“Sister, Boss Zhao from Three Yellows Hall has definitely run into something unnatural!”
At noon, Du Yueyao rushed back home and hurried straight to the rear courtyard behind Uncle Li. There she found Lu Zheng lazily swaying in a reclining chair, while Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying were playing Go beneath the persimmon tree.
In that instant, Du Yueyao felt her whole being collapse.
She took a deep breath, silently repeated “I love medicine” ten times to herself, and finally calmed the urge to explode.
“Oh?”
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up. Liu Qingyan also looked up. “I knew something was wrong when we saw his face earlier. So there really is trouble.”
“Saw him earlier?” Du Yueyao blinked, confused.
Liu Qingyan’s cheeks flushed. How had she let slip their morning peeping?
“Ahem!” Lu Zheng gave a dry cough to cut off Du Yueyao’s question. They absolutely could not let her know what the three of them had been doing all morning. “What happened to Master Zhao? What did you find?”
Sure enough, Du Yueyao was distracted. Her small face lit up with excitement. “Master Zhao came for a consultation this morning. He’s over forty but normally keeps fit and healthy. Yet today he arrived sallow, utterly drained of energy and spirit.
I thought he had caught some serious illness, so I spent ages taking his pulse and checking his organs, blood, and meridians. Nothing. No sign of any incurable disease.
I asked if anything unusual had happened recently. He said no, that life had been perfectly pleasant lately. Then, while talking, he actually started singing a little tune.”
At this point Du Yueyao’s face was flushed with excitement. “Guess what?”
Lu Zheng stayed silent, but Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying played along. “What?”
“He said it was a piece taught to him by Young Master Bai Yuefei!” Du Yueyao announced loudly.
“…”
The three of them exchanged blank looks, unsure why that was strange.
“Young Master Bai Yuefei is the lead actor and star of the Silver Phoenix Troupe,” Du Yueyao explained.
“And then?” Lu Zheng asked.
“Master Zhao says Young Master Bai Yuefei has been coming to rendezvous with him every single night lately.”
“Hiss—”
Lu Zheng involuntarily sucked in a cold breath, feeling a chill run straight up his spine.
Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying stared at each other, equally stunned.
After a pause, Liu Qingyan thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, “Hasn’t the Silver Phoenix Troupe already left? If Bai Yuefei had stayed behind, losing their star actor would have caused a huge uproar, wouldn’t it?”
“Exactly! Exactly! Bai Yuefei should have left with them.”
Du Yueyao nodded repeatedly, her smile growing wider. “Yet according to Master Zhao, during the days Young Master Bai spent with him in Tonglin County, their feelings grew deeper by the day. He didn’t leave with the troupe. He stayed for Zhao’s sake, only visiting at night so as not to disturb the household. They play music and enjoy each other’s company.”
Despite the clear facts, Lu Zheng still had to ask, “But why on earth did he tell you all this?”
Du Yueyao’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, of course! I asked if he’d been sleeping poorly. He admitted he had. I kept pressing, and finally he confessed everything.”
Seeing the grin on Du Yueyao’s face, Lu Zheng was speechless. “He’s been possessed by something evil, and you’re this happy?”
“Cough cough!”
Du Yueyao tried to suppress her smile. “I’m not happy! I’m not smiling! Really!”
Lu Zheng: “…”
“Your grin reaches your ears, and all your teeth are showing. You can’t hide it!” Liu Qingyan pointed out.
“Sister, that’s terrifying. I’m not that happy,” Du Yueyao protested, then pouted and whined, “It’s just this is my first time encountering something like this! I missed the incidents with Tai Jin and Master Zhang last time. This time I finally caught one!”
In the past, when anomalies appeared, Du Yueyao had been an ordinary person and could only stand around like an extra. Now, with a hundred years of cultivation, she was itching to show off her might, but nothing had happened for over half a year. She had been burning with impatience.
Today she finally met one. She was practically shaking with excitement, unconsciously rubbing her fingers together as runes of true qi flickered around them.
“What did you tell Master Zhao?” Liu Qingyan asked.
“I told him he had simply been resting too little lately and it wasn’t serious. I prescribed something to replenish qi and blood.” Du Yueyao forcibly suppressed her glee. “According to him, Bai Yuefei visits every night. First they sing a little, then…”
As an innocent maiden, Du Yueyao grew embarrassed and trailed off.
“Got it, I understand,” Lu Zheng said with a laugh. “Tonight you take the lead. We’ll back you up.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Du Yueyao nodded eagerly. That was exactly why she had come.
For a total rookie, a hundred years of cultivation sounded impressive, but inside she was still timid.
With Lu Zheng there, however, she feared nothing.
“I’ll head back to Benevolent Heart Hall now. Tonight we go together!”
After receiving nods from Lu Zheng and the two women, Du Yueyao left beaming.
…
That night, at the Zhao residence.
A dark shadow darted out of an alley nearby, floated lightly, and landed on a rooftop opposite the Zhao mansion. It revealed itself as a young man dressed in white.
Young Master Bai Yuefei.
“Illusion technique!”
From the eaves of another house nearby, Du Yueyao narrowed her eyes and instantly saw through the newcomer’s method.
“A minor demon who can’t even conceal its demonic qi.”
That was her second judgement. This time she was definitely going to handle it.
So, just as the little demon prepared to move towards the Zhao mansion, Du Yueyao struck.
“Ha! Take my Soul-Subduing Curse!”
…
Moments later, the “Bai Yuefei” had been beaten half to death by Du Yueyao and revealed its true form.
A stray tomcat.
After interrogation, they confirmed the cat had never killed anyone. It simply loved listening to opera and had a peculiar hobby, which was why it had no friends.
It had followed the Silver Phoenix Troupe all the way here, happened upon Master Zhao, and got an idea. It transformed into Bai Yuefei’s likeness, claiming too many eyes were watching during the day, and came only at night.
After displaying a couple of impressive arias, Master Zhao never suspected a thing. Every night they slept foot-to-foot and had a marvellous time together.
By day the cat hid, while Master Zhao went to Jade Songbird Garden to watch performances. Because of the cat’s instructions, even in broad daylight and in public, neither the real Bai Yuefei noticed anything amiss, nor did Master Zhao himself.
Then the troupe left, but the cat stayed. Master Zhao never doubted it, only rejoicing greatly. Night after night of revelry finally drained his body dry.
Lu Zheng: “…”
The three women: “…”
