A very simple assistance task. Lu Zheng had merely run a few errands and earned over sixty points of destiny light. Pure profit!
Well then, his future service range could now extend to Yizhou Prefecture.
…
“Master Zhang, just how fiercely did you play? How did you end up this depleted?”
Inside Benevolent Heart Hall, Du Yueyao stared in shock at the owner of Taijinhe.
She had seen plenty of wealthy older men with multiple wives and concubines suffering from hidden ailments, but never one as severe as Master Zhang’s.
Master Zhang looked deeply embarrassed. He had originally come looking for Old Doctor Liu, but a patient with a critical condition had summoned the old man away. After learning the truth yesterday, Master Zhang dared not delay any longer today. Knowing Du Yueyao’s medical skills were excellent, he swallowed his pride and asked her to examine him.
A doctor’s heart is kind, is it not?
Seeing the contempt on Du Yueyao’s face, Master Zhang felt terribly wronged and couldn’t help leaning in to whisper, “Doctor Du, you misunderstand! I encountered a ghost yesterday!”
“Oh? Tell me more.” Du Yueyao’s eyes lit up with interest. Ever since her cultivation had advanced, she had yet to test her skills in real combat.
Master Zhang hurriedly recounted yesterday’s events, adding plenty of embellishments.
“So… that ghostly creature has already been captured by the authorities?” Du Yueyao was deeply disappointed.
Master Zhang nodded repeatedly.
Du Yueyao’s contempt only grew. “I recall you already have six concubines. And you still went to Spring Breeze Tower to fool around?”
“Heh heh… heh heh…”
Du Yueyao was blunt, but Master Zhang could only laugh awkwardly.
It wasn’t that he had a good temper; he simply knew he could not afford to offend Benevolent Heart Hall.
“Go lie down on the wooden bed in the back. I’ll give you a few acupuncture needles and write a prescription. Rest and recuperate for two months first.”
“What? Two whole months?”
“Or feel free to seek a better doctor.”
“No no no! Everyone knows Benevolent Heart Hall is the finest medical house in the county!” Master Zhang hurriedly raised a thumb and scurried to the back. “Right here is fine, right here. Thank you for the trouble, Doctor Du!”
After administering the needles, writing the prescription, and sending Master Zhang on his way, Du Yueyao sidled up to Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan.
“Big Brother Lu, Sister Liu, do you know about this Master Zhang business?”
“We do. It only happened yesterday.” Liu Qingyan smiled and recounted the tale, naturally omitting the unmentionable details.
Even so, Du Yueyao could tell something from the radiant glow on Liu Qingyan’s face.
“Sister! Brother-in-law! Sister Yueyao!”
“Dinner time!”
Ao Qian and Liu Qingquan came bouncing in carrying food baskets, with Liu San following behind.
“Mama made delicious chestnut-braised chicken and red-braised carp today. Try them!”
The two little girls spoke eagerly, staring at Lu Zheng with wide, hopeful eyes.
Madam Liu’s cooking was excellent, but no matter what, it could not compare to Lu Zheng’s. Using the same ingredients and seasonings, if Madam Liu’s dishes were mortal delicacies, Lu Zheng’s were feasts fit for the heavenly palace.
Not only had Lu Zheng been away for over a month, he was also terribly lazy about cooking.
So when the girls learned he had returned yesterday, they begged Madam Liu to prepare several dishes and eagerly delivered them to him.
Yet Lu Zheng seemed completely oblivious to their hints. He helped Liu San set out the food and began eating with the two women.
As he ate, he praised, “Delicious! Aunt’s cooking really is the best!”
Ao Qian and Liu Qingquan, “…”
Du Yueyao couldn’t help laughing at the sight. In the end, Liu Qingyan took pity on the little girls and asked Lu Zheng, “In a couple of days when the shop is closed, shall we have a big feast at Peach Blossom Manor?”
The two girls instantly turned their shining eyes on Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng pondered for a moment, then nodded under their expectant gazes.
“Yay!”
Lu Zheng glanced at Liu Qingyan and winked lightly. The meaning was clear: payment tonight.
Liu Qingyan’s face flushed crimson. She unconsciously pressed her thighs together, gave a soft, watery nod, and agreed.
Rip!
Du Yueyao tore off a chicken wing with her hands and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing vigorously.
