Liu Xi was a servant. For the past two days, his young master had become infatuated with a girl at the pavilion. When the Old Madame found out, she had flown into a rage and ordered that the young master be brought home today, no matter what.
If the young master refused, Liu Xi was to bind him and haul him back; the Old Madame had even provided several family retainers to accompany him for that very purpose.
He didn't know which girl’s room his master was in, so he had to wait for the brothel attendants to look away before sneaking inside. He checked every unlocked door he came across to see if his master was within.
His persistence was born of necessity. If he failed to bring the young master home today, the Old Madame would likely have him sold off. He had heard the elders in the Lan family mention that the Old Madame had once been a woman of iron-fisted methods and absolute authority; even the Old Master had been kept under her thumb when he was young.
Since the Old Madame had spoken, they had to bring the Eldest Young Master back. Otherwise, not even the young master could protect him.
“The girls in this place are quite peculiar, acting like they’re guarding against thieves. There are so many rooms, yet I’ve only found one or two that aren't locked,” Liu Xi muttered under his breath.
His hands didn't stop moving as he stealthily pushed against a door. It swung open easily, and he hurried inside, calling out in a low voice, “Young Master, are you there? It’s Xiao Xizi.”
The only response was silence.
He emboldened himself and walked behind the screen, where he saw a man lying quietly on the bed with his back turned. From the silhouette, it did look somewhat like his young master.
“Is that you, Young Master?”
When there was still no answer, he frowned. What was wrong with this person? He wouldn't even respond when called, sleeping like a pig. His young master was never this heavy a sleeper.
He patted the person on the bed, only to find the body ice-cold, not at all like a living being.
Liu Xi’s face turned pale. He tentatively rolled the person over, and a bloodless face appeared before him without warning. He fell back onto the floor in terror. This man wasn't his young master—but he was definitely dead.
The face was not just bloodless but shriveled, with little flesh remaining. The lips were parched and peeling, the eye sockets deeply sunken. A pair of lackluster eyes stared straight at him, wide in a death that had found no peace.
“Ah! Someone’s dead!”
He scrambled out of the room on all fours, letting out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
“Help! There’s a dead man in this room! Call the authorities!”
His fear-stricken, heart-wrenching voice easily pierced through the lively atmosphere of the pavilion. Upon hearing those words, the building fell into an instant silence.
Men who had been intimate with the girls just moments before rushed out without even bothering to dress properly, peering toward the window of the room where the body lay.
In her room on the third floor, the Madame’s face turned ashen when she heard the commotion on the second floor. A flash of killing intent crossed her eyes.
“You didn't lock the door?”
Xue’er shook her head frantically in terror.
“Madame, I was in such a panic, I forgot.”
The Madame took a deep breath.
“Go back there now. Don't say a single word. Just say he suddenly became like that. Even when the officials arrive, their coroner won't be able to find anything. At most, they’ll rule it as death from the exhaustion of his vital essence. Who told this man to be so lecherous?”
Seeing that Xue’er wanted to say more, the Madame waved her off. “Enough, get out.”
The Madame watched her back as she left. If she hadn't been afraid that killing the girl would be too suspicious and lead the constables to find clues, Xue’er would have been a corpse long ago.
It was simply that man’s misfortune. If he hadn't come so many times, he wouldn't have lost his life. She understood the difference between a single full meal and a lifetime of steady ones.
...
That night, a small single-wick oil lamp burned on the table in the middle of the room. Its light flickered across Gu Qingyun’s face as she sat cross-legged on the bed, practicing her technique.
“Open up, routine inspection!”
Gu Qingyun’s cultivation was interrupted by a burst of noise. She withdrew her power and stood up from the bed. Sure enough, after a short while, someone knocked on her door.
When she saw who it was, her brows rose. It was one of the men under Head Constable Qi from the prefectural capital. The man also recognized her, a smile appearing on his face.
“Oh, it’s Constable Gu. You haven't returned to Jiangyin County yet?”
Gu Qingyun spread her hands. “We’ve been traveling every day for several days and were truly exhausted, so we stopped here to rest. What is with all this commotion?”
Constable Mao sighed. “There’s been a murder at Caixiang Pavilion. The coroner said it was due to overindulgence—a death caused by the excessive loss of spirit essence. However, the deceased’s family won't accept it, insisting he was murdered. Sigh, we have no choice but to go through the motions, investigate thoroughly, and put on a show of it.”
Gu Qingyun’s eyes widened slightly. “Who died that requires such a large mobilization?”
Constable Mao lowered his voice. “It’s the brother of our Lord Vice Prefect’s favored concubine. Her brother was a decent enough fellow—didn't cause much trouble—but he was a bit too fond of women. The Vice Prefect wanted to grant his favorite concubine a favor by having us investigate properly.”
“So here we are, dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to start the search. Sigh, I doubt we’ll have any days off for a while.”
Gu Qingyun said sympathetically, “That sounds tough.”
“It can’t be helped; it’s our duty. I’ll go check elsewhere. Constable Gu, you should get some rest soon.”
...
Early the next morning, Gu Qingyun went out to buy breakfast. When she passed by Caixiang Pavilion, she saw it was sealed with official strips and guarded by two constables. Driven by a sudden impulse, she walked up to the two men and handed them each a flatbread.
“Brothers, it’s such a cold day and you’ve been standing here all night. Have some hot bread to warm yourselves up.”
The two constables had a deep impression of Gu Qingyun. It was hard to forget a female constable as formidable as her.
“Many thanks, Constable Gu. We really have been cold and hungry standing here all night.”
The two weren't modest and took the bread, nodding as they bit into it and commented on how fragrant it was. Gu Qingyun listened quietly while starting to look around the area.
She inadvertently looked up and her gaze suddenly locked with a woman on the third floor. The woman gave a captivating, soul-stirring smile before closing the window.
Gu Qingyun withdrew her gaze, gave the two constables another bread each, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, a faint, barely discernible fragrance drifted into her nose. Her footsteps faltered. She looked back deeply at the brothel before turning and walking away.
By the time she returned to the inn with the breakfast, Head Constable Liu and the others were already dressed and ready.
“Qingyun, let’s head back to the county seat after we eat.”
Gu Qingyun shook her head. “Uncle Liu, let’s leave tomorrow instead. Today is not a good day for travel.”
Head Constable Liu and the others knew she possessed special abilities, so they didn't ask questions. They simply nodded.
“Fine, we’ll do as you say. We can find a place to have another good meal today.”
...
Gu Qingyun waited and waited on the street from yesterday, but she never saw the ladies appear. She wandered up and down the street three times yet failed to find anything unusual.
Afraid of missing something, she even used her Spirit Eyes to scan the area, but she found no anomalies whatsoever.
She scratched her head, somewhat confused. This shouldn't be happening. With her current abilities, she should definitely be able to see through any ghostly or demonic veils. For a moment, she was at a complete loss.
It wasn't until dusk that Ma Lingyi and Madam Wang, accompanied by two friends, arrived on the street once more. They began walking back and forth again.
Gu Qingyun, standing at the end of the street with a Stealth Talisman applied to herself, watched them quietly. Finally, they were here.
Her eyes darkened as she caught the scent wafting from them. As she suspected, it was the exact same fragrance as the one from Caixiang Pavilion.
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