Chapter 21: A New Mission

"Come."

The Master led Shen Hua before two unmarked graves. Shen Hua looked at the tombstones and asked, "Whose are these?"

"Your parents'. Though, it is merely a cenotaph."

Shen Hua froze in place. She had been in Nanjing for three years, and though she had discreetly inquired about the fate of the Xia family after their demise, no one had known.

"Back then, I managed to save you from your manor, but your parents were not so fortunate. Those people dragged the bodies from your home and burned them all to ash in one place. Many saw it that night, but no one dared approach the estate."

Shen Hua gazed at the graves, her mind drifting for a moment. "Master, my memories of childhood have always been hazy, but I remember that fire."

"I had you study medicine intensely so that, perhaps, one day you might concoct a formula to restore your memory."

The Master asked again, "Hua'er, do you still remember your original name?"

Shen Hua shook her head.

The Master stroked her hair and said, "Xia Xuanyue."

"Xuanyue."

Shen Hua finally understood why she had always heard that name in her dreams.

"Your father was the Minister of Rites at the time. Your entire family was wiped out because of the Spring Imperial Examination in the second year of Yongle."

"And my mother?" Shen Hua asked.

The Master shook his head, but Shen Hua caught a flicker of hesitation. She seized the opportunity: "You have never spoken of these things in over ten years. Why today?"

"Because the time has come."

"Master, you knew my mother, didn't you?" Shen Hua pressed.

The Master's gaze shifted abruptly, like the first crack in a thawing glacier, and he offered a rare smile—one that made Shen Hua feel as though she were being eyed as prey by a predator.

"Aren't you asking a bit too much today?"

Shen Hua lowered her head and remained silent. The Master’s fleeting expression vanished.

"You finished off that official from the Directorate of Astronomy too cleanly. You should have left the body intact and dumped it at the gates of Jiming Temple; that would have caused a greater stir. Furthermore, you shouldn't have sent that letter. The old monk’s schemes are no fewer than the Emperor's, perhaps even more so."

"Master, what do you mean?"

"You won't need to act this time. The old monk has too many royal guards around him, and his skills may even surpass yours, so we must use poison."

Shen Hua looked at Jiang Huaiyu, who was leaning against a tree in the distance, his expression grave and tinged with worry.

"Your task is to get close to that person in the Minister of War’s manor. You have already met."

Shen Hua had never imagined her task would be to get close to that medical eccentric.

"Find a way to approach him, enter the Jin residence, and then go to Jin Zhong’s study to find this."

The Master handed Shen Hua a piece of paper. When she unfolded it, it depicted a colorful bead.

"This is called the Seven-Colored Glazed Bead. It should be returned to its rightful owner."

Shen Hua did not understand what the Master meant by "rightful owner," so she asked if the original owner was the Nether Pavilion.

The Master nodded. "Indeed. But due to certain events, it was taken by that man surnamed Jin. It should have been returned long ago."

"Also, that man surnamed Jin saw the fire back then, yet he did not lift a finger to stop it. The annihilation of the Xia family likely involves more than just the Imperial Examination, or they wouldn't have been wiped out entirely. Now that you know the official from the Directorate of Astronomy who was involved is dead, Jin Zhong counts as another, and there was indeed one more, though he is already dead."

"Who?"

"You have been spending your days with his son."

Behind his mask, though the Master’s face remained expressionless, his lips curled slightly for an instant before twitching again.

"A father's debts must be repaid by the son," Shen Hua stated calmly.

***

The Master seemed satisfied with Shen Hua's response, but reminded her not to act against Lu Chenzhou just yet; he still had his uses.

Shen Hua was a proactive and calm individual. Even when facing the targets of her revenge, she could suppress her inner rage, for when she killed, she ensured the victim suffered a hundredfold. Compared to a swift death, she preferred to make them yearn for life but be unable to reach it. The last one, Li Rong, had only received a quick death because time was too tight.

"Hua'er, you are my most satisfying disciple, and the one I trust most. But this time, you must listen to me in everything. Even if you do not act, I will take care of those people for you."

Shen Hua felt that the Master was speaking much more than usual today, and after all these years, he had taken the initiative to bring up the past. Especially when speaking of her mother, he seemed somewhat sorrowful.

"Very well, Master. I will listen to you."

After leaving, Shen Hua went straight to the underground city of the Ghost Market. On the way, she decided to seek out the Ghost Elder to inquire about a few things.

"This is the first time Dr. Shen has taken the initiative to visit me."

The Ghost Elder always gave an impression of being inscrutable. Few in the Ghost Market had seen his face, and no one knew his origins.

"Master."

The Ghost Elder paused.

Shen Hua smiled. "I am still used to calling you Master."

"Actually, I like that title too, but my subordinates find it too scholarly and lacking in presence."

Shen Hua continued, "I have come today to ask for a favor, but I don't expect it for free."

The Ghost Elder opened the folding fan he had been playing with and began to wave it, a trace of imperceptible cunning at the corners of his mouth.

"Let's hear it."

"Have you ever heard the name Yang Zhitong?"

The Ghost Elder’s expression flickered with surprise, then he replied, "The name sounds familiar, but I cannot recall it for the moment." He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you asking about this person?"

Shen Hua said lightly, "An old acquaintance."

"An old acquaintance?" The Ghost Elder deliberately slowed his speech, scrutinizing Shen Hua. "Is this official business, or your own?"

"I just said I don't expect the favor for free."

With that, Shen Hua placed a small wooden box on the table containing a poison that was extremely difficult to craft. She then added, "While the Ghost Market has all sorts of rare treasures, it certainly does not have the Phoenix Gall."

The Ghost Elder opened the box to find something resembling an eye inside, and he nodded with satisfaction.

"You are more generous than your master, Ye Cang."

Shen Hua replied, "Your Ghost Market has the most informed intelligence. With your spies in every street and alley of Nanjing, finding one person should not be difficult."

"This person has been dead for over a decade. Why are you asking about her?"

"It is useful."

Seeing that Shen Hua did not wish to say more, the Ghost Elder did not press her; transactions in the Ghost Market never involved prying into the details of the buyer or seller.

"Years ago, there was an official in the Directorate of Astronomy who was well-versed in celestial phenomena and the Eight Trigrams. But there was another remarkable thing: the official had a daughter who was particularly skilled in mechanisms and gears. She may have even had a hand in the construction of the Emperor's tomb. She was one of the influential figures in Nanjing at the time. There were four women in the city who were the talk of the town, and they were the closest of sisters."

"Four?"

"The other three were all peerless beauties, but unfortunately, the youngest and most beautiful one entered the palace; I heard she became a Noble Consort. As for the other two, one died of illness years ago, and the other became a recluse. If you want to find the cause of death for your acquaintance, you might start with her; she might know something."

"Is that woman still in Nanjing?"

"Of course. How could a noble lady of the capital leave this place? And you have already met her son."

"The Lu family?"

Shen Hua did not know why Lu Chenzhou was the first person to come to mind.

The Ghost Elder’s eyes lit up, and he nodded. "But perhaps you should investigate the one who died of illness. She died a month after your acquaintance."

"And whose family is that?"

"The head of that house now holds a high position—it is the Wen family, the Ministry of Personnel. Interestingly, the eldest son-in-law of the Wen family is the young master of the Lu family. However, the relationship between the two families is mediocre; the reason dates back to the death of the eldest Miss Wen a few years ago. People say it was due to complications in childbirth, but no one knows the true cause."

The Ghost Elder put away the Phoenix Gall and walked up to Shen Hua with satisfaction. "Very well, I have told you all I can. If you have more good things next time, remember to bring them. Night has fallen; Dr. Shen might want to stroll through our underground city. You might gain something more."

After nightfall, the underground city of the Ghost Market was bustling. Shen Hua walked along, lost in thought, observing the people trading around her. Soon, a familiar figure appeared before her.

She did not approach directly, but observed from the sidelines. Shen Hua had not expected the medical eccentric, Jin Zhaonan, to be able to find the entrance to the underground city. This left her puzzled by his behavior during the day, especially given her Master's words: "The more harmless and non-toxic something appears on the surface, the more lethal it may be."

***

"Young Master, let’s look around and head back!"

Two attendants followed behind, urging him repeatedly. Jin Zhaonan grew impatient. "Don't spoil the fun of such an interesting place. If you don't want to accompany me, wait at the entrance. I'll look around by myself."

The two attendants looked at each other and fell silent, daring not to urge him further.

Seeing this, a thought occurred to Shen Hua. Her new task was to enter the Jin residence and retrieve the Seven-Colored Glazed Bead that belonged to the Nether Pavilion, but she remained confused about the bead's true purpose.

"First time in the underground city?"

Jin Zhaonan stopped at a stall selling medicinal herbs. The vendor recognized instantly that he was a novice.

"Is it written on my face?" Jin Zhaonan asked, puzzled.

The vendor’s expression was cold. "People who come here for the first time are always as ignorant of the rules as you. If I weren't kind-hearted, your hand would already be gone."

Jin Zhaonan had reached out to touch the herbs, breaking the rules of the Ghost Market.

"How am I supposed to know if it's real or fake if I don't pick it up?"

The vendor stood up, drew a sharp blade from his waist, and slammed it into the wooden table. "Selling fakes in the Ghost Market is treated just like this table."

The two attendants were so terrified they hid behind Jin Zhaonan, not daring to breathe.

"I didn't say it was fake, I was just asking. Boss, no need to be so serious."

Jin Zhaonan shrank his neck and sighed, leaving the stall as quickly as possible to prevent the vendor from actually taking a swipe at him.

"Young Master, everyone here is fierce and menacing. We should leave! Besides, we didn't bring enough money today to buy anything."

Jin Zhaonan pointed to the fish-shaped jade pendant on his neck, triumphantly saying, "I still have this."

The Ghost Market was no less lively than the world above, with casinos, restaurants, brothels, and teahouses—everything one could want. But the people doing business here were not as easy to deal with as those on the surface; one wrong move could cost you your life.

"I heard there are often foreigners here, why haven't I seen any today?"

As Jin Zhaonan walked, his eyes remained glued to the roadside stalls, filled with wonder. Just as he spoke, a blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner dressed in strange clothes walked toward them.

"Young Master, Young Master! A foreigner!"

The two attendants cheered, completely forgetting that this was the underground city, where speaking loudly attracted unwanted attention.

Instantly, the master and his servants became the focus of everyone’s attention, and they had to lower their heads and skulk out of the crowd.

"Young Master, this underground city is a den of tigers and wolves. We can't come here, we really can't."

Ruyi, Jin Zhaonan’s book boy, had grown up with him and was most concerned about his safety. When he saw the casino, he intentionally blocked Jin Zhaonan’s view.

Jin Zhaonan was not a gambler; he had a high natural talent for mathematics, but because the imperial examinations did not prioritize it, he had never put it to proper use. In Beijing, he had been dragged to casinos by friends to help them win money, which led to him being blacklisted from every casino in the city.

But the other attendant did not know his young master had this skill, so he excitedly shouted, "There's even a casino in the Ghost Market! How interesting. I'm sure the people here wouldn't dare to renege on a debt, or they'd lose their lives."

Ruyi nudged the other man with his elbow, a gesture that Jin Zhaonan happened to see. He knew what Ruyi was thinking, but he still wanted to see it; after all, he had never been inside a Ghost Market casino.

Seeing that he could not stop him, Ruyi gave up and followed behind.

Shen Hua watched as the three entered the casino. She followed, but stopped at the entrance, feeling as though someone was following her. When she turned, she saw only a shadow flash by, leaving nothing behind.

"Are you going in or not?" the attendant at the casino door urged.

Shen Hua responded with a warning glare; no one in the Ghost Market dared to rush her.

If the Ghost Market was a surging tide of people, the casino was the most bustling spot. Shen Hua squeezed through the crowd, trying to find the three she had followed in.

Wherever there are people, there are restaurants, casinos, and brothels; the Ghost Market was no exception. These places, whether in Beijing or Nanjing, were where the local customs were most vividly displayed.

Upon entering, Shen Hua realized the casino was much larger than she had imagined. From the surface, it looked like only one floor, but there was another level underground. Perhaps because casinos outside the Ghost Market were restricted by the authorities, the one here was especially popular, and the corridors inside were so cramped that one had to stoop to get through, surrounded by the clamor of shouting.

Bone tiles, pitch-pots, leaf cards, backgammon...

The dizzying array of gambling games and novel equipment was an eye-opener for the master and his servants, leaving them dazzled.